Silent Meditation

Current meeting time(s): Monday through Friday at 8AM, 8:30AM, 12PM, and 12:30PM (8/8:30 practices are in person AND virtual)

Class description

8AM: Monday through Friday start your day with a silent meditation. Morning meditation will be in-person at the Dharma Bum Temple and available via Zoom. There will be two silent meditations sessions. The first one is at 8AM - 8:25AM and the second one is at 8:30AM - 8:55AM. This meditation is great for people with any level of meditation experience. This meditation has no guidance or instruction, it is simply an opportunity to sit quietly with others. Please enter the main hall when you arrive and have a seat anywhere you prefer.

• Join via Zoom Meeting: Click Here
• Meeting ID: 642 209 9529 Passcode: 903810

12PM: Monday through Friday from 12PM-1PM join us for a silent meditation. There will be two silent meditations sessions. The first one is at 12PM - 12:25PM and the second one is at 12:30PM - 12:55PM. This meditation is great for people with any level of meditation experience. This meditation has no guidance or instruction, it is simply an opportunity to sit quietly with others. Please enter the main hall when you arrive and have a seat anywhere you prefer.

Zen Buddhism & Meditation

Current meeting time(s): Monday at 7PM (In person AND virtual)

• Join via YouTube Livestream: Click Here

Class description

Every Monday night we gather in-person as a community to meditate in silence then listen to a brief talk on Zen teachings. There is time for questions and discussion and we close with a transfer of merit. We explore how to apply Zen in our everyday activities and cultivate our awakened mind in modern daily life. We study how to transform our suffering and see the world with a compassionate heart, while realizing the true oneness of one’s life.

The Sixth Ancestor Hui-Neng (638-718), described seated zazen as follows: Externally, to be free of all hindrances and undisturbed in mind regarding any circumstances whether good or bad is called “sitting” (za); internally, to contemplate the immutability of your own Original Nature is called “meditation” (zen). 

“The idea of Zen is to catch life as it flows. There is nothing extraordinary or mysterious about Zen. I raise my hand; I take a book from the other side of the desk; I hear the children playing ball outside my window; I see the clouds blown away beyond the neighboring wood: — in all these I am practicing Zen, I am living Zen. No wordy discussions are necessary, nor any explanation. I do not know why — and there is no need of explaining, but when the sun rises the whole world dances with joy and everybody’s heart is filled with bliss. If Zen is at all conceivable, it must be taken hold of here.”- D.T. Suzuki

Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation

Current meeting time(s): Wednesday at 7PM (In person AND virtual)

• Join via YouTube Livestream: Click Here

Class description

Led by Bettina Heitmann, Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation class explores the potent connection of Buddhist Mindfulness with the Four Brahma Viharas of Loving Kindness, Compassion, Empathetic Joy, and Equanimity as taught by the Buddha and how these teachings are intimately linked with one another on the path towards liberation of mental suffering. The class typically consists of a combination of meditation and discussion. This class is open to people from all backgrounds and levels of experience who would like to live a life based in kindness, non-harming, deepening self-awareness and practicing mindfully in a community setting. Feel free to join us whenever you can on Wednesday night.

In the opening of the Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness (Satipatthana Sutra), the Buddha said, “Bhikkhus, there is a most wonderful way to help living beings realize purification, overcome directly grief and sorrow, end pain and anxiety, travel the right path, and realize nirvana. This way is the Four Establishments of Mindfulness.”

The Buddha used the metaphor of the two wings of a bird to describe Mindfulness practice: One wing represents awareness of what is present in us. The other wing represents a kind, loving and non-judgmental attention to what we are experiencing. This class explores the potent connection of Buddhist Mindfulness with the 4 Brahma Viharas of Loving Kindness, Compassion, Empathetic Joy and Equanimity as taught by the Buddha and how these teachings are intimately linked with one another on the path towards liberation of mental suffering.

This class is offered by Bettina Heitmann who has been a dedicated Buddhist practitioner for 20 years. She has practiced meditation and studied Buddhist psychology at temples and retreat centers, co-led Buddhist Sanghas and services and has attended numerous silent Buddhist meditation retreats. She is a graduate of the 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. Bettina is committed to on-going learning across cultures and co-creating an understanding of people’s diverse life experiences.

Dharma Bum Basics & Meditation

Current meeting time(s): Thursday at 7PM

Class description

Dharma Bum Basics and Meditation is a one hour long discussion based class. The first 15-25 minutes consists of a guided meditation followed by a group discussion about a specific Buddhist subject, typically one of the foundational principles. Seated in one large discussion circle, practitioners have the opportunity to discuss, reflect, apply teachings to their experiences, and share their personal experiences and thoughts on the subject with the group. All are welcome.

Zazen & Heart Sutra Meditation and Study

Current meeting time(s): Sunday at 3PM

Class description:

Join us every Sunday from 3PM - 5 PM for a meditation and study of the Heart Sutra. This will consist of a 90-minute silent meditation with short breaks and will conclude with a 30-minute exploration of the Heart Sutra. This is a two hour gathering and the intention in showing up should be to remain for the entire two hours.

Intro to Buddhism & Meditation

Current meeting time(s): Tuesday at 7PM & Saturday at 11AM (In person AND virtual)

• Join via YouTube Livestream: Click Here

Class description:

Join us in-person at the Dharma Bum Temple every Tuesday at 7PM and Saturday at 11AM for a meditation followed by a discussion based on the Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, and Six Paramitas. We will also cover basic Buddhist concepts such as Five Precepts, Dependent Origination, Karma and the Bodhisattva Path. There is typically time allotted for a Q&A on Buddhist principles and how they apply to real-world scenarios.

Recovery Sangha

We are happy to host a number of Buddhist Recovery groups to support those who want to integrate Buddhist teachings and practices into a program of recovery. We encourage the use of mindfulness and meditation and are grounded in Buddhist principles of non-harming, compassion & interdependence. Our groups are open to all people who suffer from any addiction or compulsive behavior and are looking for a comprehensive, transformative path to end their suffering. We are open to people of all backgrounds and recovery paths, including but not limited to all 12-Step programs. You need not be Buddhist nor in a 12 Step fellowship to participate and benefit.

We offer the following classes:

1. Recovery Dharma
2. Sunday Recovery Sangha: Buddhist Step Study
3. Eightfold Path Recovery Group
4. 12-Step Zen

To see more in-depth descriptions, dates, and times of our Recovery Sangha meetings: Click Here