Ithaca Buddhist Meditation is a Theravadin Buddhist Hermitage and Meditation Center in Ithaca, New York. The Theravadin Tradition is based on the original Discourses of the Buddha and is the oldest existing form of Buddhism. Theravada presents a wonderful balance of meditation, study, and chanting, and as such, provides something for everyone, from beginners to advanced practitioners, and from highly motivated meditators to people who are just looking for some peace of mind or to learn some of the Buddha's Teachings.
Ithaca Buddhist Meditation started with a simple idea: to make meditation accessible to everyone in the Finger Lakes region, regardless of religion or lack of one; race; gender; socioeconomic status; national origin; sexual orientation; identity; age; disability; and financial condition or ability to pay.
Our Resident Monk, Venerable Suddhammananda, a New Yorker who had been practicing meditation for over thirty years, became one of a handful of Americans to travel to Sri Lanka in order to meditate in the forest. After practicing meditation in forest dwellings for many months, he made the decision to Ordain and devote the remainder of his life to following the Buddha's Teachings and spreading the Dhamma. With the encouragement of his Maha Thero or Great Teacher, and with the fervent wish to share the transformative power of meditation with others, Venerable Sudhammananda returned to the United States and this Meditation Center was thereafter established.
Our mission is not only to help individuals learn to practice Mindfulness, but to experience Serenity and Insight, and to apply them in their lives. We believe it is possible to live a life filled with Metta or Goodwill for all, and to find a more meaningful and happy way of being. We provide a space for beginners and more experienced meditators to practice, and to learn Theravadin Buddhism. For those who are interested in learning Buddhist Philosophy, the Monastic provides Dhamma Talks and holds Sutta Study classes, where important Discourses of the Buddha are explored. All classes are conducted in English, except for short chants at the beginning and end of class where Pali is used to recognize the excellent qualities of Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, and where the Metta Sutta -the Discourse on Loving-Friendliness - is chanted. Booklets are provided. Religious ceremonies, blessings, and more enhanced chanting are also available at separate times for those wishing to participate. All programs and events are free of charge; donations for the Hermitage, and to help support the Monastic are greatly appreciated, but not required.
At Ithaca Buddhist Meditation, we try to present Buddhism and Meditation in a straightforward and understandable way. Our audience consists of people from all different backgrounds, so we attempt to limit some of the non-essential jargon and rituals and focus on the essentials. At the same time, we have to be true to our Theravadin Tradition and the Teachings of the Buddha. We believe that we have struck the proper balance in this regard, keeping the essence of Theravada Buddhism but with more limited chanting, bowing, and ritual, and with greater autonomy and flexibility than one would find in a traditional Temple.
Everyone is free to attend as many or as few classes as they wish, and no one is pressured to make a commitment, or donation. While we are here to provide guidance and requested advice, we leave the decision to seek it, and the pace and level of involvement, totally up to the student.
Learn the basics of meditation and how to initiate and maintain a daily practice that works for you. The Monastic can guide you in finding the right time and space to meditate, as well as different meditation methods, postures, reflections, and chants. We will discuss the hindrances to "successful" practice, and how to address them when they arise.
Stress can take a toll on your mental and physical health. Whether dealing with study, work, family responsibilities, traffic, or relationships, stress for most people is a fact of life. Our meditation sessions are designed to help you to relax, let go of tension, reduce anxiety and just Be. Our blend of guided and silent meditations will leave you feeling calm and centered, able to face the stresses and strains of daily activities with greater stability and equanimity, and less subject to the vicissitudes of life.
One of the main meditations we employ is Metta Bhavana, or Loving -Friendliness Meditation. This practice opens the heart and creates lovingkindness for ourselves, those close to us, the indifferent and unfriendly, and ultimately all beings. The Buddha teaches us that Metta Bhavana can lead to a liberated heart, a joyful disposition, and numerous other benefits.
If you struggle with falling asleep or staying asleep, meditation can help. One of the eleven benefits which the Buddha identifies flowing from meditation is the ability to fall asleep easily and sleep well. Meditation also has other health benefits, like decreased heart rate and blood pressure, positive changes in brain waves, better digestion and even complexion. Perhaps more importantly, meditation can provide a precious gift - a quiet mind leading to serenity and peace.
Our sessions are designed to help you cultivate mindfulness and concentration, which are essential steps on the path to insight. Greater focus, patience, compassion, and equanimity can also be expected by engaging in Samatha, or One - Pointed Meditation. Once the mind is concentrated, students can progress on the path toward Vipassana, or Insight. This is where real transformation can occur, and direct seeing into the nature of oneself and the universe.
Emotions and negative mind - states can sometimes be almost overwhelming. In Theravadin Buddhism, we learn about the roots of these unwholesome states, and address them in our Meditation Practice. This purifying aspect of the practice allows one to transform the unwholesome and destructive thoughts and emotions into wholesome and productive ones, reducing our habits of negativity, and improving our relationship with ourselves and the world.
In addition, meditation has a profound effect on quieting the mind of its incessant thinking, which allows us to be more fully present and in-the-moment, free of much of the usual clutter and confusion. This leads to more enriched experience, a sense of oneness and fulfillment with our activities, and a certain contentment with just what is right here and now.
Morning Classes are approximately one hour. Evening Classes are approximately one hour and fifteen minutes to one hour and a half. Regardless of length, each class includes Meditation, brief Chanting, and a Dhamma Talk and/or Dhamma Discussion. At Ithaca Buddhist Meditation, we begin each activity with a short recitation of the qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. These chants remind us of the importance of the Triple Gem and help to focus and quiet the mind for meditation. In addition, chanting can create a humble and reverential state of mind, that is, one ready to absorb the Teachings and open to whatever may come up in meditation.
After these brief chants, we engage in a twenty-five-minute period of silent, One-Pointed or Calming (Samatha) Meditation, where we focus the mind on a single point or object in the body and continue to bring the mind back to that object when it invariably strays. This process of training the mind to stay focused increases the ability to be mindful and concentrate, and quiets the thoughts, resulting over time in greater calm, peace and serenity. Instruction in posture and meditation methods are provided, if necessary.
Thereafter, a Reflection on Loving-Friendliness is read aloud by the participants, in which we all manifest the Aspiration to extend Metta to ourselves, our friends and family, the indifferent and unfriendly, and finally all beings. When the Reflection/Aspiration is completed, a bell will signal the start of Metta Meditation. During this guided twenty-minute meditation period, we manifest goodwill to a greater and greater class of beings, combining both mental and emotional aspects of our mind. Not only is this meditation - called Metta Bhavana - a great way to begin or end our day, but it gives us a joy and contentment which flows from the development and cultivation of the heart.
At the completion of the meditation period, the Resident Monk or a Visiting Monk or Nun will provide a Dhamma Talk, and thereafter the group will be invited to ask questions or participate in a Dhamma Discussion. At the end of the discussion, we chant together the Metta Sutta, the Discourse on Loving-Friendliness. Booklets are provided.
Consisting of two periods of meditation - one "Samatha" and one "Metta" - as well as Chanting, a Dhamma Talk, a Reflection/Aspiration, each class provides a well-balanced blend, designed to increase Dhamma knowledge and deepen one's practice and wholesome connection to oneself and all beings. Those who desire more intensive practice can speak to the Monk about early morning sittings.
May all beings be well, content, and peaceful.
10 am to 11 am
7 pm to 8:30 pm
7 pm to 8:30 pm
10 am to 11:30 am
TO BE ANNOUNCED
We would love to hear from you.
May all beings be well, content, and peaceful.
607-697-5239
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