Related Local Meditation Communities

The communities listed here are local to Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley and are closely-allied friends in the dharma.

Scroll down or click on a topic for more information:

• Spirit Rock Meditation Center
• Wednesday Vipassana Community
• Berkeley Buddhist Monastery
• East Bay Meditation Center
• Sanghas for Young Adults
• Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery

Spirit Rock Meditation Center

Located in Marin County, Spirit Rock offers silent meditation retreats, classes, trainings, and other dharma study opportunities to help deepen your meditation and dharma practice. IMCB is one of many sitting groups led by a Spirit Rock teacher.

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Wednesday Vipassana Community in Berkeley

The Wednesday Vipassana Community is led by Bonnie O’Brien Jonsson and Richard Shankman. They meet Wednesday evenings from 7:15 to 9:15 pm at St. John's Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA. For more information call 510-559-9290.

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Berkeley Buddhist Monastery

Besides hosting us each Thursday evening, Berkeley Buddhist Monastery maintains a full-schedule of classes and dharma activities, including daily open sitting meditation from 6:15 to 7:15 am and from 5:15 to 6:15 pm and daily evening chanting from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. The director of the monastery, Rev Heng Sure, has a Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, teaches on the staff at the Institute for World Religions, and is a musician exploring the relationship between music and the dharma. He has often shared his teachings and music with IMCB.

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East Bay Meditation Center

The East Bay Meditation Center (EBMC) is an independent center located in downtown Oakland, at 2147 Broadway, just 2 blocks from the 19th Street BART station. EBMC offers meditation training and spiritual teachings from Buddhist and other wisdom traditions, with attention to social action, multiculturalism, and the diverse populations of the East Bay and beyond.

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Sanghas for Young Adults

• Young Adult Dharma Council

The Young Adult Dharma Council is for young adults (ages 20-35) who want more connection in their practice. Our generation will soon be asked to carry on the dharma. We want this council to empower young adults in their Buddhist practice by creating a community of peers, share rich discussion about practice as young adults and explore how to bring our perspective and be a force in the larger dharma community, envisioning together how we can make a difference in the world around us.

We plan to meet once a month, at times including inspiration and support from senior dharma teachers.

People of all experience levels, races, ethnicities, sexual orientation, and gender identities are welcome. The event is offered on a dana (donation) basis. For more information visit the council's website, where you can also join an email discussion group, or email Kate Janke.

• Saturday Night Sangha

A collection of voices and experiences come together every Saturday to share and hold a space for meditation and discussion of the dharma. Hosted by young adults who have trained and practiced with a diverse group of teachers, we welcome anyone interested to come out and participate.

The intention of the group is to provide a regular weekend practice night, share our experiences incorporating this practice into our daily lives, and to have FUN. This is a revolutionary practice in today’s era just as it was when Buddha was teaching, so building a sangha, a community of like-minded individuals, can help in our Buddhist practice.

It is not necessary that you have a Buddhist practice, anyone interested in meditation and learning about these teachings is welcome.

Saturdays, 6 - 7:30pm

East Bay Healing Collective
1840 Alcatraz, near Ashby BART
Berkeley, CA

For more information please email Anthony Rodgers.

• Bay Area Young Adult Sangha

Bay Area Young Adult Sangha is an informal gathering of young dharma practitioners (mostly in their 20s and 30s) who live in the greater Bay Area. Their intention is to celebrate the great diversity of our region and welcome people of all backgrounds and spiritual traditions.

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Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery

On the first Tuesday of each month, monastics from Abhayagiri present a dharma talk and lead the group in chanting and meditation from 7:30 to 9:30 pm at the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, 2304 McKinley Avenue, Berkeley, CA.. The group is usually led by either Ajahn Amaro or Ajahn Passano. These meetings are an opportunity to directly experience the roots of our practice. Subscribe to their email list to receive notification of the meetings and other Abhayagiri events.

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