Information about this center is no longer updated. This data was last updated on 6 June 2013.

History

The Vipassana group at Ekoji formed in the mid-1990s. It was the first Ekoji group associated with the Theravada school, one of the two major streams of Buddhism.

Activities and Schedule

The Ekoji Vipassana Group gathers on Friday evenings at 5:30 p.m. They sit on the floor downstairs in the hondo, facing the altar. Practice is very simple: at 5:30 p.m. a bell is rung, initiating an hour of silent meditation. At 6:30 p.m. the bell is rung again, and the members re-arrange themselves into a circle. They go around the circle "checking-in:" giving brief reports on how their week has been and how the meditation session went. There is often some discussion of issues that people raise. When this is finished, most people leave, while five or six stay for a book discussion. These Friday evening sessions typically attact 14-16 participants. The group also holds chanting sessions on full moon evenings, and has a short retreat roughly once a month.

Demographics

The Vipassana group has about 30 members, about half of whom attend on any given Friday. They are overwhelmingly European-American, although a small number of Asians, blacks, and Latinos also attend. Most members are in their 40s and 50s, though a few people on either extreme of the age range can be found.