This Week's Events

Classes

Retreats

Welcome to Bellingham Insight

Bellingham Insight Meditation Society (BIMS) supports meditation and practice in the Buddhist Theravada tradition. We do not have a single guiding teacher. Rather, we are a sangha-led community. We bring in regional and national teachers, including monastics, for residential and non-residential retreats. Our weekly programs are facilitated by senior members in coordination with our Board and Program Committee.

Bellingham Insight Meditation Society welcomes visitors. To receive announcements and links to our Zoom meetings, join our list-serve by emailing bellinghaminsight+subscribe@googlegroups.com or by e-mailing the listserv moderator.

Insight meditation is a simple and direct practice, the moment-to-moment investigation of the mind/body process through calm and focused awareness. Learning to observe experience from a place of stillness enables one to relate to life with less fear and clinging. Seeing life as a constantly changing process, one begins to accept pleasure, pain, fear, joy and all aspects of life with increasing equanimity and balance. As insight deepens, wisdom and compassion arise. This practice is sometimes called "vipassana", which is a Pali word for insight.

We meet at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship (BUF): 1207 Ellsworth Street (at the corner of Ellsworth and I Street a few blocks north of downtown). The main entrance faces Ellsworth Street.

You can become a member of the Bellingham Insight Meditation Society by completing the Membership form found on the Supporting BIMS page.

News

Tuesday, April 23rd - You're Not In Control, Sweetheart

This Tuesday, after meditation, Tim Harlan-Marks will give a Dharma talk called You Are Not In Control, Sweetheart! Tim says:

"You are not in control, sweetheart." These words were written on a sticky note posted to the wall of my bedroom for several years following a difficult series of events I would have done anything to avoid. It's a reminder I needed then and still need now. This desire to control and manage our experiences, our relationships, our environment; to get and keep what we want and avoid what we don't want - this is just about as universal as it comes. And at the same time this impulse to control the world around us forms the basis for so much stress and suffering in our lives. Whether you identify as more easy going or tightly wound, come join us Tues, April 23rd to explore Buddhist teachings around control, agency, letting be and letting go.

We will meet this Tuesday in our hybrid format: via Zoom and in person at Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, 1207 Ellsworth St.

Our main door greeters will let you in until 6:55 pm (after, go around to the back). After a 30 minute silent sit, announcements and introductions Tim will give his talk.

There will be time for discussion as well as Q and A.

5:45 Hall opens

6:00 Orientation to Insight Meditation

6:45 Zoom room opens

7:00 Silent Meditation

7:30 Introductions, Announcements, Short Break

7:40 Tim Harlan-Marks - You're Not In Control, Sweetheart!

8:30 Ending

4/19/24

Tuesday, April 23rd - Orientation to Insight Meditation

At 6 PM this Tuesday we will offer an Orientation to Meditation in the library at BUF: basic meditation instructions and a guided meditation. There will also be time to ask questions and to learn the benefits of establishing a regular meditation practice. This will be in-person only (no Zoom for this part of the evening). Our greeters will be at the door from 5:45 - a bit after 6 to let you in. It will be taught by Tim Harlan-Marks.

4/19/24

You are invited to Dharma talks at Camp Samish

BIMS is sponsoring a residential retreat, taught by Tim Geil and Tuere Sala, at Camp Samish this Sunday April 14 to Saturday April 20. Many in our community will be attending.

Anyone not attending is invited to come to the camp to hear the evening dharma talks at 7:30 PM on Monday - Friday, April 15-19. You can enter the Hall, in silence, from 7:15-7:30 PM

The Camp address is 11633 Scott Road, Bow, Washington 98232. It takes about 40 minutes to get to the Camp. Google Map directions are accurate.

Park in front of the dining hall and walk down to the meditation hall (big brown building at the far end of the property).

We hope to see you

BIMS retreat committee

4/14/24

Regular Activities

-Tuesday Night Group Meditation

-Tuesday Night Programs

-Book Club

-Soup with the Sangha

-Weekend Meditation

-The Saturday Sit-In

-Sangha Mamas