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

Mindful Walking in Cornwall Park - Sunday May 5th

Join the BIMS Sangha as we enjoy a morning of mindfulness, nature, exercise and community.

When: Sunday, May 5th - 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Where: Cornwall Park 3424 Meridian St, Bellingham

Directions: There are a number of ways to enter Cornwall Park but we recommend the main entrance from 3424 Meridian Street. Head towards the tennis and pickleball courts we"ll meet near there.

The Plan:

10:05 A brief reading and instruction for a contemplative walk.

10:15 We will walk and mindfully explore around Cornwall Park

10:45 We will have an opportunity to share what we saw/heard/experienced.

11:00 Informal Social time – you can choose to walk together: in the park or in the neighborhood

Registration: No need to register.

Contact: If you have any questions please contact Jean Kroll at artiseverywhere@yahoo.com

If you are not on our list-serve and would like to be included, contact Karen Sheldon, karen.sheldon@gmail.com

5/1/24

Tuesday April 30 - Sister Santussika Zooms In

This Tuesday, April 30th, Bellingham Insight will continue with our hybrid meeting format: you are invited to attend either in person or via Zoom. Our greeters will be at the main entrance of Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, 1207 Ellsworth St., until 6:55pm to let you into the building.

Sister Santussika will be joining us for the evening via Zoom. She will lead us in a 1/2 hour guided meditation. Her dharma talk will focus on merit.

6:30 The Dharma Hall will open for all who wish to meet in person.

6:45 The Zoom room will be open at 6:45, for those who wish to participate via Zoom.

7:00 Meditation

7:30 Introductions & Announcements

7:35 - 8:25 Dharma talk with Sister Santussika. Q & A

Hope to see you (in one form or another)

4/30/24

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