Victoria Vipassana Community

The Victoria Vipassana Community  meets for a community meditation every Sunday from 7:00-9:00 pm. at the Lynn Wylie Yoga Studio. This includes 45 min. of silent meditation followed by taped Dharma talks, discussion or occasional guest speakers.   We welcome everyone whatever their faith gender, race, abilities, sexual orientation, age or ability to pay.

Our intention is to have a central place to gather and practice in order to support our growing community. We invite you to pass this announcement on to others who may be interested.

The Sunday Night sit on Sept 5 will be facilitated by Brock Brown. Following a 45 minute sit we will listen to a recorded talk by Gil Fronsdal on the Parami of Resolve. This is part of our year-long Parami (spiritual perfections) series.

Location: Lynn Wylie Yoga Studio, #202 – 1600 Bay Street (Shakespeare St. entrance) View Map

Day and Time: Sundays 7:00  - 9:00 p.m.

Format: We will start with a 45 minute sit followed by a taped talk or a speaker with time to share or reflect.

Cost: By donation (to cover rental of yoga studio and dana for the occasional guest speaker)

Additional Details: There are chairs, yoga mats, bolsters and blankets for our use, but feel free to bring your own sitting gear.

We invite sangha members to suggest talks or speakers.

Please contact Brock Brown at 250-472-6065 or brock1492@shaw.ca  for more information.

VVC Weekly Dharma Walks on Thursdays at 9:00 a.m.

We meet in front of the Ogden Cafe  in James Bay at 9:00 am on Thursdays and walk for 1 hour. We normally walk the causeway / breakwater  first, so if you are late arriving, you will more than likely meet us along there. If you are new, feel free to email and let us know you are coming, so we know to watch out for you!

This month, we explore:

7. The Seventh Mindfulness Training: Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment
Aware that life is available only in the present moment and that it is possible to live happily in the here and now, we are committed to training ourselves to live deeply each moment of daily life. We will try not to lose ourselves in dispersion or be carried away by regrets about the past, worries about the future, or craving, anger, or jealousy in the present. We will practice mindful breathing to come back to what is happening in the present moment. We are determined to learn the art of mindful living by touching the wondrous, refreshing, and healing elements that are inside and around us, and by nourishing seeds of joy, peace, love, and understanding in ourselves, thus facilitating the work of transformation and healing in our consciousness.

This is written by Thich Nhat Hanh.

The pre-selected quotation (TBA) is read and we use it as the basis and starting point of conversation while we walk for the hour. Many people ask whether we do ‘walking meditation’ and the answer is no, we are more focused on speaking about the dharma than the style of walking, although it is an hour of just being ‘aware’, in the here and now, so in a way it is a meditation in itself. If you are shy or feel you have limited knowledge about buddhism, that is fine! It is nice to just have your presence there and you can chip in when ever you feel comfortable.

Personally I have found it sets my day up to be a peaceful one, which carries into the rest of the week.   I come away learning something new, seeing things from a different perspective and it definitely feels great combining that with an hour walk and dedication to meditation practice.

I highly encourage everyone to come out and try this!

-    Susan Neden

Quotes for Month of September: We will explore dwelling happily in the present moment.

September 2

You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.            ~Jan Glidewell

September 9

Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  And today?  Today is a gift.  That’s why we call it the present.  ~Babatunde Olatunji

September 16

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living.  We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon – instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.  ~Dale Carnegie

September 23

Life’s a journey, not a destination.  ~Aerosmith

September 30

This moment is the moment of reality, of union, of truth. Nothing needs to be done to it, or to you, for this to be so. Nothing needs to be avoided, transcended or found for this to be true.” – Da Avabhasa.

If you have any questions or would like to be notified of upcoming walks,  please contact Linda Chan at (250) 380-6383 or victoriavipassana@gmail.com

The Day of Meditation has been cancelled for the time being.