Spirit Rock Meditation Center

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Retreat Meditation Hall at sunset

Spirit Rock Meditation Center, commonly called Spirit Rock, is a nationally recognized meditation center[1] located in Woodacre, CA dedicated to the teachings of the Buddha as presented in the vipassana, or Insight Meditation, tradition.[2] It was founded in 1987 as Insight Meditation West.[3] Spirit Rock offers more than 500 events annually including retreats, classes, ‘daylongs’ and multi-year programs, and is visited by an estimated 40,000 people a year.[4]

Mission

Spirit Rock Meditation Center is a spiritual education and training institution whose mission is to:

  • Bring people to a depth of realization of the Buddha's path of liberation through direct experience; and
  • Provide the community of practitioners with inspiration and teachings to integrate and manifest wisdom and compassion in all aspects of their lives.[5][6]

Spirit Rock offers silent meditation retreats, classes, trainings and study opportunities for new and experienced students from diverse backgrounds.[4]

History

In 1975 the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) was founded in Barre, MA by a group of Western meditation teachers trained in Asia,[7] including Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg.[8] In 1986, after ten years at IMS, Kornfield moved to Northern California with his family[7] and began hosting a Monday night meditation class in a private home in San Anselmo.[8] Eventually the class expanded to a clinic and then to a local church.[9] In 1987 a group of meditation teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area incorporated as Insight Meditation West, for the purpose of acquiring land and establishing a west coast Insight Meditation center.[3] The group included Kornfield, James Baraz, Sylvia Boorstein, Anna Douglas and Howard Cohn.[4]

In 1988, with funds from an anonymous donation,[9] 412 acres of undeveloped land in the San Geronimo Valley, an hour north of San Francisco, was purchased from The Nature Conservancy[10] in order to start a permanent meditation center, and the name Spirit Rock Meditation Center was formally adopted.[11] In 1990 temporary construction trailers were erected to house the community meditation hall, administrative offices and caretaker residences. Construction for permanent replacement facilities is planned to begin in 2014.[8]

The residential retreat center opened in July 1998,[4] and currently hosts retreats that range from two nights to two months. The majority of the center’s land is protected by an open space easement and kept in conservation.[12]

Teachings

The teachings at Spirit Rock focus on the practice of mindful awareness (also known as Insight Meditation or vipassana) as taught in the Theravada tradition. Teachings focus on training and quieting the mind,[4] on the classic teachings of the Buddha as found in the suttas, and on incorporating the Dharma (or the teachings of the Buddha) into daily life.[13] Retreats are modeled on those held for lay people in the Forest Monasteries of Thailand, including sitting and walking meditation, meetings with the teachers and the observation of silence by practitioners.[7]

In addition to vipassana teachings, Spirit Rock hosts teachers from Zen, Tibetan and non-dual traditions as guest teachers throughout the year. Visiting teachers have included the Dalai Lama,[4] Thich Nhat Hahn,[2] Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, Sayagyi U Ba Khin, Maha Ghosananda,[4] Anagarika Munindra, Kalu Rinpoche, Ram Dass,[13] Pema Chodron, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Huston Smith,[4] Adyashanti, Tara Brach, Alice Walker, Norman Fischer and others.[14]

Programs

A portion of the classes, daylongs and retreats at Spirit Rock are organized as community-specific programs to promote diversity.[15] These programs are referred to as Kindred Sangha and include Self-Identified People of Color, Women, LGBT-IQ community,[15] Families,[9] Young Adults, and Elders. Class offerings also address the application of Buddhist teachings to modern issues such as addiction and trauma. Spirit Rock offers scholarships to make classes and retreats available to those who cannot otherwise afford them.[9]

Spirit Rock offers several multi-year programs including the Teacher Training Program,[16] the Dedicated Practitioner Program, the Community Dharma Leaders Program[15] and the Mindfulness Yoga and Meditation Program. For newer students a suggested curriculum outline called Paths of Awakening guides practitioners in class choice and readings.

Organization

The center is supported by fees charged for classes and retreats, and by donations.[16] The paid staff runs the day-to-day operations of Spirit Rock Meditation Center with support from volunteers.[8] Residential retreat managers are volunteers who rely on dana (donations) from participants to support their work. Teachers are supported by donations from the students,[9] as is the practice in the Buddhist tradition.[16]

Spirit Rock’s teaching programs are developed by the Teachers Council, a collective of teachers.[8] A volunteer Board of Directors, composed of teachers and community members, is the central decision-making body for Spirit Rock. The work of the Board is supported by a number of committees.

Current Spirit Rock teachers (as of 2013) include Ayya Anandabodhi; Sally Armstrong; Guy Armstrong; James Baraz; Sylvia Boorstein; Eugene Cash; Debra Chamberlin-Taylor; Howard Cohn; Mark Coleman; Dana DePalma; Anna Douglas; Andrea Fella; Anushka Fernandopulle; Gil Fronsdal; Robert Hall; Will Kabat-Zinn; Jack Kornfield; Phillip Moffitt; Wes Nisker; Mary Grace Orr; Sharda Rogell; Donald Rothberg; Tempel Smith; John Travis; Spring Washam; Julie Wester; Diana Winston; and Larry Yang

Collaborations

A number of Spirit Rock teachers also offer their teachings, or serve on the Board of Directors, at other meditation centers including East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, CA;[15] Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA; Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA; Mountain Stream Meditation Center in Nevada City, CA; and Aloka Vihara, a monastery in San Francisco, CA.

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Weber, Rebecca L. "10 of the world's best meditation retreats". June 25, 2013. CNN. Retrieved 9 August 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Van Biema, David, "Buddhism in America," Time Magazine, October 13, 1997
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lattin, Don, "Shangri-la In Marin," San Francisco Chronicle, January 30, 1991, B3
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 May, Meredith. "Spirit Rock at 25: meditation and renovation". July 8, 2013. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 9 August 2013. 
  5. ↑ Kornfield, Jack, "This Fantastic, Unfolding Experiment," Buddhadharma (Summer 2007): p32
  6. ↑ "Spirit Rock: About Us". Spirit Rock. Retrieved 9 August 2013. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Otaganonta, Wipawee,"Taking the high road back home," Bangkok Post, March 31, 1993
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Thompson, Keith,"Spirit Rock," Pacific Sun, October 7–13, 1998, p 13-15
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Hamburg,Laura, "The Dharma Bums Grow Up," San Francisco Chronicle, March 3, 2000
  10. ↑ Cohen, Ronnie, "View from the Dharma Seat," Pacific Sun, November 28 – December 4, 2008, p 13 -15
  11. ↑ "Environmental Impact Analysis". October 24, 2008. Hart Martin. Retrieved 9 August 2013. 
  12. ↑ Johnson, Nels. "County supervisors approve Spirit Rock Meditation Center plan". July 19, 2011. Marin Independent Journal. Retrieved 9 August 2013. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Ashley, Beth, "He’s the Father of Spirit Rock," Marin Independent Journal, March 22, 1998, D1
  14. ↑ "The Wise Heart". Summer, 2008. Tricycle. Retrieved 9 August 2013. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Yun, Dawn. "COMMUNITY / Spirit Rock's new mantra - diversity". September 17, 2004. San Francisco Gate. Retrieved 9 August 2013. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Fronsdal, Gil. "Insight Meditation in the United States: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness". 1998. Retrieved 9 August 2013. 


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