The Greek Revival-style building that houses Insight Meditation Society looks like it belongs to a distinguished, private liberal arts college dedicated to the pursuit of intellectual greatness. But instead of the typical Latin translation of “wisdom” emblazoned above the thick white pillars, there is a Pali one that holds the key to the greatest eternal wisdom of all: metta, or loving-kindness, the philosophy and practice of universal love. 

A little more than forty years ago, a group of young meditation teachers—Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, and Jack Kornfield—decided to open a meditation center. With limited funds and an uncertain plan for the future, they acquired the property in rural Massachusetts, a former Catholic novitiate, and began to offer some of the first formal instruction in Buddhism, metta, and vipassana meditation in America. The interest was immediate, and the Insight Meditation Society burgeoned into a respected retreat center that has hosted great teachers from many different lineages. The Dalai Lama, Anagarika Munindra and Dipa Ma, and Sayadaw U Pandita are among them. 

Today, two locations host retreats. At the Retreat Center, programs are structured and in noble silence—participants spend time in seated and walking meditation, strengthen mindfulness during short periods of work-as-practice, and learn through dharma talks and individual meetings with instructors. Insight Meditation Center’s Forest Refuge gives more experienced meditators who have several retreats under their belt the opportunity to deepen their practice through a personal, extended, self-sufficient program under the guidance of the visiting insight meditation teacher—retreats range from seven days to several years. 

A silent retreat is intense but transformative, and Insight Meditation Center’s emphasis on simplicity strips away all possible ways to hide from the self. Whether it’s a weekend, a week, or an extended immersion, there is nothing in the schedule or environment that allows for distraction. Retreat Center accommodations are single dormitory rooms, meals are no-frills vegetarian fare, and the only other inhabitants on the center’s 400 secluded acres are woodland creatures. Retreat participants work hard to further their spiritual progress and grapple with the contents of their minds.

Payment for courses is on a sliding scale, which covers meals, accommodations, and operating expenses for the retreat. Compensation for the teacher is left to the generosity of the student, a long-standing Buddhist tradition called dana. The system assures affordability for anyone interested in a course and strengthens the quality of freely giving. 

At the Retreat Center, visiting teachers give talks daily; at Forest Refuge, the frequency is usually twice a week. Access talks through Insight Meditation Center’s podcast or on its website, which provides them free for streaming and download, to get a sense of the style of instruction. 

Due to Covid restrictions, the Retreat Center will be closed until June 2021, but online retreats are available.

RETREAT CENTER: 978-355-4378
FOREST REFUGE: 978-355-2063
www.dharma.org

Learn More:
Meet the Teachers: Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield

Try our Loving-Kindness and Vipassana meditations