Toronto Meditation Guide

Phone: 705-434-9850
Email: info@torana.dhamma.org
Website: www.torana.dhamma.org/
Address: 6486 Simcoe County Road 56, Egbert, Ontario, L0L 1N0, Canada

Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation, traced back to the time of the Buddha. The Buddha never taught a sectarian religion; he taught Dhamma - the way to liberation - which is universal. In the same tradition, Mr. Goenka’s approach is totally non-sectarian. For this reason, his teaching has a profound appeal to people of all backgrounds, of every religion and no religion, and from every part of the world.

Background

Lineage

Since the time of Buddha, Vipassana has been handed down, to the present day, by an unbroken chain of teachers. Although Indian by descent, the current teacher in this chain, Mr. S.N. Goenka was born and raised in Burma (Myanmar). While living there he had the good fortune to learn Vipassana from his teacher, Sayagyi U Ba Khin who was at the time a high Government official. After receiving training from his teacher for fourteen years, Mr. Goenka settled in India and began teaching Vipassana in 1969. Since then he has taught tens of thousands of people of all races and all religions, in both the East and West . In 1982 he began to appoint assistant teachers to help him meet the growing demand for Vipassana courses.

Activities

Courses in Vipassana are given in numerous Meditation Centers and at non-center course locations at rented sites. Meditation centres have been established under his guidance in India, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Nepal and many other countries.

The first 10-day Vipassana course in Ontario was held in 1980 at a rented site north of Barrie. Periodically throughout the 80’s and 90’s various sites in southern Ontario were used to hold courses. On April 30, 2003 the Ontario Vipassana Foundation formally took possession of the property which now houses the Ontario Vipassana Centre. Courses began in the autumn of 2003, and are now offered twice a month. Numerous weekly group sittings, one-day and 3-day retreats are available for Old Students (those who completed a minimum of one 10-day Vipassana course as taught by S.N. Goenka)

Meditation is taught at ten-day residential courses, during which, participants follow a prescribed Code of discipline, learn the basics of the method, and practice sufficiently to experience its beneficial result

Each location around the world offers these courses using the same format and each has its own schedule of courses. In most cases, an application for admission to any of these courses can be made by clicking on the course dates that appear in the schedule on that location’s website.

To search for centres around the world go to: www.dhamma.org.