Jhānas and Insight

Jhānas and Insight is a ten-night silent meditation retreat at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, Massachusetts. It is a residential retreat for experienced vipassana practitioners who want to learn how deep concentration, the jhānas, can be built into a regular sitting practice and put to work in insight meditation.

The jhānas are states of deep meditative absorption, cultivated in Buddhist traditions through methods of calming and concentration. Two teachers, Leigh and Meagan, share the teaching. Meagan teaches and conducts interviews in person at the center, while Leigh teaches and conducts interviews remotely by video conference.

What to Expect

The emphasis here is on one-pointed concentration as the basis of a steady daily sit. Teaching centers on the technique itself, then on how the jhāna states can strengthen insight practice. The whole retreat is held in Noble Silence, with sitting and walking meditation and personal interviews with the teachers.

The program includes dharma talks, guided meditation, silent meditation, large group discussions and individual interviews.

The daily rhythm, which may vary slightly:

- 7:15 am: wake-up
- 7:45 to 8:30 am: morning meditation
- 10:00 am to 1:00 pm: morning session
- 2:30 to 6:00 pm: afternoon session
- 7:30 to 9:00 pm: evening session

Check-in on the opening day is between 3:00 and 5:30 pm. On the closing day, participants depart between noon and 2:00 pm.

The Setting

The retreat is offered residentially at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, Massachusetts, and accommodation at the center is part of the program. Participants arrange their own travel to and from Barre.

Before You Go

This is a retreat for intermediate and advanced practitioners. The prerequisite is at least two residential silent vipassana retreats of one week or longer.

Included are residential accommodation, dharma talks, guided and silent meditation sessions, large group discussions and individual interviews with the teachers. Teachers are not paid through the registration fee; participants may offer dāna to them separately. Anyone who wants to stay beyond the program dates can add extra nights at an additional nightly rate.

Cancellation terms are tiered. Cancelling more than eight weeks before the start earns a full refund minus an administrative fee. Between three and eight weeks before, a 50% refund of the deposit is available. Within three weeks of the start, registration fees are nonrefundable. If your circumstances change, contact the center right away.