Downtown Meditation Community is a meditation center in New York City for the practice of insight meditation. Our classes, courses and retreats offer a place to develop calm and clear seeing in the middle of city life.
Insight meditation grows out of the earliest recorded teachings of the Buddha. The practice is simple in form and demanding in patience: sit, breathe, notice what arises, and return. Nothing here requires belief. Curiosity is enough to begin.
The community has met downtown for more than twenty years. Some people come for a single evening; others stay for years. Both are welcome. There is no membership fee, and no one is turned away because of background, income or experience.
What Happens Here
Weekly sittings include a period of quiet meditation, a short talk and time for questions. Daylong retreats add longer stretches of silence. The annual residential retreat gives space for a deeper look at practice.
New students are encouraged to start with an introductory course. It covers posture, breathing, working with restlessness and the ordinary difficulties that appear in the first months of practice. Experienced practitioners are equally welcome at any gathering.
Pages on This Site
- About DMC
- Teachers
- Lineage
- Beginners
- Schedule
- Community Events
- Retreats
- Dharma Talks
- 2012 Talks
- 2013 Talks
- 2016 Talks
- Dharma Talks 2014
- Guided Meditations
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu Talks
- Skillful Qualities
- Uposatha
- Skill of Living Excerpt
- Ajaan Lee Talk
- Uposatha Calendar
- Resources
- Meditation Centers
- Contact
- Insight Meditation
- About Us
- Links
- Reading List
- Weekly Schedule
- Peter Doobinin
- Being a Member
- Programs Overview
Visiting
Sessions are held downtown, near 14th Street. Doors open twenty minutes before the sitting begins. Cushions and chairs are provided; wear something comfortable and bring a layer, since the room can be cool in the evening.
If you are unsure where to start, write to us through the contact page and say a little about your experience. A short answer usually follows within a day or two.