We have several visits scheduled, more details to follow:

• February 11: Ayya Thathaaloka will be speaking at the Thursday sit, 7 PM (meditation and talk)
• March 18: Ajahn Thanasanti will speak at the Thursday sit, 7 PM
• March 19: 7 PM -- An evening with Ajahn Thanasanti, discussing the roles of women in Buddhism
• March 20: Mediation daylong with Ajahn Thanasanti

During this daylong we will spend periods of silent sitting and walking meditation, interspersed with talks and discussion examining issues of special interest to men, especially in the context of dharma practice.

How do we relate to our roles and expectations from family, partners, and society? How do we deal and practice with sexuality, money and power? How do we relate to dharma qualities such as love and compassion, which may be viewed by society as soft or weak?

Using both small and large groups, we will explore challenges we may experience and share together what it means to be a "spiritual" man in our culture and in dharma practice.

When: Saturday, February 20 (10:00 - 4:00 PM)
Teachers: Bob Stahl, Dan Landry and Bruce Hyman.
Registration: no registration required.
Cost: There is no charge, dana accepted.
Location: Vipassana Santa Cruz, 1010 Fair Ave, Santa Cruz, CA.

The intention of this event are to collect input from the community around what has worked, share some new ideas, and plan the course of the near future for the Family Program. Recent dialogues and a perceived need for some adjustments to the program are creating an opportunity for new possibilities. We encourage parents who have participated to any degree in the past, as well as teachers council members and board members, to attend. This event will not be geared to children; however, children who can "entertain" themselves are welcome.

When: Tuesday, February 23 (7:00 - 8:30 PM)
Leaders: Steffen Lovell and Nigel Cockroft
Registration: no registration required.
Cost: There is no charge, dana accepted.
Location: Vipassana Santa Cruz, 1010 Fair Ave, Santa Cruz, CA.

Come join us for a day of exploration into the insight and meditation practices of the Buddha Dharma. We will spend the day using sitting,walking and eating meditation practices as a way of deepening our awareness and stilling the mind.

When: Saturday, March 6 (10:00 AM - 5:30 PM)
Teachers: Jason Murphy and Stephanie Tate
Registration:Email Jason to register
Cost: There is no charge, dana accepted.
Location: Vipassana Santa Cruz, 1010 Fair Ave, Santa Cruz, CA.

The Buddha's teachings were aimed at coming into a wiser relationship with the laws that govern life and channeling this wisdom to realize a decrease or an end to the suffering we add to our own lives out of ignorance. Unlike the time when the Buddha lived, our modern lives include an unprecedented amount of unnecessary suffering related to what we consume. When we consider heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, addiction, dependency, anorexia, bulimia, anxiety, depression and the impact of our food choices on other human and non-human beings as well as the living environment, it becomes clear that there may be no other area in our lives where we suffer as much. If we are serious about an end to suffering, the practice of mindful consumption is essential. Mindful eating can be a primary practice which brings you into intimate contact with the Dharma. Mindfulness, in turn, can be a powerful tool for healing difficult relationships to what we consume. There will be time for questions.

About the teacher: Pablo Das teaches mindfulness based nutrition, wellness and recovery, and is the founder and director of the American Food Rebel Network.

When: Sunday, March 14 (6:00 - 7:30 PM)
Teacher: Pablo Das
Registration: no registration required
Cost: There is no charge, dana accepted.
Location: Vipassana Santa Cruz, 1010 Fair Ave, Santa Cruz, CA.

We are happy to announce a very special and rare opportunity to practice the Thirty-Two Parts of the Body meditation that is being offered by Vipassana Santa Cruz. In the Buddhist tradition, this mediation practice takes 33 weeks to complete.

The methodical practice of the Thirty-two Parts of the Body Meditation can help one penetrate and understand the true nature of the body. To see impermanence and comprehend that the body is made from the four primary elements of earth (solidity), air (motion), fire (temperature), and water (liquidity). This methodical practice of the Thirty-two Parts of the Body Meditation can build immense levels of concentration, potentialities for healing, and experience the taste of deep freedom and peace.

Through systematic investigation the body is deconstructed into its constituent parts. Our attachment to and identification with the body as being permanent loosens as the meditator develops deep insight into its nature and the nature of all experience.

What is said about the benefits of practicing the 32 Parts of the Body Meditation?

When: Free Intro. Class Friday Oct. 2. After that, every Friday Morning, Oct. 9 – June 11, 2010 (10:00 – 11:30AM) NOTE: No class on Nov. 27, Dec. 25, Jan. 1
Teacher: Bob Stahl.
Prerequisites for taking this Class: This practice is for serious students of mindfulness meditation that are able to keep the multi-month commitment to practice. It is recommended to come as many of the weekly classes as possible.
Registration: no registration required.
Cost: According to the Buddhist tradition, the teachings of the Dhamma are priceless; therefore one is welcome to make an offering that is suitable for their means. No one will be turned away.
Location: Vipassana Santa Cruz, 1010 Fair Ave, Santa Cruz, CA.

Living examples of illness, aging and death, were 3 of the 4 "heavenly messengers" sent to the Buddha to awaken him to reality of the human condition. He saw that everyone is subject to impermanence in the form of sickness, old age and dying. The fourth messenger showed that there is a path to freedom and an end to suffering. Our culture says that you must be young and healthy to be happy; Buddhism tells us that happiness and freedom come from within, not from external circumstances.

When we are feeling fit and well we can easily forget this truth. When we experience illness or disability, then the limitations, vulnerability, and imperfection of existence and the brevity of our human life are obvious. We can take advantage of this to develop understanding and compassion and to reveal the deep teachings of the dharma.

In this monthly, ongoing, drop-in group, we look at these messengers in our own lives. You are welcomed to attend whether you have an illness, disability or chronic pain or are dealing with the usual array of physical or emotional challenges of human life.

We begin the session with a 30-minute meditation (you are welcome to lie down or move to accommodate pain). Through our mindfulness practice we learn to connect with and accept ourselves as we are, to be present with our experience without reactivity and to be able to spaciously "hold" all our joys and sorrows.

The rest of the session includes teachings, discussion and sharing. We will explore both how the teachings help us work skillfully with our difficulties and how our difficulties can teach us wisdom and compassion. Some of the topics discussed included: developing greater acceptance, kindness, compassion for oneself, facing fear, working with anger and resistance.

Often in daily life we feel we must hide our chronic challenges so that we do not burden (or bore) others. In this group, we can share the truth of our experience and find others who understand our situation.

When: First Monday of the month (noon - 1:45PM)
Teachers: Bob Stahl and others.
Registration: no registration required.
Cost: There is no charge, dana accepted.
Location: Vipassana Santa Cruz, 1010 Fair Ave, Santa Cruz, CA.

A new Committed Students group is forming for the year 2009-2010. This year, our group of committed students will be exploring Ajahn Sumedho's teachings presented in his book, The Sound of Silence. This exploration will take us deep into our own meditation practice, as well as finding ways to carry the thread of silence throughout our everyday lives.

This group will meet monthly. We will meet Tuesday evenings from 6:30 PM until 9 PM. The dates are October 6, November 3, December 1, January 12, February 9, March 2, April 20, May 11, June 8. All meetings will be held at Vipassana Santa Cruz, 1010 Fair Street, Santa Cruz.

Members are asked to commit to attendance at ALL of the meetings unless ill or arrangements have been made with the teacher.

Members will be expected to do a moderate amount of study, both of the text and also listening to recorded talks as well as all required mediation practices. There will be a one day, monastic led retreat for this group; the date has yet to be set.

Requirements: Students should have participated in a previous Committed Students Group OR have 2 years of Vipassana practice, 15 days of retreat experience (including at least one residential retreat of 7 days or more in length), a regular meditation practice and a desire to deepen their knowledge of and commitment to Buddhism. (If you are uncertain about your qualifications, you should check with Mary Grace.)

Mary Grace Orr will teach this group, assisted by Dan Landry. Please contact Mary Grace Orr by if you are interested in signing up for this group.

An exploration of recovery through meditation and Buddhist philosophy.

"And what is the cause by which suffering comes into play? Craving is the cause by which suffering comes into play." -The Buddha-

We crave to have things be other than they are. We often feel that life is unsatisfactory, and so we develop strategies to avoid this feeling of dissatisfaction. Often these strategies lead to unskillful behavior. For example, we become addicted to drugs, alcohol, food, sex or shopping in an attempt to find satisfaction and happiness.

The Buddha called this craving Tanha meaning thirst. This thirst cannot be quenched externally, and is the fundamental cause of our suffering in this life.

Recovery from this state of craving is possible through the Buddhist path of meditation, inquiry and ethics.

Each meeting will included guided meditation instruction, questions and answers about meditation and 12 step recovery.

When: Mondays (7:00 - 8:30 PM)
Teacher: Jason Murphy.
Registration: no registration required.
Cost: There is no charge, dana accepted.
Location: Vipassana Santa Cruz, 1010 Fair Ave, Santa Cruz, CA.