Portland Insight Meditation

The Portland Insight Meditation Community is dedicated to the learning and practice of Insight Meditation and the Eightfold Path of the Buddha. PIMC's purpose is to improve the lives of participants, their families and the greater community through meditative practice and a lifestyle that supports liberation from suffering, the awakening of wisdom, and the manifestation of compassion.

Insight Meditation, known in Asia as Vipassana, is one of the central teachings of the Buddha. It has continued as a living practice for the past 2500 years. At the heart of Insight Meditation is the practice of mindfulness, the simple and systematic cultivation of the mind and heart. It is the moment-to-moment investigation of the body, feelings, and consciousness through calm and focused awareness. Practiced regularly, mindfulness meditation relieves stress, has profound beneficial effects upon the body, allows the healing of psychological and emotional wounds, and nurtures the development of wisdom and compassion.

The Portland Insight Meditation Community began in 1978 as the Portland Vipassana Sangha. Robert Beatty is the founding and guiding teacher. With the assistance of Doug Pullin it has grown into a thriving community of support for formal practice and living a life of Dharma. Its new name was adopted in 2001 when it was incorporated as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization.

The Portland Insight Meditation Community is open to all. Those interested in mindfulness meditation are invited to visit whenever they wish. Visit our calendar for meeting times.