The VTA bus 51 stops near the corner of Cuesta Dr. and Grant Rd., which is half a block from St. Timothy’s Church where we meet. The nearest Caltrain stop is on W. Evelyn Ave. near View St., which is about 1 ¾ miles from St. Timothy’s Church. The terrain is relatively flat and some [...]
Parking is usually not a problem at IMSB. St. Timothy's Church and Westhope Presbyterian Churches have large parking lots that easily accommodate most of our events. There is plenty of parking along the street near Foothills Congregational Church.
Regarding attire, wear something comfortable and preferably not revealing. Please do not wear perfume or strongly scented products. Please do not lie down in the meditation hall unless you have a medical condition that prevents you from sitting comfortably. Although it is common in Buddhist groups to remove shoes and bow, we do not follow [...]
Anyone who attends our meditation group, events, and retreats may be considered a member. There is no formal process for membership; we are a community of participants who practice meditation together. All of our activities are initiated and organized by volunteers. We welcome your participation in our activities, and your involvement through volunteer service. To [...]
No. We are a diverse community, primarily composed of Western practitioners. Many of our members continue to practice in other faith traditions, along side their mindfulness meditation practice. The meditation practices that we teach do not require religious belief; they are, however, derived from the Theravada Buddhist tradition.
If you arrive late, please slip in quietly and join in. At St. Timothy's Church, the wooden entrance door on the east side of the building near the parking lot and rose garden is much quieter than the double glass doors that open onto the courtyard on the west side.
Registration is not required for most of our events, such as our daylongs, and sitting groups. Registration is only required for certain programs, such as series courses, year-long study courses and retreats, and it will be clearly indicated on our event calendar.
There is no set fee for the group meditation and for most of our events, such as daylongs, discussion groups, and beginner’s courses. We follow the custom of giving donations/offerings (dana) to support the organization and our teachers. Generosity is a fundamental aspect of our community; it is the voluntary offering of gifts and effort that [...]
You may bring a cushion or blanket if you prefer to sit on the floor, but there are plenty of chairs at all our events. At St. Timothy's Church, the floor is carpeted and we usually reserve the front and side of the hall for floor sitting. Foothills Congregational Church and Westhope Presbyterian Church are not carpeted, so we [...]
See the calendar event listing for specific times. Generally people arrive during the 15 minutes prior to the start. We then meditate for 30+ minutes, take a 5-10-minute break for a stretch and announcements, and then hear a dhamma talk from our teacher Shaila Catherine, or guest speakers.