Letter: Coastside Vipassana hosts well-known monk

A well known American monk, Ajahn Thanissaro, will appear at the next meeting of Coastside Vipassana on Wednesday, May 2.

Coastside Vipassana is a meditation group for the Coastside - close and convenient. We meet at the Montara Lighthouse hostel in the Fog Signal Room (right next to the lighthouse itself) every Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. (except holidays). 

Everyone is welcome—from the first time seeker to the experienced meditator. Instructions for beginners are available and we usually begin each evening with a short instruction before our half-hour of meditation. (By the way, there are plenty of chairs available.)  Following our sitting, we usually have a talk by a visiting speaker, with time for questions and discussion. 

Evenings are by donation, going to both the teachers and the facility. Coastside Vipassana just began its fourth year of meetings. 

We are based in the Buddhist tradition of Vipassana (or "mindfulness") as taught at Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City and Spirit Rock in Marin. Insight meditation, as it is also called, allows one to be increasingly aware of the nuances of thought and feeling, without the judgments and reactions that so often lead to suffering. Many meditators find that mindfulness is helpful for stress and pain, and for dealing with everyday life.

Most of our speakers visit us from IMC in Redwood City, and some are either teachers or teachers-in-training at Spirit Rock.  We also have occasional teachers from the Soto Zen tradition.  Over the years, individuals have come to the group from many traditions, enjoying meditating together with others and hearing the speakers. We embrace this diversity and feel it strengthens our practice.

We are very much looking forward to hosting Ajahn Thanissaro, abbot of the Metta Forest Monastery in the mountains of San Diego County on May 2nd. Born Geoffrey DeGraff, he was ordained in Thailand in 1976 after being introduced to meditation while a student at Oberlin College in Ohio. 

"Than Geoff," as he is known to his students, is an engaging speaker and author as well as a prolific translator from Thai and Pali (the language of the earliest Buddhist texts). He is coming to Coastside Vipassana in conjunction with a week-long visit to Insight Meditation Center and the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Redwood City.

"I am so happy to have a sangha on the coast. To have somewhere local and easy to practice with friends and to hear teachings is a special treat.  I am always glad I go - even on days when I am tired and really want to go home and put my feet up. Putting my feet on the cushion instead at the lighthouse, on Wednesday evenings, always proves much more beneficial, educational, fun, and relaxing than just plain vegging at home." -Jean Fife, Montara

Louise Strutner