This program will be held online via Zoom. All registrants will receive the link to join the program in their Order Confirmation email. This program will not be recorded. Times are ET.
This year-long, online program offers a precious opportunity to learn within a committed and dedicated community (sangha) for an extended period of time. Together, we will explore how to live our lives fully and freely.
We will begin and end with day-long workshops. In between, we will meet on the second Friday evening of each month, except August. Dates are:
- Saturday, January 11 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Fridays (6:00-8:30 pm): February 14, March 14, April 11, May 9, June 13, July 11, September 12, October 10, and November 14.
- Saturday, December 6 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
The Pāramī or the “Ten Perfections of the Heart” hold an important place in the Buddhist teachings. These ten qualities of an awakened mind enable us to live our daily lives in skillful, wise, and compassionate ways. When perfected, they can result in the liberation from our suffering. They are:
- Generosity
- Virtue or morality
- Renunciation
- Discernment or Wisdom
- Energy
- Patience
- Truthfulness
- Resolve
- Loving Kindness
- Equanimity
Together we will develop these inner qualities of heart and mind in our daily lives. Each month we will focus on one Pāramī and practice alternative ways to orient the heart and mind in the stream of daily activities: on Zoom, at work, at home, at school, in relationships, driving our cars or riding our bicycles. Realizing that each moment of our precious life is an opportunity to cultivate inner clarity and freedom, we will gradually nurture these qualities of heart and mind that can help us face the many difficulties of today’s world.
This program is designed for those willing to look deeply within and to practice in a contemplative and lively community. This year-long program is appropriate for all practitioners, new and experienced alike. Everyone is welcome. People who have taken this practice group before are encouraged to take it again, as the Pāramī grow deeper and more profound with practice. Each session will include meditation practice, teachings, exploration, and discussion of how to apply the Pāramī of the month in both formal meditation and daily life. At the end of the year, we will have come full cycle.
Our intention is to support your practice throughout your year-long commitment. In addition to class meetings, you will:
- Receive monthly reflections and practice assignments.
- Connect with your Dharma buddies, either weekly or monthly, to support each other and deepen your investigation.
- Read Ajahn Sucitto’s book, Pāramī: Ways to Cross Life’s Floods, which will be our shared text. You may download a pdf through the Forest Sangha Publications website.
- Have the opportunity to join an optional 4-day residential retreat* intended for participants in this program which will be held at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS) in October, 2025.
Full and partial scholarships are available. Please submit your requests to office@cambridgeinsight.org at least 72 hours prior to the start of the program.
* The optional 4-day residential retreat for participants in this program will be held at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies from Friday, October 17 to Wednesday, October 22, 2025. Registration is through BCBS. Click here to register. This retreat is NOT included in the cost of this program. CIMC cannot provide scholarships for this retreat however you may contact BCBS about their generous scholarship policy.
Closed Captions (CC) for CIMC Programs are generated through Zoom.