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Upcoming Events
TWO DAY MEDITATION RETREAT
ORGANISED BY AMBEDKAR MISSION BUDDHIST COMMUNITY AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATION BY VEN. AMARASIRI Friday, May 24 – 7PM to 8:30 PM; Saturday, May 25 328 PASSMORE AVE UNIT # 20SCARBOROUGH, ONTARIO M1V 5J5 PHONE: Nithya (416)-948-7342 Usha Heer (416)-871-9843 Suriayani...
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The Theravada Buddhist Community would like to invite you to a Day of Mindfulness on Sunday, June 25, 2023. The retreat will be available online using the Zoom platform. This retreat will start at 9 am EDT and finish by 3:30 pm. Ayya Medhanandi will join us for a Dhamma talk at 9:30 am. In the afternoon, we will virtually join the Sunday Meditation program at Sati Saraniya Hermitage, which will be led by Ayya Medhanandi and Ayya Anuruddha.
Ayya Medhanandi
Ayya Medhanandi is the daughter of Eastern European refugees who emigrated to Montreal after the World War 2. She is the founder and guiding teacher of Sati Saraniya Hermitage, a forest monastery for women in the Theravada tradition. She began a spiritual quest in childhood that led her to India, Burma, England, New Zealand, Malaysia, Taiwan, and finally back to Canada. In1988 while in Burma, Ayya requested full ordination as a bhikkhuni from her teacher Venerable Sayadaw U Pandita. However, this was not yet possible for Theravada Buddhist women. Instead, Sayadaw granted her ordination as a ten precept nun on the condition that she keep her vows for life. When a military coup closed Myanmar’s border, Sayadaw blessed Ayya to join the Ajahn Chah Forest Sangha at Amaravati. After 10 years, Ayya felt called to practice as a hermit nun in New Zealand for six years and later in Southeast Asia. In 2007, after nearly 20 years as a novice alms-mendicant nun, Ayya fulfilled her long held wish for full bhikkhuni ordination in Taiwan. In 2008, on invitation from the Toronto Buddhist Community and Ottawa Buddhist Society, Ayya returned to her native Canada to establish Sati Saraniya Hermitage.
Ayya Anuruddha
Ayya Anuruddha of the United Kingdom joined Sati Saraniya Hermitage community in May 2014. After her initial year as an anagarika she began her life as an alms-mendicant nun in September 2014. This deepened her spiritual commitment to the Buddha’s path of monastic training. Her higher ordination as a bhikkhuni was conducted on December 3, 2017 at Dhamma Dharini Monastery in California with Ayya Tathaaloka as preceptor. The Pali name Anuruddha means “One Who is in Harmony”. It was also the name of a beloved cousin of the Buddha, one of his chief disciples renowned for his penetrating Dhamma vision, skillfulness, devotion and noble qualities of heart.
To join our Zoom Meeting, click on this link:
TBC Online Zoom Session
Meeting ID: 741 749 355
Password: 883290
Check-In on Zoom 9 – 9:15 am EDT
Zoom telephone numbers for the Toronto area, if connecting by phone:
+1 647 374 4685
+1 647 558 0588
If dialing in from another area, you can find your local Zoom number here: Zoom Dial-in Numbers
The Day of Mindfulness will include meditation, mindfulness instructions and Buddhist reflections.
Registration is not required. If you would like to donate to the Sati Saraniya Hermitage for this event, please use the TBC donation page and include a message that the donation is for Ayyas Day of Mindfulness retreat. 100% of all donations will be passed on to the Hermitage.
We look forward to you joining us on June 25th.
Schedule
Sunday, June 25, 2022 EDT
| 9 – 9:15 am EDT | Zoom Check in |
| 9:15 am | Welcome, Blessing Chant, Observing Five Precepts and Dhamma talk |
| 10:15 am | Bhikkhunis depart for meal; 5-min break |
| 10:20 am | Meditation |
| 11:20 am | Discussion about the Dhamma Talk and Announcements |
| 12 pm | Lunch Break |
| 1:30 – 3:30 pm | Join the Sunday Meditation Program at Sati Saraniya Hermitage with traditional chants, meditation, Dhamma teaching, Q & A |
Dear Friends,
The Theravada Buddhist Community is pleased to announce that on Sunday, June 11th at 10:00am Tan Sirimedho will be joining us during our weekly meditation session to offer a dhamma talk and if time permits followed by a short question and answers period.
If you have questions about Dhamma or your practice for Tan Sirimedho, please use the Contact Us form at the bottom of this page to submit them. Tan Sirimedho will try to address as many questions as possible during his talk.
Tan Sirimedho
Sirimedho Bhikkhu was born in Ontario to a Mennonite family and raised in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. After returning to Ontario, his spiritual search took him on a pilgrimage to India and a couple of long retreats at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS). This culminated in a strong desire to ordain. Unfortunately, during this time he became chronically ill. After many years, during which he visited Tisarana and forest monasteries regularly, he recovered well enough to pursue ordination. He took on Anagarika precepts at Tisarana in January 2017, ordained as a Samanera (novice) in December 2017 in Chennai, India, and was accepted into the Bhikkhu Sangha on September 16, 2018, with Luang Por Viradhammo as Preceptor.
This session is available on Zoom at our regular Sunday morning Zoom link: Sunday Morning Zoom
Looking forward to seeing you there.
TBC
Dear Friends,
The Theravada Buddhist Community is pleased to announce that on Sunday, May 28th at 10:00am Phra Ajahn Pavaro will be joining us during our weekly meditation session to offer a dhamma talk and if time permits followed by a short question and answers period.
If you have questions about Dhamma or your practice for Ajahn Pavaro, please use the Contact Us form at the bottom of this page to submit them. Ajahn Pavaro will try to address as many questions as possible during his talk.
Ajahn Pavaro
Ajahn Pavaro early formative monastic training began in 2001 with Ajahn Sona at Sitavana Forest Monastery in British Columbia. He spent his seventh year as a Bhikkhu with his preceptor, Luang Por Pasanno, and the Sangha at Abhayagiri Monastery. In 2010 he moved to Thailand and spent close to 10 years with Ajahn Achalo at Anandagiri Monastery in Petchabun. He benefited from periods of practice at Wat Pah Nanachat and from opportunities to receive teachings from leading elders of the Wat Non Pah Pong Sangha, including Luang Por Liem and Tan Ajahn Anan. In June 2020 Ajahn Pavaro was welcomed to Tisarana, where he now resides.
This session is available on Zoom at our regular Sunday morning Zoom link: Sunday Morning Zoom
Looking forward to seeing you there.
TBC
Dear Friends,
The Theravada Buddhist Community is pleased to announce that on Sunday, April 30th at 10:00am Tan Amarasiri will be joining us during our weekly meditation session to offer a dhamma talk followed by a short question and answers period, if time permits.
If you have questions about Dhamma or your practice for Tan Amarasiri, please use the Contact Us form at the bottom of this page to submit them. Tan Amarasiri will try to address as many questions as possible during his talk.
Tan Amarasiri
Amarasiri Bhikkhu was born and raised in Chennai, India. His education and career led him to live in many parts of the world. Venerable Amarasiri moved to Toronto in 2009 and attended a Vipassana retreat in the Goenka Tradition where he was inspired by the teachings and practice of Theravada Buddhism. On his very first visit to Tisarana, his interaction with Ajahn Viradhammo impacted Ven. Amarasiri to commit to Theravadin Monastic life. He subsequently took Anagarika precepts in 2016, and was accepted into the Bhikkhu Sangha in 2018 with Luang Por Viradhammo as Preceptor.
This session is available on Zoom at our regular Sunday morning Zoom link: Sunday Morning Zoom
Looking forward to seeing you there.
TBC
Dear Friends,
The Theravada Buddhist Community is pleased to announce that on Sunday, March 12th at 10:00am Ajahn Achalo will be joining us during our weekly meditation session to offer a dhamma talk followed by a short question and answers period.
Ajahn Achalo
Ajahn Achalo is the Abbot of Anandagiri Forest Monastery in Thailand. Born in Australia in 1972, Ajahn Achalo developed a keen interest in meditation at the age of 20. In 1996, Ajahn Achalo ordained as a Theravada Bhikkhu under Luang Por Liem at Wat Nong Pah Pong, the monastery founded by Luang Por Chah.
During his years of training, he has received personal guidance from many teachers, including Luang Por Sumedho, Luang Por Pasanno, Ajahn Jayasaro and Ajahn Kalyano.
Ajahn Achalo considers Tan Ajahn Anan, the abbot of Wat Marp Jan in Thailand, as his principal mentor. In addition, he has found the Dalai Lama’s instructions and example to be of tremendous value.
In 2021, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, King Rama X of Thailand, granted Ajahn Achalo the honorific title of Chao Khun Vajira Nyanamuni (Diamond like knowledge of peacefulness) in recognition of his good practice and service to Buddhism.
This session is available on Zoom at our regular Sunday morning Zoom link: Sunday Morning Zoom
Looking forward to seeing you there.
TBC
What's New
Announcements, web site updates, and general news of interest to TBC members
Dear Friends,
Due to the on going Covid-19 pandemic, we have decided to temporarily cancel our in-person Sunday meditation meetings until further notice.
We hope that you will join us in our online sessions in the meantime, and continue to meditate on your own. More information about our online sessions is available here.
To support your practice, there are various Dhamma talks on our Resources page.
Metta,
TBC Board
We’ve added two new writings by Buddhist teachers on Climate Change on our Resources page:
Buddha-Nature, Human Nature: A book by Ajahn Sucitto about our environment and the effects that Buddhism has had and can have upon it.
A Task for Mindfulness: Facing Climate Change: A paper by Bhikkhu Anālayo presenting a Buddhist perspective on Climate Change
Ajahn Sucitto’s book is available in other formats on the Forest Sangha website.
The Theravada Buddhist Community has found a new meeting place in the Peregrine Room at the St. George Hotel, located at 280 Bloor St. West in downtown Toronto.
Our first meditation session at our new location will be on Sunday, August 25, 2019, at 10:15 a.m.
The Peregrine Room is located on the main floor. From the main doors, go past the Front Desk and follow the corridor past the restaurant. At the end of the corridor the Peregrine Room is on the left and the washrooms are on the right. The room is wheelchair accessible.
We feel very fortunate to have secured a wonderful new location so close to the St. George Subway station. There also is plenty of parking in the area including on Huron St.
We look forward to seeing you at our new location!
Beginning this Sunday, January 13, our Sunday morning sessions will start at 10:15 and run until 12:00 noon.
Venerable Khemako’s talks recorded during his November, 2018 visit to TBC are now available on our Resources page. These include:
Friday evening talk
Title: The Buddha’s alternative
Venerable Khemako discusses Dukkha in everyday life and how the typical worldy way of responding to it is inherently unsatisfactory. He then explains how the mind gets entangled in the 5 Khandas in its desire for happiness, but that the result is a kind of mirage. There is a description of the Buddha’s alternative to this grasping – a path that allows one to see how the mind creates its own suffering.
Saturday morning
Title: Questions and Answers
Venerable Khemako answers questions on the following topics: how to develop peace through receptivity and curiosity; How to combine the peacefulness of meditation practice with the busyness of life; How to face recurrent fears; Explaining anatta / not self; the usefulness of the 8-fold path to train the mind
Saturday afternoon
Title: How to best use our precious life
Venerable Khemako reflects on the rarity of being born human and being able to practice and reflect on the dhamma. He also discusses how to prioritize practice in everyday life. He then explains the way meditation can help in the development of insight.
Sunday morning
Title: Samsara and politics
Venerable Khemako discusses how desire for becoming leads to forming an identity, which leads to opinions, including political opinions. The metaphor he provides regarding political opinions in the human realm are that they are like sunspots. Sunspots necessarily have both positive and negative ions – you cannot have one without the other. In the same way, polarization of political opinions and movements are by their nature unsettled, incomplete, and dynamic. He also makes the point that our opinions are due to causes and conditions, and therefore not a fixed part of one’s identity. The solution to the mind’s tendency to reify political opinions is to cultivate wise reflection through the 8-fold path.
Our current meeting place, The Centre on Dupont Street, has been sold and we’ve had to look for a new location for our Sunday morning sessions. We’re very fortunate to have found a wonderful new spot close by on Prince Arthur Avenue near Bloor and St. George.
Starting in December, we’ll be meeting at the Xiaolan Health Centre at 88 Prince Arthur Avenue.
Ajahn Viradhammo’s talks recorded during his April, 2018 visit to TBC and SIMT are now available on our Resources page.
Below is an excerpt from the announcement on Tisarana Buddhist Monastery’s website:
There is something auspicious in the air. And you can be part of it.
As Tisarana grows, the need for a larger sala (hall) has become apparent. The present sala can hold only 50 people in close quarters. The envisioned new dhamma hall is planned to replace the current (Kusala) sala and will comfortably hold 150 people, with extra space available in a conjoined foyer for large events.
Hedges, gates, trees, paths and courtyards will help to define the new geometry of the landscape in which the dhamma hall and the proposed buildings will sit. These will also serve to shield cars from view, create a clear sense of entry, guide day visitors to the main entrances – and walking paths beyond – and create defined areas for outdoor activities.
The construction of the dhamma hall will be a major project for the monastery. Currently in the planning phase, it is expected to take three to four years to complete.
DONATE
To view the full announcement, visit sala.tisarana.ca
Ajahn Viradhammo’s talks recorded during his May, 2017 visit to TBC and SIMT are now available on our Resources page.