News and Events
Upcoming Events
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This year’s AGM will be held at our regular meeting place in the Carrot Commons, on Sunday, May 31 at 12:15 – 2:00, following the morning session.
You’re welcome to join either in-person or online. If joining online, you can use the same Zoom link as the regular Sunday morning sessions.
The agenda for the meeting and other material can be found online at this link. More items will be added or updated as they become available.
Everyone is invited to join the meeting, but only members are able to vote. For more information about membership with TBC, please click here.
If you have any questions about any of the agenda items, we encourage you to ask them ahead of time to help focus the discussion during the meeting. You can leave your questions or comments for the Board in the Contact Us form at the bottom of the home page, or speak to a Board member directly. The Board members are Marjorie (Chair), Michael (Treasurer), Janice, Lynn, Jody, and Shobha.
We hope to see you there!
For more information and to register, please see: https://www.vivekavana.ca/retreats/8-daymeditationvenamarasiri
(note: this event is sponsored by the Viveka Vana Retreat Centre)
TBC is delighted to announce that Ajahn Pavaro from Tisarana Buddhist Monastery will be visiting Toronto on May 2-3 and offering retreats on both days. Saturday, May 2 will be held at Friends House and is open to everyone. On Sunday, May 3, Ajahn will be joining the TBC morning session at Carrot Commons and is for TBC members and friends of TBC.
For more information and to register for in-person attendance, please see these pages:
Saturday, May 2 at Friends House
Sunday, May 3 at Carrot Commons
A Hybrid Retreat Hosted by the
Theravada Buddhist Community
with
Ajahn Pavaro
Sunday, May 3, 2026
Carrot Common Rm 212
348 Danforth Ave
Toronto, Ontario
and on Zoom
About Ajahn Pavaro -After retiring from an academic career, beginning in 2001, Ajahn Pavaro’s early, formative monastic training took place with Ajahn Sona at Sitavana Forest Monastery in BC. He spent his 7th year as a Bhikkhu with his preceptor, Luang Por Pasanno, and the Sangha at Abhayagiri. Late in 2010 he moved to Thailand, where the majority of the next 9 years were spent with Ajahn Achalo at Anandagiri Monastery in Petchabun. During this time he benefitted from periods of practice at Wat Pah Nanachat and from opportunities to receive teachings from leading elders of the Wat Nong Pah Pong Sangha, including Luang Por Liam and Tan Ajahn Anan. In June 2020 he was welcomed by Luang Por Viradhammo to Tisarana, where he now resides.
Carrot Common (The entrance to the building is on Danforth Ave., just beside the door to the Book City bookstore)
Open to the Theravada Buddhist Community & Friends with registration
Sunday May 3, 2026
| 8:45 am – 9:30 am | Opening Chants, Meditation Instructions, Meditation |
| 9:30 am – 10:30 am | Dhamma Talk and Q & A |
| 10:30 am – 11:15 am | Meditation Sit |
| 11:15 am – 11:30 am | Sharing of Merits and Closing Chants (Ajahn departs for lunch at 11:30) |
| 11:30 am | Final Announcements |
| Zoom/Hybrid session concludes at 11:30 am. Community Lunch with Ajahn Pavaro | |
| 11:30 am – 12:15 pm | Community Lunch with Ajahn |
| 12:15 pm – 12:45 pm | In-person Community Q & A (with Ajahn if time permits) |
Noble Silence: The retreat will be held in noble silence.
Meditation Supports: Please bring your own meditation cushion, mat, bench, etc. Chairs will be available. Note: The floor does not have carpeting.
TTC and Parking: Located near Chester Subway Station. GreenP parking options are in the area.
Venue Accessibility: The meeting room is located on the second floor. For those with difficulty managing stairs, there is a stairlift that goes up the side of the stairs that can be used. Unfortunately there isn’t an elevator. Washrooms are available on the second floor.
Lunch Break: The lunch break will be between 11:30 pm – 12:15 pm. Please bring your own lunch, purchase one from a take-out restaurant in the area (or partake in the community Dana)
Cost: By donation. Tax receipts are provided for all donations $20 and over. Various payment methods will be accepted at the door (i.e. cash, cheque, debit, etransfer, credit card, paypal, etc)
Registration: The session will be offered in-person and online. Because there is a limit on the number of people the room can accommodate, we are asking people attending in-person to register in advance:
Attending In-Person: If you register and find that you are unable to attend, we kindly ask that you let us know. Please visit our website at https://www.theravadabuddhistcommunity.org and use the ‘Contact Us’ form located at the bottom of the Home Page. We appreciate it if you can notify us as soon as possible, so we can offer your space to someone else.
Attending Online: If you are unable to join in-person, we are happy to provide an online option using Zoom. To join our Zoom Meeting, click on this link:
If prompted, use this password: 883290
Zoom telephone numbers for Canada, if connecting by phone:
(Meeting ID: 741 749 355, Password: 883290)
+1 204 272 7920
+1 438 809 7799
A Hybrid Retreat Hosted by the
Theravada Buddhist Community
with
Ajahn Pavaro
Saturday May 2, 2026
Friends House (Quaker House)
60 Lowther Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
and on Zoom
About Ajahn Pavaro -After retiring from an academic career, beginning in 2001, Ajahn Pavaro’s early, formative monastic training took place with Ajahn Sona at Sitavana Forest Monastery in BC. He spent his 7th year as a Bhikkhu with his preceptor, Luang Por Pasanno, and the Sangha at Abhayagiri. Late in 2010 he moved to Thailand, where the majority of the next 9 years were spent with Ajahn Achalo at Anandagiri Monastery in Petchabun. During this time he benefitted from periods of practice at Wat Pah Nanachat and from opportunities to receive teachings from leading elders of the Wat Nong Pah Pong Sangha, including Luang Por Liam and Tan Ajahn Anan. In June 2020 he was welcomed by Luang Por Viradhammo to Tisarana, where he now resides.
Friends House
Open to the public with registration
Saturday May 2, 2026
| Doors open at 8:00 Please be quietly seated in the meditation hall |
|
| 8:15 am – 8:30 am | Welcome & Announcements |
| 8:30 am – 9:15 am | Ajahn Pavaro Opening Chants Taking Three Refuges & Five Precepts |
| 9:15 am – 10:00 am | Instruction and Sitting Meditation |
| 10:00 am – 10:45 am | Dhamma Reflections |
| 10:45 am – 11:30 am | Sitting Meditation (Ajahn departs for lunch at 11:30) |
| 11:30 am – 1:15 pm | Lunch Break & Individual Practice |
| Please be quietly seated in the meditation hall by 1:15 pm | |
| 1:30 pm – 2:15 pm | Sitting, Standing or Walking Meditation |
| 2:15 pm – 3:15 pm | Dhamma Talk, Q & A’s |
| 3:15 pm – 3:45 pm | Sitting or Standing Meditation |
| 3:45 pm – 4:00 pm | Sharing Merit & Closing Chants |
Noble Silence: The retreat will be held in noble silence.
Meditation Supports: Please bring your own meditation cushion, mat, bench, etc. Chairs will be available. Note: The floor does not have carpeting.
TTC and Parking: Located near St. George Subway Station. GreenP parking options are in the area.
Venue Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Lunch Break: The lunch break will be between 11:30 pm – 1:15 pm. Please bring your own lunch, purchase one from a take-out restaurant in the area (or partake in the community Dana)
Cost: By donation. Tax receipts are provided for all donations $20 and over. Various payment methods will be accepted at the door (i.e. cash, cheque, debit, etransfer, credit card, paypal, etc)
Registration: The session will be offered in-person and online. Because there is a limit on the number of people the room can accommodate, we are asking people attending in-person to register in advance:
Attending In-Person: If you register and find that you are unable to attend, we kindly ask that you let us know. Please visit our website at https://www.theravadabuddhistcommunity.org and use the ‘Contact Us’ form located at the bottom of the Home Page. We appreciate it if you can notify us as soon as possible, so we can offer your space to someone else.
Attending Online: If you are unable to join in-person, we are happy to provide an online option using Zoom. To join our Zoom Meeting, click on this link:
If prompted, use this password: 214106
Zoom telephone numbers for Canada, if connecting by phone:
(Meeting ID: 861 1195 9128, Passcode: 214106)
+1 204 272 7920
+1 438 809 7799
What's New
Announcements, web site updates, and general news of interest to TBC members
Video recordings of dhamma talks from recent Days of Mindfulness with Monastics are now available for viewing on the website:
- Ajahn Punnadhammo – May 16, 2021
- Ajahn Viradhammo – April 18, 2021
- Venerable Khemako – August 9, 2020
As well, here are recent recordings of teachings from Monastics at our Sunday sessions
- Ayya Santussika – March 14, 2021
- Ajahn Pavaro – October 18, 2020
The Theravada Buddhist Community would like to invite you to
a Day of Mindfulness on Sunday, May 16, 2021
with Ajahn Punnadhammo.
Ajahn Punnadhammo lives and teaches at Arrow River Forest Hermitage and meditation centre near Thunder Bay. He has been studying and practising Buddhism since 1979.
Ajahn Punnadhammo began his studies under Kema Ananda, the founder and first teacher at Arrow River. After this, he went to Thailand and was ordained in the forest tradition of Ajahn Chah in 1990. Between 1990 and 1995 he was based at Wat Pah Nanachat, Thailand. In 1995 he returned to Canada to assume the management of Arrow River Forest Hermitage. Ajahn Punnadhammo is a skilled and popular meditation teacher who leads retreats and shares dhamma on his YouTube channel.
Please join the Zoom meeting around 8:45 AM EDT
To join our Zoom Meeting, click on this link:
TBC Online Zoom Session
Password: 883290
Meeting ID: 741 749 355
Zoom telephone numbers for Canada, if connecting by phone:
+1 204 272 7920
+1 438 809 7799
+1 587 328 1099
+1 647 374 4685
+1 647 558 0588
+1 778 907 2071
Next
If you would like to make a donation to the Arrow River Forest Hermitage for this event, please use the TBC donation page and include a message that the donation is for Ajahn Punnadhammo’s Day of Mindfulness. 100% of all donations will be given to the Hermitage.
No registration is required. This day includes meditation, mindfulness instruction and Dhamma talks. The chants we’ll be using during the session will be displayed on the Zoom screen at the appropriate times.
We look forward to you joining us on Sunday, May 16, 2021.
Day of Mindfulness With Ajahn Punnadhammo
Sunday, May 16, 2021
8:45 AM – 8:55 EDT. Zoom Check-In
8:55 – 9:00. Announcements and Introduction of Ajahn Punnadhammo
9:00 – 9:15. Opening Chants and Greetings
9:15 – 9:45. Meditation
9:45 – 10:15. Reflections on a Buddhist Sutta or Teaching
10:15 – 11:00. Meditation
11:00 – 12:40 PM. Lunch Break (Zoom will remain open)
12:40 – 12:45. Announcements
12:45 – 1:30. Meditation
1:30 – 2:15. Dhamma Talk
2:15 – 3:00. Questions and Answers
3:00 – 3:45. Meditation
3:45 – 3:55. Sharing of Merit and Closing Chants
TBC is reviewing how we make decisions in our community and is looking for input from current and past members.
Every year people at TBC make decisions about how we want our group to operate. We have Annual General Meetings and periodic Community Meetings. Those involved in running an activity make decisions about it, and some activities have Leads to help manage them. Last year a Steering Committee was established at the AGM to help guide our group between AGM’s.
The purpose of this survey is to get input from TBC participants about how you would like to see decisions made in our community, and to help clarify how the Steering Committee can support this. We will use this information to put together a decision-making model that will be presented for review and approval at a future Community Meeting.
If you’ve attended TBC in the past or are attending now, we would be grateful if you could spend 5 to 10 minutes completing the linked survey below.
Thanks from the TBC Steering Committee!
To complete the survey, click this link:
Video recordings of dhamma talks from recent Days of Mindfulness with Ajahn Viradhammo are now available for viewing on the website:
As well, here are recent recordings of teachings from Monastics at our Sunday sessions
- Ayya Medhanandi – May 24, 2020
- Venerable Khemako – July 26, 2020
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.