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
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.
Now available: “Stillness Flowing – The Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah” by Ajahn Jayasaro, the long-awaited biography of Ajahn Chah with an introduction by Luong Por Sumedho.
From Ajahn Jayasaro’s preface:
Although it has been my intention that this book should be, as far as possible, a biography as opposed to a hagiography, I am not sure that I have been completely successful. My love for Luang Por and my belief in his enlightenment inevitably colour the text. What I have not done is suppress any scandalous or embarrassing information out of concern for his good name. Hard as it may be to accept nowadays when there is so much – and often well-founded – cynicism about the integrity of religious figures, Luang Por Chah had absolutely nothing to hide. The only skeleton in a cupboard at Wat Pah Pong was the one hanging on public display in the Dhamma Hall. In fact, that is one of the strongest reasons for my belief that the life of Luang Por Chah is so worthy of study.
Electronic versions are available for download on the Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery website, where you can also request a print copy.
In commemoration of Ajahn Viradhammo’s 70th birthday, a new collection of his talks is being published. Electronic editions of The Contemplative’s Craft: Internalizing the Teachings of the Buddha are now available on the forestsangha.org web site. A print edition will be published in the fall of 2017.
Ayya’s talks recorded during her 2016 visit to TBC and SIMT are now available on our Teachings page.