Who We Are
A Brief History
1994
In 1994, two local dharma teachers, Adrianne Ross and Joanne Broatch, began offering classes and retreats for vipassana meditators to sit together regularly with teacher support.
2005
In 2005, we chose the name "Vipassana BC" and created a website that allowed our individual meditators and existing dharma groups throughout the province to connect in the spirit of sangha.
2006
In 2006, we became a registered non-profit society under the name "British Columbia Insight Meditation Society".
2014
In 2014 we received charitable tax status.
Structure
We have a small volunteer board of directors. Members from our community volunteers to help put on retreats, classes and social events. Offering your time and energy is an important part of our practice of generosity, and is an easy, informal way to meet others, have fun, and support the BCIMS meditation community.
Membership
No membership registration is required, and all are welcome to attend classes, sitting groups, community events, residential retreats or non-residential retreats.
Donations
We invite you to support BCIMS financially BCIMS’s mission is to practise, carry on, promote and perpetuate Buddhist teachings and practice in British Columbia and throughout Canada, including the Theravadan Buddhist traditions and practices of Metta and Vipassana meditation. We respond to this mandate by supporting many weekly meditation sitting groups, sponsoring residential and non-residential retreats, offering beginners’ meditation classes, leading essential dharma teaching programs, and participating in compassion-in-action activities.