FAQ

FAQ

FAQ

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and aware in the moment, without judgment.

Mindfulness and meditation are closely related, but they aren’t exactly the same thing.

Mindfulness is a quality of awareness. It’s about being fully present in the moment, paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and surroundings without judgment. It’s the practice of observing whatever arises in your mind without getting caught up in it. You can practice mindfulness in everyday life while eating, walking, or even during a conversation.

Meditation, on the other hand, is a formal practice, a technique or method you can use to develop mindfulness (and other qualities like concentration or insight). While you can practice mindfulness during meditation, meditation itself often involves sitting quietly, focusing on your breath, a mantra, or a specific object of attention to cultivate concentration and awareness.

In short:

  • Mindfulness is a mental state of awareness that you can practice anywhere.
  • Meditation is a formal practice that often cultivates mindfulness (along with other mental qualities).

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and aware in the moment, without judgment. It involves observing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise, without trying to change or react to them. The goal is to cultivate a sense of awareness and acceptance, allowing you to experience life more fully and reduce stress or anxiety. It’s often practiced through meditation, but can also be applied to daily activities like eating, walking, or even just breathing.

Nissarana Buddhist Monastery USA is a dedicated center for mindfulness based Vipassanā meditation. We organize meditation retreats and support the forest Saṅgha by providing essential monastic requisites, fostering a serene and contemplative environment for profound spiritual growth for everyone.

Nissarana Buddhist Monastery in the USA is a place where the teachings of Buddhism, particularly Theravāda tradition, are practiced and shared. The monastery emphasizes the Buddhist philosophy of mindfulness, meditation, and the path to liberation from suffering. Its teachings typically focus on understanding the Four Noble Truths and following the Noble Eightfold Path, which includes aspects like right understanding, right speech, right action, and right mindfulness. Monasteries like Nissarana often provide a space for people to engage deeply in meditation and study, cultivating inner peace and insight. They might also offer teachings on the nature of the mind, impermanence, and the cessation of suffering. Nissarana’s practices would likely include meditation retreats, talks, and personal guidance from monks or teachers who have studied and practiced extensively in the Buddhist tradition. The focus is generally on developing both wisdom and compassion, with an emphasis on the meditative practices that lead to deeper spiritual awakening.

The board is working a suitable location or a donnation on a land to establish the Nissarana Buddhist Monastery, in the United States. We are in search of a peaceful, rural area, which makes it an ideal setting for meditation and spiritual practice. We also will establish the monastery as a part of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition and provides a serene environment for monks, lay practitioners, and visitors seeking to deepen their meditation practice and understanding of Buddhist teachings.

The Nissarana Buddhist Monastery is officially registered as a public charity under IRC Section 501(c)(3) (EIN: 33-3095732). All donations are tax-deductible.

At the end of each retreat the teacher is available to meet informally with yogis. During retreats the teacher does not offer individual private interviews, although occasionally these can be arranged on longer retreats.

For the sitting meditation sessions, there is a choice of mats and cushions, chairs, or kneeling stools. All yogis are asked to choose a place to sit in the Meditation Hall at the start of each retreat. It is possible for you to initially choose a mat, but later move to a chair.

Retreats of shorter duration are open to all, including those with no meditation or retreat experience. At all retreats, guidance and meditation instructions are offered.

To attend longer retreats (such as ten-day retreats) it is recommended that you have meditation and previous retreat experience, as these retreats offer the opportunity to deepen your practice rather than offering basic guidance.

We hold one fourteen-day retreat a year which is open to yogis who have an established meditation practice and have attended a previous ten-day meditation retreat. This retreat is conducted in the English medium.