Deepening Practice Program
Practical Information
Monthly In-Person Sessions on Sundays, 2:00-4:30 pm:
January 24, February 21, March 14, April 18, May 30, and either June 13 or June 27, 2027. The final date will be announced before the end of 2026.
Weekly Online Sessions on Wednesdays via Zoom, 7:00-7:45 pm:
Every Wednesday from January 27 through June 9 or June 23. The final date will correspond to the date of the final in-person session.
Location of In-Person Monthly Sessions: Ekoji Buddhist Sangha, 3411 Grove Avenue, Richmond. (Google Maps)
Cost: Dana (a donation)
Suggested donation: $200-$550 (No one will be turned away for lack of funds. See below for more information.)
Teacher: Marjolein Janssen
Registration: Please register in advance by filling out the registration form. (Please read the Information Document before registering).
Description
In this six-month program, we will deepen our practice and understanding of the four Brahmavihāras, traditionally translated as “divine” or “heavenly abodes”. These four are: loving-kindness (mettā), compassion (karuṇā), sympathetic joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekkhā). Alongside the Brahmavihāras, we will explore forgiveness as a complementary practice. These are not simply ideas to understand, but living practices that can transform how we meet ourselves, one another, and the changing circumstances of our lives. They can become beacons of wholesomeness on our path, if we take the time to study and practice them.
Through Buddhist teachings, formal and informal meditation, and attention to our immediate, embodied experience, we will explore how these practices develop and become integrated into daily life. The program is designed to support continuity and depth: returning again and again to the practices, noticing what changes over time, and creating a space for inquiry and mutual support as we learn to meet ourselves, one another, and all beings with greater loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, and forgiveness.
What Participation Involves
The core commitment:
- Six monthly in-person sessions.
- A regular brahmavihāra practice, ideally 30–45 minutes at least four times a week.
- Study and practice materials each month.
Supporting the practice:
- Weekly online sessions provide continuity, encouragement, and connection between the monthly gatherings.
- Small practice groups in between the monthly sessions.
This program is offered on a dana (generosity/donation) basis. The suggested donation for the full six-month program is $200–$550. If you have the ability to give more, your additional generosity helps make the program accessible to those who cannot contribute as much. If this range is beyond your means, please give what you can; no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Your donation supports the teacher in continuing to offer these teachings. The teacher will also distribute a portion of the donations to support the IMCR group and Ekoji. Please give as feels appropriate and generous for you. Please delight in your generosity and know that the dharma continues to be offered to you and others through our collective acts of sharing. All are welcome, no donation is required.
At the sessions, you may offer dana by cash, check, or QR code. You may also donate online in advance to Marjolein.
More information about the concept of dana, generosity, in Buddhism.
Questions?
Don’t hesitate to contact us.