A dharma talk on the Sacca parami

with Aisha Shahidah Simmons 

Wednesday, September 27, 2023; 7:00-8:30pm

Suggested donation: $7-25*

via Zoom

Practice together remotely with other sangha members in a relaxed online atmosphere (7:00) and enjoy a dharma talk (7:35).

Aishah Shahidah Simmons (she/her) is a survivor-healer, a Theravadin Buddhist practicing vipassana meditation for 20 years, and a trauma-informed Mindfulness meditation teacher. She’s been studying and practicing vipassana meditation since 2002. Aishah studied and practiced exclusively for 17 years in the S.N. Goenka lineage, including sitting and serving 40 residential vipassana meditation retreats for 406 cumulative days in the U.S. and India. In the fall of 2019, Aishah began studying and practicing in the Insight lineage. Her primary teachers are Tuere Sala and DaRa Williams. She is also an award-winning Black feminist lesbian filmmaker and author. Her 2006-released groundbreaking film NO! The Rape Documentary and her curated/edited 2020 Lambda Literary Award-winning anthology, Love WITH Accountability: Digging Up the Roots of Child Sexual Abuse, break silences around childhood and adult sexual violence, offer healing paths for trauma, and provide distinct visions for humanely disrupting the inhumane epidemic of sexual violence. Aishah is a visiting dharma leader at Elm Community Insight: An Engaged Meditation Community. Previously, she taught dharma and mindfulness practices in Jennifer Paterson’s BreathWork course at Sounds True, in the Black Queer Everything… Program at Morgan State University, at Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and on the Weekly Dharma Gathering platform. She’s written articles on Black ancestors and Buddhism for Lion’s Roar. Learn more about Aishah at https://linktr.ee/afrolez.

*If you have the means, please consider a donation tonight. Dana, which is the ancient Pali word for “generosity”, is a fundamental aspect of the Buddha’s teachings. Our teachers have historically received 60% of the dana given for dharma talks, and while this is still true, since the pandemic, we do make sure teachers receive a minimum guaranteed amount. Insight Western Mass operates entirely on the sangha's acts of generosity. Those who donate more are helping to make the center accessible to all. Everyone is welcome to all of our offerings regardless of ability to donate.

You can give online or send checks to Insight Western Mass, 116 Pleasant Street, Suite 242, Easthampton, MA 01027. FYI: we check for mail once per week.

Zoom Link
Password: 242. 

Dial in by phone for audio only: Call (646) 558-8656. Meeting ID: 943 156 1684. Password: 242