Our newly renovated center is on the lower level of the University Friends Meeting House, just north of the University Bridge and Burke Gilman trail, and blocks from the Light Rail. Our space has a beautiful light-filled meditation hall as well as an additional space for walking meditation and community events. We are where we are because of the generosity of hundreds of volunteers, donors, and guest teachers who helped make our new home a reality.
The Board of Directors governs Seattle Insight Meditation Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit religious organization. Board members steward its resources, programs, and activities. Officers include the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. The Board meets bimonthly to set policy, vote on issues, and support key initiatives through committees. It aims to reflect diverse perspectives in service of Seattle Insight and the Dharma.
Seattle Insight is a community rooted in the ancient wisdom of Theravāda Buddhism. We honor the monastic and lay Southeast Asian practitioners that have carried these teachings forward for thousands of years, specifically those from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia. The Pali Canon, the earliest collection of the Buddha’s words, is central to our practice, and we rely on it as the “Way of the Elders,” which is one translation of Theravāda. Within this tradition, we practice vipassana, or Insight Meditation, a modern expression of these timeless teachings. The Founding Teacher of Seattle Insight, Rodney Smith, ordained for a time with Mahasi Sayadaw in Burma before spending years with Ajahn Buddhadasa in Thailand. He then joined the recently founded Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA in the early 1980s. The Insight Meditation Society (IMS) and Spirit Rock Meditation Center were foundational to the western Insight Meditation movement, and many in our community remain strongly connected to these centers.
While our foundation is Theravāda and the early Buddhist teachings, we recognize the shared aspiration for liberation across all Buddhist traditions, and occasionally integrate insights from Mahāyāna Buddhism and other wisdom traditions to deepen our understanding.
