On the first weekend in September yogis from as far away as Washington, D.C. gathered in downtown Philadelphia to attend twin programs featuring esteemed Buddhist meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein and IMS teacher training program participant Jozen Tamori Gibson. Delaware Valley Insight cosponsored the events with Insight Meditation Society and Myrna Brind Center for Mindfulness at Thomas Jefferson University.
Some 250 people attended the Friday evening event, which featured a conversation with Joseph and Jozen at the Dorrance H. Hamilton building's Connelly Auditorium. Joseph had originally planned to give a talk and then answer a few questions audience members had been invited to write on index cards, but he was so impressed with the depth of the questions that he and Jozen devoted the entire evening to a question and answer session. For the most part, Jozen read the questions aloud and Joseph responded through the wisdom he has acquired over decades of practice, sharing experiences and stories with the audience. Attendees warmed quickly to Jozen, who opened the evening with a grounding guided meditation and responded movingly to several questions as well.
On Saturday, both teachers returned to the Jefferson campus for a daylong mindfulness retreat for 110 yogis, alternating guided sitting practice, walking meditation in the late summer sunshine, and short talks, all of which were primarily structured along the continuum of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. There were also several short question and answer sessions interspersed throughout the teachings. Joseph joked that the participants were experiencing about 10 days worth of material in the course of one as he and Jozen moved through the four foundations of mindfulness, offering practices on mindfulness of the body, vedana and, finally, thoughts and emotions. Many people who attended the daylong described it as inspiring, joyous, memorable. The sense of gratitude in the air was palpable.
Participants had the opportunity during both events to sign up for local sitting groups, buy some of Joseph's books and offer dana, which will benefit IMS' diversity, equity and inclusion work.
We were particularly touched that on both days so many members of our greater sangha and the Jefferson staff jumped in to volunteer their time and effort with ease and enthusiasm. Their contributions made a big difference and they were deeply appreciated.
