Find a Sangha or Group in Canada

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Where you can meet fellow meditators and Buddhist practitioners, take teachings and do solo or group retreats.

 

CTBC Meditation Group, Canmore, AB

The CTBC Meditation Group is at the Monastery at 518 - 2 St. Canmore (see map) on Tuesday evenings from 7 - 8:30 pm and Friday mornings from 8:30 am - 10 am.  For more information on this group and its meetings, please see our Meditation Events page.  If you are new to meditation, please come at 6:30 pm for some initial instructions and/or to have questions answered.

If you wish to be emailed about CTBC's events (moon days, retreats and other events), please subscribe to one or both of our event notification email lists by filling in the form at the bottom of this page.

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Bodhi Mitta, Calgary, AB

The Bodhi Mitta group is hosted virtually (and sometimes at home) by Dhammapala in his home (4935 20 Ave NW) for daily morning and evening virtual meditations (non-guided) and on Sunday mornings for group meetings from 10 am to 11:45am. They are a Theravada group and friends of CTBC and Birken.

 

Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery, Kamloops, BC

Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery is located just south of Kamloops. The abbot is Venerable Sona, a wise and compassionate teacher. Scheduled retreats are held throughout the year. Aside from these, one can visit the monastery for tea or for up to a 2 week personal retreat from April - December, providing space is available. Longer stays are available if you get permission from the abbot. The monastics are on their “Winter Retreat” from January - March, meaning they do no teaching during that time so that they can focus on their own practices. If you are an experienced meditator, you can stay at the monastery during that time but there will be no teaching, just an opportunity for your own practice. There is no charge. The monastery runs on donations. For information see their website at www.birken.ca or e-mail at: meditate@birken.ca. It’s also possible to “phone” their computer and leave a voice message. They request you speak slowly. The number is: (778)-785-6059. To write the address is: 7000 Smith Lake Forest Service Road, Knutsford, BC. V0E 2A0. They have a newletter available online, or if you have no computer, you can request it to be mailed.

 

Dhamma Buddhist Society, Vancouver, BC

This group formed around Anagarika Dhammadinna, the Buddhist nun who introduced Theravada Buddhism to Alberta and British Columbia. Their website is Dhamma Buddhist Society

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Sati Saraniya Hermitage, Perth, ON

Sati Saraniya Hermitage is the first monastery for Buddhist nuns in Canada located near Perth ON. Ayya Medhanandi is the abbott. Contact the monastery to discuss the opportunity to go there for a personal retreat. Or there is the opportunity for volunteer female stewards, a wonderful way to practice generosity and to receive the benefits of close contact with teachings in a monastic community.  If you are considering the monastic life, please contact the monastery to discuss the opportunity to go there to train as a fully ordained bhikkhuni (buddhist nun).

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Tisarana Buddhsit Monastery, Perth, ON

Tisarana Buddhist Monastery for monks is 20 minutes away from Sati Saraniya Hermitage.   Ajahn Viradhammo is the Abbot.

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Arrow River Forest Hermitage, ON

Arrow River Forest Hermitage is located about one hour from Thunder Bay, ON.  Ajahn Punnadhammo is the Abbot.  He has recently written an exhaustive book on Buddhist Cosmology.  This is available for download on his website or can be purchased through Amazon.

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Calgary Insight Meditation Society

Calgary Insight Meditation Society produces a monthly newsletter that lists meditation groups and upcoming retreats in Alberta.  You can request that the newsletter be emailed to you each month.

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Edmonton Insight Meditation Society

The Edmonton Insight Meditation Society is a Theravada Buddhist group that organizes regular sits and retreats in Edmonton. You can request to be put on the email list for the monthly newsletter.

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British Columbia Insight Meditation Society

BCIMS website performs the same function as the Calgary IMS.  So this is a great resource for people living in or visiting BC.

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Victoria Insight Meditation Society

Victoria IMS produces a newsletter with meditation groups and retreat information.  Their mission is to provide access to the practice and study of the dharma, the Buddha’s teachings, to facilitate the growth and sustenance of our sangha, the community of meditators and to encourage embodying the dharma in daily life with all its challenges.