New York Insight Meditation Center

28 West 27th Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Website: nyimc.org

Description of Organization

New York Insight Meditation Center (NYI) provides a peaceful refuge for all people who wish to begin or deepen their journey on the path of mindful awareness known as Insight Meditation. NYI offers a rich variety of programs based on the liberation teachings of the Buddha and rooted in the Theravada tradition. NYI aspires to cultivate the qualities of mind and heart that lead to the complete integration of wisdom, compassion and true happiness. Their programs include talks, weekly sittings and courses as well as daylong and weekend retreats workshops for the integration of meditation teachings into daily life. Their center is a place where everyone of different ages, nationalities, cultures, languages, ethnicities, sexual orientation, and spiritual backgrounds is welcome to begin or deepen meditation practice based on the teachings of the Buddha.

Grant(s) Awarded

In 2021, a special COVID-19 Operational Grant of $7,500 was awarded toward the operating costs of sits and sanghas and their related programs and activities that promote social consciousness, activism and dharma.  The COVID-19 Impact:  COVID impacted the center’s operating budget, as they continued to serve the communities impacted by COVID through digital Dharma teachings and mindfulness-based offerings. The sanghas in New York function as the backbone of their community and reflect the diversity and spirit of New York.  The sanghas are primarily supported by the unrestricted donations of dana collected at the sits and through membership contributions. However, these communities are of modest means and the dana collected is not sufficient to cover the full cost of respective portions of the rent.

In 2019, a grant was awarded for $7,500 to help defray operating costs of running sits and sanghas and related programs that promote social consciousness, activism and the “Dharma off the Cushion” program.