About us

Melbourne Insight Meditation Group (MIM) is a community of meditators practicing in the tradition of Insight (Vipassana) Meditation. Founded in 2009 as a not-for-profit incorporated association, inspired by the teachings of members of the lay Insight Teachers’ Circle of Australia.

The weekly sits we offer support continuity of practice and connection with community, and the retreats offer potential for deepening of practice. This is all organised through the generosity of volunteers and the teachings are offered on a dana (gift/donation) basis. Today over 1900 people receive the regular newsletter and many more are connected through social media.

Insight Meditation (or Vipassana: literally translated as ‘seeing deeply‘) is the practice of developing a calm and mindful investigation into the nature of experience, leading to wisdom, compassion and the end of suffering. This secular practice is based on Buddhist techniques for meditation, without purporting any beliefs, rather offering an invitation to inquire with intimacy into life here and now.

We aim to support each other in establishing and deepening practice, as well as building and strengthening the community. Whether you are a beginner or experienced meditator, you are welcome to join us. We offer a program of weekly meditation sits, day retreats, residential retreats and a community for exploring the contemporary application of authentic Buddhist teachings in our lives.

Our Mission

To cultivate a community founded on the buddhist teachings of dharma, that is accessible to all, and based on love, compassion, and wisdom.

Our Purpose

To connect more people to the boundless teachings of the Buddha Dharma through community (sangha) teaching and meditation events

Our Principles

Inclusive
we strive to be warm, open and welcoming and to build supportive and receptive connection with the community.

Integrity
we act with integrity, we are ethical in all that we do, we build our practice on reflection, experience, wisdom and love.

Compassion and respect
we love and care for ourselves, for one another, and the earth. We demonstrate trust and empathy towards ourselves, others and the environment. We show respect to all indigenous people and elders, land and country.

Generosity
we operate within the principle of generosity (dana). Contribution to the organisation is made in the spirit of the Buddha’s teachings of dana (generosity), freely offered to support people of all financial backgrounds to access the teachings.