Welcome to the Sydney Contemplation Society!

Our Society was established to foster an experiential mode of learning and self-inquiry with meditation as its vehicle. There is no membership fee or experience required. Our core practice incorporates Zen, Tibetan Buddhist, Vipassana and traditional Yoga meditation with an emphasis on Vipasssana & Shamatha (calm abiding) meditation, but does not exclude other traditions.

Throughout history mediation has been taught by the world's major religious and spiritual traditions but has often been mythologized and ritualized to the point where only an inner circle have had access to higher teachings, and it has required adherence to a particular tradition or religious belief. The lay person has often been excluded or has lost interest due to the overly esoteric nature of the teaching.

With the migration of practitioners from Asia, and in particular Japan and Tibet, to North America there has been a renewed interest in a spiritual and contemplative life style.

Our group does not adhere to any particular religious or spiritual tradition but explores the contemplative practices of its participants.

Psychology and medical professionals have in recent years recognized the benefits a contemplative life style can have to an individual's well-being, particularly in the reduction of stress and anxiety.

In an article of the Institute of Contemplative Education, titled “What is Contemplative Practice?” Jared Kass, Ph. D writes:

There are two major types of contemplative practice:

• Contemplation of behaviour: When stressed out, angry, or afraid, we tend to become reactive. In such moments, we often act impulsively, in ways that harm ourselves or others. Contemplative practice teaches us to examine and change these destructive forms of behaviour.

• Elevation of awareness: The stress of daily life is like a sticky spider's web. It ensnares us. It prevents us from experiencing the beauty that surrounds us, our capacity for love and compassion, and the presence of a transcendent dimension in life. Through meditation, prayer, the arts, and observation of the natural world (and many other techniques), contemplative practice can help us restore our ability to rise above our anxieties, and to perceive life's mystery and beauty.”

We meet Sundays from 11am to 12 noon at the Sydney-Riverview Y's Men's Centre, 54 Riverdale Drive, Sydney River.