Vipassanā means insight; the wise understanding of the way things are. According to the Buddha’s teaching, the practice of vipassanā enables one to deeply understand the nature of the body and mind and to see their inherent common characteristics of impermanence, unreliability and impersonality. Seeing thus liberates the mind by realization of the Four Noble Truths.
Metta means lovingkindness, the genuine heartfelt wish for the health, happiness, ease and welfare of all beings. Through connecting with and unconditionally caring for ourselves and others our hearts’ capacity for patience, acceptance, compassion and forgiveness become boundless and our hearts and minds can open fearlessly. A heart full of metta is a reliable foundation for the wisdom practice of insight.
The Vipassana Metta Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) corporation established in 1995 by Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters to offer the teachings of the Buddha to those who are interested. Our vision is to provide opportunities for hearing, practicing and realizing the dhamma by offering instruction, guidance and compassionate wisdom to all who are willing to practice.
Our Mission
The mission of the Vipassana Metta Foundation is to share the liberation teachings of the Buddha rooted in the Theravada tradition with those who aspire to free themselves from the suffering of heart and mind. The practices of generosity, ethics, meditation, and insight are taught to bring greater compassion and wisdom in our lives and the world. We fulfill this mission by offering retreats around the world, and through the creation of a sanctuary on Maui, a tranquil environment for silence and solitude.
To Accomplish Our Mission
- We offer the teachings of the Buddha where invited at residential and non-residential silent meditation retreats, public talks, and community events around the world and at rented facilities on Maui.
- We rely on experienced meditation teachers who offer the teachings generously out of a spirit of compassion.
- Since the time of the Buddha the Dhamma has been offered freely. Those who are grateful and feel so moved have the opportunity to practice the giving of dāna. This inter-connection and cycle of freely giving, gratefully receiving, and again giving and receiving has kept the Buddha’s teachings alive for over 2,500 years.
Our Core Values
The practices of generosity, harmonious moral conduct, loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity, and the liberation practice of vipassanā are the basic core values we are guided by. We do this to help us remember, understand, value, and realize what it truly means to be a human being of compassion and wisdom, and to return that back into our communities.
- Moderation We value simplicity as a way of living the dhamma. In this way, we make every effort to use resources wisely, respect the environment, and practice the principle of moderation.
- Diversity We value making the dhamma accessible to as many people as possible in the spirit of “Ehi Passiko” (come and see for yourself, as the Buddha said), as well as valuing diversity in staff, students, and teachers.
- Right Communication We value honest and gentle speech, at the right time and place; speech that brings harmony rather than discord. Equally important, we value respectful listening, healthy and caring expression of differences, and openness to divergent views.
- Stewardship We value responsible stewardship of financial, human, and natural resources.
- Organizational Clarity We value the clarity that comes with a structure that allows for the exercise of authority, and promotes accountability at all levels of the institution. Within the structure, we value the inclusion of staff in mindful decision making that is transparent, efficient, and considerate of everyone’s needs.
- Stability We value the ease that comes with organizational stability.