MINDFUL LIVING ALLIANCE (MLA), a dba of BODHI INSIGHT GROUP, INC., is an alliance of people who love to practice mindfulness meditation (Vipassana) and enjoy mindful living as a practice of the original teachings of the Buddha. We are interested in sharing our experiences and communicating the benefits of walking the path to true happiness.

Affiliation and Advisers: MLA was organized in 2004 under the spiritual guidance of the late Venerable Sayadaw U Silananda, Venerable Chuan-Tao, and Venerable Zinai. Since December 2005, Venerable Beelin Sayadaw (U Pannadipa) has become one of our spiritual advisers and our chief meditation teacher.

Meditation: Most of our members practice Vipassana meditation as described in the Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthana Sutta), as that is the form that the Buddha practiced when he achieved enlightenment. We do, however, welcome practitioners of all forms of meditation to join us. Our sittings are simple and without any ritual requirement.

Dhamma Study and Practice: We are particularly interested in the original teachings of the Buddha as expounded in the core doctrines, such as the Nikaya (Pali). We also study and practice Humanistic Buddhism, which emphasizes the caring for and purification of people in the present and on this earth. It was introduced and explained by the late Master Yin-Shun, a great monk-scholar and a leading authority in Buddhist studies of our time.

Activities: We have weekly meditation (both sitting and walking) and book study sessions. We also have one-day or longer retreats at least once per season and special retreats and/or Dhamma talks from time to time. All of our events are conducted in English unless otherwise noted. (N.B. Since many of our current attendees also speak Mandarin, we sometimes have teachings and classes in Mandarin.) In any case, anyone is welcome to our events, regardless of religion or ethnicity.

Funding: MLA is an independent, tax-exempt, non-profit organization, funded entirely by individual donations.

Please click here for details about our ongoing activities and upcoming special events.