Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Centre

Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Centre BMIMC is a retreat centre for the practice of Insight Meditation in the tradition of Burmese meditati All courses are residential and fully catered.

We provide facilities for the teaching and practice of insight meditation in the tradition of the late Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma. Courses are taught by experienced lay and monastic teachers from around the world and range in length from short weekend courses for beginners to longer retreats of up to 4 weeks.

Please join us for group meditation every THURSDAY evening at 6pm. We sit for 45 mns followed by a 15 mns Dhamma reading...
17/06/2026

Please join us for group meditation every THURSDAY evening at 6pm. We sit for 45 mns followed by a 15 mns Dhamma reading. We hope our new changed time will suit more people. If you are new to meditation, instructions are available from one of our senior practitioners by arrangement.

Weekly Dipa Ma: More new stories from Steven SchwartzEvening Sittings with Dipa Ma"The evenings were extraordinary. Ever...
17/06/2026

Weekly Dipa Ma: More new stories from Steven Schwartz

Evening Sittings with Dipa Ma
"The evenings were extraordinary. Every evening she would sit with us for practice and questions. Once she settled into meditation, time disappeared. We’d begin around five or five-thirty, and before we knew it, it would be eight o’clock. Carol Wilson would have dinner waiting on the stove while Dipa Ma simply kept sitting. Sometimes she would sit for hours unless Sharon or I gently tapped her knee. People from IMS or the neighborhood would start getting restless after ninety minutes, but Dipa Ma existed outside ordinary time.

The first evening we waited for her to end the sitting naturally. Two and a half hours later she still hadn’t moved. Eventually we realized we needed a little more structure.

None of us had ever actually lived with her before. We had visited her in Calcutta or at retreat centers, but hosting her in our home was completely different. We were figuring out breakfast, laundry, daily rhythms — all of it. She was extraordinarily accommodating.

It was probably the best week of my life. It was intimate, informal, and completely unguarded. We had no roadmap for how to host her. We were just living together. And because of that, everything became incredibly authentic. Even the small things became touching.

She would spend hours quietly outside, sitting or walking. She moved incredibly slowly. Even walking around the circular driveway became a kind of meditation. She would walk slowly around the circle over and over again. The entire atmosphere of the house changed. It became quieter and quieter. It felt as if someone had turned down the volume of reality itself."

Yogi humour by Gavin Cusack.
13/06/2026

Yogi humour by Gavin Cusack.

Emptiness: Rather than meaning "nothingness" or a literal void, emptiness is the profound realization that nothing in th...
08/06/2026

Emptiness: Rather than meaning "nothingness" or a literal void, emptiness is the profound realization that nothing in the universe possesses a fixed, independent, or permanent self-essence.

Interdependence: All things exist only in relation to other causes, conditions, and relationships.

Impermanence: Because phenomena depend on changing conditions, they are in a constant state of flux.
(Wikipedia)

No Fixed Self: Neither physical objects nor our own minds have a separate, eternal core or soul.
(Lions Roar)
Wood sculpture by a Chinese artist

Vesak message from Sayadaw U Pannyathami posted on Panditarama Sydney page. “May the wholesome efforts of all m...
01/06/2026

Vesak message from Sayadaw U Pannyathami posted on Panditarama Sydney page.

“May the wholesome efforts of all meditators strengthen mindfulness concentration, deepen wisdom, and contribute to the flourishing of the Buddha Sāsana.

May all beings be peaceful and happy. “🙏

30/05/2026

The Power of Kalyāṇa-mittatā, Spiritual Friendship.
When the Buddha’s attendant, Ananda, suggested that spiritual friends were half of the spiritual path, the Buddha corrected him, stating that admirable friendship is actually the entirety of the holy life. Good companions create a "tailwind" for your practice, pulling you toward ethical conduct, compassion, and wisdom just by being in the community.

30/05/2026

Volunteers who attended the weekend relaxing in the staff room

30/05/2026

Our Trivia Master Michael Dash in his element.

VOLUNTEER Appreciation Weekend 2026 – hosted by BMIMCTwenty-three volunteers attended the Volunteer Appreciation Weekend...
30/05/2026

VOLUNTEER Appreciation Weekend 2026 – hosted by BMIMC

Twenty-three volunteers attended the Volunteer Appreciation Weekend at our Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Centre. These volunteers have generously supported the centre over the past several years through cooking, gardening, cleaning, and many other valuable tasks.

The weekend provided a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. It was a joyful gathering filled with laughter, friendship, and a strong sense of community.

Everyone enjoyed the delicious lunch lovingly catered by a local catering company Lushcious along with some entertaining trivia and meaningful shared sessions in the meditation hall. The weekend was a chance to celebrate the dedication and generosity of our volunteers and to express our heartfelt gratitude for their ongoing support.

A sincere thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the weekend such a memorable and enjoyable occasion. Ann won the raffle a woven basked full of goodies donated by Yogis.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu! ❤️

When you attend a retreat at BMIMC you will be asked to sign up for a Yogi job. The unique nature of this Centre is that...
29/05/2026

When you attend a retreat at BMIMC you will be asked to sign up for a Yogi job.

The unique nature of this Centre is that all the effort to support the centre is offered voluntarily. For example teaching, retreat preparation, cooking, shopping, managing, washing retreat linen etc we depend on volunteers. Although you pay to attend, the money goes to overhead and administrative costs. Insurance, power, water, bookkeeping, grounds, and buildings, maintenance. There is a community of support that each Yogi has contributed to by doing their Yogi jobs which are on the attached list. Everything each Yogi does, helps other Yogis and volunteer staff.
Thank you to all Yogis who have helped us run our retreat Centre. Great merit has been made.
Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Address

25 Rutland Road
Medlow Bath, NSW
2780

Telephone

+61247881024

Website

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