Ekayana Vihara Meditation Centre

~ Ekayana Vihara ~ Temple of the One Path ~

Out of stillness...      our whole self arises

Experience Inner Peace ~ Love ~ Joy ~ Increased Vitality

About Ekayana Vihara

Ekayana Vihara is not a religion, it is not currently a physical temple either but rather it exists in the hearts of each one of us. That part of us that longs to know our True Self without fears, limitations or dogma. That part of us that waits for us to REMEMBER how BEAUTIFUL and POWERFUL we really are.

The foundation of Ekayana Vihara is meditation as the pathway to our heart. It's founder is Venerable Gunika Bhikkhu.

Ven. Gunika Bhikkhu

Master Gunika is a Buddhist monk who emphasizes the importance of meditation, which is the highest level of spiritual training. The practice of meditation assists a person to improve their well being, and allows for a more enlightened state of mind. Through his teaching and practices, our paths to enlightenment can be realized by understanding who we are, and why we are here on this planet. Unconditional universal love, compassion, and self-responsibility are the important pillars of his teachings. Master Gunika welcomes all who wish to better themselves by realizing their true life path through the practice of meditation.

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a holistic discipline by which the practitioner attempts to get beyond the reflexive, "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness.

The historical Buddha was said to have achieved enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree. Buddhist meditation is fundamentally focused on transforming the mind and using it to explore itself and other phenomena as a path to enlightenment. There are many practices of meditation and Master Gunika focuses on teaching two forms of meditation, Zen and Vipassanā.

The Zen tradition emphasizes that enlightenment of the Buddha came through self-realization in Dharma (True Wisdom) practice and meditation. Therefore, it is primarily through Dharma practice and meditation that others may attain enlightenment and become Buddha's as well. In Zen Buddhism, zazen (literally “seated meditation”) is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind and experience insight into the nature of the existence and thereby gain enlightenment.

Vipassanā is one of the world's most ancient techniques of meditation, the inception of which is attributed to Buddha. It is a way of self-transformation through self-observation and introspection. In English, Vipassanā meditation is often referred to simply as "insight meditation".

Meditation at Ekayana Vihara Centres

Attending any of the meditation groups is a commitment to learn, practice, and further your development in meditation with the guidance of an Ekayana Vihara Teacher.

A group meditation is to be done in conjunction with your own individual meditation practice. Each one is approximately a 40 minute, sitting, silent meditation that is faciliated by an experienced and highly attuned teacher to bring in an anchor energies of Enlightened Beings who assist us to heal in all aspects of our lives and expand our own energies.

Sitting meditation is generally done in an upright seated position, either in a chair or cross-legged on a cushion on the floor. The spine is straight yet relaxed.

Following the meditation we have the opportunity to share our experiences and any challenges with meditation so that we can offer each other assistance in furthering our development and spiritual growth using meditation.

Toronto Meditation Classes with Kiernan

Kiernan has been blessed with the honour of working with Master Gunika and become one of the first Ekayana Vihara Meditation Teachers.

Master Gunika and Kiernan at the Opening of Our Meditation Centre

Weekly Summer Class Schedule 2010

~ SPECIAL OPENING CLASS ~

MEET AND MEDITATE WITH MASTER GUNIKA

MONDAY, JULY 26TH AT 7:00PM

Master Gunika is very much in demand to give talks around the world and he will only be here in Toronto for a short time so we are very blessed to be honoured with his presence to open our Meditation Centre.

OPENING CLASS                         Monday, July 26th

REGULAR CLASSES                     Thursday, August 5th

                                                  Thursday, August 12th

                                                  Thursday, August 19th

                                                  Thursday, August 26th

                                                  Thursday, September 2nd

SUMMER SERIES ENDS              Wednesday, September 8th - SPECIAL NEW MOON CLASS

MASTER GUNIKA WILL RETURN FOR THE NEW MOON CLASS ON SEPTEMBER 8TH!

TIME                                              7:00pm - 10:00pm                                              

LOCATION

95 Thorncliffe Park Drive, Suite 4010, Toronto, ON

Click here for map

RSVP'S ARE MANDATORY AS SPACE IS LIMITED TO 30 PEOPLE

IF YOU RSVP AND CAN NOT MAKE IT PLEASE LET US KNOW SO THAT SOMEONE CAN TAKE YOUR PLACE

Call 416-467-8469 or E-mail to Reserve Your Spot

In order to receive the most benefit it is highly recommended that you attend classes on a weekly basis.

There are no fixed fees for this class, however donations are greatly appreciated. You can donate in class or using the PayPal buttons below. Also, food donations in the form of snacks to share are most welcome.

Ekayana Vihara Meditation: One Class

Ekayana Vihara Meditation: Series

Meditation Centre Group Process

Getting Comfortable: This is a sitting meditation practice. There are chairs to sit on as well as space on the floor to sit. If you would like to sit on the floor (best results) it is recommended to bring a pillow or cushion to sit on to be comfortable, also a blanket or towels to put under your cushion as not all of the floor space is carpeted. Meditation cushions can be purchased at Snow Lion Canada. Theodore will gladly accomodate you by spending time to fit you with the best cushion - it's quite a fun and interesting process.

It is also recommended to wear comfortable clothing particularly if you are going to sit on the floor. (e.g. track pants, track shirt, yoga pants etc.)

Meditation: Please ensure all electronic equipment is turned off. Kiernan may choose to share insights or information with the group to assist everyone with their meditation practice prior to beginning the meditation.

An offering will be made to Buddha and a chanting ritual will be performed to begin the meditation. A bell will be rung two times at the beginning of the meditation. Everyone meditates for approximately 40 minutes.

Completion of Meditation: When the meditation time is completed, Kiernan will ring the bell again two times. While everyone is still seated, Kiernan will share any insights with the group regarding the meditation and impart wisdom, then we have an open sharing time.

Socializing: Everyone is encouraged to please feel free to stay and socialize - this promotes feelings of good-will and connection. Please feel free to bring a snack to share with the group.

 

House Rules

NO RECORDING of any kind is permissible at anytime while attending the meditation.

Please turn off all electronic devices i.e. cell phones, Blackberry, pagers etc. prior to the start of the meditation.

The intent of the gathering of this group is the purpose of meditation. Any direct solicitation for business or misuse of any participants email is prohibited.