Complete silence is maintained during retreats at all times except during teacher interviews. This practice originates in the Theravada tradition of the teachings of the Buddha. Learning to observe experiences from a place of stillness enables one to relate to life with less fear and clinging. Seeing life as a constantly changing process, one begins to accept pleasure and pain, fear and joy, and all aspects of life with increasing equanimity and balance. As insight deepens, wisdom and compassion arise.
Insight meditation is a way of seeing clearly the totality of one's being and experience.
Growth in clarity brings about penetrating insight into the true nature of our experience and increases peace in our daily lives. The Barre Center for Buddhist Studies is dedicated to bringing together teachers, students, scholars and practitioners who are committed to exploring Buddhist thought and practice as a living tradition, faithful to its origins and lineage, yet adaptable and alive in each new time and place. The Center's purpose is to provide a bridge between study and practice, between scholarly understanding and meditative insight. It encourages active engagement with the tradition in a spirit of genuine inquiry and investigation. The Study Center plans to offer research and publication facilities for Buddhist scholarship and translation.