Meditation classes for all 

The Center serves the communities of the Louisville area of Kentucky. We are open to all who seek to live in deeper harmony with life through mindful living. The Center is dedicated to serving all who seek to improve their health and well-being — physical, mental, and spiritual — through meditation and mindfulness practices, well-being classes, mindfulness retreats, classes in Buddhist philosophy, and Buddhist counseling. The Center serves as an oasis of quiet peace and loving kindness in the heart of the community, a place where anyone can come to meditate and rest in a refuge of peace and compassion amidst the hectic pace of our lives.

The Center also serves as a monks‘ residence, facilitating the daily availability of monks offering classes, retreats, teachings, meditations, and counseling:

• Open Meditation Sessions
• Weekly Group Meditation
• Personalized Meditation Instruction
• Mindfulness Workshops
• Yoga Classes
• Monastic Yoga
• Meditation Retreats
• Buddhist Courses and Talks
• Book Discussions
• Pali Teaching & chanting

Guest Teacher Visits and Retreat

Meditation Classes Date & Time,

Every Monday 7pm to 8:30pm

Every Wednesday 7pm to 8:30pm

Every Month One Day Retreat

Please call, write, or visit our websites and welcome to visit our center for more          information.

Kentucky Meditation Compassionate Peace Center

4815 Manslick Road, Louisville, KY 40216 

(KMCPC, New  Residence)

Telephone — (502—224,-2564) (502—915,7777)

Email : reverendnanda@gmail.com  

Web (http://www.kmcbv.org) (https://kmpc.co/)

Facebook — Kentucky Meditation Compassionate Peace Center (https://www.facebook.com/louisvillemonastery

To operate the Mindfulness Center, KMCPC needs your support. Help bring more compassion and loving kindness into our  community. We ask that you commit to a monthly or annual donation, or a one-time  donation to KMCPC. Find more details on  our websites.

 

 

 

Vassana and Kathina in the Theravada Buddhist Tradition (rainy retreats and robes offering ceremony)

From the full-moon day in July to October, monks in the Theravada tradition observe the Rainy Retreat or Vassana. This practice was laid down by the Buddha and details can be found in the Mahavagga of the Vinaya Pitaka (3rd and 4th chapters).

The rainy retreat was instituted to prevent monks from wandering about and damaging crops and small creatures which are out in abundance during the rainy season.

During these three months, monks are expected to reside in one place and not venture out unnecessarily. They should also not spend the night away from their monasteries. Under special circumstances, if a monk has to be away from the monastery, he must take a vow to return within seven days.

The retreat is a time for monks to devote themselves to study Dhamma and meditation. For the devotees, it is also an opportunity to learn the Dhamma from the monks who are stationed in one place. Hence, it can be considered a good time for spiritual development.

At the end of the Vassana season, the monks perform the pavarana (termination) of the additional precepts observed during the retreat.

Following this, until the next full-moon day, the Katina ceremony is held. This practice started after the rainy retreat, when the Buddha was staying at Savatthi, some monks got drenched by heavy downpour.

Seeing this after the completion of the Vassana season the Buddha instructed the Katina ceremony. Different monasteries hold the Katina on different days. During the Katina ceremony, devotees offer robes to the Maha Sangha or community of monks. Each monk who observes the retreat is presented with one or more robes.

Traditionally, the villagers get together and offer a piece of cloth to the Sangha. The cloth is then cut and stitched into robes by a selected group of monks.

The meaning of the Pali word �Katina� is strong. The offering of Dana to the Maha Sangha during the Vassana season and the offering of robes is regarded as a meritorious deed.

It is said that those involved in the offering of robes will gain merits for numerous rebirths in samsara(circle of life) and will be protected from the cruel elements and poisonous animals. In addition, they will see the coming of the next Buddha and His enlightenment.

Hence, lay people are encouraged to take part in this significant occasion. Despite the changes through the years, the Vassana and Katina tradition are faithfully observed in Theravada temples throughout the world. In Buddhist countries such as Sri Lanka and Burma, and other Theravada Buddhist temples throughout the world, it is the most important event on the calendar.

The offering of Dana (meals) to the Sangha, making robes and Preaching of the Dhamma. It is a tradition that brings together the monks and lay people during this Katina Season.