The way of the Buddha is to know yourself; To know yourself is to forget yourself; To forget yourself is to be awakened by all things. Dogen – Thirteenth Century Zen Monk
The Theravada Tradition
Theravada Buddhism, with its emphasis on vipassana meditation, is known as the “practice of the elders” and is considered one of the oldest branches of Buddhism with roots in Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, and Thailand. Its introduction to the West began in the late 1960’s with contemporary American teachers such as Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, and Jack Kornfield who were inspired by Theravada teachers Mahasi Sayadaw, Ajahn Chah Subhatto, and others.
These American teachers were instrumental in the development of two principal centers in North America: Insight Meditation Society, located in Barre, Massachusetts, and Spirit Rock Meditation Center, located in Marin County, California. There are now many sanghas (communities of like-minded practitioners) located throughout North America. Some sanghas have guiding teachers and others are lay sanghas without guiding teachers.