05/10/2026
This past Wednesday marked the 4th and final class that our guest teaching monks ran while they were in town. Although our own resident monks will continue teaching classes every Wednesday moving forward, this was a special farewell to Venerable Nick & Venerable Michael as they shared many things with us that will help our community continue growing stronger and more supportive for seekers of inner peace and strong spiritual friendships.
The class began with a summary of all the teachings of the past month plus a special introduction of how to integrate meditation into your daily life outside of formal sitting sessions. Venerable Michael then guided everyone through a 30-minute meditation before we had some time for community members to share their experiences over the past month since coming to the center.
Some people had been showing up every week throughout the guest monks' visit, while others had shown up for only one or two sessions. Regardless of the length of time, everyone who spoke shared very positive feedback about how they finally felt like they understood meditation, had seen progress in their practice, and felt like they had found a home and a strong sense of community here at DMCTN.
The evening ended with the monks sharing about and giving away copies of each of their books on the foundational habits for those on the spiritual path: giving, wise speech & behavior, and meditation. The monks donated 50 of each to the center, so we still have some copies left in stock so make sure to come out to our next class if you'd like to get your set while supplies last!
They also handed out meditation habit trackers and online resources that we'll post for you all next. All of these resources plus the in-person weekly meditation and monthly full meditation programs will create a very powerful combination of tools to help everyone on their self-development journey.
We wish Venerable Nick and Venerable Michael a safe journey to the remaining destinations on their tour. They are grateful for all the support and warm welcome shown by all the locals and long-term members of DMCTN, especially the monks and staff, and look forward to being able to visit again in the future.