SINCE 1993
Welcome
The Valley of the Moon is a spiritual community (sangha), that through study and practice, offers the teachings of Insight/Vipassana meditation in Burnsville, NC. It is our mission to support the awakening of hearts and minds through the direct experience of the Buddhist path of meditation in action, and to help create peace in the world.
We are a community based refuge, located in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina where we gather together weekly to study and practice the teachings that lead to awakening. Although we come from different backgrounds, we share the wish/intention to live our lives in wisdom and peace and kindness for the benefit of all beings.
Sangha: Every Monday from 6:30-8:15 PM
Valley of the Moon has a weekly sitting meditation group. We meet at Maples in Micaville every Monday from 6:30-8:15 PM (except for the first Monday of the month which is our monthly pot-luck get-together). We sit in silent meditation for 30 mins, then engage in discussion or a teaching, with a short closing meditation. We are working with teacher David McKay in addition to peer-led discussions of a book or dharma topic.
In the spirit of generosity (dana) we continue the 2500- year- old Buddhist tradition of providing the teachings free of charge to all who are interested. The practitioner may offer a donation in return, to contribute to the sangha, or perhaps find that a suitable contribution is something other than money, such as a gift of time, or skills for the group. Monies collected from dana contributions are used to provide free or discounted study materials, help to arrange for guest teachers, or tuition assistance for meditation retreats. You can read more about dana here.
For financial assistance inquiries, please contact Jerry Cade at
jerrycade75@hotmail.com
Studies and Discussion
Our studies and teachings are generally derived from the Thai Forest and the Burmese masters traditions of Theravada Buddhism. We will occasionally have a guest teacher visit, and teachings are often shared from a variety of spiritual traditions. No prior study is required, and we welcome beginners or seasoned practitioners from all traditions. Seekers or swamis, everyone is welcomed.
All spiritual traditions are wholeheartedly welcomed, and often foster insightful and lively discussion.
Teachers/Facilitators
David McKay
David has a special relationship with our sangha, as it was his first meditation group, leading to a transformative retreat experience and many years of practice and training in the Zen tradition. David studied 18 years at a monastery before returning to western North Carolina. David teaches meditation with deep inquiry in the Buddhist tradition. If you would like to know more about David and his work, go to theoneopendoor.org
Janey Zietlow, Founding teacher
Janey has been practicing and studying the dharma (the teachings of the Buddha) since 1973. She has studied with teachers in the Zen, Tibetan, and Theravada traditions. Sponsored and mentored by Tara Brach, Janey completed the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leader teacher’s certification in 2001. She is the founding teacher of The Valley of the Moon Sangha which has been meeting on Monday nights for over 25 years. Janey is a retired, licensed psychotherapist, who has practiced in both community mental health and individual counseling.
News/Events
The Book We’re Reading: Life, Part Two
The book we're currently reading together in our sangha is Life, Part Two by David Chernikoff. What Carl Jung [...]