Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho from Seattle, led the first non-residential retreat for the Bellingham Insight sangha at the new Sansui-ji Temple.
Photos by: Skylar Hinkley

After a five-year search, the Bellingham Insight Meditation Society (BIMS) has found a new home in the Red Cedar Zen Community’s new Sansui-ji Mountains and Rivers Temple, on Cedarwood Avenue in northwest Bellingham.

The move was completed this past September under a one-year agreement, and marks BIMS’ return to a dedicated meditation hall after an unhoused period, and a renewed collaboration between the two Buddhist communities.

It hasn’t taken long to reestablish a full spectrum of activities. Sangha Building Liaison Linda Booth, who helped coordinate the move, lists the accomplishments: “Regular Tuesday evening programs are being held both in person and online via Zoom; the sangha’s library has been set up; Soup with the Sangha, a monthly shared meal, continues; and Sangha Mamas, an affiliated group for mothers and grandmothers, meets twice monthly on Sundays. Red Cedar has been most welcoming, and the sangha is thriving.”

BIMS’ search for a new home was conducted while the sangha gathered in a series of temporary spaces, each with its own limitations.

“In our previous space at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, we could only offer one-day Saturday nonresidential retreats,” said BIMS Program Committee member Jean La Valley. “The new space gave us the immediate possibility of offering full weekend non-residential retreats.”

Therefore, two weeks after the move to Red Cedar, Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho, monastics from Clear Mountain Monastery in Seattle, ventured north to lead a weekend retreat. In addition to guiding practice, they offered blessing ceremonies for the space and for the community. Another weekend retreat is scheduled for the end of January.

During our time at the Unitarian church, participation in regular programs was growing, according to La Valley. “Quite a few people new to Bellingham Insight were coming for our Tuesday night programs, including students from the Western Washington University Meditation Club, and our monthly Soup with the Sangha was a big draw. Now after the move to Sansui-ji, we can already see this trend continuing.”

Moreover, three Bellingham Insight members have begun offering dharma talks and teachings. They each have mentors from different insight traditions, and it has been rich to interact with teachers who are part of our community and who know us.

Treasurer Valerie Randolph described the significance of the move this way. “When I became a member of BIMS 10 years ago, one of the things I absolutely loved was the meeting space in the old Red Cedar Dharma Hall on Forest Street. It had a wonderful ambience and a beautiful Zen aesthetic. When the opportunity came up for us to rent space from the Red Cedar community again, there was no question in my mind.”

Now, as the sangha settles into its beautiful new home at Sansui-ji, BIMS remains committed to a hybrid (in-person and online) format. This is so that everyone, including those nearby who may be limited by age or mobility,  and those at a distance who found the community through Zoom, can continue to join in exploring the Buddha’s teachings.

At this year’s annual meeting, the BIMS Board hosted a wide-ranging discussion of future program opportunities, including the establishment of book clubs, affinity groups, and film nights. Restarting weekend sittings is on hold for the first few months.

“I just love that this space can hold our growing group,” said Board Member Melissa Montalbano.

A Long Path to a New Home

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the sangha had met in the original Red Cedar Dharma Hall  with a schedule of programs similar to those currently offered: weekly meditation meetings, Saturday morning sittings, residential and nonresidential retreats with guest teachers, Soup with the Sangha, library, and Sangha Mamas.

But not too long after, just as the COVID pandemic began, the dharma hall owners raised the rent on their tenant, the Red Cedar Zen Community, which in turn declined to renew its lease. BIMS had been subleasing from Red Cedar, and now was out on the street, as it were. Then BIMS began a search for new quarters.

“I thought it was important that Bellingham had a permanent space for Buddhist insight meditation to flourish,” Randolph said at the time. “We wanted an affordable long-term space for our sangha’s Tuesday night sits and occasional weekend nonresidential retreats, as well as for our library.”

During the pandemic, BIMS shifted its offerings to entirely online. The transition proved surprisingly successful.

“Navigating the uncertainties of the COVID era, the sangha discovered new strengths, opportunities, and some surprising gifts,” said long-time member Linda Bertram, who serves on several sangha committee. “While in-person retreats and communal meals were paused, for example, BIMS offered four online nonresidential retreats, and expanded access to teachers.

“As public health restrictions eased, BIMS adapted to a series of temporary spaces, each requiring a bit of creative problem-solving,” Bertram continued. “During these transitions, the reminder that everything is food for insight practice helped us stay steady and flexible.”

After the Red Cedar Zen community decided not to renew its lease, the BIMS board began talking to Bellingham’s Shambala group about renting space from them. “We were anxious to get back to meeting in person, and the Shambhala facility afforded us the opportunity to offer a hybrid meeting,” Booth recalled. After Shambhala’s lease ended, the sangha relocated again.

For several years, BIMS rented basement space at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship. This provided us space for our library,  and access to an industrial kitchen allowing the return of the monthly Soup with the Sangha. During this time, our membership expanded and participation steadily grew. Nonetheless, while we were all grateful for the use of the space, many of us were eager to get back to a dedicated meditation hall.

Meanwhile BIMS leaders had stayed in touch with Red Cedar counterparts and were aware that the group had purchased the building that would become Sansui-ji Temple. It still needed to be remodeled, so the timing was uncertain, but it was clear that Red Cedar was interested in sharing space with us again.

The renewed collaboration with Red Cedar reflects a return to shared roots. Coming from a Buddhist tradition, Red Cedar was a natural partner, and its new temple space now provides the dedicated meditation hall BIMS had been seeking. Said Booth, “It truly feels like we’ve come home.”