The first thing is to not to harm ourselves, not to harm others, and not to harm both. The practice of non-harming is kindness: kindness for ourselves, for others, for both, and then moving into the desire for the welfare and benefit of the world. When we shift to this way of looking at the whole, we begin to understand the sacred, shifting into a place of reverence and respect. To wish for the welfare of the whole world! It’s such an honorable path. It’s such an amazingly high estimation of what we might be capable of in this world.
JD Doyle, MA
Residential Retreat Teacher
JD Doyle (they/them) served as Core Teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center, where they co-founded the Alphabet (LGBTQIA+) Sangha, and is Guiding Teacher at Insight Santa Cruz. They graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Retreat Teacher Training in 2020. They teach at sanghas across the US and in Canada. JD began studying and practicing Buddhism in 1995, at Insight Meditation Society and at Spirit Rock and continued with extensive retreat practice in Thailand and Burma in the Theravadan lineage. For over twenty-three years, they worked as a public-school teacher. JD holds a BS in Environmental Studies from Cornell University, a bilingual multicultural teaching certificate from UC Santa Cruz, and a Masters in Language and Literacy and Sociocultural Studies from the University of New Mexico. They are committed to celebrating the diversity of our human sangha, transforming the impacts of racism on our communities, expanding concepts of gender, and living in ways that honor the sacredness of the Earth.
JD Doyle's Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land
November 3 - November 8, 2024 | Sunday - Friday | 5 nights
Nourishing the Beautiful: A Retreat for the LGBTQIA+ Community
Open to all self-identified LGBTQIA+. Awakening to the beauty that is within and around us is an essential part of the Buddhist path, and it is particularly important to those of us who have been taught to view ourselves and the world in a different light. Practicing together, we will closely consider—and deeply nurture—what beauty means for us, both individually and collectively. This retreat supports all levels of practice and inclusivity for LGBTQIA+, GNC, and non-binary communities, and is open to all levels of experience.
Retreat | On-Land
February 1 - March 29, 2025 | Saturday - Saturday | 56 nights
2025 Insight Meditation 2-Month Retreat - Application
An extended period of retreat offers the rare opportunity for sustained, dedicated practice. This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing profound clarity and depth of Insight practice. Instruction will follow the traditional four foundations of mindfulness combined with training in lovingkindness and compassion, and practice will be structured around a daily schedule of silent sitting, walking, Dharma talks, and practice meetings with teachers.
Dawn Scott
Vance Pryor
Tuere Sala
Brian Lesage
devon hase
JD Doyle
Tara Mulay
Tempel Smith
Devin Berry
Anushka Fernandopulle
Kristina Baré
Francisco Morillo Gable
Marjolein Janssen
Rasika Link
Retreat | On-Land
February 1 - March 1, 2025 | Saturday - Saturday | 28 nights
2025 February Insight Meditation 1-Month Retreat - Application
An extended period of retreat offers the rare opportunity for sustained, dedicated practice. This retreat emphasizes quieting the mind, opening the heart, and developing profound clarity and depth of Insight practice. Instruction will follow the traditional four foundations of mindfulness combined with training in lovingkindness and compassion, and practice will be structured around a daily schedule of silent sitting, walking, Dharma talks, and practice meetings with teachers.
Upcoming Drop-Ins
Drop-in | Online
Wednesday, August 7 | 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Rainbow Saṅgha
Open to all self-identified LGBTQIA+.
Our Rainbow Saṅgha is a weekly gathering of self-identified practitioners within marginalized gender and sexuality groups such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, two-spirit, and gender non-conforming.
JD Doyle
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with JD Doyle through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.