Insight Sangha: A space for seekers

The most difficult path is the one tread alone. When arriving in an unfamiliar country, you need a guide to help you find your way. Similarly when you embark on a spiritual journey you need companions on the path- a community of like minded seekers of truth. This is why Lama Choga founded the ‘Insight Sangha.’

About the Insight Sangha
Testimonials from our beneficiaries

A Sangha is Your Community.

The term ‘Sangha’ in Sanskrit means Community. And refers refers to a Buddhist community of lay practitioners as well as monastics. Without a community, there is no way for the Dharma to persist throughout the centuries.

The Dharma is twofold: 1) the transmission of the teachings, and 2) the transmission of realisation. In order for the teachings to survive we need to study them, and in order for realisation to survive we need to put those teachings into practice, and realise their inner meaning.

The Purpose of the Insight Sangha

Traditional systems for propagating the Dharma are not effective here in the West. The Insight Sangha is a registered not-for-profit-organization established in Canada to support sincere practitioners on their journey to awakening. We hope to discover new ways of encouraging and supporting sincere spiritual practitioners Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.

Our purpose is to promote the development of spiritual growth and insight through the activities of study, contemplation, and meditation by:

facilitating and funding short term meditation retreats, in various locations,
producing and distributing educational material, including uploading videos to various platforms such as YouTube,
providing, free of charge, residential facilities, or sponsorship, to a few individuals who apply, and are approved by a majority vote of the Board, to devote themselves full time to the above stated purposes, and
supporting these individuals in their practice, by providing food and other necessities of life, so they can study and practise full time without needing to seek gainful employment.

All donations will be used for these purposes only.

In support of this long-term vision, Lama Choga is currently establishing a meditation retreat in the Gulf islands close to Vancouver, Canada. this Hermitage, part of the Drolung Foundation intl., will provide opportunities for everything from one week silent retreats for beginners, to lifelong dedicated retreat, all free of charge and fully supported.

May all beings be happy and free from suffering.

Testimonials

Please take some time to read these testimonials from the beneficiaries of the Insight Sangha‘s activities. Even if you yourself haven’t donated any money, your engagement will help this community grow. And if you are inspired by their stories please consider contributing to the project.

Karma Dorje April 1st 2025

Hello, my name is Karma Dorje. I met Lama Choga at KDOL retreat centre on Salt
Spring Island during the winter of 2022/23. He mentioned he was starting a retreat centre, and he extended an invitation to me to practice on his land when he purchased
it. I took him up on that invitation the following winter.
His land is located on Cortes Island. As far as islands go, Cortes is a quiet place and
supportive for practice. There is a large cabin on the property that is wood heated with
cooking facilities, refrigerator/freezer and a shower. Also, there’s plenty of space to get
out and walk if you need some exercise.
Lama’s retreat centre has everything you need for practice. The only thing that
might get in the way is you. The only distractions there are the ones that might come
with you.
Practice Well.
Dorje

Clinton Smith February 17th 2025

I encountered Choga’s videos on YouTube in early 2024. His clear, thorough exposition of Buddhist theory and practice rapidly improved my understanding of what the Buddhist path offers, what the philosophical premises are that one must engage with along the path, and what kinds of motivation one must cultivate to follow the path with sincerity and effectiveness. I reached out to him and since then he has been very generous with his time, providing meditation instruction, spiritual counsel, and friendship. By chance, or perhaps not by chance at all, but through the workings of karma, I happen to live only one hundred and fifty kilometres from where Choga resides and cares for his parents on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Knowing my proximity, he kindly offered me use of the cabin on the rural property where he is currently building a retreat center. I recently spent a short time there in solitary retreat, studying, contemplating, and meditating. It was a powerful, edifying experience on a beautiful eleven acre refuge of coastal rainforest. This was my first time intentionally secluding myself to focus entirely on dharma activity. I now understand the tremendous value of doing this. I want others to have the same opportunity. This is why I am so excited about Choga’s vision of establishing a retreat center in the west that mirrors the implicit social and economic arrangements of the monasticism of past times in the east, where the means for spiritual development were open to all earnest aspirants willing to make certain commitments to practice, regardless of financial status. It is my understanding that an NGO has been set up to transparently allocate all funds generated by community support to providing free instruction and accommodation to practitioners. The initial retreat Choga is conducting this May on Saltspring Island (not at the under-construction retreat center, which can’t yet shelter a large number of people) looks to be proof of this process. I feel blessed to be a part of this growing, warm-hearted sangha.