Prairie Sanghas - Lineage Stories

Welcome friends.

Five sanghas from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta have come together to create this special lineage story series. Read more about us. And, we are delighted to be partnering with IMS Online to bring this to the wider sangha. We offer a warm prairie welcome to all practitioners!

Our vision is to have our teachers share stories about their teachers, to honour our gratitude to the Asian roots of the practice; to give a sense of these teachings being handed down, generation to generation; and to give current practitioners a sense of carrying this precious gift forward.

Our collective practice is primarily rooted in the Burmese and Thai Forest lineages through Mahasi Sayadaw and Ajahn Mun, and, is also influenced by many other traditions. We will build a virtual lineage image as we go along, to create a visual sense of our practice and its roots.

All sessions are being held 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Mountain, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Central
Click the individual sessions below to see time conversion for Saskatchewan or other locations.

Click images or names for details about upcoming sessions.

Support our teachers and this project.

Registration for this program is through the IMS Online Learning Center.
You can register individually for each session, or for the bundle for all previous and upcoming sessions (to April 2025):
https://ims.dharma.org/bundles/lineage-stories-2025

Split portrait showing two people: Kamala Masters in a purple jacket with a tree backdrop, and Mark Nunberg in a green shirt with a blurred blue background.

October 9, 2025 – Kamala Masters and Mark Nunberg

We are sorry to let you know that we have had to postpone our October 9 Lineage Story Circle. We hope to rebook Kamala and Mark next year.

We look forward to seeing you April 9, 2026, for a Story Circle with Carol Wilson, Andrea Fella, and Alexis Santos. They will be sharing stories of beloved Burmese teacher Sayadaw U Tejaniya – how he has influenced their hearts and practices, and how he has shaped the dharma world.

The image consists of a collage of three individual portraits arranged on a light green background. The top left features Carol Wilson, a woman with long brown hair and a wide smile, wearing a purple jacket over a lavender top with a blurred background of greenery. The middle shows Andrea Fella, a woman with short gray hair and glasses, dressed in an orange top and black cardigan, with a backdrop of dark green foliage. The bottom right shows Alexis Santos, a man with short dark gray hair, a beard, and wearing a checkered shirt, standing against a tree trunk.

April 9, 2026 – Carol Wilson, Andrea Fella, Alexis Santos

Our Burmese lineage has been greatly influenced in a very unique way by Sayadaw U Tejaniya, a former householder and businessman who trained under the late Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw, and who now teaches at the Shwe Oo Min Dhamma Such Forest Meditation Center in Yangon, Myanmar. Carol, Andrea, and Alexis will share stories of this living master and give us a sense of how our collective practice has benefitted and is now shaped by his perspectives.

Previous sessions

Recording available: October 12, 2023 – Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg
These two co-founders of IMS (Insight Meditation Society) shared stories of Dipa Ma (1911 – 1989), Anagarika Munindra (1915-2003), and other beloved teachers.

A collage of three people, Rebecca Bradshaw in the top left, devon hase in the center, and Jessica Morey in the lower right.

Recording available: January 11, 2024 – Rebecca Bradshaw, devon hase, Jessica Morey
These friends shared memories of Sayadaw U Pandita, and also explore the connections between Theravada and Tibetan practices.

Recording available: April 11, 2024 – Roxanne Dault and Tara Mulay
These friends described the Mahasi Method and how it has been passed on through Sayadaw U Pandita.

Guy Armstrong, head shot, short white hair, smiling, teeth showing, wearing a white shirt and collar and dark jacket, background is a tree building and snow.

Recording available: October 10, 2024 – Guy Armstrong
Guy talked about the Asian masters whom he has met and practiced with, in both the Thai and Burmese lineages. Two teachers in particular were Ajahn Buddhadasa and Pa Auk Sayadaw.

January 23, 2025 – Thanissara, Kittisaro, and Yong Oh
These beloved teachers shared stories of their beloved teachers from the Theravada Thai Forest Tradition as well as exploring how the Theravada and Mahayana traditions balance and support one another. This session will also explore how our lineage and practice support wise and strong action in our world for climate, peace, and social justice.