Training His meditation training began in India in 1972. He has studied with many teachers in Burma, India and the US. He traces his primary lineage is through Ruth Denison who named him a Dharma successor and authorized him to teach in 1982. He has a Masters Degree in Environmental Studies from York University in Toronto, and Masters in Social Work from Portland State. He has pursued his own inner work for decades with the help of several fine therapists. Robert is moved by the wisdom, compassion and maturity he gained through his own inner exploration and through experiences he shared with thousands of people he guided and counseled as they faced illness, death, divorce, disappointment, loss, major life transitions and end of life issues. Robert has extensive training in numerous Western therapies including: Gestalt, Bio-Energetics, Biofeedback, Hakomi Body-Centered Psychotherapy, Ericksonian Hypnosis, Transactional Analysis, Systemic Family Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, EMDR and Non-Violent Communication. These vocabularies and techniques for healing inform and assist the consciousness and compassion practices of Buddhism. By teaching Insight Meditation (Vipassana/Mindfulness) for the past thirty years, and meeting individually with thousands of students he has synthesized the technologies of heart and mind development that come from Asia with the therapies of the West. Ceremonies and Rituals: Robert helps individuals, couples and families plan and conduct ceremonies that mark life’s great transitions: marriage, divorce, baby blessing, home and space blessings, funerals, memorial services and graveside rituals. Meditation Groups and Classes: Robert leads a meditation gathering on Sunday evenings and offers frequent classes in various aspects of Buddhist Psychology, meditation and the Buddha’s Eightfold Path to freedom and happiness. He leads residential retreats in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. Robert's wisdom and compassion are animated by humor. When teaching, he uses poetry, music, and drumming to present ancient teachings in forms that can be easily assimilated by the Western mind. Are you new to meditation? Click here for some ways to get started. Individual Instruction, Guidance and Therapy Robert has been a spiritual guide, healer and therapist for more than thirty years. As the guiding teacher at PIMC, he welcomes those who seek relief from their suffering to meet with him individually in the pastor’s office. On occasion he meets with couples or small groups who wish to receive meditation instruction and guidance together. Robert sees only those who already have a meditation practice or desire to begin one. Meetings begin with a period of meditation. Several hundred physicians and mental health professionals have studied Mindfulness Meditation with Robert. They refer people to him to provide a spiritual perspective on illness, stress management, psychological and emotional growth and the exploration of existential issues. There is no need or requirement to be or become a “Buddhist” to see Robert individually or to participate in the meditation programs of PIMC. People of several religious persuasions attend PIMC and benefit from meeting with Robert. No belief in any creed or dogma is required to make use of meditation which is a technology of consciousness rather than an ideology. Robert meets each person as a respected, valued and unique individual. He invites them to describe what they wish to accomplish, what weighs heavily on their heart, or what longings are calling from within. He thinks of those who come to him as “honored guests”, or Kalayanamita (Spiritual Friends). |
Robert Beatty is a member of the first wave of Theravada Buddhist
Teachers who 
