Mettānattā : mettā as a practice of self effacement and insight
With Gregory Kramer and Irene Bumbacher
April 30 - May 9, 2026
A powerful teaching is hidden in plain sight: metta is a practice of anatta, of not-self. This can be expressed by a compound Pali word, mettānattā. When we cultivate true friendliness, we move our focus of attention from ourselves to others. This diminishes the trance of self-identity. This is one way that Insight Dialogue functions as a true insight practice. Meditating in relationship, we cultivate mindfulness and concentration. The power of meditation is sustained and increased by the reflective process of relationship. This power of mind is guided by immersion in Dhamma. Supported by each other’s meditative availability, our resistence to letting go of self-fixation is softened. Under these conditions, metta’s natural effectiveness at de-centering the self is raised to a liberative level.
In this retreat, cared for by silence and our retreat conditions, we will bring together silent individual meditation, Insight Dialogue, and time in nature.
Assistance: Irene Bumbacher
Leaders
Gregory Kramer is the Founding Teacher of the Insight Dialogue Community and has been teaching insight meditation since 1980. He developed the practice of Insight Dialogue and has been teaching it since 1995, offering retreats in North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. He has studied with esteemed teachers, including Anagarika Dhammadina, Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Mahanayaka Thero, Achan Sobin Namto, and Ven. Punnaji Maha Thero. Gregory is the author of A Whole Life Path: A Layperson’s Guide to a Dhamma-infused Life (Insight Dialogue Community); Insight Dialogue: The Interpersonal Path to Freedom (Shambhala); Seeding the Heart: Practicing Lovingkindness with Children; Meditating Together,…
Learn more about Gregory Kramer
Irene Bumbacher lives in Switzerland and has been practicing Vipassana, Zen, and Mahamudra in Asia, Europe, and the US since 1989. She was trained as a Dharma teacher by Fred von Allmen and started teaching in 2008. In 2000 she co-founded the city center “Zentrum für Buddhismus” in Bern, which emphasizes and supports the integration of retreat practice in daily life and fosters community building by regular mindful dialogue practice. Her approach to teaching the Dharma includes all aspects of life, drawing on 35 years of therapeutic experience in the fields of physio-, shiatsu- und trauma-therapy. To learn more about…
Learn more about Irene Bumbacher