About the OBS

The Ottawa Buddhist Society is an active welcoming lay community where people come together to meditate, learn about the Buddha’s teachings and how to practice them in daily life.

We offer a year-round schedule of online and in-person events primarily led by local monastic teachers from the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Our program includes:

  • Twice-monthly online evening meetings.

  • A monthly in-person Day of Mindfulness – a chance to meditate together and support each other’s practice.

  • Annual residential retreats – an opportunity for extended periods of meditation and reflection.  

We also run a volunteer outreach program offering several opportunities throughout the year for members and friends to serve those in need within the local Ottawa region.

Everyone is Welcome

Whether you’re new to Buddhism or an experienced meditator, you’re welcome to join in our program of activities. Please visit our Events and Programs page to learn more.

Supporting Monasteries

The OBS supports local monasteries in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. It has a longstanding affiliation with the monastic communities at Tisarana Monastery and Sati Saraniya Hermitage, located a short distance from Ottawa in Perth, Ontario as well as with the Heron Road Temple in Ottawa. Please visit the websites below to learn more about these communities

https://tisarana.ca     https://satisaraniya.ca     https://www.buddhisttempleottawa.org

Theravada Buddhism

Theravada Buddhism, often known as the ‘Teaching of the Elders’ is one of the oldest surviving schools of Buddhism and emphasizes the preservation of the Buddha’s original teachings as found in the Pali Canon. It is the main form of Buddhism practised in Southeast Asia which in recent times made its way to the West. Theravada Buddhism emphasizes a path of practice that can be lived in daily life, which encompasses moral conduct, mental development through meditation and wisdom.

Teaching Resources

The OBS is committed to making freely available the Theravada Buddhist teachings. Dedicated members lovingly recorded dhamma talks offered in Ottawa by resident and visiting teachers. An audio library to store these talks is being resourced on Soundcloud. The OBS also has had the privilege of contributing to Tisarana Monastery’s book publications available also on the Forest Sangha website Here they are “The Contemplative’s Craft” (2017) and “The Contemplatives Companion” (2025).

Please visit our Dhamma Resources page for more information.

The Ottawa Buddhist Society is a Canadian registered charity and provincially incorporated not-for-profit organisation. To become a member please visit our Membership page.

 

Image of OBS Members at a Day of Mindfulness