Matthew Daniell

NSIMC guiding teacher Matthew Daniell has been practicing Buddhist meditation for over 35 years. He spent over a decade in Asia where he practiced Zen intensively in Japan, Tibetan Buddhism in India, and Insight meditation in Burma, India, and Thailand, where he was an ordained monk. He has practiced extensively in the West as well, sitting his first three-month retreat at the Insight Meditation Society in 1987.

Matthew Daniell, Guiding Teacher, North Shore Insight Meditation Center

Matthew’s Asian teachers include Zen Master Tangen Harada Roshi as well as Insight meditation teachers Dipa Ma and Munindra. He has also learned directly from the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Ajahn Chah. His main Western teaching mentor is Larry Rosenberg, with whom he co-taught for over fifteen years. He teaches locally and nationally at various retreat centers, including the Omega Institute, Kripalu, Philadelphia Meditation Center, and Cambridge Insight Meditation Center. Since 2009 he has been a member of the Religious Services Department at Phillips Exeter Academy, where he leads meditation groups for students. Matthew was a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Center of Newburyport, as well as its primary and guiding teacher (2005–2022). He also taught academically and experientially at Tufts University for a decade. He is the founder and guiding teacher of North Shore Insight Meditation Community (2022–present).

Matthew’s Offerings

  • Matthew as a monk in Thailand

    Matthew as a monk in Thailand

  • Matthew listening to a student

    Matthew listening to a student

  • Matthew and his cat Bella

    Matthew and his cat Bella

  • Matthew leading a hybrid meditation class

    Matthew leading a hybrid meditation class

Student Insights

  • "There is a way in which Matthew has helped me navigate my very human struggles and frailty with compassion and insight; in essence, he has helped me tap into my own humanity during especially challenging times. With his ability to contextualize the dharma, bolstered by the steady, gentle support of the sangha, I’ve been able to hold myself much more lightly, and even see humor in the most challenging of situations. A rare and precious thing." - Joan W.

  • "Our Sangha is very fortunate to have Matthew’s wisdom and skill as a guiding teacher. I have found his presentation of the dharma to be wise, direct, simple and useful in my everyday life. I am always impressed with how carefully he listens to each student and guides them toward truth and liberation in the teachings of the Buddha. I look forward to each class as a rare opportunity to learn from Matthew and other members of our community." - Jim M., Newburyport

  • "During the early days of the pandemic, Matthew’s Zoom drop-in groups and his virtual classes made life seem more normal. It was one of the few ways to share an extended socially isolating time communicating with other people (besides friends and family) going through the same experience. There was a profound sense of Matthew’s steerage of the group with his sharing of wisdom and compassion, at a crucial and turbulent time. Not to mention encouragement and inspiration to nurture a meditative practice and maintain a sense of peace within oneself. I appreciate Matthew’s wit and sense of humor, which makes him approachable as a human being as well as a spiritual mentor." - Tamara M.

  • "Matthew was my first meditation teacher and I will always be grateful to him for his skillful presentation of the Buddha's dharma and meditation instructions, which have stayed with me all along my own Buddhist path. Matthew has a very long and deep history of practice with some of the foremost dharma teachers in Asia and the West, and it shows - he is a treasure to the greater Newburyport region." – Adam G.

Matthew Daniell

North Shore Insight Meditation Community