Weekly Email 10-12-21
Dear Common Ground Friends,
Open House for our Retreat Center Neighbors in the Prairie Farm, Wisconsin Area
Common Ground is finally hosting a long-delayed open house at our retreat property in Prairie Farm, Wisconsin on Saturday, October 23 from 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM. Our goal is to introduce the retreat center to residents in the neighboring communities. Toward that end we authored an article and invitation that was printed in the October issue of the local paper, the Hay River Review.
We are in need of volunteers to make one or two pans of spinach lasagna for the event. Here is the recipe that we are using. We are not sure how many neighbors might show up but we want to be ready to feed at least 70 people. If interested please let Gabe Keller Flores <gabe@commongroundmeditation.org> know. We have pans that you can pick up at the center and the lasagna can be dropped off frozen or freshly baked on Thursday or Friday, October 21-22nd. If you would like to contribute in this way, please let Gabe <gabe@commongroundmeditation.org> know by this Friday morning, October 14th.
We are also in need of a few dish warmers (such as a sterno warmer). If able to loan one or more please let us know.
Finally, we could 1-2 additional volunteers staying over Thursday – Saturday, October 21-23, to help with the cooking, set-up and serving of the food. Please contact Mark Nunberg at <mark@commongroundmeditation.org> if you want to spend a few days at the retreat center helping out.
Thanks for your consideration, and if you don’t know about our retreat property that the Common Ground community has been developing these past 7-8 years click here:
Common Ground Retreat Center.
Mark Nunberg, Guiding Teacher and Mary Ellison, Open House Coordinator
Upcoming Programs: In Person at Common Ground
Silent Open Meditation
Monday-Saturday, 7:30-8:30am,
Sundays 8:30-9:30am, &
Tuesdays from 7:30-9:00pm
- In Person: Community Tea and Dharma with Mark Nunberg, 8:00-9:00am.
- Fall City Center Building Cleaning and Maintenance Day, 9:00am-1:00pm. More info and RSVP here.
Sunday, October 17th
- Livestream of Weekly Practice Group with Mark Nunberg, 10:30-11:45am. The meditation hall is open on Sunday mornings for community members to gather to watch the Weekly Practice Group livestream together on a screen. There will be a program host there to facilitate conversation for those who wish to stay afterwards. Mark will be teaching online from the office.
- In-Person Weekly Practice Group with Mark Nunberg, 7:00-8:30pm.
Upcoming Programs In Person at Common Ground’s Retreat Center at Prairie Farm
Common Ground Retreat Center is located in Wisconsin, about an hour-and-fifteen-minute drive from Minneapolis. Registration is now open for the following programs there.
- We are having an Open house for the local community surrounding Common Ground’s retreat property in Wisconsin. If you have been involved with the Retreat Property in the past and would like to volunteer to prepare food or be a greeter on Saturday, October 23rd, 11:30 – 2 p.m. let mark@commongroundmeditation.orgknow.
- October Zoom/In-Person Retreat with Mark Nunberg and Shelly Graf
Thursday, October 28th – Sunday, October 31st; waitlist only
Upcoming Programs: Online
Tuesday, October 12th
- Mark Nunberg and Stacy McClendon will lead the Community Practice Check-In, please join in for a guided meditation and Community conversation and Q&A about our practice, 12:00-1:00pm on Zoom.
Wednesday, October 13th
- Shelly Graf will lead the Weekly Practice Group, a cornerstone for one’s practice by providing ongoing instruction and teachings that will help illuminate the simple but challenging practice of mindfulness, 7:30pm-9:00pm on Zoom.
- Spruce Krause will lead Interplay: come use simple, easy to do, incremental forms to promote a playful a sense of ease, and an authentic sense of connection – both to yourself and others, 7:00pm-8:00pm on Zoom.
- Shelly Graf will lead the weekly Community Practice Check-In. All are welcome. 9:00-10:00am on Zoom.
- Jean Haley and Jane Rauenhorst will lead the Self-Compassion Practice Group for anyone interested in developing practices that strengthen and support mindful self compassion, 7:00pm-8:30pm on Zoom.
- The Mindfulness and Recovery Weekly Practice Group meets every Friday from 7:00-8:30pm. This drop-in group is for those seeking spiritual development by practicing the principles of the Twelve Steps and the Buddha’s teachings in everyday life. Led by various teachers.
- Mark Nunberg will lead the Weekly Practice Group, 10:30-11:45am on Zoom and Youtube.
- Mark Nunberg and Wynn Fricke will lead the Weekly Community Practice Check-In; join in for a guided meditation and Community conversation and Q&A about our practice. Everyone is welcome. 4:30-5:30pm on Zoom.
- 6 Tuesdays, 1:00-3:00pm, Nov 2-Dec 7, plus a half-day retreat on Saturday, Dec. 4 from 1-3:30. This course will be offered over Zoom. More info and registration here.
The Practice of Generosity
Continuing in the tradition of Buddhist monasteries in Southeast Asia, all programs at Common Ground are offered free of charge in the spirit of generosity. This offering is possible because of the generosity of people like you—from the Buddha on down to all the people in our community—who contribute their practice, time, and financial resources to support the continuation of the center.
To learn how to support the center and our teachers, visit this page. Let us know if you have any questions.
Current Volunteer Needs
- Biweekly Sunday Evening Cleaning: Every other Sunday evening there is drop-in Community Cleaning time from 6-7pm, led by community leader Brad Dupre. Upcoming dates: Oct 17th
- Cooking for Practice Periods at Prairie Farm: There is a tradition in Buddhism of supporting people doing intensive retreat practice. We are always looking for volunteers interested in cooking and freezing meals ahead of time for retreatants at Prairie Farm. You can see a list of recipes here. Common Ground has pots and tupperware you can borrow for cooking and freezing. Contact retreatproperty@commongroundmeditation.org if you wish to offer a meal. Or to donate in support of groceries for the retreatants, you can designate a gift for “Prairie Farm” here.
Community News
Community Groups Happening This Week
- Be Queer Now Meditation Sangha, Wed. Oct 13th. On Zoom, 7:30-9:00pm.
- CANCELLED: Community Group for Organizers and Social Justice Activists, Thurs. Oct 14th. On Zoom, 6:30-7:30pm.
- Mindfulness and Depression Community Group, Sun. Oct 17th. On Zoom/In Person, 4:00-5:30pm.
Aloka Vihara’s Kathina-Almsgiving Celebration
Aloka Vihara is a monastery for Buddhist nuns in California where former community member Niyyanika Bhikkhuni is a resident. They are having their annual Kathina or Almsgiving Celebration online on Saturday, October 30th. Learn more here.
Invitation to Braver Angels: Bridge-Building Across Political Difference
Charlie Birge, a CG community member, describes in this blog post his work with Braver Angels and invites other CG community members to join him. He writes: “Braver Angels workshops invite both sides of political conflicts to attempt to understand the underlying values and concerns of their opposites.” Read more on the blog here.
Weekly Tejaniya
You have to play! Play with awareness and the mind. Then
it becomes very interesting. Use your know-how and wit. If meditation feels like a responsibility,
it’ll just be a burden. Create your world!
Common Ground’s Board of Directors: (left to right) Phillip Cryan, Treasurer, Arleta Little, Vice-Chair, Mark Nunberg, Guiding Teacher, scottie hall, member-at-large, Rick Condon, Treasurer, Ramesh Sairam, Chair, Shelly Graf, Associate Director
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