Weekly Email 10-13-22

Dear Common Ground Friends,

Let’s open our minds to the possibility of real happiness regardless of the arising conditions in our lives. Strangely, we often have a strong habit to hold to the idea that this messy world precludes the experience of deep and unshakeable happiness. If that is the fixed view of our minds, then unconsciously we go about confirming it. We habitually turn our attention to experiences of weight and stress and ignore the flavors of real freedom that arise whenever the mind releases its habitual clinging and struggling.

The Buddha explains that he talks about stages of awakening, “… not for the purpose of flattering people or for the purpose of gain, honor, renown, or with the thought, ‘Let people know me to be thus’…. rather, it is because there are faithful people inspired and gladdened by what is lofty, who when they hear that, direct their minds to such a state, and that leads to their welfare and happiness for a long time.”

So, let’s not be shy about directing our minds in the direction of full release and see what comes from it.

If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.
-Yogi Berra

“This is peaceful, this is exquisite – the stilling of all mental processes, the relinquishment of all the paraphernalia of becoming, the ending of craving, dispassion, cessation, nibbana.”
– The Buddha

Peace,
Mark Nunberg
Co-Guiding Teacher

Weekly Programs
To view our entire list of programs and to access Zoom links to participate in online programs, please visit the online calendar. 

Weekly Practice Groups

• Sunday mornings, 10:30-11:45am in-person and on Zoom with Mark Nunberg
  • October 16th taught by Shelly Graf
  • October 23rd Mark will be live-streamed in the dharma hall
• Sunday evenings, 7:00-8:30pm in-person with Mark Nunberg
  • October 16th with Ramesh Sairam
  • October 23rd with Ramesh Sairam
• Wednesday evenings, 7:30-9:00pm on Zoom with Shelly Graf

• First Wednesday of the month: Community Group led by Matthew King and other practice leaders
• Third Wednesday of the month: Monthly Practice Group with Dharma Teachers and Community Leaders

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 
Please contact Robin Major at robin@commongroundmeditation.org if you are interested in any of these volunteer opportunities:

• Adopt a Cleaning Task for the Common Ground building! Our meditation home is welcoming more traffic these days. If it would feel good for you to pick up a work task and give to the community in this way, please let Robin know a specific time you would like to come in and we can identify a weekly 15 minute cleaning task for you to do.
• Wishlist items: large pot (for over 20 servings), one bookshelf, large high quality wool rugs for the dharma hall at the retreat center, large indoor trees with nice pots.

Community News 

Weekly Tejaniya

For Those Who Say Meditation is Difficult
Many yogis tell me that meditation is difficult.
What they are actually saying
is that they cannot get what they want.

 Thanks to The Daily Tejaniya for this quote

Happy community members celebrating a day of work during the Fall Maintenance Day last Sunday