Weekly Email 3/1/2021
Dear Common Ground Friends,
I probably speak for many when I express my deep gratitude for the teachings of the Buddha that have been so carefully held for so many centuries in places such as Burma/Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and throughout most of Asia. The depth of practice, respect and care that I witnessed while practicing in the monasteries of Burma and Thailand has made a deep impression in my heart. It continues to reverberate in me as a wholesome desire to work with others to establish Dharma centers where the depth of the Buddha’s teachings can be realized and shared. This debt of gratitude for all of those who have held intact the teachings of Early Buddhism also acknowledges the fragility inherent in all things, even those institutions and movements that we hold most dear. This truth is especially poignant now as we hear about yet another military coup that has taken place in Burma and the violence and killings that are happening in response to nonviolent protests. Tragic events such as what is unfolding in Burma can happen and are happening here and all around us. Wholesome stability is only ever a temporary situation. How do we keep our hearts open and wisely responsive in a world that reverberates with so much greed, hatred and delusion? We know the answer – keep planting the wholesome seeds of generosity and contentment, kindness and compassion, and seeing clearly into the roots of suffering and its release. To learn more about what is happening in Burma/Myanmar see this piece from our friends at Vipassana Hawai’i.
Peace,
Upcoming Program Highlights
TUESDAY, MARCH 2ND
STACY MCCLENDON & MARK NUNBERG lead the weekly Community Practice Check-In. 12:00-1:00pm. Zoom link here.
NANCY BEAULIEU and DANI & SCOTT RUSSELL will lead Dharma Among Us this week on the topic of how we might relate to skillfully to the climate justice movement with special attention to Line 3. 7:00-8:30pm. Zoom link here.
THURSDAY, MARCH 4TH
FRIDAY, MARCH 5TH
MARK NUNBERG will lead the weekly Lovingkindness Practice Group, 7:00-8:30pm. Zoom link here.
SATURDAY, MARCH 6TH
MARK NUNBERG will lead a Half-Day Retreat from 1:00-5:00pm. More info and registration here.
SUNDAY, MARCH 7TH
MONDAYS, MARCH 8TH – APRIL 19TH
Registration is open for the next 7-week Buddhist Studies course on Mindfulness of Feeling Tone with MARK NUNBERG. 7:30-9:00pm. More info and registration here.
TUESDAYS, MARCH 9TH – APRIL 13TH
Registration is open for the next 6-week Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation course with MARK NUNBERG. 7:30-9:00pm. More info and registration here.
FRIDAY, MARCH 12TH
MERRA YOUNG will start a book club on the book No Self, No Problem by Anam Thubten. It will meet the 2nd Friday of the month 11:15am-12:30pm from March to June. You can register here.
Please note that all times listed are in Central time. For complete, up-to-date program information, visit the online calendar. We recommend you bookmark it for easy access during the week. You might also want to bookmark our Youtube channel.
The Practice of Generosity
Continuing in the tradition of Buddhist monasteries in Southeast Asia, all programs at Common Ground, including these online programs, 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.
Community News
Community Groups Meeting this Week
- Be Queer Now, Wed., Mar. 3rd. Zoom link here.
- Mindfulness & Depression, Sun. Mar. 7th, 4:00-5:30pm. Zoom link here.
See the calendar for more info about these community groups.
New Book for CG Book Club
The CG Book Club reads books on the topics of race and racism and is facilitated by April Hanson. The next book they will be reading is The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart by Alicia Garza. The first meeting to discuss the new book will be Sunday, March 14th @ 8:45am. To get on their mailing list you can email April at apriljoyhanson@gmail.com.
CG Mutual Support Form
We’ve created a form to gather info from community members interested in offering eachother support in the form of social connection, help with errands, or other forms of support. If you’re interested in participating, you can fill out the form here.
Weekly Tejaniya
Everything you need for understanding to
arise is surrounding you in this moment. It
is all on your doorstep: family, friends, work
colleagues, and any other relationships you
may have can all be powerful catalysts in
your work of revealing wisdom.
photo of Prairie Farm Retreat by Ari Lindquist
Leave a Reply