Weekly Email 6-28-21

Greetings Friends,

The Buddha taught that cultivating wise intention is one of the most important and powerful ways to develop and strengthen wisdom in our hearts and in our lives. Another word we might use to describe intention is resolve, which I often prefer, as it reminds me of the power we have to choose non-greed, non-hatred, and non-cruelty again and again. It can often feel like the world is spinning out of our control and although this may be true in some ways, it is also true that we participate in our collective reality in every living moment. When we choose to live mindfully, we clarify our participation in life by aligning our intentions with our deepest values and collective healing potential. In our fast-paced reality, it can be difficult to feel the power to choose non-greed, non-hatred, and non-cruelty, but it is there for us and I have felt the power of such choice in seemingly impossible moments. Starting this evening and for the next 5 weeks I will be on retreat, going inward in a more intentional and dedicated way so as to clarify and cultivate wise and beneficial intentions for us all. Perhaps over this time, you will find your own unique daily practice or ritual to join me in aligning the heart with non-greed, non-hatred, and non-cruelty, and feel the goodness of the choices that emerge from there. See you in August.

Warmly,

Shelly

 


Upcoming Programs-In Person at Common Ground

If you missed our announcement about phase 2 of our reopening, to begin July 5th, you can read it here.

Community Tea and Dharma
Weekly on Tuesdays, 8:00am-9:00am. More info here.

  • with Gabe Keller Flores Tuesday, June 29th
  • with Mark Nunberg Tuesday, July 6th
Silent Open Meditation In Person
Monday-Saturday, 7:30-8:30am,
Sundays 8:30-9:30am,
Wednesdays, 11:00am-12:00pm, &
starting July 6th, Tuesdays from 7:30-9:00pm
more info hereSunday morning in-person option
We have started opening up the meditation hall on Sunday mornings for community members to gather to watch the 10:30am Sunday 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.Next Buddhist Studies Course on Mindfulness of Mind
Mark Nunberg leads, 6 Mondays, June 28 – Aug 2, 7:30-9:00pm. Register here. Starting with Week Two, participants can choose to attend in person if they wish.Sunday evening Weekly Practice Group with Mark Nunberg Begins July 11th, 7:00-8:30pm

Hybrid: Dharma Talk with Ajahn Chandako: American Pie: Dhamma Reflections on a Nation
On Wednesday, July 14th from 6:00-7:30pm, Guest Teacher Ajahn Chandako will offer a talk at Common Ground that will be in-person and live-streamed on Youtube. No registration needed for the talk. There will also be an opportunity to offer him a meal that morning at 10:45am. Please RSVP for the potluck-style meal here.

Upcoming Programs-In Person at Prairie Farm
Prairie Farm is our retreat property in Wisconsin, about an hour and fifteen minute drive from Minneapolis. Registration is now open for the following programs there:

  • Metta Retreat at Prairie Farm with Patrice Koelsch, assisted by Tim Harlan-Marks
    Thursday, July 15 –  Sunday, July 18.
  • Hybrid: Daylong In-Person and Online Retreat at Prairie Farm with Mark Nunberg & Wynn Fricke: Saturday, July 24th, 9:30am-4:30pm.
  • Practice Period at Prairie Farm with Dave Redelman and co-practice leader TBD
    Thursday evening, July 29 – Sunday morning, August 1.
More info and registration for these programs can be found here.

Upcoming Programs-Online

TUESDAY, JUNE 29th

  • MARK NUNBERG and STACY MCCLENDON lead the Community Practice Check-In, 12:00pm-1:00pm. On Zoom.
  • This week the Truth & Justice Vigil hosts Marisela Gomez, a public health scholar, mindfulness practitioner, social justice activist, community builder, and author, 6:00pm-7:30pm. On Zoom.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30th
PATRICE KOELSCH will lead the Weekly Practice Group7:30-9:00pm. On Zoom.

THURSDAY, JULY 1ST

  • The weekly Community Practice Check-In will be peer-led this week, while Shelly is on retreat. This week’s session will explore racism through an inquiry into whiteness9:00-10:00am. On Zoom.
  • BIPOC Practice Group: The Black, Indigenous, People of Color Practice Group gathers to explore our spiritual path through meditation and the teachings of the Buddha, honoring our shared experience, while cultivating mindfulness, wisdom, and joy in our community. 6:30-8:00pm. On Zoom.
FRIDAY, JULY 2ND
MARK NUNBERG will lead the Lovingkindness Practice Group7:00-8:30pm. On Zoom.SATURDAY, JULY 3RD
RAMESH SAIRAM will lead Dharma Practice Reflections, 10:30am-12:00pm. On Zoom.SUNDAY, JULY 4TH 
  • MARK NUNBERG will lead the Weekly Practice Group10:30-11:45am. Attend on Zoom, Youtube, or gather in person at Common Ground to watch the livestream together on a screen in the meditation hall.
  • WYNN FRICKE & MARK NUNBERG lead the weekly Community Practice Check-In4:30-5:30pm. On Zoom.
Next Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Course
6 Tuesdays, July 13th-August 17th. WYNN FRICKE & MARK NUNBERG, Common Ground’s co-founders, will lead. On Zoom. More info and registration here.Please note that all times listed are in Central time. To find the Zoom links to participate in the online programs, and for complete, up-to-date info on all our programs, not all of which are listed here, please visit the online calendar.

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

  • Program Hosts for Sunday evening Weekly Practice Group with Mark Nunberg starting July 11th: if you have been coming to the center for a year or more and are interested in the program hosting role, please email Gabe@commongroundmeditation.org.  Program hosting involves opening and closing the building, greeting people, and generally being available to answer questions, etc. People usually have a monthly slot.
  • Open meditation practice leaders: if you’ve been coming to the center for 6 months or more and would like to volunteer to lead open meditation in the mornings at the center, (6:30am-8:30am) please email Gabe@commongroundmeditation.org. Practice leading involves ringing the bell for the meditation, and, depending on the time slot, opening and closing the building. People can commit to one half-hour slot a week or more.

 


Community News 

Community Groups Meeting this Week
Find Zoom links at the public calendar.

  • Zoom: Be Queer Now Meditation Sangha, Wed. June 30th, 7:30-9:00pm.
  • Hybrid: Mindfulness and Depression Community Group, Sun. July 4th, 4:00-5:30pm.
  • CANCELLED for the holiday: Dharma Friends Sit & Discussion, Sun. July 4th, 7:00-8:00pm.

See the calendar for more info about these community groups.

Metta for Myanmar with Kamala Masters
Wisdom Streams, an organization that promotes the teachings of Sayadaw U Tejaniya in North America, has organized an event on July 10th to offer mett? for the people of Myanmar and express gratitude for Burmese Buddhism. More info here.

Co-Guiding Teacher Survey
If you missed the recent email requesting feedback for the Co-Guiding Teacher Hiring Committee, you can find it here.

Recent Blog Posts
All blog posts here

 

Weekly Tejaniya
Do not practice too seriously, but
peacefully and respectfully.

Thanks to The Daily Tejaniya for this quote


The roses outside Common Ground!

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