Dear Common Ground Friends,

Mindfulness is all about cultivating a continuous present-moment awareness. We train in persistence: a willingness to begin over and over again. This training is overseen by the wise and kind heart that appreciates how difficult it is to remain present. Still, no matter how difficult it appears to be, our practice is to gently and persistently return to the simple truth “This is being known.” Awareness is already available and knowing; the practice is to simply and clearly recognize “This is being known.” Many people develop whole-body awareness, a direct knowing of sensation, as a means for developing momentum in their practice. Daily sitting practice and an effort to be present throughout the day are causes for greater joy, tranquility, and insight. This capacity to be present is our wise friend, protector, and guide – this is how we live with greater wisdom, compassion, and ease.

May all beings be at ease,

Mark

Upcoming Programs: In Person at Common Ground

COVID Safety Protocol
There are no universal masking or social distancing requirements at Common Ground, though of course people may choose to wear masks if that makes them feel more at ease. The CDC and Minnesota Department of Health recommend that folks who are unvaccinated continue to wear masks and practice social distancing. We don’t have a vaccination requirement, but we continue to strongly encourage all community members who are able to get vaccinated to do so, out of compassion for our community. You can read more about the values guiding our reopening here.

Security at CG
As we begin re-inhabiting our physical building, we want to strongly encourage participants to keep cars clear of anything that might appear to be valuable, as we have had break-ins in the past. Please bring your valuables into the building with you or leave them locked out of sight in your car. In addition, keep any backpacks, purses or valuables with you when you enter the meditation hall. Finally, there have been many bike thefts in the neighborhood these past months including one stolen from CG a few weeks ago even though it was locked to the center’s bike rack with a heavy steel bike lock.

Using Fragrance-Free Products
Some members of our community are very sensitive to chemicals, including fragrances, both synthetic and natural. Please refrain from using scented products. Thank you!

Sunday 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. Mark will be teaching online from the office.

In Person Sunday evening Weekly Practice Group with Mark Nunberg
7:00-8:30pm
(The talk will cover the same material as the Sunday morning program.)

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

Silent Open Meditation In Person
Monday-Saturday, 7:30-8:30am,
Sundays 8:30-9:30am,
Wednesdays, 11:00am-12:00pm, &
Tuesdays from 7:30-9:00pm
more info here

Hybrid (In-Person and Zoom)

Upcoming Programs: In Person at Prairie Farm

• BIPOC Women’s Practice Period with Jen Racho & Arleta Little (Registration full; waitlist only)
  5:30pm Thursday, August 5th – 1:00pm Sunday, August 8th
• Work Retreat, Aug 9-13. There will be tasks for people of all skill levels. Register here.
• Practice Period at Prairie Farm with Sarah Wilson and Dave Halsey
  Monday evening, August 23 – Thursday mid-day August 26

Upcoming Programs: Online

Tuesday, July 27th

• Mark and Stacy lead the weekly Community Practice Check-In, 12:00pm-1:00pm on Zoom.
• This week the Truth & Justice Vigil hosts Angela Dews, a teacher at Harlem Insight Sangha and New York Insight Meditation Center, and editor of the book Still, in the City, a collection of stories about the practice of urban Buddhism. 6:00-7:30pm on Zoom.

Wednesday, July 28th

• Shelly Graf will lead the Weekly Practice Group, 7:30-9:00pm on Zoom.

Thursday, July 29th

• The weekly Community Practice Check-In will be peer-led. The meeting will explore racism through an inquiry into whiteness and domination, 9:00am-10:00am on Zoom.

• Ramesh Sairam will lead his biweekly Dharma Practice Reflections group, 10:30am-12:00pm on Zoom.
• Shelly Graf and Mark Nunberg will lead the Racial Affinity Group Meeting, 1:00pm-3:00pm on Zoom. More info and registration here.

• Mark will lead the Weekly Practice Group, 10:30-11:45am on Zoom and Youtube.
• Wynn Fricke & Mark Nunberg will lead the weekly Community Practice Check-In, 4:30-5:30pm on Zoom.

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

• Looking for Teen Practice Group teachers: we are looking for a couple of teachers to join our Teen Practice Group teaching team this fall. Ideally teachers would have residential retreat experience, have been coming to the center for at least a year, and have experience working with youth. Please email gabe@commongroundmeditation.org if interested. A modest stipend is provided.
• 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 gabe@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 “PF Operating Expenses” here.

Community News 

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

• Zoom: Mindfulness & Depression Community Group, Sun. Aug 1st, 4:00-5:30pm.
• Zoom: Dharma Friends Sit & Discussion, Aug 1st, 7:00-8:00pm

Weekly Tejaniya
We are so used to thinking that
meditation has something to do with
having our eyes closed, that we are not
used to the idea that we can be aware of
seeing. It may be a new idea that with
our eyes open we can be aware. When
you are seeing, know that you are
seeing. It is very important to
practice in this way.

Thanks to The Daily Tejaniya for this quote

Thanks to the garden team for keeping the flowers happy and watered!