Weekly Email 8-9-22

Dear Common Ground Friends,

It’s good to be back at Common Ground after taking some time for personal retreat in July and also doing some traveling before and after to teach retreats. I found the Buddha’s teachings on wise effort to be especially useful in transitions from one set of conditions to another. Discerning wise effort can be difficult and confusing but thankfully it is possible for us to learn to apply ourselves in skillful ways and in alignment with our deepest values. As human beings, our efforts are often misguided, looking for immediate results or seeking resolution. Instead we learn the art of wholehearted participation without appropriation. We learn to linger in and appreciate the heart’s goodness. We learn the art of gentle and steady perseverance right beside the heart’s capacity for letting go. The Buddha’s teachings on wise effort are an essential support and invite us to lean into the places of tension and confusion in our hearts, with love and patience as we learn and grow. I’ll be sharing a little more on this topic at Common Ground’s weekly practice group this Wednesday night, 7:30-9pm CT. As always, all are welcome.

Warmly,
Shelly Graf
Co-Guiding Teacher

Community Potluck – Save the Date!
Sunday, September 11th from 12:00pm – 2:00pm
More information coming next week

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
• Sunday evenings, 7:00-8:30pm in-person with Mark Nunberg
• Wednesday evenings, 7:30-9:00pm on Zoom with Shelly Graf
  • Wednesday, August 24th with Stacy McClendon

Yoga & Qigong
We offer Yoga and Qigong several times a week, both in person and online. Click here for times and details.

   – Kevin Griffin joining via Zoom on August 19th 

• First Wednesday of the month: Community Group led by Matthew King and other practice leaders
• Third Wednesday of the month: Monthly Practice Group with Mark Nunberg and guest teachers

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:

• Trailer need: We’re in need of a means to haul a 20ft. steel beam to Common Ground Retreat Center the week of July 11th. It’s only about 250 lbs but quite long. Let us know if you have a long enough trailer we could borrow (16ft. is ideal but maybe 12ft. would work).
• Wishlist items: Please let us know if you would like to donate any of these items: high quality area wool rugs for the Retreat Center, one bookshelf

Community News 

Give-Away Books, DVD’s, and CD’s
We will be clearing out the give-away section of the library on September 10th. If you would like to peruse and take home any books, CD’s or DVD’s please come within the next month. The give-away section is in the basement of the city center, on the south side of the library

Weekly Tejaniya

 YOGI:
How do you define meditation?

SAYADAW:
It’s cultivating good qualities in the
mind. It’s making conditions right
so good qualities can arise.

 Thanks to The Daily Tejaniya for this quote