Weekly Email 9-7-22

Dear Common Ground Friends,

The Buddha discovered two things in his practice. He discovered the unshakeable release of the heart and he uncovered the path that leads to this release. Both the means and the end of practice are characterized by an openness of mind and heart. Albert Einstein once said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them”. Understanding this, the Buddha discovered the healing power of mindful awareness doesn’t depend on force but rather on its ability to revolutionize the mind’s understanding of the way things are. It is precisely because of the non-judging nature of mindfulness that the mind sees clearly the changing and impersonal nature of the present moment.

The soft power of mindfulness arises when the mind is willing to connect to things as they are, not as “I” wish them to be. It is possible to sustain a stable and clear present-moment awareness that is no longer confused by any interpretation the mind might construct regarding what is coming and going in one’s experience. “Just this” is the aspiration of our practice, to be able to be undefended and responsive to the ten thousand joys and sorrows that keep touching the sensitive heart.

Peace,

Mark Nunberg
Co-Guiding Teacher

Community Potluck!
Sunday, September 11th
12:00pm – 2:00pm

Come celebrate our community together! Bring a dish to share and perhaps a folding chair or blanket to sit on in the garden. Childcare will be offered during Mark Nunberg’s Sunday Morning Practice Group before the potluck begins at noon.

Click here if you’d like to volunteer during the event.

From 12:00-1:00pm an online lunch for the Zoom community will be led by community members Yenkuei Chuang and Lucie Dupont. See the calendar and registration page for the Zoom link.

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

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

• 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:

• Community Potluck on Sunday, September 11th: If you would like to volunteer for childcare, set-up or clean-up, enter your name and email here.
• Audio Editing: We are looking for a couple volunteers to help with audio editing. Comfortability with tech is helpful, no previous audio editing experience needed.
• Children’s Program: We are looking for a couple folks to help lead the revitalization of the children’s program. Please email a letter of interest to Robin.
• 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

The sense of “I” arises continuously.
You can learn to be aware
of its presence or absence, just
like any other object.*

* Such as a sensation, a thought,
a perception or an emotion. 

 Thanks to The Daily Tejaniya for this quote

A big thank you to Garden Team lead Kathleen Schuler and all Garden Team volunteers for bringing such beauty and care to the pollinators, the rain and flower gardens, the trees, and the Common Ground community!