Madeline Gardner

Madeline has been a student of the Buddhist teachings since 2003. It was the suffering of an undiagnosed chronic illness that first brought her to the path. In 2020, she began practicing at Common Ground with a renewed sense of spiritual urgency, following another period of intense suffering—illness, death, and the deep frustration of realizing she could not make the world into what she wanted it to be. Madeline considers the Dharma the greatest blessing in her life—a blessing that helps her recognize and appreciate all the other blessings and live with greater joy and freedom. She continues to be astounded by the possibility of awakening in this very life, regardless of external circumstances. Madeline also practices in the Plum Village Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, where she is an ordained member of the Order of Interbeing. Before becoming a nurse-midwife and nurse practitioner, she worked for a decade as a social justice and environmental activist. She currently practices at Native American Community Clinic. Madeline has two children, whom she considers among her greatest teachers.