Tranquility and Insight
Common Ground’s Spring Residential Retreat
Led by Mark Nunberg
April 20-23, 2017
This retreat is offered freely. This generosity is possible because of the contributions offered by retreatants. Holy Spirit Retreat Center offers their space with a suggested daily donation. You can find more details here.
Important Letter Regarding Holy Spirit Retreat Center
Please join us for this three-day mindfulness retreat at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center located on beautiful Lake Elysian near Janesville, MN (90 minutes southwest of the Twin Cities), Thursday Evening, April 20th, to Sunday afternoon, April 23rd. Common Ground is committed to doing our best to ensure that these retreats are accessible and safe for all people. After reading through this information, please let us know if you have any special needs, questions or concerns.
Leaving behind our homes, family and friends, and our duties and responsibilities can be a powerful support for deepening insight. In a quiet country setting, with a simple schedule of sitting and walking meditation, practicing noble silence, the mind naturally begins to quiet down. A quiet, serene mind is capable of seeing clearly in a way that is often not available during our busy lives. Clear seeing or insight uproots the confusion behind the cycles of stress and suffering.
Structure
This retreat will include daily dharma talks and instruction, guided mindful movement sessions, practice interviews with the teacher and opportunities for questions and discussion. Retreatants will be encouraged to sign up for a daily mindful work period (“yogi jobs”). Volunteers will prepare all meals and keep the center clean. (In addition, a few volunteers will be needed to arrive early to help set up, or stay late to help clean up.) To support the practice of mindfulness and to minimize distractions, the retreat will be held in silence. As much as possible retreatants should refrain from speaking, eye contact or gestures with others, and reading or writing during the retreat. The practice of Noble Silence can be a powerful support for deepening insight.
Teacher/Leader
Mark Nunberg began his practice in 1982 and has been teaching meditation since 1990. He co-founded Common Ground Meditation Center in Minneapolis in 1993 with Wynn Fricke and continues to serve as the center’s Guiding Teacher. Mark has studied with both Asian and Western teachers and finds deep inspiration in the teachings of the Buddha. Mark practiced as a monk for five months in Burma and completed four three-month retreats at Insight Meditation Society Retreat Center, as well as many months of intensive retreat practice at The Forest Refuge. Mark continues to be a grateful student of Buddhist practice.
Common Ground Meditation Center
2700 E. 26th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55406
phone: (612) 722-8260
retreats@commongroundmeditation.org
www.commongroundmeditation.org
