Befriending Illness Workshop on Saturday, Buddhist Studies with Shelly Starting March 18! - seelindsay@gmail.com - Gmail

Befriending Illness Workshop on Saturday, Buddhist Studies with Shelly Starting March 18! - seelindsay@gmail.com - Gmail

Dear Common Ground Friends,

I am probably not alone in finding that it is challenging keeping the practice in mind in an ongoing way, to keep recollecting, “This is being known, it is like this now, can this be okay?” On the surface this doesn’t seem like it should be so difficult. But, the real challenge is learning how to remain interested in what is both subtle and surprisingly ordinary in an ongoing way. One of the stories from the tradition that has always intrigued me tells us that the Buddha was initially hesitant to teach. Even though the insight from his deep awakening into the nature of the heart was profoundly liberating, he felt that what he had come to understand was too subtle and that others would not be able to understand. I appreciate this story because it points to something that I have seen in my own practice and something that my teachers have often emphasized: the necessity of sincere and ongoing interest in the present moment. Our willingness to be open, receptive, and not dependent on or confused by our mind’s mental constructions is the essence of our practice. This is how our practice stays fresh and real and onward-leading toward liberating insights.

Of course, our mind is often seduced by dramas, choices, and the push and pull of desire swirling in and around us. Whenever the mind is fixed on this gross worldly level of reality, we become forgetful that there exists a simple, subtle, and wise way of relating/knowing. Each moment of our life arises simply as an appearance, a moment of knowing, that is being felt here and now. What happens if we keep this understanding in mind even as we navigate all the twists and turns of our lives? Just as the Buddha did, we can realize that attachment is unnecessary. The resulting skill and freedom that we experience can be used to inspire a greater appreciation and devotion to continuous practice throughout our days. 

Wishes for peace and healing all around,
Mark Nunberg
Co-Guiding Teacher