Dear Community,
As Common Ground’s Board of Directors we’re writing to share some reflections and updates for the community. We hope you find this useful and as always, we welcome your feedback and comments to board@commongroundmeditation.org.
During the past year many in our community were navigating personal, social, communal and global stressors, most notably for us locally the violence and disruption of Operation Metro Surge. We share the depth of this pain. We’ve heard countless examples of how the fearless opening to pain and confusion and the wise application of the Buddha’s teachings allows for the possibility of showing up in our lives & in our world, being all in, but without attachment or the grip of greed, hatred and delusion. We are inspired by our community’s many skillful responses rooted in wisdom and compassion.
It’s heartening to see the many ways community members are living the practice and engaging with Common Ground’s offerings. People continue to find a home in the variety of offerings and make the practice their own, whether it be by taking time for retreat, attending practice groups, or one of the many community groups.
Our Board of Directors has been working to respond to the needs of our dynamic organization. For instance, we updated our organizational bylaws to strengthen our governance - big thank you to long-time community member and attorney, Bob Seng, for volunteering his time to assist us. Below are some more highlights. We also invite you to read the annual Treasurer’s letter.
We bought a house!
Under the leadership of our long-time Treasurer, Rick Condon, a sub-committee of Board members and Finance Committee members spent time in 2024-2025 developing an Investments policy for Common Ground, to better protect the value of the community’s dana against inflation. As part of implementing that new policy, last fall we purchased the house immediately east of the city center and have chosen to rent it out at market rate. We see this both as an excellent form of long-term investment to protect the value of the community’s dana/generosity and a way to improve supervision and support for the city center property.
Retreat Center update & access
Common Ground’s Retreat Center is now being used most weekends of the year. In the last year there were 19 teacher-led retreats, most of them with waiting lists. In addition, there were 9 peer-led practice periods, 3 work retreats, and 3 community groups using the space when there weren’t programs scheduled. This summer Common Ground Retreat Center builder and project manager, Cory Clementson, worked with community members on a range of improvement projects and built a beautiful veranda roof over the west and south sides of the building. In the next 2-3 years we would like to complete a major renovation of the barn to add a bathroom and kitchenette in the southwest corner for use by the teachers, staff and volunteers staying in the existing caretaker apartment in the barn loft. We are continuing to nurture the several hundred native trees and bushes that were planted by volunteers two years ago. We have also been expanding the native prairie gardens around the south and east sides of the main building. We added 5 camping spots this summer to increase retreatant capacity and as resources become available the Board will consider other capital developments including housing for the Guiding Teachers and additional simple cabins.
New website
This year we launched a new website with a fresh look and new features. We hope the new layout is more intuitive and accessible, and improves the overall search and navigation experience for users. Further adjustments and improvements are being made based on community feedback. A big thank you to our project manager, Gabe Keller Flores, for his thoughtful and tireless efforts.
Intercultural leadership development
Over the past year, we have continued our organizational journey towards greater cultural safety and inclusion through the use of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), an assessment that measures both individual and collective capacity to navigate cultural differences effectively as mapped on the Intercultural Development Continuum (IDC). Over sixty leaders, including guiding teachers, dharma teachers, staff, volunteers, and community leaders completed the assessment and received individual debriefs, outlining their IDI profile results along with actionable steps for growth. As a Board we are discussing how to continue offering opportunities to support our collective capacity to engage differences more skillfully and foster deeper inclusion.
Programming
Gratefully, our programming this year has once again been robust. Common Ground is blessed with a strong and diverse group of teachers around Mark and Shelly who continue to have the time for sharing the teachings of the Buddha. As a collective teaching body, teachers bring their own ideas and interests as well as a shared aspiration to follow the needs of the community so that there is something for everyone on our calendar. Some highlights from this past year include wonderful guest teachers such as Deborah Helzer who paid tribute to Steve Armstrong, a dear friend of Common Ground and longtime teacher who passed away in December. Our anchor programs have been robustly attended which include our weekly practice groups and our half day and daylong retreats led by our Guiding Teachers. Our peer led community groups such as the BIPOC, Be Queer Now, Mindfulness and Depression and Young Adult groups seem to be thriving and continue to be rich places of connection for many.
Need for volunteers
Common Ground’s beginnings included a strong intention to offer programming freely in the spirit of generosity, which has persisted through the hearts of its leaders and community members in the 30+ years since then. The cycles of giving and receiving are very much alive at Common Ground as much today as ever. When we step through the door at the city center or when we turn down the driveway at the Retreat Center, we can be amazed at the myriad ways community members contribute to the well-being of the organization, our buildings, practice spaces and one another. Our collective participation matters. In terms of volunteering, if you have time or a skill you’d like to share there is a role for you, guaranteed. Please reach out.
Whether you participate in-person or on-line, we aspire to be a spiritual home where you feel welcome and safe, where the Buddha’s teachings are shared and expressed to support each practitioner’s capacity for resilience and cultivation of wisdom and compassionate action on the path of liberation. Thank you for your practice. May all beings be safe, free and happy.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Madhuri Kasat Shors, Chair