Open Community Practice and Dharma Talk, in-person at Florence Civic Center, 90 Park St, Florence, MA

Understanding the Whirlpools of This Heart

with Mark Nunberg

Thursday, May 5, 2022; 7:00-8:30pm

Suggested donation: $7-25*

Practice together in-person with other sangha members in a relaxed atmosphere (7:00) and enjoy a dharma talk (7:35) or listen/watch on Zoom (not interactive for virtual attendees).

IN-PERSON LOCATION: Florence Civic Center, 90 Park St, Florence, MA

See COVID protocols further below.

Chairs available; if you prefer to sit on zabuton/cushion, please bring your own.

Please bring your own covered water bottle.

Please note: giving dana on-line does not guarantee you a seat at the Florence Civic Center; first come first serve.

This will be a modified hybrid offering; those who attend via Zoom will be able to see and hear the teacher, but not comment or ask questions.

On May 5th, we are delighted to be holding our first in-person Dharma talk in over two years. We have rented a larger space that will allow for up to 40 people (first come, first serve at the Civic Center) to have 3' of social distance; the room holds 80 people, and we are limiting it to 50% capacity. 

The Buddha taught that we are all spinning due to our habits of greed, hatred, and delusion, long enough to have become wise and dispassionate about how we keep getting hooked into these stressful cycles. What is it that we are not seeing clearly enough that keeps this spin spinning? The Buddha’s teachings encourage us to stabilize present-moment awareness so that we can begin to see how impersonal and lawful all this inner and outer activity actually is. Understanding the river of experience in this way leads to a natural letting go and a releasing of attachment. 

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 Co-Guiding Teacher along with Shelly Graf. 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.

As you can see in the photos to the left, the Florence Civic Center has a wonderful wrap-around porch that will enable sangha members to visit with one another out-of-doors before/after (space is ours from 6pm-9pm). 

*If you have the means, please consider a donation tonight. We operate entirely on the sangha's acts of generosity. Your donation will help us meet the minimum payment for the teacher and provide some support to the ongoing operations of the sangha as well. Everyone is welcome at all of our events, regardless of ability to donate. Therefore, those who donate more are helping to make the center accessible to all.

A note about dana for Wednesday night Dharma talks: Our teachers receive 60% of the dana given for Wednesday night Dharma talks, as they traditionally have. That said, since the pandemic, dana given for Dharma talks has decreased. As a result, IWM now provides teachers with a minimum guaranteed amount. If you wish to give additional dana solely to the teacher for this Dharma talk, there will be an opportunity later in the process below.

You can give online or send checks to Insight Western Mass, 116 Pleasant Street, Suite 242, Easthampton, MA 01027. FYI: we check for mail once per week.

Zoom Link
Password: 242. 

Dial in by phone for audio only: Call (646) 558-8656. Meeting ID: 943 156 1684. Password: 242