Founded on Friendly Ground
Charlie and Jared met online to discuss Vajrayana practice in 2019. Evolving Ground (eG) grew from their discussions and friendship.
They encourage a light-hearted, informal atmosphere, but never at the expense of dedicated practice and personal growth. They’re committed to maintaining a happy, healthy, and honest community of practice. They believe to do this skillfully requires competence, transparency, and adaptivity, not a reified hierarchy based on spiritual roles.
Between them, Charlie and Jared have extensive experience in leadership, organizational development, financial and operational oversight, project management, software development, and community building. The adaptive structure of eG is the result of their past experiences in institutions of all forms — business, non-profit, spiritual, and recreational — and their collaboration with the growing community.
Charlie Awbery
Hello, and welcome!
I’ve been meditating since 1990 and trained for 20 years in traditional Vajrayana. I became ordained in 2002 and subsequently mentored students in meditation and Vajrayana practices. I love to make the tradition available in a straightforward way, working from the principle and function of methods without reliance on specific cultural forms. In 2018 I stepped away from the traditional context to explore multiple approaches experientially and through conversation with peers.
I have both a strategic and a practical role in Evolving Ground. As a program director and entrepreneur, I focus on our long-term development, organizational culture, and communications. I am working closely with apprentices to develop systems and structures, such as online courses, ongoing practice groups, and supportive methods. I teach in the community, facilitate practice labs, and give guidance and support in personal practice consultation.
Charlie writes as Rin’dzin Pamo at Vajrayananow.com
Jared Janes
Hey there,
I’ve been meditating for close to a decade, have explored multiple western spiritual systems (mostly Buddhist), but always felt something was missing. After meeting Charlie, I realized it was the life-affirming nature found in Vajrayana. Moving to this non-renunciative path felt like coming home. I love putting my eclectic interests, background & passions towards Evolving Ground — technology, design, entrepreneurship, philosophy, leadership, and many others.
As a teacher & facilitator, I host group sessions, coach individuals, and collaborate on the creation of community resources. As a manager & designer, I focus on eG operations, platform administration, and user experience & design.
More about Jared at JaredJanes.com
