Florida Community of Mindfulness

Buddhist Wisdom for a Broken Heart (Fred Eppsteiner, 10-12-25)

In his talk to the Sangha this past Sunday, Fred began by describing a recent morning walk along Tampa Bay’s Riverwalk, observing the outward happiness and vitality of people around him, young and old. Walking past a grassy area filled with people doing yoga with loud music playing, he suddenly heard a singer introduce a song saying, “This song is for all of you who have broken hearts.” Observing the juxtaposition of outward appearance at that moment with the song’s message reminded him that all beings experience states of ill-being, i.e. a broken heart, intermixed with well-being throughout their lives. In fact, the Buddha’s awakening began with recognizing the hidden suffering beneath life’s surface pleasures in his own life, which led to his embarking on his quest to discover the cause of human suffering and how it could be abated and come to cessation.

In his Sunday talk, Fred touched on a number of fundamental Buddhist teachings, including - 
· Recognition that beneath appearances, everyone experiences suffering and sates of dissatisfaction throughout their lives.
· How the “eight worldly winds” – pleasure, pain, success, failure, gain, loss, praise, and blame – are continually  shaping human experience.
· The power of mindfulness and self-awareness to pause habitual mental patterns and choose new responses to life’s challenges.
· How emotional afflictions (kleshas) act as coverings that block clarity and true self-awareness when they are active in the midstream.
· The metaphor of “wearing shoes” on our individual feet to adapt to life’s thorns rather than trying to rid the world of all its thorns.

Fred reminded the audience that the mind is the source of both happiness and suffering, and that coming home to one’s body, breath and awareness – establishing an inner sanctuary – allows us to disengage from the endless dramas of life and reclaim clarity and calmness, the necessary foundations for a happy, wise and compassionate life.

A Big Picture View of "No Kings" and the 10 Duties of a Righteous Ruler (Oct 19th 2025)

The Buddha was often consulted by the kings of the principalities of India in his day, leading him to develop 10 guidelines for good leadership and creating a healthy society, our teacher Fred said in a recent Dharma talk. While the current news is about the "No Kings" movement in the U.S., the issue is bigger than political views and relates to all levels of political or other types of leadership, he said. 

Buddhism is about the big picture. Inner transformation of society is ultimately the answer. Society is an interactive process. All human beings have a mix of wholesome and unwholesome qualities in their minds, and what  manifests depends on the responsibility we assume for developing wholesome qualities. We can blame leaders for their failures without noticing we have any of the same qualities in us. 

Leaders set examples in the way they conduct themselves and treat others. The quality of leadership affects how we are as a people, and the quality of society affects the heath of our leaders. 

It comes from both sides. A leader who is moral will affect the population. If a leader nurtures the unwholesome, the unwholesome will grow in society.

We may not be able to change our leaders, but we can change ourselves. That’s our responsibility. It is harder for an unhealthy ruler to lead if the culture of the country is living according to these 10 values. 

The values the Buddha recommended for a ruler or leader are: generosity (willingness to give away wealth and resources for the benefit of others), moral, ethical character, self sacrifice for the benefit of others, honesty and integrity, gentleness and caring about the wellbeing of others, self control and austerity, shunning luxury, lack of anger and resentment, nonviolence, freedom from envy or grudges, and willingness to rule according to the will of the people.

An Open Dharma Q&A Session with Guo Gu and Fred (9-28-25)

Following a three-day retreat led by Guo Gu at the Florida Community of Mindfulness, Guo Gu and Fred Eppsteiner answer a variety of questions from the audience, some highlights of which included the following advice:
• The foundation of meditation practice is to relax the body, cultivate contentment, and develop focused curiosity on the breath.
• Habit energy causes the mind to replay past scenarios; transforming this requires shifting feeling tone and compassionate visualization.
• Finding common ground in times of division requires being grounded oneself, cultivating right view, and responding with wisdom and compassion.
• Success and failure are uncontrollable outcomes; focus on controlling effort and understanding causes and conditions.
• Meditation should be enjoyable and tailored to one’s psychophysiological type, ideally with teacher guidance.
• Managing strong emotions like anger and fear requires building mindfulness strength gradually, recognizing early signs, and physical grounding.
• Spiritual practice deepens during unstable times as people seek stable ground beyond societal distractions and consumer culture.

Teachings from the Life of Milarepa: Part 2 of 2

Milarepa is one of the most renowned practitioners in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and most beloved by lay people. The story line of his life encompasses his difficult childhood, his vengeance seeking adolescence and young adulthood, his turning away from the “black arts” with repentance for his past deeds, his embrace of the Dharma Path, his conflicted and difficult relationship with his Dharma teacher, and his sincere and committed meditation practice that ultimately flowers with enlightenment. Overall a life that demonstrates that no matter what the “baggage,” healing and transformation is available to everyone.

Most of Milarepa's teachings were preserved in the form of poems that he spontaneously sang to those who came to him for teachings. These Dharma song poems are true jewels of the Buddhist tradition. Fred shares and comments on some of his favorites in these two Pop-up Teachings at the Florida Community of Mindfulness.

Teachings from the Life of Milarepa: Part 1 of 2

Milarepa is one of the most renowned practitioners in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and most beloved by lay people. The story line of his life encompasses his difficult childhood, his vengeance seeking adolescence and young adulthood, his turning away from the “black arts” with repentance for his past deeds, his embrace of the Dharma Path, his conflicted and difficult relationship with his Dharma teacher, and his sincere and committed meditation practice that ultimately flowers with enlightenment. Overall a life that demonstrates that no matter what the “baggage,” healing and transformation is available to everyone.

Most of Milarepa's teachings were preserved in the form of poems that he spontaneously sang to those who came to him for teachings. These Dharma song poems are true jewels of the Buddhist tradition. Fred shares and comments on some of his favorites in these two Pop-up Teachings at the Florida Community of Mindfulness.

Host and Guest (July 27, 2025)

In this teaching to students at the Florida Community of Mindfulness, Fred presents a profound Buddhist teaching, focusing on two central ideas: the metaphor of the "host and guest" and the concept of "gladdening the mind." The teaching of host and guest, drawn from Chan Buddhism and illuminated by the insights of the Chinese master Shu Yun (Empty Cloud), explains that our true self is like a host—stable, present, and unchanging—while our thoughts, emotions, and experiences are like guests—transient, illusory, and constantly coming and going. The host remains unaffected by the guests, embodying the true nature of awareness or consciousness, while the guests represent illusory thoughts and feelings that arise and pass away. Recognizing this distinction is foundational for spiritual practice and mental well-being because it helps reduce suffering caused by over-identification with fleeting mental phenomena.

Q&A With Fred (7-14-25)

In this lively Q&A session with students at the Florida Community of Mindfulness, Fred addresses questions relating to common challenges in meditation, understanding attachment, working skillfully with thoughts, how to relate to identity in one's profession, dealing with trauma and its lingering effects, and the difference between reflection and meditation.

Dharma Q&A with Fred (June 15th, 2025)

Fred offered a rich array of Dharma teachings through his answers to students’ questions at Sunday Sangha, including:  What does taking refuge really mean? What does “form is emptiness, emptiness is form” mean? What is the number one way one can honor or be true to oneself in terms of the Buddha? How does one “let go,” whether in relationships or other situations? Can you touch on the political shootings in the Twin Cities? What role does “proactivity” play in our practice?

The Four Nutriments - Nourishing the Mind (6-1-25)

In this second of two talks on the Buddha's teachings on the Four Nutriments, Angie gives an introduction to the nutriments for the mind: Sensory impressions, volition and consciousness. Our aspiration for the type of mind we wish to cultivate is paramount in making choices for a diet that will support our true happiness and wellbeing.

The Four Nutriments - Edible Food (5-25-25)

In this first of two talks introducing the Buddha's teachings on the Four Nutriments, Angie introduces the first nutriment, edible foods. She reflects on her personal journey toward a healthier relationship with her body and food, emphasizing how unconscious eating habits often stem from emotional needs or past trauma. Through mindfulness practices, she shares how shifting perspectives can lead to healthier choices that nourish both body and mind. 

Highlights
• Mindful Consumption: It is important to be conscious of WHAT and WHY we consume—not just food, but also thoughts, emotions, and media—since they all impact our well-being.
• Emotional Eating: Many people use food to numb emotional pain or fill a void left by loneliness, stress, or past trauma.
• Body Relationship Shift: It can be very helpful to reflect deeply on how we view our body if we are to make a shift to seeing it as a sacred vessel deserving of love and care.
• Guided Reflection: A meditation invites participants to reflect on their relationship with their bodies—whether seen as an object of pleasure, tied to ego, neglected, or honored as a vehicle for purpose.
• Community Sharing: Attendees shared insights about viewing the body-mind connection as inseparable, embracing balance over restriction, and navigating wellness in a world full of conflicting health advice.
• Mindful Eating Practices: Mindful eating practices were shared, such as those offered by Roshi Jan Chozen Bays in her book "Mindful Eating" (e.g. “What kind of hunger am I feeding?” (e.g., eye hunger, stomach hunger, heart hunger), gratitude eating practices, and more).