Florida Community of Mindfulness

Gampopa's Eleven Pieces of Important Advice Not to Be Rejected (2018)

July 22, 2018 

In this talk, Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner comments on Gampopa's teaching entitled "Eleven Pieces of Important Advice Not to be Rejected."  Fred explains that this teaching is counterintuitive as it advises us to accept, rather than reject, many of the very things that we are looking to escape from when we undertake a spiritual path.  Gampopa invites us to be open to and to not reject our thoughts, disturbing emotions, unwanted situations, or even our enemies. Fred explains that our ability to openly embrace these experiences which we might normally push away comes about through understanding the nature of these experiences and cultivating an open spacious mind. 

Practice at a Wisdom Retreat - Shabkar's Flight of the Garuda (2018)

July 8, 2018

In this talk, Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner encourages us to turn our attention away from what is going on "out there," and instead look inward to see what is going on within our own minds. He explains how retreat is beneficial for developing clarity, wisdom and refining our patterns of thought as it gives us the time to do the work of looking inward without so many external distractions. He shared sections from Lama Mipham’s “Wheel of Analysis and Meditation that Thoroughly Purifies Mental Activity," showing how investigation of what is arising in within our minds can help us free ourselves from attachment. He also commented on lines from "The Flight of the Garuda," by Shabkar that point out the intrinsic purity of all our minds. He explained that the teachings of awakening to this intrinsic purity are the core of the Buddhist path which go back to Shakyamuni Buddha’s great enlightenment.

Acknowledging and Transforming Boredom with Mindfulness (2018)

March-December 2018 

In this talk, Dharma Teacher Fred Eppsteiner explains the importance of acknowledging and addressing the subtle suffering of boredom. He explains that many of us do not even realize that we suffer with boredom because mental stimulation is so readily available through digital and other media that we never have to stop and just be with ourselves. However, Fred suggests that stopping and allowing ourselves to feel this boredom is essential if we truly want to live a mindful life of intention. He explains that although we do not always realize it, much of our life is driven by an attempt to avoid discomfort. However, if we learn to stop and look deeply into this discomfort, we will see that there is richness underneath. If we do not stop and allow ourselves to be present to what it feels like to be bored, we will continue to live an unconscious life driven by avoidance and never taste the true well-being that comes from simply being alive.

 

 

Discourse on the Four Kinds of Nutriments - Consciousness (2018) (5 of 5)

March-December 2018 

In this talk, Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner continues his discussion of the Buddha's teachings on the four kinds of nutriments that affect the well-being of both our bodies and our minds with an introduction to the nutriment of consciousness. He explained that the suffering or the well-being we find in our minds has a direct relation to what we are doing with our minds throughout the day. Until we begin to become aware of what is going on within our own minds, we will continue to unconsciously sow the seeds of many afflictive emotions by what we think about, ruminate on, and the mind-states we give play to. Once we turn the light of mindfulness on toward our thoughts and our mind-states, it becomes clear which are producing well-being, and which are producing suffering. Once we are aware, then we have a choice whether to continue or to tread a new path. In addition to stopping the cultivation of negative mind-states in this way, Fred explains that it is key to also consciously bring-up and cultivate the positive. In this way, overtime, we can transform the landscape of our minds.

 

 

Discourse on the Four Kinds of Nutriments - Volition (2018) (4 of 5)

March-December 2018 

In this talk, Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner continues his discussion of the Buddha's teachings on the four kinds of nutriments that affect the well-being of our bodies and our minds with an introduction to the nutriment of volition. He explained that if we want to free our minds of suffering, we have to attend to the underlying motivations and aspirations that are directing our activities of body, speech, and mind in this life. Whether conscious or unconscious, whatever we are moving toward is conditioning our mind. We have to look deeply in order to clearly see what is truly motivating our actions, words, and thoughts throughout our life. We can then ask ourselves whether this is nurturing a healthy, happy mind, or a mind of suffering. Fred also encourages us to more consciously cultivate and live by aspirations that move us toward well-being.

Discourse on the Four Kinds of Nutriments - Sense Impressions (2018) (2 of 5)

March-December 2018 

In this talk, Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner discusses the nutriment of sense impressions. The Buddha taught that as human beings, we consume four basic types of nutriments: Edible Foods, Sense Impressions, Volition and Consciousness. What we choose to consume in each of these areas greatly affects the wellbeing of our bodies and our minds. This talk is on the second of these four nutriments, and further talks will elaborate on the other three nutriments. Fred explains that just as what we put into our bodies affects its well-being, so to do the sensory experiences we take into our minds affect its well-being. He encourages us all to cultivate a mindfulness that helps us to discern between sensory experiences that support a wholesome, healthy mind, and those which nurture unwholesome mind-states. He also emphasizes the importance of this training in the context of our modern world where we have the capacity to have sensory experiences all day long through our digital devices.

Discourse on the Four Kinds of Nutriments - Edible Foods (2018) (1 of 5)

March-December 2018 

In this talk, Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner discusses the nutriment of Edible Foods. The Buddha taught that as human beings, we consume four basic types of nutriments: Edible Foods, Sense Perceptions, Volition and Consciousness. What we choose to consume in each of these areas greatly affects the wellbeing of our bodies and our minds. This talk is on the first of these four nutriments, and further talks will elaborate on the other three nutriments. Fred explains that as human beings, we must eat in order to survive; we must take in edible foods in order to sustain and nurture our bodies. This day and age there are many options of what we can eat, but as Buddhist practitioners we are compelled to look deeply into what we are eating and why we are eating. We want to look into the suffering that may arise in our bodies from what we eat, as well as the suffering that may be inflicted on the planet, to animals, and to others in the production of the food we choose to consume. We want to also look into whether we are eating to sustain and nurture our bodies or if we are eating to satisfy our desire for pleasurable foods or perhaps to meet a deep psychological need? Looking deeply in this way, we can see the connection between what and how we consume edible food and the suffering or wellbeing of our body and our mind.

Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (2018, Part 2 of 2)

Series | 2017 - 2018

In these talks, Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner comments on several verses from Togme Zangpo's text: The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva. These teachings show us how to develop the awakened mind so that we can devote our lives to being of service to all beings.

 

Easily Cleaning the Lens of Distortion - Mipham's Wheel of Analysis and Meditation (2018)

April 1, 2018 

In this talk, Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner explains that one of the common myths of Buddhism is that meditation alone will relieve us of our suffering. In fact, meditation is just one facet of the path set forth by the Buddha, and it is used not simply to calm our emotions, but to look deeply within ourselves to discover what is causing us to suffer. Another aspect of the Buddhist path is cultivating what is called Right View. When we cultivate Right View, we are retraining our minds to see life as it really is, rather than through incorrect thinking which is the cause of much of our emotional afflictions. Having Right View means we understand deeply that everything is impermanent and everything is made up of parts; that everything is the way it is because of countless causes and conditions. Deeply realizing these basic teachings of Buddhism are key to having emotional wellbeing and are really a prerequisite to developing oneself in meditation.

Stepping Out From the Confines of Our Conditioning (2018)

March 25, 2018 

In answers to questions from the audience, Dharma teacher Fred explains that our typical way of relating to life and to our minds is driven by our conditioning rather than with wisdom, clarity, or intentionality.  He shares how, by applying the teachings of Buddhism in our lives, we can see more clearly and relate to what is going on in life in an intelligent way, thus causing much less suffering for ourselves and others.