Florida Community of Mindfulness

No Time Off - All Sensory Consumption Leaves Mind Impressions (2018)

September 9, 2018

In this talk, Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner explains the importance of paying attention to what we are consuming with our bodies and our minds. He highlighted the importance of paying attention to the experiences we are having with our 5 senses, since it is with these senses that we enter and connect with the world. He explained that when one of our senses makes contact with the world, whether the experience in pleasurable, neutral, or un-pleasurable, it always leaves an impression in our mind.

Because of this, we need to pay extra attention to what we are consuming throughout the day, and especially with our digital media. Although each sensory experience may last a short time, the effects of what we consume with our senses are long-term and condition the very quality of our minds. Knowing this, we should take extra care to bring mindfulness and discernment to what we choose to consume with our senses in every moment.

Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment (2018)

August 4, 2017 

In this talk, Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner comments on the 7th Mindfulness Training of the Order of Interbeing entitled "Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment."  Fred explains that although we get caught up in all sorts of thoughts about the past, and the future, the unfolding of our lives only ever happens in the present moment.  Because of this, it is essential that we cultivate mindfulness to learn to be present to life in reality.  Fred goes on to explain that bare mindfulness is not enough.  If we want to develop a healthy mind and facilitate the healing and transformation of our consciousness, then it is essential that we also learn to identify and place our mindfulness on the elements around us and within us that facilitate joy, peace, and wellbeing. 

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.