Florida Community of Mindfulness

Siddhartha's Awakening (2016)

Tampa | February 28, 2016

In this talk, Fred shares and comments on an account of Siddhartha Gautama's Enlightenment from Thich Nhat Hanh's "Old Path White Clouds." Fred relates how, although Enlightenment is the goal Buddhism, we have to start where we are by understanding our conditioning through mindfulness and looking deeply. Then we can dissolve our emotional afflictions through a process of de-conditioning, and finally, we can consciously re-condition ourselves in the direction of awakening. He also shares how true love comes from understanding the conditioning of others. Through this process of understanding and working with conditioning, we all have the capacity to become Buddhas.

Sumpa Lotsawa's Ear-Whispered Mind Training (2015)

Tampa | December 19, 2015

Dharma Teacher Fred Eppsteiner commented on a text by Sumpa Lotsawa from the early 13th Century entitled, "The Ear-Whispered Mind Training" during a Day of Mindfulness. He relayed how if one abandons one's issues, rests one's mind on that which brings well-being, turns one's mind to thoughts of understanding and compassion, and understands the nature of one's own mind, then one can be free of suffering.

The Dharma as Medicine (2015)

Tampa | December 19, 2015

Dharma Teacher Fred Eppsteiner expounds on the traditional formulation of the student's relationship with the Dharma during a talk given to students at a Day of Mindfulness. He explains that the student should see themselves as ill, the Buddha as the doctor, and the teachings as the prescription. He makes it clear that as long as we do not take the medicine as prescribed, we will continue to be ill.

Lojong - First Two Points of Mind Training (2015) (4 of 4)

Tampa | October 2015

During this October 2015 retreat at the Franciscan Center in Tampa, Fred focused on the first eleven trainings and practices found in the text “The Seven Verses (or Points) of Mind Training.” These retreat teachings focus on the Preliminaries and Cultivating Absolute and Relative Bodhicitta, the Unconditioned Awakened Mind. These profound teachings are foundational and essential for our path of transformation.

Lojong - First Two Points of Mind Training (2015) (3 of 4)

Tampa | October 2015

During this October 2015 retreat at the Franciscan Center in Tampa, Fred focused on the first eleven trainings and practices found in the text “The Seven Verses (or Points) of Mind Training.” These retreat teachings focus on the Preliminaries and Cultivating Absolute and Relative Bodhicitta, the Unconditioned Awakened Mind. These profound teachings are foundational and essential for our path of transformation.

Lojong - First Two Points of Mind Training (2015) (2 of 4)

Tampa | October 2015

During this October 2015 retreat at the Franciscan Center in Tampa, Fred focused on the first eleven trainings and practices found in the text “The Seven Verses (or Points) of Mind Training.” These retreat teachings focus on the Preliminaries and Cultivating Absolute and Relative Bodhicitta, the Unconditioned Awakened Mind. These profound teachings are foundational and essential for our path of transformation.

Lojong - First Two Points of Mind Training (2015) (1 of 4)

Tampa | October 2015

During this October 2015 retreat at the Franciscan Center in Tampa, Fred focused on the first eleven trainings and practices found in the text “The Seven Verses (or Points) of Mind Training.” These retreat teachings focus on the Preliminaries and Cultivating Absolute and Relative Bodhicitta, the Unconditioned Awakened Mind. These profound teachings are foundational and essential for our path of transformation.

The Value of Retreat (2015)

Tampa | October 4, 2015

Fred talks about the importance of retreat in really stopping, looking deeply, and supporting true transformation.

Emotional Healing - Composting Fear Into Fearlessness (2015 Retreat) (5 of 5)

Five-day Retreat | September 2015

Buddhism teaches that to truly free the mind from fear, we can't simply deny or cover over its existence. Instead, we have to look deeply into the causes of our fears.

In this five day retreat, FCM Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner teaches that in order to overcome our delusions around life that create our fears, we need to practice mindfulness, calming, and insight to become intimate with these fears rather than trying to cast them out. By doing so, we discover a profound personal fearlessness within. We now have a capacity to live a courageous life.

Emotional Healing - Composting Fear Into Fearlessness (2015 Retreat) (4 of 5)

Five-day Retreat | September 2015

Buddhism teaches that to truly free the mind from fear, we can't simply deny or cover over its existence. Instead, we have to look deeply into the causes of our fears.

In this five day retreat, FCM Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner teaches that in order to overcome our delusions around life that create our fears, we need to practice mindfulness, calming, and insight to become intimate with these fears rather than trying to cast them out. By doing so, we discover a profound personal fearlessness within. We now have a capacity to live a courageous life.