Florida Community of Mindfulness

The Metta Song (2015)

Tampa | March 1, 2015

 

Composer and guitarist Tim Hamm leads the Florida Community of Mindfulness Sunday Sangha in his beautiful composition, The Metta Song.

Selfless Service (2015)

Tampa | March 1, 2015

 

In this talk to students of FCM, Fred teaches that true happiness is grounded in the practice of "selfless service," through the realization and actualization in our lives of serving others rather than our tendency to serve ourselves. Selfless service is more than volunteering, or "giving back," in that we realize that we inter-are with everything in this world. From that perspective we feel the pain of all others and want to remediate it because we realize that we are not separate from others or their suffering. Living from this view makes selfless service a joy rather than a chore.

The Path to Wholeness (Using Zen Master Shitou's Song of the Grass Roof Hut) (2015) (4 of 4)

Four-day Retreat | January 2015

Members of the Florida Community of Mindfulness retreated together in January 2015 with Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner to study and practice "The Path to Wholeness: Mindfulness, Deep Looking, Joyful Effort and a Unified Mind." Fred used "Song of the Grass Roof Hut," a profound poem by the 8th Chinese master Shitou (Sekito Kisen) as a foundation for the retreatants' source for study and practice during the retreat.

The Path to Wholeness (Using Zen Master Shitou's Song of the Grass Roof Hut) (2015) (3 of 4)

Four-day Retreat | January 2015

Members of the Florida Community of Mindfulness retreated together in January 2015 with Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner to study and practice "The Path to Wholeness: Mindfulness, Deep Looking, Joyful Effort and a Unified Mind." Fred used "Song of the Grass Roof Hut," a profound poem by the 8th Chinese master Shitou (Sekito Kisen) as a foundation for the retreatants' source for study and practice during the retreat.

The Path to Wholeness (Using Zen Master Shitou's Song of the Grass Roof Hut) (2015) (2 of 4)

Four-day Retreat | January 2015

Members of the Florida Community of Mindfulness retreated together in January 2015 with Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner to study and practice "The Path to Wholeness: Mindfulness, Deep Looking, Joyful Effort and a Unified Mind." Fred used "Song of the Grass Roof Hut," a profound poem by the 8th Chinese master Shitou (Sekito Kisen) as a foundation for the retreatants' source for study and practice during the retreat.

The Path to Wholeness (Using Zen Master Shitou's Song of the Grass Roof Hut) (2015) (1 of 4)

Four-day Retreat | January 2015

Members of the Florida Community of Mindfulness retreated together in January 2015 with Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner to study and practice "The Path to Wholeness: Mindfulness, Deep Looking, Joyful Effort and a Unified Mind." Fred used "Song of the Grass Roof Hut," a profound poem by the 8th Chinese master Shitou (Sekito Kisen) as a foundation for the retreatants' source for study and practice during the retreat.

The Dharma of Scrooge (2014)

Tampa | December 21, 2014

 

 

Dickens' wonderful tale, "A Christmas Carol," is a very human story that we can all relate to. Whether one is studying and practicing on a spiritual path or not, this story reminds us that in the end, life is really about human kindness and how we relate to one another. While Scrooge is an extreme character, a man totally lost in the world of himself, we all have seeds of Scrooge in us. To see this and leave the unhappy world of self for the joyous experience of practicing generosity with others is to truly awaken.

Core Values of FCM (2014)

Tampa | December 7, 2014

 

The Florida Community of Mindfulness has a very clear vision and mission that it seeks to realize. It also has eight essential principles, or "core values," that underlie, motivate, shape and guide the community. In this talk to students of FCM, Fred more deeply describes the core values of Awakening and Community. He also shares the community's gratitude to one of our Bodhisattva brothers, Sam Warlick.

The Practice of Gratitude (2014)

Tampa | November 30, 2014

In this talk to students of FCM, Fred teaches that gratitude is a view of life that results in a feeling of openness, warmth, ease, fulfillment and wellbeing. We can learn to generate this view by reflecting on the innumerable acts of kindness that have been given to us in this lifetime, from the gift of life given by our parents and ancestors, to the many who have provided shelter, food, healthcare, friendship and many other types of love and support in our lives. The opposite is to live with a view of ingratitude, or dissatisfaction with life, a view that results in a feeling of aloneness, separation, and constriction. This opposite view is very focused on "self," whereas a deepening practice of gratitude helps us dissolve this sense of separation and realize our interconnection with all of life.

Taking Your Practice to Work (2014)

Tampa | November 9, 2014

Many people have recently asked Fred questions about difficulties they experience in practicing mindfulness in what is often considered to be a stressful environment - the workplace. In response, Fred spoke to FCM students about "Taking Your Practice to Work: Mindfulness, Understanding and Compassion in the Workplace."