Florida Community of Mindfulness

The Challenge of Practicing the Dharma in a Pleasure-oriented, Self-promoting and Digitalized World

Why the Buddha’s Birth 2600 Years Ago Matters Today

Teacher, Fred Eppsteiner, recounts the story of Siddhartha's remarkable birth and extraordinary transformation in choosing the path of renunciation to become the Buddha, taking life in a human body, from living the life of a royal protected from sickness, old age and death. When he encountered the suffering and impermanence experienced by a renunciate who remained peaceful, there was a crisis in his life precipitating the beginning of his search for that same peace and the attainment of Enlightenment. Fifty years of teaching followed as he became the Great Enlightened One teaching the Oneness of Everyone and Everything: "Above the heavens and below the heavens, I alone am the only One." The lineage of unbroken transmission of those teachings continues through 2600 years to the present.

Altruism and A Mother’s Love

This Mother's Day talk begins with a consideration of the question, " What do I need right now for my mind to be at peace?" Teacher, Fred Eppsteiner, encourages us to ground ourselves in the present and give up needlessly ruminating on our issues, dramas - the sources of suffering - recognizing the admonition of Thich Nhat Hahn that "at this moment we have all the conditions we need to be peaceful." From this peaceful place it is possible to step out of the Drama of Self and step into the Bodhisattva Way of the "Loving Altruistic Heart," which mimics the Heart of a Mother filled with love, compassion, wisdom, and generosity.

The Art of Suffering: Composting Afflictive Mind States

"The Art of Suffering," is a teaching of Thich Nhat Hahn and introduced here by Fred Eppsteiner. The source of suffering is identified and a model is provided for transforming suffering. Clearly, our pattern of endlessly focusing on the drama of the unsatisfactoriness of life not giving us what we want is a source of suffering as is the futility in the world of I, ME, Mine of holding on to transient pleasures which slip away.

Directed to the model for transformation -" the Art of Suffering"- we begin with the necessity to open and acknowledge the cause of suffering is within. Noting the 1st Arrow of life's pain with mindful awareness is the First Step in the transformative process, while the capacity to be present with suffering without the emotionality and reactivity of the 2nd Arrow is Step 2.

Compassionate Action is Not Easy: Wise versus Idiot Compassion

The Path of Practice 2023

The transformative path of practice must include three fundamental elements identified here by the teacher, Fred Eppsteiner. Mindfulness, being present Now, is the first, and this mindfulness must have established criteria including integrity, kindness, compassion, understanding, and intention. The second element is the concentrated mind: concentration which unifies the energies of the mind. Insight is the third and final element that goes beyond intellectual understanding to deep looking, acknowledging the power of the ego and how one relates to one's own suffering. A transformational mindfulness practice incorporating these three elements can produce real change which is wholesome and leads to a happier way of being. Our Life becomes our Practice.

Beginning Anew New Years Celebration (2023)

In the Buddhist tradition, the passing of an old year and the beginning of a new one is celebrated in a sacred manner.

FCM's annual New Year ceremony, Beginning Anew, on Sunday, January 1 from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm, will guide practitioners through a review of the past year and then allow time to write down and let go of the past (including regrets) in a symbolic way. Aspirations and intentions for the new year will then be envisioned, written down, and strengthened by the ceremonial process.

The Dharma of Scrooge (2022)

In this Dharma talk, Fred Eppsteiner relates the story of the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge from Dickens', "A Christmas Carol." Through this story, Fred explains how we can all transform the suffering we experience from living a life devoted to self into a happy, meaningful life filled with love and compassion for others.

Core Values of the Florida Community of Mindfulness (2022)

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, teacher Fred Eppsteiner more deeply describes the core values of Awakening and Community.

From What Is the World Suffering?

Teacher, Fred Eppsteiner, continues this exploration with teachings from the workshop "Responding to the Suffering of the World." Many ask, What can I – one person – do? We don’t know where to put meaningful efforts or how to begin. It is easy to fall into patterns of despair, sadness or anger. For 2600 years, Buddhist practitioners have looked deeply into causation of human and societal suffering and have brought forth many wise answers that have the capacity to alleviate both personal suffering and suffering in the world. In these teachings we will discover how the Buddhist tradition may show us a clear path to the most beneficial way to respond to the suffering of the world.