Florida Community of Mindfulness

Why is it that sincere people who practice a spiritual path continue to struggle year after year with long-standing negative emotional reactions? Although longing to be happy, to enjoy ease and well-being, why – in spite of our best efforts – do we continue to be driven by strong habit energies that lead to unhealthy choices, self-sabotaging behaviors, and emotional afflictions?

In this Talk Series from a three-day silent retreat with students in Tampa, Florida, Fred teaches that before healthy personal transformation can occur, we need to look deeply into the nature of the unconscious historical habit energies that drive our experiences in dysfunctional ways. True healing means becoming intimate with that illusive part of us that believes itself to be isolated and vulnerable, that fights against the way things are, and that runs away from pain by grasping for security and momentary pleasures, but in the end is never satisfied.

Why is it that sincere people who practice a spiritual path continue to struggle year after year with long-standing negative emotional reactions? Although longing to be happy, to enjoy ease and well-being, why – in spite of our best efforts – do we continue to be driven by strong habit energies that lead to unhealthy choices, self-sabotaging behaviors, and emotional afflictions?

In this Talk Series from a three-day silent retreat with students in Tampa, Florida, Fred teaches that before healthy personal transformation can occur, we need to look deeply into the nature of the unconscious historical habit energies that drive our experiences in dysfunctional ways. True healing means becoming intimate with that illusive part of us that believes itself to be isolated and vulnerable, that fights against the way things are, and that runs away from pain by grasping for security and momentary pleasures, but in the end is never satisfied.

Why is it that sincere people who practice a spiritual path continue to struggle year after year with long-standing negative emotional reactions? Although longing to be happy, to enjoy ease and well-being, why – in spite of our best efforts – do we continue to be driven by strong habit energies that lead to unhealthy choices, self-sabotaging behaviors, and emotional afflictions?

In this Talk Series from a three-day silent retreat with students in Tampa, Florida, Fred teaches that before healthy personal transformation can occur, we need to look deeply into the nature of the unconscious historical habit energies that drive our experiences in dysfunctional ways. True healing means becoming intimate with that illusive part of us that believes itself to be isolated and vulnerable, that fights against the way things are, and that runs away from pain by grasping for security and momentary pleasures, but in the end is never satisfied.

Fred continues the six-month Path of Awakening Series on letting go of self-centered living and living a path of selflessness. This week's topic explores the meaning of "Grow Up, Get Real, Connect with Life" in terms of spiritual development.

Over 60 attendees gathered at the Tampa Practice Center on February 24th, 2013 to hear Fred speak about building a spiritual community and the true meaning of sangha. Inspired by this weekend's Order of Interbeing retreat at the Center, Fred discussed how involvement in a spiritual community facilitates and supports our transformation from a sense of separateness to an authentic connection with ourselves, our families, our larger communities and the world.

For students of Dharma, the issues of ‘self and ego’ and ‘non-self and non-ego’ are central to our spiritual quest and awakening. At the core of all our emotional dramas and melodramas is our self, the tyrant of our experience that wants to turn all our interactions into a story about “me”. It is this fundamental ignorance of the way things really are (Reality) that prevents us from experiencing our fundamental oneness and connection with everything and everyone.

The Buddha stated that this belief in the permanent and solid nature of oneself is the major cause of our ensnarement in the world of self-created dissatisfaction, confusion and emotional afflictions. The intellectual and, most importantly, experiential resolution of this seeming paradox – i.e. what appears to be solid and real is not – has major implications for the personal well-being or ill-being that we experience daily.

During this four days of this retreat, through targeted teachings and meditations, participants were given the tools and opportunity to look deeply into the very core structure of self/ego to view its essential unreality and phantom-like existence. With a deep and thorough understanding of self or ego and how the “I, me, mine” paradigm distorts our experience to create delusion and afflictive emotions, liberation from suffering can be realized. Then, the possibility of selfless living naturally manifests.

For students of Dharma, the issues of ‘self and ego’ and ‘non-self and non-ego’ are central to our spiritual quest and awakening. At the core of all our emotional dramas and melodramas is our self, the tyrant of our experience that wants to turn all our interactions into a story about “me”. It is this fundamental ignorance of the way things really are (Reality) that prevents us from experiencing our fundamental oneness and connection with everything and everyone.

The Buddha stated that this belief in the permanent and solid nature of oneself is the major cause of our ensnarement in the world of self-created dissatisfaction, confusion and emotional afflictions. The intellectual and, most importantly, experiential resolution of this seeming paradox – i.e. what appears to be solid and real is not – has major implications for the personal well-being or ill-being that we experience daily.

During this four days of this retreat, through targeted teachings and meditations, participants were given the tools and opportunity to look deeply into the very core structure of self/ego to view its essential unreality and phantom-like existence. With a deep and thorough understanding of self or ego and how the “I, me, mine” paradigm distorts our experience to create delusion and afflictive emotions, liberation from suffering can be realized. Then, the possibility of selfless living naturally manifests.

For students of Dharma, the issues of ‘self and ego’ and ‘non-self and non-ego’ are central to our spiritual quest and awakening. At the core of all our emotional dramas and melodramas is our self, the tyrant of our experience that wants to turn all our interactions into a story about “me”. It is this fundamental ignorance of the way things really are (Reality) that prevents us from experiencing our fundamental oneness and connection with everything and everyone.

The Buddha stated that this belief in the permanent and solid nature of oneself is the major cause of our ensnarement in the world of self-created dissatisfaction, confusion and emotional afflictions. The intellectual and, most importantly, experiential resolution of this seeming paradox – i.e. what appears to be solid and real is not – has major implications for the personal well-being or ill-being that we experience daily.

During this four days of this retreat, through targeted teachings and meditations, participants were given the tools and opportunity to look deeply into the very core structure of self/ego to view its essential unreality and phantom-like existence. With a deep and thorough understanding of self or ego and how the “I, me, mine” paradigm distorts our experience to create delusion and afflictive emotions, liberation from suffering can be realized. Then, the possibility of selfless living naturally manifests.

For students of Dharma, the issues of ‘self and ego’ and ‘non-self and non-ego’ are central to our spiritual quest and awakening. At the core of all our emotional dramas and melodramas is our self, the tyrant of our experience that wants to turn all our interactions into a story about “me”. It is this fundamental ignorance of the way things really are (Reality) that prevents us from experiencing our fundamental oneness and connection with everything and everyone.

The Buddha stated that this belief in the permanent and solid nature of oneself is the major cause of our ensnarement in the world of self-created dissatisfaction, confusion and emotional afflictions. The intellectual and, most importantly, experiential resolution of this seeming paradox – i.e. what appears to be solid and real is not – has major implications for the personal well-being or ill-being that we experience daily.

During this four days of this retreat, through targeted teachings and meditations, participants were given the tools and opportunity to look deeply into the very core structure of self/ego to view its essential unreality and phantom-like existence. With a deep and thorough understanding of self or ego and how the “I, me, mine” paradigm distorts our experience to create delusion and afflictive emotions, liberation from suffering can be realized. Then, the possibility of selfless living naturally manifests.