The Buddhist path teaches that true happiness is possible through transforming our mind and its mind states.  Habituation to the mind states of impatience/irritation and dissatisfaction/non-acceptance only furthers our unhappiness with life and separation from others.  The critical mind and the dissatisfied mind are always looking for external experiences to reinforce it’s basic unwillingness to stop fixating on unwholesome mental events.

Essential for our transformation is the development of patience and acceptance, one of the six great paramitas, or perfections, of Buddhist practice. Patience is unrivaled as the antidote for neutralizing and preventing us from succumbing to aversive mind states such as anger and all of anger’s related afflictions, including frustration, irritation, disappointment, confusion, and more. Without developing patience and acceptance, these negative afflictions will continue to be large obstacles to our happiness and transformation. With the cultivation of patience, the seeds of love, understanding, and joy have the possibility to flower.

In this three-day retreat, we will study and practice the Buddhist teachings on cultivating the paramita of patience. Dharma talks, guided meditations, experiential exercises and group dialogues will help participants nourish the aspiration to cultivate patience, clearly see and understand the roots of and suffering caused by aversive mind states, and cultivate “right view” and discipline to support the development of patience and acceptance in their lives.

This retreat will be led by senior members of the Florida Community of Mindfulness. Fred will attend the retreat daily to give the Dharma Talk and to facilitate a question-and-answer session for participants related to the teachings and meditative practices being offered. As usual, this will be a silent retreat. The silence affords us the opportunity to deepen our meditative experience while absorbing the experiential meaning of the teachings and practices presented.

The retreat is being held in Tampa, Florida at The Franciscan Center, located on the Hillsborough River. The registration fee covers both room and board (three vegetarian meals daily), as well as any administrative and incidental expenses connected to the retreat. The teachings are offered in the Buddhist tradition of Dana, wherein the teacher freely gives of him or herself to the students out of gratitude for what they’ve received from their teachers and a desire to be of service. The student’s response is also based on Dana, i.e. generosity that naturally flows from a sense of appreciation of the value of Dharma and gratitude to the living lineage.

The retreat begins with dinner on Thursday, April 6th, and ends after lunch on Sunday, April 9th.  We ask that all retreatants attend the entire time of the retreat; if you cannot arrive by 6 pm on Thursday, April 6^st and stay until lunch on Sunday, April 9^th, please do not register. No late arrivals or early departures are permitted, as they significantly interfere with the process of retreat for everyone.

The Franciscan Center has both single and double occupancy accommodations. If you are seeking double occupancy and have someone you wish to room with, please indicate their name when you register. Otherwise, you will be placed in a room with another participant who has requested double occupancy as well. The registration fee for single occupancy is $350 and the fee for double-occupancy is $295. Full payment is due by March 22nd in order to hold your place in the retreat. A limited number of Retreat Scholarships may be available. Please click here to see FCM's Retreat Scholarship Policy and for an Application, which must be submitted prior to the registration deadline for this retreat.

Please note that participation in this retreat is open to both members and non-members of the Florida Community of Mindfulness. While participation in our local sanghas and Days of Mindfulness is open to everyone, membership in FCM is for persons wanting to deepen their practice of living an awakened life by being part of a dedicated practice community, having a direct relationship with a Dharma teacher, and participating in practice opportunities such as Intensives and longer retreats. For information on becoming a member of FCM please click here

The retreat registrar will be sending additional information to accepted registrants before the retreat begins, including directions to the Franciscan Center.

The last day to register for the retreat is March 9^th. You will be notified if you have been accepted into the retreat or whether you have been placed on the waiting list by March 13th.