July 9 –August 27
“To study Buddhism is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things. To be enlightened by all things is to be free from attachment to the body and mind of one's self and of others.” -- Zen Master Dogen
This summer’s seven-week Dharma Path Intensive will provide an opportunity for FCM members who participated in the Fall and/or Winter/Spring Intensives on Deconstructing the Myth of Self to continue the process of understanding the delusive nature of Self and the practice of its deconstruction.
In the Fall and Winter/Spring Intensives we were introduced to many teachings and practices aimed at understanding the nature of Self and loosening our identification with it. This included the objective observation of what constitutes our particular sense of Self and the various ways our particular Self manifests in the world, both inwardly and outwardly. We also utilized western psychological perspectives to see the underlying core beliefs and schemas that drive much of the self-inflicted drama in our lives as well as the conditioning that gave rise to these ways of being in the world. In the second half of the intensive, we continued our exploration of the Self from the perspective of Buddhist psychology and the Yogacara. Finally, we used the Wheel of Analysis and Meditation that Thoroughly Purifies Mental Activity to begin to dismantle our strong sense of being a solid, permanent, self-existent Self.
This Summer self-development Intensive will provide an opportunity for participants to build on their Fall and Winter/Spring Intensive practice by choosing areas of focus to delve into more deeply and develop their own plan of study and practice. Many participants may already know what areas they want to focus on, but some examples of possible areas of focus could be:
- Developing a stronger understanding of the role and functioning of I, Me, Mine in lingering emotional afflictions and cultivating the ability to recognize Self as it arises in the mind.
- Cultivating the ability to see the difference between reality and the drama that self creates, and to rest in the simplicity of things as they are with a mind of ease.
- Working to better recognize and understand specific schemas and the underlying conditioning that fuels much our suffering.
- Applying the Wheel of Analysis and Meditation to emotional reactivity, the Five Skandhas or to other aspects of the Self.
- Deepening the study and practice of the Yogacara teachings to better understand the mental processes that condition our experience of reality.
This Intensive is open to FCM members who participated in the Fall or Winter/Spring, or a prior Intensive on Deconstructing the Myth of Self; or with permission of the Intensive Leaders, Bryan and Diane. Participants who found through their work in the Fall and Spring DMS Intensives that they are still driven strongly by emotional woundedness are encouraged to consider signing up for the Summer Mindful Living Path Intensive on emotional healing. If we truly want to be free we must be honest and compassionate with ourselves and recognize where we can best focus our practice.
If you have questions about the Intensive or would like to discuss whether the Deepening our Path of Deconstructing the Myth of Self Intensive is appropriate for you please contact Bryan at bbhindert@gmail.com.
Participants will be provided with supports that include Dharma talks and mentoring by senior students in a group format using ZOOM video-conferencing. Fred will offer a Forum in Tampa to answer questions and interact with participants. The Forum will be live-streamed so that those in other locations can participate.
The commitments for this Intensive are listed below. Before registering for the Intensive please read the commitments and reflect carefully on whether you will be able to keep them.
Commitments for each Intensive participant:
- The commitment to a minimum of one hour of daily formal meditative practice and study.
- The commitment to participate in your assigned bi-weekly video-conference mentoring group.
- The commitment to be present for the Zoom Dharma Talks.
- The commitment to be present for the Forum with Fred, in person or by livestream.
- The commitment to read any Dharma texts assigned for the Intensive.
- The commitment to attend all the practice periods of your Sangha during the Intensive, as possible
There is a suggested donation of $50 associated with this Intensive. This is a suggested donation, and participants are free to donate more or less, depending on their individual practice of Dana and their financial situation. You may pay on-line or send your check made out to the Florida Community of Mindfulness (FCM) to Florida Community of Mindfulness, 6501 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa, FL 33604.
This Intensive will begin on July 9 and end on August 27. Registration will close on Monday, June 11. To ensure you register by on time, please register immediately or mark the registration closing date in your calendar now.
REGISTRATION PROCEDURES:
Please read the information below before you click to register.
Mentoring Groups. When you register, you will also be asked to indicate your preferences for the Mentoring Groups offered through ZOOM. The following eight mentoring groups will be listed, and you will be required to score each group as one of the following: my first choice, my second choice, cannot do, or could do but not preferred. Please have your calendar available when you register so that you can complete this part of the registration process accurately.
Group #1: Tuesdays 8:00-9:00 am - July 17 & 31; Aug 14
Group #2: Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 pm - July 10 & 24; Aug 7
Group #3: Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 pm - July 17 & 31; Aug 14
Group #4 Tuesdays 6:30-7:30 pm - July 10 & 24; Aug 7
Group #5: Wednesdays 7:30-8:30 am - July 11 & 25; Aug 8
Group #6: Wednesdays 7:30-8:30 am - July 18; Aug 1 & 15
Group #7: Wednesdays 9:00-10:00 am - July 11 & 25; Aug 8
Group #8: Wednesdays 4:00-5:00 pm - July 11 & 25; Aug 8
