Transmission Preparatory Classes (Two Class Series: Apr 2 and Apr 9

Since the time of the Buddha, people have expressed their commitment to follow the Buddha’s teachings and the Buddhist path of practice by taking refuge in the Three Jewels and by receiving the transmission of the five Buddhist precepts or trainings.

Our teacher, Fred, was formally authorized by Thich Nhat Hanh to transmit the refuges and trainings. He will be conducting a Transmission Ceremony on Sunday, April 13th for anyone who wishes to formally Take Refuge and receive the Five Mindfulness Trainings.  For those seeking this transmission, a required two-session preparatory class will be offered from 7:00 to 8:30 pm on April 2nd and April 9th at FCM member Tony Pollitt's house in Naples.

Taking Refuge means to take refuge in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. By taking refuge we express our trust in our own capacity to awaken, in the path of practice and mindful living, and in the sangha community to provide a refuge of safety, guidance, and support.

• In the Thich Nhat Hanh tradition, this is expressed as:
  
• I take refuge in the Buddha, the one who shows me the way in this life.
  
• I take refuge in the Dharma, the path of understanding and love.
  
• I take refuge in the Sangha, the community that lives in harmony and awareness

Thich Nhat Hanh has formulated the traditional five Buddhist precepts as The Five Mindfulness Trainings. They provide the basis for living in ways that create happiness and relieve suffering for ourselves and for others. They are not authoritative rules imposed from the outside to be blindly adhered to. Rather, when we receive the Five Mindfulness Trainings we are committing to using them as guidelines for reflecting on our own aspirations, and on our behavior and its consequences, in order to live a more consciously aware life. The Five Mindfulness Trainings can be found on the FCM website under Deepening Practice.

The preparatory classes will provide further explanation of the Three Refuges and the Five Mindfulness Trainings, explore ways they can be manifested in our daily lives and will offer opportunity for questions and answers. Registering and attending the classes does not obligate you to Take Refuge or Transmission.  You are welcome to attend if you are just interested in learning more about these two practices and traditions that are integral to the Buddhist path. Please note that you must attend both classes in order to participate in the Transmission Ceremony on April 13th.

If you have questions, please email: Anne Kracmer at alkracmer@comcast.net.