With Fred Eppsteiner and Angie Parrish
Every moment of life – through our our speech, our actions, and particularly the thoughts we entertain – we are creating the basis for our future happiness or unhappiness. The Buddha called this truth, this reality of cause & effect - karma. Essentially, when we think, speak or act from a wholesome place – from motivations that are generous, kind and wise – we create the conditions for happiness for ourselves and others, both now and in the future. And when our actions spring from unwholesome motivations, like greed, anger or confusion – we create the conditions for unhappiness.
The law of karma – of cause and effect – is one of the most important and essential teachings of the Buddha. Our world is challenging, from personal and relationship challenges to global issues such as the climate crisis, wars, polarization and conflict in society. In the midst of all these challenges, if we truly wish to live with a calm mind –with clarity, equanimity, and emotional stability - and to be a force for bringing goodness into the world, we need to understand these teachings. We can then both live with compassion and understanding for how the world is today AND know how to live in a way that brings more happiness and helps alleviate suffering for ourselves and others.
So what exactly is karma? How do individuals and societies create their karma? Why focus on karma if everything is essentially “empty,” as the Buddha taught? How can we and societies change our karma? And how does understanding karma give rise to the understanding of emptiness and the arising of compassion?
Join Fred Eppsteiner and Angie Parrish on Saturday, April 25, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm to explore these questions and learn how the understanding of karma is of utmost importance for our spiritual development.
Logistics
The cost is $70 (reduced rate of $35 for those with financial need) for the day. If you have questions, please contact us at info@floridamindfulness.org. This workshop will be offered both in-person and online.
Please bring your own vegetarian lunch. Water and tea will be provided.
Workshop Leaders
Our teacher Fred Eppsteiner will be using his training as a family therapist, plus his experience as a meditation and Dharma teacher, to create a challenging and opening environment for workshop participants to learn practical and easily applicable means to facilitate the workshop’s goals. Theoretical and psychological presentations, mindfulness practice, and guided experiential meditations will all be utilized during the workshop.
Fred has been a student of the psychology of Buddhist meditation for over 40 years, and was a psychotherapist for more than 30 years. He has trained extensively in the Buddhist meditative traditions the U.S. and Asia. He received permission to teach from Thich Nhat Hanh in 1994 and is the editor of two books: The Path of Compassion and Interbeing.
Angie Parrish has been a student of Buddhism and mindfulness for over 20 years. After a 1999 retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh, she became a student of Fred Eppsteiner's and a member of the Florida Community of Mindfulness. Angie brought the fruits of her experience in mindfulness and meditation into her professional career as an employee benefits consultant for a wide variety of organizations, including many employee training programs.
Angie is a Dharma Instructor with FCM, having been given permission by FCM’s teacher Fred Eppsteiner to share the Buddha’s teachings with the sangha. She is also a Qualified Teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and is a frequent teacher of classes and retreats at FCM.
