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 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 in Tampa on Sunday morning, February 2 for any FCM members, including high-school students, who wish to formally Take Refuge and receive the Five Mindfulness Trainings.  For those seeking this transmission, a required preparatory class will be offered at two different times: Sunday, January 19, 12:30pm - 2:00pm and on Monday, January 20, 6:30pm – 8:00pm at the Tampa Practice Center. The classes will be broadcast on Zoom so that FCM members in other locations can participate. 

Member's children in elementary and middle school  who are interested in receiving  Transmission of the Two Promises at that time, please contact Karuna by January 2, at  karunaee@gmail.com.  Preparation for Taking Refuge and Transmission of the Two Promises will take place during the regularly scheduled Family Program Sundays in January. 

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.

Further information on Taking Refuge can be found on the FCM website under Formally Entering the Path.

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, but rather guidelines for reflecting on our own aspirations and on our actions and their consequences in order to live a more consciously aware life. The Five Mindfulness Trainings can be found on the FCM website at this link.

The preparatory class will provide further explanation of the Three Refuges and the Five Mindfulness Trainings, explore ways they can be manifested in our daily lives and offer opportunities for questions and answers. Registering and attending the class 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:  

• Adults (& high school students) who wish to Take Refuge and Receive Transmission of the Five Mindfulness Trainings, must register and attend one of the two classes, in person or by Zoom, in order to participate in the Transmission Ceremony on February 2.  A recording of the class will not be available for later viewing.
• The ceremony on February 2, in Tampa will be the only time/location the Transmission Ceremony will be offered.   YOU MUST BE PRESENT IN PERSON IN TAMPA  for the ceremony to receive transmission.

Registration for the preparatory class will close on Jan 13, 2020. If you plan to attend, please register now, or mark the registration closing date in your calendar.

If you have questions regarding the Five Mindfulness Trainings preparatory class please contact Diane Powell at diane.powell2010@gmail.com.

Weekly mindfulness meditation and teachings.  Please visit Naples Sangha for more information.

Yoga House Studio is located at Peacock Court, 6200 Trail Blvd., Naples, Florida 34108. Peacock Court is across U.S. 41 from Barnes & Noble. Wheelchair access is available.

Awareness of death and its inevitability is a key part of our Buddhist practice and yet the awareness often fades into the background with our busy lives. Death Cafes for FCM members via Zoom are monthly drop-in opportunities to talk with other FCM members about death and dying. They will be held on the third Monday of each month from 12:00-1:30 pm Eastern time via Zoom teleconference. The link for the Zoom line is located on our website in "Resources>Member Resources and Directory>Death Café." Click here to access this page. Remember you must be logged-in in order to view this page.

Participating in Death Cafes will help members deepen their personal awareness of death, normalize conversations about death within our community, and make it easier to talk with our families and friends about this “elephant in the living room” fact of life. Through deep sharing and listening and open ended discussion, we will be able to reflect on the subjects of impermanence and death, and talk about whatever is on our minds, including our concerns, fears, questions and insights surrounding the topic of end of life.

Death Cafes have become a widespread phenomena in Europe, America and Australia. Based on the work of  Bernard Crettaz, a Swiss sociologist and anthropologist, and championed by Jon Underwood in England, the basic idea of Death Cafes is that it is extremely valuable to simply talk about death.

You can drop-in to a Death Café for a one time experience or plan to come each month to talk about the important topic of death and dying. Please note that the group gatherings are intended as discussion groups rather than as grief support or counseling sessions. Please join us!

If you have any questions, please contact the facilitator, Carol Meyer at revcarol1@earthlink.net.

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 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 in Tampa on Sunday morning, February 2 for any FCM members, including high-school students, who wish to formally Take Refuge and receive the Five Mindfulness Trainings. For those seeking this transmission a required preparatory class will be offered at two different times: Sunday, January 19, 12:30pm - 2:00pm and on Monday, January 20,  6:30pm – 8:00pm at the Tampa Practice Center. The classes will be broadcast on Zoom so that FCM members in other locations can participate. 

Member's children in elementary and middle school  who are interested in receiving  Transmission of the Two Promises at that time, please contact Karuna by January 2, at  karunaee@gmail.com.  Preparation for Taking Refuge and Transmission of the Two Promises will take place during the regularly scheduled Family Program Sundays in January. 

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.

Further information on Taking Refuge can be found on the FCM website under Formally Entering the Path.

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, but rather guidelines for reflecting on our own aspirations and on our actions and their consequences in order to live a more consciously aware life. The Five Mindfulness Trainings can be found on the FCM website through this link.

The preparatory class will provide further explanation of the Three Refuges and the Five Mindfulness Trainings, explore ways they can be manifested in our daily lives and offer opportunities for questions and answers. Registering and attending the class 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:  

• Adults (& high school students) who wish to Take Refuge and Receive Transmission of the Five Mindfulness Trainings must register and attend one of the two classes, in person or by Zoom, in order to participate in the Transmission Ceremony on February 2.  A recording of the class will not be available for later viewing.
• The ceremony on February 2 in Tampa will be the only time/location the Transmission Ceremony will be offered. YOU MUST BE PRESENT IN PERSON IN TAMPA for the ceremony to receive transmission.
  

Registration for the preparatory class will close on January 13,  2020. If you plan to attend, please register now, or mark the registration closing date in your calendar.

If you have questions regarding the Five Mindfulness Trainings preparatory class please contact Diane Powell at diane.powell2010@gmail.com.

Weekly mindfulness meditation and teachings.  Please visit Naples Sangha for more information.

Yoga House Studio is located at Peacock Court, 6200 Trail Blvd., Naples, Florida 34108. Peacock Court is across U.S. 41 from Barnes & Noble. Wheelchair access is available.

Weekly mindfulness meditation and teachings.  Please visit Naples Sangha for more information.

Yoga House Studio is located at Peacock Court, 6200 Trail Blvd., Naples, Florida 34108. Peacock Court is across U.S. 41 from Barnes & Noble. Wheelchair access is available.

Weekly mindfulness meditation and teachings.  Please visit Naples Sangha for more information.

Yoga House Studio is located at Peacock Court, 6200 Trail Blvd., Naples, Florida 34108. Peacock Court is across U.S. 41 from Barnes & Noble. Wheelchair access is available.

Please join us for an FCM Member Forum with our Teacher on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 pm at Inner Light Center, 4810 Hickory Wood Dr, Naples, FL 34119.

The morning will include meditation and an extended period to ask our teacher, Fred Eppsteiner, questions regarding personal practice, mindfulness practice, the new Practice Center in Tampa, or other questions dealing with Mindful Living. Questions may be asked spontaneously during the forum or placed in the bell to be read aloud.

If you have your own cushion, please bring it with you. Some additional cushions, as well as chairs will be available for those who need them.

For more information you can contact - Anthony Pollitt, fanthonypollitt@gmail.com

Weekly mindfulness meditation and teachings.  Please visit Naples Sangha for more information.

Yoga House Studio is located at Peacock Court, 6200 Trail Blvd., Naples, Florida 34108. Peacock Court is across U.S. 41 from Barnes & Noble. Wheelchair access is available.

Awareness of death and its inevitability is a key part of our Buddhist practice and yet the awareness often fades into the background with our busy lives. Death Cafes for FCM members via Zoom are monthly drop-in opportunities to talk with other FCM members about death and dying. They will be held on the third Monday of each month from 12:00-1:30 pm Eastern time via Zoom teleconference. The link for the Zoom line is located on our website in "Resources>Member Resources and Directory>Death Café." Click here to access this page. Remember you must be logged-in in order to view this page.

Participating in Death Cafes will help members deepen their personal awareness of death, normalize conversations about death within our community, and make it easier to talk with our families and friends about this “elephant in the living room” fact of life. Through deep sharing and listening and open ended discussion, we will be able to reflect on the subjects of impermanence and death, and talk about whatever is on our minds, including our concerns, fears, questions and insights surrounding the topic of end of life.

Death Cafes have become a widespread phenomena in Europe, America and Australia. Based on the work of  Bernard Crettaz, a Swiss sociologist and anthropologist, and championed by Jon Underwood in England, the basic idea of Death Cafes is that it is extremely valuable to simply talk about death.

You can drop-in to a Death Café for a one time experience or plan to come each month to talk about the important topic of death and dying. Please note that the group gatherings are intended as discussion groups rather than as grief support or counseling sessions. Please join us!

If you have any questions, please contact the facilitator, Carol Meyer at revcarol1@earthlink.net.

Weekly mindfulness meditation and teachings.  Please visit Naples Sangha for more information.

Yoga House Studio is located at Peacock Court, 6200 Trail Blvd., Naples, Florida 34108. Peacock Court is across U.S. 41 from Barnes & Noble. Wheelchair access is available.

February 24 - May 18

Those whose life is informed by the desire for liberation from an existence of narrow self-centeredness, constricted emotionality, and underlying dissatisfaction in order to better connect to, understand, love, and bring only goodness to their fellow beings are called “bodhisattvas.”  Bodhisattvas cultivate bodhicitta, the seed of understanding and love that lies dormant within each of us. This way of living taught and modeled by the Buddha and the endless stream of awakened beings is called the Path of the Bodhisattva or the “path of the awakened and compassionate warrior.”

There is no better introduction to the living path of the bodhisattva than the eloquent and insightful poem/text, The Bodhicaryavatara, by the great eighth century Indian Buddhist, Shantideva. Participants in the Intensive will use this text as a manual for the practices of the Six Paramitas, the guiding practices of living the life of a bodhisattva. These practices, as expounded in The Bodhicaryavatara, inform much of other writings and practices dedicated to cultivating the life of a bodhisattva.  Those of you who recently participated in the Mind Training Intensive may recall how frequently Traleg Kyabgon, in his book The Practice of Lojong, quoted Shantideva’s words.

The Winter/Spring intensive will begin our year-long study and practice of The Bodhicaryavatara.  As was the case with the Dharma Path intensive last year, the study and practice of this subject will continue past the winter/spring into summer and fall intensives, giving us the opportunity to look and practice deeply and thoroughly. 

This Intensive is open to FCM members who have established a foundation of mindfulness and emotional stability through the practices of our Mindful Living Path, and are now prepared to tread more deeply into the Dharma path of transformation. We are offering two Intensives this winter/spring. One is organized around the teachings of the Mindful Living Path; one is organized around the Dharma Path.  A detailed description of the Three Paths of Practice can be found on the FCM website, www.floridamindfulness.org under Programs/Paths of Practice.  Reviewing the Three Paths of Practice can be helpful in deciding which of the upcoming 2020 Winter/Spring  Intensives may be most suitable and beneficial for you.  FCM members may also wish to consult the Three Paths of Practice Self-Assessment Questionnaire, which can be accessed via this link (be sure to log in to the website first to access this link).

The path of practice for this Intensive will include assigned readings in The Bodhicaryavatara and in recommended commentarial texts. Bi-weekly group mentoring video-conference calls on Zoom will provide individual guidance and support. These mentor calls will alternate between being led by Diane Powell and Ken Lenington, both senior students of Fred. Dharma talks given by Fred will be offered to participants via Zoom. A Daylong Retreat will be scheduled. 

If you have any questions about the Intensive please contact Diane Powell at dslpowell@gmail.com.

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 participants:

Study & Practice:

• A minimum of one-hour of daily formal meditative and/or other practices related to this intensive.
• Reading the Dharma texts that will be assigned to participants.
• Attending all the practice periods of your Sangha during the Intensive, as possible.

• Participation in bi-weekly small group video forums with Diane and Ken during the intensive.
• Being present for the Zoom Dharma Talks with Fred which will occur every three weeks.
• Be present for the Intensive’s Daylong retreat in-person or by Zoom as possible (Scheduled for April 18 in Tampa). 

There is a suggested donation of $100 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.

Please note that participation in this Intensive is only open to members of FCM. For information about membership, please access our website at www.floridamindfulness.org.

This Intensive will begin on  February 24 and end on May 18, 2020. Readings, group assignments, and Zoom teleconference/phone call instructions will be announced once registration has been completed.

Registration will close on February 3.

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 six  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
• could do but not preferred
• cannot do.

If there is more than one group that will work well for you, please mark all these as “my first choice.” This will provide us with added flexibility in making group assignments. Please have your calendar available when you register so that you can complete this part of the registration process accurately.  (Mentor calls generally last one hour.)

Mentoring

Group 1: Wednesdays 7:30 – 8:30 am.  March 4, 18; April 1, 15, 29

Group 2: Wednesdays 7:30 – 8:30 am.  March 11, 25; April 8, 22; May 6

Group 3: Thursdays 7:30 – 8:30 am. March 5, 19; April 2, 16, 30

Group 4: Thursdays 7:30 – 8:30 am. March 12, 26; April 9, 23, May 7

Note: In the four groups below, dates will alternate between Wednesday and Thursday evenings—i.e. the group will meet on a Wednesday, then two weeks later on a Thursday etc. All Thursday dates are in bold

Group 5: 6:00 – 7:00 pm. March 4, 19; April 1, 16, 29

Group 6: 6:00 – 7:00 pm. March 5, 18; April 2, 15, 30

Group 7: 6:00 – 7:00 pm. March 11, 26; April 8, 23; May 6

Group 8: 6:00 – 7:00 pm. March 12, 25, April 9, 22; May 7

Weekly mindfulness meditation and teachings.  Please visit Naples Sangha for more information.

Yoga House Studio is located at Peacock Court, 6200 Trail Blvd., Naples, Florida 34108. Peacock Court is across U.S. 41 from Barnes & Noble. Wheelchair access is available.

Weekly mindfulness meditation and teachings.  Please visit Naples Sangha for more information.

Yoga House Studio is located at Peacock Court, 6200 Trail Blvd., Naples, Florida 34108. Peacock Court is across U.S. 41 from Barnes & Noble. Wheelchair access is available.

Weekly mindfulness meditation and teachings.  Please visit Naples Sangha for more information.

Yoga House Studio is located at Peacock Court, 6200 Trail Blvd., Naples, Florida 34108. Peacock Court is across U.S. 41 from Barnes & Noble. Wheelchair access is available.

Awareness of death and its inevitability is a key part of our Buddhist practice and yet the awareness often fades into the background with our busy lives. Death Cafes for FCM members via Zoom are monthly drop-in opportunities to talk with other FCM members about death and dying. They will be held on the third Monday of each month from 12:00-1:30 pm Eastern time via Zoom teleconference. The link for the Zoom line is located on our website in "Resources>Member Resources and Directory>Death Café." Click here to access this page. Remember you must be logged-in in order to view this page.

Participating in Death Cafes will help members deepen their personal awareness of death, normalize conversations about death within our community, and make it easier to talk with our families and friends about this “elephant in the living room” fact of life. Through deep sharing and listening and open ended discussion, we will be able to reflect on the subjects of impermanence and death, and talk about whatever is on our minds, including our concerns, fears, questions and insights surrounding the topic of end of life.

Death Cafes have become a widespread phenomena in Europe, America and Australia. Based on the work of  Bernard Crettaz, a Swiss sociologist and anthropologist, and championed by Jon Underwood in England, the basic idea of Death Cafes is that it is extremely valuable to simply talk about death.

You can drop-in to a Death Café for a one time experience or plan to come each month to talk about the important topic of death and dying. Please note that the group gatherings are intended as discussion groups rather than as grief support or counseling sessions. Please join us!

If you have any questions, please contact the facilitator, Carol Meyer at revcarol1@earthlink.net.

Please join us for an FCM Member Forum with our Teacher on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 pm at Inner Light Center, 4810 Hickory Wood Dr, Naples, FL 34119.

The morning will include meditation and an extended period to ask our teacher, Fred Eppsteiner, questions regarding personal practice, mindfulness practice, the new Practice Center in Tampa, or other questions dealing with Mindful Living. Questions may be asked spontaneously during the forum or placed in the bell to be read aloud.

If you have your own cushion, please bring it with you. Some additional cushions, as well as chairs will be available for those who need them.

For more information you can contact - Anthony Pollitt, fanthonypollitt@gmail.com

Weekly mindfulness meditation and teachings.  Please visit Naples Sangha for more information.

Yoga House Studio is located at Peacock Court, 6200 Trail Blvd., Naples, Florida 34108. Peacock Court is across U.S. 41 from Barnes & Noble. Wheelchair access is available.