with Fred Eppsteiner

Just as all the Buddhas of the past

Have brought forth the awakened mind,

And in the precepts of the Bodhisattvas

Step-by-step abode and trained,

Likewise, for the benefit of beings,

I will bring to birth the awakened mind,

And in those precepts, step-by-step,

I will abide and train myself

Fred will be transmitting the Bodhisattva Vow to FCM members in a weekend retreat, culminating in the Bodhisattva Vow ceremony, to be held in-person at the Tampa Center the weekend of December 13-15. The vows and ceremony will be based on verses found in Shantideva’s text, The Way of the Bodhisattva. The aspiration and commitment to live an awakened life and to unceasingly bring benefit to sentient beings is at the core of the Mahayana Buddhist path. It unites the path of wisdom and insight with the path of love and compassion, so our personal transformation always remains grounded with our interconnection with all life.

As this is a profound and significant step for anyone contemplating such a vow, the first requirement for this transmission is that one has been involved in studying and practicing the Bodhisattva Way by participating in our current Intensive or one of our past Intensives on the Shantideva text. Secondly, one will have begun to move beyond merely thinking about the commitment to live a compassionate and wise life to actually manifesting this commitment in the priorities and choices that one makes day-to-day.

During this weekend retreat, Fred will be commenting on the traditional 18 root vows and 46 secondary vows that were transmitted to him ceremonially in 1975 while in India. While it will not be mandatory to attend this retreat if you wish to receive transmission on Sunday, Fred strongly encourages your attendance for your own benefit. Scholarships are available if needed, so please don’t let financial conditions prevent you from participating in this meaningful culmination of our many months of study and practice together.

The retreat will begin with dinner the evening of December 13 and end with an early morning ceremony followed by breakfast on the 15th. You may register for retreat as an overnighter or commuter, or to participate in the Sunday morning ceremony only.

Registration will close on November 22.

Retreat Logistics

This retreat is in-person only (either staying overnight or as a commuter) at FCM’s Tampa Center. The retreat will begin with orientation at 5:00 pm on Friday, December 13 and ends after breakfast on Sunday, December 15 at 9:30 am. Participation is open to FCM members only.

The fee for in-person participation is $160 for overnighters and $120 for commuters, with a $50 deposit required to apply. The fee is $20 for those who plan to simply participate in the Sunday morning Vows ceremony, followed by a group breakfast.

If you are not familiar with our campus, you may enjoy this short video tour.

Please note: 

• The deadline for application for this retreat will be November 22. Please understand that this application DOES NOT guarantee you a spot in the retreat; all acceptances are subject to Fred’s approval. 
• We will notify all applicants by November 25 as to whether or not they have been accepted into the retreat. 
• For those accepted, the balance of the fee will then be due by November 28, otherwise the spot will be given to another applicant.
• Please click here to read FCM's Retreat Cancellation Policy.

Retreat Scholarships are available; please click here to see FCM’s Retreat Scholarship Policy and for an Application, which needs to be submitted prior to the registration deadline for this retreat.

The teachings are offered in the Buddhist tradition of Dana, wherein the teachers freely give of themselves 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. All retreat dana will go towards supporting the retreat teachers.

The retreat registrar will be sending additional information to accepted registrants once registration is closed.

Retreat Leader
Fred Eppsteiner 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.

Questions?
For more information, please contact Angie at parrish26@gmail.com.

with Bill MacMillen and John McHarris

In our modern world, we have countless ways to stay busy, informed, entertained, and otherwise distracted from the moment we wake up until we go to bed at night. We can easily spend our entire day completely disconnected from our actual experience and unaware of what thoughts and mind-states we are cultivating throughout our busy days. If we do have a moment to stop, we may find that we feel uneasy, agitated, bored, anxious, stressed, in despair, or otherwise uncomfortable in our bodies and our minds. 

Fortunately, as so many people throughout the world are discovering, there is another way. Through what the beloved Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh called, “The Miracle of Mindfulness,” we can learn how to be at ease in the present moment. We can learn to use our minds in a way that nourishes our well-being and helps us to feel whole again. Through cultivating mindfulness of the body, breath, and mind, we can learn to develop peace within ourselves and to enjoy the simple experience of being alive.  

In this two-day Introductory Retreat, participants will learn mindfulness and meditation practices that calm and nourish the body and mind. There will be both formal instruction as well as “off-the-cushion” practice in areas such as walking, eating, mindful movements and work meditation. There will be periods of Q&A and deep sharing within a setting that is mostly silent, offering participants the opportunity to retreat from digital devices and other distractions that so often clutter our minds and cover the natural spaciousness that lies beneath the “noise.”

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.

Who is the retreat for?

This retreat will be beneficial for both newcomers to meditation and more experienced mindfulness practitioners with an interest in living with more ease in the present moment. 

Retreat Logistics

This retreat is in-person only (either staying overnight or as a commuter) participation at FCM’s Tampa Center. The retreat will begin with orientation at 5:00 pm on Friday, January 10 and ends after lunch on Sunday at 4:00 pm, January 12. Participation is open to both FCM members and non-members.

The fee for in-person participation is $270 for overnighters and $210 for commuters.

If you are not familiar with our campus, you may enjoy this short video tour.

Please note: 

• The deadline for application for this retreat will be December 20. Please understand that this application DOES NOT guarantee you a spot in the retreat; all acceptances are subject to approval. 
• We will notify all applicants by December 23 as to whether or not they have been accepted into the retreat. 
• For those accepted, the fee will then be due by December 27, otherwise the spot will be given to another applicant.
• Please click here to read FCM's Retreat Cancellation Policy.

Retreat Scholarships are available; please click here to see FCM’s Retreat Scholarship Policy and for an Application, which needs to be submitted prior to the registration deadline for this retreat.

New to retreating with FCM? Please visit our FAQs page.

The teachings are offered in the Buddhist tradition of Dana, wherein the teachers freely give of themselves 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. All retreat dana will go towards supporting the retreat teachers.

The retreat registrar will be sending additional information to accepted registrants once registration is closed. 

Retreat Leaders

Bill Mac Millen has been a Dharma practitioner with the Florida Community of Mindfulness and a student of FCM's teacher Fred Eppsteiner since 2013; in 2018 he completed the three year Dharma Transmission training taught by Fred. Bill was ordained as a member of the Order of Interbeing at Thich Nhat Hahn’s Magnolia Grove monastery in 2019. Aspiring to be of service to the community, he is on the Leadership Council overseeing the area of Center Care and also teaches and facilitates various classes and Intensive study programs offered by FCM.

John McHarris is a Dharma Instructor with the Florida Community of Mindfulness. He has been a student of FCM's teacher Fred Eppsteiner since 2011. John completed FCM's three year Dharma Transmission Group program, and is an ordained member of the Order of Interbeing. He has Co-led various FCM offerings such as the Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation class, FCM Intensives, and Days of Mindfulness. John is the current Chair of FCM's Board of Directors. Although based in Naples, he's also a part-time Tampa resident; in conjunction with FCM's Residency program.

Questions?
For more information, please contact Bill at bmacm21@gmail.com.

With Roshis Chozen and Hogen Bays

Save the Date. 

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