With Fred Eppsteiner and Angie Parrish
The actions of our body, speech and mind – known as karma in Buddhism – affect every aspect of our life. Our actions impact both ourselves and those around us in many ways, shaping our lives and the world. Thus, Buddhism teaches that karma is one of the most important ‘laws’ governing our lives that must be understood.
The Buddhist psychology of yogachara, supported by modern neuroscience, teaches us that without mindfulness of the impact of our actions, in the short, medium and long run, we will continue to strengthen unwholesome patterns of mind, creating suffering instead of the ease and happiness we so seek. Karma is the ‘personal’ aspect of the universal law of cause=and-effect.
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 I and societies change their 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 27, 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 $50 (reduced rate of $30 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. Registration will close April 25.
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 Leader 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.