With Fred Eppsteiner

Dates: December 3 - 6
Retreat Application Deadline: November 5 for in-person | November 25 for online
Suitability

This retreat marks the conclusion of FCM’s one-year Lojong Intensive and is offered especially for the participants who have taken part in the program. Its theme and teachings are relevant for anyone, and members and nonmembers who did not participate in the Intensive are welcome to join.

All participants must have previously attended a retreat with FCM or another Buddhist group. Those new to retreats are encouraged to begin with one of FCM’s weekend retreats, such as the *Miracle of Mindfulness*.

Fred strongly encourages in-person participation. To accommodate participants who live outside the Tampa Bay area, online participation is also available. Online participants must keep their cameras on throughout all practice sessions and attend every session. Please apply to participate online only if you can meet these commitments.

For those applying to attend in person, please understand that submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance. Applicants will be notified of acceptance by November 10.

Description

This three-day retreat explores several key transformative teachings of The Seven Points of Mind Training, a classic Buddhist text offering practical guidance for awakening in everyday life. These concise slogans show us how—even amid uncertainty and difficulty—we can retrain the mind to cultivate loving-kindness, compassion, and wisdom in all circumstances.

Together, we will practice deeply with pith verses that emphasize how to bring wisdom and compassion into all parts of our lives; key guidelines for putting these teachings into practice; and criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of our practice. Through meditation, guided reflection, and the container of noble silence, this retreat invites us to embody an enlightened attitude in the midst of daily life.

Fred will present these teachings and practices with clarity, simplicity, and concreteness so that all participants can readily embrace them as a daily practice. The silence of retreat affords us the opportunity to deepen our meditative experience while absorbing the experiential meaning of the teachings and practices being presented.

Retreat Leader

Fred Eppsteiner has been a student of the psychology of Buddhist meditation for over 50 years and practiced as a psychotherapist for more than 30 years. He has trained extensively in Buddhist meditative traditions in 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. He is the founding teacher of the Florida Community of Mindfulness.

Fees

The fees are $270 for overnighters, $210 for commuters and $105 for online. The registration fee will be fully refunded to those not admitted to the retreat.

FCM aspires to support the retreat experience for all who are on this path, and thus retreat scholarships are available and encouraged if it would support your participation. 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 Retreat Manager will be sending additional information to registrants closer to the retreat start date.

Retreat Logistics

The retreat will begin with orientation and dinner at 5:00 pm for in-person on Thursday, December 3 and end after lunch on Sunday, December 6. For online the retreat will begin at 7:00 pm on Thursday, December 3 and end at 12:00 noon on Sunday, December 6.

Please note: 

• Application Deadline: November 5 for in-person; November 25 for online.
• Acceptance & Instructions: In-person applicants will receive an acceptance letter by November 10 with retreat preparation information. Online participants will receive instructions by November 28.
• Payment Deadline: The full fee for in-person participants is due by November 16 to secure your spot. After November 16, unconfirmed spots will be offered to other applicants. The online retreat fee is due by November 25.
• Please click here to read FCM's Retreat Cancellation Policy.
• If you are not familiar with our campus, you may enjoy this short video tour.
  
• 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.

Questions?
Please contact Rita at ritaanna727@gmail.com for any logistical questions.