Thirty people joyously received transmission of trainings at three different levels March 17 at FCM's Tampa Center and made vows to follow the path toward compassion and awakening.  

"Today the community has gathered to give support to those who will vow to go for refuge to the Three Jewels and receive and practice the Two Promises, Five Mindfulness Trainings, and the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings," our teacher Fred told the three groups.  

"You have had the chance to learn about and observe the way of understanding and love that has been handed down to us by teachers over many centuries," he said.

Ten senior aspirants received transmission of the 14 Mindfulness Trainings in preparation for ordination to become members of the Order of Interbeing (OI) community, 17 persons received the 5 Mindfulness Trainings, and three young people made the Two Promises.

The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing are expanded ethical guidelines that the members of the Order take as their aspirational lodestar for a life of understanding and compassion, the life of a bodhisattva dedicated to relieving suffering. 

Receiving OI transmission were Brandy Kidd of Naples, Chris Lee-Nguyen of Fort Myers, Beth Schroeder of Naples, Jan Kernis of Tampa, Diana Fish of St. Petersburg, Evelyn Haseman of Temple Terrace, Eleanor Cecil of Tampa, Lindsey McCaskey of Naples, Tony Pollitt of Naples and Maria Sgambati of Tampa.

Their next step will be to receive full ordination later this year from monastics at one of the Plum Village centers in the U.S. or at Plum Village in France. At that point, they may wear the brown jackets signifying the humility of service to FCM, the Plum Village community and to sentient beings everywhere.

In addition to the OI aspirants, 17 students took the Five Mindfulness Trainings as a public commitment to taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.  

They were Bobb Hart, John Renner, Tracy Walter, Dana Mooney, Allon Bell, Maggie Tudor, Rita Greenspan, Misti Oxford-Pickeral, Teresa MatassiniFernandez, Ellen Mefford, Raven Dreifus-Kofron, Scott Nissensohn, Courtney (Cici) Claar, Mary Periard, and Jose F. Rodriguez, all of the Tampa Sangha; and Noreen Haines and Sheila Ludwig, both of the Naples Sangha.

Three children/young people renewing the Two Promises were Sophia Cabra-Lezama, Emmy Stepp and Luke Dluzneski, all of the Tampa Sangha.

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Photo #1:  Fred leads ceremony under watchful gaze of Thay (the Vietnamese word for teacher; Thich Nhat Hanh was Fred's teacher).
Photo #2:   OI aspirants do prostrations as they receive 14 Mindfulness Trainings. 
Photo #3:   17 adults receive 5 Mindfulness Trainings, take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and receive their dharma names. Three young people, front row, left, renew their vows in the Two Promises.                                                                 
Photo #4:   Fred gives certificate with new dharma name to Jose Rodriguez of Tampa Sangha.        

Photo #1 is by Nancy Natilson.

Fred, seated, center, leads transmission ceremonies before a packed house, while Bryan Hindert, left, serves as bell master.  OI aspirants are at right.                                                                         

More than 135 people watch as 30 people receive transmission March 17. 

Fred explains the dharma foundation of the commitments being made in the ceremonies.  Angie Parrish, FCM executive director, looks on at right.

Photos #5, 6 and 7 are by Alex Lerner                         

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Big Vows by Young People Challenge Adults
Three Students Renew Their Commitments

The Two Promises made by children and teens commit to develop deeper understanding and compassion -- big vows, indeed. 

One wrote in the application to renew vows that they wanted to renew their promises because they wanted to become a more understanding and compassionate person: "I believe it will help my relationships with people, animals, plants and minerals, and help my meditation practice."

"I want to have a larger comprehension of understanding and compassion," wrote another.

"I want to renew my vows to become a better person," wrote the third young adult.  "The promises help me to stay on the path to be patient and grateful."

As Fred said in the ceremony Sunday, "Go out there and show the adults how it's done!" 

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The students are, from left, Emmy Stepp, Luke Dluzneski and Sophia Cabra-Lezama.                                                                    Photo by Sam Warlick

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New Members Thoughtful About Commitments
Finding a Sangha, Helping Others Played Big Role

Two new members, Noreen Haines and Sheila Ludwig, both of the Naples Sangha, were thoughtful about their reasons for taking refuge in the Three Jewels and receiving transmission of the 5 Mindfulness Trainings in a discussion after the ceremony.  Both joined FCM this year.

"Standing up in front of people and making a commitment to following the path makes it so much more real," Sheila said.  "Also, there was something about the linking of Fred to Thich Naht Hanh that goes all the way back to the Buddha that struck me. They brought out a picture of Thich Nhat Hanh and put it on the altar, and I thought, 'This is kind of big'."

A retired music teacher who spends part of her year in Naples and the rest in Medina, Ohio, Sheila said she was thrilled to find a sangha that offered community in Naples, where she felt "embraced."  She has searched for a home sangha in Ohio, but hasn't been able to find one, so when she is in Ohio for the summer, she plans to stay connected to FCM during intensives via Zoom and to maintain communications with new sangha friends.

Sheila has a cousin who is a Soto Zen priest and, for many years, has been discussing Buddhism with him and reading Buddhist books that he recommended, but at FCM, she found "the last jewel," she said.  "I added sangha."

Noreen, an avid hiker and massage therapist who spends half of her year in Naples and half in Salida, Colorado, said she can't imagine a life without helping others.  She saw joining FCM and committing to the practice as an opportunity to get support while following that purpose.  

"It was a turning point when I heard Fred say that (Buddhism) is an easier way to live, and I thought that feels very practical.  You need to figure out how to be present and awake and how to communicate to help people, and if somebody can help me understand that, I'm all about it.

"I found this treasure (at FCM).  Give me a shovel.  I'm all about it. Give me more!"

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OI Provides Core Community Services to FCM
Building Strong Sangha is Key Role Outlined by Fred

In a recent talk before the Naples Sangha, Andrew Rock of Tampa, FCM's OI Coordinator, and Nancy Natilson, OI member from Tampa, described the OI program as "connective tissue" that binds the community together.

 Nancy said the brown jackets work by ordained OI members are a symbol of humility, a statement that "we are here to serve you."  OI members perform service tasks of all kinds for the FCM and Plum Village communities, with particular emphasis on sangha building.

The Order of Interbeing was originally founded by Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) in Vietnam in 1964 during the Vietnam war to provide support and guidance for a handful of his closest students and associates engaged in providing aid to their suffering people, often at risk of their own lives. Thay reopened membership in the Order 15 years later, and our teacher Fred was among the earliest of the new members. 

The OI includes both monastics and laypeople, and there are now thousands of members around the world, including 52 aspirants and ordained OI members in FCM, perhaps the largest OI chapter within a sangha in the country. 

In an informal discussion with the OI group last weekend, Fred described the history of OI, his own involvement with the opening up of the Order in the West and editing of Thay's book, Interbeing, and how he has emphasized OI's development as a "core community" within FCM, which strategically uses its cadre of lay volunteers to offer a wide array of services to its 300 members scattered up and down the west coast of Florida and, increasingly, into farther cities and other states, as well.

Andrew orchestrated a symphony of OI members and aspirants and coordinated with selfless service volunteers and leaders in the FCM community to produce a retreat that flowed smoothly.  Nancy led the catering operation for the retreat.

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Above, Andrew Rock and Nancy Natilson model symbolic brown jackets. The green ribbons signify membership in the Earth Holders Community, a Buddhist group concerned with issues relating to climate change.                                                                                                         Photo by Carol Green