[Fcm-News] FCM Winter Intensive

[Florida Community of Mindfulness]

Training the Mind, A Eight Week Practice Intensive from mid-February
through mid-April, 2008

This is the fifth year that our community, The Florida Community of
Mindfulness (FCM), is offering an intensive experience of Dharma practice
for its members outside of the traditional retreat environment. As lay
practitioners, we are, to a greater or lesser degree, involved in family,
work, and community activities and responsibilities. We usually have
limited ability to participate in traditional long-term retreats to deepen
our practice and understanding.  Thus, the ability to participate in
periods of focused practice without “leaving home” has become a much
cherished part of our sangha’s practice.

During the past three months in the various sanghas, Fred has been
teaching the text, “The Seven Points of Mind Training,” by the Tibetan
master, Chekawa Yeshe Dorje.  As many of you know, it is a much loved text
in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, well known for its slogans that help us
apply the full breadth of the Buddha’s Mahayana teachings to daily life.
Based on the Eight Verses of Mind Training that was transmitted to Tibet
by the great Indian Buddhist master Atisha, it allows us to experience the
full breadth of the Buddhist teachings, and yet see their practical and
realistic application. These slogans focus on the Unconditioned Awakened
Mind (Bodhicitta) and how this mind can manifest as lovingkindness,
compassion and understanding in all the activities of our ordinary life.
The transformation of seemingly adverse situations into the path of
awakening is an especial aspect of these mind trainings. Several of these
slogans will be the focus of our upcoming Chinsegut retreat.

Within this text are some fifty-seven slogans or proverbs. The focus of
this intensive will be for each participant to choose one specific slogan
to work on each week, with a total of eight for the eight weeks.  Each
participant will be asked to read the full text prior to the Intensive’s
beginning, and to make their eight choices known to Fred, so he can focus
on specific slogans with each of you. As the slogans are widespread in
their subject matter and experiences, everyone should find fertile
material to work with. Having the freedom to choose their slogans
ourselves will provide an opportunity for each participant to directly fit
the text into the context of their personal life condition.

Commitments for each Intensive participant:

1)  The commitment to a minimum of one hour of daily formal meditative
practice and/or other practices related to this intensive, e.g.
maintaining a daily log/journal.
2)  The commitment to attend all the practice periods of your sangha
during the eight weeks.
3)  The commitment to attend a bi-weekly support/discussion gathering of
other sangha members participating in the intensive (if some are living in
your area).
4)  The commitment to have bi-weekly phone consultations with Fred during
the intensive.
5)  The commitment to read several Dharma texts that will be recommended
to participants.
6)  The commitment to attend a Day of Mindfulness that will be
specifically for Intensive participants at the end of this eight week
practice period.

Due to the nature and length of this practice intensive, there is a
suggested donation associated with it of $50. 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. Please
note that participation in this Intensive is only open to members of the
FCM sangha. For information about membership, please access our website at
www.floridamindulness.org.

This intensive will begin the middle of February and continue to the
middle of April. Dharma texts to read and exact dates and locations for
the Days of Mindfulness will be announced once registration has been
completed. To register for this intensive, email  Dave Biren at
dwjl at verizon.net and send your check made out to the Florida Community of
Mindfulness (FCM) to P. O. Box 111465, Naples,   FL 34108

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