RESOURCES

Distribution of $34,283 in funds raised by FCM has been made to assist families in the Harlem Heights community of south Fort Myers whose homes and livelihoods were damaged by Hurricane Ian. 

"The monies raised by FCM have all been distributed," wrote Dr. Debra A. Mathinos, chief programs officer for The Heights Center, which serves the community, in a report to FCM. "The outpouring of gratitude from the recipients  was inspiring and reminded me of how simple acts of kindness can be so powerful and life altering.

"While the financial aspect of your gift is definitely important to the recipients, I truly believe this generosity has helped my families have a renewed sense of hope in the future, a reminder that there are many kind people in the world, and provided them with nourishment of their souls. I cannot thank you enough for becoming part of the support system for my families."

Here are some of the people whom FCM helped:

 Camila: (4th grader) Camila and her family were trapped inside their home as storm surge waters flooded in. The family climbed on kitchen counters and eventually made their way to the house’s roof where they waited until daylight for rescue. The family lost their car, the majority of their personal belongings and both parents lost their jobs.

Xaiden: (5th grader) Xaiden lives with his grandparents. The family evacuated in the early hours of the storm, sheltering with a relative. Their home received over 4 feet of floodwater and is likely to be on a list of homes that need to be torn down and rebuilt rather than repaired. They continue to live with a relative.

Arianys: (5th grader) Arianys lives with her mom and two siblings in a rental apartment. The apartment received over 4 feet of floodwater and the family has lost all of their belongings and their car. Their landlord has yet to begin repairs on the apartment and the family continues to stay with friends, moving to a new location every 4-5 days.

Juan: (charter school paraprofessional) Juan and his parents evacuated their home as soon as waters started to rise. Wading through thigh-high water they reached The Heights Center’s Education Building where they sought refuge until morning. Water damage destroyed much of the living areas in their home and the family car was destroyed. 

Yadira: (charter school paraprofessional) Yadira’s parents live in the neighborhood and were forced out into the storm as the storm surge quickly engulfed their home. Yadira’s brother placed their parents in a small boat that was floating by and, walking through chest-deep waters, towed them to The Heights Center’s Education Building where they sought refuge until morning. All areas of their home with the exception of an elevated sunroom received over 4 feet of water and the two family cars were destroyed.

Eliceo and Mari: Eliceo (5th grader) and Mari (4th

grader) live with their mom in a rental apartment. The apartment received over 4 feet of floodwater and the family lost all of their belongings and their mom has lost her job. Until two weeks ago, the family of three were living in a tent in the parking lot of the apartment complex. Through the help of volunteers at The Heights Center, the apartment was mucked and gutted and treated for mold. The landlord has stated that the apartment will be repaired at the first of the year.

Janelliz and Jayden: Jayden (3rd grader) and Janelliz (5th grader), with their older sister and parents evacuated their home prior to the start of the storm. Three days following the hurricane the roads became passable and they returned to Heights to discover their home had received over 4 feet of water, destroying all of the family’s belongings as well as one car. Mom lost her job as a result of the hurricane, as well. Their home is likely to be on a list of homes that need to be torn down and rebuilt rather than repaired. They continue to live with a relative.

Elina: (4th grader) Elina and her mother evacuated prior to the storm and sheltered with a relative. Three days after the hurricane they returned to find their home had been flooded by over 3 feet of water resulting in the loss of all their belongings. They continue to live with friends and relatives.

Gloria: (4th grader) Gloria and her mother rent one half of a block home in the neighborhood. Caught in their home by the storm surge, the family climbed on kitchen counters and eventually made their way to the house’s roof where they waited until daylight for rescue. The family lost all of their personal belongings and the mom lost her job. Their landlord is refusing to make repairs, so Gloria and her mother are working on making the space safe and livable with the help of The Heights Center’s volunteers.

Anderson: (3rd grader) Anderson and his parents recently arrived from Guatemala and had established themselves in an apartment and with employment a few weeks prior to the hurricane. With limited ability to understand the hurricane warnings and evacuation orders, Anderson and his parents were caught in their home by the flood waters. Anderson, who is deaf, was particularly traumatized by the storm. Both parents lost their jobs and the majority of the family’s belongings were destroyed. They are currently staying in a long-term shelter until they can find new jobs and a new apartment.

Jayden P: (2nd Grader) Jayden and his family lived on Fort Myers Beach. As the hurricane moved closer, the family decided to evacuate inland to a relative’s home. The family’s home was one of the many Fort Myers Beach casualties and has simply disappeared. The family has lost all their belongings, mom and dad have lost employment and it does not appear that the family will ever be allowed to rebuild a home. They continue to live with relatives.

Fery: (Kindergarten) Fery and his father rented a room in a house that received over 4 feet of surge water. The family lost all their belongings and are staying in a variety of homes while they wait for their landlord to repair the property.

Frankie: (Kindergarten) Frankie, his younger sister and his parents live in a rental apartment. The apartment received over 4 feet of floodwater and the family lost all of their belongings. Both dad and mom have lost their jobs. The rental has been mucked and gutted and the family continues to live in the apartment, waiting for it to be repaired.

Christopher and Erick: Christopher (5th grader) and Erick (6th grader) rent one-half of a block home in the neighborhood. The family fled their home during the eye of the storm as surface water had already caused several feet of water to enter their home. The family lost all of their personal belongings and mom lost her job. Their landlord is refusing to make repairs, so the family is making the space safe and livable with the help of The Heights Center’s volunteers.

Kaiyah and Zhara: Kaiyah (4th grader) and Zhara (5th grader) evacuated with their younger sister and parents prior to the storm. Three days after the hurricane they returned to find their home had been flooded by over 4 feet of water resulting in the loss of all their belongings. They have been staying with relatives but were returning to their home by Christmas even though it has no drywall, floors or working kitchen.

Liand: (1st grader) Liand and his parents sheltered with a friend during the storm and returned to find their rental home had not only been flooded by over 3 feet of water, but had lost its roof. Liand’s father lost his job as a result of the hurricane. The family continues to stay with friends as they look for a new place to live and employment.

Lindsay and Dustin: Lindsay (1st grader), Dustin (7th grader) and their mom sought shelter from a friend mid-way through the hurricane when water started entering their apartment. The family lost the majority of their belongings and continue to stay with their friend while they wait for their landlord to make all necessary repairs to their apartment.

By SUSAN GHOSH

In September, feeling stuck in old patterns and wanting a breakthrough in my practice, I checked in to Great Cloud for a seven-day solo retreat. Soon after I arrived, I met with Fred, and he inquired about my goals. I told him I wanted to rest in natural mind, and immediately he challenged me. "You can’t rest in natural mind until you know your mind," he told me.

He offered me the text of The Flight of the Garuda to work with and told me to focus on Songs 3 and 4 and to reflect on the questions they raised, using them to explore my own mind. He said I should do eight hours of meditation each day --  a daunting number. 

On the second afternoon, he encouraged me to go on to the eighth or ninth song and to continue to apply the questions and teachings to my own mind. This meant that I looked to find an “I" anywhere in or out of my body. And I looked at thoughts: where they come from, where they went, what they looked like when they were present. Practicing in the Tower Room of Great Cloud, I asked the questions over and over again and did my best to investigate what was true for me, by looking in my own mind. 

That night my mind put on a terrifying display of fear, anger, and worry. All "my" old problems resurfaced. It was horrible. I was a failure. Even the things I thought I'd achieved through my practice had not been achieved. Maybe I should quit… the retreat, the sangha, FCM. During the night a disturbing nightmare woke me. In a graphic way it offered a picture of my life ahead if I chose the pain of seeking pleasure. I had to smile because the meaning of the dream was so obvious. “OK," I decided, "I will not quit the retreat or the sangha. I am going to stay."

The next day Fred asked about the nightmare. Where was it? Was it real? I couldn't find it, and no, it wasn't real. It couldn't be found. Everything was like that. Nothing solid anywhere. Nowhere. He also went on to explain that what I was experiencing was a common part of the retreat process. He said, “I tell retreatants they are going to learn the Dharma, but they also will learn about their own minds. The old patterns will come up even more strongly than before, but on retreat we are unable to flee from them by blaming our spouses or distracting ourselves. We can't avoid seeing them.” 

I took a deep breath and exhaled. Fred knew me well. He knew I believed that no effort would ever bring me to the necessary standard of perfection. He made me look for this old thought pattern. I couldn't find it. Anywhere. “Everyone is unique,” he told me. “There is no perfection. It makes no sense to compare. Susan is Susan and she's an ordinary human being.” I felt calmed and held by Fred's compassion.  

I described my observations so far: the near constant worry, the counting and chanting, the obsessive rehearsing, the review of the past. "She's living in a fantasy world," Fred said. "Just let her relax. Let her enjoy what's really happening. If she gets into a corner, go take a walk in the garden."

I went back to my room and, at first, breathed a sigh of relief. My teacher did not think I was hopeless failure. He saw and accepted me as a member of our community of Dharma practitioners. The exhalation barely complete, a light gray wall came down in my mind. Relaxing exhalations stopped. I could sense the change but didn't understand what was happening. So, l ignored it and kept on reflecting on the teachings and investigating my own mind as best as I could. I could barely concentrate and the day seemed to go on forever. 

In the night I woke up to a mind that was whirring and animated by extreme anxiety. My body was tense and breath tight. Since it was clear that I wasn't going to fall back to sleep, I put my hands on my stomach and placed my attention on the rise and fall of my belly. Over and over my mind wandered off and I brought it back. 

After some time I was aware of holding the view of the watcher. The thoughts slowed and I could see their insubstantial nature. In truth, they were nothing but thoughts, coming and going, arising from nowhere, going nowhere. For the first time I was able to experience that these thoughts, so deeply believed, were nothing. 

A peacefulness arose and into that open space came the answer to what had seemed to be an insoluble problem. I would get up and simply do my best. What else could I do? Yet the simplicity of that was startling after many years of rehearsals, worry about outcomes, striving to be good enough or, preferably, the best. My body seemed to take over. It rose, and pushed the chair close the small table where my Buddha had been sitting. It arranged the blankets to support my body, put the text and the little clock on the side on the bed. That day I would sit in one spot and meditate.

At the next meeting, Fred asked me, “How is Susan?" I answered that she'd had another rough night but I'd come through it with some clarity. "What happened?" he asked, "Everything was fine when you left and nothing external happened. You've been on retreat the whole time."  "I don't know,” I answered. “Look," he instructed me firmly. "You have to know." 

With tears I explained that I had shown that total mess of a mind to him: the anxiety, the obsessions, the chanting, the rehearsing. It had been seen; I had seen it clearly myself. As I launched into this sad tale, Fred said, "Stop! Just look into your own mind. Look straight there. What do you see?" The truth was, I saw nothing. There was nothing at all there. The story dissolved. At that moment the teaching, the reflecting, the experiencing came into a coherent whole. 

Fred encouraged me to let Susan be, to allow her to relax, to be right there, in the moment. "If you're practicing and you get stuck," he repeated," take a break and walk in the garden." Once again, I felt held by my teacher's compassionate gaze, his kindness, his clear guidance and the skillful way that his guidance was attuned to this particular mind and its strong habit energies.

I went back to my room. I sat in the space that I had prepared and applied myself to alternating short periods of shamatha, concentration practice, longer periods of meditation on the breath, walking meditation and reading and reflecting on the teachings in a flexible rhythm throughout the day and evening. It was not impossible. The teachings lifted me up and through the day. They were so specific, so easy, if one didn't fight them. It was thrilling to discover a simple way to cut the attachments to the complexes of superiority and envy that had caused lifelong suffering. I looked at my many preferences from the point of view of the watcher. My goodness, so much of my life spent thinking I was someone, an "I," a “Susan,” who was generally right and was entitled to a marriage and life that was in accord with my preferences. 

The next day Fred arrived at our meeting with a new text. "I don't know why I picked this one up," he said lifting Pointing Out the Nature of Mind: Dzogchen Pith Instructions of Aro Yeshe Jungne by Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche. "I thought you might find it interesting." And, I did. The amazing text spoke to my heart. It was so simple, helpful and direct. Practicing with it, I was filled with joy and gratitude.  

The following morning -- the last morning of the retreat -- Fred asked what had changed for me as a result of my time there. There were so many things. I felt so much joy at the end of the retreat. I felt so much lighter from recognizing that the thoughts that had caused me such suffering were insubstantial. Being able to examine my experience with the mind of the watcher completely changed my understanding of my "self" and the path. I had been trying to concentrate in a kind of brutal way to achieve a particular kind of quiet in my mind. Fred had guided me to understand that the path was about relaxing, not striving, and I had actually directly experienced enough of the difference to feel confident that I could go forward and practice in a new way.  

I told Fred I also had a new understanding of and appreciation for my teacher and what he was offering me. I now had a felt sense of his enlightened mind, an indescribable mixture of wisdom, kindness, understanding, and compassion. I could sense he would keep showing up to help me, over and over again, that he would not judge or hurt me, and that he would even interfere when I was hurtful to myself. 

His final gifts to me on this retreat were, "Relax. Trust Susan." Ever since the retreat I have guided myself with these three words.

Susan Ghosh, who attends the Tampa Sangha, is a long-time practitioner at FCM.

By MORGAN ALLEN

When I first heard about the opportunity to practice selfless service to the FCM community by helping in the kitchen during retreats, I jumped at the chance. I had been looking to become

more involved with the community in a way that felt comfortable and appropriate to me. My wife and I and our two children enjoy cooking at home and sharing meals together and this sounded like a great fit.

What I did not expect was how much the experience would deepen not only my connection with t

he sangha but my practice on the path.

As with most of us, I strive (and often fail) to bring mindfulness to daily life, to the simplest of tasks such as brushing my teeth or chopping broccoli. The distractions of home and my racing mind often make that simple concept exceedingly difficult. In the FCM kitchen, everything is treated with reverence, care and respect so just by walking in you are automatically in a physical and mental space that brings mindfulness to the forefront. 

Each session begins with the invitation of the bell and a gatha to remind us that every moment can be a meditation if you let it. And that practice becomes even more pronounced when there are 10 pounds of broccoli to chop, 20 cups of brown rice to wash and cook and 30 carrots to grate. I have never cared so much about grating carrot!

Every precaution is made to prepare the food in a respectful and safe manner for both the preparers and those who will consume the dishes. So there again, you have a lesson presented to you, if you are open to receiving it: food prepared with clean, wholesome ingredients and attention to cleanliness and health becomes not only a practice of selfless service but a way to honor the earth and all it provides for us while not depleting her resources in too great a manner or contributing to those practices which further her continued warming.

Then, at the end, after appreciating what the earth has given our community for nourishment, you are able to share that with the sangha as they are amid the deep reflections of their retreat. You provide their bodies nutrition so that they may provide their minds another form of nutrition.

I came to realize that sitting on the cushion is not enough, a concept I knew but often need reminding of. Retreatants need meals to support their deep practice and so do I every single day. If I can support my body and what goes into it and be more mindful of how I take those nutriments from the earth, then my practice will inherently become truer.

Selfless service in the FCM kitchen is a retreat unto itself -- an opportunity to hone your mindfulness skills intensely and acutely so that you may take them into your own kitchen, your own life. It is a wonderful pairing, if you allow it to be, of caring for the sangha as well as yourself. You give the gift of nourishment to others, but I found the true gift to be how I felt walking to my car afterwards and the brightness that seemed to follow me for the rest of the day (and hopefully longer).

The next time I pick up a knife I can’t help but be reminded of my time in the FCM kitchen, which then instantly will drop me into a more mindful place right there at home. That is something to be cherished.

Morgan Allen, of Land O' Lakes, joined FCM in August 2021. He is controller for RPM, a full-service advertising agency for live entertainment and Broadway shows.

Finding a way to give people a 21st Century insight to promote an understanding of ancient Buddhist practice is what Alex Lerner and Ken Lenington are offering in a one-day online workshop May 14 called “Cultivating the Dharma, Understanding the Brain.”

The workshop will give participants an opportunity to more deeply penetrate the workings of their minds by understanding their brains. It will have added dimensions beyond what has been offered in the past and will be suitable for practitioners at all levels of experience. It will be from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

“I’ve been exposed to many theoretical models for understanding psychology and mind,” Alex said in a recent interview with Mindfulness Matters,“but I have never come across anything as comprehensive as Buddhism to take on the deep understanding of why we suffer and how that continues to happen in modern life.

“With a mindfulness practice, we have the capacity to counter the deep conditioning that we have cultivated over many years and which causes us to continue to follow a path of suffering and chasing symptoms,” Alex said.

“Our mind is incredibly complex but nevertheless, mutable,” Alex said. “We need to understand why our brain is operating the way that it does and most important, because of the adaptation of neuroplasticity, that it has the incredible capacity to change how it functions.  Making the change, however, is the result of an active and deliberate process rather than a passive one, and it therefore, takes intention, commitment, discipline and practice.”

Alex, a retired ob-gyn physician from Tampa, unceremoniously and unintentionally encountered Buddhism after he retired from clinical practice. Throughout his medical career, his orientation had mostly been based on the physical body, but when he retired, he became interested in the mind.

“What is wrong, what hurt, what needed to be fixed was my job as a trained surgeon,” he said. “When I was focused on healing the body, I was trying to make it whole or ‘right,’ but I never thought deeply about making my focus be the impact of the mind.” After Alex took an eight-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction class, which was his introduction to meditation, it led him to sangha, which led him to a spiritual path, which was quite foreign to him.

“It is quite remarkable to see how a 2,600-year-old tradition is right in step with 21st Century findings in neuroscience regarding the function of the mind. It is interesting to be reminded that the only thing that the Buddha had to develop his insights and practice was his extraordinary observational ability to see and understand the human condition and how it functioned as people lived. Those observations from 2,600 years ago now align with what we have learned from 21st Century technologies.

“If you can give a person a reason why their brain works in a certain way, maybe we can give that person some assistance to help them understand how to change how they use their brain.” 

For the most part, we’ve been conditioned to exist in a material world, which we needed to master on a non-spiritual path. Is that prescribed path to happiness working as promised?

How do you change that which you have trained yourself to do for so long? Were we born stressed and overwhelmed? Why do most of us have a negative bias? Why are we preoccupied with the future?

The workshop will explore these questions as well as exploring our emotions as part of the human condition. People say, “I can’t help it, I’m just angry or anxious,” but where did that come from?  What is the Buddhist and neuroscientist's understanding of an emotion? 

The workshop will also help participants understand the “self” that Buddhist teachings tell us is a fabrication but that we are conditioned to believe actually exists. Why does it seem so counterintuitive to think that we do not really exist as a separate and independent self? Can we come to see the “self” as a “useful fiction,” designed to help us navigate the relative, or worldly, world as a convenience? 

Ken, a retired psychiatrist and addiction specialist from Asheville, NC, will add depth in discussion of Dharma and its correlation to neuroscience.

Both Alex and Ken are ordained members of the Order of Interbeing and are long-time members of FCM. Ken is a leader for numerous workshops, retreats and intensive practices. 

By JULIA BERBERAN

“Be here now. Be here now.” I kept saying this over and over in my head the first couple days of the retreat, trying to encourage my heart and mind to be here in my body, in this present moment. 

I had found FCM at the end of February when I was searching online for an escape from the world. I’d never heard of FCM (I live in Vermont) but I was going to visit family in Florida at the end of March and was glad to find a silent retreat I could go to first.

I didn't know what to expect. I’d started meditating more regularly in December (doing short guided meditations), and most of my relevant knowledge came from reading Pema Chödrön’s When Things Fall Apart multiple times over. I mainly signed up for this retreat because I didn’t want to talk to anyone for a week. I had no idea that the experience would be profoundly transformative.

As soon as I walked into FCM I was warmly welcomed by the kind folks inside. I felt the peacefulness of the people and the grounds. During the week I was moved by the sweetness of all of us greeting one another with a bow; the generosity of other retreatants helping me with my work meditation tasks; the beauty of the late afternoon sunshine bathing the Meditation Hall in golden light; and the vibration of the bells pouring into the cracks in my heart. I felt like I belonged here.

On the final day of the retreat Fred asked us to close our eyes and envision what we were going to take forward from our retreat experience. I saw myself in a cozy room inside my chest. It had orange floors, a comfy chair, a warm blanket, a little table with a salt lamp, and my favorite mug of tea. My heart was there too, as tall as myself.

I remembered that on the first day of the retreat my intention had been to welcome myself home. I had told myself to “be here now” to try to make that happen. But I realized during the closing circle that I hadn’t ever had a home inside myself to welcome myself into. Now I do. This retreat helped me create a home for my heart, and gave me the tools to maintain it.

When I remember to go slow; to feel the ground beneath my feet; to pay attention to my breath; to savor my food; to hear irritating sounds as “the voice of the Buddha;” to look deep into the core of my emotions and reactions and to be kind and gentle with myself— I’m tending to my home inside this body. I made a little Thich Nhat Hanh-style art for the walls of my heart’s home, it says “this is only the beginning but I am here.”

And I am here now. I have a lifetime of learning to do, and maybe I’ll always be at the beginning, but I’m so grateful to be here. Thank you.

Julia Berberan, a new FCM member who lives in Burlington, VT, aspires to spend more time in Florida.

By MITCH SCHAEFER

St. Pete Friends on the Path recently learned about sustainable gardening practices and lent a hand harvesting produce at the edible garden operated by Daystar Life Center, a nonprofit organization that serves the homeless and others in need in St. Petersburg. 

Daystar helps to fight hunger, poverty, and hopelessness by providing the necessities of life to neighbors in need. They provide food, clothing, and personal hygiene items, as well as educate and empower the community through promoting healthy nutrition, good health, and financial literacy. Daystar also connects individuals with resources in the community that can help them get back on their feet.  On a typical day, Daystar provides help to an average of 100 people.

Among the many inspiring programs Daystar operates is an organic edible garden which grows more than 50 varieties of vegetables, fruits, and herbs to provide a healthy diet to people in need. Daystar also provides nutrition information and healthy cooking classes, as well as guidance on how to create and sustain a backyard container garden. 

During the visit, members worked in the garden alongside Robin Clemmons, Daystar's head gardener, learning about sustainable gardening practices, including the basics of container gardening in Florida, and how native plants benefit us and local ecosystems. 

Members also harvested produce and prepared and bagged food for distribution to the homeless and others in need.

Friends on the Path have begun to cultivate new friendships during gatherings at Crescent Lake Park by sharing about their spiritual journeys ad the profound impact that Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings have had on their lives. One of the topics they have discussed was the opportunity to practice engaged Buddhism by working joyfully together to help those in need in the community.

Mitch Schaefer lives in St. Petersburg and participates in many programs at FCM's Tampa Practice Center.

By CHRIS BIRD

With the pandemic waning, I was grateful for the opportunity to attend this four-day silent retreat at FCM's Tampa Center on the 14 Verses on Meditation in honor of Thich Nhat Hanh. Previously, I had only recently started watching Fred’s Dharma talks online and joining the the weekly Zoom meetings of the Gainesville Live Oak Sangha.

My prior understanding of Thay‘s teachings was limited to reading some of his books, the Plum Village app and podcasts, and days of binge watching his transition ceremonies. I left the retreat with new tools to unpack my suffering and an inspiring image of the sandhill crane, migrating smoothly over danger below.

Arriving at the FCM practice center was like summer camp for the first time. Despite my inexperience, I immediately felt at home. Fred, the amazing volunteer staff, and my fellow retreatants help me connect with support on a peer level. The retreat ran like clockwork, with a sense of timelessness. The programming was balanced between intense practice sessions and relaxing personal space for reflection. The facilities and grounds were immaculate and uncluttered. Tasty and nourishing vegan meals inspired mindful eating. The mindful movements, guided meditations and work sessions helped me settle down into my body and distanced me from my thinking. The retreat invited stillness, deep looking, compassion, and laughter in the present moment. Hearing the beautiful voices of the morning and evening chanters, the invitings of the bell, and the smell of incense, with eyes closed I could have been sitting at Plum Village instead of Nebraska Avenue. 

Fred’s Dharma talks were powerful and inspiring. During the Q&A sessions, I was moved with the skill of his loving kindness in assisting practioners to learn how to look in the mirror to understand their suffering. I was encouraged by my own baby steps in stopping and looking to begin unpacking and embracing some of my deeper seated afflictions. As Fred pointed out, in the present moment, you can only deal with one affliction at a time. Another of my takeaways is the importance of sangha to support my practice.

During the last two evening sessions, Fred encouraged us to devote an hour to solitary meditation. What manifested for me was a new object of meditation. I visualized a sandhill crane, gliding high in the sky with a steady tail wind, calmly migrating after a perilous winter in overdeveloped Florida, toward the refuge of a pristine prairie in Canadian summer. 

Breathing in, wings up, breathing out, wings down. With stillness and ease, looking through clear skies, keeping the turbulence and dark clouds of thoughts and feelings at a safe distance. Deep looking on a smooth flight path toward the other shore. 

Video of  Sandhill Cranes Flying and Calling

Chris Bird of Gainesville recently retired from an environmental career implementing community-based best practices for climate and water resiliency. Chris’ spiritual path started with Kripalu Yoga and the Temple of the Universe led by Michael Singer, and currently the practice of mindfulness as taught by Fred Eppsteiner and Thich Nhat Hanh.  He especially enjoys incorporating mindfulness into dog walking, paddleboarding, and hiking.

By KASHA WILLIAMSON

When I traded in my corporate suit for a pair of carpenter shorts, baseball cap and work 

gloves, I had no idea how deeply my life would change.

My husband, Kelly, and I got into handywork with my Dad when we moved to Naples in 2016 after both quitting our office jobs. I had worked in corporate communications and organizational development, and Kelly was a chemical engineer.

It was during this transition that I learned the process of working meditation. When I work as a handylady, most of my projects require 100 percent of my attention, particularly when they are on a ladder 12 feet off the ground or assisting my husband in changing out electrical lines.

I have been practicing mindfulness on the cushion and in life for about 10 years after learning about mindfulness through my children’s high school when the school was looking for volunteer mindfulness facilitators. Fast forward to 2016: I jumped into study and deeper practice with the Naples Sangha of FCM when we moved to Naples.

Since then, I have moved to Eustis, FL, but maintained my membership in FCM. During a chat with fellow member John McHarris, I learned about the part-time residency selfless service program at FCM -- a way to help out around the FCM grounds, while also having the luxurious opportunity to live on the campus, meditate and, for me, recharge my spirit while being of service to the Sangha. 

After a few emails to Bill Mac Millen and David Braasch to see what types of projects needed assistance and to coordinate calendars, I set up a few nights, packed up my tools (although the campus has just about every tool needed), and headed to Tampa. 

I stayed at Great Cloud Refuge four days and three nights. My daily schedule was pretty simple: morning meditation, breakfast, mindful service, lunch/rest, a little more mindful service, free time/walking meditation/personal study, dinner, meditation or join a talk if one was available that evening. I was fortunate to be able to join the Tuesday night discussion in the Meditation Hall during my stay.

I fixed door hinges, door closures, repaired drywall from a leak, touched up paint, and repaired/rebuilt an old wood cover on a water pump. I found great joy in every project I worked on at FCM, mostly because I was doing each “job” with a heightened sense of mindfulness and attention. I worked at a slower pace, even taking “bell” moments to reflect and to see where my mind was while mixing drywall mud or measuring out wood cuts. 

This experience made me realize I could do this same practice when on a client site or working on one of our properties. It reinforced my practice IRL (“In Real Life”). I am very grateful for the experience and opportunity, the time spent with people around the campus, and the library was like a candy store! 

Many types of projects are available at FCM. Check out  https://www.floridamindfulness.org/Volunteer to learn more. 

Kasha Williamson of Eustis, FL, Source of Ceaseless Aspiration, joined FCM in 2018 when she lived in Naples, and now practices with the Tampa sangha.

By NANCY NATILSON

“Who would like to share their own direct experience of deciding to end a pregnancy?” Fred asked. He continued, “We will practice deep sharing and deep listening, without judgment and without expressing or holding on to our views. Abortion is a very divisive topic in America these days, and we need to learn how to be open to listening without judgment and to engage in compassionate dialogue, especially with those who hold views different than our own.”

The next hour of our Tuesday evening “Applied Buddhism: The Practical Application of Buddhist Ethics in Daily Life” was one of the most heartfelt, courageous sharing sessions I have heard at FCM. Women told about the circumstances that created the need to make a decision about their pregnancy. Some were in a stable relationship (and even married), but the timing wasn’t right; others were either not in a relationship, or in an unstable relationship, or with a partner who would not have been a good father. Some felt they were too young to begin a family; others already had children and felt they didn’t have sufficient resources to raise another child. 

Regardless of the reason, all expressed a certain amount of sorrow about the loss – of the potential son or daughter that never was born; of the opportunity to be a mother; of the dissolution of the relationship either because of the pregnancy or over the decision to end the pregnancy.

The other common emotions expressed were guilt and/or shame – at having ended a potential life; at doing something that relatives and society considered unethical and wrong. And because of the shame, many of the women who shared had never had the opportunity to talk openly about their experience and reflect openly and honestly. They all felt they had made the right decision, but the impact lingered on.

The most poignant aspect of the evening for me was the willingness of one woman after another to bow in and reveal her experience of deciding to end a pregnancy and the lasting effects of having made that decision. One woman said, “While I had originally intended to simply be present and listen, I was very moved to speak by the sharing of others. I felt the loving support and understanding that I had longed for but did not have access to so many years before, when I had to make this difficult decision.”

Trust in the sangha allowed for sharing of previously undisclosed deep feelings. The impact of knowing that others were not going to judge them gave the women the courage needed to let what was in their hearts be revealed.  

The collective sharing was healing to those who had had abortions and also very moving to those who listened to the stories. Many admitted in real time that the heavy burden of shame and/or guilt they had been carrying around immediately felt lighter. All agreed that the sharing was the beginning of their healing journey and they were very grateful for this opportunity given to them by FCM. Those who listened deeply agreed that the conversation opened their hearts; they were able to reflect with compassion and felt a closer bond with their courageous sangha sisters.

Nancy Natilson, a long-time member of FCM, is ordained in the Order of Interbeing. She has volunteered at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Tampa for many years, holding the hands of countless women during their abortion procedures. 

By REBECCA MEDINA

When I first heard of Thay’s transition, I knew that it would be a special time of deep practice for all of his students and everyone who had ever been touched by his noble compassion. I virtually attended the meditation and the memorial service to honor Thay through FCM. My aspiration the next day was to show up to life with gentleness in the way I walk, softness with the way I talk, and a vow to love more purely in honor of our beloved teacher.

I have been a member of the FCM parenting group, led by Karuna, for about five years. We have a monthly topic that is practiced between meetings. Using these practices has been instrumental in parenting my now 7- and 3-year-old. Karuna sent an email after Thay passed for the group to focus on Hugging Meditation for the next meeting. What a sweet way to honor our teacher and continue his teachings! I shared the intention of my commitment to Hugging Meditation with my Dharma Buddy and got started right away.  

My first realization was that I had stopped hugging my daughter as much as I had when she was younger. We still hugged daily, but it seemed to be in passing as she got off the bus or ran out the door to play outside with friends. With intention clearly set, I sat on the sofa with her and held her in my lap. She wrapped her arms around my neck and we just hugged for several breaths completely present to the love we had for one another. I knew then that the way I would hug her going forward would be with more presence and purpose than the way things had been with our busy lives. There was a closeness as we hugged -- a deep connection was back in our every day lives.  

The next day, my 3-year-old son was having a meltdown. My initial reaction was impatience before I quickly remembered my commitment. I stooped down on his level and asked him for a hug. He slowly walked toward my open arms, wiping away his tears. Upon our embrace, anxiety was eased, all fear softened, and anger melted away for us both. Through Hugging Meditation, I learned it would be pretty difficult to truly hold someone close in the space of awareness while simultaneously being irritated and annoyed with them. In that moment my heart was full of gratitude for Thay, Fred, and the Sangha. Thay’s teachings continued in me and I was passing the Dharma to my children through my actions. Knowing Thay was living on through me was a profound realization.  

My son sometimes wakes at night for me to rock him back to sleep. Normally, I hold him, half asleep myself, wishing for him to doze off quickly so I can get some rest. That night, I answered his call for “momma” and held him in the stillness of the night as we swayed back and forth. His peaceful nursery, the feeling of my feet grounded beside his crib, and the warmness of his little body against mine made me wish that the moment could go on forever. My mind then turned to the notion of impermanence, and I went back to just breathing, fully aware of the moment, full of gratitude for our embrace. Now in the middle of the night I use the practice to remain present when he awakens.  

Applying Hugging Meditation to my daily practice has helped me shift to a place of stillness. There has been an expansion of connection and well being with my children and a calmness that lingers since adding it to our daily lives. I am wholeheartedly honored to connect with my family through the teachings of our dear teacher Thay, who taught us to love with open arms.

Rebecca Medina moved from Tampa to Charlotte NC in 2020. She has been practicing for about eight years and has been a member of FCM for about six. She is a member of the Parenting Spiritual Friends group and attends the monthly family program via Zoom. Before children, she was involved in Wake-Up.