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| Buddhist Faith Fellowship at the Mansfield Freeman Center |
Welcome!
Buddhism is a life long education to learn how to realize our human potential by transforming
suffering into peace, joy and liberation.
Come and Join
Us
Come
and practice with us on most Sunday mornings,
overlooking
a Zen garden at the inspirational
Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies,
Wesleyan University,
Middletown, Connecticut,
between
10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Please arrive 10 minutes early
but if you are late,
feel free to join us. Dress informally and comfortably.
Open to all beginners and advanced seekers.
All new guests will receive a free gift book,
Living Meditation, Living Insight
by Dr. Thynn Thynn.
Sunday
morning activities are offered Free of Charge
but
a donation is greatly appreciated.
See our calendar
below.
e-mail
us at
amida@bffct.net
or call us for more information
(860) 805-2078
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| Practice and live a happy life. |
Buddhist Mindfulness Retreat. Our 7th annual retreat with take place on Sunday, 6/1
in New Hartford, Connecticut. Theme is Touching Peace. Includes: sitting, walking & voice meditation and
instruction, silence, discussions and vegetarian lunch. For beginners to advanced. non-members are warmly welcomed.
See our Buddhist Courses & Workshops web page for directions & registration.
Room
to Breathe Workshop with Anne Kingsley Marr. Sunday,
May 25 from 1 -3 p.m. in Southington Buddhist Fellowship. Learn Kum Nye movements, which were originally part of Tibetan medical practice, that influence energetic balance through
the three principles of movement, self massage, and breath. Register online or during our Sunday morning gathering. Visit
our Buddhist Workshops & Course web page for more details.
Recommended Books and Buddhist Reading Room. This web page has new suggested Shin books including Shin Buddhism by Taitetsu Unno.
Also we have a Google link to the documentary video of the book The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.
New Photos on our Community
Album: Includes the Meditation-thon in autumn 2007 and the Flower Festival (Buddha's Birthday)
2008. See our Community Photo Album web site for link.
Is Climate Change a Sham? Is this "global warming" a sham? false science? a liberal conspiracy? What is the counter evidence? Articles
and discussion at Buddha Gaia, our eco-buddhist community. 5/30 (Friday), 7 p.m. Middletown. Vist Connecticut
& World Wide Chapters web page for link. Open to all.
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| A Buddhist Faith Fellowship Sunday Gathering |
MIDDLETOWN BUDDHIST CALENDAR
(Updated on April 22, 2008)
Spring/Summer Theme:
Buddhism in Everyday Life
4/13. Humility:
the Universal Virtue. How and why Shin Buddhism elevates the greatest virtue of humility? What does it mean to be
a Shin Buddhist? Inspired by the book Dharma Breeze by Nobuo Haneda. Presented
by Jeff Zyjeski.
4/20. Remember:
Be Happy: A practical exploration into the Noble Eightfold Path’s
Right Livelihood & Right Effort. Second installment in this discussion series; learn about Buddha’s handy
instructions to wholesomeness. From the book It’s Easier than You Think: The
Buddhist Way to Happiness by Sylvia Boorstein. Presented by Yvette Law.
4/27. An
Uncompromising Religion. Short essays looking into the nature of the Buddhist religion and ‘living it,’
and how some tend to ‘corrupt’ the teachings to serve their self-centered needs. Authors include Ajahn Amaro,
Ruth Fuller Sasaki & Dzongsar Rinpoche. From First Thoughts from various editions
of Buddhadharma magazine.
5/04. The Indispensable Conditions of Religious
Conviction. In search for spiritual peace, why do so many fail
to experience it? A hard hitting essay on how to unfold and live within faith
and awakening. From the classic book December Fan by Manshi Kiyozawa.
5/11. Mother's Day with
Buddha. Topic: As is: Sono - Mama. Explore the unbounded embrace of universal love
and acceptance, symbolized as Amida Buddha. A look into everyday compassion through the nembutsu. From the modern classic
book River of Fire, River of Water by Dr. Taitesu Unno.
5/18. Dying, Death
and Hope. What is death? An insightful look into death, fear, rebirth and the nature of existence. Exerpts from various
books including the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying and Coffinman. Presented by Janine Janaki.
5/25. Wisteria
Festival Picnic (Fuji Matsuri) on Memorial Day Weekend. Celebrate the birth of Shinran Shonin, founder of
Shin Buddhism, with an American style picnic. Potluck Picnic location at the Southington Buddhist Fellowship (see web site).
Includes a special optional workshop: Room to Breathe (see below). No meeting at Wesleyan
University.
6/01. Buddhist Retreat in
New Hartford. This annual retreat will focus on cultivating
mindfulness. The theme is Touching Peace. Focusing on sitting meditation, Zen walking, chanting, eating meditation
etc. Various short spiritual topics from Shin and Zen Buddhism will be offered for discussion by BFF Associate Teachers.
Includes home-made Korean vegetarian lunch. Donation: $50. Open
to beginners to advanced practitioners. See our Workshops & Courses web page. No meeting at Wesleyan University.
6/08. The World is on Fire.
A reading and discussion on Buddha's famous Fire Sermon. How does it relate to our lives in present day America? Presented by Jeff Zyjeski.
6/15. Do
Chimps have Buddhanature? Short essays answering the question of who we really
are. A look into relationship of Buddhanature and the genome, teacher and student, and the importance of simply staying present
in this very present moment. Authors include David Berman, Jiro Osho & Thich Nhat Hanh. From First Thoughts from various editions of Buddhadharma magazine.
6/22. My
Father and Raiders of the Lost Ark: a practical exploration into the Noble Eightfold Path’s Right Concentration
& Right Mindfulness. Third installment in this discussion series; learn about Buddha's practice of paying attention,
awareness and balanced acceptance. From the book It’s Easier than You Think:
The Buddhist Way to Happiness by Sylvia Boorstein. Presented by Yvette Law.
6/29. Turn Your Thinking, Upside Down. A
practical and radical look into how we can train ourselves to transform our predictable tendency "to get hooked" thereby withdrawing
into ourselves and putting up walls. From the article written by Pema Chodron in Shambhala Sun Magazine May
2007.
7/6. I Bow with
Inconceivable Light. A discussion on spiritual transformation through Shin from a personal
perspective. How has the Shin Buddhist teachings and practice transform the NEIBS’ graduates and the members of the
BFF congregation? Includes an exploration on daily practice strategies.
Includes a short graduation
ceremony of the Buddhism 101 students of the New England Institute of Buddhist Studies.
Annual Shin Buddhism Retreat
with Dr. Taitetsu
& Mark Unno
7/11-13. Annual Shin
Buddhism Retreat at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, Massachusetts. Two well-known father
and son teachers: Dr. Taitetsu Unno and Dr. Mark Unno will lead the retreat. This is a highly recommended event. $190 for
the weekend. Perfect for beginners and advanced.
Visit the Barre Center
for Buddhist Studies web site for more information and to register. Fills up early. We suggest you register asap.
Retreat Info & Registration
7/13. to be announced.
7/20. to be announced.
7/27. to be announced.
Summer Recess in August
Weselyan University
is closed
BFF Buddhist Pilgrimage
Annual BFF Buddhist
Pilgrimage the Monasteries and Temples in New York State. Includes: Chuang Yen Monastery, Zen Mountain Monastery,
KTD Monastery and the Catskill Zen Monastery.
Experience the mosaic of
Buddhism from Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan and Korean styles of practice, ritual and architecture. Free but the cost of gas, tolls etc will be shared. Carpooling will be the mode of
transportation.
Participants can either camp
at the Kenneth L. Wilson campground and at a local hotel. Hotel reservations must be done by participants.
Date: either the weekend
of 8/16-17 or 8/23/24. Still too early to set a definite date. Time: leaving Wethersfield on Saturday at 7 a.m. & returning on Sunday 8:00 p.m.
BUDDHIST COURSES & ACTIVITIES
Room to Breathe Workshop
with
Anne Kingsley Marr
No
experience necessary
This special event will take
place on Sunday, May 25 from 1 -3 p.m. at the Southington Buddhist Fellowship. Learn Kum Nye movements, which were originally part of Tibetan medical practice, that influence energetic balance through
the three principles of movement, self massage, and breath. Register online or during our Sunday Morning gathering. Anne Kingsley
Marr lives and the United Kingdom and will be in the USA for a short stay. Visit our Buddhist Workshops & Courses web page for more details.
OUR BUDDHIST CHAPTERS WORLD-WIDE
To visit our Chapter/Practice
Groups’ web sites
visit our Connecticut &World Wide Chapters page
Ongoing. North
Country Buddhist Fellowship gathers in Malone,
New York at the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. Hosted by Practice Leader Mr. David Brunelle.
Ongoing. The Coos Bay Buddhist Fellowship in Oregon
gathers on a regular basis. Hosted by Practice Leader Mr. David Cowan.
Ongoing. The
Shin Buddhist Fellowship of Toledo at The Arch at the University of Toledo, Toledo,
Ohio. This sangha will meet twice a month on Mondays. Hosted
by Practice Leader Dr. Susan Purviance.
Ongoing. The Woodlands Buddhist Fellowship
in The Woodlands in Montegomery County, Texas. Hosted
by Practice Leader Joseph Frechette.
Ongoing. Fukuyama Buddhist Fellowship serves Hiroshima, Mihara, Okayama and Kurashiki areas. Meets on the first and third Sunday of
the month, at the Fukuyama Shimin Sakaku Community Center. Hosted by Shodo.
Ongoing. Asamblea Budista de Durango (Mexico). This
is an active Latin American Shin sangha of more tha two dozen Universidad Benito Juarez students and others that meet weekly
on Saturdays at 4 p.m. See web site. Practice Leader is Héctor Chavez.
Ongoing.
Brevard County Buddhist Fellowship
(BCBF) serves Titusville, Cape Canaveral, Satellite Beach, Merritt Island and
more. This active and growing community has three sanghas. County Coodinator is Shanti Johnson. The BCBF communities
include:
Satellite Beach Brevard
County Buddhist Fellowship
Merritt Island Brevard
County Buddhist Fellowship
Titusville Brevard County Buddhist Fellowship
Ongoing. Southington
Buddhist Fellowship gathers on the first Friday of the month, serving Southington, Chershire,
Wolcott, Waterbury and Meriden Buddhists and Friends. Hosted by Bob W.
Ongoing. Asamblea Budista
de Buenos Aires. Meeting weekly on Tuesdays.
This will be the BFF Argentina affiliated chapter, representing a new South American Shin
Buddhism. BFF Practice Leader is Guillermo Cabanales.
On
recess. Buddhist Practice Group of Rocky Hill meets monthly, on Tuesdays 7-9 p.m. This central Connecticut chapter is in recess
till renovations are finished.
Ongoing. Buddha Gaia. Our active environmental advocacy group meets regularly with field trips and activities. Integrate
Buddhist spirituality with the Earth. Get involved! Visit web site.
Ongoing.
Albuquerque Buddhist Fellowship Group. Meets
on most Sunday mornings at the First Unitarian
Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Hosted by BFF Practice Leader Dug Corpolongo. Visit web site.
Ongoing. Grupo Budista de Cabo Rojo. Meets on Saturday mornings. This Spanish speaking sangha. Visit web site.
Ongoing. Northern Ontario Buddhists.
Meets in Massey,
Ontario. Hosted by S. Southwind. Visit
this Canadian Buddhist web site for more information.
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