Welcome to the new online Cyber-sangha & discussion forum of the Buddhist Faith Fellowship of Connecticut, which is fondly called Shin-dig.

This is a Cyber-sangha, has been designed to extend our special spiritual community beyond our local area and connect with people throughout the world, to more deeply explore the topic of the Sunday morning discussion, to share aspects of your practice, to engage in book discussions, ask questions, glean support for personal issues, and participate in community. The only rules are that you must be respectful and keep discussion relevant to the group—which means being kind in disagreement, no profane language and no solicitation.

We also ask that you write under appropriate subject headings, so that others may easily follow a thread.

Your Postings

Please send an initial post to the group under the heading of “Introduction.” with such information as your name (first only is fine if that’s all you are comfortable with), where you are from, and something about your practice so we will know who you are. Because very few Buddhist Yahoo! groups are of the Shin tradition—and because this group is centered on practice and might be of interest to those from other traditions—this is important for the security and integrity of the community. All are welcome.

If you decide to leave the BFF Cyber-sangha an email announcing that is also requested.

Follow your Buddha Nature

Shin-dig is online community and functions under the same rules of etiquette as any other community. Remember that the people who receive your postings are real and feelings can be hurt by harsh words or a sense of feeling ignored. 

Circle of Equals

While “lurking” (reading without participating) cannot be forbidden, it is discouraged because of the personal nature of this list. As you probably know, Shin has no monastic tradition and sangha is seen as a circle of equals. We are all responsible for making this list a vital and relevant vehicle for spiritual growth. Because the primary focus is practice, rather than theory, you don’t have to know a lot about Shin or Buddhism in general to enjoy full participation. We are all students and all teachers here. Please feel free to initiate discussion about any topic that is relevant to you.

We are pleased to have you among us. For more information on Buddhist Faith Fellowship (BFF) activities, check out our schedule on our home page and to learn more about Shin Buddhism, read our new updated articles.

Namu Amida Butsu,

---- Jae Malone, BFF Shin-dig Moderator