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| Buddhist Faith Fellowship at the Mansfield Freeman Center |
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
Shin Retreat 2010
(August
6-8)
RETREAT INFORMATION
Come
and practice with us,
twice
a month on Sunday mornings,
at our
new summer location,
the Woodhead Lounge at the Exley Science Center,
Wesleyan University,
Middletown, Connecticut,
10 a.m. to 11:45 - 12 p.m.
(See our special summer schedule below)
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.
(a minumum suggested donation is $10)
See
our calendar below.
e-mail
us
amida@bffct.net
or call us for more information
(860) 805-2078

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| Practice and live a happy life. |
New To Site
NEW Summer Schedule
& Location. We will be meeting 2x a month at the
Woodhead Lounge at the Exley Science Center. Free parking at Parking Lot D on Lawn Ave. during the months starting June 27
- August 29. See directions below.
Summer Field
Trips and Shin Retreat. We are offering a
couple of interesting summer field trips. In addition, we highly suggest that you attend the Shin retreat at BCBS in
August in Mass. It is a unique spiritual event on North America. See below.
Autumn Buddhist
Courses. Take a look at our Buddhist courses starting this
October. Once again we will offer our popular Discovering Shin Buddhism Course. http://dharmaquest.bffct.net/
Buddhist 12 Step Group.
Do you have an addiction? Drugs? Alcohol? Porn? Nicotine? Gambling? Tv? Eating? etc. To help you in your recovery, we have
created a new non-sectarian Buddhist 12 Step Group. This is the first in the state. Our 12 Step Group meets
on Mondays at 7:00 @ the First United Methodist Church in Middletown. See below for more information. Visit http://www.youtube.com/user/bffct2001 to see our new 12 Step video. For contact, and/or join our e-mail list click buddha12step@hotmail.com
Our Newest Short Video. Take a look at our film, entitled BFF of Ct: Community, that deplicts our sangha, its members and varied
activiities.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdsdfkZnWZ0
BFF
of Ct's Facebook. Have you become a fan of our Facebook site? Be a fan and keep in touch with us and others. We
send out a newsletter and updates a couple of times a month. See Facebook web page for link or click here.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Middletown-CT/Buddhist-Faith-Fellowship-of-Connecticut/19836119560

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| Sunday Mornings at the BFF of Ct |
(Updated on July 18, 2010)
Summer Theme:
Engaging Life As It Is
Summer Schedule
& Location
During the summer
months we will be gathering in the Woodhead Lounge, at the Exley Science Center. Click here for directions http://www.bffct.net/id9.html
06/27. Something You Forgot...Along the Way. This talk
and discussion will present heart-warming stories that will explore life's basic truths, and spiritual and
psychological insights. They will inspire you to look deeply within yourself and stir the aspiration to seek your
inner potential of wisdom and compassion. Readings from the book with the same title of this
talk, written by Kentetsu Takamori. Presented by Senpai.
07/04. Fourth of July. No Wesleyan Gathering.
07/11. What
I Discovered about Buddhist Teachings. The graduates
of our Buddhism 101 class will reflect on what they learned, including the challenges and blessings of practice, during their
6 month walk on the Buddha's path of insight, compassion and faith. This gathering is especially useful
for those who want to know more about becoming a Buddhist. Also, There will be a small Affirmation Ceremony for the Buddhism
101 Course's graduates. Lead by Senpai.
07/16. Shakespeare
Field Trip. Come along and attend our 3rd annual field trip to an Art Farm performance of “As You Like It”
at Middlesex Community College, Middletown. This outdoor event will start will music at 6 p.m. and the
play will start at 7 p.m. We will be located in the center front. We will either have BFF t-shirts or some other buddhist
identification to help you spot us. Let us know if you are attending. $20 donation to Art Farm at entrance. Rain date 7/17. http://sites.google.com/a/art-farm.org/www/artfarmnews
07/18. Obon: The
Buddhist Festival of the Dead. Special field trip to New
York City (see below) to attend the Hatsubon & Obon morning service of the New York Buddhist Church on
331 Riverside Drive with lunch and a visit to the Ruben Museum of Himalayan Arts. We are looking for volunteers to carpool.
Please email at amida@bffct.net. To learn more about this event, visit:
http://www.newyorkbuddhistchurch.org/calendar.html
No Wesleyan Gathering.
07/24. One Day Pilgrimage Field Trip – Chuang Yen and Blue Cliff Monasteries,
NY State. We will
be leaving Wethersfield area at 8:30 a.m. It take about 1.5
hours to get to Chuang Yen. There, we will have a guided tour of the monastery and then have a vegetarian lunch ($5). Bring
a bag for plenty of free Buddhist books. From there we will go to Blue Cliff Monastery, which is Thich Nhat Hanh’s main
monastery in North America. We have tour around there and visit the book store. Open to all
friends and members.
07/25. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. Learn to live in the present moment. Do one thing at a time. We will explore how these and several other techniques author Carlson recommends to
keep the little things from taking over your life bear an uncanny resemblance to the Buddhist path of avoiding too much attachment
and too much aversion and accepting reality as it is. Presented by Kisen.
08/06 - 08. Shin Buddhist Retreat with Dr. Mark and Taitetsu Unno at the Barre Center
for Buddhist Studies. We highly recommend this weekend retreat experience. This annual event explores the fundamentals of
Shin and encourages participants to go deeply within themselves to touch their very ground of being. This is open to
beginners - advanced buddhists including non-buddhists and new to buddhism. Limited enrollment. Sign up early.
To learn more and register visit
http://www.dharma.org/bcbs
08/15. Faith, Hope and Compassion. Participants of the Shin retreat will reflect on and share
their retreat weekend experience. Themes will cover faith and hope in Buddhism, being the object of compassion and awakening
to peace and love.
08/29. The Secret of a Happier
Home Life. This talk and discussion will explore the dimensions of Right Speech. Through mindful and gentle
speech and listening, we can create better relationships with family co-workers and friends. Presented by Senpai.
End of Summer Schedule & Location
09/12. The
Present Moment, Interdependence & Faith. Includes our annual Water Ceremony. Please bring a vial of water
from a location visited during the summer months (it can be tap too that symbolizes the place) that represents an experience
of either interconnectedness, deep gratitude or entrusting faith. All vials will be poured into a large vase that symbolizes
the Oneness of Reality. Presented by Senpai.
09/19. Star Wars, Avatar and
Buddhism. Is there any connection with the spiritual storylines of these Hollywood movies and the Buddhist teachings?
What is the connection between the Force and the Mother Tree with Amida Buddha and the Primal Vow? What about the Shaolin
monks and the Jedis? More connections and implications will be explored in this multi-media presentation. This will be a continuation of
Eli Williamson-Jones' dharma discussion in 2005. Presented by Eli Willianson-Jones.

Our Buddhist 12 Step Group
Open to buddhists and non-buddhists
Looking to be addiction or craving free?
Are your seeking to be sober, clean and free? We have established the first Buddhist 12 Step Group for addiction recovery
in the State of Connecticut. You do not have to be a Buddhist to participate or benefit from our 12 Step
Group. This non-sectarian group meets on Monday evenings at 7 – 8:30 @ the First
United Methodist Church,
24 Old Church Street, Middletown.
Our 12 Step Group applies Buddhist principles to recovery. The 12 Step Buddhist
by Darren Littlejohn is our Group’s guiding book. For newcomers, the inspirational A Teaching A Day is given free. Other
suggested books are One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the 12 Steps by Kevin Griffin, Mindful Recovery by Thomas Bien, and
The Zen of Recovery by Mel Ash.
If you are interested in participating
or are looking for more information about our Buddhist 12 Step Group or joining our 12 Step e-mailing list, contact us at
buddha12step@hotmail.com
To see our 12 Step video visit
http://www.youtube.com/user/bffct2001
To read more about this unique 12 Step
Group visit
http://buddhistfaith.tripod.com/project/id14.html
Shakespeare Field Trip
Friday, July 16
This
will be our 3rd annual Shakespeare field trip experience at the campus of Middlesex Community College,
100 Training Hill Road, Middletown.
This year, the Art Farm will be putting on Shakespeare’s play titled “As You Like It”. It is an outdoor theater event. Music starts at 6 p.m. the show starts at 7 p.m. They are asking for a
$20 donation. Our rain date will be Saturday, July 17. For more information visit http://sites.google.com/a/art-farm.org/www/artfarmnews
Let
us know if you are attending or sign up at our Meetup group. E-mail us at amida@bffct.net
Volunteers
needed – we need one or two volunteers to arrive at before 6 p.m. to set up a blanket in the middle front of the stage
in order to get a good location. Also, if volunteers could wear their BFF t-shirts or have some other type of identification
so others can find you. Let us know if you can volunteer. amida@bffct.net
Obon Field Trip
Sunday, July 18
“If you are interested in Buddhism, this is a trip for you”
We are planning
a spiritual excursion to the New York Buddhist Church
on Riverside Drive to attend the Sunday morning Hatsubon
Service for Master Genshin and Hozen Seki and a talk on “The Essence of Obon” at 11:30 am to 1 p.m. “Hatsubon”
is a memorial service. Genshin was one of the Pure Land Masters. “Hozen
Seki” was the famous founder NY Buddhist Church. “Obon” is the traditional Buddhist festival of the dead.
Please dress
causally but nice. Then, we will go for lunch and then in the afternoon, we will visit the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Arts.
Don’t worry, we’ll have time for lunch too. We’ll leave NYC around 5 p.m. Let us know if you are coming
along. We will be carpooling from a Middletown Commuter Lot off I-91 @ Country Club Road (exit 20). Look for the silver Volvo
S40. We have a volunteer driver and if more people come along then we’ll need one more driver. Passengers will be asked
to help share the fuel costs.
We
will leave Middletown, Connecticut
at 8:30 a.m. As mentioned above, we have one person volunteering to drive. She can fit 4 people. We need one more volunteer
driver.
New York Buddhist Church http://www.newyorkbuddhistchurch.org/calendar.html
Rubin Museum
of Himalayan Arts http://www.rmanyc.org/
Let
us know if you will be attending this special field trip and/or would like to volunteer to be a driver so we can coordinate
this awesome field trip. E-mail us at amida@bffct.net
Pilgrimage Field Trip
Saturday, July 24
One Day Pilgrimage Field Trip – Chuang Yen and Blue Cliff Monasteries, NY State. We will be leaving Wethersfield
area at 8:30 a.m. It takes about 1.5 hours to get to Chuang Yen. There, we will have a guided tour of the monastery and then
have a vegetarian lunch ($5). Bring a bag for plenty of free Buddhist books. From there we will go to Blue Cliff Monastery,
which is Thich Nhat Hanh’s main monastery in North America. We will tour around there,
meditate, listen to a dharma talk and visit the book store. If you are interested in going with us, contact us at amida@bffct.net. Let us know you name and location. We will meet up in Wethersfield
but if you are on the way on I-84 will can pick you up at a commuter lot. This is free but we will share in the fuel. We may
need one more volunteer to be the car pool driver.
Chuang Yen Monastery http://www.baus.org/baus/about_us/intro_cym.html
Blue Cliff Monastery http://bluecliffmonastery.org/
Shin Buddhist Retreat
August 6-8
The Best Shin Event of the Year
If you haven't yet signed up for the Shin
Retreat at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in August,
we highly recommend that you attend this unique spiritual event. It is the only such event in North America
and occurs just once a year.
This annual Shin Buddhist Retreat is lead
by Dr. Mark and Taitetsu Unno at the Barre Center
for Buddhist Studies (BCBS). This annual event explores the fundamentals of Shin
and encourages participants to go deeply within themselves to touch their very ground of being. This is open to beginners
- advanced Buddhists including non-Buddhists and new to buddhism. Limited enrollment. Sign up early. BCBS offers scholarships for those in need. To learn more and register visit
http://www.dharma.org/bcbs
OUR BUDDHIST CHAPTERS WORLD-WIDE
To visit our Chapter/Practice
Groups’ web sites
visit our Connecticut &World Wide Chapters page
Ongoing. The
Charlotte Buddhist Fellowship in the heart of North
Carolina gathers on a regular basis. Hosted by former Connecticut member, Practice Leader Mr. M. Wireman.
Ongoing. The
12 Step Buddhist Group in Middletown, Connecticut
meets Monday evenings, 7 p.m.. This group focuses on recovering through buddhist teachings from all sorts of craving
and addictions. Hosted by a number of BFF members and friends. Visit web site.
Ongoing. The East
Alabama Buddhist Fellowship in Alabama gathers
on a regular basis. Hosted by Practice Leader Mr. C. Marbutt.
Ongoing.
The Sarasota Buddhist Fellowship in Florida gathers on a regular basis. Hosted by former Connecticut
member and now Practice Leader Ms. Geena Tomlinson.
Ongoing. Grupo Budista de Benito Juárez meets once a month in Benito
Juárez,
Argentina with meditation and nembutsu. This
group's Practice Leader is Sebastián
Calo.
Ongoing. Grupo Budista de Córdoba meets
once a month in Córdoba Argentina with meditation and nembutsu. This
group's Practice Leader is Rodrigo Pedraza Cécere.
Ongoing.
Brevard County Buddhist Fellowship
(BCBF) serves Titusville, Cape Canaveral, Satellite Beach, Merritt Island and
more. This active and growing community has three sanghas.
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. Social Action Project. Our active Buddhist human and environmental advocacy group meets regularly
with field trips and activities. It host our 12 Step Buddhist Group that seeks recovery from all sorts of craving and
addictions. Get involved! Visit web site. To learn about our 12 Step Group visit http://www.youtube.com/user/bffct2001
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. Northern Ontario Buddhists. Meets in Massey, Ontario.
Hosted by S. Dreaver. Visit this Canadian Buddhist
web site for more information.

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