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| Buddhist Faith Fellowship at the Mansfield Freeman Center |
Welcome!
Buddhism is a lifelong
education to learn how to realize our human potential by transforming suffering
into peace, joy and liberation.
Looking
for the Buddha's Teachings Practice with us, on
Sunday mornings, Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies,
Wesleyan University,
Middletown, Connecticut, 10 a.m. to 12 noon Please
try to 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. Sunday morning activities
are offered Free of Charge but a donation
is greatly appreciated. (a minimum suggested donation is $10) See our Calendar & Activities 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
Mindfulness Retreat. Learn and practice calming the
mind so you can open your heart to true peace and gratitude. Our annual one day retreat will take place on May 19, 2013 from
9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Registration closed on May 14. Visit our New England Institute of Buddhist Studies for more details.
Connecticut
Buddhist Film Festival 2013. Learn about the Buddha's teachings through
film. Our 4th annual Film Festival will take place between January 16 - May 15, 2013 in Middletown on the third Wednesday
of the month. See Festival's web site for more deals and showcased films. Visit http://buddhistfaith.tripod.com/film
Mother Dharma. Connecticut's only mother and infant buddhist group. It is a support group to begin or continue mindfulness
and meditative practice and explore the buddhist teachings amidst the joys and challenges of motherhood. Meets once a
month. See our web page for Meetup calendar.
Podcasts on iTunes. Listen to over 80 of our podcasted talks and discussions online free of charge through iTunes.
See web page.
Buddhist
Sunday School for the Family. Looking to integrate the Buddhist teachings
with your family? Join Connecticut's first and only Family Buddhist Sunday School. If you wish to learn about this unique
program, then please visit our web page, Sunday School.
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| Sunday Mornings at the BFF of Ct |
(Updated on April 20, 2013)
Spring Theme:
The Path for Foolish Beings
05/19. Q & A on What Shin Buddhist Believe? at
the Mansfield Freeman Center Dharma Talk . While some members and friends will be at our Mindfulness Retreat,
our community will continue to provide practice and discussion for those not attending at 10 a.m. at our regular Sunday morning
location with Rev. Daishin Senpai.
05/26. Memorial Sunday Picnic -
No Sunday morning gathering but our 11th annual potluck Memorial Day
Weekend/Wisteria Festival Picnic will take place at Veteran's Memorial Park from 1:00 - 4 p.m.. Wisteria Festival
celebrates the birth of Shinran Shonin, the founder and foremost teacher of Shin Buddhism, over 750 years ago in Japan. All
members and friends and their guests are invited to attended. *** Buddhism 101 Winter class will be
meeting at the Field from 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. under the pavillion.
06/02. The Lotus Effect. The
discussion will focus on answering the question "Who am I" from the Buddhist perspective. We will examine our desire to define
our essential "self". We will discuss how the concept of impermanence can help to liberate us from this craving
to cultivate a specific identity. Inspired by the book The Lotus Effect:
Shedding Suffering and Rediscovering your Essential Self by Pavel Somov. Presented by Jinshu.
06/09. Mindful Shopping and Consuming.
A look into how to apply Buddhism into the shopping experience. How can we be socially conscious and practice mindfulness
at the moment when we are deciding whether to buy something. This talk will
explore how to look at consumerism and its impact on ourselves and the Earth, and offer tips on how to make the best choice
based on your buddhist values. Presented by Daishin Senpai.
06/16. The Path of Gratitude. The essence of Shin’s
central practice, the nembutsu, is not to attain enlightenment but to express the awareness of gratitude for all that we have
received. This talk will look into what is the Shin teaching of Other Power? What
is the grateful life? Why are we grateful to the Primal Vow? Presented by Daishin
Senpai. 06/23.
Radiant Face - This talk will explore how we can
see the light in our ourselves and in all
being. Taking a cue from the Larger Sutra
of Infinite Light and Life, when Ananda was astonished to discover the glow
of the Buddha’s countenance, the discussion will focus on how we can see our
true face and the face of all things. Presented by Rev. Daishin Senpai.
06/30. The Meaning of Life. This dharma talk is based on a quote from Alfred Bloom's book, Strategies
for Modern Living, "For Shinran and his followers, the meaning of life is not in struggling against an uncertain destiny,
but in living with gratitude for the compassion that sustains our being." What is the meaning of life according to Shin? Why
is living in thankfulness so essential in Shin life and practice? Presented by Shoju.
07/07. Desire - if one of the goals
of Buddhism is to be set free from desire, why should I desire to achieve shinjin? Or desire to be a good person? Or
desire to practice Buddhism at all? What is the Shin Buddhist perspective on this issue? In this talk we discuss desire
- the unskillful and the skillful kinds! Presented by Abhaya.
07/14. Buddhism 101: Starting from the Beginning - 1. "We are what we think. With our thoughts,
we make the world", so says Verse One - Line One of the Dhammapada. The Dhammapada is a collection of teachings
of the Buddha- believed to have been written down in Ceylon in the 1st century before the Common Era. The Dhammapada
became the principal source of scripture for Buddhists in Ceylon and Southeast Asia and is the oldest Buddhist scripture.
Presented by Shoshin.
07/21. to be announced.
07/28. Sharing Reverence for Life
- What do Shin Buddhists hold sacred? How do we express, nurture, and live with reverence? From Becoming Buddhist,Becoming Buddhas, Liberating All Beings by Rev. Gregory G. Gibbs. Presented by Shoju.
08/04. Limits of Compassion.
Amida is the Buddha of infinite life and light, of boundless wisdom and compassion. But in our limited human life,
we face limits to our compassion and in our wisdom to be compassionate to both ourselves and others. This talk will
utilize personal examples and the essays of Gregory Gibbs and other Buddhist writers to explore ways our Shin practice
illuminates the working of great compassion in our lives. By Dojin and B. Rarey.
08/09-11. SHIN BUDDHIST RETREAT
- This annual and unique event in
North America and perhaps in the Western world. Perhaps only by traveling to Japan can one partake in such
deeply Shin spiritual experience.
This
retreat will take place on August 9 -11 at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS), Barre, Ma, from Friday
7:30 p.m. – Sunday 2 p.m. It will explore the deeper dimensions of Shin Buddhism and looks into how the Shin teachings
may be applied in everyday life. Also, it surveys Shin’s larger philosophical and cultural contexts, taking up the core
issues, dissolving dualistic boundaries, and ultimately assists the participants in realizing the oneness of reality (Pure
Land).
There
is minimum sitting meditation, some chanting, and memorable and profound discussions that will make you think about the meaning
of life, connecting with it and with all beings. Depending on where you are in your life, this retreat experience could be
a life changer. This is not a Buddhist Faith Fellowship program. Please register directly with BCBS at http://www.bcbsdharma.org/
08/11.
No gathering because of Shin Retreat Weekend.
08/18. Boundless Grace. How is it that lost,
despair and confusion can be transformed in the substance of purpose, love and understanding? What is the shadow? What is
the Primal Vow of Grace? How can we experience faith, hope and salvation? Participants of the previous weekend Shin
retreat will reflect on and share their retreat experience. Presented by Daishin Senpai. 08/25.
Amida Buddha is Everywhere - Shinran Shonin wrote, “Countless
Amida Buddhas reside/In the light of the Buddha of Unhindered Light”; What does
this mean? This talk explores the Mahayana teaching that enlightenment
(nirvana) is the transformation, not the elimination, of defilements
(samsara). Presented by Rev. Daishin Senpai, 09/01.
No gathering. Labor Day Weekend.
09/08. Water
of Infinite Life and Light. Our very spiritual
annual Water Ceremony witnesses the Shin experience of interdependence, faith and gratitude. 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. Participants may share their spiritual experiences. Members, friends
and guests are invited to participate. Presented by Daishin Senpai.
Buddhism 101 Course
Spring – Autumn Session
"This is not just a course but a transformational experience."
Registration open until April 10, 2013
We have room for a couple
of more students. If you have been interested in taking this 101 course, now you have another opportunity to do so. Let
2013 be the year for you to engage the Buddha’s teachings for lay people in a direct and structured way.
This is the tenth year
of our most popular and comprehensive course on the Buddha’s teachings. It surveys the Buddhist life, his disciples
and teachings, and how they may be applied to daily living in 21st century America. This non-sectarian course covers the vastness
of the Buddhist religion through Theravada and Mahayana traditions. Classes start on April 21, 2013. It will meet for 6 sessions
in 6 months. Open to Buddhists and Non-buddhists. No pre-requisites. This course is oriented to beginner’s who are looking
for a concrete, practical and sequential study of Buddhism. See web site below.
Furthermore we offer
intermediate and advanced courses like our Buddhism 201, 301 and 401 courses.
To keep the courses
engaging, there is limited enrollment in all of our courses. We highly suggest that if you are interested in registering
that you do so, sooner than later.
Visit our New England
Institute of Buddhist Studies, located at the BFF of Ct in Middletown Connecticut for more details and online registration.
Connecticut Buddhist Film Festival
"Learn
about the Buddha'ss teachings through film"
Our 4th
annual Connecticut Buddhist Film Festival returns on Wednesday, January 16, 2013 in Middletown and will run for five months
through May 15, 2013. We will showcase 5 cinemagraphic works that explore the Buddhist spiritual experience or that take on
Buddhist themes. This Buddhist Film Series is a free of charge educational program of the New England Institute for Buddhist
Studies (NEIBS) for its students and to the general public.
Pre-show
Social: Connect with others who are interested in the
film content or religious/spiritual themes. The social will be from 6:30 – 7 p.m. It is always a friendly crowd. Refreshments
will be served.
Show
Time: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Discussion: There is always
a short lively discussion after the films. We know it’s a work night so if you cannot stick around for it, that is ok.
Location: Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts and Cultural Center, 605 Main Street,
Middletown.
Cost: No admission is charged
To Learn More about the Film Festival and the Showcase of films, visit:
http://buddhistfaith.tripod.com/film
Family Sunday School
Grow together in inspiration, mindfulness and compassion
The Buddhist Faith Fellowship
offers Connecticut
families a unique opportunity to grow together in a fun, hands-on and inspirational Sunday School format. This program is
truly a rare treasure because it is the only Buddhist Sunday School/Family Dharma in New England.
This Sunday School is not
just a place to leave your child(ren) on Sunday morning to be taught about Buddhism. On the contrary, it requires participation
of at least one parent. Family Dharma is a place for everyone to learn together.
Our Family Dharma has been
designed to meet the needs of children PK-12th grade and their parents, married or single. Lessons and activities
are age and grade level appropriate. Everyone in attendance will be deeply enriched with the traditional Buddhist themes such
as values of compassion & wisdom, the Eightfold Path, daily practice and the stories of the Buddha and his disciples.
We will explore how to integrate Buddhist holidays and traditions to share with future generations.
To learn more, please visit
our web page and there or visit our Meetup web site above (click the icon) to learn more and/or to join
Our Buddhist Facebook
BFF of Ct's Facebook
connects people with other people of similar beliefs and/or who are interested in our style of lay Buddhist practice. Share
your stories, practice, buddhist spiritual experiences and photos etc. and in addition you will receive regular
updates of our activities, courses and retreats. Looking for a web community? Come and join BFF Facebook.
Our Meetup Group
If
you like to receive automatically sent weekly e-mail notifications of our activities, courses and retreats, then we suggest
you join our Meetup.com group. It is free of charge to join this social network.
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