Buddhist Faith Fellowship of Connecticut

Buddhist Faith Fellowship of Connecticut We are a nurturing and insightful spiritual community blending Lieu Quan Zen and Shin Buddhism (Jodo Shinshu). Since our founding in 2001 by Rev.

Our activities are accessible and easy to follow for all. The Buddhist Faith Fellowship (BFF) is a nurturing and insightful spiritual community uniquely dedicated to the classical teachings of the Lieu Quan lineage and the Thièn Lâm Te School (Linji/Rinzai) of Zen while embracing our roots in Nishi Honganji School of Shin Buddhism (Jodo Shinshu). As part of the Mahayana tradition, we offer an inte

grative approach to the Dharma, blending timeless Buddhist wisdom with Western language and culture. We call this unique path the One Dharma, employing upaya (skillful means) to guide congregants on a transformative arc from self-power (jiriki) to Other Power (tariki), turning suffering (dukkha) into inner well-being now while fostering conditions for ultimate spiritual liberation in the future. Our fellowship upholds traditional Buddhist values from our scriptures, creating a space free from politics and toxic ideology. We welcome everyone—no prior experience or knowledge of Buddhism is needed to join our gatherings, courses, or retreats. Our approach to Zen and Shin teachings is accessible and easy to follow, inviting all to experience the “bright heart” of our community. Daishin Senpai, M.A., the BFF of CT has grown into one of Connecticut’s most established Buddhist organizations. We offer a full array of spiritual activities, including monthly Practice & Talk Sundays, transformative workshops (like those hosted by our Heartspace Foundation), and retreats. We’re also expanding with online programming to reach a broader community—stay tuned! A Poem from the Thien (Zen) Master Lieu Quan:

“The great way of Reality,
Is our true nature’s pure ocean. The source of Mind penetrates everywhere. From the roots of virtue springs the practice of compassion. Precepts, concentration and insight –
The nature and function of all three are one. The fruit of transcendent wisdom,
Can be realized by being wonderfully together. Maintain and transmit the wonderful principle,
In order to reveal the true teaching! For the realization of True Emptiness to be possible,
Wisdom and Action must go together.”


This verse reflects the clarity and depth of the Lieu Quan tradition, inspiring our integrative practice at BFF of CT. Join us in Middletown, CT or online! Visit our website to explore our unique approach to Buddhism, current programs, and upcoming events: https://bffct.org/bff/.

If you live in CT or NY State, come along with us. Visit our web site for all of the details. Use the QR code or web se...
08/09/2025

If you live in CT or NY State, come along with us. Visit our web site for all of the details. Use the QR code or web search our name.

We hope to see you tomorrow, Sunday, at 10 am. at the monastery.

The Buddha’s teachings are not ancient relics preserved behind glass; they are vibrant, practical tools designed to guid...
08/09/2025

The Buddha’s teachings are not ancient relics preserved behind glass; they are vibrant, practical tools designed to guide us through the complexities of modern life. As Zen Master Bankei famously said, “The whole world is a single flower,” reminding us that awakening is not somewhere far away or in the past—it is present, immediate, and available to everyone. This echoes the insight of Vietnamese master Lieu Quan, who taught, “The essence of the mind is the essence of the Buddha; outside of the mind there is no Buddha.” Together, these teachings invite us to see that enlightenment arises within the living flow of our awareness, not in distant dogma or outdated rituals.

By embracing the Dharma as a dynamic, living practice, we discover tools for meeting today’s challenges with clarity, compassion, and resilience. Mindfulness and awareness become the home where wisdom and peace take root—accessible to all who step through the door. In this way, the Buddha’s teachings remain a source of guidance and transformation, helping us cultivate a deep connection with ourselves and the world around us. Far from being frozen in time, they empower us to respond skillfully to the demands of our daily lives, fostering insight, kindness, and liberation in each present moment.

--G.R. Lewis

P.s. If you live in CT or NY State you are invited to come along with us to the Chuang Yen Monastery Field Trip on Sunday, August 10, 2025 at 10 a.m. Visit our web site for the details.



This quote captures the essence of the Buddhist Faith Fellowship's unique approach, blending classical Buddhist insight ...
08/07/2025

This quote captures the essence of the Buddhist Faith Fellowship's unique approach, blending classical Buddhist insight with a contemporary and communal spirit. Mindfulness, in this context, is not the end goal but the entry point. It is the initial clarity we gain when we pay attention to our thoughts, emotions, and actions. Like the moment a door opens and light spills in, mindfulness allows us to see the space of our inner life, even if just for a moment. But it is not the whole journey—it is the threshold.

Awareness, by contrast, is the abiding realization of our interconnected nature. In the Shin Buddhist and broader Mahayana traditions, awareness goes beyond personal calm or focus. It is the recognition of the boundless compassion and wisdom (Amida’s light) that permeates all things. When we dwell in awareness, we are no longer isolated practitioners; we live in dynamic relationship—with others, the Dharma, and the deep flow of life itself. Awareness is our true home, where we realize non-separation and entrust ourselves to the great working of boundless life.

The imperative to “bring others with you” reflects the bodhisattva spirit that animates the Fellowship’s teachings. Practice is never solely for the self. Just as Avalokiteshvara hears the cries of the world, we too are called to help others cross the threshold—from distracted confusion into luminous presence. Whether through teaching, kindness, or just being fully present with another, we extend an invitation to join us in the path of awakening. The Buddhist Faith Fellowship affirms that awakening is communal, joyful, and rooted in everyday life.

Ultimately, this quote serves as a profound summary of the Fellowship’s lineage-informed yet accessible path. From mindfulness (the practice of moment-to-moment presence), to awareness (deep entrusting in boundless life), to compassionate action (bringing others through the doorway), it honors the full arc of Buddhist transformation. This perspective embodies the Middle Way—profoundly grounded in tradition, yet courageously relevant for the world today.

Rev. G.R. Lewis (Nguyện Trí)



To let your life be the teaching is to recognize that every action, word, and moment of being expresses your deepest und...
08/04/2025

To let your life be the teaching is to recognize that every action, word, and moment of being expresses your deepest understanding of the Dharma. When the Buddha’s wisdom is not just discussed but actually embodied in the ordinary fabric of daily life, the path becomes vivid and accessible. In this sense, one’s life itself becomes a living sutra—demonstrating compassion, clarity, and unselfishness for the benefit of others without separation or pretense.

Describing the teaching as “luminous, ordinary, and free” emphasizes the transformative power of awakening that is both radiant and humble. Luminous points to the inner light of awareness and kindness that shines naturally when we are present and open-hearted. To be ordinary is to appreciate the sacredness within the everyday, seeing that each encounter and task offers the possibility for mindfulness and gratitude. Freedom arises not from escaping life’s conditions, but from living deeply within them—liberated from self-absorption, guided by wisdom and trust in boundless compassion.

When we live in this way, spiritual practice becomes fully integrated with our humanity, inviting all beings into the circle of belonging. The Dharma is no longer a distant goal or hidden truth, but the very movement of our lives—expressing joy in connection, acceptance in diversity, and resilience in adversity. Such a life, luminous in its simplicity and free in its responsiveness, gently calls others home to their own innate goodness and purpose.



07/28/2025

This teaching echoes the heart of the Buddhist path—not as an escape from the world but a radical re-seeing of it. According to the Dharma, the truth is not hidden in distant heavens or mystical visions but revealed through the simple, everyday flow of life. When we truly settle into presence, what once seemed mundane—the warmth of sunlight, the rhythm of breath, the kindness of a stranger—becomes luminous. As the Fellowship’s teachings emphasize, mindfulness and spiritual presence are not about performing something new but about reawakening to what has always been here. To see clearly is to awaken to the sacredness already embedded in the ordinary.

This shift in perception often comes not through striving, but through surrender—surrendering the ego’s demand to control, to perfect, or to attain. In Pure Land Buddhist teaching, it is in letting go of self-power and entrusting ourselves to a greater unfolding, soemthing that is other than ego, that the Dharma becomes most accessible. We stop trying to polish the mirror and instead allow the light to shine through. In surrendering to the reality of interdependence, impermanence, and compassion itself, we come to see the extraordinary right in front of us—not as something added, but as something finally seen.

Warmth & Joy, -- G.R. Lewis (Rev. Senpai)



Address

College For East Asian Studies, 343 Washington Terrace, Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT
06457

Opening Hours

9am - 10:30am

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