This BFF Newsletter

includes



9/14. Middletown: Water Ceremony/Interconnected & Embraced

by Great Compassion



BFF Middletown's Calendar of Topics & activities for August/Sept 2008



BEWARE: we will be on Summer Recess soon (see below)



VOLUNTEERS WANTED: BFF Fundraising Committee

looking for volunteers & about next meeting



Photos of Shin Retreat with Taitetsu & Mark Unno + Podcast



Annual Buddhist Pilgrimage in August



NEIBS Courses: Discovering Shin Buddhism is open for early
registration



NASBA News…announcing new Argentinean sangha



How to Become a BFF/NASBA member?



Special Thanks to Sheila Mullen & Wesleyan University a& active
members



MIDDLETOWN BUDDHIST CALENDAR





Summer Recess from 7/21 to 9/13

Wesleyan University is closed

No Sunday morning gatherings



BFF Buddhist Pilgrimage



Annual BFF Buddhist Pilgrimage the Monasteries and Temples in New
York State. Includes: Chuang Yen Monastery, Zen Mountain Monastery
(morning dharma service), KTD Monastery (with Chenrezig Puja) 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 made by participants.



Date: weekend of 8/16-17.

Time: leaving Wethersfield on Saturday at 7 a.m. & returning on
Sunday 8:00 p.m.

Starting points: Wethersfield & Southington. We'll give you
directions via e-mail.



E-mail us if you are participating. Deadline is 8/14. Let us know of
you are coming, have a tent/camping gear/can drive, etc.
amida@...



Welcome Back



9/14. Interconnected and Embraced by Great Compassion. Explore the
experience of transcending the egoic self through our annual Water
Ceremony, in which members and friends bring and pour a vial of water
into a large and clear vase. The water represents a place they
visited or a certain experience during the summer break in which they
felt interconnected with life and/or being embraced by the Oneness of
Reality. The water may really come from a place or may be symbolic
(tap water).



9/21. Living within Light. An insightful and heartfelt discussion
into the day to day practice of Shin using the lyrics of the Buddhist
spiritual "Gassho with Amida" as the basis of discussion.



For BFF's schedule & directions click below



www.bffct.net



VOLUNTEERS WANTED:

BFF Fundraising Committee



If you are looking to get involved with the BFF, we need volunteers
to our active Fundraising Committee. If you are interested or are
already a member, there will be a meeting at Javapooloza, Main Street
in Middletown, Ct on Tuesday the 22nd at 6:30 to discuss fundraising
efforts for the Buddha Faith Fellowship's future Center.

Committee Chairperson Kelly Knox says, "I hope to see you all there,
invite others you know who may be interested." E-MAIL Kelly for more
information @ kknox@...



Shin Buddhism Retreat Photos & Podcast

with Dr Unno…



7/11-13. Annual Shin Buddhism Retreat was at the Barre Center for
Buddhist Studies in Barre, Massachusetts. Two well-known father and
son teachers: Dr. Taitetsu Unno and Dr. Mark Unno lead the retreat.
This is a highly transformational event. See pics online. Also the
Unnos' talk at the Northampton Shin Sangha was Podcast. See our
Podcast page. @



www.bffct.net



Autumn Buddhist Courses



NEIBS Autumn Courses Registrations for the popular Discovering Shin
Buddhism and Spiritual Maturity & Leadership Courses are now open
till at the end of September. Limited space but unlimited as
correspondence courses outside Ct. Visit us @



http://dharmaquest.bffct.net/



NASBA NEWS



Visit North American Shin Association (NASBA) at
http://buddhistfaith.tripod.com/



Buddhism in America web page: Updated in July 2008 to include the
surprising results and problems with Pew Forum's U.S Religious
Landscape Survey. Visit Buddhism in America web page at www.bffct.net



Welcome to new NASBA Sangha. We warmly welcome our newest affiliated
community in Argentina, called the Grupo Budista de Córdoba. This
group's Practice Leader is Rodrigo Pedraza Cécere. See our NASBA web
site for link.



Recommended Books and Buddhist Reading Room. This web page has new
suggested Shin books including River of Fire, River of Water 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 ANNUAL SHIN RETREAT &
TOUCHING PEACE retreat 2008, Memorial day picnic and the Flower
Festival (Buddha's Birthday) 2008. See our Community Photo Album web
site for link at www.bffct.net





Become a BFF/NASBA Member



Help us fundraise for our Buddhist Center in the future. Become a
Supporting Member of the Buddhist Faith Fellowship online. Anyone can
join, Buddhists and non-Buddhists, Connecticut residents, Affiliated
Chapter members and beyond. We appreciate your financial support in
order to establish our own Buddhist Center, thereby not relying on
university bureaucrats. See Memberships web site.



http://buddhistfaith.tripod.com/memberships/



A Special Thanks



The BFF of Ct has closed another school year at Wesleyan University
in Middleton, Connecticut. We wishes to give a special thanks to our
Wesleyan University sponsor, Ms. Sheila Mullen, for her annual
support. We couldn't do it with her. Her commitment to the BFF of Ct
has provided us with the beautiful space at the Mansfield Freeman
Center for East Asian Studies.



Furthermore, we wish to give thanks to Wesleyan University for their
continual help in all of our efforts; this includes the gracious
students of Wesleyan's Buddha House.



Finally, we are so grateful for the many volunteers who make our
Middletown faith community so special, a true Pure Land of love and
understanding.



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