The Buddhist Faith Fellowship is a nurturing and spiritual community that is focused to the classic and innovative approaches to the Buddhist teachings, together with traditional Buddhist values, with the goal of helping our congregants realize their spiritual and psychological human potential by transforming suffering (dukkha) into inner-happiness, well-being, and spiritual liberation. We call this integral approach to Buddhism as the One Dharma. Our activities are offered to the general public and no experience or knowledge of Buddhism is necessary in order to attend our gatherings. The Buddhist teachings are available to everyone, just as they are.
Established in 2001, we have become one of Connecticut’s most established and experienced Buddhist organizations. Since our inception, with the vision and guidance of our founding teacher, Rev. Daishin Senpai M.A., our buddhist fellowship has offered a full array of spiritual activities. Although our past activities included end of life programs, retreats, courses, mindfulness, meditation, contemplative practices, and even a 12 Step Buddhist Group and family group, we still offer plenty of unique opportunities to learn about and practice Buddhism in the present-day American context.
Since we are solely reliant on our faith, practice, and living the Buddhist teachings, our informal fellowship demit any need for having a center or temple. We meet in various locations, even in forests. See our schedule for current activities and meeting locations
Our Story
Our community began in April 2001 during Hanamatsuri, the holiday of the Buddha’s birth, with the mission to learn and practice the Buddhist teachings and share them with our generation and culture. After studying with and receiving transmission from the Venerable Thich Tri Hoang, and later becoming a student of the late Dr. Taitetsu Unno via his NoHo Lay Teacher’s Program, our founding teacher, Rev. Daishin Senpai M.A., decided to take a bold step and established a Shin Buddhist congregation in Connecticut. Meeting initially in his little apartment in Bristol, Connecticut, the fledgling community quickly over grew the space and consequently moved its gatherings to a community room at the Elmwood Community Center in West Hartford before settling at the College of East Asian Studies, at Wesleyan University in Middletown in 2004. Thereafter, we had become a vibrant Shin Buddhist fellowship that had grown to have a variety of Sunday morning programs, and courses, workshops, and retreats, and hosted special groups like our 12 Step Buddhist Group, New England Institute of Buddhist Studies, and Buddhist Family Practice programs.
For over a decade our activities were located in Middletown, Connecticut, however during the Covid-19 health crisis in 2020, our various groups were forced to meet solely online. On account of our exclusive online presence, we experienced an unforeseeable boon of expanded national and international participation in our gatherings. These days, we have resumed our in-person gatherings at various locations throughout Central Connecticut but have pared down our activities since pre-Covid times. As of this writing, we are still the only Shin Buddhist fellowship in New England, which is located in the northeastern part of the United States, which includes the states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Come as you are
For disciples and seekers. For individuals and families. For young and old. For men and women. For the highly educated and not so learned. For believers and non-believers. For saints and the wicked. For the lucky and for the less fortunate. For straight and gay. For any race and ethnic group. For blue collars, white collars and no collars. For liberals, conservatives, and any other political belief. For the healthy and the sick. For locals and from abroad. At Buddhist Faith Fellowship, labels do not matter; the Buddha’s message of transformation and supreme liberation is open for everyone, for humanity, and for all sentient beings. Come as you are.
Join Buddhist Faith Fellowship’s Facebook Group. This interactive open space is a great place to learn about Buddhism, share knowledge and experiences with the teachings, and keep in touch with the Fellowship’s activities. Click the Facebook icon to enter.