Do not recall. Do not think. Do not anticipate. Do not meditate. Do not analyze. Rest naturally. These six brief instructions were given by the Indian Buddhist teacher Tilopa over a thousand years ago. At first glance they may seem impossible or even confusing. How can we stop recalling, thinking, anticipating, or analyzing? And what…
'American Buddhism' tagged posts
On Sunday, August 2, 2026, in Carmel, New York, from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, nearly 25 BFF members and friends gathered at Chuang Yen Monastery for our annual guided tour and shared vegetarian lunch, deepening our experience, knowledge, and appreciation of Buddhism. Highlights included time in the Great Buddha Hall — home to the…
On Sunday, July 26, 2026, a small and dedicated group of yogis gathered at Buddhist Faith Fellowship’s serene Shoyoan Teien Zen Garden at the Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies in Middletown, Connecticut for two and a half hours of quiet, restorative practice. The morning opened with a mindful review of the Six Points…
How much of our stress comes from needing to know? We want to know what will happen next, whether we are making the right decision, how other people feel about us, and whether our plans will succeed. Much of our anxiety arises not from uncertainty itself, but from our discomfort with uncertainty. We search for…
This past Sunday, on June 8, 2206, at 10 AM, a wonderful group gathered for our twice a year Waterfall Meditation & Trek at Wadsworth Falls in Middletown, Connecticut. The weather could not have been better: warm, comfortable, and refreshed by recent rains that left the waterfall flowing with exceptional beauty and power. As we…
On Saturday evening, June 7, 2026, BFF members, friends, and the public gathered at the center for a deeply relaxing Zen Sound Bath Experience led by Kris Emory. Held overlooking the inspirational Shoyoan Tien Zen Garden, the evening invited participants into a space of stillness, mindfulness, and deep rest through the gentle sounds and vibrations…
Recognizing the Hook Most of us know the feeling. Someone says something sharp to us and we replay it all day. We feel lonely and immediately reach for distraction. We become anxious, angry, defensive, or consumed by craving. A single moment catches us, and suddenly the mind is spinning stories, rehearsing conversations, feeding emotions, and…
Why Balance Matters Most of our days are filled with ups and downs, happy one minute, stressed or sad the next. These emotional swings come from how we react to life, often making things harder than they need to be. In Buddhism, balance isn’t about being perfect or emotionless; it’s about finding a stable center…
Love as Our Deepest Nature In the Buddhist tradition, it is said that a future Buddha will appear in this world, known as Maitreya Buddha, the Buddha of Love. The historical Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, foretold that this Buddha would arise far in the future, thousands of years from now, when the Dharma has faded from…
Why Habits Matter Most of our life is lived through habit. We wake up the same way, think the same thoughts, react in familiar patterns, and move through the world on well-worn tracks. Habits give structure to life, but they also quietly shape who we become. In Buddhism, habits are not merely psychological tendencies. They…