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…
'Mindfulness' tagged posts
On January 11, 2026, practitioners gathered from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. for our Beginning Anew Silent Retreat, held overlooking the serene Shoyoan Teien Zen Garden in Middletown, Connecticut. Participants shared that the retreat offered a meaningful way to begin the new year with intention, clarity, and care. In the closing reflection, many spoke of the…
In a World of Division, the Middle Way Late in autumn, as the last leaves had fallen and only a few lingered on the branches above the Shoyoan Teien Zen garden, I found myself speaking words that arose extemporaneously. They were shaped by a reading, the season, and the stillness of that moment. During a…
We would like to give a special thanks for all those members and friends who participated in our Bodhi Holiday Season Food Drive, on December 21, 2025, which took place right after our Meditation & Talk Sunday Meeting, benefiting Amazing Grace Food Pantry in beautiful Middletown, CT. We had a good amount of non-perishable food…
Awakening unfolds as we orient ourselves through view, rest in awareness through meditation, and allow wisdom and compassion to express themselves naturally in how we live together. Buddhism is often described as a path of awakening, but at its heart it begins with a simple and compassionate insight: our deepest nature is already whole. Even…
In the Buddhist path, suffering (dukkha) is often seen as an unavoidable part of life—something each of us meets again and again in different forms. Whether it appears as frustration, loss, or confusion, it often feels like a solid wall blocking our peace. Yet Buddhism teaches that this wall is not as real as it…
Our Sunday morning field trip to Wadsworth Falls in Middletown, Connecticut , on October 19, 2025, was filled with soothing meditation practice next to the beautiful cascade, and the breathtaking beauty of a warm New England autumn. Our gathering began with silent sitting meditation by the magnificient waterfall, enhanced by the faint sizzle of ionized…
“To live as a Buddhist is not to wear doctrine but to embody dharma, in speech, mind, and deed.” To live as a Buddhist is not to collect doctrines, wear labels, or decorate ourselves with symbols. Rather, it is to let the teachings of the Buddha become flesh and blood in our daily lives. In…
This is a short article by Dharma Teacher G.R. Lewis who explores “Let your life be the teaching luminous, ordinary, and free.”
Our field trip to the Tibetan Cultural Festival 2025 in Redding, Connecticut was awesome. From eating traditional momos (dumplings) with fried rice, and drinking warm traditional butter and sweet teas to shopping for unique Tibetan items in the market place, watching the animal blessing, listening to the monks from Tibetan and Theravada traditions chant ancient…