The Whole of Your Life Is the Practice
π 3 Sessions | March 21, April 4 & April 18 or 25 (tentative) | Live on Zoom | $195 β οΈ Open Enrollment Begins Late January 2027 β οΈ Enrollment closes March 14, 2027
How much of your day do you actually enjoy? Not the highlight moments, but the ordinary hours β the commute, the inbox, the difficult conversation, the dishes, the exhaustion that follows you home at the end of the day.
Most of us move through our days waiting for the weekend, enduring the hours rather than inhabiting them. But what if every hour held within it the seed of genuine joy, meaning, and awakening? That is the quietly radical teaching at the heart of this course.
ABOUT THE COURSE
Buddhism 101: The Art of Mindful Working and Living is a warm, engaging, and deeply practical three-session live Zoom course drawing from immediately applicable Mahayana Buddhist teachings. This course goes far beyond the workplace β it is a course about the art of living fully, mindfully, and with an open and joyful heart in every dimension of daily experience: your work, your home, your relationships, your commute, and the quiet spaces in between.
Guided by Rev. G.R. Lewis, M.A, this course brings the ancient wisdom of Buddhist mindfulness practice into direct, practical contact with the texture of your actual everyday life. Whether you are brand new to Buddhism or a longtime practitioner ready to go deeper, this course meets you exactly where you are. No prerequisites required. Open to everyone.
WHAT YOU WILL EXPLORE
Over three richly engaging live sessions you will discover:
πΈ The Art of Starting Your Day β how to set clear, compassionate intentions that carry mindfulness from the very first moment of waking into everything that follows
π§ Mindful Breathing and Walking at Work β simple, immediately applicable practices for bringing calm, clarity, and presence into even the most demanding work environments
π Home, Family and Daily Life β how mindfulness transforms every domestic moment: meals, conversations, household tasks, and the sacred ordinariness of family life
π Transportation and Transition β turning commutes, errands, and in-between moments into genuine opportunities for practice and renewal
πΌ Right Livelihood and Ethical Work β the Buddha’s teaching on meaningful, compassionate work and how our livelihood choices connect to the wellbeing of all
π€ Working with Difficult Emotions and Conflict β practical Buddhist tools for resolving tension, navigating difficult relationships, and transforming negative emotions at work and at home
π Building Mindful Community β how individual mindfulness practice ripples outward into families, workplaces, and communities, contributing to what Thich Nhat Hanh calls a collective awakening
βοΈ Joy as a Practice β the radical Buddhist teaching that joy is not a reward for getting things right but a capacity that can be cultivated and deepened in every ordinary hour of every ordinary day
THE REQUIRED TEXT
Work: How to Find Joy and Meaning in Each Hour of the Day by Thich Nhat Hanh
Beautifully written, immediately practical, and suffused with Thich Nhat Hanh’s characteristic warmth and clarity, this is a book you will return to again and again long after the course has ended. Please obtain your copy and begin reading before the first class session on March 21, 2027.
[Purchase on Amazon β AFFILIATE LINK COMING IN JANUARY 2027]
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
This is a structured program β not a casual book club. Students are warmly asked to:
1) Read the short book Work and complete all Reading Guide assignments before each class. The 1st assignment is due at the 1st class.
2) Attend all three live Zoom sessions
3) If located in Connecticut β attend BFF’s Sunday Morning Meditation & Talk gatherings
4) If located outside Connecticut β connect with a local Buddhist group if one is available
5) Practice what is learned β in meditation, in daily life, at work, and in relationships
Community practice is an essential ingredient of the Buddha’s path. We cannot do it alone β the sangha (community of practitioners) is one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism, and it will support and deepen your learning in ways that study alone cannot.
PART OF THE BUDDHISM 101 SERIES
This course is part of BFF’s ongoing Buddhism 101 Series β a carefully designed curriculum of accessible and transformative courses exploring Buddhist wisdom for modern life. Students who complete the full series, along with one additional course and retreat experience, will be eligible for graduation and an Affirmation Certificate. Those who wish to formally become Buddhists may also participate in an optional Affirmation Ceremony including Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels, reciting the Bodhisattva Vows and Five Precepts, and receiving a dharma name.
YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Rev. G.R. Lewis, M.A. has served as BFF of Connecticut’s Guiding Dharma Teacher since 2001. A former student of the Venerable Thich Tri Hong and the esteemed late Dr. (Rev.) Taitetsu Unno, he has practiced Buddhism for over 30 years and brings a rare combination of scholarly depth, personal warmth, and genuine lived experience to every class.
For his full biography, visit our Our Teachers page.
PRACTICAL DETAILS
π Session 1: Sunday, March 21, 2027 π Session 2: Sunday, April 4, 2027 π Session 3: Sunday, April 18 or 25, 2027 (tentative β to be confirmed) π Time: 6:00 β 8:00 PM Eastern π» Format: Live on Zoom β unique link sent upon registration π΅ Investment: $195 π£ Open Enrollment Begins: Late January 2027 β οΈ Enrollment closes: March 14, 2027 π Required Text: Work by Thich Nhat Hanh π Open to all β no prerequisites, no prior experience needed.
REGISTRATION
Open enrollment begins late January 2027. Early registration is strongly encouraged once enrollment opens β space is limited. Please allow time to obtain and read the required text before the first session on March 21st.
By registering you confirm agreement to BFF’s Refund Policy, Disclaimer of Responsibility, Code of Conduct, and Image Release Agreement as detailed on the registration ticket.
[REGISTER HERE β DONORBOX LINK COMING IN JANAUARY 2027]