{"id":15412,"date":"2026-03-29T16:55:05","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T20:55:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/?page_id=15412"},"modified":"2026-03-30T17:02:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T21:02:04","slug":"buddhism-101-breaking-habits-finding-freedom","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/buddhism-101-breaking-habits-finding-freedom\/","title":{"rendered":"Buddhism 101: Breaking Habits, Finding Freedom\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Break old habits, calm the mind, and discover freedom in the present moment through timeless Buddhist wisdom.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of us feel stuck in the same patterns of stress, worry, or reactivity. Buddhism offers practical tools for understanding our minds, breaking unhelpful habits, and discovering a deeper freedom that is available right here in the present moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Classes begin on Sunday, May 31, 2026 &#8211; 6 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Open Enrollment ends on May 24th.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Course Description<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"753\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/the-narrow-path-1-1-753x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15418\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.7353587392984317;width:201px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/the-narrow-path-1-1-753x1024.jpg 753w, https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/the-narrow-path-1-1-221x300.jpg 221w, https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/the-narrow-path-1-1-768x1044.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/the-narrow-path-1-1.jpg 816w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 753px) 100vw, 753px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This three-session online course offers an accessible introduction to Buddhist wisdom and meditation practice for beginners as well as those with some meditation experience. Through engaging discussion, short readings, and practical reflection, participants will discover how mindfulness helps us recognize the habits that shape our lives and how compassion and awareness can transform them. <strong>Meeting Sundays beginning May 31, 2026 at 6:00 PM<\/strong>, the course draws on two beloved modern Buddhist teachings to show how mindfulness helps us understand suffering and break the patterns that keep us stuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In this course you will learn:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How mindfulness and awareness help us discover freedom in the present moment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How simple practices like breathing and mindful attention can bring calm and clarity into daily life.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to recognize the mental \u201chooks\u201d and habits that keep us stuck in cycles of fear, anger, or self-judgment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Practical ways to pause, interrupt these patterns, and respond to life with openness and courage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How awareness and compassion can be integrated into ordinary activities like walking, eating, and communicating.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How cultivating presence helps us live with greater peace while deepening our connection with others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>101 \u2013 Open Enrollment &amp; No Prerequisites<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This course is part of the Buddhism 101 course series, designed to offer accessible and engaging introductions to various aspects of Buddhist philosophy and practice.&nbsp;<strong>Each module in this series stands alone<\/strong>, meaning you can enroll in any module without needing to complete others first. Whether you\u2019re new to Buddhism or deepening an existing practice, you can jump into the topics that interest you most without worrying about prerequisites.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4123maJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"184\" height=\"274\" src=\"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/book1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15414\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.6715141146278871;width:96px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/40XEn8z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"179\" height=\"282\" src=\"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/book-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15413\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.634731534327035;width:93px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Book Selection<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering<\/strong> by Thich Nhat Hanh<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Taking The Leap: Freeing Ourselves From Old Habits and Fears<\/strong>&nbsp;by Pema Chodron<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please, purchase these book from our Amazon Affiliation Participation above. <strong>Click on book image. Thank you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Course Dates &amp; times<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This course will meet online for <strong>3-online classes<\/strong> on Sundays at 6 PM . The course dates are:&nbsp;<strong>May 31, June 14 &amp; 28<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Course<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Course Requirements<\/strong>: This 101 Course module has four components to be completed by the student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>No prerequisites. Beginner-friendly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reading the assigned excepts from the book and striving to complete the assignments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Attending the online classes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Attending our Sunday morning gathering if your live in Connecticut or local group.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reflect on and apply what is learned.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Attendance &amp; Commitment:<\/strong> If you live in Connecticut, all <strong>students should strive to attend the Sunday morning Meditation &amp; Talk Meeting attendance<\/strong> from the time oof enrollment to the end of the course. If you live outside of Connecticut, you should seek a local Buddhist group in your area (if there is one). This is part of the sedimentation process that allows students to assimilate the teachings into our daily life and to learn from other experienced teachers and practitioners.&nbsp;&nbsp; Community practice is an important component of the Buddha\u2019s Way to spiritual transformation. We cannot do it alone and we need the sangha (community of practitioners) to help us along the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Discipline<\/strong>: In order to experience spiritual transformation and realize understanding one must be committed to the process such as practicing at home, work and in relationships, attending the classes, a local Buddhist practice meeting, and completing all of the assignments. Our 101 course is not a book discussion group but is a structured program to help you to understand and live the Buddha\u2019s teachings in everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Assignments<\/strong>: All assignments will be sent to students by email and must be completed before class. The course assignments will not cover every chapter in either book, and the instructor asks students not to worry if they are not able to complete all of the readings. The first homework assignment is due at the first class meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Books<\/strong>: Students are responsible to purchase their course books at a local bookseller or online. Click the book images above to directly access Amazon.We suggest students purchase all books well in advance in order to allow enough time for delivery &amp; the completion of assignments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Limited enrollment<\/strong>. Sign up early to have the best chance of getting a place at the course and have the time to order and receive the books, and complete the 1st class assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Contribution<\/strong>: <strong>$195<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dharma-Teacher-Teacher-in-Connecticut-1-646x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14659\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.630849748751786;width:73px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dharma-Teacher-Teacher-in-Connecticut-1-646x1024.jpg 646w, https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dharma-Teacher-Teacher-in-Connecticut-1-189x300.jpg 189w, https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dharma-Teacher-Teacher-in-Connecticut-1-768x1216.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dharma-Teacher-Teacher-in-Connecticut-1.jpg 774w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 646px) 100vw, 646px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Dharma Teacher (Rev.) G.R. Lewis, M.A. has been BFF of CT\u2019s guiding teacher since 2001. A former student of the Venerable Thich Tri Hong and the esteemed and late Dr. (Rev.) Taitetsu Unno, he has practiced Buddhism for over 30 years. For details, see bio in Our Teachers web page under the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/our-teachers-officers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>ABOUT<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0tab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Be sure to read<\/em> on the ticket the Refund Policy Disclaimer of Responsibility, Code of Conduct, &amp; Image Release Agreement. By registering to this event, you have confirmed and agreed to these policies, agreements, code of conduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<script src='https:\/\/donorbox.org\/widgets.js?language=en-us' type='module' async='async' defer='defer'><\/script><dbox-widget id='embed-widget' type='event' campaign='922357'><\/dbox-widget>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Break old habits, calm the mind, and discover freedom in the present moment through timeless Buddhist wisdom. Many of us feel stuck in the same patterns of stress, worry, or reactivity. Buddhism offers practical tools for understanding our minds, breaking unhelpful habits, and discovering a deeper freedom that is available right here in the present&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15423,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-15412","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","ctfw-has-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15412"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15412\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15470,"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15412\/revisions\/15470"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bffct.org\/bff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}