Community - Nalandabodhi Connecticut

Our Community

About Nalandabodhi Connecticut

Nalandabodhi is about community. We are a community of practitioners inspired by the teachings of the Buddha. We seek to engage in the practices Buddha taught to work with suffering and the causes of suffering. We do our best to apply what we learn and practice to our everyday lives. Our motivation is to work with our confusions and generate compassion and wisdom in order to benefit beings.

Nalandabodhi had its beginnings in 1996 in Boulder, Colorado under Rinpoche’s guidance. Two years later, a group of Rinpoche’s students began coming together to meditate and study in a small house in the University District in Seattle, Washington. Rinpoche moved to Seattle in 2001.

In the spring of 2004 Nalandabodhi moved to Nalanda West â€” a spacious center in Seattle devoted to hosting contemplative activities and teachings. Nalanda West offers many study and practice programs that are available to Rinpoche’s students throughout the world through webcast streaming. Together Rinpoche’s worldwide students work to support each other as we strive to embody the wisdom that will lead to a kinder world

Nalandabodhi Connecticut is part of Nalandabodhi International and operates under the direction, guidance and assistance of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. In 2002, a group of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche’s students began meeting in Simsbury Connecticut. We studied Rinpoche’s curriculum. We watched video recordings of Rinpoche’s teachings. We met for group practices relating to Rinpoche’s practice curriculum. This group quickly grew from a study group to a center with a full set of study and practice offerings.  Nalandabodhi Connecticut currently is located at 3 Barnard Lane in Bloomfield Connecticut.

Nalandabodhi Connecticut gathering in 2003

Getting to Know Us

If you are new to Buddhism or would like to get to know our community, we offer group meditation and Lojong (Mind Training) discussion every Sunday morning from 9:00 to 10:20. Meditation instruction is available and the Mind Training discussion that follows our meditation provides a wonderful opportunity to share our thoughts and learn from each other.

On most Sundays we also offer a video teaching, class, discussion group, or practice course from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Classes are open to all who wish to attend. Our past practice offerings have included Beginning Meditation, The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, and Tonglen (compassion practice). Our study classes have included four courses that provide an Introduction to Buddhism. Most recently we have been offering a book discussion group.

Please check our calendar for an updated schedule of events and classes.

Membership

Many of our offerings are open and available to all. For those interested, membership provides access to a greater range of study and practice opportunities.

Learn More About Membership 

Connecticut Leadership Team

The celebrations, classes, practices and activities of Nalandabodhi Connecticut are coordinated by our volunteer leadership team. Our leadership team works together to plan all of our activities. The team includes sangha members focused on the three paths of our journey.  To contact any of them with questions, please send an email to ct@nalandabodhi.org.

 
Path of Study  

Krysha Brooks and Deborah Calloway works together to plan and schedule study and practice classes throughout the year.  If you have a question or request about our class schedule, they are your contacts. Krysha Brooks takes the lead with respect to the Nitartha courses we offer during the Fall and Spring.

Path of Practice

Susan Busby, Deborah Calloway

Our Practice Coordinators  coordinate our practice schedule and take the lead in planning our liturgy for special occasions such as Losar, Shakyamuni Day (Buddha’s birthday) and others.

Path of Mindful Activity

Krysha Brooks

Taking our practice off the cushion is Krysha’s focus. She coordinates classes relevant to our Mindful Activity curriculum as well as plans the community volunteer activities for the sangha.  If you have an idea for community involvement, talk to Krysha!

Membership & Community Building

Leadership Team (Susan Busby, Krysha Brooks, Barbara Brien, Diane Lee and Martin Wittman)

Questions about sangha membership should be directed to any of our Leadership team.

Communications

Patrick Lee, Deborah Calloway and Diane Lee

If you wish to be added to our email mailing list, please contact Deborah or Patrick. All study and practice sessions that we are presenting online (Zoom) can only be accessed through our email newsletters.

Finance

Martin Wittman, Nancy Hurst and Diane Lee

This team works to collects payments from events, courses and membership, pays our bills, and manages all aspects of NBCT finance.