The Karmic Affinity Collective

A group to support cultivation and propagate true Buddha-dharma

Phase I:

Cultivation with Accountability & Community

The Karmic Affinity Collective was founded to propagate true Buddha-dharma. First we must lay a stronger foundation of our own cultivation and strengthen the bonds between dharma brothers and sisters. Phase one will consist of the 3 intentions below and we will use the two projects to advance this mission. This is simply a launching point to get things started. To succeed, our tactics will evolve with the experience and insights from active participants.

1. Leverage the power of accountability to advance one’s own cultivation

2. Broaden and strengthen the relationship among current cultivators

3. Grow a warm and welcoming community of sincere practitioners that can support the onboarding of new practitioners

A project-based approach to propagating the true Buddha-dharma.

We invite sincere cultivators to participate in both of the following projects. We understand that people are busy, so these projects are designed to make an impact without requiring extensive time commitments. That said, we ask practitioners to commit to at least 30 days if they choose to participate. The commitment can be fulfilled in about 3 hours a month.

If interested in participating in both of these projects please sign-up using the form at the bottom of the webpage.

Project I:

Accountability Partner Project

  1. Participants will form groups of 2-4 highly trusted dharma brothers and sisters.
  2. Each group will set a consistent time to meet through video chat on a weekly basis.
  3. During the meetings: Reserve at least 5 minutes for each person to recap the previous week.
    • Each person should speak with honesty and sincerity as they reflect on their cultivation from the previous week.
    • Each speaker should go uninterrupted when reflecting on their week. They should conclude by identifying their biggest challenge and area for improvement.
    • When they are done speaking, others are encouraged to spend a couple minutes asking questions but not offer any advice.
    • Each speaker will conclude their time by making a specific written promise to the group about how they will measurably improve by the following week.
  4. The following week each person will announce whether or not they successfully achieved what they had promised in the previous week.

We encourage experimentation to find ways to effectively accelerate your cultivation. The above project is loosely inspired by the following:

“If practitioners of exoteric Buddhism want to practice repentance for the sins they have committed, they should practice through a statement of repentance or through real repentance by speaking aloud their own mistakes and shortcomings. They must candidly confess to their fellow-disciples and those close to them who they trust. Their confessions must be selfless and sincere. Only in that way can they truly experience beneficial effects.”
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III

From the unofficial English translation of IMPARTING THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH THROUGH THE HEART SUTRA

Project II:

Strengthen the Community Project

  1. We will form groups of no more than 4 dharma brothers and sisters at a time.
  2. The way the meeting will work is every participant will have at least 5 minutes to answer the main question. They must use all 5min. The more honest and personal the better. The listeners should be completely focused on the speaker and they are not allowed to talk other than asking simple questions to the person answering. It’s like an informal interview.
  3. After the first speaker completes their 5min or more, the listeners should spend the next few minutes responding with their reflections. Continue this process until everyone has spoken. All are encouraged to have a more free form conversation after everyone has had their 5min or more to speak but that is optional.
  4. There will likely be more than 4 participants in the entire collective. We want each person to get to know each other through this process. So we will continue these meetings until each participant will meet every other participant.

Here is the main question each person will answer:

“What is the story of your life and journey into Buddhism?”

This question is the first question each person should answer. In future sessions groups should choose a different question to answer. This is intended to be explored with honesty and everything said should remain absolutely confidential.

Get Started by joining our WhatsApp Group!

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Program Director

It is my honor to help facilitate the Karmic Affinity Collective program. My role is to
ensure that everyone’s participation proceeds smoothly. Together, with determination and
persistence, we can make meaningful and beneficial progress on our spiritual path.
As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and the same applies to our cultivation
and liberation. I highly recommend keeping What Is Cultivation? and Learning from Buddha as
guiding principles for your self-reflection and introspection.
Having practiced Buddhism for over 40 years, I have found Buddha’s teachings to
resonate deeply within me. Yet, I must confess that only recently have I begun earnestly
identifying my weaknesses and working to address them more openly. The Accountability
Partnership has been an invaluable method, helping me become more mindful and responsible
for my words and actions. Ultimately, I have realized that true accountability begins within — to
hold myself accountable and make genuine, lasting changes.
These two projects not only strengthen our daily practices but also foster a supportive
community among fellow brothers and sisters on the path of learning from Buddha. With utmost
sincerity, I invite you to sign up for both projects. By participating, you give yourself the
opportunity for weekly reflection while encouraging and supporting each other in the pursuit of
enlightenment.
I am deeply grateful for this journey and excited to share it with you. Through our
collective efforts, we can all become more mindful and insightful, reflecting and correcting
ourselves with honesty and humility at all times.

Humbly yours,
Cairang Baizhen