Terms of Service for The Backyard Buddhist

Last Updated: [12/02/2025]

Welcome to The Backyard Buddhist (“the Site”), a publication hosted on the Substack platform. By accessing, reading, subscribing to, or otherwise using this Site, you agree to the following Terms of Service. Please read them carefully.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using this Site in any way—reading content, subscribing, commenting, or sharing—you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and any future modifications. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Site.

2. Nature of Content

The Backyard Buddhist publishes essays, reflections, commentary, images, and related materials focused on Buddhist practice, spirituality, culture, and personal experience.
All content is for informational and expressive purposes only. Nothing on this Site should be interpreted as professional legal, medical, psychological, or financial advice.

3. Copyright & Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise noted, all content on this Site—including written essays, articles, commentary, images, graphics, and original media—is the exclusive property of Darren “So-Mushin” Simpson and is protected under United States and international copyright laws.

3.1 Copyright Notice

© 2025 Darren So-Mushin Simpson. All rights reserved.

3.2 Permitted Use

You may:

• Read and share links to the content

• Quote short excerpts (with proper attribution)

• Share posts using Substack’s native share features

3.3 Prohibited Use

You may not, without express written permission:

• Reproduce entire posts or substantial portions elsewhere

• Use content for commercial purposes

• Modify, distribute, republish, or create derivative works

• Use images or artwork in external projects

• Use any content in a way that implies endorsement

Requests for permission can be made by contacting:
[Insert contact email or Substack contact link]

4. User Conduct

You agree not to:

• Harass, threaten, or abuse other readers

• Post defamatory, discriminatory, or otherwise unlawful material

• Spam comments or misuse community features

• Attempt unauthorized access to the Site or Substack infrastructure

Substack’s own community guidelines also apply.

5. Paid Subscriptions

If you choose to purchase a paid subscription, payments are processed securely through Substack.
The Backyard Buddhist does not store payment information and is not responsible for payment processing errors.

Subscriptions may be canceled at any time through your Substack account settings. Refunds are governed by Substack’s policies.

6. Email Communications

By subscribing, you consent to receive emails from this publication. You may unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of any email.

7. External Links

This Site may contain links to external websites. The Backyard Buddhist is not responsible for the content, practices, or policies of any third-party sites.

8. No Warranty

All content is provided “as is” without any warranties, express or implied.
The Site makes no guarantees regarding accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of information presented.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law:
The Backyard Buddhist, its owner, and its contributors shall not be liable for any damages arising from the use or inability to use the Site, including but not limited to loss of data, financial loss, or reliance on content.

10. Changes to These Terms

These Terms may be updated periodically. Continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

11. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the United States and the State of Georgia, without regard to conflict-of-law provisions.

12. Contact Information

For questions or permissions, please contact:
somushin.atl@gmail.com