Spring 2024 Edition

Written By Chan Dharma Community

Chan Dharma Community

Spring 2024 Edition

Chan Dharma Community

Spring 2024 Edition

Remembering Bill Moss

In March, we received the sad news that our Dharma friend and Sangha member Bill Moss passed away. Bill’s wife, Kathleen Moss, told us that his practice meant a great deal to him, especially in his last days. Kathleen was with us at a memorial service for Bill that we held in early April. Members of the Chan Dharma Community remembered Bill as full of grace and humility—a calm, steady presence at all Sangha gatherings and a true Bodhisattva. 

Rebecca shared with us one of Bill’s reflections from class, in which he said:

“With wisdom acquired through the Dharma, we recognize the plight of others and take responsibility for their well-being.”

This resonated with me, since we all are travelers on a long path. If the goal is to deliver sentient beings, first recognize we are all seeking refuge with the Buddha. Then realize that taking refuge in the Buddha means we become Buddha-like and, as such, that we bear responsibility for the care and well being of our fellow travelers.

—Bill Moss

How to Stay Connected to the Practice in Daily Life

Have you ever felt that you are going through a low period in your practice? There may be a sense of indifference, that whether or not we practice is not going to matter that much. Or we may treat our practice like a routine, doing something that’s good for us, but there is a lack of connection to our heart and spirit.

When we encounter these internal struggles or resistance, we may feel like we are not good practitioners. But even 2,500 years ago, Shakyamuni Buddha and Venerable Subhuti were already discussing this issue in the opening chapters of the Diamond Sutra. Shakyamuni Buddha was in the kingdom of Sravasti with 1,250 great bhikkhus (monks). Among them, Venerable Subhuti asked Buddha, “In case good men and good women ever raise the desire for the Supreme Enlightenment, how would they abide in it? How would they subdue their mind?” Keep in mind that these were great bhikkhus with deep cultivation who had the opportunity to practice in person with the Buddha, yet Venerable Subhuti still sensed the need for the Buddha to explain how to keep one’s motivation in practice. And, in summary, Buddha offered a teaching that has since become famous: “Without abiding in anything whatsoever, allow the mind to arise.” 

In our different time and space 2,500 years later, we still encounter many challenges in our practice. For this issue of the newsletter, we have invited practitioners to share how they stay connected to the practice in their daily life.

Practitioner Sharing

To help understand the experience of the attendees and timekeepers who have been leading our weekly meditation groups, some of our practitioners have shared their experiences.

For me staying connected to practice in my daily life starts with motivation. Why did I start? I have been attracted to Buddhism most of my adult life. Finding a path to the ending of suffering and vexations was appealing. Who can say no to that? If you are motivated, all else follows. Since I have been meditating daily, mostly twice a day, I am more and more aware when vexations arise, sometimes after the fact, but increasingly, as they arise. Also, as an older person, being aware of my mortality is probably the strongest motivator. I don’t know how much “alive time” I’ll have, and wish to drop as many delusions and attachments as possible. I don’t want to spend the rest of my days in my own little isolated, made-up world. So I keep coming back to the clear awareness of right now and let my life find its way from there.

—Crager Boardman, Jr.

I have learned to stay connected to the practice in my daily life through awareness of how I treat myself. A few years ago Rebecca gave a talk on self-compassion and I realized how harsh I was on myself. I grew up in a violent home where I learned to hate myself and I developed a nasty inner critic. After years of thinking meditation was going to fix me, from her talk I realized what I needed was to accept myself and learn to nurture myself. 

Showing up for my morning meditation is my daily medicine to help develop awareness. It is non-negotiable. I learned to notice my emotions and hear my inner critic and saw that as an opportunity to relearn and change the narrative. Accepting and loving myself is how I stay connected to the practice. 

After two years, I don’t have to try to be nice to others, I just am. My relationships have improved and the inner critic rarely shows up! I am more able to catch myself before reacting—not always but a lot more. I am changed, and that encourages me to stay connected to the practice. My practice and daily life used to be two separate entities, but now my practice is my life.

—Ruth Marie Subramanian

As I reflect on how I stay connected to the practice, I identify several factors that have carried me forward over the past eight years since I started this journey.

1. Seeing the difference it makes in my life over time when I consistently practice. I feel different, and people around me see my changes. Both are very encouraging feedback that motivates me to practice more. Also, during periods when I am not practicing as consistently or intentionally, I see an increase in suffering, which also serves as a reminder and motivator for me to pick up my practice. 

2. Signing up for retreats regularly. It gives me a boost each time when I attend a retreat. I get a taste of what is possible. I want to live my life like this, not just in retreat, but eventually in each moment in my life, which inspires me to keep practicing after the retreat ends.

3. Having continuous guidance and structure in my learning. Just relying on my motivation and self-discipline sometimes is not enough. Just relying on my meditation practice without dharma study also felt limiting for my progress. I am grateful that Rebecca offers online dharma courses. I found it much easier to carry on a daily practice with external structure and help. The dharma talks clarify what and how to practice in daily life, self-designed assignments for practice gave me a sense of commitment, writing reflections helps hold me accountable, sharing and listening in communities is inspiring, and getting related questions answered in a timely way are very helpful to guide and correct my practice, and they help the effectiveness of my practice, which then motivates more practice.

4. I get inspired by others’ sharing, having new ideas about where and how to apply the practice to my daily life. Practicing together, sharing, and listening, naturally creates heartfelt connections. Some peer practitioners become my best friends, and how we live life and view life is through the lenses of practice. The ways we talk about our own lives naturally serve as reminders and support each other’s practice in life. 

—Olivia Lin

Practicing moment-to-moment awareness, whether through meditation or daily activities, holds significant power in affirming that thoughts and actions arise and disintegrate with the coming together of ever-changing causes and conditions.

When I practice genuine engagement, I am facing the moment-to-moment and accepting it. It also gives a glimpse of the non-fixated self. I find that dealing with it, then letting it go, becomes easier, because with less noise altering each present reality, we can better see the interconnectedness, giving rise to compassion.

 —Jenny Tseng

As a Christian who has just observed Easter, or Resurrection Sunday, the holiest day in the Christian calendar, it’s interesting that I have been asked to also explore what brings me back to the Buddhist practice and the study of Dharma. The practice has made me a more responsive and prayerful Christian (with many failings still), in addition to becoming a Buddhist student whose wrong view of things is slowly becoming clearer. The aversion to practice is real because the practice in the end makes you see things as they are, and maybe not as you would like them to be. My moral compass is expanding to include a bit more compassion for myself and others, as I continue to look at my vexations, which are a result of not fully accepting the impermanence of life. 

As a Christian, death, with the promise of a heavenly afterlife, continues to sadden me, especially when it pertains to those nearest to me. The practice continues to help me navigate the natural progression of life, kicking and screaming sometimes with grief, and finally with a bit more understanding and acceptance.

Ironically, after learning the news of our dear Sangha member Bill Moss’ death, I was initially saddened, then overwhelmingly joyful when I learned of the comfort that the practice brought to Bill and his wife as his death approached. A peace encompassed me—one that has been missing in my Christian practice most recently. It dawned on me that the secret of an enlightened being (if there is one in Buddhist practice or any other faith walk), is to be fully present in one’s life in every moment, embracing the joy in what may look like suffering, and to do so with compassion and grace. 

I think it’s the guidance of the Sangha and what we convey to one another in our living and, yes, dying (and everything in between) that keeps me on this path. My thanks to a dedicated teacher, Rebecca, and our Sangha. To our dear Bill, an enlightened Soul, may light surround you. Thank you for your giving spirit and those like you who continue to share the power of the practice and Dharma, which keeps me coming back.

—Sandra L. Hughes

Chan Dharma Community

Practice Opportunities

Weekly Sitting Meditation

Monday Mornings, 7:00 to 7:25 AM ET

The Monday morning session includes light neck stretches, recitation of the Four Great Vows, and a 20-minute sitting session.

Thursday Evenings, 9:00 to 9:25 PM ET

Each meditation session includes light neck stretches, recitation of the Four Great Vows, and a 20-minute sitting session.

If you would like to sign up to receive reminder emails about the weekly sitting, please click here.

*The weekly meditation sessions are intended for Chan Dharma Community members who have practiced with Rebecca Li. All levels of experience are welcome.

Online Sangha Friends Gathering

4th Wednesday of every month

Join us on the fourth Wednesday of every month for an unstructured gathering where we can check in with one another, talk about whatever has come up in the past month, support one another, and stay in touch as a sangha. Each gathering will begin with 10 minutes of meditation, and then everyone will check in and share, and discuss what comes up.

Please contact us if you would like more information about the programs or to be added to the contact list for the Sangha Friends Gathering.

Stay in Touch

Chan Dharma Community Links

Rebecca Li

Talks, Retreats, and Other Opportunities

2024 Retreats & Talks:

Books by Rebecca Li

Allow Joy into Our Hearts: Chan Practice in Uncertain Times

Available now on: Indiebound, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and  Amazon


Illumination: A Guide to

the Buddhist Method of

No-Method

Published by Shambhala Publications on October 31, 2023. You can learn more about the book here.

“The world is blessing us with many opportunities to practice. We have much to be grateful for indeed.”

— Rebecca Li

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Our mailing address is:
Chan Dharma Community PO Box 6202 Bridgewater, NJ 08807-0202 USA

Chan Dharma Community https://www.chandharmacommunity.org/
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