Please note these holiday schedule changes for the week of November 20th. The Tergar Bozeman Joy of Living Practice Group will not meet on Wednesday, November 22nd. The BDC will be closed on Thursday, November 23. There will not be a noon sit or meeting of the Bozeman Insight Community that day. May you all be well and find ease in your circumstances.
This Dharma Thought is brought to you from Steve Allison-Bunnell of the Joining Rivers Sangha.
“Fake it ’til you make it” is how we are often encouraged to keep trying even when we lack confidence. But as reassuring as it might sound that no one is perfectly competent, it is ultimately exhausting to hide our authentic selves. For neurodiverse people, it can be devastating. Happily, one of the greatest fruits of mindfulness practice is genuine ease with the present, no matter what is going on around us. This week, a boy who had been in our camp program all day at the Science Center reflected on the exuberant chaos of kids working on a project and all clamoring for help. He told me, “You are my new favorite person! You are so chill even when all this stuff is going on around here.” It was a touching gift to hear that I had managed to hold the container all day, and that he had felt and noticed the calm I had been practicing to project. I don’t think I could have faked that if I had tried! When do you feel the ease of your inside and outside matching up? What helps you do that?
For this Dharma Thought, we share Steve Allison-Bunnell’s September writing on the Five Remembrances.
“I am of a nature to grow old. I cannot escape old age…” It might seem like a big downer to recite the Five Remembrances on your birthday, but that is what I did this week. And I am old enough now that I indeed cannot escape the experience of an aging body. If the practice were only the Four Remembrances, and ended with “I will lose all that I love,” it would indeed be difficult to contemplate on any day, much less one’s birthday. But it is the fifth that never fails to both bring me back into the present moment and to renew the joy of living: “My actions are my only true possessions. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. They are the ground on which I stand.” Instead of scaring me more, this line always reminds me that my life ripples out and crosses yours. I—you—we—can’t not make a difference! Those ripples continue even as we change and age. And with each passing year, there are more ripples sent into the universe. What intersections in the ripples of your life can you see? How does that refresh your experience of Interbeing?
Steve Allison-Bunnell with the Joining Rivers Sangha writes:
Land acknowledgements at the start of various events often provoke some reactivity in me, and not out of disagreement with their sentiment or the reality they shine light on. The fact of Interbeing, as Thay calls it, and our undeniable location in the stream of life does compel us to look deeply at our relationship to this land and its longtime human stewards. That discomfort is something of the point, but it also can feel like there isn’t actually the container to fully reflect on how our presence in this place now is enabled by past injustice. So I am glad for the opportunity in our practice this week to offer that container to honor Indigenous People’s Day with our full concentration and diligence. How do you experience land acknowledgements? What do you do to find a place for what it brings up?
Please join us Monday, October 9, from 7-8:30 pm, for sitting and walking meditation. We will have a special practice of Touching the Earth to honor Indigenous People’s Day, and support one another in the Practice through Dharma Sharing.
Additional Note from the BDC: Bozeman Dharma Center sits on unceded land that was shared grounds of the Apsáalooke (Crow), Salish, Tséstho’e (Cheyenne), Niitsítpiis-stahkoii ᖹᐟᒧᐧᐨᑯᐧ ᓴᐦᖾᐟ (Blackfoot / Niitsítapi ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ), Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla peoples. Settlers of European descent claimed ownership of the land, displacing those who lived here. Please take a moment to acknowledge and honor the people of these nations, as well as all of those displaced, present and past. We lament this injustice in our history as well as ongoing systemic anti-black racism that prevents the full participation of people of color in our society. To this end we strive to contribute to the dismantling of racism where we can.
In honor of the Bozeman Dharma Center’s 10 year anniversary, this month we would like to introduce and highlight the compassionate and hardworking Board of Directors. We have had several boards in the past 10 years, all endeavoring to bring forth the dharma with eyes and hearts on excellent governance, financial oversight and helpful, relevant policy work. We are indebted to all our past and present Board members for their dedicated practice.
Our current board consists of
Marilyn: Working with a group of people towards a mission that supports the well-being of all sentient beings and who share the same desire to live the dharma in their everyday lives supports my path. As the Buddha said, “When [one] has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, it is to be expected that he will develop and cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path.” Upaḍḍhasutta (SN 45.2)
Kerry: Serving on the board helps me live my Buddhist practice by intentionally working with others to support and serve the BDC. Each of us offers different perspectives and strengths and all are committed to work together guided by our Buddhist practice for the benefit of all who come to the BDC.
Steve: One of the primary commitments we make in the Plum Village tradition when we are ordained as Core Community members of the Order of Interbeing is to support sangha building. In general, service to others is central to Thich Nhat Hahn’s interpretation of Mahayana Buddhism. More personally, my practice has been about seeing beyond my own needs and desires, and being more able to account for the perspectives of others more fully. So working on the board gives me an opportunity to consider the needs of the entire community.
Nick: In the vision of Thich Nhat Hanh’s engaged Buddhism, serving on the board is my connection to advancing Dharma locally, regionally and beyond. I believe that mindfulness is a practice every person can benefit from and that understanding even the basic tenants of the Dharma enhances this practice substantially. Serving on the board gives me an opportunity to support every Sangha and to help make Bozeman a hub of Buddhism in America.
Marilyn: I am inspired by the vast and consistent programming over the years, which has given me so many opportunities to grow my practice. Also, surviving the pandemic, thanks to the dedication and generosity of so many (with a little help from technology). We were able to reopen our new dharma center location in the spring of 2022 and hire our first Executive Director.
Kerry: Starting up Mindspace in 2016 and then restarting it in 2022 post-COVID has been so meaningful for me. While it felt very daunting at first, I am so glad that the BDC encouraged and supported this group. I feel so fortunate that we are able to offer this group in the Bozeman community.
Nick: In the past 10 years, the BCD has been an important place of connection for me both to my family and to the community. I have benefited greatly from the wide array of programming, the mentorship, and the friendships that have all been a part of my experience and my practice.
Steve: It is so joyful and healthy for our sanghas representing various traditions to come together and mutually support one another in sharing the Dharma with our community. It always feels a little strange when Buddhist groups end up competing, whether explicitly or inadvertently. Being able to offer our region a harmonious and diverse range of programs seems very special. Also, the pooling of resources has wonderfully supported smaller, newer groups, such as Mindspace and Joining Rivers, to become a presence that they otherwise would struggle to do on their own.
Marilyn: I look forward to building our programs, staff, and leaders to be able to fulfill the needs of the community, now and into the next 10 years.
Kerry: I started meditating when the BDC opened 10 years ago, which both feels like not much time at all and also a lot of time! Reflecting on 10 years I appreciate that the BDC has always been consistently a peaceful refuge even when the BDC transitioned to online and back into a new physical space. I hope that continues to be the case in the next 10 years and that we continue to serve and reach to all who are interested in Buddhist practice in our growing community.
Steve: Who doesn’t hope for a dedicated, larger practice center?! In addition to that, I hope we will continue to be a voice for Engaged Buddhism, carrying our practice out into the wider community, both individually and perhaps as an organization.
Nick: I would love to continue to see the BDC expand its programming and its community. I think there is great potential for the center to benefit all demographics in the Gallatin valley and to be a thriving hub for the community at large. I would like to be a part of finding the BCD a (more) permanent home, laying the groundwork for a residential program, and to continue growing the weekly offerings and retreats.
In Buddhist practice, concentration is highly prized as a way to train our minds and hearts. It is a vehicle for presence, for remembrance. This life gives many opportunities for joy and beauty, and it also is rife with conflict and disagreement, lack, endless entertainment and thus distraction. What are we running from when we scroll through our phones, watch multiple episodes of a show, shop, eat too much and rage against those who appear different from our comfort?
Ways of concentration include being absorbed, employing awareness along with focus. Attention. Isn’t our life really determined by attention? Where we place our attention really colors and defines the quality of our life. If we wish to develop kindness or patience, we must concentrate. If we wish to free ourselves from so much distraction, opinion and noise, we must collect ourselves. We bring strength to our effort, to our spiritual orientation to life. Like juice concentrate. We extract the essence, the heart of the matter. Concentration is not some tedious exercise. It can provide a deep connection to life. We bring our attention to life, to our own good hearts, with strength and purpose.
To sit still with our experience, to be present with our prayer. To breathe. We practice placing our attention on the divine, on God, on the interrelationship of all things. To concentrate is to bring together — our attention, our intention, and our purpose. It is to take the time for reflection seriously. It is to be whole. Wholly available.
In my own meditation practice, concentration has been difficult. My mind races, my heart wants, and I am easily distracted. I know I am not alone, but it can be frustrating to give myself the gift of time and silence, and then be bombarded by all manner of desires and resistances. Even though we live in an environment full of juicy ways to ignore our hearts and be entertained, my experience is — even in beautiful silent settings, the mind pulls away from the present moment into habits of longing. Where is that intention of communion and service? I just want to watch TV.
The Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki Roshi said, True concentration does not mean to be concentrated on only one thing…Without trying to concentrate our mind on anything, we are ready to concentrate on something…
Concentration is the readiness of the heart and mind — to face what is right before me, to stay present in conflict, to help and serve.
This Dharma Thought is brought by Karen DeCotis. This excerpt was originally published on bozemandailychronicle.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
If you missed the August newsletter, here’s another chance to review it. We have a lot of offerings coming up including a new study group for experienced practitioners, two visiting teachers in September, and opportunities for connecting as a larger sangha. You can read the newsletter here.
This Dharma Thought is offered by Steve Allison-Bunnell with the Joining Rivers Sangha which meets Mondays at 7PM.
As I work with visitors in the STEAMlab at the Montana Science Center, parents will often look at me with combined incredulity and admiration and say, “You are so patient!” The implication is that the attention I gave their child takes a lot of effort and arises from some special talent. I appreciate the compliment, but I experience patience more as a natural fruit of the practice, rather than enforcing a particular discipline on myself. Meeting each kid where they are, being present for them as they struggle a bit, and finding joy in their success, all come from nurturing mindfulness in general. Patience arises from not being in a hurry, and when I have to ask another child to wait while I finish, they can do so because they see I will give them my attention when their turn comes. Do you find yourself being patient when it might seem hard? How might you slow down enough to discover patience with ease?
This Dharma Thought brought to you by Steve Allison-Bunnell of the Joining Rivers Sangha which meets Mondays at 7 PM.
A hike can be a great opportunity to visit with a companion or daydream. It can also be a wonderful walking meditation, easily experiencing presence and increasing our awareness of what is around us. Earlier this month hiking up New World Gulch, I enjoyed friendly silence with my spouse, spreading my attention throughout the forest. Without being able to identify them all, I noticed being surrounded by many birds, all calling back and forth. I began to see green huckleberries plumping on the bushes. This soft immersion, rather than hyper-vigilance (“Is there a bear there?!”) was rewarded when, almost back to the car, a motion in a tree turned out to be a pine marten. This was a first after over 25 years in Montana, and we all stood still, watching each other with curiosity. How do you nourish your immersion in the world around you? Where is your favorite place in nature to experience Interbeing?
This Dharma Thought is brought to you by the Tergar Bozeman: Joy of Living Practice Group which meets Wednesdays at 5:30 PM. This group is currently working with meditations using our senses.
Smells and tastes often go unnoticed in daily life. By bringing awareness to smells and tastes, however, you can transform boring daily routine- like cooking, eating or simply walking down the street or through your office building or home – into practices that calm and strengthen your mind.
Daily activities:
When you wake, form the intention to be mindful of your body, of sights, sounds, or whatever sense object you’ve chose for the day.
Remind yourself of this intention as often as you can?
Pick moments to remind yourself, place reminders like sticky notes around your home or office.
From time to time during the day, pause and rest your awareness on the sights, sounds, smells and feelings moving through your awareness.
Sitting:
Start by finding your meditation posture. Renew your motivation. Rest in open awareness. Leave all your sense doors open, don’t block any aspect of experience.
After a few minutes, rest your attention on an object in your visual field, or whatever sense you have chosen to use as support for your meditation.
You don’t need to change or alter your experience in any way, nor do you need to focus intensely or concentrate the mind. Simply know that you are (seeing/hearing/smelling/feeling).
End by resting again in open awareness, not distracted and not meditating. Eyes open for the last 1-2 min.
