Dharma Moon Sangha

Breathing in, I have arrived; breathing out, I am home

Dharma Moon Sangha…

…is a Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania-based community who, since 2009, has been gathering weekly to practice mindfulness meditation in the Plum Village tradition of Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh

Our sangha meets online via Zoom every Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM EST. All are welcome. We respect and appreciate all spiritual traditions. While we recognize our interbeing, we honor any differences among us, and welcome guests of any age, gender, body size or type, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnic heritage, or ability. We recognize the existence of systemic and inherited forms of discrimination and believe mindfulness can be a powerful vehicle to begin healing and increase understanding, awareness, equanimity, and inclusion. Participation in Dharma Moon Sangha is always free of charge. If you would like to join us, please email us for the link at: emmaussangha@gmail.com.

The Teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh

Who We Are

We are friends from all walks of life who are inspired by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh as well as teachings from other contemplative traditions. Our sangha was founded in 2009 by Mike Gill, True Radiant Earth, a member of the Order of Interbeing, ordained students of Thich Nhat Hanh.

“Teachers and teachings are important for the practice, but a community of friends is the most essential ingredient. I practice for you and you practice for me. We are a bell of mindfulness for each other.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Lehigh Valley Land Acknowledgement

“The land upon which we gather is part of the traditional territory of the Lenni-Lenape, called “Lenapehoking.” The Lenape People lived in harmony with one another upon this territory for thousands of years. During the colonial era and early federal period, many were removed west and north, but some also remain among the continuing historical tribal communities of the region: The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation; the Ramapough Lenape Nation; and the Powhatan Renape Nation, The Nanticoke of Millsboro Delaware, and the Lenape of Cheswold Delaware. We acknowledge the Lenni-Lenape as the original people of this land and their continuing relationship with their territory. In our acknowledgment of the continued presence of Lenape people in their homeland, we affirm the aspiration of the great Lenape Chief Tamanend, that there be harmony between the indigenous people of this land and the descendants of the immigrants to this land, “as long as the rivers and creeks flow, and the sun, moon, and stars shine.”

We acknowledge with gratitude the stewardship of this land by the Lenni-Lenape (translantion: “Men of men” or “original people”). Please remember to support the Lenni-Lanape people.

*****

News

Save the Date

Sunday, September 17, 2023, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Plum Village Sanghas of the Mid-Atlantic Present A Day of Mindfulness

The Historic Old Mill, 9 Old Mill Lane, Rose Valley, PA 19063

Come and practice the art of mindful living. Questions and early reservation: rhonda.fbi@gmail.com tel: 267-235-7888 (text is fine)

July, 5, 2023

Kim read this beautiful poem last night, and it got us exploring the fact that our thoughts are not our thoughts, but rather the thoughts of our culture and our ancestry. This poem expresses some of what we are feeling when we break free from habitual thoughts and live from our awareness. Thank you, Kim!

FOR A NEW BEGINNING
John O’Donohue

In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life’s desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

June, 2023

The annual Dharma Moon Sangha Dinner at Switchback Pizza! I didn’t want it to end! Clockwise from the top left is 1) Betsy & Mitch, 2) Sidney, Tyler, and Jamie, 3) Kokai, 4) Jill, Sidney, Tyler, Jamie, Betsy, Mitch, and Kokai.

May 15, 2023

Our own Lisa DeVuono has published a brilliant, rich, and wise book of poetry and prints, This Time Roots; Next Time Wings. We heard our first samples at a recent sangha, and I’m sure this will become a regular source of inspiration for meditation.

May, 5, 2023

I had the great fortune of being with Sister Chan Khong, the first fully-ordained monastic disciple of Thich Nhat Hanh and the director of his humanitarian projects since the 1960’s. It was heaven on Earth to be cradled in the loving peace of The Magnolia Grove Monastery with the residents, volunteers, and retreatants, as we listened to Sister Chan Khong telling stories, imparting the dharma, leading us in deep relaxation, laughing, joking, and singing lullabies.

Magnolia Grove Monastery, Batesville, Mississippi

February 14, 2023

a poem we shared during our last sangha meeting:

let it go – the
e.e. cummings

let it go – the
smashed word broken
open vow or
the oath cracked length
wise – let it go it
was sworn to
go

let them go – the
truthful liars and
the false fair friends
and the boths and
neithers – you must let them go they
were born
to go

let all go – the
big small middling
tall bigger really
the biggest and all
things – let all go
dear

so comes love

October, 2022

“Voting is an opportunity to express ourselves in service of bending the long arc of our universe toward beauty, safety, and justice for all”

Reggie Hubbard, Active Peace Yoga

MIND OUR DEMOCRACY, a message from many precious dharma friends. https://youtu.be/GiA7fXH4zD8

DHARMA VOTE!

A community of mindfulness practitioners dedicated to social engagement

https://www.dharmavote.org/

June, 2022

We continue to meet for Zazoom on Tuesday nights, but some of us were able to meet in person (what?!) for the Annual Dharma Moon Reunion Dinner! This year we tried a different venue, the fabulous Switchback Pizza on Jubilee Street in Emmaus. Kokai, (whose daughter and son-in-law own this lovely venue) was also with us just before we remembered to take pictures. We missed all our sangha members who were not able to make it this year.

*****

January, 2022

Thich Nhat Hanh, known as Thay, passed away on January 22, 2022. Thay’s presence and teachings have touched millions, and that includes each one of us in the Dharma Moon Sangha. The practice we learned from him continues to support and transform us. We hold our international Plum Village community in our hearts, and cherish Thay’s presence in each mindful breath and each peaceful step.

February 1, 2022, in the Touching of the Earth ceremony we honored our beloved Thay and all the ancestors and teachers who have led us on our path. We embraced our suffering and renewed our commitments to nourish ourselves and our communities. Plum Village offers many suggestions for processing our feelings and honoring Thay at this link.

“A cloud can never die. A cloud can become snow, or hail …or rain. But it is impossible for a cloud to pass from being into non-being. And that is true with your beloved one. She has not died. She is continued in many new forms. And you can look deeply and recognize herself in you and around you.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh.

2020-2021

There seems to be a gap here. Something happened, like maybe a pandemic or something. It’s all a blur.

The Before Times, 2018 and 2019

Our Meetings

At Dharma Moon Sangha, we typically begin with a short reading by one of our six lay facilitators. The readings are drawn from many sources including Buddhist sutras, but might also include poems and prose by varied authors such as Lao Tzu, Rumi, Ram Dass, Pema Chodron, Lama Rod Owens, or Sharon Salzburg. The reading is followed by a 20-minute zazen (sitting meditation), and then another 15 minutes of walking meditation, another short reading, and then more sitting meditation. We end with an open-ended period of Dharma sharing, a chance to be heard, a chance to listen deeply. If you are new to meditation or want to read about the Plum Village tradition, feel free to scroll down to our “Resources” section on this page.

Walking meditation during a “Day of Mindfulness” at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, 2018, led by brothers from Blue Cliff Monastery (left). Our nearest Plum Village center, Blue Cliff Monastery, Pine Bush, NY (top right). A bell at Plum Village, France. We use a recording of the bell at Plum Village (the Plum Village App) in our online practice (bottom right).

In these times, it can be easy to be overwhelmed with stress and worry. In such times, Thay teaches us to allow ourselves to be supported by and to be held by the sangha. “When you allow yourself to be in a sangha the way a drop of water allows itself to be in a river, the energy of the sangha can penetrate into you, and transformation and healing will become possible. If you have a sangha of two, three, maybe even fifty people who are practicing correctly—getting joy, peace and happiness from the practice—then you are the luckiest person on earth.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh