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20 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS
Chan Practice
and Making Wise
Decisions
By Dr Rebecca Li
Rebecca Li, PhD, is the founder (This article is based on a talk given at the Chan Meditation Center in
and guiding teacher of Chan December 2016.)
Dharma Community (https://
chandharmacommunity.org), We face life choices throughout our lives. Not just when we are young,
USA. She began practicing in making decisions about which school to attend, which major to take, and
1995 when she was in graduate which career to pursue, but also when we are older. Life choices do not end
school in California, and attended with having our first job out of school. After we start our first job, we may
her first seven-day intensive have to decide whether to stay in this job, whether to seek a promotion, and
retreat in New York with Chan how to balance work demand and other responsibilities and things we want
to pursue in our life.
Master Sheng Yen, founder of
Dharma Drum Retreat Center
We also need to decide whether we want to have a love relationship,
(DDRC), in the following year.
maintain certain friendships, all amidst the need to think about how much
Currently, she teaches meditation time we would like to devote to our birth family. If we marry, we need to
and Dharma classes and gives decide whether to have children, and if so, how many and how intensively
public lectures, lead Chan we would like to raise them and how involved we want to be in their lives.
retreats at Dharma Drum centers
in North America. On June 5, When we approach mid-life, we may find ourselves wondering if we should
2016, Rebecca received Dharma change the direction of our life and when we would like to retire. We
transmission from Simon Child review various aspects of our life–career/job, friendship, family, and time
(Dharma heir of Chan Master for our personal interests–to see if we are maintaining a balance that reflect
Sheng Yen), and became a second our values and priorities. We then decide whether we need to make any
generation Dharma heir in the adjustments, and if so, how.
Dharma Drum Lineage of Chinese
Chan. Rebecca served on the All these choices affect whether we live an authentic life and feel fulfilled or
get lost in life and feel unsatisfactory and unfulfilled.
board of Dharma Drum Retreat
Center from 2004 to 2017 and
One of things I often hear when people are wrestling with decisions shaping
is a sociology professor at The
the direction of their life is “I want to make a difference.” What is not uttered
College of New Jersey where she is often “but I also need to make a living…” What seems to be underlying
also serves as faculty director of this dilemma is the common yet mistaken belief that only a certain kind of
the Alan Dawley Center for the job allows you to make a difference. In fact, every job, every role, has its
Study of Social Justice. This article functions. If we do it conscientiously with the intention to bring benefit to
is reprinted with the permission others while making a living, we are making a difference. Very often, we
of the author. think of careers like doctors, social workers and advocates for important
