ONE LONG LISTENING

Tacoma Buddhist Temple holds an annual Spring Seminar and an annual Fall Seminar, featuring contemporary speakers from the world of Buddhism. This Fall Seminar featured former nun, Buddhist chaplain, and author Chenxing Han. It was both privilege and pleasure to hear her speak, primarily about her 2024 book One Long Listening.

From the start of her presentation, she was challenging us: "Who made it possible for you to be here today? In this moment?"

Some of my key takeaways from the day:

• Karma is relational.
• The importance of gratitude, listening, and the nembutsu. The latter played well with the members of the temple, who are Jodo Shinshu, and this is their primary practice. But it also spoke to me as I've recently taken up a variation on the nembutsu, via Kosho Uchiyama Roshi—Namu Kanzeon Bosatsu.
• "College had not prepared me to quit things."
• The impermanence of who we are in the face of change: "Who am I becoming in the absence of this person?"
• Chaplaincy as a "third place" of clerical/clergy roles. (Most Catholic chaplains are female, since they cannot serve as priests. Buddhist chaplaincy is a way for lay people to be involved.)
• The need for all of us to ask more open and generative questions.

Just prior to the seminar, I picked up her first book, Be the Refuge, at King's Books. I'm quite interested in the subject matter, especially on the backside of taking an online course in Interfaith Engagement.

Chenxing signed my book: "To Troy— With gratitude for the refuges you are building in this world."



I've read One Long Listening, Chenxing's second book, more than once. It was my favorite Buddhist read of 2024. As I wrote about it then: "It was intimate and vulnerable, exploratory and experimental, and provided a beautiful peek into both chaplaincy and friendship."

Part of my joy in the day was hearing what she selected to highlight from the book.

Chenxing signed my book: "To Troy— With delight in the karmic connections that have led to this moment & in spiritual friendship."