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You are here:

  1. Western Chan Fellowship
  2. About

About the Western Chan Fellowship

The Western Chan Fellowship CIO is a charity registered in England and Wales, a lay association of Western Chan (Chinese Zen Buddhist) practitioners. Our principal activities are:

  • Organising and leading silent meditation retreats and other events such as conferences, teachings, etc.

  • Coordinating and supporting our network of local meditation groups

  • Publishing our journal New Chan Forum, which includes a wide range of articles such as Dharma talks, retreat reports, discussion articles and critical comment, poetry, and more.

Quicklinks

  • Selected Articles for Newcomers
  • Local Groups
  • Retreats
  • Contacts
  • New Chan Forum

A Registered Charity

The Western Chan Fellowship was formed in 1997 and registered as a charity in 1998. In 2017 it transferred its activities to the Western Chan Fellowship CIO ('Charitable Incorporated Organisation'), a newer charitable structure with the same name and very similar aims and activities.

It arose from a network of local groups which formed following the first teaching visit to the UK in 1989 of the Venerable Chan Master Dr Sheng Yen. Master Sheng Yen was the Abbot of two monasteries in Taiwan and head of the Institutes of Chung Hwa Buddhist Culture in Taiwan and New York.

Our Patron, Chan Master Shengyen

Our Patron and lienage master was Chan Master Sheng Yen who visited the UK four times and passed on to us a view of the Dharma (teaching) based on his experience in both the main lineages of Chan – Linji (Rinzai) and Caodong (Soto). 

He was a second-generation teacher in the lineage of the Great Master Hsu-yun (Xuyun, ‘Empty Cloud’) who did so much to restore Chan in China in the early years of the 20th century.

Master Sheng Yen also trained in Japan following the tradition of Harada Roshi, from whom several lineages of American Zen are currently descended. In Japan he received a doctorate in Buddhist studies and was a much-respected scholar. In attempting to transmit the wisdom of Master Sheng Yen, we have a tradition on which we can rely.

Our Founding Teacher Dr John Crook, and current Guiding Teacher Simon Child

Our founding Teacher Dr John Crook, Chuan-deng Jing di, received Dharma transmission from Master Sheng Yen in 1993, as did our current guiding Teacher Dr Simon Child Chuan-fa Jing-hong, in 2000. Hence our teaching and practice comes from teachers fully authorised in the traditional manner to teach and transmit the Linji (Rinzai) and Caodong (Soto) lineages of Chan Buddhism.

Local meditation groups

The Western Chan Fellowship retreats are supported by a number of local groups which hold regular meetings for meditation practice. The evening meetings are linked to both informal local day retreats led by the local group meditation instructors, and to more disciplined and intensive residential retreats held at residential retreat venues.

Intensive residential meditation retreats

We offer a range of retreat formats, such as Silent Illumination practice (related to the Japanese practice of Shikantaza) and investigation of Koans and Huatou. Our five-night 'Western Zen Retreat' is unique to the Western Chan Fellowship. It combines meditation practice, based on the use of Zen questions such as "Who am I?" and "What is Freedom?", with deep participatory inquiry. This retreat is recommended before taking part in a full 7-night Chan Retreat.

More

Read about our history and constitution, our Teachers and membership, and also there are contact details, news, and an image gallery.

  • About the WCF
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©Western Chan Fellowship CIO 2005-2025. May not be quoted for commercial purposes. Anyone wishing to quote for non-commercial purposes may seek permission from the WCF Secretary.

The articles on this website have been submitted by various authors and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the Western Chan Fellowship.

Permalink: https://w-c-f.org/Q17

View our retreat programme

June 8th
Kent Chan Day Retreat
Day Retreat
 
June 28th
Mid-Summer Silent Meditation Retreat
Residential Retreat
5 Nights
July 18th
Silent Illumination Retreat
Residential Retreat
9 Nights
August 23rd
Western Zen Retreat
Residential Retreat
5 Nights
September 7th
Kent Chan Day Retreat
Day Retreat
 
September 26th
Weekend Chan Retreat
Residential Retreat
2 Nights
October 4th
Investigating Koans
Residential Retreat
7 Nights
November 15th
Silent Illumination Retreat
Residential Retreat
7 Nights
November 29th
Western Zen Retreat
Residential Retreat
5 Nights
December 7th
Kent Chan Day Retreat
Day Retreat
 

Contact

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Office 7511
PO Box 6945
London W1A 6US
England

https://westernchanfellowship.org/contact-us

Contact us

Credits

Sun icon by gravisio from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
Bed icon by IconMark from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)

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