Western Chan Fellowship Retreat Centre Opening Ceremony

Below is the brief ceremonial, written by John Crook, which we recite to mark the beginning of our retreats.

Inspiring words from the Master

No guru, no church, no dependency.
Beyond the farmyard the wind in the trees.
The fool by the signless signpost
Stands pointing out the way.

Here on the mountain where the path stops
You go on into the snow alone.
Hell's gate is open and Heaven shimmers in the mirage.
The Great Sky is totally devoid of cloud.

Zendo Opening Ceremony

(Recite together)

The light of the Buddha increases in brilliance
The wheel of the teaching always turns
This Hall and these grounds guard
The teaching and the trainees
All meditations are rich in treasure
Profound in wisdom. Because of this
We reflect upon the perfections of being.

The way of being itself - the sounding silence of Nature
Shakyamuni - He who first found the way
All ancestral teachers complete in Wisdom
And those who are to come.

In our hearts we reflect upon -
The perfection of silence.

In our hearts we reflect upon -
The perfection of love.

In our hearts we reflect upon -
The perfection of Compassion.

All the Bodhisattvas and all the Ancestors
The Heart of the Scripture of Great Wisdom
Be with us...

AWAKE!

Contract for an Occasional Retreat

(Recite together)

We have come to this place to create together a living monastery of the spirit, a place wherein to practice the extraordinary perception of silence, a place wherein to practise the recollection of mind, kindness to one another and reflection on the life and death of every minute.

We have come to experience together the quiet joy of the changing moods of nature without and yet also within us. In particular we have come to attempt a personal resolution of our peculiar koan. Together we seek the freedom of silence peace and insight. May all beings find equanimity.

Our contract together we well understand:

• We vow to maintain silence at all times except those designated for talk or for the giving of essential information.
• We vow to use our silence in opening ourselves to the world.
• We vow to bow in gratitude for life, for being together in this place and time. We bow knowing full well that a man or woman cannot live without suffering. We bow knowing full well that a man or woman cannot live without at some time hurting another. We bow in the knowledge that the path to peace may lead through hell. We bow in contrition, gratitude, tenderness.
• We vow to practise the dropping of all attributes in the search for No-mind...opening our eyes to all that comes in the Cloud of Unknowing.
• We vow to penetrate the obscurities of our personal questions and to dissolve all blocks.
• We vow to work in the spirit of giving and to cast whatever merit we gain upon the winds for the benefit of others.
• We vow to train ourselves appropriately in accordance with our true nature, mindful of the Universe in which we dwell and in compassion for all.

Our wish for one another is equanimity of spirit.

Let us now begin!