Chan Master John Crook

The late Chan Master Dr John Crook, Chuan-deng Jing-di, was the Founding Teacher of the Western Chan Fellowship, and the first Western Dharma Heir of the late Chan Master Sheng Yen with whom John trained over many years.

Historically most retreats were led by John Crook but occasionally other teachers, including Master Sheng Yen, led retreats for us. In recent years several other teachers trained by John Crook have regularly been running retreats for us.

To find details of the lineage of Master Sheng Yen, refer to the Chan Meditation Center's homepage.

There follows the transcript of the transmission ceremony when John Crook received Dharma transmission from Master Sheng Yen. This text first appeared in Issue 9 of New Chan Forum journal.

After the seven day intensive Chan retreat in New York in May 1993 Master Sheng Yen held a brief ceremony in which he transmitted the Dharma to John Crook making him a holder of the lineage in the Chinese Linji sect of Chan Buddhism with the name Chuan-deng Jing-di, meaning "Transmitting the Lamp Seeing the Truth". To some, such an honour may seem strange. To pass the Dharma to a European Westerner, a layman without the training of a monk, a man without rank in the Dharma, living far from either of the Chan centres in New York or Taiwan, may appear premature, if not unwise. None the less during the ceremony Shifu gave a very clear account of his reasons for his radical action and dwelt at some length on the meaning and responsibilities of transmission.

The event was tape recorded and the account we publish here is directly based on this tape. Shifu spoke in Mandarin and was interpreted on the spot by Ming Yee Wang. Our text is a slightly edited version of Ming Yee's translation.

Shifu Speaks to the Assembly

John Crook has studied with me in Chan retreat some five times in New York and twice in Britain but prior to that he studied and cultivated his understanding in many traditions for over twenty years. Today I am giving him recognition as my Dharma descendant. This is only the second time that I have recognised a descendant. I am very happy to be passing this Dharma lineage downwards.

So far as John Crook is concerned this is a great honour and also a great responsility. It is something very important to him, the great responsibility of carrying the task of the Tathagata. So from now on, based in the merit of the Linji, he is empowered to to spread the Buddhadharma, spread the Chan teaching, engage in personal practice himself and, to the best of his ability, have concern for others and help them spread the Dharma.

In the past history of the Chan sect there were masters and patriarchs who, when they had established a single Dharma descendant, were ready to die. Their task had been done. I have not died yet, but at least I can feel a sense of lessened responsibility, particularly with regard to the West and especially in Europe. There is now somebody else who can take on and relieve me of that part of my responsibility. In this sense John Crook will be representing me while I will continue to represent Shakyamuni Buddha in the teaching.

Years ago, when I myself received the lineage of Linji from my own master, only a few people were present; my Shifu, his attendant and a friend who had accompanied me to meet this elderly master. What I felt at that time was both joy and happiness. Joy in that my Shifu now recognised that I had the ability to teach the Dharma, the Chan Dharma, and happiness because the burden of Shakyamuni Buddha was now on my own shoulders. I felt happiness also because now that the burden of Shakyamuni Buddha was now on my own shoulders, if I did not do a good job, it would be my own responsibility and I would not be able to face the Buddha nor the historical patriarchs. Today, therefore, I am sharing my own feelings of that time with John.

(Turning to John) Congratulations to you!

John. May I say something?

Shifu. Yes, say some words please.

John. I am deeply touched and honoured by what Shifu has said this morning. My heart is almost too full to express what this event means to me. I always knew that Shifu was going to give me a lot of trouble! Certainly this morning he is giving me both trouble and joy. Trouble because, as he has said, this is a great responsibility and one which I do and will take very seriously. Yet it is also a matter of great joy because I find it remarkable that such faith should be placed in myself. I am only too aware of my defects and the negative qualities in my nature. There is plenty of work to be done on my vexations and this I shall continue.

I'm very grateful to Shifu for having helped me establish a small group of Chan practitioners in England. Indeed I send thanks to that group because without them of course there would be no work. I have a small house in the countryside in Wales where we do regular retreats. Some of these are Chan retreats and some are retreats that can be preparatory to undertaking the full Chan seven days. When Shifu came to this little house he likened it to the pin head upon which the Buddhas dance. In England we often say "Small is Beautiful" and in this little centre I hope to work in a small way but with a quality that is very high. We may create a tiny Bodhimandala from which the influence of the Dharma can spread.

Thank you very much, Shifu, from the bottom of my heart.

I also thank all you people here who have been with me and helped me in the last week, putting up with my streaming cold and cough all through this valuable and important time. Thank you all.

Shifu. We should all be very joyful that this morning we had the opportunity to share in the giving of the Dharma lineage to John Crook. We should also be joyful because we can witness that Buddhadharma is something alive. Despite these changing times it is not something that has died, but continues and with vigour. When such Dharma lineage might be passed to any one of us - that nobody knows. As practitioners we do not seek to attain or gain anything. We do not seek to get the affirmation of others.

As for myself, receiving the Dharma lineage took a very long time. When I was 28 years old through the help of my Shifu, Master Ling Yuan, I had an experience which he affirmed as "seeing the nature". Yet receiving such affirmation of experience and receiving the Dharma lineage are two separate things. Even if someone has received affirmation that he or she has "seen the nature" whether or not he or she will receive the Dharma lineage is something completely different.

A lot of conditions are necessary. Firstly, you must have the correct understanding of the principles of the Dharma. Secondly, you must have your own experience of practice. Thirdly, the right conditions must exist in space and time. That is to say that the circumstances must be appropriate. Fourthly, help must be given to all people wishing to learn. Without all of these conditions being fulfilled, then even if the lineage were to be passed on to you, the transmission would not be fruitful.

In the case of John Crook the transmission is not something accidental. I have been to England twice and have seen and worked with groups in the farmhouse he has provided for retreats. I have also experienced his personal abilities; firstly, in terms of Dharma understanding and his own development and, secondly, in the helping of others. Because he meets all the conditions that I outlined earlier, I decided to pass the lineage down to him.

Indeed, John has helped many people. Some of the people in his group are practitioners of high quality. When I was last in Wales I was happy to give one of them the affirmation of his experience. Could he also receive the Dharma lineage? No, not yet, but at the very least he should be well able to assist John in his retreat activities.

And so we now reach the end of the retreat. Some of us may be tired and need rest. After you have completed your morning tasks you are welcome to depart. If you are planning to stay a little while longer, you are most welcome to do so. If you wish to stay to lunch, until the evening, overnight, for a few days or intend to live here for the rest of your days - please let the Center know!