Chan Magazine Autumn 2008

"I started with one question, but suddenly there were a hundred, each more perplexing than the last. They poured from my mouth in a torrent of doubt and despair: Would I be able to become a monk again? Which teacher should I go to? With Buddhist teachings as deep and vast as the ocean, where should I start? With innumerable methods of practice, which method should I choose? "On and on I went, pouring out my heart, all my pent-up frustration and confusion. Finally Lingyuan sighed, lifted his hand, and struck the bed hard.

"'PUT IT DOWN!' he shouted at me."

From Footprints in the Snow: The Autobiography of a Chinese Monk by Chan Master Sheng Yen, Doubleday, 2008

Contents

From the Editor

The Noble Eightfold Path
   The first of four articles by Chan Master Sheng Yen

Humanistic Buddhism in America
   Thoughts on relevance by Prof. Chun-fang Yu

"Summer Rain"
   Poem by Frank Crazy Cloud

The Wu That We Seek
   Retreat Report by Harry Miller

The Past
   News from the Chan Meditation Center and DDMBA

The Future
   Retreats, classes, and other upcoming events

Chan Center Affiliates