Dharma Library

A large collection of articles, from past issues of New Chan Forum and more besides.

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There is No Time. What is Memory?

'There is no time, what is memory' engraved on an arch at Lantau Island

This is a questioning koan that John Crook referred to many times in his talks. His story about his encounter with this was that when he was in Hong Kong doing his national service in 1954, he was taken to Po Lam Chan Monastery on Lantau Island and over an arch leading to the monastery there were inscribed some Chinese characters. Under the arch these were translated as ‘There is no time. What is…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2023 , Other Articles , Eddy Street , New Chan forum , New Chan Forum 64

Haiku, by Anna Jedynak

Calligraphy for the character Chan

Silence…
What is there?
What IS there?

Chestnut bud in a vase
Feels pain in her green petals forcibly opened
By a greedy glance

Achoo!!!
The whole universe
Broke into pieces 

This mouthful of tea
Never drunk before
Nor ever again

An old monk
Slowly walking step by step
Through a violent storm

Frost
Winter may come any day now
Where has the last one gone? 

The stream
Flowing all the time
Never tired

Sprin…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2023 , Poetry , Anna Jedynak , New Chan Forum 64

Wild Swimming

Sian Thomas at the coast

This morning I went for a swim in a local lake. It is early December, the weather has just turned colder, and the water at 8 degrees is so cold it stings my skin. As I approach the water and feel the first touch of the cold on my feet and ankles, I find myself remembering holidays in the Mediterranean years before, getting into much warmer pools while the sun beat down on the back of my head. It…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2023 , Other Articles , Others , New Chan Forum 64

Allow Joy into our Hearts: Chan Practice in Uncertain Times

Hilary Richards

A Book by Rebecca Li

When faced with uncertainty that seems unbearable do you panic? Do you worry? Do you put things off? These are some of the all too human responses Rebecca Li discusses in her book Allow Joy into Our Hearts: Chan Practice in Uncertain Times. This delightful book is a series of essays written from recordings of talks Rebecca gave to her Zoom Chan Group in New Jersey at the…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2023 , Book Reviews , Hilary Richards , New Chan Forum 64

The Meanings in the Flower

John Crook sitting in front of the altar at Maenllwyd

All of us probably know the story that founded Chan. Even so, lets retell it, briefly.

The Buddha was out walking with a bunch of monks. The monks were arguing about a number of questions such as "Does the Universe have a beginning. Yes or no?", "Does it have an end?", "Do Buddhas live for ever?"

The Buddha took no part in the discussion. Noticing this, Ananda said  to him, "World Honoured one!…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2023 , 2010 , John Crook , New Chan Forum 64

Christ at the Maenllwyd

Calligraphy for the character Chan

Hebe Welbourne, who died a few months ago at the age of 100, was one of the first people to attend John Crook’s retreats at the Maenllwyd and continued to sit with the Bristol Chan group until just before the Covid lockdown. Even then she went on meditating alone with the group in her room every Thursday evening until her death, and we always lit an extra candle to symbolise her ‘presence’ with…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 1992 , Other Articles , Others , New Chan Forum 64

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