Dharma Library

This library provides a database of articles, some from past issues of New Chan Forum and some available only from the website.

  • Search by keywords, using the search box, and the corresponding articles will be listed below the search box (followed by recently published articles).
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Chronological List of articles:

Investigating the Precepts

Simon Child headshot

An important component of Chan Buddhist practice is the practice of the Precepts. For lay practitioners the five lay precepts are the basis. There are several other formulations such as eight precepts, ten precepts, Bodhisattva precepts, and the monastic precepts which are counted in the hundreds. I shall leave those for another day and focus here on the basic five lay precepts of: not killing;…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2022 , Simon Child

The Four Noble Truths and Right Effort

Simon Child headshot

John Crook used to like to say that the essence of Chan is self-confrontation. I’ve already spoken about Dogen’s saying, “to study the Buddha way is to study the self ”. And on the first evening here a few of you mentioned you came here to understand who you are. Why this emphasis on self, who we are, confronting ourselves. What’s the use of it?

I’ve spoken about how your koans bite back on you,…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2017 , Simon Child

The Great Doubt

Simon Child headshot

This is the first of two articles edited from retreat talks by Simon Child introducing koan-practice and explaining how to penetrate koans. The second article, in issue 52 of New Chan Forum, will be called The Shattering of the Great Doubt.

Why is it that you practise?

Why is it that you practise? It’s a relatively unusual activity amongst humanity for people to be doing this so it’s a fair…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2015 , Simon Child

Introduction to Meditation

Drawing of sitting meditator

An introduction for those new to meditation and for those who wish to develop their meditation further.

What is Meditation?

We are used to the concepts of training the body in a skill or for fitness or dexterity, and of training the mind in factual knowledge or in a mental skill such as arithmetic. Meditation is many things but it is none of these. Meditation is a training of the mind to be…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2015 , For Newcomers , Highlighted , Simon Child

Being With

Simon Child headshot

A Dharma talk from a 10-day intensive Silent Illumination retreat at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center, May 23 to June 1, 2014

Common misunderstandings

Yesterday everybody had an interview. One of the purposes of interview is to respond to your questions. Perhaps we also need to respond to the questions you didn’t think of asking because you thought you knew (but you were wrong.) We [the…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2015 , Simon Child

Finding a Way to Practise

Simon Child headshot

A talk given at a weekend retreat 28th April 2013

Bodhidharma’s no dependence1

Bodhidharma, the 28th Patriarch in India, lived around a thousand years after the Buddha. He brought Chan to China, establishing the Chan tradition and becoming known as the First Patriarch of Chan. He was not the first to bring Buddhism to China; Buddhism was already there, as represented in the famous story of…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2014 , Simon Child

Unethical Zen Masters

Cover image of Medytacja magazine No 4 2013

Article commissioned by Medytacja magazine (Poland) issue 4 2013.

There have been several well-publicised scandals involving unethical behaviour by Zen masters. This is not a uniquely Zen problem, nor a uniquely Buddhist problem – there have also been similar problems involving other religions, for example with Christian priests – but I'm going to talk about it from the Zen perspective since that…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2013 , For Newcomers , Simon Child

The Middle Way

Simon Child headshot

This article is based on the Teacher’s Address to the AGM of the Western Chan Fellowship on 23rd March 2013.

The Buddha's Life

As we all know, the Buddha was born as a prince and to encourage him to remain in the palace and become the next king his father ensured that he lived a life full of luxuries and indulgences. But he became very concerned about the issue of human suffering and he left the…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2013 , Simon Child

What is Silent Illumination?

Cover of Medytacja magazine, #1 2013

Article commissioned by Medytacja magazine (Poland) issue 1 2013. 

Anyone who has ever tried any meditation will understand what I mean when I say that our minds are often noisy and dull. ‘Noisy’ because we experience the ‘voices’ of our thoughts filling our minds with words and images. ‘Dull’ because we see only a part of our present circumstances and environment, the part which preoccupies us,…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2012 , For Newcomers , Simon Child

The Accidental Buddhist

Cover of Medytacja magazine, #1 2013

Article commissioned by Medytacja magazine (Poland), issue 1 2013. 

In his public talks and writings the Dalai Lama often expresses the view that people should stay within their own tradition. If you are someone who is exploring different traditions and practices then you may be surprised and perhaps disappointed by this advice – why shouldn’t you change tradition if that is what you decide to…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2012 , For Newcomers , Simon Child

Chinese Zen Comes West: Finding New Expressions While Preserving Authenticity

Simon Child headshot

This is an edited version of a talk given as part of the Distinguished Buddhist Practitioner Lecture series at Ho Center for Buddhist Studies at Stanford California USA May 3rd 2012. It is based an earlier version of the talk given at the Chan Meditation Center in Elmhurst, Queens, New York, USA in October, 2008.

I am going to explore some of the issues which arise in teaching Buddhist practice…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2012 , Simon Child

The Buddhist Legacy of John Crook

Simon Child headshot

One day many years ago, in a short break on a retreat, I was standing outside the Chan Hall in the sun. I noticed a beetle stuck on its back, trying to roll over. I squatted down, flicked it over the right way up, and moved on. Later that day, in interview, John asked me, “How is your beetle?” I hadn’t known that he had observed me, and it seemed such an insignificant act not worthy of comment,…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2012 , Simon Child

Hidden Assumptions, Fixed Views

Simon Child headshot

The following Dharma Talk is from a Silent Illumination Retreat, November 2010 at Dharma Drum Retreat Center. It was transcribed by Catherine Burns and edited by Eddy Street. Published in Chan Magazine Spring 2012.

Perception and Sensation 

At each morning service and evening service we chant The Heart Sutra together. In one part it says: 

Form is precisely emptiness 
and emptiness precisely…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2012 , Simon Child

AGM 2012 Teacher’s Address

Simon Child headshot


Thank you all for coming, and for your trust in appointing me as the second Teacher of the Western Chan Fellowship. This is of course a significant responsibility, but one that I am happy to undertake.

As well as being our first meeting since John Crook’s passing last year, it is also the third anniversary of the passing of Chan Master Sheng Yen, our Shifu. It is natural that we remember both of…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2012 , Simon Child

Practice for Now

Simon Child headshot

The Second Talk given on Silent Illumination, at the two week retreat, April 2006, at the Maenllwyd.

Yesterday I mentioned some of the history of Silent Illumination and how it starts with Honghzhi. In fact it goes back further than that and I found a reference in the Sutra of Hui-neng, the Platform Sutra. Most of you probably know the Platform Sutra, or at least the first chapter of it which is…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2006 , Simon Child

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