Dharma Library

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…

I had never been on any kind of retreat before I arrived at the Western Zen retreat at Maenllwyd in November. It was something I had been building up to for quite some time. I knew I was searching for a path, and I was increasingly convinced that this may help me to begin walking it. But I didn’t know what to expect from my time. Some 15 years before, I had done a brief Buddhist meditation course,…

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…

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…

The spiritual path is seldom if ever straightforward. When we embark on our spiritual quest, we naturally engage the nature of the person that we are with the tasks that will present themselves to us along the way. The trials, tribulations and obstacles along the path are not an inherent element of the path itself but are the outcome of the way we personally interact with the requirements involved…

Koan retreats with the Western Chan Fellowship have become a staple part of my dharma practice over the past few years since I have found a connection with this specific method. Coming to Wales for such retreats has become routine for me, and I had no expectations on booking it or on arrival.

One day into the retreat it became clear that my practice was very different to previous retreats. On…

Silent Illumination retreat report

A Silent Illumination retreat report

Most people who are familiar with Buddhism know of the metaphor of the Buddha as a doctor for the world’s ills. I’m going to update this metaphor to the 21st century to describe and explain the Three Characteristics of Impermanence, Dissatisfaction, and No Self.

Let’s say the Buddha is a doctor and he has his office in any town or village for that matter. He has a nice expansive clean office. I…

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,…

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…

Rob has managed to earn a living in photography as a 'professional' while Eddy has the interest of an 'amateur'. They frequently discuss their shared involvement in this activity.

How extraordinary! How extraordinary!
The insentient express the way! How mysterious!
If you listen with the ears it is incomprehensible
If you hear sounds with the eyes it is truly knowledgeable.
Dongshan

By Way of…

I turn up the flame 
from the snaking wick 
coiled in my flammable heart

Although he is my lifelong friend I’m in two minds about him. Sometimes I don’t recognise him at all, with his ugly old face. Or I don’t like the way he can behave.

Perched on the wing mirror 
robin preens himself 
and shits

Then I play at being top dog and growl at him. But when he’s being helpful and kind, now there’s a man…

Traditional koan study under a fierce Japanese Roshi is tough.

…each session had its own special terror. Novice monks were repeatedly whacked with a kyosaku that looked more like a long baseball bat. Monitors patrolled the room menacingly, taunting and poking with the stick to see if your attention would wander from Mu. But zendo drama paled in comparison to meeting Mu in the dokusan room. “What…

The Western Chan Fellowship offers retreats ideally suited to those individuals who are training in and continuing a professional practice in therapies that are based on mindfulness.

With its innovative and unique retreat the "Western Zen Retreat" we offer an experience that is fully incorporated into an understanding of Western psychology whilst being based on a traditional and authentic…