New Chan Forum 1

A New Beginning

In introducing the NEW CH'AN FORUM to its readers, I hope that they will find in its pages the beginning of a distinctive voice that will help spread a wider understanding of the Dharma. There is a need or a contemporary view point which, whilst based in orthodox and traditional practice also relates to the modern world.

When Master Sheng-yen came to the Maenllwyd retreat centre in mid-Wales last April, and led a retreat there, I acted as Guestmaster. At the end of our retreat, and much to my surprise for I had not requested or expected it he gave me an authorisation to run Orthodox Chan¹ retreats in Britain as his representative. He also told me to work hard at clarifying my vexations! After the retreat some of the participants Paul Cone, Tim Paine, Hilary Richards and Jake Lyne de Ver, all inhabitants of the Bristol area, felt they would like to start a Chan Group to follow up the initiative which Shifu² had provided. They asked me if I would function as the group's teacher. We now meet regularly and have just held our first full Chan retreat.

Our next major initiative is to publish a book based upon Shifu's teachings given to us in Wales. Michael Mann of Element Press has expressed a positive interest in this³. Already tapes of the twenty discourses Shifu gave have been transcribed including a profound series on the ancient text "Calming the Mind" by Wang Ming of the Sixth Century AD. We publish part of this for the first time in this newsletter.

Another initiative is this journal. Broadly modelled on the journal of the Chan Center in Elmhurst, New York, we intend to provide articles from Shifu's teachings, contributions from members of our group, edited versions of some of my talks to the group, and other contemporary discussions.

Chan Buddhism is not well known in this country. Its broad eclectic approach has much to offer Westerners, especially lay practitioners. Master Sheng-yen has passed on to us a view of the Dharma, based on his reception of transmissions in both the Linji (Rinzai) and Caodong (Soto) lineages. He is a second generation teacher in the lineage of the Great Master Hsu Yun⁴ who did so much to restore Chan in China in the early years of this century. Master Sheng-yen has also received a doctorate in Buddhist Studies in Japan and is a considerable scholar. He speaks Japanese and has trained within the tradition of the great Harada Roshi, from whom several lineages of American Zen are currently descended. In attempting to transmit the wisdom of the Patriarchs as descended through Master Sheng-yen, we have a vision upon which we can rely.

All of us in the Bristol Chan group hope you will enjoy this initial effort. Send us your opinions and advice, and perhaps join us in practice on some future occasion.

John Crook; Kuo Yung

Notes

1. Chan is a form of Chinese Buddhism. The word 'Chan' comes from the Sanskrit  'Dhyana', which in Japanese is Zen
2. Shifu or 'Roshi'.
3. Subsequently published as "Catching a Feather on a Fan" by Element Press 1991 ISBN 1-85230-194-5
4. See Empty Cloud : The Autobiography of the Chinese Master, Hsu Yun,   edited by Richard Hunn. Published By Element Books (1988)

• New Chan Forum issue 1