New Chan Forum 12

Awareness in Everyday Life

In our last two issues we have started to consider the subject of lay Zen. These discussions have taken in Zen and social action, the place of the Dharma in modern society and problems with the master/ disciple relationship. In this edition we focus on the role of Buddhism in the day to day life of lay practitioners.

Central to the question of what part Zen may play in our everyday lives is the role of awareness. In this issue the means of achieving such awareness and mindfulness are addressed in two very different ways. Firstly, James Crowden contemplates the meditative qualities of agricultural labour and the way in which even hard work may end up with just being. In our second piece on this theme Sue Blackmore considers the ways in which attention to everyday activities may transform them making the often difficult (and sometimes annoying) problem of reducing vexations simple and natural.

Also in this edition we reproduce a lecture by Shifu in which he discusses the relationship between master and disciple. Many readers may find this article of relevance to the issues raised in Stuart Lachs' discussion (in issue 10) of recent problems in American Zen centres and to the question of just what the role of the teacher should be Zen practice.

In addition to these features the current issue contains reflections on the Chan retreat led by Shifu in June 1995, a report on the progress of the new Chan Hall and a proposal for a fellowship of Chan practitioners based around the community feeling already created by regular retreats at Maenllwyd. As usual we include poems, a selection of retreat reports which (in this issue these particularly focus on awareness) and details of small meditation groups around the country which are affiliated to the Bristol Chan group. We also include information on a more extensive than usual retreat programme in Mid-Wales and the Mendips as well as details of retreats in New York.

As always we are grateful to receive submissions for the New Chan Forum. These may take the form of articles, photos, retreat reports, poems or letters. At this time however we are particularly interested in drawings. Further information on the NCF and the addresses to which you can send submissions and comments are given on the back page.

• New Chan Forum Issue 12