New Chan Forum 40

Living Dharma

As those sad days of Venerable Chan Master Sheng Yen’s funeral at Dharma Drum Mountain fade into the past we are all getting our practice and Dharma thoughts together again, remembering vividly his impact on our lives, his teachings and our debt to him as our Shifu. And we are not wasting time; whether it is in Taiwan, in Pine Bush or at the Maenllwyd, the orchestra resumes its play.

In this issue, there are two things to note. Firstly, the range of activities and contrasting focus of our practice-investigations and, secondly, the fact that our journal has reached its fortieth issue – no mean feat of continuity and resourceful application. I want to thank everyone who has maintained our work through the years with contributions, thoughts, theories, poems and argument, editing and computing. Our journal is not here to praise our masters or our practice but rather to examine and criticise where necessary and to keep the investigative Dharma that is Chan alive. In this, we follow our Shifu whose originality and persistence in bringing Chinese Zen to the West has been so important both for us as practitioners and to Buddhism as it spreads its global wings.

Please continue supporting our endeavours and we await your thoughts and contributions.

To celebrate our 40th birthday we present a number of accounts of on going Dharma initiatives covering several contrasting issues that concern us. Read and Enjoy!

Chuan-deng Jing-di

Contents

• Master Yen Wai of Hong Kong
• A Day in the Life of Bruce at Sogenji
• Shifu's Legacy
• Ten Zen Questions
• Coming Home
• Epiphany
• Hope for the Future
• Retreat reports
  • Abide in the unborn: a koan retreat
  • Offering to Gurus and Yogis: a Mahamudra Retreat
  • The Buddhas Do Not Understand!: a koan Retreat
  • Food and Silence Introductory: an Chan Retreat
• Iris Tute: in Memoriam
• Remembering Iris