New Chan Forum 62

Apologies for the rather late arrival of this issue of New Chan Forum: Simon Child has been completely caught up in project-managing the final stages of creating our new retreat centre, and I’ve been nursing a broken arm (and nose, but that’s less necessary for typing…).

I hope you will find this issue informative and stimulating. One theme which seems to have emerged from articles that people have sent me this time is particularly to do with human beings relating to each other, with or without compassion. Anna Jedynak writes movingly from Poland about the war (or Special Military Operation, according to President Putin) taking place so very close to her own country, and her response as a Buddhist. Richard Spalding, Sian Thomas and Guy Roberts, on the other hand, consider what they have gained from sharing the wisdom of fellow-members of the Western Chan Fellowship sangha.

By contrast, Nigel Jeffcoat’s article describes a deeply personal inner process, experienced over a number of years. The main purpose of New Chan Forum, it seems to me, is precisely to share the many differing experiences and insights of those of us who are involved in some way with the Western Chan Fellowship, and I think this issue certainly does that.