New Chan Forum

In 1990 the Bristol Chan Group founded a journal called the 'New Chan Forum'. The Western Chan Fellowship has now taken over responsibility for this publication.

Content varies considerably from issue to issue, but typically includes Dharma talks, reports on their meditation and retreat experiences written by participants, comment on contemporary Zen and Buddhism, pictures, poetry, etc.

Copies of the full text of most issues are available to download from here. For copyright and other reasons some articles may sometimes be removed from the electronic version, and pictures are not included with the older issues, but if you wish you may write to the distributor to buy the paper version.

Published twice or three times a year, back copies, if still in print, are available from our Admin Secretary, price £4.50 each or £12.00 for a subscription of three issues.

Articles, pictures, poems, etc. for consideration for inclusion in future issues of New Chan Forum may be emailed to the WCF editorial at editor@westernchanfellowship.org

Print ISSN: 2047-9514 ,  Online ISSN: 2047-9522

New Chan Forum 50

Cover photo of New Chan Forum 50

We start this issue of New Chan Forum with an important call to action by our Teacher Simon Child, a call to examine our heritage and current identity, and work for an effective future.

Our literary heritage is introduced in articles on the core sutras of the Buddha’s teachings and the Dao De Jing, a foundation text of Daoism and Chan.

The down-to-earth nature of Chan in daily life is a theme of…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2015

New Chan Forum 49

Cover photo of New Chan Forum 49

Simplicity seems to have emerged as the underlying theme of this issue of New Chan Forum. The first three articles in this issue of New Chan Forum consider the “ordinariness” of Chan practice. How can we simply be with, and investigate, what arises in our meditation? How can we open to and accept the enlightenment experience offered to us by each passing second of ordinary life? And what are the…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2015

New Chan Forum 48

Cover of New Chan Forum 48

An essential task for us is to express Buddhism in a Western form within its lay practice context. This task forms the themes of this issue which comes in our new format. To provide an important pointer on our Western Buddhist lay practice we are very pleased to present a transcription of a talk given by Simon Child on the approach required to establish our own way to practise. Pat Simmons…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2014

New Chan Forum 47

Large incense burner in a temple courtyard

The Flower Garland Sutra has given us the wonderful image of Indra's Net. This is a symbol of the infinitely repeating mutual relations existing in the universe – a symbol of the interconnectedness and interpenetration of all things. As an editor it sometimes seems that nothing is going to connect and an issue will be made up of an collection of unrelated articles. At first this current NCF seemed…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2013

New Chan Forum 46

Cover of New Chan Forum 46

As we move forward, New Chan Forum is changing slowly in the way in which it presents itself. When the NCF began the Internet was only in its beginning phases and the Fellowship used the Forum as a context for discussion about ourselves and news of members and local activities. These matters are now ably dealt with digitally on the website and this publication can now focus on its other aims of…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2012

New Chan Forum 45

Cover of New Chan Forum 45

It is with a great sense of honour that I take up the role of editor of the New Chan Forum but with an equally great sense of sadness and loss that I do this following John’s death. This issue is therefore a memorial for John and his life.

Included are some contributions that were made at his funeral, some remembrances and memories. But for us to truly appreciate John’s contribution he needs to…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2012

New Chan Forum 44

Image of cover of NCF44

The Long Walk

The articles that fell together haphazardly here and came together in a natural composition seem to emphasise complexity; the irredeemable complexity of the human mind, the self, our world and the Universe. We struggle towards some kind of clarity through the dense fog of history, our contradictory ideas, our worried philosophising and our refusal to accept the simplicity of this…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2011

New Chan Forum 43

Cover of New Chan Forum 43

On the Path of the Third Way

In this issue two themes interweave – analytical understanding of Buddhadharma and uncovering the experiences to which it refers. If we can bring these two together we are well on the way to the third path: that through understanding both, we are led towards Enlightenment.

We have John’s introduction to Master Sheng Yen’s examination of a famous Chinese Sutra. In…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 2011

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