New Chan Forum

Zen Quests

John opens this issue with his annual address as Teacher to the Western Chan Fellowship. It has been revised from the spoken version at Stroud early this spring (2010). This year’s address is particularly worthy of careful attention by all fellows because it sets out a carefully constructed review and interpretation of our retreat methods, their unique character and their derivation…

Buddhist Hopes & Buddhist Fears

In this issue of our journal, we present the proceedings of the conference prepared and organised for the Western Chan Fellowship by the Bristol Chan Group in Bristol on the 31st October and 1st November 2009. It follows from a similar conference on Death and Dying in 2006 and is intended to discuss important themes, psychological, educational and cultural,…

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…

The Passing of Shifu, and the China Journey

As we began to prepare this issue, the news came to us that our Shifu, the Venerable Chan Master Sheng Yen, had passed away. It is a sad time and we send our condolences to Dharma Drum practitioners, monastic and lay, wherever they may be.

Such a time is nevertheless also one for renewed focus and resolve to activate the Master’s Teachings in the world…

Paths To Enlightenment?

Do our retreats make any difference? Do they lead to an insight into enlightenment? Or are they merely spiritual hobbies in an age lacking in true wisdom? Although the Western Chan Fellowship is increasing in size and we offer a uniquely wide range of retreats of several types led by accomplished teachers, do our practitioners and local leaders truly understand the…

Rethinking

The state of Britain certainly needs rethinking. The feral teenagers armed with guns and knives, some freely murdering those who object, the vulgarity of binge drinking, the vomit in our streets, the riotous prisons, the lack of respect for race, sex or age on trains and buses – these things are not common elsewhere – although other continental countries have their own problems. We…

The Sacred Explored

Is Zen for us the unending exploration of mystery or are we sometimes unreasonably dogmatic? If we practice the former we contribute something different to our time from other ‘World Religions’ fixated in dogmatic assertions. Shifu made this very clear before the World Economic Forum in 2002. Yet, what is the sacred beyond whatever definition we wordy creatures chose for it?…

On Making a Difference

During the past year we have been making considerable efforts in redefining the institutional aspects of our work. In particular the support of individuals in everyday practice, the relationship between group leaders and their flocks, the links between local groups and our central organisation and the role of group meditation in the support of individual mindfulness have…