WCF News

The photographs of the ashes ceremony for Chan Master John Crook are now available for viewing.

I am writing to you and all the other members of the Western Chan Fellowship following a joint meeting of the Executive Committee and WCF retreat leaders on the weekend of October 1st and 2nd.

As you probably know, for the first 49 days after John's death we observed a 'Bardo' period, borrowing from the Tibetan Tradition. Subsequently, we discovered that a 49 day period is also observed in the…

There are two events and the family very generously extended invitations to anyone who wishes to attend either or both events.

• A Buddhist funeral service was held on Friday 29th July 2011 at Weston-super-Mare Crematorium, Ebdon Rd, BS22 9NY and afterwards at his home near Shipham in Somerset.
• A memorial service will be held at Maenllwyd, Pant-y-dwr in Wales on Saturday 10th September 2011 at 12.00…

Two messages have been received from Abbot President of Dharma Drum Mountain, Ven Guo Dong Fashi, an obituary and an in memoriam

Visit the Obituaries and Condolences page for John Crook

We now have a webpage dedicated to obituaries and condolences for the late John Crook. You may also submit your own message of condolence from this page.

• Obituaries
• Condolences
• Submit Condolences

Messages of condolence to John's family may be addressed to John's son Stamati as follows:

Stamati Crook
c/o Winterhead Hill Farm
Shipham
North Somerset
BS25 1RS
UK

Cards/letters are preferred, but emails may be addressed to:

Email: stamati.crook@redware.com

Dear members of the Western Chan Fellowship,

On behalf of the Abbot President and sangha members of Dharma Drum Mountain, we would like to express our sincere condolences on the recent passing of Dr. John Crook. We also send our thoughts and prayers to you and John’s family at this difficult time. It is impossible to adequately express our sincere sympathy at this most difficult time.

Impermanen…

It is with great sadness and sense of loss that we announce that Chan Master Dr John Crook has died suddenly at his home in Somerset, UK.

John was the first Western Dharma Heir of the late Chan Master Sheng Yen. He was the founding Teacher of the Western Chan Fellowship which is a lay Chan Buddhist community with members and associates in UK and Europe. He was a pioneer who brought great wisdom…

On 18-19 June 2011, the committee 'Buddhism and Society' of the European Buddhist Union (of which WCF is a member) organised an informal networking weekend, hosted by the Naropa Institute in Cadzand, the Netherlands. Socially engaged Buddhist networks from the United States, Asia and Europe were represented.

Attached please find a report from that meeting.

What do Buddhist insights have to offer today's suffering world? As Buddhists, how should we relate our practice to the huge and increasing inequalities we see around us. How should our Buddhist perspectives inform actions to ease that suffering?

A WCF conference entitled "Western Buddhism: Engaged Buddhism?" will take place at the Oddfellows Hall in Bristol on the weekend of 29th and 30th…