Letter from Ven Guo Xing Fashi to the Western Chan Fellowship

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.

Impermanence is the one truth that the Buddha himself awakened to 2500 years ago. Though we may be in fine health today, and may even be wealthy and without complaints, sooner or later we too will pass away. Every living thing eventually must perish.

Though this truth sounds harsh and depressing, the Buddha taught us that only when we accept impermanence and not fight it, can we then discover the true beauty and wonderful gift that life provides. Thus, we are encouraged to be grateful for the time, however brief, that we were able to spend with John. The truth of impermanence also reminds us that we should live our own lives to the fullest.

John worked tirelessly in bringing Buddhadharma to the West. He had made Buddhism accessible to Westerners through presenting it from a Western mind. John had published several books focusing on consciousness and Chan practice. His latest work was ‘World Crisis and Buddhist Humanism.’ For decades, John was helping communities in both Europe and Dharma Drum Retreat Center at New York and made many contributions to Buddhism in these places.

John was someone who was not only enthusiastic about Buddhism, but was passionate in helping his students learn. I think his sense of caring was evident to everyone who ever met him. A great teacher has been lost, and we mourn him deeply. But we may find some consolation in the fact that his humanity and dedication is still a source of inspiration to us fortunate enough to have known him. He was an outstanding individual and will be greatly missed.

Please pass our deepest sympathies on to you and John’s family.

Yours sincerely,

Venerable Guo Xing

Abbot of CMC and DDRC, USA

For the Abbot President and sangha members of Dharma Drum Mountain