Dharma Library

A large collection of articles, from past issues of New Chan Forum and more besides.

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Introduction to Meditation

Drawing of sitting meditator

An introduction for those new to meditation and for those who wish to develop their meditation further.

What is Meditation?

We are used to the concepts of training the body in a skill or for fitness or dexterity, and of training the mind in factual knowledge or in a mental skill such as arithmetic. Meditation is many things but it is none of these. Meditation is a training of the mind to be…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: For Newcomers , Highlighted , 2015 , Other Articles , Simon Child

Unethical Zen Masters

Cover image of Medytacja magazine No 4 2013

Article commissioned by Medytacja magazine (Poland) issue 4 2013.

There have been several well-publicised scandals involving unethical behaviour by Zen masters. This is not a uniquely Zen problem, nor a uniquely Buddhist problem – there have also been similar problems involving other religions, for example with Christian priests – but I'm going to talk about it from the Zen perspective since that…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: For Newcomers , 2013 , Other Articles , Simon Child

What is Silent Illumination?

Cover of Medytacja magazine, #1 2013

Article commissioned by Medytacja magazine (Poland) issue 1 2013. 

Anyone who has ever tried any meditation will understand what I mean when I say that our minds are often noisy and dull. ‘Noisy’ because we experience the ‘voices’ of our thoughts filling our minds with words and images. ‘Dull’ because we see only a part of our present circumstances and environment, the part which preoccupies us,…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: For Newcomers , 2012 , Other Articles , Simon Child

The Accidental Buddhist

Cover of Medytacja magazine, #1 2013

Article commissioned by Medytacja magazine (Poland), issue 1 2013. 

In his public talks and writings the Dalai Lama often expresses the view that people should stay within their own tradition. If you are someone who is exploring different traditions and practices then you may be surprised and perhaps disappointed by this advice – why shouldn’t you change tradition if that is what you decide to…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: For Newcomers , 2012 , Other Articles , Simon Child

The Circling Birds: Openings to Insight on the Path of Chan

John Crook sitting in front of the altar at Maenllwyd

In Chan Comes West, Master Sheng Yen’s five lay Dharma heirs share their stories on the path, including how they came to the practice, their inner struggles along the path, and what receiving Dharma transmission has meant for them. It is hoped that readers will find these stories inspiring and be encouraged to make great vows in their own practice. Here is John Crook’s chapter from that book,…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: For Newcomers , 2011 , Other Articles , John Crook

What is the Western Chan Fellowship

John Crook sitting in front of the altar at Maenllwyd

Past Patron - The late Venerable Chan Master Dr Sheng Yen

Founding Teacher - The late Chan Master Dr John Crook Chuan-deng Jing-di

What is Chan?

Chan means Meditation, in Chinese. It is the historical root of Japanese Zen. Both Chan and Zen are rooted in the Mahayana traditions of Compassion and Wisdom which are central to the Buddhist path.

Chan employs traditional Buddhist meditation…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: For Newcomers , 2000 , Other Articles , John Crook

Introducing Buddhism: A Guide for Western Beginners

John Crook sitting in front of the altar at Maenllwyd

Click for Kindle version

Why Begin?

Whenever you arrive as a newcomer at a meditation class in Buddhism the teacher will wonder why you have come. Maybe you are coming because a friend has suggested it; maybe you have heard a radio programme; maybe you have read something exciting about Zen. Whatever it was, the teacher will want to go deeper.

Westerners usually seek to explore meditation or…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: For Newcomers , 2000 , Other Articles , John Crook

Working with a Master

John Crook sitting in front of the altar at Maenllwyd

What is it like for a lay practitioner to work with a master over a period of time? A single retreat provides an introductory experience but what if one persists through a series of such events? This would indeed be a requirement if the aim was to train in Chan. Training takes time but does it take one anywhere?

To assist those for whom this question may be relevant, I attempt to answer it…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 1999 , John Crook , For Newcomers , Chan Retreat Reports

Welsh Mandala

John Crook sitting in front of the altar at Maenllwyd

Akshobya

Dark light before dawn
no wind and in the silence
a fox barking on the hill;
suddenly in the candle lit room
the cold landscape unfurls
invisible rocks, burrows of badgers
trolling the turf for bulbs and insects
the starlit dome, dusk before dawn
Blue immensity.

Ratnasambhava

Sunrise, far to the SSE
almost at the point of turning
a midwinter sky lined by the tracery of trees,
northern thrushes…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 1998 , Poetry , John Crook , For Newcomers

Prerequisites for Chan Practice

Chan master Shengyen

This article is reprinted from Chan Magazine. Fall 1998, p32-35. Based on several lectures by Shih Fu, edited by Dan Stevenson, adapted for NCF by John Crook.

The Chinese term for practising Chan is ts'an-ch'an, which means to investigate, engage, or dig into (ts'an) the heart or living enlightenment of the Chan tradition. It is often said in Chan that the door to Chan is "no door," that the…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: For Newcomers , 1998 , Other Articles , Sheng Yen

The Birth of the Western Chan Fellowship

Simon Child headshot

Some years ago in NCF No. 12 John suggested the possibility of establishing an organisation based on the work at and attenders of Maenllwyd. My initial reaction, and I suspect also that of many others, was something like "well, it could be all right, but I don't like the idea of the formalities and organisation and committees etc." It seemed a bit unnecessary as everything seemed to work out fine…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 1998 , For Newcomers , Simon Child

Shifting Shit

Calligraphy for the character Chan

There seems to be a question: 'Can I be enlightened if I'm not a monk/nun?' Possibly not often for lay people, but can Buddhist teachings and practice improve the quality of our lives - the answer is a resounding 'Yes'.

A lay practitioner is constantly faced with personal obstacles, disagreements, tensions and difficulties which can lead to days and weeks of self analysis or can be ridden over…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: For Newcomers , 1998 , Other Articles , Others

No Mind - Mind Only

Simon Child headshot

We are presenting here an important article sent us by Dr Simon Child. Based in his personal practice of meditation it clarifies a way of looking at the Buddhist concept of rebirth which is often a stumbling block for many a Westerner. In conversation, Shifu once commented that for a Buddhist the idea of rebirth might be taken as myth but that to be a Buddhist, a concern with the continuity of…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 1995 , Simon Child , For Newcomers

A "Ting" of the Bell

Calligraphy for the character Chan

We arrived after an incredibly long journey from the north with scattered brain experiences and a chip shop repast. Was this my last meal as a normal human being? The farmhouse seemed a ridiculously long way from the road. And those gates! We seemed tobe travelling deeper and deeper into the mountain but perhaps I was entering more deeply into myself. Voices, torchlight. I recognised John…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: 1995 , Western Zen Retreat Reports , For Newcomers , Anon

Welcome to Chinese Zen: An Introduction to Chan Practice

John Crook sitting in front of the altar at Maenllwyd

Chinese Zen, or Chan as it is called in China, is a way of life that encourages clarity of mind, compassion to all sentient beings and a wisdom that comes from going beyond the concerns of self. This short introduction welcomes those seeking to develop fresh approaches to personal experience and suggests a way of practice.

Buddhism

Buddhism originated in India some 2500 years ago as a result of…

Western Chan Fellowship CIO

Categories: For Newcomers , 1995 , Other Articles , John Crook

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