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The Western Cha'n Fellowship Contact Address: Dr Simon Child, 24, Woodgate Ave., Bury, Lancs BL9 7RU
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| Tradition Ch'an Buddhism is a Mahayana tradition, which arose as Buddhism reached China in the sixth century, thanks to an itinerant monk , Bodhidharma. Buddhist teachings were modified by the pre-existing Taoist belief system to give the characteristic features which are recognizable as 'Ch'an' from then on. The practice of Ch'an later moved northwards to Korea and Japan where it underwent further cultural changes which are now recognizable as Zen. Whereas as at one time there were twelve or more different schools of Buddhism in China, most of them have not survived nearly 2000 years of political change as dynasties and doctrines came and went. Ch'an has survived, partly because the monasteries were funded, not through patronage, but through the work of the monks themselves - indeed it is still practised in China today and is enjoying a modest resurgence under the current Chinese government. |
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| Spiritual Leader Master Sheng Yen is thespiritual leader to whom we are indebted. He lives and works in Taiwan and New York. He has appointed two Dharma heirs in the UK, the first of whom is Dr John Crook who has studied and practised Buddhism for fifty years. Dr Simon Child is his second Dharma heir, having been trained by Master Sheng Yen and John Crook. Master Sheng Yen holds transmission in both Lin Chi ( Rinzai), and Tsao T'ung (Soto) traditions. Now in his seventies, he has shown himself to be adept, not only as a respected teacher but also in presenting an authentic and ancient Eastern tradition in ways which are helpful to modern Western practitioners. |
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| Practice Our principle practice is meditation according to one of several possible techniques, of which Silent Illumination is the one most often associated with Master Sheng Yen. We also place emphasis on regular silent retreats in which, although we are all lay practitioners, we adopt a monastic routine for the five to seven days of the retreat. |
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For further details, please consult our web-site - www.WesternChanFellowship.org
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