Western Chan Fellowship
Encyclopedia
The Western Chan Fellowship (WCF) is an organisation of lay Buddhists. It was formed in 1997 and registered as a charity
in 1998. It was based on a network of local groups which formed following the first teaching visit to the UK
in 1989 of the Venerable Chan Master Dr Sheng-yen
. Master Sheng-yen was Abbot of a monastery in Taiwan and Head of the Institutes of Chung Hwa Buddhist Culture in Taiwan
and New York
.
Master Sheng-yen has visited the UK four times and has passed on to the fellowship a view of the Dharma
(teaching) based on his experience in both the main lineages of Chan
- Linji
(Rinzai) and Caodong
(Sōtō
).
In April 1989, Master Sheng-yen came to the Maenllwyd Retreat Centre in Mid Wales
and Dr John Crook
, who trained with him in New York
, acted as Guestmaster. At the end of the retreat Crook was asked to run orthodox Chan retreats in Britain
as the representative of Master Sheng-yen. Crook was subsequently invited to function as teacher to the Bristol
Chan Group, the first of the WCF local groups. In 1993 he received the Dharma transmission
from Master Sheng-yen and is thus a fully authorised teacher in the same lineage. Thus, WCF is a group of lay practitioners with properly authenticated teachers.
Currently, the emphasis of WCF activity is on meditation
retreats. Aside from that, it also publishes a journal, "New Chan Forum", two or three times a year, and engages in charity activities.
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
in 1998. It was based on a network of local groups which formed following the first teaching visit to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1989 of the Venerable Chan Master Dr Sheng-yen
Sheng-yen
Sheng-yen was a Buddhist monk, a religious scholar, and one of the mainstream teachers of Chinese Chan Buddhism. He was the 57th generational descendant of Linji in the Linji School and a 3rd generational descendant of Master Hsu Yun...
. Master Sheng-yen was Abbot of a monastery in Taiwan and Head of the Institutes of Chung Hwa Buddhist Culture in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Master Sheng-yen has visited the UK four times and has passed on to the fellowship a view of the Dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
(teaching) based on his experience in both the main lineages of Chan
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
- Linji
Linji
Línjì Yìxuán was the founder of the Linji school of Chán Buddhism during Tang Dynasty China. Linji was born into a family named Xing in Caozhou , which he left at a young age to study Buddhism in many places....
(Rinzai) and Caodong
Caodong
Cáodòng is a Chinese Zen Buddhist sect founded by Dongshan Liangjie and his Dharma-heirs in the 9th century. Some attribute the name "Cáodòng" as a union of "Dongshan" and "Caoshan" from one of his Dharma-heirs, Caoshan Benji; however, the "Cao" much more likely came from Cáoxī , the...
(Sōtō
Soto
Sōtō Zen , or is, with Rinzai and Ōbaku, one of the three most populous sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.The Sōtō sect was first established as the Caodong sect during the Tang Dynasty in China by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dōgen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century...
).
In April 1989, Master Sheng-yen came to the Maenllwyd Retreat Centre in Mid Wales
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
and Dr John Crook
John Crook
John Hurrell Crook, BSc, PhD, DSc , was a British ethologist who filled a pivotal role in British primatology....
, who trained with him in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, acted as Guestmaster. At the end of the retreat Crook was asked to run orthodox Chan retreats in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as the representative of Master Sheng-yen. Crook was subsequently invited to function as teacher to the Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
Chan Group, the first of the WCF local groups. In 1993 he received the Dharma transmission
Dharma transmission
Dharma transmission refers to "the manner in which the teaching, or Dharma, is passed from a Zen master to their disciple and heir...
from Master Sheng-yen and is thus a fully authorised teacher in the same lineage. Thus, WCF is a group of lay practitioners with properly authenticated teachers.
Currently, the emphasis of WCF activity is on meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
retreats. Aside from that, it also publishes a journal, "New Chan Forum", two or three times a year, and engages in charity activities.