We welcome all of you to the Dragon Flower Ch'an Temple with three sincere bows of gratitude. All are welcome to attend Ch'an meditation practice in the sanctuary of United Church in University Place.
The Dragon Flower Ch'an Temple is, first and foremost, a Ch'an Buddhist temple and fulfills the normal functions of any Buddhist temple by providing a center for meditation, instruction, and practice of the Buddhist Way. As was true of the ancient temples of China, we also fulfill the function of the monastery by training monks in the practice of traditional Buddhism so that they too can work to spread the Dharma.
Through our Temple and its activities, we hope to make possible a modern enactment of the venerable tradition of the Buddhist Order and the living legacy of Shao-Lin Ssu's Master Bodhidharma.
May all living beings be saved!
Our Founder: Master Shih Shen-Lung
1947-2006
A practicing Buddhist monk since 1972, Ven. Shen Lung was ordained in the Soto Zen tradition by Rev. Soyu Matsuoka Roshi and subsequently received Dharma Transmission from Ch'an Master Shih Mo-Hwa of the Lin-Chi sect in 1980. Ven. Shen-Lung's guidance, understanding and humor helped countless numbers of beings to grow and thrive in the Dharma. He passed away on October 28th, 2006 and was given the posthumous Dharma Name Tai Xi, meaning "Great Joy." We honor the monk Shih Wu-Ming whose Dharma Name is Lung-Yen!
Our Abbot: Master Shih Ying-Fa
As Master Shen-Lung's only recognized Dharma Heir, Master Ying-Fa now serves as Abbot of the Dragon Flower Ch'an Temple. He is also the Abbot of CloudWater Zendo, the Zen Center of Cleveland, Ohio. Master Ying-Fa is the founder of the Nien-Fo Ch'an Order of Buddhist Monks and is the Spiritual Director of the Richard Hunn Association of Ch'an Study in England. Master Ying-Fa's root teacher is Sensei Koshin Ogui, the current head of the Buddhist Churches of America. Master Ying-Fa received Dharma Transmission from Master Shen-Lung in 1998 when he was publicly named Dharma Heir.
Dharma Transmission announcement at Cleveland, OH in 1998
Our Resident Instructor: Ven. Shih Shen-Ling
A senior student of Ven. Shih Ying-Fa for the past 11 years, Ven. Shih Shen-Ling was given Dharma Transmission by Master Ying-Fa on October 23rd, 2007, making him Master Ying-Fa's first Dharma Heir. Ven. Shen-Ling is considered to be part of the 50th generation of the Lin-Chi Ch'an line as well as the 89th generation dating back to the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. Ven. Shen-Ling teaches meditation and Buddhism to inmates in the Washington state prison system and is a member of the Northwest Dharma Association, participating regularly in various interfaith activities.
Dragon Flower Ch'an Temple Rededication and Announcement of Ven. Shen-Ling as Dharma Heir
Left: Master Ying-Fa leads chanting along with Ven. Shih Yung-Hsi of Portland, OR.
Right: Ven. Shen-Ling and Master. Ying-Fa after Dharma Heir announcement.
We are happy to recommend that you also visit the following Dharma Sites on the web.
| CloudWater Zendo, The Zen Center of Cleveland | Yong Kai Ch'an Ssu of Maracay, Venezuela |
| Northwest Dharma Association | Still Mountain T'ai Chi |
| BuddhaNet | The Buddhist Channel |
Or, if you only wish to tell us what's on your mind, leave us
your comment or suggestion.
Please direct all questions or comments regarding Dharma or Zen practice to
shenling@dragonflower.org
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