This workshop series will be the first of several that we plan to offer over the next few years as a way to reach out to the surrounding communities and increase visibility and interest. Each workshop will be offered twice over the course of a weekend, once on Saturday afternoon at the Countryside Church in Palatine, then again on Sunday afternoon following the Sunday service at Myoshinji. We hope to attract not only our regulars, but also those who might not at present be interested in a sitting practice, and those who are considering it but may want to check us out first. The cost of the workshops is $15. In our summer newsletter we’ll have a special insert of the actual brochure outlining these workshops. A preview of the workshops, presenters, and tentative dates for the workshops are as follows:

Embody the Golden Wind: Zen and Poetry Writing Workshop with John Gendo Wolff

September 22, Countryside Church, Palatine, IL
September 23, Myoshinji (Monroe, Wisconsin)

Poetry has long been linked to Zen as a way to express the most vital of our spiritual experiences. Participants in this workshop, conducted by John Gendo Wolff, will be exposed to the fundamentals of meditative introspection in a natural setting, understanding the nature of inner discovery, and opening the doors to outward expression. No experience in Zen meditation or poetry writing is required.

About the Instructor
John Gendo Wolff has published poems and essays in numerous magazines, journals, and anthologies. He is the author of Complaints From the West-River Country, and An American Solace. His work has also been included in the anthology Beneath a Single Moon: The Legacy of Buddhism in American Poetry, Shambhala/Random House, 1990, and he is the winner of the Dunes Review’s William J. Shaw Memorial Prize. Gendo teaches creative writing at West Shore Community College and is an ordained Zen priest.

Register here!

Introduction to Buddhist Art and Architecture with Rebecca Mott

October 20, Countryside Church, Palatine, IL
October 21, Myoshinji (Monroe, Wisconsin)

This lecture is a general introduction to traditional Buddhist art produced across Asian cultures. Beginning with the Great Stupa of Sanchi in India from the 3rd century B.C.E. and ending with several contemporary artists, the talk will explore sacred architectural space and Buddhist iconography as depicted through mudras (hand gestures), asanas (positions of the lower body), use of color, and identifying attributes of the different aspects of the Buddha, as well as bodhisattvas and other figures populating Buddhist art.

About the Instructor
Rebecca Mott resides in western Michigan where she is a Professor of Art and Humanities at West Shore Community College. She has a B. A. and M. A. in studio art from Eastern Illinois University and an M. F. A. in Ceramics/Sculpture from Southern Methodist University.

Register here!

Creating a Miniature World: Storymaking with Pictures and Words with Elizabeth Tenho Allen

November 10, Countryside Church, Palatine, IL
November 11, Myoshinji (Monroe, Wisconsin)

Small mind rests in big mind. When we open ourselves to the creative diversity and depth of life as it is, we express and inhabit the spacious world of originality and surprise by letting go. Throughout the drama of artistic creation, the imagination reigns free, as the eyes and language for the story that the whole of life wants to tell. Workshop includes guided meditation, work with pencil and paper.

About the Instructor
Elizabeth Tenho Allen has been a nationally known children's book illustrator and author for twenty years, and Buddhist for more than thirty, studying with teachers in various zen as well as Tibetan lineages. She most recently has taught adults how to see abstract art through zen practice, at the MMMA in Saint Paul, MN. She has a degree in art from U. of Wisc., post graduate work in jazz improvisation.

Register here!

Brush Mind: Inkpainting as Spiritual Practice
Edyta Wojcik

December 8, Countryside Church, Palatine, IL
December 9, Myoshinji (Monroe, Wisconsin)

Zen painting and calligraphy has a rich history in Japan and China of being used for personal and spiritual expression. This workshop will present past masters and show slides of some of their work, and its influence on Western art. Following this will be an opportunity for participants to use brush and ink from the perspective of "wabi - sabi," a zen-inspired aesthetic that emphasizes the beauty of "the perfectly imperfect." Bring your "beginner's mind" and join Edy, who herself is just beginning her exploration of this artform, to find out how brush painting reflects and enhances the quality of your spiritual and creative life.

About the Instructor
Edyta Wojcik was born and raised in Poland, and she studied Art and pedagogy at a Polish university. Six years ago she come to Chicago, and two years later she became a member of GPZC. Since coming to America she has led an essentially "immigrant life," mostly filled with work, studyng English, and adapting to her new life here.

Register here!


Other workshop series topics tentatively set to follow this one include:
Spring 2008: Zen in Everyday Life
Summer 2008: Zen & The Environment
Autumn/Winter 2008: Zen History & Philosophy
Spring 2009: Zen & The Performance Arts

If you are interested in presenting in any of these workshops, please contact us.