In the suburb immediately west of the city limits of Chicago, there is a small Zen center. Amidst the hustle and bustle of commuters and families in the town of Oak Park, Illinois, this center acts as a retreat for those seeking the calm and quiet that surrounds Zen Buddhism. Founded in 2004 by Robert Althouse and his wife June Tanoue, the Zen Life & Meditation Center of Chicago offers classes, lecture series, meditation retreats and, for some, one-on-one sessions with Robert Althouse, who is a fully ordained Zen Buddhist priest. Though Robert and June are practicing Buddhists, and incorporate the principles of Zen Buddhism in their curriculum that are integral to promoting their vision and mission for the center, the defining aspect of this Zen center is its commitment to teaching the principles of Zen Buddhism so that a person of any faith could utilize the practices.
Robert Althouse’s commitment to the secular teaching of Zen Buddhism was born out of decades of experience and practice in the sect, as well as simply accruing experience while being in the world. Beginning in the early 1970s, Althouse came under the tutelage of Taizan Maezumi Roshi at the Zen Center of Los Angeles. It was there that he was officially ordained in the White Plum lineage—a school founded by Maezumi—as a Buddhist Priest in 1972 at the age of 22. After continuing his studies at a retreat center in Colorado for the remainder of the 1970s, Althouse fell away from the practice for a number of years to instead pursue an artistic career. He set up a studio in California where he worked as a painter and picked up odd jobs for much of the 1980s. In 1988, however, Althouse and his then-new wife June Tanoue moved to Hawaii where Robert Althouse once again found himself back on a spiritual path. In 1992, they founded the Zen Center of Hawaii, which offered meditation classes and retreats; this Zen center laid the foundation for the structure and ideology of the Zen Life and Meditation Center of Chicago. However, a turning point occurred in Robert Althouse’s life as a teacher in the aftermath of 9/11. He believed that the country as a whole did not handle the tragedy in a way that he believed was productive. He took this as an opportunity to travel the country to teach a class entitled “Inner Disarmament” which sought to bring Zen Buddhism to people who would not normally encounter it in their lives. After teaching this series, he and his wife June settled in Chicago where they opened the Zen Life and Meditation Center—initially located within their home, but with growing success and community demand, they opened a center in downtown Oak Park. For nearly 12 years, Robert and June have been bringing Zen Buddhism to eager participants of all walks of life.
So, what exactly are the values and principles taught by the Zen Life and Meditation Center? Their core values, as stated on their website, include:
- Live a life of openness, showing respect and kindness to everyone
- Be genuine and true to yourself and others
- Have integrity, keep your word, honor your agreements
- Respect differences in world views as opportunities for learning and enrichment
They cultivate these values by utilizing certain Zen Buddhist principles in classes and retreats, including:
- Elimination of suffering
- Let go of outcomes, goals and agendas
- Three Marks of Existence: impermanence, suffering, and no self
- Principle of Earth, Heaven and Man: grounding, letting go, and awakening the heart
- Four truths: suffering, its cause, its elimination, and path for eliminating suffering
Because Zen Buddhism has a central focus on meditation, these values and principles are put into practice in the meditation classes offered by the Zen Life and Meditation Center. The curriculum begins with the necessary “Primer Series.” This series is required for every member of the center who wishes to progress in his or her study of Zen Buddhism. Because of Robert Althouse’s commitment to teaching Zen principles in a way that a person of any faith can utilize, the Primer Series begins at a very introductory level. Students are introduced to terms such as “mindfulness,” and concepts such as the 7 Points of Meditation Posture and the Lovingkindness meditation. In these beginning classes, Althouse emphasizes the connection between your mind and your emotions, and how readily your emotions can seep into your thinking, and how meditation practice can help the bleeding of the boundaries between mind and emotion. The second series that a member of the center can participate in after completing the Primer Series is the Gateway Series. This series consists of three modules, each with a separate focus: Module 1 centers on focusing and the “body-oriented process of self-awareness and healing.” This module seeks to teach the student about the mind-body connection and how one can bring awareness to it through “mindful focusing.” Module 2 involves nonviolent communication and teaches the student how to speak and listen to others in a way that increases compassion and empathy. Module 3 is the culmination of the series, and focuses on what Robert Althouse and collaborator Zen Master Dennis Genpo Merzel call “Big Mind.” This concept involves helping the student “integrate diverse energies within [his/her] life experience to illuminate the path to living a Zen-inspired life.”
In addition to these series, the Zen Life and Meditation Center offers retreats that span from a few hours to a full week. These retreats consist of multiple meditation sessions in groups as well as individually, though all led by Robert Althouse. The primer and gateway series and the retreats are all imbued with his drive to teach anyone and everyone how to live a Zen-inspired life regardless of what religion they practice.
When speaking to patrons of the Zen Life and Meditation Center, it is clear that Althouse’s vision is alive in those who partake in his classes and engage with his teachings. Donna Mindrum and Craig Mindrum, a couple from Oak Park, IL, believe that what they have learned at the Zen Life and Meditation Center has indeed strengthened their faith and furthered their positions in their respective spiritual journeys. Mr. Mindrum began the Primer Series in mid-2014 in order to “take an important potential step in his spiritual journey” and, after going through the series, as well as giving a talk himself at the Zen Life & Meditation Center on the Tao Te Ching in October 2015, he concludes that being a member of the center has, indeed, imbued his life with Zen teachings and principles that he applies to his life every day. Meanwhile, Mrs. Mindrum in particular has delved into Althouse’s teachings—to the point where, in early 2015, she underwent a ceremony wherein she officially came under the tutelage of Zen Master Althouse. Mrs. Mindrum came to the Zen Life & Meditation Center in 2014 having already explored the world of mindfulness meditation on her own:
“For years I had been teaching myself more and more about meditation—I initially was involved in a practice called Contemplative Prayer, but I found myself hitting roadblocks that would be overcome if I had proper teaching. That was when I started taking classes at Zen Life & Meditation Center.”
After taking part in the primer as well as the gateway series, she approached Althouse to be her teacher. Althouse is selective in who he chooses to teach one-on-one; he requires to meet with the prospective student multiple times before agreeing to undergo the ceremony to officially become master and student. After meeting with Althouse, Mrs. Mindrum, as previously mentioned, is now his student, meeting with him once a week to discuss meditation practices as well as various Buddhist principles. These discussions go more in depth than the classes offered to the public, and are more personal. On her own, Mrs. Mindrum meditates for an hour everyday, and is an exceptionally curious student—reading Zen Buddhist literature as well as remaining cognizant of the connection between mind, body, and emotion throughout the day. Her children attest to her commitment to the practice, saying that she “is notably more centered and calm since beginning practice at the Zen Life and Meditation Center.”
The Zen Life and Meditation Center of Chicago is a haven for the people who frequent it. It is not only a place of learning where one can cultivate an extensive knowledge of mindful living, but a place where a sense of community has been fostered by its patrons. Many find kindred-spirits in the people who they meditate with, so much so that many form groups based on personal interests—there are book clubs and painting clubs, and soon, Donna Mindrum will be starting the quilting club at the center. The principles of Zen Buddhism, taught by Robert Althouse are alive and well in these patrons, and can be achieved by anyone with an interest and the commitment.
Works Cited
1. Mindrum, Donna. Personal interview. 26. Nov. 2015
2. Mindrum, Craig. Personal interview. 27. Nov. 2015
3. Zen Life and Meditation Center. Web. 20. Nov. 2015