Examine Zen Buddhism and Japanese Culture at Next Toshiba Symposium

October 21, 2002

October 21, 2002, Greencastle, Ind. - The next Toshiba Symposium, on "Zen Buddhism and Japanese Culture," will feature presentations by a trio of experts. You're invited to attend the sessions, to take place Thursday, October 31 and Friday, November 1 on the DePauw University campus.

The symposium will open Thursday afternoon, October 31 at 4:30 in Watson Forum of the Eugene S. Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media with Issho Fujita, Soto Zen Master (seen at top of article), speaking on "The Life Centered Around Zazen." Zazen is sitting meditation; Reverend Fujita will discuss the life of the Zen monastery. At 7:30 that evening, Fujita, who has been the resident teacher at Valley Zendo in Charlemont, Western Massachusetts since 1987, will offer a meditation workshop open to anyone who is interested. It will take place in room 114 of historic East College.

On Friday, the Symposium continues with two presentations in the auditorium of the new Peeler Art Center. At 10:30 a.m., Professor Griff Foulk of Sarah Lawrence College will speak on "The Zen Monastery" itself, its design and function, and at 11:35, Professor Melinda Takeuchi from Stanford University will present a slide-talk on Zen art entitled, "Zen Brush, Zen Ink: Context, Contradiction and Controversy in Zen's Visual Culture."

The event will conclude with a 12:45 p.m. luncheon in the ballroom of the Memorial Student Union Building which will include a brief presentation. If you wish to attend the luncheon, please RSVP by e-mail by clicking here. The symposium is supported entirely by the Toshiba International Foundation.

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