Member of the Ten Directions Zen Community    Kwan Um School of Zen

Our group members range in age from high school seniors to senior citizens. We come from different parts of the county and different parts of the world. All are welcome.

Our Community

We are part of a cluster of Chicago area Zen groups called the Ten Directions Zen Community. This larger community meets quarterly for weekend retreats with our guiding teacher, Zen Master Soeng Hyang. Check the events schedule for the next retreat.

Zen Master

Seung Sahn
1927-2004

Our School

Ten Directions is part of the Kwan Um School of Zen, an international organization founded over thirty years ago by the late Korean Zen Master, Seung Sahn. The 78th Patriarch in his line of transmission in the Chogye order of Korean Buddhism, Seung Sahn came to the United States in 1972 and started the Providence Zen Center, the first center in what is now the Kwan Um School. Zen Master Seung Sahn died on November 30, 2004.

Our Guiding Teacher

Zen Master Soeng Hyang (Barbara Rhodes), received dharma transmission from Seung Sahn in 1992. She was one of his first students in the United States, studied with him since 1972, helped to establish the Providence Zen Center, and currently serves as School Zen Master. Soeng Hyang has been our guiding teacher for over 15 years. She resides in Providence, RI but visits the Chicago area at least twice each year to lead our weekend retreats. A hospice nurse for many years, Soeng Hyang often conveys the teachings of the dharma through her experiences as a caregiver to the sick and the dying.

Zen Master Soeng Hyang

Our Dharma Teachers

Harold Rail recently became Director of the Ten Directions Zen Community. He has led the Woodstock Zen Group for over ten years, combining dedicated practice with a wide array of talents and experiences. He is at once a dharma teacher, peace activist, photographer, enterpreneur, musician, organic gardner, and avid reader.

Paul Lemrise became involved with our school after hearing a dharma talk by Zen Master Seung Sahn in 1988.  He is connected via his wife, Sung, to the Korean Buddhist community and leads a Sunday morning practice at Bultasa Buddhist Temple in Chicago.

Mark Garrett took teacher precepts last November and serves as our moktak master (chant leader). A strong practitioner - he has been known to attend retreats throughout the midwest - Mark completed a one-week intensive retreat with Zen Master Soeng Hyang at Providence Zen Center last year.

Senior Dharma teacher Margaret McKenzie is Abbott of the Ten Directions Zen Community. Her practice history includes a 100 day solo retreat which she completed in 2004, thus carrying on a tradition passed down to us from Zen Masters Seung Sahn and Soeng Hyang. Despite a long drive from home, Margaret frequently joins us for special events and celebrations. 

 Our Friends

The Woodstock Zen Group is fortunate to have many good friends who provide teaching, inspiration, and support. Zen monk Ji-Hak Sunim, provides all three, including a place for our group to practice on Thursday nights at his home in Island Lake. We enjoy his quiet presence, his insightful talks, and his beautiful dharma room. A cup of tea with him in his kitchen is a great way to finish off an evening of practice. 

Rev. Ji-Hak Sunim

Revs. Chandra & Sujatha 

We have two more good friends nearby in Crystal Lake at the Blue Lotus Temple. Sri Lankan monks Sujatha and Chandra are the two busiest monks we know. In three short years they have built an ever-growing community of Vipassana practitioners. In addition to maintaining weekly meditation practice at various sites, they also teach sutra studies, host retreats, organize charitable work for Sri Lankan children, and hold down full time jobs! They're amazing! It is our pleasure to practice and celebrate special occasions with them and their wonderful sangha

Our friend, the Rev. Dan Larson of the

Congregational Unitarian Church in Woodstock

has been a great supporter of Buddhist practice in this area. A tireless worker for peace, social justice, and tolerance, he is an inspiration to us. In addition, he and his community have kept a roof over our heads for many years now. We practice at their church every Sunday night.

Rev. Dan Larson

Laura Stankus

Buddhist Name: Ho Ren

(Boundless Lotus)

Laura Stankus, a member of the Ten Direction Woodstock Zen Group died Thursday, September 30th, 2005 in a car accident near Alden.

Laura took precepts several years ago with Zen Master Soeng Hyang (Barbara Rhodes). Throughout the years, Laura has been a valued and well-loved member of our sangha.

On the Sunday before her death, she set up and took down our information table and the Blue Lotus table at Diversity Day, making several trips to and from the church by herself. She'd recently given a talk to the World Religions class at MCC on Zen and performed the Evening Bell Chant for the class as part of her presentation.

Many of us are aware of her wonderful work with developmentally disabled children through SEDOM. Some of us had the opportunity to see her work with the kids at a Christmas special the previous year. She resonated with these less fortunate kids and brought joy to their lives.

Her mom, Kathy Beryhill, brought Laura to practice after joining the Unitarian Church. She also sat with us for a period of time, but after Laura became comfortable with the practice, she let her be on her own.

Please chant Ji Jang Bosal for Laura.