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Japanese Zen Master Brings Ancient Disciplines
to Oglethorpe University
ATLANTA – Keido Fukushima, Master of Zen and Japanese
Calligraphy and Head Abbot of Tofuku-ji Monastery in Kyoto, Japan,
will visit Oglethorpe February 20 – 21 to give a lecture on Zen
Buddhism and lead a demonstration of Japanese Calligraphy.
Abbot Fukushima is one of our time’s most respected Zen masters
and most renowned Japanese calligraphers. Named head abbot of the
Tofuku-ji Monastery in 1980, he is the spiritual and administrative
leader of one of the largest and historically most significant of
the Zen monasteries in Japan, as well as 23 sub temples and 370
subsidiary temples of the Tofuku-ji sect. Fukushima’s master,
Shibayama, was a protégé of D.T. Suzuki (1869-1966), who more than
anyone else introduced Zen Buddhism to Westerners and developed
significant dialogue between Japanese Zen and Western thought.
Closely associated with Zen is calligraphy and Fukushima
continues in that tradition. His works are highly prized by
collectors and museums alike. Fukushima's style of Zen calligraphy
is an expression of what Buddhists call the "clear" mind. Working
quickly, in exact brush strokes, he paints Japanese characters,
spelling out ancient "koans" (questions that assist in meditation),
fragments of poetry, and quotes from famous Zen masters. An active
lecturer on college campuses throughout the United States, Fukushima
has appeared at more than 20 U.S. universities, including Harvard,
Cornell and Columbia. His calligraphy is highly valued in Japan as
well as the United States, where it has been exhibited in New York
and San Francisco.
Fukushima will give a lecture on Zen Buddhism in the Oglethorpe
University Museum of Art on Wednesday, February 20 at 8 p.m. He will
demonstrate Japanese Calligraphy on Thursday, February 21 at 8 p.m.
in the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art.
Oglethorpe University is an independent, highly selective,
co-educational, liberal arts institution located in Atlanta at 4484
Peachtree Road, N.E. Founded in 1835, the institution is dedicated
to producing graduates who are broadly educated in the fundamental
fields of knowledge and the basic concepts and principles of their
disciplines. The Oglethorpe total student body consists of
approximately 1,230 students representing 32 states and
international students from more than 30 nations around the world.
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