about BWC

Our Mission

Dharma in Motion  is this year’s theme for the 2010 Buddhist Women’s Conference sponsored by The Buddhist Council of the Midwest (BCM). BCM’s goal is to educate and improve the lives and practice of Buddhist women in the Midwest. The conference aims to provide opportunities for women to dialogue with each other and share, at a grassroots and immediate level, woman's wisdom and scholarship as expressed within all three Buddhist traditions: Mahayana, Varayana, and Theravada.

The Buddhist Council of the Midwest »
The Buddhist Council of the Midwest promotes the spread of the Dharma by fostering the learning and practice of Buddhism in America, inclusive of all three Buddhist traditions. Its mission is to be a vehicle of mutual aid and fellowship for Buddhist organizations thoughout the Midwest, to celebrate the diversity of Buddhist philosophy and culture, and to represent and advocate for the Buddhist community in the public realm, confronting misunderstandings or misrepresentations of the Dharma and engaging in inter-religious dialogue.

The BCM is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit religious organization. It was founded in 1984 to represent the Midwest Buddhist community in matters affecting its membership and to coordinate efforts by its members to create an atmosphere of fellowship and co-operation. Meetings are held the third Wednesday of the month in a Chicago area center. Representatives from all Buddhist traditions in Chicago and the Midwest are welcome to attend. Please check the BCM website, www.BuddhistCouncilMidwest.org, for meeting times and locations.

Special Thanks

In keeping with it’s grassroots mission, the Dharma Women, our conference planners, are volunteers from local Sanghas. The following Sanghas have been especially supportive in the lending of vision, resources and talent to this conference...

The Chicago Zen Center »
The Chicago Zen Center , established in 1974, is a non-sectarian temple, and a growing Zen community in Evanston, IL. They offer daily sittings, dharma talks, meditation retreats, and residential training. Their practice core is Harada-Yasutani Koan Curriculum, resting on a Soto Zen meditation base. The temple includes a variety of sincere practitioners both lay and ordained.

Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association - Chicago Chapter »
Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association - Chicago Chapter (DDMBA Chicago) in Mount Prospect, IL, is part of the International Cultural and Educational Foundation of Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM), founded in Taiwan by Venerable Sheng Yen. DDM is dedicated to the spiritual and educational needs of people at all stages of their lives.

Heartland Sangha »
Heartland Sangha is a group of American Buddhists who practice a non-dualistic, pan-sectarian Buddhism drawn from the original teachings of Gautama Buddha, Jodo Shinshu, Zen Buddhism and engaged Buddhism. Founded in 1989, it is affiliated with the American Buddhist Association and interested in American Buddhism as developed by the Venerable Rev. Gyomay Kubose.

The Shambhala Meditation Center of Chicago »
The Shambhala Meditation Center of Chicago was founded by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist Master, artist and poet. Mindfulness-awareness meditation practice and instruction are available several times each week, free of charge, and classes are offered in Buddhist studies, Shambhala Training, and Contemplative Arts. The Shambhala community welcomes people of any spiritual background or way of life.

Tibet Center »
The TIBET Center endeavors to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of Tibet, and to provide a venue for Tibetan and Buddhist studies.

Udumbara Zen Center »
Udumbara is a welcoming and vibrant community of Buddhist practitioners who are supportive of all Buddhist schools and particularly devoted to the practice of Zen. Udumbara Sangha acknowledges and values equally the expression of practice in formal settings and in daily life: thus affirms both lay and monastic practice as expressions of the Bodhisattva path.

Zen Life & Meditation Center »
(formerly known as Zen Community of Chicago)
Zen Life and Meditation Center offers a comprehensive core curriculum that provides concrete tools and guidance for living a Zen-inspired life of openness, empathy and clarity. It was established in Oak Park in May 2004 by Roshi Robert Joshin Althouse and Rev. June Ryushin Tanoue.