Member Profile

If you've come to the Zen Life & Meditation Center recently, chances are you've seen the warm smile of Gina Bilotto.  You can find her volunteering behind the registration desk, greeting people for classes, or sitting during public meditation on Tuesday or Thursday nights.   Gina is a great asset for our community.

Gina first came to the ZLMC in November of 2010 as a student in the Primer Series of classes.  She had been interested in Buddhism for some time prior to that, often reading books by The Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh.   She had also attended a few informal sessions at various Tibetan Buddhist Centers in the Chicagoland area.   It was during her research on Zen communities that she stumbled upon the ZLMC.  

Immediately she had felt she had found the right community for her.  She discovered a place where she was comfortable starting out and could meditate without feeling overwhelmed by formalities.   Everyone at the Center was genuinely warm and welcoming and without pretense or pressure.  According to Gina, "The ZLMC curriculum makes Zen and meditation very approachable."  Six months later she knew she wanted to follow a Buddhist spiritual path and became and advanced member studying under Roshi.

Gina was born and raised in Chicago as an only child.  She is very grateful that her parents are still with us and that she has a great extended family and many friends.  Raised Roman Catholic, shewent to Catholic parochial school K-12 and received a Masters of Social Work from a Catholic University.   Nowadays, she works at a law firm as an intellectual property paralegal focusing on trademarks and copyrights.   She considers herself a life long learner.

Gina suggests that beginners should find themselves a good teacher who can provide simple instructions and guidance on technique.  More importantly, she finds that a good teacher is very helpful as difficult thoughts and emotions pop up during sitting.  It's essential to have guidance from an experienced teacher such as Robert Althouse.

Come celebrate this landmark event for Gina in this beautiful ceremony called Jukai in which Zen Master Robert Joshin Althouse, will act as her preceptor as she receives the precepts and a dharma name honoring and recognizing her commitment to living a Zen-inpsired life, this coming Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 11:00 am.