About Us
The Great Heart Society began with a 'Zen Peacemaker Circle' in Manchester in 2007, meeting at first in a city centre flat and then relocating to a beautiful music room in Howard Bamforth's house in Withington, South Manchester. We met each month as a group of peers following the model developed by Roshi Bernie Glassman and taught to us by Barbara and Roland Wegmueller in Switzerland. In 2008 we held a weekly meditation class, the Great Heart Circle, including elements of both Zen and Sufism with the blessings of teachers from both traditions. We receive ongoing encouragement and advice on our teaching from Roshi Paul Genki Kahn, Soto Zen priest and Dharma successor of Bernie Glassman.
Barbara and Roland Wegmueller have visited us several times to lead Zen trainings, Meditation and a Jukai ceremony. Shaikh David Bellak from the Mevlevi Sufi Order led a weekend workshop for us, and Shaykha Fariha al-Jerrahi kindly offered for us to host an initiation in her lineage for Steve Suleyman Hart. We've also had guest teachings on the Baha'i Faith and Christianity, and three annual Rumi Celebrations on the anniversary of his 'Wedding Night', 17th December.
A Zen Peacemaker Circle was started in Leeds and has met several times. In Spring 2009 activities began to be offered also in Leicester, and in 2010 we've begun to develop a structured Jukai training to help people Receive the Precepts in the Zen Peacemakers lineage. This began with a Precepts weekend led by Barbara Wegmueller in Eco House, the environmental show-home in Western Park.
The Great Heart Society aims to continue to act as a container for open-hearted trainings in the spirit of Buddhism, and remaining open to guidance and tools for compassion from many traditions, extending the hand of friendship to all who would like to link with us.
Training Director
Training in The Great Heart Society is coordinated by Chris Zangtsal Starbuck. He has been a student of Buddhist meditation for 20 years, especially of Tibetan Buddhism and Japanese Zen, and studies on an ongoing basis with Roshi Paul Genki Kahn and with Barbara and Roland Wegmueller. For over 10 years he's also been a student of Sufism, especially in the tradition of Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi from Turkey and more recently in the Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order based in New York.