Author: TetsuGen KeiDo

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HSZC closed, Monday January 16th – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther CaptureKing, Jr.) is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King’s birthday, January 15. The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.

King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.

Enjoy the holiday & we will see you Tuesday!

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Full moon Ceremony – Saturday, Jan. 14 @11am, Speaker Daiko Tanzen David Bullock @10:15am

In Native American and early Colonial times, the Full Moon for January was called the Full Wolf Moon. It appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages. Traditionally, the January Moon is also known as the Old Moon.

This is our renewal of our Bodhisattva vows this upcoming Saturday morning after the Saturday Morning Dharma talk.

the ceremony takes about a half-hour and involves some thirty full prostrations, but simple standing bows are also all right if prostrations are too strenuous. All are invited to join in this ceremony/celebration.

Prior to the ceremony join us at 10:15am for a talk offered by  Rev. Daiko Tanzen, David Bullock; one of our current connections to the early days of Hartford Street’s Zen Center founding; the garden’s long term friend, current Board President, a resident priest and current Tanto as well as many other capacities past and present of HSZC (and the past Maitri); ordained by the temple’s founder – Rev. Issan Dorsey.

Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation), morning service, a brief drop-in meditation instruction at 8:30am. And again zazen at 9:25 am. We wrap up with a dharma talk at 10:15am followed by ceremony when applicable and then right to social time, tea and cookies. Please join us!

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Jan 7, 2017 – Jukai lay initiation ceremony @11am

Two of our dear and beloved Sangha members will have a Jukai (lay initiation) receiving of precepts ceremony immediately following the Saturday morning Dharma talk. This public ceremony is to celebrate and formally mark a practitioner receiving the sixteen Bodhisattva precepts (3 refuges, 3 pure precepts, 10 essential precepts) and vowing to work to live their life in accordance with these precepts.

Please join us for this wonderful event to celebrate Ben and Richard’s vows, renew our own, to congratulate Richard, Ben and all on the Soto Zen path!

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New Year 2017! join us Dec 31! starting at 7:30pm

Join us for an evening event kicking off at 7:30pm Dec 31 and taking us into 12am Jan 1 2017! please note: we will be closed on Jan 31st until ~7pm.

IMG_1981There’ll be some soji or traditional New Year’s temple cleaning, a light snack , zazen (seated meditation), striking our large bell 108 times, a burning ceremony of things to leave behind in 2016, and finally a toast to the new year.

Please note: There won’t be the regularly scheduled zendo events on the 31st… and we will be closed the 1st of January (We will additionally observe Chinese new year and goals set with a new Daruma, as we have been the past few years along with joss offerings to those beyond our visible realm for the year of the Rooster early February).

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Sat, Dec 17 @10:15am; Guest Speaker Koshin, Steven Tierney

Please join us for a Dharma talk Next Saturday by Ko Shin Steven Tierney, Ed.D. CAS who is Professor of Counseling Psychology and

Untitled-22221Chair of the Community Mental Health Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies. A certified addiction specialist, he is the Co- Founder of the San Francisco Mindfulness Foundation, providing relapse prevention and mindfulness- based services to individuals and families. Steven has been studying and practicing Buddhism for more than 20 years and was ordained by Michael Wenger on January 6, 2013. Steven’s commitment is to a community based Buddhism and he has spent the last ten years extending Buddha’s teachings to those living with addictions, in recovery and those facing serious health and mental health challenges.

Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation), morning service, a brief drop-in meditation instruction at 8:30 am. And again zazen at 9:25 am. We wrap up with a Dharma talk at 10:15 am and then socializing,  tea and cookies.