Author: TetsuGen KeiDo

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7 November @11am – Daruma Memorial (Darumaki)

Please join us on November 7th for – Daruma Memorial.

Daruma is a Japanese name for the famous Indian monk daruma shiba kokanBodhidharma who lived during the 5th/6th century A.D. The accounts of his life are largely legendary (see Comics “Bodhidharma” 1-12 at Sotozen-net International website) but according to Denkoroku (The Record of Transmitting the Light) written by Keizan Zenji, he was born as the third son of the king of Koshi in southern India. He became a monk and practiced under the guidance of Venerable Hannyatara (Prajnatara). He is considered to be the 28th Indian Buddhist teacher in a direct line from Gautama Buddha, and also regarded as the first master in Chinese Zen tradition.

Following the instruction of his Master to transmit Dharma to China, Bodhidharma traveled east to Southern China in 526 A.D.

Please join us for a memorial recognizing our first ancestor in China! 

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31 October – Sejiki Ceremony!

Following the Dharma talk we’ll celebrate the ancient ceremony known in Japanese as Sejiki, or “Feeding the Jiki (wandering spirits)”.
Capture6666This ceremony addresses our connection to the “unseen world”, typically overlooked in the West. All aspects of our life that have been disowned, disrespected and denied are invited to come forth from exile and be nourished, a gesture that may have particular significance for members of the LGBTiQQ community, whose own place in the social order has been undermined by fear, prejudice and violence. Costumes and sundry noisemaking devices are encouraged, and everyone is invited to participate. (Time approximate after the Dharma talk, at about 11 a.m.)

Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation), 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 followed by a ceremony if applicable, then tea and cookies.

Please join us Saturdays and we hope to see you often!

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27 October, Tuesday @ 7pm Oragami!

We photowant to offer an invitation to everyone for next Tuesday 10/27 post-zazen for a very informal, very impromptu Origami Practice with artist and explorer Brian Shae.
His work was shown at SFZC, 300 Page Street in June. Brian approaches paper folding as an organic process and mindfulness inquiry. It seems quite interesting.
There will be paper for us to fold + tea and some kind of treat.

 

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24 October – Full Moon Ceremony, 11am

full moon ceremony – Saturday, October 24 @11am: Hunter’s Moon 2015– 
Hunters-MoonThis is thus 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 welcome to join in this ceremony/celebration.

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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17 October – Guest speaker; Ryuko, Laura Burges

Ryuko, Laura Burges is a lay entrusted teacher in the Soto Zen tradition. A Capture5555teacher of children for 27 years, her work has been featured in the PBS special The Digital Divide and in the book Teach Our Children Well. She is active in bringing mindfulness practices into elementary classrooms. Laura co-founded the Sangha in Recovery program at the San Francisco Zen Center and lectures and leads retreats at different practice centers in Northern California.

Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation), 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 followed by tea and cookies.