Please have a safe, joyful, love and peace filled holiday if you celebrate one or next few days with friends and/or family even if you do not.
Please don’t forget we are closed the 24th through the 26th!
Winter Solstice – Dec 21st
December marks multiple activities in the Zen Buddhist calendar and Japan’s traditional events. Winter solstice occurs on the shortest day and longest night of the year based on the seasonal rotation of the earth, (to occur this Saturday) & has multiple Japanese traditions including a Yuzu bath!
We will have a combined celebration for our recent full moon (Full Cold or Full Long Night) & mark this point in the year where we begin to start to see more sunlight again.
All are welcome to join in this ceremony/celebration.
Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation @6:30am), 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 (ceremony if applicable) followed by tea and cookies.
Saturday Dec 14, 2013; 10:15am – Guest Speaker Beata Chapman
Beata Chapman is a Zen priest and long-time student of the late Darlene Cohen, has practiced meditation in the Soto Zen tradition for 20 years. Because she herself suffers from debilitating spinal nerve pain, Beata studied and apprenticed extensively with Darlene on practicing and living with chronic pain.
Using these teachings on a daily basis, she carries on Darlene’s unique teachings of Suffering & Delight through groups and private pain consultations. Beata works as a compliance and quality improvement consultant, helping long-term care facilities improve performance and therefore the lives of those they serve.
She also works with older adults and persons with disabilities and their families, guiding and helping them access resources. Private pain consultations are available on the telephone, skype, or in person throughout the greater San Francisco Bay area. And for the Hartford Street Zen Center Beata has been a vital guide and supporter as the facilitator of HSZC’s Sangha Council.
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 followed by tea and cookies.
This Saturday will also include the All Member and Board of Director Annual Meeting at 12 noon.
Please join us this Saturday and we hope to see you often!
Saturday December 14th
Congratulations!
Sunday Dec 8 @11:30am – Jukai Ceremony
Two of our dear and beloved Sangha members will have a Jukai (lay initiation) ceremony immediately following the Sunday morning Dharma talk and end of Winter Light Retreat/Sesshin. 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 Henry’s & Chris’ vows, renew our own, to congratulate Henry & Chris and all on the Soto Zen path!
Bodhi Day / Rohatsu Ceremony Sun. Dec 8th @7:20am
Please join us to take part in this ceremony to celebrate the enlightenment of Shakamuni सिद्धार्थ गौतम बुद्ध Buddha ගෞතම බුදුරජාණන් වහන්සේ on Sunday Dec 8, 2013 at 7:20am.
Please come to celebrate both the ceremony and be of visual and expressed in presence positive intention and support for the individuals in sesshin/retreat!
