23 November 12:30PM – Sangha Council
The Hartford Street Zen Center Sangha Council will occur this Saturday 12:30pm: We’ve formed council as a forum to continue to talk of, and discuss with each other – and with the sangha at large – issues, concerns, questions and conflicts which have been challenging – downright hard to talk about or never seem to have an appropriate time we are all together to discuss. We’ll use a practice model of working with each other with the most skillful speech we can access. This is a great opportunity also for those who haven’t been around lately to reengage and be a part of the present and future Hartford Street!
Our next meeting will be on Saturday 12:30pm to 2:30pm, November 23, 2013 for 120 minutes (with a break included).
We’re continuing this format that is flexible enough for a diversity of needs. This session will be facilitated by Beata Chapman, a long time member and Board president of the Santa Cruz Zen Center. She is knowledgeable about many aspects of zen communities. The scaffold we’ll be working from is based on the Council process developed by the Ojai Foundation.
You do not need to have an ‘issue’ or overt concern to attend. Council is sangha building, connection and healing. All are welcome!
If you have questions regarding this, call Peter Goetz at 510.595.1281. If you’d like a copy of the Ojai Foundation guidelines for Council process, email Peter at goetzpj@aol.com
Winter Light Retreat: Dec 4th evening thru Dec 8th mid-day
The Hartford Street Winter Light Retreat Sesshin will begin the evening of December 4th, including the Rohatsu celebration/ceremony Saturday December 7th, and conclude with a Jukai Ceremony on Sunday December 8th, mid-day.
Visit here to see last year’s schedule to get an idea of what the schedule will involve. You can adapt your attendance to the demands of your life, but full participation is always welcome and encouraged.
To sign up for all or part of the retreat, or obtain more details, send an email to hszc108@yahoo.com, or leave a message at (415) 863-2507
16 November, Full (Frosty) Moon Ceremony 11am
We’ll have the monthly Full-Moon Ceremony renewal of our Bodhisattva vows Saturday morning after the Dharma talk. According to the Farmer’s Almanac this is the full Frosty or Beaver moon.
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 8:30 am. And again zazen at 9:25 am. We wrap up with a dharma talk at 10:15 am followed by tea and cookies.
November 11 Veterans Day- HSZC Closed
In observance of the holiday that honors people who have served in armed service also known as veterans, HSZC will be closed for this federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the end of World War I.
Early November Newsletter
NOTE: Winter Light Retreat Dates in this Newsletter!RESCHEDULE: Nov 9th Sejiki Ceremony @ 11am
Saturday 9 November – Sejiki Ceremony: Following the Dharma talk we’ll celebrate the ancient ceremony known in Japanese as Sejiki, or “Feeding the Jiki (wandering spirits)”. This 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, but 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 tea and cookies.
Please join us this Saturday and we hope to see you often!
November 2nd – Guest Speaker, Sensei Elaine Donlin @ 10:15am
Sensei Elaine Donlin is a fourth-generation San Franciscan native and is so very grateful to be living in the city she loves. She was raised Catholic, attending 12 years 
of Catholic school, and made a conscious decision to leave the church—at 17 years of age—after struggling with Church doctrine around homosexuality, birth control, and female clergy. Elaine discovered Buddhism through a comparative religion course in college and thus began a 30-year journey of practice in a variety of traditions. Her home is in Jodo Shinshu, a Pure Land Buddhist tradition. Since 2008 she has been teaching “Essentials of Buddhism” courses at Buddhist Church of San Francisco (BCSF) and serves as the Buddhist Community Clergy Chaplain for several SF hospitals. Elaine is an ordained priest serving the Resident Minister at BCSF.
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.
Please join us this Saturday and we hope to see you often!