Clothing Drive a Success!

siphaiOur one month-long clothing drive for the benefit of St. Anthony Foundation’s Free Clothing Program was a hit! We began our drive on the National Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and concluded it on Saturday, February 23. A clothing barrel was provided by St. Anthony’s for us to use in the zendo, but over the course of the drive dedicated Sangha members accumulated and dropped off so many bags of clothing they were piled upstairs in the dining room. All in all we had the equivalent of almost 30 bags of clothes and other items including some children’s toys. At the end of the clothing drive Siphai from St. Anthony’s picked up the clothing from us. Siphai also happens to practice at a Cambodian Buddhist Temple in the Sunset District.

Our thanks to all the Sangha members who helped by participating in planning the drive, publishing notices online, and who donated their clothing to this well-known charitable program. Our appreciation extends to St. Anthony Foundation for providing us an opportunity to participate in this, allowing us to practice our Bodhisattva Vow by helping others.

Veterans’ Day Holiday: No A.M. Zazen

 

 

We’ll continue our custom of observing the national holidays by closing the zendo (meditation hall) on Monday morning, 12 November. Our regular schedule of zazen (seated meditation) will resume Monday evening at 6 p.m.

Guest Speaker, Sat. 27 Oct.: Rev. Cynthia Kear

Please join us this Saturday morning for a Dharma talk by Rev. Cynthia Kear. Cynthia  received Jukai from SFZC Abbot Paul Haller in 2004. In 2008 she was given Shukke Tokudo (priest ordination) by Darlene Cohen, her heart and root teacher, and was shuso (head student) in 2009.  In December, 2010 Darlene gave her Dharma Transmission. In 2009 Cynthia graduated from the Shokagu Zen Institute, a three year Zen seminary training program.  She is the founding member of the Wild Geese Sangha, a group that has met for over 8 years.  She leads the Upstairs Sangha, a study group (both of which meet at her home zendo), and co-leads the Women’s Meditation & Recovery Sangha which meets monthly at HSZC. Zazen (seated meditation) is at 9:25 as usual, with the talk at 10:15, and refreshments afterwards. Everyone is welcome.

Guest Speaker, Sat. 15 Sept.: Rev. David Zimmerman

Please join us this Saturday for a Dharma talk by Kansan David Zimmerman. David has been practicing Zen for 20 years, over half of which have been in residence at San Francisco Zen Center.  He was ordained in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi by Rev. Teah Strozer in 2006, and spent eight years at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, where he held a number of positions including monastery director and Head Monk (Shuso).  David is now Program Director at City Center/SFZC and also serves on the SFZC Diversity and Multiculturalism Committee, is a co-facilitator of Queer Dharma, and supports Dr. Lee Lipp with classes and workshops on “Transforming Depression and Anxiety”. Zazen (seated meditation) is at 9:25 a.m., the talk to follow at 10:15, and, as (almost) always, top-drawer tea and cookies afterwards. Everyone is welcome.