Due to the holiday calendar, there won’t be the usual First Thursday group meeting this week. The next meeting will be Thursday, 6 February 2014.
A Christian Minister in our Corner
Here’s link to the website for Rev. Oliver White. The story is encouraging. (If you see some problem with this, please do leave a comment.):
Clothing Drive a Success!
Our 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.
Saturday, 16 February: Buddha’s Parinirvana
Presidents’ Day Holiday: Zendo CLOSED
Reminder: Zendo CLOSED 1 and 2 January (NOTE change to 31 Dec.)
Don’t forget that you’re invited to our traditional New Year’s Eve event on 31 December, starting about 7:30 p.m. PLEASE NOTE, however, that there won’t be the usual morning or evening zazen sessions on the 31st. Afterwards the zendo will be closed all day Tuesday and Wednesday 1 and 2 January. Happy New Year to all!
Veterans’ Day Holiday: No A.M. Zazen
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.