We’ll celebrate the annual memorial for Rev. John King tomorrow, Saturday, 18 August, following the usual 10:15 a.m. Dharma talk. Everyone is invited to attend.
Guest Speaker, Sat. 14 Jul.: Rev. Peter van der Sterre
Late-breaking news: Tomorrow’s Dharma talk (10:15 a.m.) will be given by long-time practitioner and priest Peter van der Sterre. Peter knew our founder, Rev. Issan Dorsey, and has been practicing since the 1970’s. He also has received Dharma transmission from former San Francisco Zen Center Abbot Norman Fischer. Please join us for zazen (seated meditation) at 9:25 before the talk, and stay for tea-and-cookies afterwards. All are welcome.
Early Sitting and Full-Moon Ceremony, Sat. 2 June
We’ll start sitting earlier than usual this coming Saturday. There will be two periods of zazen (seated meditation) beginning at 6:00 a.m., with a period of kinhin (walking meditation) in between at 6:40 a.m., and morning chanting following at 7:20. You may think, “Oh, that’s too early for me”, but you should give it a try, and you can always nap later. Also, we’ll serve a simple breakfast to participants, but you MUST sign up ahead-of-time, either via email at hszc108@yahoo.com, or by phone at (415) 863-2507.The rest of the Saturday schedule will be according to custom, with another period of sitting at 9:25 and the Dharma talk at 10:15 a.m., followed by the monthly ceremony of celebration of the Bodhisattva Vows. Afterwards, there will be fistfuls of cookies for your enjoyment! Everyone is welcome…
Tonight (Mon. 28 May): Impromptu Movie Nite
Join us tonight at 5 p.m to watch “The Adventures of Tin Tin” on our lovely widescreen TV, which was kindly given to us by our friends Bob and Alan. Donations in support of Hartford Street needed and gratefully accepted, but not required. 🙂
Memorial Day Holiday: Zendo Closure
Guest Speaker, Sat. 19 May: Rev. Mark Lancaster
Early Zazen, Saturday 5 May
We’ll start sitting earlier than usual this coming Saturday. There will be two periods of zazen (seated meditation) beginning at 6:00 a.m., with a period of kinhin (walking meditation) in between at 6:40 a.m., and morning chanting following at 7:20. You may think, “Oh, that’s too early for me”, but you should give it a try, and you can always nap later. Also, we’ll serve a simple breakfast to participants, but you MUST sign up ahead-of-time, either via email at hszc108@yahoo.com, or by phone at (415) 863-2507. The rest of the Saturday schedule will be according to custom, with another period of sitting at 9:25 and the Dharma talk at 10:15 a.m., followed by the monthly ceremony of commemoration of the death of our founder, Rev. Issan Dorsey. Afterwards, there will be fistfuls of cookies for your enjoyment! Everyone is welcome…
Good-bye, Little Guy…
Today at about 4:15 p.m. our dear friend Buckley left this world behind. This morning he suddenly developed acute symptoms of heart failure, and the very kind vet who came to visit believed that given his age and general weakness there was no way he could recover. Poor Buckley had been suffering uncontrolled diarrhea and vomiting for several hours, was exhausted, dehydrated, and mostly unable to stand. Additionally, the heart problem was affecting his breathing as well. Together with the vet, Jennifer, Sheryl and I determined that this was the “turn” we’d been expecting, and that it represented a fall from which our feline companion would be unable to come back. We thus gave the doctor the go-ahead, and he first administered a sedative so that Buckley went fast asleep. Once that was achieved, another quick injection gently ended the life principle. We all cried as we put his still-warm, frail little body into the carrier for his last journey. He will be cremated and his ashes returned to us for interment in our garden, to be with others who’ve ended their earthly passage here at Issan-ji. We’ll have an event of some sort to say good-bye to our friend before too long, so please stay tuned…