Our annual retreat begins Wednesday evening, 7 Dec., and ends with the Enlightenment Day Ceremony by noon on Sunday the 11th. Please join us for this special time of concentrated practice. You may participate in any of the scheduled activities in the zendo (meditation hall), but only those who have signed up in advance will be able to partake of the semi-formal meals in the dining hall. The proposed schedule is available for view by clicking this link . You can sign up for all or part of the retreat by sending email to hszc108@yahoo.com, or leaving a phone message at (415) 863-2507.
HSZC Board Meeting – Weds. 9 Nov.
Full-Moon Bodhisattva Ceremony – Thurs. 10 Nov.
Please come to the temple for our monthly Bodhisattva Ceremony, where we renew our practice vows. The ceremony will begin right after the evening period of zazen, at 6:40 p.m., and take about a half-hour. Full prostrations are typically done during the ceremony, but standing bows are perfectly ok, too.
Veteran’s Day Holiday: no Zendo events
Early Sitting and Founder’s Memorial: Sat. 5 Nov.
We’ll start sitting earlier than usual this coming Saturday. There will be two periods of zazen (seated meditation) beginning at 5:30 a.m., with a period of kinhin (walking meditation) in between at 6:10 a.m., and morning chanting following at 7:00. 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 a brief 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…
No Early A.M. Zazen – Tues. 1 November
Guest Speaker: Rev. Tanzen David Bullock – Saturday, 29 Oct.
Please join us this week for a special guest talk by Rev. David. He was ordained by Rev. Issan Dorsey, the founder of our temple, in 1990, and is one of the original members of the Hartford Street Sangha. He was also deeply involved in Issan’s establishment of the Maitri AIDS Hospice, and has for years been one of our treasured gardeners. We’ll have zazen as usual at 9:25 a.m., with the talk following at 10:15, and tea-and-cookies afterwards. Everyone is welcome.
Sejiki Ceremony – Feeding the Hungry Ghosts
This Saturday, 22 October, following a short Dharma talk by Rev. Myo, 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 11:00 a.m.)