Hartford Street Zen Center | Issan-ji temple
A Sōtō Zen temple for the LGBTQ+ community, friends and allies in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood
We’ll have the monthly Full-Moon Ceremony renewal of our Bodhisattva vows Saturday morning. 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. Everyone is welcome to take part in this celebration of the Bodhisattva Way.
August 11th 2012 (Morning post Dharma talk), we will remember, celebrate, thank him for being part of our lives and say good bye to our dear Buckley. Please save the date
Please join us for this monthly ceremonial renewal of our Bodhisattva vows, which will take place following a shorter-than-usual period of evening sitting, that nevertheless begins at its usual time of 6 p.m. All are invited to participate in the ceremony, either with full prostrations, standing bows, or simply sitting or standing respectfully, as one’s condition permits.
Come help us celebrate Buddha’s Birthday! We’ll start sitting at 6 a.m. in order to have a bit more time to practice together, including sharing a simple breakfast. Everyone is welcome, but you must sign up ahead of time in order to participate in the meal, either by email to hszc108@yahoo.com or leaving us a message at (415) 863-2507. We’ll have a Dharma talk as usual at 10:15 a.m., and afterwards a ceremony celebrating the birth of the baby Buddha in which we circumambulate the zendo (meditation hall) while chanting the Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra. Subsequently we’ll repair to the dining room for the birthday party itself. Everyone is welcome!
This Saturday morning, 10 March, we’ll have two ceremonies in which we invite all our Sangha members and friends to participate. Just at the end of the usual 9:25 a.m. period of zazen (silent sitting), we’ll have a brief ceremony in commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the devastating tsunami that struck Japan on 11 March, 2011. Then, after our 10:15 a.m. Dharma talk, we’ll celebrate the monthly Full-Moon Bodhisattva Ceremony wherein we renew our commitment to the path of the Bodhisattva Vows. Everyone is invited to join in, to whatever degree is possible. For instance, the Bodhisattva Ceremony involves some thirty-six full prostrations, but one can always do standing bows instead.