Hartford Street Zen Center | Issan-ji temple
A Sōtō Zen temple for the LGBTQ+ community, friends and allies in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood
At around 11am after our normal Saturday program and Dharma talk we will have our 
annual observance to commemorate the life and life’s work of Rev. John King,
a loved and missed member of our Sangha. Please join us to remember and celebrate this wonderful human life and you can even hear one of his talks at HSZC by clicking here.
We hope you can join us!
This is the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, for the reason that thunderstorms are most frequent during this time. Another name for this month’s Moon was the Full Hay Moon
and as such, it is our renewal of our Bodhisattva vows this upcoming Saturday morning after the Saturday Morning Dharma talk ~11am.
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. All are welcome to join in this ceremony/celebration.
After, tea & some socializing. Please join us if you can!
Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation), morning service, a brief drop-in meditation instruction at 8:30am. And again zazen at 9:25 am. We wrap up with a dharma talk at 10:15am followed by ceremony when applicable and then right to social time, tea and cookies. Please join us!
Please join us this coming Full Moon
Saturday for a quiet morning of Dharma practice with the Hartford Street community. There will be periods of both walking and sitting meditation beginning at 6:00 a.m., with a Dharma talk by the Abbot at 10:15 a.m. as usual.
Following the talk we’ll have a simple memorial service for those injured or killed in the massacre at Orlando, Florida. Practicing together in this way is one powerful fashion of responding to the currents of greed, hatred and confusion which are at the root of human-caused tragedies such as we have seen this week, as on so many other occasions.
NOTE: A simple breakfast will be served, but you’ll need to sign up in advance if you wish to have breakfast. You may leave us a message at 415-863-2507 to sign up, but also please leave a return phone number.
May all beings be happy, may they be joyous and live in safety…
Please join us for our annual celebration of Buddha’s Birthday this coming Saturday. There’ll be zazen (seated meditation) a little earlier than usual for Saturday, at 6:00 a.m., walking meditation at 6:40 a.m., and a shorter sitting at 6:50 a.m. followed by morning chanting at 7:20. A simple breakfast will then be taken semi-formally in our dining room, but please note that you must sign up ahead-of-time if you want breakfast (415-863-2507, hszc108@yahoo.com). There will be the usual period of sitting at 9:25 a.m., and the Dharma talk at 10:15, after which we’ll walk-and-sit until about 11:40, when we’ll have the ceremony of Bathing the Baby Buddha. Then we’ll have refreshments for all upstairs in the living room. Everyone is welcome. Donations are always appreciated and very much needed, but don’t let that stop you from attending if you’re not in a position to donate right now. Happy Buddha’s Birthday to all!
Please join us for a half day retreat/schedule including Oryoki breakfast if you let us know in advance (sign up). this event will go from 6am until a bit after 12, noon. included in the schedule is the monthly full moon ceremony.
The full snow moon. usually the heaviest snows fall in February. hunting becomes very difficult, and hence to some Native American tribes this was the Hunger Moon.
The Full Moon Ceremony is our renewal of our Bodhisattva vows and will occur this upcoming Saturday morning after the Saturday Morning Dharma talk.
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. All are welcome to join in this ceremony/celebration.
Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation), morning service, a brief drop-in meditation instruction at 8:30am. And again zazen at 9:25 am. We wrap up with a dharma talk at 10:15am for < 60minutes, followed by ceremony when applicable and then right to social time, tea and cookies.
Please join us!
…the Tathagata has completely extinguished the fire of the mental afflictions that have been accumulated over countless aeons, the nature of the diamond Tathagata permanently endures – not transforming and not diminishing.*
This coming Saturday, we’ll have a brief ceremony commemorating the entry into Nirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha, following a short Dharma talk at the usual time of 10:15 a.m. Everyone is welcome & invited to attend.
We then go on to have social time, tea and cookies. Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation), morning service, a brief drop-in meditation instruction at 8:30 am. And again zazen at 9:25 am. Dharma talk at 10:15 am. Please join us!
We will be holding a simple memorial service for our longtime friend, Rev. Shunko Michael Jamvold, who died of pneumonia this past week in Japan, where he had been living for many years. The service will take place on Friday, 5 February, immediately after the evening period of meditation, which ends at 6:40 p.m. All are welcome.
恭禧發財 Gong Xi Fa Cai ! Please join us for the fourth annual event for a Chinese (lunar) New Year Celebration and remembrance to those who have gone beyond. This is the year of the FIRE Monkey.
Join us next Saturday for our normal program including a talk by our Abbot Rev Myo Lahey, followed by some Chinese New Year décor, treats and the symbolic call to our deceased loved ones, followed by offerings to make their current state a more enjoyable one and just remember them and send loving intentions through joss paper offerings.
It is also the event we recognize our completed goals and wishes by offering our Daruma to the beyond in the joss paper fire and installing a new Daruma by coloring in one eye as setting the goal (traditional Daruma process).
This day in China is also recognized as the birthday of Maitreya Bodhisattva (better known as the more familiar Budai Luohan), the Buddha-to-be. Thus people also abstain from killing animals (eating meat) on this day.
Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation), morning service, a brief drop-in meditation instruction at 8:30 am. And again zazen at 9:25 am. Dharma talk at 10:15 am followed by tea and cookies.
Please join us this Saturday for this celebration and we hope to see you often!