Hartford Street Zen Center | Issan-ji temple
A Sōtō Zen temple for the LGBTQ+ community, friends and allies in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood
Rev. Myo relates his experience of being unable to sit zazen for a time, and warns against narrowing one’s practice to the goal of achieving a particular effect or experience.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS
Please join us for Guest Speaker Shosan Victoria Austin. Shosan began practicing both Zen and yoga in 1971. In the Soto Zen tradition, she is entrusted as a Dharma heir in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki, an international priest of the Soto School, and a Dharma teacher at San Francisco Zen Center. She trained in the U.S., in India, and in Japan. In the Iyengar tradition, she is certified as an Intermediate teacher.
In addition to working with the yogic needs of meditation students around the country, in diverse settings including workplaces, institutions, and homes, Victoria teaches public yoga classes at San Francisco Zen Center and the Abode of Iyengar Yoga, ethics and teacher training at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco’s Teacher Training Program, and serves as an assessor of the next generation of Iyengar yoga teachers.
She trains regularly with senior yoga and Zen teachers, including Sojun Mel Weitsman, Manouso Manos, and the Iyengar family. Victoria’s practice goal is to wake up in a way that benefits beings. Her teaching goals include transmitting Zen Buddhism as a yogic path and Yoga as a path of awareness. Keeping faith with each tradition, she offers classes and workshops accessible to a wide variety of abilities and circumstances.
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 and we hope to see you often!
Beata Chapman is a Zen priest and long-time student of the late Darlene Cohen, has practiced meditation in the Soto Zen tradition for 20 years. Because she herself suffers from debilitating spinal nerve pain, Beata studied and apprenticed extensively with Darlene on practicing and living with chronic pain.
Using these teachings on a daily basis, she carries on Darlene’s unique teachings of Suffering & Delight through groups and private pain consultations. Beata works as a compliance and quality improvement consultant, helping long-term care facilities improve performance and therefore the lives of those they serve.
She also works with older adults and persons with disabilities and their families, guiding and helping them access resources. Private pain consultations are available on the telephone, skype, or in person throughout the greater San Francisco Bay area. And for the Hartford Street Zen Center Beata has been a vital guide and supporter as the facilitator of HSZC’s Sangha Council.
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. We wrap up with a dharma talk at 10:15 am followed by tea and cookies.
This Saturday will also include the All Member and Board of Director Annual Meeting at 12 noon.
Please join us this Saturday and we hope to see you often!
Sensei Elaine Donlin is a fourth-generation San Franciscan native and is so very grateful to be living in the city she loves. She was raised Catholic, attending 12 years 
of Catholic school, and made a conscious decision to leave the church—at 17 years of age—after struggling with Church doctrine around homosexuality, birth control, and female clergy. Elaine discovered Buddhism through a comparative religion course in college and thus began a 30-year journey of practice in a variety of traditions. Her home is in Jodo Shinshu, a Pure Land Buddhist tradition. Since 2008 she has been teaching “Essentials of Buddhism” courses at Buddhist Church of San Francisco (BCSF) and serves as the Buddhist Community Clergy Chaplain for several SF hospitals. Elaine is an ordained priest serving the Resident Minister at BCSF.
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. We wrap up with a dharma talk at 10:15 am followed by tea and cookies.
Please join us this Saturday and we hope to see you often!
Jeffrey Schneider is a priest at SF Zen Center, where he has lived, worked and practiced since 1978. He has taught and led retreats at a number of Buddhist centers, including ones in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina. The founder of the SF Zen Center recovery programs, he is currently the Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator.
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. We wrap up with a dharma talk at 10:15 am followed by tea and cookies.
Please join us this Saturday and we hope to see you often!
Please join us for our normal morning program followed by the first Dharma talk from our Abbot, Rev. Myo Lahey at 10:15am.
And following a great charitable event and stroll through SF and, a wonderful way to meet more fellow Buddhists at 12:45pm:
Ayya Santacitta of Aloka Vihara relates nature and the current state of the environment to Buddhist practice and the support of sangha.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS
For any part of the following: early morning zazen (a little later than weekdays), morning chanting service, introductory or refresher run-down of sitting and zendo forms if of interest at 8:30am, another sitting at 9:25, followed by a Dharma talk from our practice leader Rev Myo Lahey then tea and cookies as we wrap up the Saturday Morning program.
We hope to see you here (@ HSZC)!