Category: Events

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Winter Solstice – Dec 21st

yuzu-bath-winter-solstice-japanDecember marks multiple activities in the Zen Buddhist calendar and Japan’s traditional events. Winter solstice occurs on the shortest day and longest night of the year based on the seasonal rotation of the earth, (to occur this Saturday) & has multiple Japanese traditions including a Yuzu bath!

We will have a combined celebration for our recent full moon (Full Cold or Full Long Night) & mark this point in the year where we begin to start to see more sunlight again.

All are welcome to join in this ceremony/celebration.

Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation @6:30am), 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 (ceremony if applicable) followed by tea and cookies.

 

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Saturday Dec 14, 2013; 10:15am – Guest Speaker Beata Chapman

Wood_BodhisattvaBeata 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!

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Sunday Dec 8 @11:30am – Jukai Ceremony

pinestitchTwo of our dear and beloved Sangha members will have a Jukai (lay initiation) ceremony immediately following the Sunday morning Dharma talk and end of Winter Light Retreat/Sesshin. This public ceremony is to celebrate and formally mark a practitioner receiving the sixteen Bodhisattva precepts (3 refuges, 3 pure precepts, 10 essential precepts) and vowing to work to live their life in accordance with these precepts.

Please join us for this wonderful event to celebrate Henry’s & Chris’ vows, renew our own, to congratulate Henry & Chris and all on the Soto Zen path!

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Bodhi Day / Rohatsu Ceremony Sun. Dec 8th @7:20am

buddhamountainsPlease join us to take part in this ceremony to celebrate the enlightenment of Shakamuni सिद्धार्थ गौतम बुद्ध Buddha ගෞතම බුදුරජාණන් වහන්සේ on Sunday Dec 8, 2013 at 7:20am.

 

Please come to celebrate both the ceremony and be of visual and expressed in presence positive intention and support for the individuals in sesshin/retreat!

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LAST CHANCE to sign up for the Annual Sesshin/Retreat!

pine-tree1The Hartford Street Winter Light Retreat Sesshin will begin the evening of December 4th, including the Rohatsu celebration/ceremony Saturday December 7th, and conclude with a Jukai Ceremony on Sunday December 8th, mid-day.

Visit here to see the schedule. You can adapt your attendance to the demands of your life, but full participation is always welcome and encouraged.

To sign up for all or part of the retreat, or obtain more details, send an email to hszc108@yahoo.com, or leave a message at (415) 863-2507. We request a minimum donation of $75 (non-members) and $65 (members) to cover all meals and tuition.

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23 November 12:30PM – Sangha Council

council092012The Hartford Street Zen Center Sangha Council will occur this Saturday 12:30pm:  We’ve formed council as a forum to continue to talk of, and discuss with each other – and with the sangha at large –  issues, concerns, questions and conflicts which have been challenging –  downright hard  to talk about or never seem to have an appropriate time we are all together to discuss.  We’ll use a practice model of working with each other with the most skillful speech we can access. This is a great opportunity also for those who haven’t been around lately to reengage and be a part of the present and future Hartford Street!

Our next meeting will be on Saturday 12:30pm to 2:30pm, November 23, 2013 for 120 minutes (with a break included).

We’re  continuing this format that is flexible enough for a diversity of needs.  This session will be facilitated by Beata Chapman, a long time member and Board president of the Santa Cruz Zen Center.  She is knowledgeable about many aspects of zen communities.    The scaffold we’ll be working from is based on the Council process developed by the Ojai Foundation.

You do not need to have an ‘issue’ or overt concern to attend.  Council is sangha building, connection and healing.  All are welcome!

If you have questions regarding this, call Peter Goetz at 510.595.1281.  If you’d like a copy of the Ojai Foundation guidelines for Council process, email Peter at goetzpj@aol.com

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Winter Light Retreat: Dec 4th evening thru Dec 8th mid-day

pine-tree1The Hartford Street Winter Light Retreat Sesshin will begin the evening of December 4th, including the Rohatsu celebration/ceremony Saturday December 7th, and conclude with a Jukai Ceremony on Sunday December 8th, mid-day.

Visit here to see last year’s schedule to get an idea of what the schedule will involve. You can adapt your attendance to the demands of your life, but full participation is always welcome and encouraged.

To sign up for all or part of the retreat, or obtain more details, send an email to hszc108@yahoo.com, or leave a message at (415) 863-2507