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 are now studying – Dōgen Zenji’s Shōbōgenzō 正法眼蔵, lit. “Treasury of the True Dharma Eye” – Thursday evenings 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., also via Zoom. Volume 2 of the two volume set of “Kaz” Kazuaki Tanahashi and team’s translation. Please email info@hszc.org to join the group.
Greetings from Issan-ji Sōtō Zen Temple. We hope that you and your loved ones are safe and in good health during this difficult time. Practice is ongoing with Hartford Street Zen Center‘s residential students and we encourage you to continue your practice at home. We invite you, the Sangha, to connect through online technology, creating a safe temple space without physical borders.
There are currently three online options:
• Saturday mornings we offer a Zoom web conferencing for video and/or audio presence for the scheduled events. 9:25 zazen (you can log into the conference starting at 9am) and a Dharma talk at 9:45am, followed by Q&A as well as an opportunity to check in and see how you are doing. https://zoom.us/j/167153141 – Please send an email request to info@hszc.org to obtain the password.
• Thursdays we will reconvene our Study Hour offering 7:30pm – 8:30pm via Zoom conferencing for video and/or audio access – Send an email to info@hszc.org to be added to Rev. Myō’s weekly study hour email list and to receive Zoom conference details
• Wednesday evenings 6pm – 6:40pm as of April 8th, you can also join us online for a period of zazen hosted outside the temple by a community member via Zoom conferencing – https://us04web.zoom.us/j/626141223
We also would like to encourage you continue to visit us at hszc.org and our Facebook page as we adjust our offerings during these trying times.
From our Abbot, Rev. Myō – These painful circumstances have created a kind of retreat space for us, which we can use in a helpful way. Remember that ‘staying close to home’ has meaning for us beyond the literal, and that the ancient meditation instruction “follow the stream to the source” is accomplished in an instant, whether one considers oneself ‘beginner’ or ‘advanced’.
Establish some structure for your time, including some Dharma practice and study, gentle exercise, cleaning, and plenty of rest. Try not to brood, and try to avoid such habits as nervous snacking on high-calorie foods. Remember that taking care of yourself is a gateway to caring for others as well. One can demonstrate this by the practice of mettă meditation, among other ways. –
Please join us Thursdays!
Dōgen Zenji’s (Founder of our school of Zen) Shobo Genzo.
“This monumental work is considered to be one of the most profound expressions of Zen wisdom ever put on paper, and also the outstanding literary and philosophical work of Japan. It is a collection of essays by Eihei Dogen (1200–1253), founder of Zen’s Soto school.”
We are primarily focused on the more recent published version of Kazuaki Tanahashi. “He and a team of translators that represent a Who’s Who of American Zen have produced a translation of the great work that combines accuracy with a deep understanding of Dogen’s voice and literary gifts. This volume includes a wealth of materials to aid understanding, including maps, lineage charts, a bibliography, and an exhaustive glossary of names and terms—and, as a bonus, the most renowned of all Dogen’s essays, “Recommending Zazen to All People.”
The book is easily found online and there are books to share for anyone who wants to join in.
On Thursday August 13th @7:30pm we will start to work through selections by Zen Master Dōgen. For August 13th, we will review the Manifestation of Great Prajña (wisdom) found in the Shobo Genzo.
If you have, or have access to this text, please read this in advance of our next study hour and we will focus on the translation by Kazuaki Tanahashi and a team of translators.
We may commit to a collection in one book going forward, but will discuss on Thursday in person! And it will be communicated after online!
We have completed the Vimalakirti Sutra and will take a break and not hold study hour on August 6, 2015. Congratulations all! Thank you for joining us.
We will reconvene on Thursday August 13th and start to work through selections by Zen Master Dōgen. For August 13th, we will review the Manifestation of Great Prajña (wisdom) found in the Shobo Genzo. Please read this in advance of our next study hour and we will focus on the translation by Kazuaki Tanahashi and a team of translators. Pictured and found here.
After several weeks off, Thursdays @7:30pm, we are back on schedule to study the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, also called Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra. There are multiple translations, we focus on the Dr Robert Thurman version, but welcome any version to compare the translations.
We can share books for anyone who wants to join in, or feel free to purchase a copy and join us (many are very low cost online).
Check our twitter page for any changes in schedule.
We are nearing 2/3 of our Ango – Study Period and want to encourage and invite you once again to our current heavier schedule carrying and into the Winter Light Retreat (schedule here). 
Please feel free to join any of these times to help maintain the energy and effort of this period. Keep also in mind we still have our normal Saturday talks, Thursday night Study Hour of Text along with the added activities for the Study Period.
