Please join us for a Dharma talk by Rev. Koshin Steven Tierney, a Dharma transmitted teacher in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi. Steven is the guiding %⅙ at Oceans Compassion Zen Community, Meditation in Recovery Sangha at SFZC and the SFLGBTQA+ Sangha. Rev. Tierney is currently the president of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association. Dr. Tierney is a psychotherapist in private practice and Professor Emeritus in Counseling Psychology at CIIS. He has been integrating meditation, mindfulness, and breath-based wellness initiatives since 1995. For further information: Steventierneysf@gmail.com.

Please join us this Saturday morning at 10:30 for a Dharma talk by Rev. McCormick, who was ordained to the Nichiren-shū (Lotus Sutra School) ministry in 2001 by Rev. Ryusho Matsuda, of the San Jose Nichiren Temple. Rev. McCormick is also a long-time practitioner of zazen (seated meditation) and a student of the writings of Dōgen-zenji. We’ll have zazen at 9:30 as usual, and our beloved tea-and-cookies afterwards. Everyone is welcome.

Winter Light Retreat Schedule – DEC 5, 6, and 7 December 2025

0900    Zendo opening and Zazen

0930    Kinhin (formal walking meditation)

0940    Zazen

1015    Dharma Talk setup

1030    Dharma Talk

1115    Kinhin

1130    Zazen

1210    Chanting Service

1230    Lunch

1330    Clean-up & Rest

1430    Zazen

1510    Tea (Dining Room)

1530    Zazen

1600    Kinhin

1610    Zazen

1645    Chanting Service

1700    End of Day

Sunday Dec 7 Only…

   As Above, until…

1205    Bodhi Day Setup & Ceremony

1230    Retreat End

Please Note: Visitors are welcome to join in the scheduled sitting between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., but are asked NOT to take a seat in the zendo-proper once the period has begun, but to remain on the bench at the west end of the zendo until a period ends. Please see the schedule for the times of the sitting periods. Also, persons who have not registered for the retreat cannot be accommodated at mealtimes.

November 26 thru 29
December 24 thru 27
SCHEDULE CHANGE: January 2026 1, 2 AND 3
We’ll take a break from our stalwart zendo practice on the days noted
above, so stay home by the fire and do some cozy sitting there, just
for fun. Watch for a notice about our annual New Year’s Eve event.
NOTE: {We apologize for the late schedule change, but alas, there is still flu in the temple household.} If you attend one of the other groups that meet here
independently of the usual zendo schedule, check with them to find
out if they will hold their regular get-togethers. Have happy and safe
holidays, everyone!

Save the date – Arrange the time off from daily home, work and busy worldly market life:

 December 5th into December 7th 

For 2025, a three-day retreat.

We will have zoom presence. We are finalizing the schedule and offerings that will be included. We will communicate more details and your options and ways to join in the weeks ahead.

We hope you will join us for this annual event for deepening our practice, opportunity.

Stay tuned in email for another announcement in weeks ahead and on hszc.org or our facebook page for more info. 

Suggested Attendance is $80 for the full retreat, $30 per day – or – an amount of your own choosing, or you can afford. No one turned away for lack of funds.

Questions or ready to RSVP now?  Please email:  info@hszc.org  – or – sign the sign-up sheet in the zendo

Rev. Hokyo Lorenzo Garbo first came to Zen practice in 2001, and studied mostly as a non-resident at Green Gulch Farm while working as a colleg`e professor in Southern California.

He received the bodhisattva precepts from Tenshin Reb Anderson in 2006 during a sabbatical year spent in residence at Green Gulch, and became a full-time resident at City Center in 2020. He received priest ordination from Kiku Christina Lehnherr in 2023 and currently serves as the San Francisco Zen Center’s director of the Hospitality department.

Join us Saturdays for zazen (seated meditation) at 9:30am, with the Dharma talk to follow at 10:30. We offer in-person distanced attendance, and we also will continue to offer a Zoom web conferencing for video and/or audio presence for the scheduled events.

There’s an earlier sitting at 6:30am, in addition to the later one at 9:30am (you can log into the conference starting at ~9am). A period of zazen is typically 40 minutes, and it’s ok to adjust your sitting posture as needed. The Dharma talk includes time for questions and answers, occasionally followed by a particular ceremony such as the celebration of Buddha’s Birthday. We enjoy tea and cookies together afterwards. Please click here to be routed to our Zoom gathering  

And as always you can contact us to arrange an introductory session ~8:45am if you are a beginner.

As a reminder any week you do not see a speaker announced it is our Abbot, Rev. Myo Lahey.

Our apologies but in our very limited resource temple a person missing is an impact to schedule and activities. Wed night will not have its usual resource this week and we hope you can instead make our next scheduled offering