Hartford Street Zen Center | Issan-ji temple
A Sōtō Zen temple for the LGBTQ+ community, friends and allies in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood
Please join us for a Dharma talk by Rev. Steven, priest-ordained by Rev. Dairyu Michael Wenger, and who is a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and frequent consultant to mental health and recovery programs, as well as group facilitator for our Issan-ji Sangha (community of practitioners). We’ll have zazen (seated meditation) as usual at 9:25, with the talk to follow, and afterwards tea and cookies will be on offer in the living room. Everyone is welcome!
Please join us for a Dharma talk by Rev. Steven, priest-ordained by Rev. Dairyu Michael Wenger, and who is a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and frequent consultant to 12-step programs, as well as group facilitator for our Issan-ji Sangha (community of practitioners). We’ll have zazen (seated meditation) as usual at 9:25, with the talk to follow, and afterwards tea and cookies will be on offer in the living room. Everyone is welcome!
Warm up to the New Year by chillin’ with us! Here’s the schedule:
7:30 pm Dai-Soji (temple cleaning)
8:00 pm New Year’s Noodles!
8:30 pm Zazen (sitting meditation)
9:00 pm New Year’s Toast & Fire Ceremony
Afterwards, you can go out and paint the town, if so inclined, but you’ll go with a peaceful heart. What could be better? Everyone is welcome!
Wed, 4 Dec.
7:30 p.m. – orientation
8:00 p.m. – sitting
8:30 p.m. – retire
Thurs, Fri, Sat, 5,6,7 Dec.
6:30 a.m. – sitting
7:10 a.m. – morning chanting
7:50 a.m. – breakfast
8:45 a.m. – clean up & rest
9:40 a.m. – sitting
10:15 a.m. – Dharma talk
11:00 a.m. – walking
11:15 a.m. – sitting
11:50 a.m. – noon chanting
12:00 p.m. – lunch
12:50 p.m. – clean up & rest
1:50 p.m. – work period
2:50 p.m. – clean-up
3:00 p.m. – sitting
3:30 p.m. – walking
3:40 p.m. – sitting
4:10 p.m. – tea
4:25 p.m. – bath/exercise
5:10 p.m. – sitting
5:45 p.m. – walking
6:00 p.m. – sitting
6:40 p.m. – evening chanting
6:50 p.m. – medicine meal
7:25 p.m. – clean up & rest
8:15 p.m. – sitting
8:45 p.m. – walking
8:55 p.m. – sitting
9:25 p.m. – refuges
9:30 p.m. – hot drink/late sitting
Sun, 8 Dec.
Same as previous days until:
11:40 a.m. – ceremony set-up
11:45 a.m. – Bodhi Day ceremony
12:00 p.m. – end of retreat/refreshments
Please Note: Visitors are welcome to join in the scheduled sitting between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:30 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.
Our annual end-of-year retreat will begin with an orientation on Wednesday evening at 7:30, 4 Dec., and end by noon with a celebration of Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment on Sunday, 8 Dec. Please join us for this special time of quiet practice. Participants may attend any of the scheduled zendo (meditation hall) activities, but only those who have signed up in advance will be able to join in the semi-formal meals in the dining hall. There’ll soon be a preview of the schedule posted on this site. To sign up, send us an email at info@hszc.org, or leave us a phone message at (415) 863-2507. Blessings!
November 2019: 28th & 29th
December 2019: 9th, 24th, 25th, 26th
January 2020: 1st, 2nd
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 traditional New Year’s Eve event, which will start on December 31 at about 7:30 p.m. NOTE: 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!
