Wed Nov 27 closed — Closed Thurs Nov 28 – and Fri Nov 29th. Open again Saturday Nov 30th!
Have a safe and enjoyable holiday!
Hartford Street Zen Center | Issan-ji temple
A Sōtō Zen temple for the LGBTQ+ community, friends and allies in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood
Despite our water leak damaged ceiling… The retreat must go on…
The 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.
The 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
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!
Saturday 26 October – Sejiki Ceremony: Following a Guest Speaker Dharma talk from Rev Jeffrey Schneider, we’ll celebrate the ancient ceremony known in Japanese as Sejiki, or “Feeding the Jiki (wandering spirits)”. This ceremony addresses our connection to the “unseen world”, typically overlooked in the West. All aspects of our life that have been disowned, disrespected and denied are invited to come forth from exile and be nourished, a gesture that may have particular significance for members of the LGBTiQQ community, whose own place in the social order has been undermined by fear, prejudice and violence. Costumes and sundry noisemaking devices are encouraged, and everyone is invited to participate. (Time approximate after the Dharma talk, but about 11:10 a.m.)
Every Saturday we offer early morning zazen (seated meditation), 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!