NOTE: Winter Light Retreat Dates in this Newsletter!November 2nd – Guest Speaker, Sensei Elaine Donlin @ 10:15am
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!
26 October 2013: Sejiki & Guest Speaker
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!
Saturday October 19, 2013 – Full Moon Ceremony
We’ll have the monthly Full-Moon Ceremony renewal of our Bodhisattva vows Saturday morning after the Dharma talk. According to the Farmer’s 
Almanac this is the full hunters moon. The first full moon of fall.
The ceremony takes about a half-hour and involves some thirty full prostrations, but simple standing bows are also all right if prostrations are too strenuous.
Everyone is welcome to take part in this celebration. And for those interested in a charity walk through SF touring Buddhist temples and centers and helping to feed the hungry at 12:45pm you can join some of us for the walk to feed the Hungry with the Buddhist Global Relief.
Saturday, October 19th 2013
Please join us for our normal morning program followed by the first Dharma talk from our Abbot, Rev. Myo Lahey at 10:15am.
And following a great charitable event and stroll through SF and, a wonderful way to meet more fellow Buddhists at 12:45pm:
An Announcement in the waiting for over a decade!
At 4pm on October 13th 2013 our former Practice Leader ascended the mountain and became our Abbot! A deep bow of congratulations to all of Hartford Street Zen Center Community and to Rev Myo Lahey. We look forward to our years ahead together practicing this ancient, life changing way of Soto Zen.
Earnestly strive to avoid seeking outside, lest you go for astray. I travel on alone now, but everywhere I go I meet it. It is no other than me, but I am not it. Understand in this way to merge with true suchness – Dongshan
Saturday Sept. 28, 10:15am Guest Speaker:Japanese Missionary, Toku-ha Fukyoshi
Please join us next Saturday for a Special Dharma talk by a Japanese visitor and missionary: Toku-ha Fukyoshi (with assistance of a translator).
We will have our normal Saturday program starting at 6:30am, then the talk at 10:15, and the ever-popular tea and cookies will follow. All are welcome to join us for any portion or all of the morning offerings!
