Category: News

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Clothing Drive a Success!

siphaiOur one month-long clothing drive for the benefit of St. Anthony Foundation’s Free Clothing Program was a hit! We began our drive on the National Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and concluded it on Saturday, February 23. A clothing barrel was provided by St. Anthony’s for us to use in the zendo, but over the course of the drive dedicated Sangha members accumulated and dropped off so many bags of clothing they were piled upstairs in the dining room. All in all we had the equivalent of almost 30 bags of clothes and other items including some children’s toys. At the end of the clothing drive Siphai from St. Anthony’s picked up the clothing from us. Siphai also happens to practice at a Cambodian Buddhist Temple in the Sunset District.

Our thanks to all the Sangha members who helped by participating in planning the drive, publishing notices online, and who donated their clothing to this well-known charitable program. Our appreciation extends to St. Anthony Foundation for providing us an opportunity to participate in this, allowing us to practice our Bodhisattva Vow by helping others.

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9 March; Guest Speaker – Ko Shin, Steven Tierney

GandharaBodhisattvaKo Shin Steven Tierney, Ed.D. CAS is Professor of Counseling Psychology and Chair of the Community Mental Health Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies. A certified addiction specialist, he is the Co-Founder of the San Francisco Mindfulness Foundation, providing relapse prevention and mindfulness-based services to individuals and families. Steven has been studying and practicing Buddhism for more than 20 years.

On January 9, 2013 Ko Shin ordained as a Soto Zen priest by Dairyu Michael Wenger.

Every Saturday we offer our reduced morning schedule, a brief drop-in meditation instruction at 8:30 am. Zazen (seated meditation) at 9:25 am. A dharma talk at 10:15 am followed by tea and cookies.

Please join us for whatever part(s) of the program you are able.

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Dharma talk by Rev Myo “Older…” & Lunar New Year; Sat. Feb 9th

DbrnOur Practice Leader Rev. Myo Lahey will give a talk this Saturday: “Older…” Feb 9, 2013 @ 10:15 am after the morning Zazen periods. Please join us!

After our usual Saturday program will be a Lunar new year event & treats, Joss burning to our loved ones and friends who have passed beyond and to set into motion our next Daruma Goals and say goodbye to our old fulfilled goals!

We hope to see you!

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Sat. Feb 9.; A Lunar New Year activity

drmaIn Tibet it is known as Losar and more locally here in San Francisco many of us know it is the start of the Chinese New Year as of February 10, 2013. This is the year of Element Water and Animal Snake in Chinese Astrology.

In our very own SF Chinatown stores are packed full of Joss paper items to burn. This time of year is also said to be when the veil between the living physical world and any spirit worlds are thin and so an ideal time to burn paper representations of money or desired objects to “send” to deceased loved ones in their smoke and ashes.

At the start of our social, tea and cookie time a few of us are going to gather and using a western device of a chiminea burn some Joss paper in our garden to memorialize our passed loved ones as well as the many individuals who passed from this physical seen world at HSZC and Maitri Hospice. It will be a small informal, heartfelt gesture; we can even supply some joss paper for you, followed by a few traditional Chinese new year treats.

This event is not so much one of a specific Buddhist tradition, but has more roots in modern Chinese folk traditions which has some modern expression of Taoism. Ancient Taoism has historical roots that are part of our expression of today’s Zen.

To incorporate our Japanese tradition and lineage we will also burn the 2012 Daruma of HSZC whose goal has been realized and install a new single pupil Daruma for a new year of goals for HSZC! Please feel free to join us in remembering your loved ones, those of Maitri and all beings who have passed beyond the physically viewable world and setting some new hopes and intentions for the upcoming lunar year for you and HSZC.

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10 Feb 2013: Year of the Snake, Element Water!

2013 snake yearIn Chinese astrology we are getting ready to say good bye to the year of the Dragon 2012 and to welcome the Year of the Water, Snake! Snake is the Yin to last year’s Dragon Yang. Snake does not settle for mediocrity. The Snake is believed to symbolize developments in the area of science and technology. Research and development are said in year of the snake to flourish. The element this year is Water, the element most closely associated with education and research, making 2013 a great year for scientists and scholars. Snake is a great sign, a positive one, with energy that can help us face all of the challenges ahead of us.