The Hartford Street Zen Center Sangha is continuing its Council group. 
We’ve formed council with the intention and hope of building a forum to continue to talk of and discuss with each other – and with the sangha at large – for issues, concerns, questions and conflicts which have been challenging – or downright hard to talk about. We’ll use a practice model of working with each other with the most skillful speech we can access. This is a great opportunity also for those who haven’t been around lately to reengage and be a part of the present and future Hartford Street!
Guest Speaker, Sat. 21 July: Rev. Jana Drakka
Come to HSZC this Saturday for a talk by Rev. Jana, priest-ordained at 
San Francisco Zen Center. Jana has been very involved with Religious Witness for the Homeless and other outreach programs for the disenfranchised, and received Dharma Transmission from retired Abbess Blanche Hartman.
We’ll have 9:25 a.m. zazen, of course, then the talk at 10:15, and tea-and-cookies after.
All are welcome.
A Taste of Zen: Brown Bag Retreat, 4 August
We’re planning on a longer retreat day on the first Saturday of August (Aug. 4). We’ll start at 9:25 a.m. and be finished by 5 p.m. To reduce the necessary preparations and planning, each participant may bring a brown-bag lunch, which we’ll take together in silence around midday. There’ll be a Dharma talk as usual at 10:15 a.m., plus the monthly Full-Moon Bodhisattva ceremony. The day will conclude with a guided loving-kindness meditation, followed by the monthly memorial service for founding Abbot Issan Dorsey. We’ll need to know how many participants we’ll have, so please sign up ahead-of-time, either by email to hszc108@yahoo.com, or a phone message left at (415) 863-2507. Everyone is welcome to participate, and we can accommodate practitioners at all levels of experience. Click here to see the day’s schedule!
Please note: Date changes on a future event!
The Council will be moved to July 28th. Thank you.
14 July: A Special Message
Guest Speaker, Sat. 14 Jul.: Rev. Peter van der Sterre
Late-breaking news: Tomorrow’s Dharma talk (10:15 a.m.) will be given by long-time practitioner and priest Peter van der Sterre. Peter knew our founder, Rev. Issan Dorsey, and has been practicing since the 1970’s. He also has received Dharma transmission from former San Francisco Zen Center Abbot Norman Fischer. Please join us for zazen (seated meditation) at 9:25 before the talk, and stay for tea-and-cookies afterwards. All are welcome.
Sangha Council Meeting – 28 July, 12:30PM
The Hartford Street Zen Center Sangha is continuing its Council group. We’ve formed council with the intention and hope of building a forum to continue to talk of and discuss with each other – and with the sangha at large – for issues, concerns, questions and conflicts which have been challenging – or downright hard to talk about. We’ll use a practice model of working with each other with the most skillful speech we can access. This is a great opportunity also for those who haven’t been around lately to reengage and be a part of the present and future Hartford Street!
Our next meeting will be on Saturday afternoon, July 28 at 12:30pm. We’ll be meeting for 120 minutes.
We’re continuing to build a format that will be flexible enough for a diversity of needs. The group has been built and previously facilitated by Beata Chapman, a long time member and Board president of the Santa Cruz Zen Center. She is knowledgeable about many aspects of zen communities. We now will facilitate using internal resources as of this meeting. The scaffold we’ll be working from is based on the Council process developed by the Ojai Foundation.
You do not need to have an ‘issue’ or overt concern to attend. Council is sangha building and healing. All are welcome!
If you have questions regarding this, call Peter Goetz at 510.595.1281. If you’d like a copy of the Ojai Foundation guidelines for Council process, email Peter at goetzpj@aol.com
HSZC connects to more than 500 facebook friends!
Special Greetings, recognition and appreciation to our world-wide 
eSangha! Thank you for being a part of our Sangha through the technological wonders and connection brought to us via the internet. Please keep suggesting us to friends, accessing talks online, keep in contact,comment, and continue participating in Hartford Street’s practice! When in the area, or if you’re in the area now, please do drop by and practice with us in person!