Sangha Council Meeting – 16 June, 12:30PM

The Hartford Street Zen Center Sangha is continuing its Council group.  We’ve formed it 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 – 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.

Our second meeting will be on Saturday afternoon, June 16 at 12:30pm. We’ll be meeting for 180 minutes.

We’re  building a format that will be flexible enough for a diversity of needs.  The group will be 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.  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.  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

Early Sitting and Full-Moon Ceremony, Sat. 2 June

We’ll start sitting earlier than usual this coming Saturday. There will be two periods of zazen (seated meditation) beginning at 6:00 a.m., with a period of kinhin (walking meditation) in between at 6:40 a.m., and morning chanting following at 7:20. You may think, “Oh, that’s too early for me”, but you should give it a try, and you can always nap later. Also, we’ll serve a simple breakfast to participants, but you MUST sign up ahead-of-time, either via email at hszc108@yahoo.com, or by phone at (415) 863-2507.The rest of the Saturday schedule will be according to custom, with another period of sitting at 9:25 and the Dharma talk at 10:15 a.m., followed by the monthly ceremony of celebration of the Bodhisattva Vows. Afterwards, there will be fistfuls of cookies for your enjoyment! Everyone is welcome…

Memorial Day Holiday: Zendo Closure

The Zendo will be closed in observance of the national holiday on Monday, 28 May. Come rejoin our regular sitting schedule beginning Tuesday, 29 May, bright-and-early at 6:00 a.m.

Guest Speaker, Sat. 19 May: Rev. Mark Lancaster

Rev. Mark is a long-time practitioner and a Dharma heir of Rev. Dairyu Michael Wenger, in addition to being an old friend of Hartford Street. Please join us for zazen (seated meditation) at 9:25, the talk at 10:15, and tea with discussion afterwards.