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Hartford Street Zen Center | Issan-ji temple
A Sōtō Zen temple for the LGBTQ+ community, friends and allies in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood
The Hartford Street Zen Center currently has availability for one practice resident. We are looking for individuals interested in and committed to experiencing residential practice at a small, urban temple. Applicants should have prior experience with Soto Zen practice, and prior residential practice experience is not a requirement, but is preferred. While participation and assistance in the daily events of the sangha are expected of any potential practice resident, it is our expectation that most residents are employed outside of the center, and we are accommodating toward one’s professional schedule.

The Hartford Street Zen Center sangha is starting a Council group. We’re forming it with the intention and hope of building a forum to talk of and discuss with each other – and with the sangha at large – issues, concerns, questions and conflicts which have been challanging – 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.
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 commemoration of the death of our founder, Rev. Issan Dorsey. Afterwards, there will be fistfuls of cookies for your enjoyment! Everyone is welcome…