Hartford Street Zen Center | Issan-ji temple
A Sōtō Zen temple for the LGBTQ+ community, friends and allies in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood
In addition to the regular weekly schedule for Zazen, chanting and service;
Thursdays & Fridays each week: HIV, Supporters, Friends and anyone really sitting group 10:30am for 30 minutes then socializing in garden after.
Thursdays each week at 19:30 – Study Hour: Book of Serenity currently (9 cases left to go!)
Fridays -Meditation in Recovery every week 19:30.
Saturdays slightly altered morning schedule, Zazen Instruction and Dharma talk, Ceremonies when applicable, tea and socializing.
Please join us for our regular schedule as well as any of all these added events and opportunities!
A Double Feature once again this Saturday. We have the Sangha Council offering for anyone who is interested, and be sure to click on the link above to read more about this offering if you have not attended before and;
Before that, it is our monthly renewal of our Bodhisattva vows in our Full Moon Ceremony after the Dharma talk. 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. All are welcome to join in this ceremony/celebration. This month we celebrate the full corn planting, flower or milk moon according to the Farmers Almanac.
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 ceremony when applicable and then on to tea and cookies. This will all occur this week and then Sangha Council will begin at 12:30pm.
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 ceremony if applicable) and then socializing, tea and cookies.
Please join us this Saturday morning, 24 April, for a Dharma talk by Rev. Ryuei, Michael McCormick, who was ordained to the Nichiren-shū (Lotus Sutra School) ministry in 2001 by Rev. Ryusho Matsuda, of the San Jose Nichiren Temple.
Rev. McCormick is also a long-time practitioner of zazen (seated meditation) and a student of the writings of Dōgen-zenji.
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 ceremony if applicable) and then socializing, tea and cookies.
The Christian Holiday of Easter is upon us already this Sunday and so our Monthly Monday holiday influence closure day of April 21st will follow the holiday on April 20th.
This holiday is also in our country in general a celebration of spring and new births for people and for our adorable fellow feather and furry animal friends. Please enjoy this day off with some new born spirit and we will see you Tuesday Morning April 22nd at 6am!
