Featured Photo Jan 2
Dharma Transmission-Kyoshin Wendy Lewis
On December 19 2012, Kyoshin Wendy Lewis received Dharma Transmission from Green Gulch Farm Abiding Abbess Eijun Linda Ruth Cutts.
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Honoring the Path of the Warrior: A Journey of Healing
by Anne Connolly
What does it mean to honor our veterans?
There’s more than one way, of course, but Lee Lesser and Chris Fortin provided an extraordinary example at Greens Restaurant on Veterans Day, November 11, 2012.
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“Feeding the Hunger in All of Us” Food Drive
City Center is inviting sangha members to bring non-perishable food items to donate as part of this year’s food drive, which will take place from Thanksgiving Eve through Christmas. On Wednesday, November 21, there will be an evening service at 6:15pm which will include placing food offerings on the altar. Read more
New Liaison for Affiliate Sanghas
“Branching Streams” is Zen Center’s network of affiliate sanghas, large and small, currently numbering thirty-six around the world, and growing. It was formed to support both the mutual relationships among the many groups in the Suzuki Roshi lineage, and their relationship with SFZC. Through the Branching Streams network we hope to nourish each other’s practice, and to find new ways to benefit each other.
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Seven Days of Collecting the Mind
Join us for this time of deepening practice and celebrating Buddha’s Enlightenment.
Every year in December, Zen Buddhists around the world celebrate the enlightenment of the Buddha in a retreat called Rohatsu Sesshin. Rohatsu is Japanese for “eighth day of the twelfth month,” and sesshin means, “collecting the mind.” The retreat culminates with a celebration that takes place on the closest Saturday to December 8, which traditionally is the day Shakyamuni Buddha was enlightened.
We Consider How This Food Comes To Us
GGF Residents Discuss Genetically Modified Food
As a continuation of Food Awareness Month at Green Gulch Farm, the Ecosattvas have been discussing something that California voters will vote on at the polls next Tuesday: Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
The Time Has Come to Transform Caregiving – 2013 Contemplative Caregiver Course Registration Opens
Jennifer Block, a Buddhist chaplain and caregiver educator who has made it her life’s work to provide spiritual care to people in crisis, mentoring caregivers and teaching people how to access their innate capacity for caring and healing, joins the San Francisco Zen Center in bringing the Bay Area caregiving community a breakthrough, three-part Contemplative Caregiver Course in 2013.
SFZC Board Election and Bylaw Change
Current SFZC members are invited to participate in two very important decisions for the future of our sangha. First, the approval of the slate of candidates nominated by the Board to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors. Second, the approval of amendments to SFZC bylaws in order to provide for the three-abbess/abbot leadership structure with which we have been experimenting since 2010. To this end, members will soon be receiving a ballot on both of these issues in the mail.
On Hoitsu Suzuki’s Last Day at Eiheiji
Hoitsu Suzuki has been godo, head of training, at Eiheiji in Japan for the last several years. His last day at Eiheiji was October 15. Hoitsu, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi’s son, visits San Francisco Zen Center periodically, often to assist with large ceremonies, such as the Stepping Down and Mountain Seat ceremonies in February 2012.
Akazienzendo Berlin
In August, Bernd Bender wrote from Berlin about the new Zen group in Berlin he has established with Ursula Richard. The group has a web site and a Facebook page.




