November 23, 2011
A Thanksgiving Blessing

SFZC Vice President Zesho Susan O’Connell has contributed to the Huffington Post’s compilation of “original thanksgiving prayers and blessings composed by our bloggers from diverse religious backgrounds.” Her thoughts on the Thanksgiving holiday are below. For the full article, click here.

“The greatest gift is to give. We can give gratitude, we can give sustenance to body and mind, we can give fearlessness. The wheel of giving and receiving keeps our hearts open and warm. And a warm and open heart is the source of courage – the courage to sit still in the midst of our constantly changing, challenging lives. Wisdom emerges from this stillness — and informs the style and content of our giving. Give with no expectation of return. Give wholeheartedly, and if you realize you are holding back, give yourself kindness and understanding. Give each out-breath to the benefit of the world.

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On Forgiveness

In this letter to the sangha, Central Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman writes about forgiveness and repair in his own life, and how SFZC is working with former Abbot Richard Baker to reconcile a difficult past and move forward together.