Sangha News Journal
A brief update for now: there doesn’t appear to have been any significant effect from last week’s chemo at this point, and the issues of pain, nausea and appetite continue.
We hope to have a fuller report later. Wishing him and all of you the best in the meantime.
What is a Practice Period actually like? In the first installment of SFZC’s new Practice Period interview series, Valerie describes her experience.
From Zen's female ancestors to the future of practice, Kathie Fischer reflects on the enduring lessons from 50 years of Zen.
Tabreez Govani shares his journey of Zen practice and volunteering to address the challenges of homelessness in San Francisco.
San Francisco Zen Center has embarked on a large, much-needed renovation project at 300 Page Street (City Center).
“I’m trying to convey our practice in everyday relatable terms, so that our Zen tradition is understood for what it is—one of passion, joy, and inclusivity.”
Come participate in residential practice in the newly revitalized Beginner’s Mind Temple!
“Zen Central is a new approach for San Francisco Zen Center; it has restructured the way we do things.”
“I like the idea that I’m helping take care of SFZC, including our wider sangha. It’s one way to save all beings.”
Congratulations to Mary Stares, who received Dharma Transmission from Rinso Ed Sattizahn at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center on July 19.
Since 2022, Kevin Starbard has produced ten Butoh performances at SFZC, enriching the community with this avant-garde Japanese dance form.
Dear Abbot Steve,
I’m watching a program on KQED television about some Lakota people, and am thinking of you and Doris Respects Nothing, from your October 2 dharma talk. Here is the program description from the KQED website:
“Thick Dark Fog Walter Littlemoon attended a federal Indian boarding school in South Dakota sixty years ago. The mission of many of these schools in 1950, was still to “kill the Indian and save the man.” The children were not allowed to be Indians – to speak their language or express their culture or native identity in any way at the risk of being severely beaten, humiliated or abused. What effects did these actions cause? Many Indians, like Walter, lived with this unresolved trauma into adulthood, acting it out through alcoholism and domestic violence. At age 58, Walter decided to write and publish his memoirs as a way to explain his past abusive behaviors to his estranged children. But dealing with the memories of his boarding school days nearly put an end to it. “The Thick Dark Fog” tells the story of how Walter confronted the “thick dark fog” of his past so that he could renew himself and his community. ”
Thanks again for your October 2 dharma talk.
Judy Bertelsen