The Mind of Great Faith: Cultivating an Undivided Life
Led by Pamela Weiss
May 10 – June 4
Open to beginners and experienced practitioners alike. At this time on-site participation is open to both residential and commuter participation; Covid Health and Safety Guidelines for City Center's congregant living environment will apply.
About the Intensive
This is a traditional intensive training period common in the schools of Buddhism. Participants can engage in this training period as a resident or as a commuter.
This training period is a chance to develop and deepen your practice together with others in a supportive environment and through activities including daily sitting, study, practice discussion with teachers, and weekly sangha discussions. Weekly events include classes, ceremonies, Dharma talks, and other events. Participants will also have the opportunity to meet individually with the leader of the intensive and/or other practice leaders.
For residential participants, these activities occur onsite and include communal meals with the other residents. Depending on the state of public health, commuter participants may be invited to join the residents for meals in the dining room for an additional onsite charge. This offering has yet to be determined, but may become available depending on SFZC Health & Safety protocols. All participants have access to the Online components (listed below).
If you wish to see the truth
hold no opinions for or against anything.
To set up what you like against what you dislike
is the disease of the mind.
When the deep meaning of things is not understood,
the mind’s essential peace is disturbed to no avail.
—Hsin Hsin Ming
We live in an increasingly fractured world.
During this Intensive, we will engage with the text of the "Hsin Hsin Ming," attributed to the Third Zen Ancestor, Sengcan, who lived in China in the sixth century. Studying the non-dual teachings in the poem, and learning about the struggles Sengcan encountered in his life, we will deepen the cultivation of our faith, and illuminate how we can respond to the divisiveness in and around us with wisdom and love.
As part of the Intensive, Pamela will teach a class on the intensive topic on three Mondays: May 16, 23, and 30, 7:30 – 8:45 pm PT.
The Intensive begins with an orientation on the evening of Tuesday, May 10, at 7:30 pm PT, followed by an opening one-day sitting on Saturday, May 14. Please register separately for the May 14 one-day sitting—this can be done any time and should be done before Tuesday, May 10. The intensive concludes with a three-day sesshin, June 2 – 4; if you cannot attend sesshin, you can still sign up for the concurrent one-day sitting on Saturday, June 4.
Participants can engage in the practice period in three ways: residential, commuter, and online.
All options include access to these Online components:
- Online Portal
- Online Class
- Small Groups
- Morning zazen in the Online Zendo
- Evening zazen in the Online Zendo
- Wednesday and Saturday Dharma talks in the Online Zendo
I. Residential Option
Residential Options
Includes access to all the onsite as well as the online components listed above.
- Work Practice Apprentice (WPA): For those who will live and work full-time in the temple.
- Limited Resident: For those who will live in the temple but will not participate in the daily work schedule.
Residential participants should plan to arrive by the early afternoon of May 9.
Note: We will accept new residential participants based on available housing. You are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as residential space is limited.
II. Commuter Option
For those who live off-site but will attend all or part of the practice schedule on-site.
Additional components to the Online ones listed above (vetting for Covid-19 is part of the registration process):
- In-person morning zazen and service
- Evening zazen and service, TBA as City Center re-opens and these events become available
- Depending on the state of public health and SFZC Health & Safety Protocols, commuter participants may be invited to join the residents for meals in the dining room for an additional onsite charge
III. Online Option
For those participating fully online who will not be visiting the temple.
- Includes access to all the Online components listed above
Residential Participation
These fees include residency, meals, and all practice offerings.
WPA: Includes full-time work practice at City Center
- $1,107
Limited: Not working at City Center
- $1,615
For payment of residential participation fees, information will be provided with notice of acceptance into the practice period.
Commuter and Online Participation
For payment of commuter participation fees, information will be provided with notice of acceptance into the practice period.
Online participation fees are paid as part of the application process.
Full participation including the Three-day Online Sesshin
- General: $255
- Member: $229
- Sliding scale 1: $153
- Sliding scale 2: $56
Participation not including the Three-day Sesshin
- General: $165
- Member: $148
- Sliding scale 1: $99
- Sliding scale 2: $41
Residential option application:
Application for residential option
Commuter option application:
Application for commuter option
Online option applications:
Register Online - including online sesshin
Register Online - not including sesshin
Access to the practice period website will be provided a week prior to the practice period.
The deadline for online registration is Thursday, May 5.