A monk asked Ummon, "What is the teaching of a whole lifetime?" Ummon replied, "An appropriate response." —Blue Cliff Record, Case 14 - Responding appropriately to the demands of life is a foundational practice for awakened living. In relationship with those we love, and in meeting the wider world, our capacity to respond with clarity ...
Dharma talks by Zen teachers are a traditional method of transmitting the heart and understanding of Buddha's Way. Public Dharma talks with follow-up Q&A are offered at Green Gulch Farm ...
Sunday, November 1, 10 am–12 pm PT - A monk asked Ummon, "What is the teaching of a whole lifetime?" Ummon replied, "An appropriate response." —Blue Cliff Record, Case 14 ...
Sunday, November 1, 2 – 5 pm, Green Gulch Farm - In this afternoon event, people from all walks of life and loss gather to acknowledge and mourn the death ...
Every Sunday, 5:00–6:15 pm PT - In addition to the Online Zendo schedule and Dharma offerings of classes and lectures, we offer a weekly drop-in Sangha Practice Session with Senior ...
Meditation in Recovery will meet in a hybrid format—In person AND on Zoom— each Monday. Monday Nights at 7:30 - Join Online Meeting - Meeting ID: 886 966 3311 - Passcode: Meditate23 - If attending online, please log in five minutes before the meeting opens. Mondays, 7:30 – 9 pm - This drop-in group explores ...
Use this page to register for the class only. If you would like to register for the full Fall Practice Period, there is a Residential option or an Online/Commuter option. ...
Four Tuesdays, November 3–24, 5–6:30 pm PT - In this four-week online course, we will explore the Heart Sutra, or Sutra on the Heart of Realizing Wisdom Beyond Wisdom (Prajna ...
YUZ meets in person weekly in the Buddha Hall of City Center on 300 Page Street. For the latest information, visit the Young Urban Zen site. Tuesday evenings, 7:15 – 8:45 pm - Young Urban Zen (YUZ) is a group under the auspices of the San Francisco Zen Center, with a particular focus on those ...
Four Wednesdays, 6:00–7:30 pm PT “For Zen students, a weed is a treasure.” —Shunryu Suzuki Roshi - Are you having difficulty in meditation or concentrating in daily life? Do you ...
Dharma talks by Zen teachers are a traditional method of transmitting the heart and understanding of Buddha's Way. Everyone is welcome to attend. All public dharma talks are held in the Buddha Hall. NOTE: Preceding the Dharma talk, from 7:30 - 7:45, there is a 15-minute period of gathering and settling to allow everyone to ...
This page is for the in-person at City Center sesshin. If you want to attend the online version, register for the Three-Day Sesshin, Online 11/5–11/7. Sesshins are traditional Soto Zen ...
This page is for ONLINE sesshin registration. If you want to sit in-person at City Center please register for the Three-Day Sesshin, City Center 11/5-11/7. Sesshins are traditional Soto Zen ...
Every Thursday, 5:30 – 6:30 pm PT. Join San Francisco Zen Center teachers for a weekly online drop-in session, offering opportunities to connect in real time. Each session includes: 20 ...
Four Thursdays, October 29–November 19, 6:00 pm–8:00 pm PT - How can an 8th-century Zen poem illuminate some of the deepest challenges of the 21st century? The Sandokai (“Harmony of ...
Trans Sangha is a meditation group by and for transgender people; beginners and newcomers are always welcome. Trans Sangha meets weekly in the zendo at 300 Page Street, with different ...
Meditation in Recovery will be meeting by Zoom. Friday Nights at 7:30 - Join Online Meeting - Meeting ID: 886 966 3311 - Passcode: Meditate23 - Please join us at ...
This page is for the ONLINE sesshin registration. If you want to sit in-person at City Center, register for the Saturday One-Day Sitting, City Center 11/7. One-day sittings offer traditional ...
This page is for in-person at City Center sesshin registration. If you want to join online, register for the Saturday One-Day Sitting, Online 11/7. One-day sittings offer traditional Soto Zen ...
Weekly meeting: Saturdays, 8:50 am – 1:00 pm. Saturday Sangha is for anyone who joins the zazen schedule during the weekdays and/or on Saturday. Within the container of traditional forms, ...
Two Saturdays, November 7 and 14, 9:00–11:00 am PT “Now this, monks, is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: it is this Noble Eightfold ...
Dharma talks by Zen teachers are a traditional method of transmitting the heart and understanding of Buddha's Way. Everyone is welcome to attend. All public dharma talks are held in the Buddha Hall. NOTE: Preceding the Dharma talk, from 10 - 10:15, there is a 15-minute period of gathering and settling to allow everyone to ...
Sunday, November 8, 9:30 am–4:30 pm, in the Wheelwright Center - To be you is enough, you know... – Shunryu Suzuki Roshi - Anxiety and our aversion to it are too often accompanied by reactivity and actions that worsen how we feel. We worry. We criticize and judge ourselves. We suffer. Such thoughts, and the ...
Dharma talks by Zen teachers are a traditional method of transmitting the heart and understanding of Buddha's Way. Public Dharma talks with follow-up Q&A are offered at Green Gulch Farm from 10:00–11:20 am every Sunday morning (with some exceptions) following zazen instruction at 8:15 am and an optional period of zazen (sitting meditation) from 9:30–10:00 ...
Four Sundays, November 8–29, 2:30–4:00 pm PT Deep Rest is a skill that we all need. With regular practice, we can learn how to allow mind and body to easily transition from their usual activated (sympathetic) state to a relaxed (parasympathetic) mode. This is a state of body and mind that is mentally and physically ...
Every Sunday, 5:00–6:15 pm PT - In addition to the Online Zendo schedule and Dharma offerings of classes and lectures, we offer a weekly drop-in Sangha Practice Session with Senior Dharma Teacher Fu Schroeder from Green Gulch Farm. This session is hosted on Zoom and features: 5 minutes of silent sitting - Dharma offering from ...
Meditation in Recovery will meet in a hybrid format—In person AND on Zoom— each Monday. Monday Nights at 7:30 - Join Online Meeting - Meeting ID: 886 966 3311 - Passcode: Meditate23 - If attending online, please log in five minutes before the meeting opens. Mondays, 7:30 – 9 pm - This drop-in group explores ...
Use this page to register for the class only. If you would like to register for the full Fall Practice Period, there is a Residential option or an Online/Commuter option. Eight Mondays, October 5–November 23 | 7:30–9:00 pm - The Six Paramitas or ‘perfections’ are foundational Buddhist practices that guide individuals on the path to ...
Sesshin, meaning "to gather, collect, and convey the mind-heart," is a traditional Soto Zen meditation retreat that includes formal zendo meals, Dharma talks, sitting and walking meditation, and private interviews ...
Four Tuesdays, November 3–24, 5–6:30 pm PT - In this four-week online course, we will explore the Heart Sutra, or Sutra on the Heart of Realizing Wisdom Beyond Wisdom (Prajna Paramita), one of Buddhism’s most beloved yet challenging texts. This class will offer an approach for students at any stage of practice. We’ll trace the ...
YUZ meets in person weekly in the Buddha Hall of City Center on 300 Page Street. For the latest information, visit the Young Urban Zen site. Tuesday evenings, 7:15 – 8:45 pm - Young Urban Zen (YUZ) is a group under the auspices of the San Francisco Zen Center, with a particular focus on those ...
City Center, including the offices, zendo, and Online Zendo, will be closed in honor of Veterans Day.
Four Wednesdays, 6:00–7:30 pm PT “For Zen students, a weed is a treasure.” —Shunryu Suzuki Roshi - Are you having difficulty in meditation or concentrating in daily life? Do you find yourself obsessing over love or hate? Falling asleep, feeling anxious, restless, or agitated more often than calm while meditating? Doubting yourself or your practice? ...
No Public Dharma Talk today due to Veteran's Day.
Every Thursday, 5:30 – 6:30 pm PT. Join San Francisco Zen Center teachers for a weekly online drop-in session, offering opportunities to connect in real time. Each session includes: 20 minutes of meditation - A brief Dharma reflection - Group discussion - These sessions provide a welcoming space for practice and community connection, open to ...
Four Thursdays, October 29–November 19, 6:00 pm–8:00 pm PT - How can an 8th-century Zen poem illuminate some of the deepest challenges of the 21st century? The Sandokai (“Harmony of Difference and Equality”) takes up one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring questions: How can reality be both one and many—unified yet diverse, ordered yet ...
Fridays, October 9–November 20 A series of half-day sittings led by senior students at City Center will take place every Friday morning from October 9 through November 20 in the zendo. Everyone is welcome to drop-in, no registration required. Zazenkai, CC 10/9 Zazenkai, CC 10/16 Zazenkai, CC 10/23 Zazenkai, CC 10/30 Zazenkai, CC 11/13 Zazenkai, ...
Jizo Bodhisattva is the fearless guardian with deep vow to enter all hell realms to help. They are unwavering in their steadfast resolve and compassionate presence. The Jizo Peace Project arose as a response to the great tragedy in Gaza and Israel. The project's intention is to honor the children who have perished since October ...
Friday, November 13, 2026 Doors open at 6:00 pm Event starts at 7:00 pm and ends by 11:00 pm Great American Music Hall 859 O’Farrell St, San Francisco In November of 1966, San Francisco Zen Center launched a series of fundraisers to help purchase Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. For nearly a year, local musicians, poets, ...
Meditation in Recovery will be meeting by Zoom. Friday Nights at 7:30 - Join Online Meeting - Meeting ID: 886 966 3311 - Passcode: Meditate23 - Please join us at the usual time; log in five minutes before the meeting opens. Fridays, 7:30 – 9 pm - This drop-in group explores the connections between Buddhist ...
Saturday, 8:40 – 9:25 am, in the Buddha Hall at City Center - Please arrive by 8:30 am. Zazen (Meditation) Instruction is offered by senior practitioners and is required before participation in a one-day sitting. Zendo (Meditation Hall) Forms Instruction is offered at 11:40 am and complements Meditation Instruction.
In the Conference Center at 310 Page Street - This monthly affinity group offers a space of connection and support for those who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. All are welcome. We gather to sit zazen for 30 minutes, followed by a time of study—often engaging with teachings by Suzuki Roshi—and open ...
Two Saturdays, November 7 and 14, 9:00–11:00 am PT “Now this, monks, is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: it is this Noble Eightfold Path.” — Buddha - The heart of Buddha’s teaching is expressed in the Four Noble Truths and the practical application of this teaching is found ...
Dharma talks by Zen teachers are a traditional method of transmitting the heart and understanding of Buddha's Way. Everyone is welcome to attend. All public dharma talks are held in the Buddha Hall. NOTE: Preceding the Dharma talk, from 10 - 10:15, there is a 15-minute period of gathering and settling to allow everyone to ...
Saturday, 11:20 am – 12:15 pm - Please arrive by 11:10 am and enter by the side door on Laguna Street. Zendo (Meditation Hall) Forms Instruction is offered by senior practitioners and is required before participation in a one-day sitting. Zazen (Meditation) Instruction is offered at 8:40 am and should be attended before Forms Instruction.
Saturday, November 14, 1–4 pm PT - In this afternoon workshop, we will gather together for meditation, drawing, exploration, and play. Many studies illuminate the calming and restorative effects of meditative drawing, and its positive effects on brain health and well-being. We'll start with exercises to enjoy the meditative movement of pen or pencil on ...
Join the SFZC Outreach Team in distributing socks and other helpful items during Socks for our Neighbors. Socks will be unpacked and organized into care kits. We will sit together and set our intention, followed by tea and cookies. Those who choose to do so will be paired with a buddy and head out to ...
Dharma talks by Zen teachers are a traditional method of transmitting the heart and understanding of Buddha's Way. Public Dharma talks with follow-up Q&A are offered at Green Gulch Farm ...
A kettle of water boiling over a charcoal fire; host and guests gather around to share tea and conversation. The Way of Tea is a Japanese tradition transmitted for centuries, ...
Four Sundays, November 8–29, 2:30–4:00 pm PT Deep Rest is a skill that we all need. With regular practice, we can learn how to allow mind and body to easily ...
Every Sunday, 5:00–6:15 pm PT - In addition to the Online Zendo schedule and Dharma offerings of classes and lectures, we offer a weekly drop-in Sangha Practice Session with Senior ...
Six Mondays, November 16–December 21, 9:00 am–11:00 am PT (View in your time zone) How can reading and writing poetry illuminate and uplift our Dharma practice? How does Dharma practice ...
Meditation in Recovery will meet in a hybrid format—In person AND on Zoom— each Monday. Monday Nights at 7:30 - Join Online Meeting - Meeting ID: 886 966 3311 - ...
Use this page to register for the class only. If you would like to register for the full Fall Practice Period, there is a Residential option or an Online/Commuter option. ...
Four Tuesdays, November 3–24, 5–6:30 pm PT - In this four-week online course, we will explore the Heart Sutra, or Sutra on the Heart of Realizing Wisdom Beyond Wisdom (Prajna Paramita), one of Buddhism’s most beloved yet challenging texts. This class will offer an approach for students at any stage of practice. We’ll trace the ...
YUZ meets in person weekly in the Buddha Hall of City Center on 300 Page Street. For the latest information, visit the Young Urban Zen site. Tuesday evenings, 7:15 – ...
Wednesday, Nov 18, 4 pm–Sunday, Nov 22, 11 am - In this class on intuitive painting, the invitation is to be mindful as you paint—to paint for the experience, not for the end product. When we spontaneously create, we come back to the source at every moment. There is no need to plan, no need ...
Four Wednesdays, 6:00–7:30 pm PT “For Zen students, a weed is a treasure.” —Shunryu Suzuki Roshi - Are you having difficulty in meditation or concentrating in daily life? Do you find yourself obsessing over love or hate? Falling asleep, feeling anxious, restless, or agitated more often than calm while meditating? Doubting yourself or your practice? ...
Dharma talks by Zen teachers are a traditional method of transmitting the heart and understanding of Buddha's Way. Everyone is welcome to attend. All public dharma talks are held in the Buddha Hall. NOTE: Preceding the Dharma talk, from 7:30 - 7:45, there is a 15-minute period of gathering and settling to allow everyone to ...
Every Thursday, 5:30 – 6:30 pm PT. Join San Francisco Zen Center teachers for a weekly online drop-in session, offering opportunities to connect in real time. Each session includes: 20 minutes of meditation - A brief Dharma reflection - Group discussion - These sessions provide a welcoming space for practice and community connection, open to ...
Four Thursdays, October 29–November 19, 6:00 pm–8:00 pm PT - How can an 8th-century Zen poem illuminate some of the deepest challenges of the 21st century? The Sandokai (“Harmony of Difference and Equality”) takes up one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring questions: How can reality be both one and many—unified yet diverse, ordered yet ...
Trans Sangha is a meditation group by and for transgender people; beginners and newcomers are always welcome. Trans Sangha meets weekly in the zendo at 300 Page Street, with different offerings depending on the week: Sangha Night is on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month: a community building focused evening open to all ...
Fridays, October 9–November 20 A series of half-day sittings led by senior students at City Center will take place every Friday morning from October 9 through November 20 in the zendo. Everyone is welcome to drop-in, no registration required. Zazenkai, CC 10/9 Zazenkai, CC 10/16 Zazenkai, CC 10/23 Zazenkai, CC 10/30 Zazenkai, CC 11/13 Zazenkai, ...
There will be a ceremony for Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) in the zendo after evening zazen in place of evening service. From the GLAAD website: Transgender Day of Remembrance ...
Meditation in Recovery will be meeting by Zoom. Friday Nights at 7:30 - Join Online Meeting - Meeting ID: 886 966 3311 - Passcode: Meditate23 - Please join us at the usual time; log in five minutes before the meeting opens. Fridays, 7:30 – 9 pm - This drop-in group explores the connections between Buddhist ...
Weekly meeting: Saturdays, 8:50 am – 1:00 pm. Saturday Sangha is for anyone who joins the zazen schedule during the weekdays and/or on Saturday. Within the container of traditional forms, members of this group participate in doanryo training, temple care and kitchen practice, and study. During the week, participation includes zazen with the invitation to ...
Teachers: Zoketsu Norman Fischer and Senior Everyday Zen Dharma teachers. These traditional yet relaxed all-day sittings begin at 9:00 am and include meditation, a silent lunch, Dharma talk/discussion, and dokusan ...
Dharma talks by Zen teachers are a traditional method of transmitting the heart and understanding of Buddha's Way. Everyone is welcome to attend. All public dharma talks are held in the Buddha Hall. NOTE: Preceding the Dharma talk, from 10 - 10:15, there is a 15-minute period of gathering and settling to allow everyone to ...
Monthly on third Saturdays, 11 am–12:30 pm PT June 20, July 18, August 15, September 19, October 17, and November 21 If you have previously participated in any of the “Dancing in the Dark Fields” series, we invite you to consider this ongoing monthly practice group, which will expand on those teachings and community. Zenshin ...
With Meikyo Chelsea True, Junsen Shelly Hughes, Kanjin Yael Raff Peskin, Samara Alima, and Kanki Elis Herman - Rooted in the Soto Zen lineage of Suzuki Roshi and grounded in ...
Dharma talks by Zen teachers are a traditional method of transmitting the heart and understanding of Buddha's Way. Public Dharma talks with follow-up Q&A are offered at Green Gulch Farm ...
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