- This event has passed.
Living Into the Appropriate Response: Transforming Fear and Anger, CC 9/20 – Canceled
Description
A monk once asked the 10th-century Zen master Yunmen, “What are the teachings of a whole lifetime?”
Yunmen replied, simply: “An appropriate response.”
Our lives ask this of us again and again.
How do we respond to suffering, uncertainty, conflict, or the habits that keep us stuck? What does a wise and compassionate response look like, especially in challenging times?
Before we can respond, we must find our footing.
In both recovery and Zen practice, we learn to take refuge, to pause, to become steady, to return to what is trustworthy. Refuge is not escape from the world, but a retreat into clarity and support so that we can re-enter our lives with greater wisdom and care.
In recovery, we learn to pause. In Zen, we learn to see clearly. Together, these practices help us respond not from reactivity or self-will, but from steadiness, honesty, and heart.
Join Cynthia Ryotan and Kogetsu Jenny Mok for a day of meditation, refuge, and shared inquiry as we explore what it means to live into an appropriate response, moment by moment.
The retreat will include:
- Two Dharma talks
- Seated and walking meditation
- Mindful movement
- Reflection and small-group sharing
- A recovery meeting to close the day
All are welcome — whether you are rooted in recovery, established in meditation, or simply seeking a day of refuge and renewal.
Fee Information
- Benefactor Ticket Price: $172 — supports others’ participation
- Standard ticket price: $138 — covers full program costs
- Member (Become an SFZC Member): $124 — for current SFZC members
San Francisco Zen Center is committed to making Zen practice and the Dharma accessible to all who seek it by offering both a General support fund and a dedicated BIPOC support fund. Please email supportfunds@sfzc.org for more information BEFORE signing up.
This event has been canceled.
Or call 415-354-0360.
Ryotan Cynthia Kear
Cynthia is Guiding Teacher of Great Spirit Sangha and Women of the Way Sangha. She is also a senior teacher of Meditation in Recovery. Receiving Jukai with Paul Haller in 2004, Cynthia was subsequently ordained in 2008 and then Dharma Transmitted in 2010 by her heart teacher, Darlene Cohen.