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September 23rd, 2024 – Dharma Talk by Shosan Victoria Austin

Dharma Talk given on Monday, September 23rd, 2024 – Shosan Victoria Austin (13.1 MB, 52 min).

Shosan Victoria Austin

Shosan Victoria Austin

Visiting Teacher

Shosan Victoria Austin began practicing both Zen and yoga in 1971. In the Soto Zen tradition, she is entrusted as a Dharma heir in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki, an international priest of the Soto School, and a Dharma teacher at San Francisco Zen Center. She trained in the U.S., in India, and in Japan. In the Iyengar tradition, she is certified as an Intermediate teacher.
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May 6th, 2024 – Dharma Talk by Rev. So’on Jim Hare

Dharma Talk given on Monday, May 6th, 2024 –  Rev. So’on Jim Hare (13.9 MB, 56 min).

Rev. So’on Jim Hare

Rev. So'on Jim Hare

Board of Directors, Practice Committee, Teachers

Serves as Tanto, or head of practice. He lived in the San Francisco Zen Center community from 1980 to 1984, was lay ordained by Tenshin Reb Anderson in 1985, and priest ordained by Myo Lahey in 2016. He served as Head Student at Green Gulch Farm during the spring 2002 practice period.

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February 19th, 2024 – Dharma Talk by Gambō Berry Crawford

Dharma Talk given on February 19th, 2023 –  Gambō Berry Crawford (17.12 MB, 1hr 12min).

Gambō Berry Crawford

Gambō Berry Crawford

Other Sangha Leaders

Berry Crawford first started practicing Zen meditation in 1992. He lived at the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center and practiced as a resident in the mid 1990s. There he completed the initiation ordeal known as tangaryo and completed traditional Soto Zen Practice Periods. Berry next practiced with Diane "Eshin" Rizzetto in the Ordinary Mind Zen School started by Joko Beck. Later, Berry became a student of John “Shoji” Sorenson and in 2022 was authorized to independently teach Zen. He currently engages in traditional White Plum koan study with his koan teacher Russell “Kyofu Seikyo” Mitchell and was authorized as an Assistant Koan Teacher by him in 2023. Berry is a member of the “Doan-ryo” at the Valley Streams Zen Sangha and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Sacramento Dharma Center.  He is the host of the Simplicity Zen Podcast  (https://simplicityzen.com/) and maintains the Science of Zen website (https://scienceofzen.org/).

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July 31st, 2023 – Dharma Talk by Robert Rosenbaum

Dharma Talk given on Monday, July 31st, 2023 –  Robert Rosenbaum (13.9 MB, 59 min).

Meikyo Robert Rosenbaum, PhD

Meikyo Robert Rosenbaum, PhD

Visiting Teacher

Meikyo Robert Rosenbaum, PhD, received lay entrustment in Soto Zen from Sojun Mel Weitsman.  He is also authorized as a senior teacher of the Taoist practice of Dayan (Wild Goose) Qigong in the lineage of Yang Meijun by Master Hui Liu.  In addition, he has received denkai  in Ordinary Mind Zen from Karen Terzano. Bob teaches Zen and Qigong at the Meadowmind Center in Sacramento. Bob is the author of several books including Zen and the Heart of Psychotherapy, Walking the Way : 81 Zen Encounters with Tao Te Ching and most recently, That is not your Mind! Zen Reflections on the Sarangama Sutra.
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June 5th, 2023 – A Dramatic Reading of the Holy Teaching of Vimalakīrti

This performance was organized/directed by sangha member Sarah OGara.

This beloved text, unique among Buddhist Scriptures, contains the quintessence of Mahayana doctrines, taught with vivid imagery, dramatic encounters and sly humor. Members of the Thursday morning study group recently completed a study of this text and, together other cast members, presented a dramatic reading of excepts from the Vimalakīrti Sutra, slightly adapted.


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April 10th, 2023 – “The Science of Zen” – Dharma Talk by Gambō Berry Crawford

Dharma Talk given on Saturday, April 10th, 2023 –  Gambō Berry Crawford (14.6 MB, 1hr).

Gambō Berry Crawford

Gambō Berry Crawford

Other Sangha Leaders

Berry Crawford first started practicing Zen meditation in 1992. He lived at the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center and practiced as a resident in the mid 1990s. There he completed the initiation ordeal known as tangaryo and completed traditional Soto Zen Practice Periods. Berry next practiced with Diane "Eshin" Rizzetto in the Ordinary Mind Zen School started by Joko Beck. Later, Berry became a student of John “Shoji” Sorenson and in 2022 was authorized to independently teach Zen. He currently engages in traditional White Plum koan study with his koan teacher Russell “Kyofu Seikyo” Mitchell and was authorized as an Assistant Koan Teacher by him in 2023. Berry is a member of the “Doan-ryo” at the Valley Streams Zen Sangha and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Sacramento Dharma Center.  He is the host of the Simplicity Zen Podcast  (https://simplicityzen.com/) and maintains the Science of Zen website (https://scienceofzen.org/).

Talk Notes:

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October 24th, 2022 – Dharma Talk by Robert Rosenbaum

Dharma Talk given on Monday, October 24th, 2022 –  Robert Rosenbaum (13.3 MB, 57 min).

Meikyo Robert Rosenbaum, PhD

Meikyo Robert Rosenbaum, PhD

Visiting Teacher

Meikyo Robert Rosenbaum, PhD, received lay entrustment in Soto Zen from Sojun Mel Weitsman.  He is also authorized as a senior teacher of the Taoist practice of Dayan (Wild Goose) Qigong in the lineage of Yang Meijun by Master Hui Liu.  In addition, he has received denkai  in Ordinary Mind Zen from Karen Terzano. Bob teaches Zen and Qigong at the Meadowmind Center in Sacramento. Bob is the author of several books including Zen and the Heart of Psychotherapy, Walking the Way : 81 Zen Encounters with Tao Te Ching and most recently, That is not your Mind! Zen Reflections on the Sarangama Sutra.