Ango Sara Tashker has been a San Francisco Zen Center residential practitioner since 2002. She has held many positions, including Farm Manager, Creek Restoration Project Manager, and Director at Green Gulch Farm, as well as working in the kitchen and bathhouse and being Head Student (Shuso) at Tassajara. She loves that her every activity is […]
Nyokai Kristin Diggs will be offering a five-week online class on Eihei Dogen Zenji’s seminal essay, Fukanzazengi (“Universal Recommendations for Zazen”), sometimes loosely translated “Instructions/Guidelines for Seated Meditation.” It is a rich text full of poetically written allusions to earlier Chan teachings as well as practical instructions for the physical and mental posture of zazen […]
Join us for two periods of zazen (seated meditation) and kinhin (walking meditation), or just the first or second second meditation periods, as your schedule allows. 6:00 am – Zazen (sitting meditation) 6:30 am – Kinhin (walking meditation) 6:40 am – Zazen 7:10 am – Morning Service Please arrive a few minutes before the beginning […]
The Zen Study Group meets at the Sacramento Dharma Center and on Zoom. The study group is facilitated by Rev. So'on Jim Hare, with readings from ancient and contemporary Mahayana Buddhist & Soto Zen texts and commentaries. To join the Thursday morning study group, email the coordinator, Rollin Ives, twl4148@gmail.com
"If you don’t swing the sword, the fisherperson stays in the nest." (Case 68, Book of Serenity) This one-day retreat will feature periods of sitting and walking meditation and a Dharma talk by Paravritti Doralee Grindler Katonah, Valley Streams Zen Sangha's leader of the meditation hall. Lunch will be silent; please bring your own bag […]
On the second Monday of each month, we offer a 40-minute introduction to Zen practice. We focus on the art of sitting meditation, with emphasis on posture, breath and mental focus. This is for new meditators and those wishing to refresh their practice of meditative immersion. Following the instruction the Valley Streams Zen Sangha meets […]
Nyokai Kristin Diggs joined our sangha as Teacher in 2026. Prior to moving to Sacramento, she trained residentially at all three San Francisco Zen Center temples (2014-2025), holding a number of senior positions, including Ino, Tenzo, and Work Leader. Lay ordained by Tenshin Reb Anderson and priest ordained by Eijun Linda Cutts, she served as […]
Join us for two periods of zazen (seated meditation) and kinhin (walking meditation), or just the first or second second meditation periods, as your schedule allows. 6:00 am – Zazen (sitting meditation) 6:30 am – Kinhin (walking meditation) 6:40 am – Zazen 7:10 am – Morning Service Please arrive a few minutes before the beginning […]
The Zen Study Group meets at the Sacramento Dharma Center and on Zoom. The study group is facilitated by Rev. So'on Jim Hare, with readings from ancient and contemporary Mahayana Buddhist & Soto Zen texts and commentaries. To join the Thursday morning study group, email the coordinator, Rollin Ives, twl4148@gmail.com
So’on Jim Hare serves as Tanto, or head of practice. He lived in the San Francisco Zen Center community from 1980 to 1984 and was lay ordained by Tenshin Reb Anderson in 1985. He served as Head Student at Green Gulch Farm during the spring 2002 practice period, and was priest ordained by Rev. Myo Lahey in […]
Nyokai Kristin Diggs will be offering a five-week online class on Eihei Dogen Zenji’s seminal essay, Fukanzazengi (“Universal Recommendations for Zazen”), sometimes loosely translated “Instructions/Guidelines for Seated Meditation.” It is a rich text full of poetically written allusions to earlier Chan teachings as well as practical instructions for the physical and mental posture of zazen […]
Join us for two periods of zazen (seated meditation) and kinhin (walking meditation), or just the first or second second meditation periods, as your schedule allows. 6:00 am – Zazen (sitting meditation) 6:30 am – Kinhin (walking meditation) 6:40 am – Zazen 7:10 am – Morning Service Please arrive a few minutes before the beginning […]