Upright sitting-Zen is a gesture of healing, a gesture of compassion, a gesture of self-respect. From the vista point of this practice we can see things clearly, as they are, stripped of emotional overlays and intellectual interpretations. Such seeing can be called Buddha's wisdom. Our Tanto (Practice Leader), So On Jim Hare, will lead this one-day […]
Our Monday night programs begin with zazen (sitting meditation) followed by a devotional service and dharma talk, group discussion, practice circle or retreat night. There are no membership requirements to participate. We invite donations to support the room rental, visits by teachers, and other sangha activities. Valley Streams Zen Sangha is dedicated to the study […]
After zazen & a short service, we will have an opportunity to add some stitches to Doralee's bowing cloth, which she has been sewing as part of her preparation for taking priest ordination vows. All are welcome to learn about this process and help support Doralee along her path.
Rev. Myo Lahey is Abbot at Hartford Street Zen Center in San Francisco and our guiding teacher. He has previously served as Practice Leader at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He is a Dharma heir of Tenshin Reb Anderson. Rev. Myo is available for individual practice discussion by appointment prior to our evening program.
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. He was priest ordained by Myo Lahey […]
Zazenkai means "to come together for meditation." As such, it is a short retreat, with the periods marked by the usual bells and interspersed with walking meditation, but with no Dharma talk or instruction. It is a time to come together and enjoy sitting and walking with one's Dharma friends. It is a time for […]
Sensei Chiko Amie Diller practiced at San Francisco Zen Center before being priest ordained by Maurine Stuart, Roshi. In 2019 she received dharma transmission from Sokaku Kathie Fischer. Her Buddhist training has also included study and teaching in the Tibetan Gelupa tradition. She is a certified nurse-midwife, mother, and teacher of 'Cultivating Emotional Balance'. […]
This ceremony is an affirmation of the vow to live for the benefit of all beings. In the Zen tradition we associate the full moon with the ideal of awakening. All are welcome.
Join us at Yolo Basin Wildlife Headquarters for this special event of seeing and learning about the Mexican Free-tailed Bats. Following a 45-minute indoor presentation on bat natural history, the group will carpool to the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area to watch one of the largest colonies of bats in California as it emerges in large […]
Rev. Myo Lahey is Abbot at Hartford Street Zen Center in San Francisco and our guiding teacher. He has previously served as Practice Leader at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He is a Dharma heir of Tenshin Reb Anderson. Rev. Myo is available for individual practice discussion by appointment prior to our evening program at the Dharma Center.
The Three Treasures are the foundation of the Practice Circle: (1) the Oneness of Buddha, (2) the Diversity of Dharma, (3) the Harmony of Sangha. The circle itself is a container for being in the present, manifesting just as we are in the truth of the moment. Our Practice Circle Guidelines: (adapted from the Zen Center […]