Calendar

Study Group

Study is one of the pillars of Zen practice. Please join us every Thursday morning for our ongoing study group to discuss ancient and contemporary texts. Facilitated by Rev. So-On Jim Hare. Readings from Mahayana Buddhism & Soto Zen texts and commentaries. Contact Rollin Ives (twl4148@gmail.com) for current readings.

Way-seeking Mind Talk by Susan Farrar

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 […]

Study Group – CANCELLED

We will resume on December 5. Study is one of the pillars of Zen practice. Please join us every Thursday morning for our ongoing study group to discuss ancient and contemporary texts. Facilitated by Rev. So-On Jim Hare. Readings from Mahayana Buddhism & Soto Zen texts and commentaries. Contact Rollin Ives (twl4148@gmail.com) for current readings.

Discussion of a koan, led by So-On Jim Hare

Discussion of a case from the Denkoroku: Record of the Transmission of the Light, led by Rev. So-On Jim Hare. 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 […]

Recurring

Introduction to Zen Meditation

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 methods for, and problems encountered when  we try to corral our attention.  This is for new meditators and those wishing to refresh their practice of meditative […]

Full Moon Ceremony

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. Our Monday night programs begin with zazen (sitting meditation) followed by a devotional service and dharma talk, group discussion, practice circle or […]

Meditation and Writing Retreat, led by Susan Moon

Susan Moon is a writer, editor, and lay teacher in the Soto Zen tradition. She is the author of a number of books about Buddhism, including the humor book The Life and Letters of Tofu Roshi and This Is Getting Old: Zen Thoughts on Aging with Humor and Dignity. For many years she was the […]

Recurring

Dharma Talk by Rev. Myo Lahey

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. Our […]

Retreat Night

This short Retreat Night offers an opportunity to settle into your meditation practice with two 25-minute periods of zazen, interspersed with walking meditation (kinhin). Turning the light inward, we explore the causes of suffering and what ends it. This invitation is extended to everyone.