Riding in the Same Boat with All Beings: One-day Sitting led by Rev. Kokyo Henkel (Speaker in person)
2023-04-01 09:00 - 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
The theme of this sitting is the essay Zenki (the Whole Works),
Zen master Dogen’s vision of realization manifested in both life and death
Guest teacher Kokyo Henkel will lead this one-day retreat, which will include alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation, punctuated by morning and afternoon Dharma talks and discussion. The theme of this retreat is Dogen’s essay Zenki
Kokyo Henkel was ordained as a Zen priest in 1994 by Tenshin Reb Anderson Roshi, receiving the Dharma name Kokyo Yakai (Luminous Owl, Midnight Liberation 光梟夜解). He received Dharma Transmission from Tenshin Roshi in 2010, becoming a lineage-holder authorized to guide others on the path. From 2010 – 2020 Kokyo was teacher at the Santa Cruz Zen Center. He is currently Tanto (Head of Zendo practice) and a Dharma teacher at Green Gulch Farm. He has also been practicing with the Tibetan Dzogchen (“Great Perfection”) Teacher Tsoknyi Rinpoche since 2003, in California, Colorado, and Kathmandu.
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Inter-Sangha Jizo Ceremony (In person)
2023-04-22 13:00 - 16:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Jizo is the beloved Great Bodhisattva found within many Buddhist traditions, who carries us across the threshold of death and loss and safely accompanies us through the ‘hell zones’ of deep suffering.
Especially honored in Japan, Jizo (also known as ‘Earth Store’ or ‘Earth Womb’) brings to us the qualities of courage, fearlessness, and tenderness needed to enter into our experiences of grief and loss and to open our hearts to the mystery of life and death.
This will be a sacred time for us to come together to acknowledge and remember the death of someone dear to us or another kind of significant loss, whether recent or from long ago. We will take refuge in the safe container of our shared presence with each other for the sake of our healing.
We will be introduced to this ceremony by our facilitator and then in silence we will create hand-made offerings for our loved ones. In a ceremony of remembrance we will honor their lives and our relationship with them. We will complete the ceremony with a processional into our garden to offer prayer flag messages for the dying and for ourselves as we continue to live our lives.
In this sacred space we will together turn towards the complexity of grief and discover the strength that arises when we embrace our interconnectedness with all beings.
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Everyone is welcome and there is no fee. Donations offered will be given to the Susan Orr Memorial Garden.
For further information contact: Doralee Grindler Katonah at grindkaton@icloud.com
This ceremony has been brought to us from Japan by Yvonne Rand and Jan Chosen-Bays and transmitted to Chris Forten and Sarah Emerson (all transmitted Zen Priests). Rev. Paravrtti Doralee Grindler Katonah will lead this fourth inter-sangha event. She has had two years of training in preparation for guiding this ceremony.
Rev. Paravrtti Doralee Grindler Katonah serves as Ino, or head of the meditation hall for Valley Streams Zen Sangha. She studies in the Soto Zen lineage with Sojun Diane Martin, founder and guiding teacher of Udumbara Zen Center in Illinois and Rev. Val Szymanski, Head Priest of Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha in California. She was lay ordained in 2008 and priest ordained in 2019. She served as head student for the Spring practice period at Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha in May 2022..

Half-Day Sitting led by Rev. Parāvṛtti Hokyo Doralee Grindler Katonah : Cultivating Intimacy Within Open US to the World (In-person)
2023-07-01 08:30 - 12:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
A monk asked Dongshan: What is Buddha? Donshan replied, ‘Three pounds of flax.’
Whether sitting, walk, sitting, standing, or lying down we open wholeheartedly to the Way and Buddha activity happens on its own. Come, sit, and walk together to support each other in continuous practice. The retreat includes periods of zazen (sitting meditation), kinhin (walking meditation), and a dharma talk with a social lunch to follow. Bring your own bag lunch. Hot water and tea are available.
For more information contact us at info@valleystreamszen.org. If you have limited or no experience in sitting meditation, please email the teacher at grindkaton@ icloud.com
Rev. Parāvṛtti Hokyo Doralee Grindler Katonah serves as Ino, or head of the meditation hall at Valley Streams Zen Sangha. She studies in the Soto Zen lineage with Sojun Diane Martin, founder and guiding teacher of Udumbara Zen Center in Illinois and Rev. Val Szymanski, Head Priest of Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha in California. She was lay ordained in 2008 and priest ordained in 2019. She served as head student for the Spring practice period at Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha in May 2022.
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Entering the Door of Liberation ~ One-day Retreat Led by Rev. So'on Jim Hare
2023-08-05 08:30 - 16:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Sitting in stillness and silence is an excellent method for entering the door of liberation; this door is open to everyone. The first chapter of the Flower Garland Sutra recounts the myriad insights, understandings, realizations and visions that have allowed enlightening beings to enter the Dharma door of liberation. In this retreat we will engage sitting and walking meditation – the fundamental Dharma doors of Soto Zen. The day will include a Dharma talk and opportunities for individual practice discussion.
Outside the meditation hall we will maintain noble silence. Please bring a bag lunch.
Register on Eventbrite. Suggested donation $20 -$60.

Dharma Talk by Rev. Mary Mocine (Speaker in-person)
2023-08-07 19:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Reverend Mary Mocine is Abbess of Clear Water Zendo. She trained at San Francisco and Berkeley Zen Centers, and at Tassajara Zen Monastery. She was priest ordained by Sojun Mel Weitsman in 1994 and received dharma transmission from him in 2005. She also studied with Jikai Myo-ōn Yvonne Rand, former Abbess Zenkei Blanche Hartman and former Abbots Zoketsu Norman Fischer and Tenshin Reb Anderson of the San Francisco Zen Center.
Rev. Mocine graduated from Hastings College of the Law in 1971. In 1988 she became interested in Zen Buddhism and took three months off in 1989 to spend time in intensive residential practice at Green Gulch Farms never returning to the practice of law.
In 1998 Rev. Mocine formed a meditation group in Vallejo California. The group grew and Clear Water Zendo was formally opened in January of 2000. The name of the zendo, Clear Water, comes from a poem by Zen Master Dogen, “The Point of Zazen.”
Realization, neither general nor particular,
is effort without desire.
Clear water all the way to the bottom;
a fish swims like a fish.
Vast sky transparent throughout;
a bird flies like a bird.
The 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. Donations to support the room rental, visits by teachers, and other sangha activities. Valley Streams Zen Sangha is dedicated to the study of Buddha’s teaching and the practice of meditation. Newcomers and experienced Zen students alike are invited to join us.
Click for zoom link to this program.

Sitting in the Light of Buddha's Wisdom ~ One-day Retreat Led by Rev. So'on Jim Hare
2023-10-07 08:30 - 16:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Each and every thing is equally illumined in the light of Buddha’s wisdom. So, there is no wisdom to get ahold of. Just sitting is enough.
In the second chapter of the Flower Adornment Sutra, the Buddha responds to a set of questions from his followers by emitting rays of light in every direction. This kind of awesome, magical display seems far from the precincts of grounded Zen practice, yet it may have something to teach us.
This one-day retreat will consist of alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation and a Dharma talk. The retreat will be led by So’on Jim Hare, practice leader at Valley Streams Zen. Please bring a bag lunch. If this will be your first one-day retreat with us, please send a message to info@valleystreamszen.org to introduce yourself.
A donation (Dana) of between $20 and $60 is requested. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
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Medicine Buddha Meditation with Susan Farrar
2023-10-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Susan began practicing in the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism in 2008 and took refuge with Lama Yeshe Jinpa in 2009. She competed the Buddhist Chaplaincy course of study through the Sati Center in 2019 and considers chaplaincy her “calling” after having spent 5 years as a hospice respite volunteer, 4 years as a volunteer hospital chaplain, and is now embarking on a path of hospice chaplaincy as a volunteer. Through Lion’s Roar Dharma Center, she has also taught beginners classes and facilitated discussion groups since 2015.
Susan also sits with Valley Streams Zen Sangha and serves on its Board of Directors as well as on the Board of Directors of Lion’s Roar Dharma Center.
Our Monday night programs begin with zazen (sitting meditation) followed by a devotional service and dharma talk, group discussion, or practice circle. 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 of Buddha’s teaching and the practice of meditation. We invite newcomers and experienced Zen students to join us.
*Click here for Zoom link.

Potluck Brunch and Valley Streams Zen Sangha Annual Meeting (In-person)
2023-10-14 10:00 - 13:00 | CA
Join the Valley Streams for a Sunday potluck brunch and Annual Meeting. Spouses, partners, friends, and family—all are invited. Gather at 10 am to share a meal and each other’s company. After a fun social mixer, President Dave Jarrell will introduce the 2023-2024 Board and give a report on the state of the sangha. We look forward to enjoyable conversations and thoughtful contributions to deepening our Buddhist practice in sangha life.
RSVP via Eventbrite.

The Mysterious Unfolding of Our Undivided Reality: a Half-day Retreat with Rev. Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah (In Person)
2023-11-04 08:30 - 12:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Come rest in the mystery, practice with great awareness, and experience the mystery unfolding amongst us. The retreat includes periods of zazen (sitting meditation), kinhin (walking meditation), and a dharma talk. Please bring a bag lunch and join us for an informal lunch at 12:30 pm. Hot water and tea will be available. Everyone is welcome.

For more information contact us at info@valleystreamszen.org. If you have limited or no experience in sitting meditation, please email the teacher at grindkaton@icloud.com.
Rev. Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah serves as Ino, or head of the meditation hall. She studies in the Soto Zen lineage with Sojun Diane Martin, founder and guiding teacher of Udumbara Zen Center in Illinois, and Rev. Val Szymanski, Head Priest of Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha in California. She was lay ordained in 2008 and priest ordained in 2019. She served as head student for the spring 2022 practice period at Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha. She offers practice interviews upon request.

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Rohatsu Sesshin Full Day Sitting (In Person)
2023-12-01 08:30 - 20:45 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Full-Day Sitting – In Person – 8:30 am – 8:45 pm
This sitting will be in person at the Dharma Center and will not be offered on Zoom. Traditional oryoki meals will be served at noon and for the “medicine meal” in the evening.
Register for week-long program on Eventbrite
Full 7-Day Rohatsu Schedule
This traditional week of intensified practice celebrates the enlightenment of our original teacher in India, Shakyamuni Buddha. Rohatsu sesshin is a time for bringing light into the dark time of the year and for celebrating Buddha’s awakening, which is our awakening too. This sesshin is a combination of in-person and online. It will last a full week, but we’ll be sitting only morning and evening periods, Sunday – Thursday. Friday and Saturday we offer a full day of sitting in person at the Dharma Center. We close out the week on Sunday, Dec. 4, with a half-day, in-person program of zazen, a Dharma talk, and closing ceremony

Rohatsu Sesshin Half-Day Sitting and Buddha’s Enlightenment Ceremony (In Person)
2023-12-03 08:30 - 12:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Half-day Sitting – in person – 8:30 am – 12 noon.
Today concludes the seven days of intensive practice with a half-day sitting and the Buddha’s Enlightenment Ceremony.
We will gather after the ceremony to share a buffet lunch.
Register for week-long program on Eventbrite
Full 7-Day Rohatsu Schedule
This traditional week of intensified practice celebrates the enlightenment of our original teacher in India, Shakyamuni Buddha. Rohatsu sesshin is a time for bringing light into the dark time of the year and for celebrating Buddha’s awakening, which is our awakening too.

Welcoming the New Year (In Person)
2023-12-31 19:00 - 21:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
On Sunday evening December 31st, we will welcome the New Year at the Dharma Center with a silent sitting, walking meditation, and the traditional ringing of 108 bells. We hope to debut a new Densho bell of unknown provenance, acquired from Japan. The sitting will be from 7 to 9 p.m., followed by a quiet celebration with mock sake and treats. Since Valley Streams Sangha will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day (both Mondays), this will be an opportunity for communal practice during the holidays. This sitting will be open to everyone, with a special invitation to those who regularly practice with other sanghas at the Dharma Center and elsewhere.
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Knowing without Touching Things - Half-day Retreat Led by Rev. So'on Jim Hare (In Person)
2024-01-06 08:30 - 12:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Hongzhi lived in 12th century China and is famous for his Zen poems, which are recorded the Book of Serenity and elsewhere. Eihei Dogen admired his poem called Zazenshin and commented on it in his own text of the same name. During this retreat we’ll look at Hongzhi’s Zazenshin, particularly the line, “Knowing without touching things, illuminating without facing objects.”
Our morning will entail alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation, Dharma talk, and end with a chanting service. Please bring some previous meditation experience and, if you like, a bag lunch – there will be a social lunch following the sitting.
If this will be your first half-day sitting or you have questions, please contact us through our website or at 916-456-7752.
To register go to Eventbrite.

Practicing Patience - One-day Retreat Led by Rev. So'on Jim Hare
2024-02-03 08:30 - 16:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
The stream of sorrow is cut through by patience: so teaches an ancient Buddhist text. Practicing patience with the many ideas and feelings that arise in our sitting meditation trains our body/mind to more wisely respond the many situations in life that don’t align with our wishes or meet our expectations.
Our retreat day will include sitting and walking meditation, a Dharma talk and afternoon discussion period. Outside the meditation hall we will maintain noble silence. Please bring a bag lunch.
The suggested donation is $20 -$60. No one will be excluded for lack of funds. If this will be your first retreat day with us or you have questions, please email: info@valleystreamszen.org
Register on Eventbrite.

A Buddhist Women’s Retreat (In Person)
2024-03-01 - 2024-03-03 | Green Gulch Farm, 1601 Shoreline Hwy, Muir Beach, CA, 94965, United States
EMBODYING OUR WILD SPIRIT ~ A Buddhist Women’s Retreat at Green Gulch Farm.

Led by: Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah, Ino and WaDen EiDo Barbara Baccei, Sensei
Imagine connection, creativity, body practices, deep sharing, and other guided practices.
Rev. Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah serves as Ino, or head of the meditation hall. She studied in the Soto Zen lineage with Sojun Diane Martin, founder and guiding teacher of Udumbara Zen Center in Illinois and Rev. Val Szymanski, Head Priest of Bamboo in the Wind Zen Center in Sunnyvale, California. She was lay ordained in 2008 and priest ordained in 2019. She served as head student for the Spring practice period at Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha in May 2022. She offers Practice Interviews upon request.
WaDen, an ordained Soto Zen Teacher, received Lay Entrustment from Kyōshō Valorie Beer Roshi. She is also a Soto Zen sewing teacher lineage holder of Suzuki Roshi. An alignment-focused yoga teacher, she is a graduate of the Berkeley Yoga Room Teacher Training. A contemplative artist and book artist, she works on paper and fabric embellished with findings from the natural world.
This retreat is now full.

Half-day Silent Retreat Led by Rev. So'on Jim Hare (In Person)
2024-03-02 08:30 - 12:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
This will be a silent meditation retreat (no Dharma talk). It is offered to simply to rest in samadhi (aka zazen), allowing silence and stillness to offer their blessings. The schedule will alternate six half-hour periods of sitting and walking meditation, with a short break mid-morning.
We’ll have an optional social lunch following the retreat. Please bring your own lunch.
Note that this sitting coincides with the Valley Streams women’s retreat at Green Gulch Farm, so our numbers may skew male. That said, everyone is welcome.
A donation of $20 is requested. No one will be turned away for lack of funds or donations of lesser amount.
If this will be your first half-day sitting or you have questions, please contact us through our website or at 916-456-7752.
Register on Eventbrite.

Sangha Picnic and Hike (In Person)
2024-03-24 10:00 - 14:00 | Cache Creek Nature Preserve, County Road 20, Woodland, CA, 95695, United States
Join the sangha for a private guided tour and a picnic lunch at the Cache Creek Nature Preserve. Cache Creek Nature Preserve is a 130-acre complex of wetlands, oak woodlands, grasslands, and creekside lands located outside of Woodland. The site is home to two unique features: the Tending and Gathering Garden (TGG) and the Jan T. Lowrey Memorial Grove. The Nature Preserve has about 1.5 miles of trails through the grasslands, oak savanna, and by the wetlands. The riparian area bordering the Lower Cache Creek has been maintained in a natural state with willows and cottonwood trees shading the trail that winds along the southern edge of the Nature Preserve.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn about the Native American stewardship of this land and share time with each other in this special place.
To learn more and reserve you spot on the tour see Eventbrite.

The Mother of All Buddhas and Celebrating Buddha's Birthday: One-day Retreat led by Rev. Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah (In Person)
2024-04-06 08:30 - 16:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Prajna Paramita, the mother of all Buddhas, invites us to participate in the continual birthing of living spiritual energy in each moment.

Come, put aside all worldly affairs, sit zazen and walk together in community. We will touch the ground of Mother Earth, open our heart/minds to the spiritual energy ready to penetrate and awaken our love for all living beings. Our expressions will spontaneously arise in each moment. These potentials do not arise from our self-effort. The awakening of the Wisdom Body comes by itself. We will rest, open, listen, and receive.

There is a power which you cannot grasp with your rational mind. It operates freely, according to the situation, in a more natural way. At the same time, this power functions in our lives to clarify and settle activities and is beneficial to all living beings. ~ Eihei Dogen

In the afternoon, we will enter the Ceremony of Bathing the Baby Buddha – celebrating the Birth of our Buddha nature arising from the Baby Buddha. If you can only sit half the day, please arrive at 1:30 p.m., to sit the afternoon periods and participate in the ceremony at the end of the day.

If you are new to this practice, please email Ino@valleystreamszen.org, and we will arrange an introduction to zazen at the beginning of the day.

Please bring a bag lunch.

Jukai Ceremony (In Person)
2024-04-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
The ceremony of Jukai consists in receiving the precepts of the Bodhisattva and, by doing so, takes refuge in the three treasures: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. It is the ceremony for lay ordination.
Preceptor Rev. Myō Lahey, together with So’on Jim Hare, will convey the precepts to sangha members Dave Jarrell and Malia McCarthy. A reception will follow the ceremony.

In Praise of the Middle Way: Half-day Sitting led by So’on Jim Hare (In Person)
2024-05-04 08:30 - 12:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
“And what is the middle way realized by the Tathagata that – producing vision, producing knowledge – leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding? Precisely this Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the middle way realized by the Tathagata that – producing vision, producing knowledge – leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding.” (from Dhammacakkappavattana Sutra: Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dharma, Thanissaro Bhikkhu, translator.)
Please bring a bag lunch if you would like to join us for a social lunch following the sitting.
Registration below. If this will be your first half-day sitting, or you have questions, please contact us at Info@valleystreamszen.org or 916-456-7752.

Tassajara Sangha Week (In Person)
2024-05-24 - 2024-05-28 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States

The Illusion of Separate Self - One-day Retreat led by Kokyo Henkel (In Person)
2024-06-01 08:30 - 16:30 | Valley Streams Zen Sangha, Sacramento Dharma Center 3111 Wisseman Dr., Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
In morning and afternoon discussions, we will explore the Buddha’s teaching of the discontent that arises from the unconscious belief in separate self, and the freedom that comes from not holding this belief.
Kokyo Henkel was ordained as a Zen priest in 1994 by Tenshin Reb Anderson Roshi, receiving the Dharma name Kokyo Yakai (Luminous Owl, Midnight Liberation 光梟夜解). He received Dharma Transmission from Tenshin Roshi in 2010, becoming a lineage-holder authorized to guide others on the path. From 2010 – 2020 Kokyo was teacher at the Santa Cruz Zen Center. He has also been practicing with the Tibetan Dzogchen (“Great Perfection”) Teacher Tsoknyi Rinpoche since 2003, in California, Colorado, and Kathmandu.
Our retreat day will include sitting and walking meditation, a Dharma talk and afternoon discussion period. Outside the meditation hall we will maintain noble silence. Please bring a bag lunch.
Tickets can be purchased below with suggested donation $20 -$100. No one will be excluded for lack of funds. If this will be your first retreat day with us or you have questions, please email: info@valleystreamszen.org

SDC Intersangha Library Cataloguing Party (In Person)
2024-06-22 10:00 - 15:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
If you are a Dharma bibliophile (and even if you are not) join us to create an internet accessible catalogue of SDC’s Buddhist book collection. Bring your own computing device (laptop, mobile, pad).
Come for the morning (10:00-Noon) or afternoon sessions (1:00 – 3:30), or the whole day. Meditate with fellow SBMG, SIM and VSZS sangha members and share a potluck lunch.
R.S.V.P. to Jody Ansell at joaansell@gmail.com

Half-day Sitting led by Rev. Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah (In Person)
2024-07-06 08:30 - 12:30 | Valley Streams Zen Sangha, Sacramento Dharma Center 3111 Wisseman Dr., Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
When two arrow points meet, this has nothing to do with the power of skill!
(Jewel Mirror Samadhi)
In our practice together we will consider this Truth of practice realization – that realization comes spontaneously and is not within the realm of consciousness (Genjo Koan) – it does not appear in the realm of perception – because it is unconstructedness in stillness (Self-Receiving and Employing Samadhi)
It matters that we come to practice together! Bring a sack lunch to enjoy sharing a meal.
Half-day retreat (8:30 am-12:30 pm) includes sitting and walking meditation, a Dharma talk and discussion period. Outside the meditation hall we will maintain noble silence.
Rev. Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah serves as Ino, or head of the meditation hall. She studied in the Soto Zen lineage with Sojun Diane Martin, founder and guiding teacher of Udumbara Zen Center in Illinois and Rev. Val Szymanski, Head Priest of Bamboo in the Wind Zen Center in Sunnyvale, California. She was lay ordained in 2008 and priest ordained in 2019. She served as head student for the Spring practice period at Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha in May 2022. She offers Practice Interviews upon request.
Please bring a bag lunch if you would like to join us for a social lunch following the sitting.
Registration below. Suggested donation is $20 -$30. No one will be excluded for lack of funds. If this will be your first retreat day with us or you have questions, please email: info@valleystreamszen.org

Introduction to Zen Meditation (In Person Only)
2024-07-08 18:00 - 18:40, 2024-08-12 18:00 - 18:40 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
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 for a 30-minute meditation in the Dharma Hall followed by a 10-minute service and Dharma talk. You are invited to stay for these events after the instruction.
* Meets in the Library at Sacramento Dharma Center.
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BIPOC Sangha Movie Night Fundraiser (In Person)
2024-07-19 18:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Join SBMG’s BIPOC Sangha for an inspiring movie night as we screen the powerful 2008 film “The Dhamma Brothers.” This event is a special fundraiser hosted by The Sacramento Buddhist Group to support our BIPOC Sangha (Meditation) group. Your generous contributions will help provide class and retreat scholarships for BIPOC practitioners, support visiting BIPOC teachers through dana (donations), and cover general costs incurred by the sangha.
Date & Time: July 19th, 2024 | Doors open 6pm, Screening begins 6:30pm
Location: Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Dr, Sacramento, CA 95826
Suggested Donation: $10-$15 (However no one will be turned away for lack of funds)
About the Film: “The Dhamma Brothers” tells the remarkable story of a group of inmates at a maximum-security prison in Alabama who undergo a transformative journey through the practice of Vipassana meditation. The film offers a profound look at the power of meditation and its ability to bring change in the most unexpected places.
Event Highlights:

Inclusive Community Event: Welcoming BIPOC and allied practitioners to explore diverse perspectives within the dharma.
Refreshments: Enjoy a selection of snacks and drinks.
Support Local Businesses: Take the opportunity to support a few small, local BIPOC businesses that will be present at the event.

This movie night is more than just a film screening; it’s a chance to come together as a community, learn, and support a meaningful cause. Whether you’re a long-time practitioner or new to meditation, this event is open to all. We look forward to seeing you there!
To RSVP, click here.
All funds raised will directly benefit the BIPOC Sangha, helping to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all practitioners. Thank you for your support!

Family Sangha Field Trip (In Person)
2024-07-27 10:00 - 12:00 | Soil Born Farms, 2140 Chase Dr, Rancho Cordova, 95670, United States
Welcome to Family Sangha, sponsored by Sacramento Dharma Center with the support of Sacramento Buddhist Meditation Group, Valley Streams Zen Sangha, and Sacramento Insight Meditation.
On SATURDAY July 27, Family Sangha will meet at the playground of Soil Born Farms. 2140 Chase Dr, Rancho Cordova, CA. The playground is just past the Farm Stand and Kids’ Garden. Look for the event host, Ian, who will be wearing a shirt with mango prints on it for easy identification! We will explore how farm plants and animals grow, change, and nourish us, and become aware, close up, of our interdependence with the natural world.
Time: Saturday (not Sunday!), July 27. 10 AM–12 PM. Please arrive 15–20 minutes early to allow time for parking and walking to the playground.
Soil Born Farms, a nonprofit urban agriculture and education project, is open to the public on Saturdays from 8am-3pm. Following the Family Sangha event, you and your family may linger, wander around, buy food at the café, and buy produce at the farm stand. Please contact Ian MacLeod at ian.r.macleod@gmail.com with questions.
If you have any questions, or wish to help in any way, please contact Ajit and Helen at familydharma@sbmg.org. We are actively seeking childcare helpers and a mindfulness facilitator. Stipends are available. Please let us know if you have recommendations.

Half-day Sitting (In Person)
2024-08-03 09:00 - 12:00 | Valley Streams Zen Sangha, Sacramento Dharma Center 3111 Wisseman Dr., Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Join the sangha for a half-day of shikantaza or just sitting with alternating periods of zazen (sitting meditation) and kinhin (walking meditation), In the “grass-roof hermitage we “just sit” followed by a social lunch at noon (please bring a bag lunch).
Registration is requested, but not required. Dana is appreciated. Donation can be made below. No one will be excluded for lack of funds. If this will be your first retreat day with us or you have questions, please email: info@valleystreamszen.org

Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage
Shih-t’ou (700-790)
I’ve built a grass hut where there’s nothing of value.
After eating, I relax and enjoy a nap.
When it was completed, fresh weeds appeared.
Now it’s been lived in – covered by weeds…
Just sitting with head covered, all things are at rest.
Thus, this mountain monk doesn’t understand at all.
Living here they no longer work to get free.
Who would proudly arrange seats, trying to entice guests?
Shitou Xiqian was an early Chinese Zen master. He was called one of Zen’s two ‘great jewels’ For some years, he meditated continually in a hut built on a rock at Nan Monastery, and was thus called Shitou (“Priest Rock Head”)

The path of Zen: Half-day Sitting led by So’on Jim Hare (In Person)
2024-09-07 08:30 - 12:30 | Valley Streams Zen Sangha, Sacramento Dharma Center 3111 Wisseman Dr., Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
The path of Zen: Can you get there from here?
In many Zen texts and teachings, the path of Zen is described as what not to do, such as “don’t take the mind road” or “cease all the movement of the conscious mind.” What is the reason for this? How does it help us in our practice? We will consider these questions through sitting zazen and hearing a Dharma talk at our half-day sitting on Saturday, September 7th, 8:30 -12:30.
Led by So’on Jim Hare. A social lunch will follow this sitting – please bring your own.
Tickets can be purchased below with suggested donation $10 -$30. No one will be excluded for lack of funds. If this will be your first retreat day with us or you have questions, please email: info@valleystreamszen.org
