"Your Original Face" - One-day Retreat led by Kokyo Henkel (In Person Only)
2025-05-03 08:30 - 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
The Sixth Ancestor of Chinese Zen awakening his Dharma brother by asking “without thinking of good and bad, what is your original face?”
This daylong retreat will focus on the 24th case in the koan collection known as the Mumonkan, or the Gateless Barrier. There will be morning and afternoon talks, zazen, and optional dokusan (private interviews). A donation of between $30 and $100 is requested to support our guest teacher and the ongoing activities of Valley Streams Zen Sangha. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Contact info@valleystreamszen.org to request a scholarship or if this will be your first retreat with us.

Rev. Kokyo Henkel has been practicing Zen since 1990 in residence at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, No Abode Hermitage in Mill Valley, and Bukkokuji Monastery in Japan. He was a resident teacher at Santa Cruz Zen Center from 2010 to 2020. Most recently, he led the Spring Practice Period at Green Gulch Farm.
Kokyo was ordained as a priest in 1994 by Tenshin Anderson Roshi and received Dharma Transmission from him in 2010. He is interested in exploring how the original teachings of Buddha-Dharma from ancient India, China, and Japan can still be very much alive and useful in present-day America to bring peace and openness to the minds of this troubled world.
Kokyo has also been practicing with the Tibetan Dzogchen (“Great Completeness”) 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.
Please register here.

Introduction to Zen Meditation (In Person Only)
2025-05-12 18:00 - 18:40, 2025-06-09 18:00 - 18:40, 2025-07-14 18:00 - 18:40, 2025-08-11 18:00 - 18:40, 2025-09-08 18:00 - 18:40, 2025-10-13 18:00 - 18:40, 2025-11-10 18:00 - 18:40, 2025-12-08 18:00 - 18:40 and 3 more dates | 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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Tassajara Sangha Week (In Person Only)
2025-05-13 - 2025-05-18 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States

Practicing With The Precepts: A Study Group Series (In Person Only)
2025-05-13 18:00 - 19:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
PRACTICING WITH THE PRECEPTS
– A Study Group Series –
Teacher: Rev. Paravrtti Doralee Grindler Katonah
Tuesday evenings, 6 – 7:30 pm
(March 4, 18; April 1 ,15, 29; May 13, 2025)
Register at Ino@valleystreamszen.org
• A commitment to attend each session is expected.
• Recommended dana: $50
The Precepts, offered by the Buddha, are descriptions of enlightened, wholehearted living, naturally expressing compassionate and wise action, and open presence – a way of life dedicated to relieving suffering and realizing the truth of the interconnectedness of all living beings.
The Precepts reveal infinite possibilities of living an awakened reality. Through learning to interact with the Precepts, we set in motion a process of character development that will transform our lives. Through engagement and inquiry, we open a process of spiritual growth. We are given mirrors of the many ways we restrict our lives and turn away from letting go of self.
During our time together we will invite the precepts into our meditation practice, witness how they interact and transform our everyday experiences, and develop our capacity to receive guidance and insight from within. Together we will explore the multilayered meanings of each precept in an open and safe environment. This group is open to all who want to devote time and practice to this study together.
We will meet biweekly for 6 sessions. Our primary text will be Opening to Oneness – A Practical Guide to the Zen Precepts, by Nancy Mujo Baker (2023). Additional commentaries will be offered.
Rev. Doralee Grindler Katonah, Psy.D., M.Div. has been a student of ethics, both through her work as a clinical psychologist, her study of philosophy in undergraduate university, as a graduate student in the history of religions, and her 40-year study of Buddhism. She serves as Ino or head of the meditation hall for Valley Streams Zen Sangha. She studies in the Soto Zen Lineage of Sojun Diane Martin, founder and guiding teacher of Udumbarra Zen Center in Illinois and Rev. Val Szymanski, founder and 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 May 2022.
*Three Pure Precepts
I vow to refrain from all evil.
I vow to make every effort to live in enlightenment.
I vow to live and be lived for the benefit of all beings.
*Ten Essential Precepts
I vow not to kill; rather cultivate and encourage life.
I vow not to take what is not given; rather cultivate generosity.
I vow not to misuse sexuality, rather cultivate and encourage honest and caring relationships.
I vow to refrain from false speech; rather cultivate and encourage truthful communication.
I vow to refrain from intoxicants; rather cultivate and encourage clarity.
I vow not to slander; rather cultivate and encourage respectful speech.
I vow not to praise self at the expense of others; rather cultivate and encourage self and others to abide in their awakened nature.
I vow not to be avaricious; rather cultivate and encourage mutual support.
I vow not to harbor ill will; rather cultivate and encourage lovingkindness and understanding.
I vow not to disparage the Three Treasures; rather cultivate and encourage awakening, the path and teaching of awakening and the community that takes refuge in awakening.
*excerpted from online document at San Francisco Zen Center.

"Letting Go of Self-Concern" - Half-day Sitting led by Rev. So’on Jim Hare (In Person Only)
2025-06-07 08:30 - 12:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Join us for a half-day of sitting and walking meditation with a Dharma talk focusing on the practice that releases us from self-obsession.

There is a movie playing in the untrained consciousness. This movie stars me, is produced and directed by me. The plot of the movie features my interests, my problems, and my desires. Other people are the supporting cast.
The direction of Zen practice is toward a more inclusive, less self-centered awareness. How do we make that movie? Arousing the spirit of awakening is to imagine and realize a more panoramic vision of the self.
This half-day retreat will feature periods of sitting and walking meditation and a Dharma talk by So’on Jim Hare. A social lunch will follow the retreat; please bring your own. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. For more information, please email us at info@valleystreamszen.org.

Please register here.

Women’s Retreat – Green Gulch Farm (In Person Only)
2025-06-12 - 2025-06-15 | Green Gulch Farm, 1601 Shoreline Hwy, Muir Beach, CA, 94965, United States
For details please contact Doralee Grindler Katonah at ino@valleystreamszen.org

Freedom and Independence: Half-day Sitting led by Rev. So’on Jim Hare (In Person Only)
2025-07-05 09:00 - 12:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
For this retreat we’re keeping it simple with no Eventbrite registration, no Dharma talk and no service. We will chant the refuges at the end. We’ll start at 9 and end at 12:30, followed by a social lunch for those who want to stay. Just show up enough before 9 a.m. so we can start on time. Please bring a bag lunch.
If this will be your first retreat day with us or you have questions, please email: info@valleystreamszen.org

"In Front of the Door is the Land of Stillness and Light" - One-day Retreat led by Danan Wark (In Person Only)
2025-08-02 09:00 - 16:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
These lines beckon us to meet the clear, still, nature of reality as our own intimacy and immediacy.

This day-long retreat led by guest teacher Danan Wark will feature morning and afternoon talks, zazen, and optional dokusan (private interviews). Your registration on a sliding scale offers support to our guest teacher and the ongoing activities of Valley Streams Zen Sangha. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Contact info@valleystreamszen.org to request a scholarship or if this will be your first retreat with us.
Danan is a teacher in the Single Flower Sangha line that descends from the Kwan Um School of Zen, which in turn derives from the Sudeoksa mountain lineage of the Jogye Order of Korean Zen (Seon). Danan received precepts in 2009 and Inka in 2019 from Zen Master George Bo Mun Bowman, the founder of the Single Flower Sangha. Danan has practiced in the Rinzai tradition and studied koans with Bo Mun for over 20 years. He has also practiced in the Soto tradition with Tenshin Reb Anderson roshi at No Abode Hermitage for more than a decade. In 2014 Danan established Cloud Zendo, a sangha that presently meets each Saturday (except this one!) at 8:30 a.m. in Auburn.
Our retreat day will include sitting and walking meditation, Dharma talks and afternoon discussion period. Outside the meditation hall we will maintain noble silence. Please bring a bag lunch.

Please register here.

“Becoming Yourself” – One-day Retreat led by Jiryu Rutschman-Byler (In Person Only)
2025-09-06 08:30 - 16:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
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.
Please register here.

"Realizing Non-Duality" - Half-day Sitting led by Rev. So’on Jim Hare (In Person Only)
2025-10-04 08:30 - 12:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
“The Way is not difficult, just avoid picking and choosing.” So said one of our ancient Chinese Zen teachers. The irony of this statement has not been lost over the centuries: as human beings we seem to be built for picking and choosing. Does that mean we will always be remote from the Buddha Way? That can’t be so! But how do we leap beyond our preferences, the strong habit falling into one side or the other? This question will be the theme of our retreat.
This half-day retreat will feature periods of sitting and walking meditation and a Dharma talk by So’on Jim Hare. A social lunch will follow the retreat; please bring your own. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. If this will be your first extended sitting with us, please send us a note at info@valleystreamszen.org to introduce yourself.
Please register here.

Sangha Annual Meeting & Potluck Brunch (In Person Only)
2025-10-18 10:00 - 13:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
You are invited to Valley Streams Zen Sangha’s Annual Meeting and potluck brunch. Spouses, partners, friends, and family—all are welcome. Gather in the West Lobby at 10 a.m. to share a meal and each other’s company. After the brunch, the 2025-2026 Board and officers will be introduced and give a report on the state of the sangha. You will get an update on the Sangha’s financial health, including the Maitreya Fund that was established last year to provide a resource for future Sangha leadership. We look forward to enjoyable conversations and hearing your thoughts about ongoing Sangha activities.
BONUS – A SILENT AUCTION of specialty items (at discount prices) will be offered in the Board Room!
Please RSVP here.

"Living the Way in Tumultuous Times" - One-day Retreat led by Rev. Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah (In Person Only)
2025-11-01 08:30 - 16:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Manifesting the promise of liberation becomes our legacy for future generations.

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 lunch.
Attendance is available on a sliding scale from $10 to $100. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. If this will be your first extended sitting with us, please send us a note at info@valleystreamszen.org to introduce yourself.
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 register here.

Gratitude Dinner for the Sangha (In Person Only)
2025-11-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
As an expression of our deeply felt gratitude for the Sangha and the myriad ways its members support us and each other, the Valley Streams Board will offer dinner to all those who can join us on Monday, November 24.
Dinner will be provided by the board. What better way to enjoy Thanksgiving week than with one less meal to prepare? We’ll begin at 6:00 p.m. with a short sit and chant/dedication. Dinner in the break room will follow.

Rohatsu Sesshin Full Day Sitting (In Person Only)
2025-12-05 08:30 - 20:45, 2025-12-06 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
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.

Rohatsu Sesshin Half-Day Sitting and Buddha’s Enlightenment Ceremony (In Person Only)
2025-12-07 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
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.

"When arrow points meet head-on" - Half-day Sitting led by Rev. So’on Jim Hare (In Person Only)
2026-01-03 08:30 - 12:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Our January half-day retreat will include zazen, walking meditation (kinhin), a Dharma talk by So’on Jim Hare, and a social lunch to follow.

In his Dharma talk, Rev. So’on will discuss the ancient Chinese story referenced in the line, “When arrow points meet head-on, what has this to do with the power of skill” (from Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi) and its meaning for our practice. At the conclusion, we will enjoy our bag lunches and conversation.
Attendance is available on a sliding scale from $10 to $50. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Please bring a bag lunch if you intend to stay for lunch.
If this will be your first extended sitting with us, please send us a note at info@valleystreamszen.org to introduce yourself.

Please register here.

"When the Wooden Man begins to Sing, the Stone Woman gets up Dancing" - One-day Retreat led by Rev. So'on Jim Hare (In Person Only)
2026-02-07 08:30 - 16:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Following up on January’s half-day, we’ll explore the next lines in the Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi and their guidance for our practice.

This retreat day will be led by So’on Jim Hare. The day will include periods of sitting and walking meditation, morning Dharma talk and afternoon Q&A/discusson. Jim will be available for practice discussion in the afternoon. Please bring a bag lunch. If this will be your first one-day sitting with us, please introduce yourself and briefly describe your meditation experience in an email to info@valleystreamszen.org

Please registrer here.

Library Debut Party (In Person Only)
2026-03-01 12:30 - 14:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
The SDC Library Committee is excited to announce that we are throwing a debut party to celebrate over two years of volunteer work. Our library of more than 1,600 Buddhist related titles has been reorganized and catalogued online.
**Please join us as we mark this accomplishment and share SDC’s resource!
Highlights include:

Introduction to the new electronic catalog which allows the collection to be searched from anywhere.
Display of unusual and amazing books in the inventory.
Refreshments!

Sharing inspiration: We encourage participants to bring a short (no more than one small paragraph) quote, adage or saying from a book/author that has inspired your practice to read at the gathering.
For more information, please contact Jody Ansell (Joaansell@gmail.com)

"Zen Freedom, Zen Enjoyment" - Half-day Sitting led by Nyokai Kristin Diggs (In Person Only)
2026-03-07 08:30 - 12:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
This half-day retreat will include zazen, walking meditation (kinhin), a Dharma talk by Nyokai Kristin Diggs, and a social lunch to follow.
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 Shuso during the winter 2025 practice period at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, led by Eijun Linda Cutts.
In her Dharma talk, Nyokai Kristin Diggs will discuss “Not ignoring causation and not falling under its yoke.” Suzuki Roshi said, “Real freedom is to not feel limited when wearing this Zen robe, this troublesome formal robe. Similarly in our busy life we should wear this civilization…without ignoring it, without being caught by it. Without going anywhere, without escaping it, we can find composure in this busy life.”
A social lunch – bring your own – will follow the sitting.
Attendance is available on a sliding scale from $10 to $50. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
If this will be your first extended sitting with us, please send us a note at info@valleystreamszen.org to introduce yourself.
Please register here.
