Poetry Night, led by Linda Dekker - ONLINE
2020-07-27 18:45 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Sangha member, Linda Dekker, will lead us in an evening of reading and writing poetry. Linda was lay ordained by Tenshin Reb Anderson in 2001 and lived at San Francisco Zen Center’s Green Gulch Farm in 2003-04. She has served on the Board of Directors, as Ino, and on the Practice Committee. She is Office Manager for Sacramento Dharma Center. Her interest in and practice of poetry and writing is long-standing.

During the pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. To receive the Meeting ID# and password for each meeting, please Sign Up for our Weekly Emails.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID#
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you wait for the host to start the meeting, click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID]
The program will begin at 7 pm with this approximate schedule:
20-minute sitting; 5-minute chant; announcements; then a 30-minute Talk/Discussion, about 1.5 hour total.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID#.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/Unmute

We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.

Practice Circle, led by Doralee Grindler Katonah (ONLINE)
2020-08-03 18:45 - 20:30
Doralee serves as head of the mediation hall and is also president of the VSZS board of directors. She was priest ordained in 2019 by Sojun Diane Martin.

During the current health crisis, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. *To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software.

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID#
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you “Wait for the host to start the meeting” click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID]
The program will begin at 7 pm with this approximate schedule:
20-minute sitting; 5-minute chant; announcements; then a 30-minute Talk/Discussion, about 1.5 hour total.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID#.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.

Dharma Talk by Shosan Vicki Austin (ONLINE)
2020-08-10 19:00 - 20:30
Shosan Victoria Austin began practicing both Zen and yoga in 1971. In the Soto Zen tradition, she is entrusted as a Dharma heir in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki, an international priest of the Soto School, and a Dharma teacher at San Francisco Zen Center. She trained in the U.S., in India, and in Japan. In the Iyengar tradition, she is certified as an Intermediate teacher.

During the current health crisis, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. To receive the Meeting ID# and password for each meeting, please Sign Up for our Weekly Emails.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID#
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you “Wait for the host to start the meeting” click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID]
The program will begin at 7 pm with this approximate schedule:
20-minute sitting; 5-minute chant; announcements; then a 30-minute Talk/Discussion, about 1.5 hour total.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID#.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.

Dharma Talk by So-On Jim Hare (ONLINE)
2020-08-17 19:00 - 20:30
So-On Jim Hare serves as 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 in 2016.

During the current health crisis, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. *To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software.

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you “Wait for the host to start the meeting” click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID]
The program will begin at 7 pm with this approximate schedule:
20-minute sitting; 5-minute chant; announcements; then a 30-minute Talk/Discussion, about 1.5 hour total.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID#.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.

Dharma Talk by Rev. Myo Lahey (ONLINE)
2020-08-24 19:00 - 20:30, 2020-09-28 19:00 - 20:30
Rev. Myo Lahey, Abbot of Hartford Street Zen Center in San Francisco and our guiding teacher, will offer the Dharma talk this evening. Myo has previously served as head of practice (Tanto) at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He is a Dharma heir of Tenshin Reb Anderson. Raised in an observant Roman Catholic home, Myo was drawn to religion and spirituality at an early age and found Zen Buddhism in his teens. He began sitting in 1969 and practiced with many San Francisco Zen Center practitioners and teachers, including Dainin Katigiri-roshi, Kobun Chino-sensei, Yoshimura-sensei, and Issan Dorsey. Myo studied Sanskrit at UC Berkeley for ten years.

During the current health crisis, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. To receive the Meeting ID# and password for each meeting, please Sign Up for our Weekly Emails.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID#
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you “Wait for the host to start the meeting” click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID]
The program will begin at 7 pm with this approximate schedule:
20-minute sitting; 5-minute chant; announcements; then a 30-minute Talk/Discussion, about 1.5 hour total.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID#.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.

Dharma Talk by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel (ONLINE)
2020-08-31 19:00 - 20:30
Guest teacher, Rev. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, of Still Breathing Zen Meditation Center in Oakland, will lead our meditation and offer the dharma talk. Rev. Zenju is a dharma heir of Buddha and the late Zenkei Blanche Hartman in the Shunryu Suzuki Roshi lineage through the San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC). Her practice is influenced by Native American and African indigenous traditions. She is an author, poet, teacher, artist, and drum medicine woman. The essence of her transmissions come together in her talks and books. The Deepest Peace: A Season of Contemplation and Stillness (upcoming by Parallax Press, Fall 2020); Sanctuary: A Meditation on Home, Homelessness, and Belonging, The Way of Tenderness: Awakening Through Race, Sexuality, and Gender (print and audio) and Black Angel Cards: 36 Oracles and Messages for Divining Your Life.
• Dana for her can be offered through: PayPal.me/Zenju

*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID#
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you “Wait for the host to start the meeting” click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID]
The program will begin at 7 pm with this approximate schedule:
20-minute sitting; 5-minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion, about 1.5 hour total.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID#.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.

"Uses of the Heart Sutra" (Pt. 1 of 2) by So-On Jim Hare (ONLINE)
2020-09-14 18:50 - 20:30
Tonight’s talk, “Uses of the Heart Sutra” is Part 1 of 2. The second talk will be given next Monday, Sept. 21.
So-On Jim Hare serves as 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 in 2016.

During the current health crisis, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. *To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software.

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you “Wait for the host to start the meeting” click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID]
The program will begin at 7 pm with this approximate schedule:
20-minute sitting; 5-minute chant; announcements; then a 30-minute Talk/Discussion, about 1.5 hour total.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID#.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.

"Uses of the Heart Sutra" (Pt. 2) by So-On Jim Hare (ONLINE)
2020-09-21 19:00 - 20:30
Join us tonight for Part 2 of “Uses of the Heart Sutra”, given by So-On Jim Hare.
So-On Jim Hare serves as 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 in 2016.

During the current health crisis, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. *To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software.

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you “Wait for the host to start the meeting” click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID]
The program will begin at 7 pm with this approximate schedule:
20-minute sitting; 5-minute chant; announcements; then a 30-minute Talk/Discussion, about 1.5 hour total.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID#.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.

Way-seeking Mind Talk, by Brett Gardali (ONLINE)
2020-10-05 19:00 - 20:30
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 of Buddha’s teaching and the practice of meditation. We invite newcomers and experienced Zen students to join us.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 20 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Dharma Talk by So-On Jim Hare (ONLINE)
2020-10-12 19:00 - 20:30

Dharma Talk by Hoka Soko Chris Fortin (ONLINE)
2020-10-19 19:00 - 20:30
This evening we welcome guest teacher, Chris Fortin, a Soto Zen teacher who began practicing Buddhism in 1976 while living at the San Francisco Zen Center. After many years of practice she received Dharma Transmission from Zoketsu Norman Fischer of Everyday Zen, in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi.

Chris founded Dharma Heart Zen to share the path of wholehearted living and awakening with others. She leads the Dharma Heart Zen Sangha in Cotati and the Woman’s Lotus Sangha in Sebastopol. She is a senior teacher in the Everyday Zen community and leads workshops at SFZC. She is guiding teacher of Sky Island Zen in Tuscon Arizona and leads retreats in ancient Aravaipa Canyon. She was the co- founder of Veterans PATH (formerly Honoring the Path of the Warrior), offering retreats and meditation and mindfulness practices for returning veterans. She offers Jizo Bodhisattva trainings and ceremonies for those who have lost children, loved ones and those who are grieving the pain and suffering of the world. Chris is actively engaged in the dharma of social and racial justice and the climate crisis. She coleads a monthly Racial Literacy and Dharma Group and serves on the Soto Zen Buddhist Association’s Diversity Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility (DEIA) Committee.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 20 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Dharma Talk or Practice Circle, by Paravrtti Doralee Grindler Katonah (ONLINE)
2020-10-26 19:00 - 20:30

Dharma Talk by Hozan Alan Senauke (ONLINE)
2020-11-02 19:00 - 20:30
Hozan Alan Senauke is a Soto Zen priest, folk musician and poet residing at the Berkeley Zen Center (BZC) in Berkeley, California, where he currently serves as Vice Abbot. Hozan was ordained and received Dharma Transmission from Sojun Roshi in 1998. As a former Executive Director of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (BPF), he brings a global perspective on socially-engaged Buddhism and Zen as a force for positive change. He founded the Clear View Project, bringing Buddhist-based resources for relief and social change where they are needed around the world.
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 of Buddha’s teaching and the practice of meditation. We invite newcomers and experienced Zen students to join us.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 20 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Dharma Talk by guest teacher Susan Moon (ONLINE)
2020-11-09 19:00 - 20:30
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 editor of Turning Wheel, the journal of socially engaged Buddhism. Her short stories and essays have been published widely.
Sue has been a Zen student since 1976, practicing in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi at Berkeley Zen Center, Tassajara Zen Mountain Monastery, Green Gulch Farm, and now with Zoketsu Norman Fischer’s Everyday Zen sangha. She received “entrustment” as a lay teacher in 2005.

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 of Buddha’s teaching and the practice of meditation. We invite newcomers and experienced Zen students to join us.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 20 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Dharma Talk by So-On Jim Hare (ONLINE)
2020-11-16 19:00 - 20:30
So-On Jim Hare serves as 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 in 2016.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 20 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Dharma Talk by Rev. Myo Lahey (ONLINE)
2020-11-23 19:00 - 20:30
Rev. Myo Lahey, Abbot of Hartford Street Zen Center in San Francisco and our guiding teacher, will offer the Dharma talk this evening. Myo has previously served as head of practice (Tanto) at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He is a Dharma heir of Tenshin Reb Anderson. Raised in an observant Roman Catholic home, Myo was drawn to religion and spirituality at an early age and found Zen Buddhism in his teens. He began sitting in 1969 and practiced with many San Francisco Zen Center practitioners and teachers, including Dainin Katigiri-roshi, Kobun Chino-sensei, Yoshimura-sensei, and Issan Dorsey. Myo studied Sanskrit at UC Berkeley for ten years.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 20 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Dharma Talk by So-On Jim Hare
2020-11-30 19:00 - 20:30
So-On Jim Hare serves as 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 in 2016.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer or smart phone, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 20 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone with audio only:

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Practice Circle, led by Paravrtti Doralee Grindler Katonah (ONLINE)
2020-12-07 19:00 - 20:30
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.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 20 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Dharma Talk by So-On Jim Hare (ONLINE)
2020-12-14 19:00 - 20:30
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 in 2016.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 20 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Winter Solstice Celebration (ONLINE)
2020-12-21 19:00 - 20:30
Welcome the new year by celebrating the treasure of sangha with your sangha friends – albeit virtually this year! This will be an evening of sharing poetry, stories, or music, with time to visit in small groups on Zoom.
One and all are welcome!
Program Schedule

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.

*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 20 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Retreat Night (ONLINE)
2020-12-28 19:00 - 20:30
On Retreat Night we offer an opportunity to settle into your meditation practice with three 25-minute periods of zazen, interspersed with walking meditation (called kinhin). Turning the light inward we explore the causes of suffering and what can end it. This invitation is extended to everyone.

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 of Buddha’s teaching and the practice of meditation. We invite newcomers and experienced Zen students to join us.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 20 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Practice Circle: "Reflecting on the Year Past, and the Year to Come"
2021-01-04 19:00 - 20:30
This evening’s practice circle will be led by our head of practice, So-On Jim Hare.
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 are adapted from the Zen Center of Los Angeles:
When speaking, we practice speaking from integrity and speak the truth as we know it. We stay focused on our own experience as opposed to taking about others or talking abstractly.
In listening, we try not to interrupt, even with our thoughts. We practice receiving whatever is being offered by another without attachments or judgements.
In silence, we allow all things to arise and pass away, accepting and honoring different expressions and perspectives. We sit with our discomfort.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 30 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Introduction to Zen Meditation – ONLINE
2021-01-11 17:45 - 18:30
On the second Monday of each month, we offer a 40-minute introduction to Zen practice. For now, we are offering the instruction online, using using Zoom video conferencing software. 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.
If you are not already on our mailing list, please sign up for Weekly Emails to receive the Zoom Meeting ID and password for this meeting.

Dharma Talk by Rev. Myo Lahey (via Zoom)
2021-01-11 19:00 - 20:30
Rev. Myo Lahey, Abbot of Hartford Street Zen Center in San Francisco and our guiding teacher, will offer the Dharma talk this evening. Myo has previously served as head of practice (Tanto) at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He is a Dharma heir of Tenshin Reb Anderson. Raised in an observant Roman Catholic home, Myo was drawn to religion and spirituality at an early age and found Zen Buddhism in his teens. He began sitting in 1969 and practiced with many San Francisco Zen Center practitioners and teachers, including Dainin Katigiri-roshi, Kobun Chino-sensei, Yoshimura-sensei, and Issan Dorsey. Myo studied Sanskrit at UC Berkeley for ten years.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 30 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Program Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2021-01-18 19:00 - 20:30
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all Indirectly.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Facilitated by Paravrtti Doralee Grindler Katonah, our program will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King with a presentation by 4 sangha members who participated in a 12-week, 6-session study group on White Supremacy, White Privilege, and the Dharma. This study group was developed for white sangha members who want to learn about the history of racism and its continuation in the form of systemic racism, the ideology of white supremacy and how white supremacy is perpetuated through the invisibility of white privilege. Through reading, personal introspection, and reflection on action, learning occurred on an embodied level. New integrative understandings of the dharma culminated our inquiry together.
Come to listen to sangha friends reflect on their experiences in the study group, and then to participate in further discussion regarding this challenging root of suffering in our society. With this conversation, we aim to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assertion that we are all responsible for bringing justice to our world.

*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 30 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Dharma Talk by So-On Jim Hare
2021-01-25 19:00 - 20:30
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 in 2016.

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 of Buddha’s teaching and the practice of meditation. We invite newcomers and experienced Zen students to join us.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 30 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Dharma Talk by Sessei Meg Levie
2021-02-01 19:00 - 20:30
Guest teacher, Sessei Meg Levie, MA, has been practicing Soto Zen for almost 30 years and has lived in residence at all three centers of the San Francisco Zen Center. She received ordination as a Zen priest in 2003 from Tenshin Reb Anderson and held the position of Shuso (Head Student) in 2007. As a professional coach, she specializes in working with executives who approach their work from a Dharma and practice perspective, and she is very interested in how core Buddhist teachings can shed light on the challenges and possibilities we are encountering in the world today.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 30 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Dharma Talk by Shoku Kathy Early
2021-02-08 19:00 - 20:30
Guest teacher Shōku Kathy Early came to zen practice in 1994 through classes with Tenshin Reb Anderson at the Yoga Room in Berkeley. She then practiced for several years with Keido Les Kaye at Kannon Do Zen Center in Mountain View, after which she trained at San Francisco Zen Center for 16 years. She was priest ordained by Tenshin Anderson in 2005. Shoku also spent a year and a half in residence at Toshoji International Training Monastery, in Okayama, Japan.

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 of Buddha’s teaching and the practice of meditation. We invite newcomers and experienced Zen students to join us.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.
*To join the meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive each Meeting ID and Password.
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 30 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Dharma Talk by So-On Jim Hare
2021-02-15 19:00 - 20:30
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 in 2016.

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 of Buddha’s teaching and the practice of meditation. We invite newcomers and experienced Zen students to join us.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we will meet online using Zoom video conferencing software. We will continue to monitor local health advisories regarding group meetings. We of course hope to be able to resume our in-person programs as soon as it is safe to do so.

Meeting ID for Monday Evenings is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977
Prior to the meeting, download the free Zoom Client for Meetings (13 MB) As you Wait for the host to start the meeting click the Test Computer Audio button to make sure you can hear and be heard by others.
Download the chants in PDF.
At 6:50 pm, join the meeting.
The program will begin at 7pm with this approximate schedule: 30 minute sitting; 5 minute chant; announcements; then a 30-40 minute Talk/Discussion.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
The one tap string of numbers are included in the Weekly Email.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute
