Calendar
Retreat
Seeing / Drawing Meditation Retreat
In drawing, we have an opportunity to set aside our egos while becoming one with the object. The investigation takes us into the essence of the object, seeing it as it truly is. This is not an art class per se, and no prior drawing experience is required. What is asked for is our willingness to […]
Mind of Compassion, Body of Support
A Day of Zen Meditation, Buddhist Teaching & Yoga, taught by Kyosho Valorie Beer and Barbara Baccei Immerse yourself in a day of traditional Buddhism and alignment Yoga. From Buddhism’s Four Foundations of Mindfulness, you will be guided in identifying long-held emotional patterns and the way they show up in your body. Meditation allows us to […]
Half-day Sitting, led by Rev. So On Jim Hare
Like a Snake in a Bamboo Tube - a half-day Zen sitting and Dharma talk "Putting a snake in a bamboo tube" is an old simile for zazen. Just as the snake naturally wants to wiggle and not be confined, so we often have a problem holding ourselves still. Even when we stop the body, the […]
Half-Day Sangha Work Practice, led by Linda Dekker
“Work as meditation” illustrates how work is just as important a time for mindfulness practice as sitting zazen or walking meditation. In work as meditation, there isn't too much need for thinking, planning or conceptualizing. While effort is made to do what we are doing efficiently and beautifully, we needn’t hurry or worry about how […]
CANCELLED: One-day Sitting with Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
We are sorry that Zenju has had to cancel this retreat with us due to illness.
The Radiant Light of Buddha Nature: One-day Sitting with Kokyo Henkel
Kokyo Henkel is the resident teacher at Santa Cruz Zen Center. Prior to assuming his current position, he practiced at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, No Abode Hermitage in Mill Valley, and Bukkokuji Monastery in Japan. He was ordained as a priest in 1994 by Tenshin Anderson Roshi and received Dharma Transmission […]
Half-day Sitting, led by So On Jim Hare
Sitting with Calm and Insight: a half-day schedule of sitting and walking meditation, offered along with a Dharma talk by So On Jim Hare on the teachings of Shamata and Vipassana (Calming and Insight) from the Samdhinirmochana Sutra. This will be a continuation of a Dharma talk that was given on September 10th, but it […]
3-Day Rohatsu Sesshin
“…when we practice zazen, it is not that big mind is actually controlling small mind, but simply that when small mind becomes calm, big mind starts its true activity.” ~Suzuki Roshi This multi-day, non-residential retreat is an opportunity to set aside the concerns of daily life for two and a half days, giving all your […]
One-day Sitting, led by So On Jim Hare
"I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love, For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting. Wait without thought, for you […]
Every Day Brand New – A One-day Retreat, led by Rev. Mary Mocine
Reverend Mary Mocine, Abbess of Vallejo Zen Center aka Clear Water Zendo, will lead this one-day sitting. She trained at San Francisco and Berkeley Zen Centers, and at Tassajara Zen Monastery. She received dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman in May 2005. The theme for this sitting is "Buddha's birthday, renewing our practice." The day […]
Accomplishing the Work of Great Peace – a one-day retreat with Rev. Myo
"Accomplishing the work of great peace is without sign" - Tiantong. Since this is so, we can find it everywhere. But some say, "It still eludes my heart/mind." If so, then we are invited to return to the meditation hall. Please join us for a day of stillness and peace, supported by the deeply practiced wisdom of […]