Valley Streams Zen Sangha

Rohatsu Sesshin, Day 3
2019-12-08 09:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
“…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
For the third year, Valley Streams Zen is offering a two-and-a half day non-residential sesshin. This is an opportunity to set aside daily concerns, giving all our attention to our sitting practice, and taking care of ourselves as we would a guest. The schedule for this retreat will be 9am – 9pm on Friday, December 6 and Saturday, December 7, and 9am – 12pm on Sunday, December 8 (plus 1/1/2 hours cleanup). In addition to a schedule that includes sitting and walking meditation, break periods and Dharma talks, we will serve oryoki-style meals for lunch and dinner on the first two days of the retreat. Oryoki is the traditional practice of serving and eating meals together in silence. Please sign up by November 25, by completing the form below and returning it to Practice Leader Jim Hare.
Schedule: Friday & Saturday, 9 am – 9 pm.; Sunday, 9 am – 2 pm.
Cost: $60 for full sesshin; $30 per full day; $15 per half day (scholarships available)
Register using this form; on a Monday night; or email So-On Jim Hare at info@valleystreamszen.org
** Watch a short video demonstrating basic Oryoki forms

Meditation and Writing Retreat, led by Susan Moon
2019-12-14 09:00 - 16:30
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.
This event is sponsored by SBMG. Register on Eventbrite

Half-Day Sitting led by So-On Jim Hare
2020-01-04 09:00 - 13:00
Zazen practice eases anxiety and fear, and brings forth our courageous spirit, strengthening our capacity to meet what comes with a calm mind. Please join us for a morning of sitting and walking meditation and a Dharma talk.

Please bring a bag lunch if you would like to join us for a social lunch after the formal program.
If this is your first time practicing with us or your first half-day sitting, please call Jim at 916-456-7752 so you can learn more about the day. $15

Register on Eventbrite.com – or sign up on a Monday evening.

A Good Voyage of Nothing - One-day Zen Sitting led by So-On Jim Hare
2020-02-01 09:00 - 17:00
“I have discovered that it is necessary, absolutely necessary, to believe in nothing. That is, we have to believe in something which has no form and no color—something which exists before all forms and colors appear.” ~ Shunryu Suzuki, roshi
This theme will be explored in our practice and in the Dharma talk. The retreat will be led by So-on Jim Hare, Valley Streams Zen’s practice leader. This is a day-long sitting and walking meditation retreat for people with previous retreat experience, though not necessarily in Zen.

Please bring a bag lunch.
If this is your first time practicing with us or your first one-day sitting, please call Jim at 916-456-7752 or email info@valleystreamszen.org
Register on Eventbrite.com – or sign up on a Monday evening.
$20 or inquire about scholarship.
Our one-day and half-day sittings are held on the first Saturday of every month.

Jizo Ceremony - For Loved Ones Who Have Died and Other Losses
2020-03-07 13:00 - 16:00
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 facilitators 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.
Everyone is welcome and there is no fee. Donations offered will be given to the Susan Orr Memorial Garden.
Registrer at Eventbrite.com
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). Doralee Grindler Katonah will lead, assisted by Rev. Amie Diller. Doralee has received two years of training in preparation for guiding this ceremony.

Journal Practice for the Pandemic, led by Beth Jacobs, Ph.D. (ONLINE)
2020-06-20 10:00 - 12:00
In this unprecedented time, a writing practice can help sustain a sense of orientation within the chaos. We can discern awareness of the First Noble Truth through articulation of our personal challenges, behaviors, feelings, and reactions to events. Expressive writing helps us both stay with and let go of the enormous pressure of current changes as expressed by the pandemic. After a 30-minute meditation, we will discuss applications of therapeutic writing processes to global and shared trauma. Beth Jacobs will guide us through three different writing techniques.
Beth Jacobs is a writer, clinical psychologist, and a lay-entrusted Soto Zen teacher. Her books include The Original Buddhist Psychology, A Buddhist Journal; Guided Practices for Writers and Meditators.
REGISTRATION: at Eventbrite.com
Fee: $20 or what is realistic for you.
Information: Doralee at grindkaton@icloud.com

Half-day Sitting, led by So-on Jim Hare
2020-08-17 08:00 - 12:00
Details to follow.

Bringing Mindfulness to the Fore; a half-day sitting
2020-09-12 09:00 - 13:00
“A monk goes to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty room, sits down cross-legged in the lotus position [or some other way], holds the body straight, and establishes mindfulness in front of him/her.” ~The Satipatthana Sutra.

The schedule for this retreat will include sitting and walking meditation, and a short Dharma talk by Valley Streams Zen Sangha practice leader, So-On Jim Hare. The schedule will include the option to begin sitting early, before joining the group on Zoom.
•This event is offered by donation. Please consider making an offering through Eventbrite.com when you register, or from the link on our homepage.
REGISTER HERE to receive full details and instructions for joining via Zoom.

Half-day Sitting (outdoors), led by So-On Jim Hare
2020-10-10 08:30 - 12:30
After these many months of sitting at home, we have an opportunity to practice together, sitting outside, socially distanced. (Air quality and weather permitting!) This will be a “zazenkai” sitting, meaning a schedule of silent sitting and walking meditation, with no dharma talk. Everyone will be masked and at least 6 feet apart.
Registration is by donation and the number of attendees is limited. Please send an email if you are not already on our email list.

Half-day Sitting, led by So-On Jim Hare
2020-11-07 09:00 - 13:00
Resting the mind in the midst of the habitual activity of thought is the ultimate form of relaxation.

This will be a online sitting with a schedule of sitting and walking meditation and a short Dharma talk by Valley Streams Zen practice leader, Jim Hare. The schedule will include the option to begin sitting early, before joining the group on Zoom, as we did in the September sitting.
Register on Eventbrite.com

Rohatsu Sesshin (online), led by So-On Jim Hare
2020-11-29 19:00 - 20:45
Welcome and orientation for Rohatsu Sesshin offered via Zoom.
Rohatsu sesshin is a time for bringing light into the dark time of the year and celebrating Buddha’s awakening, which is our awakening too. This Rohatsu will be on Zoom and will have a very different format. It will last a full week, but we’ll be sitting only the morning and evening periods, Sunday, Nov. 29 – Friday Dec. 4. On Saturday, Dec. 5, we will offer a full day sitting. We’ll close out the week on Sunday, Dec. 6, with morning zazen, a Dharma talk and ceremony. Our regular programs, on Monday and Thursday, will proceed online as usual.
Sun. – Fri. Sesshin Schedule
Sat. & Sun. Sesshin Schedule
*Please contact Jim Hare at info@valleystreamszen.org to sign up.

Rohatsu Sesshin (morning schedule)
2020-11-30 06:00 - 07:15
Rohatsu sesshin is a time for bringing light into the dark time of the year and celebrating Buddha’s awakening, which is our awakening too. This Rohatsu will be on Zoom and will have a very different format. It will last a full week, but we’ll be sitting only the morning and evening periods, Sunday, Nov. 29 – Friday Dec. 4. On Saturday, Dec. 5, we will offer a full day sitting. We’ll close out the week on Sunday, Dec. 6, with morning zazen, a Dharma talk and ceremony. Our regular programs, on Monday and Thursday, will proceed online as usual.
*Please contact Jim Hare at info@valleystreamszen.org for further information.
Sun. – Fri. Sesshin Schedule
Sat. & Sun. Sesshin Schedule
Chants for Rohatsu Sesshin

Rohatsu Sesshin (evening schedule)
2020-12-01 17:00 - 20:45

Rohatsu Sesshin (modified evening schedule)
2020-12-03 19:30 - 20:45

Rohatsu Sesshin, One-day Sitting (online)
2020-12-05 06:00 - 20:45
Rohatsu sesshin is a time for bringing light into the dark time of the year and celebrating Buddha’s awakening, which is our awakening too.
Our Rohatsu is on Zoom this year and has a very different format. It will last a full week, but we’ll be sitting just the morning and evening periods, Sunday through Friday. On Saturday, December 5 we have a full day sitting, and we’ll close out the week with Sunday morning zazen, Dharma talk and ceremony.
Sat. & Sun. Sesshin Schedule
Chants for Rohatsu Sesshin

Rohatsu Sesshin - (closing program)
2020-12-06 09:00 - 11:30
Last day of sesshin with morning zazen, a Dharma talk, and closing ceremony.
Sat. & Sun. Sesshin Schedule
Chants for Rohatsu Sesshin

Sitting Where the Clouds Pile Up: Half-day Sitting
2021-02-06 09:00 - 13:00
This half-day sitting will be led by tanto, So-On Jim Hare. There is no fee for this sitting, but you do need to register on Eventbrite.com. The link and a detailed schedule will be sent to those who register. There will be an optional early morning sitting beginning at 6 a.m. for those who wish for more meditation.

*To join via computer:

Download free Zoom Client for Meetings and
Download SFZC Chants in PDF.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

One-day Sitting with by Kokyo Henkel (Online)
2021-03-06 09:00 - 17:00
Rev. Kokyo Henkel will offer a teaching on Buddha Nature with inspiration from the Book of Serenity, Case 93: Luzu’s Not Meeting
Luzu asked Nanquan, ” ‘People don’t recognize the wish-fulfilling jewel which is intimately obtained from the tathagata-garbha (heart/womb of buddha)’. What is the garbha?” Nanquan said, “It is that in me which comes and goes with you.” Luzu said, “What about that which doesn’t come and go?” Nanquan said, “It’s also the garbha.” Luzu said, “What is the jewel?” Nanquan called him “Teacher Luzu!” Luzu responded, “Yes?” Nanquan said, “Go – you don’t meet with my words.”

Kokyo Henkel has been practicing Zen since 1990 in residence at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center (most recently as Head of Practice), 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 from him in 2010. Kokyo 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.
Register on Eventbrite.com ($30-$80); To request a full or partial scholarship, email info@valleystreamszen.org
*To join via computer:

Download free Zoom Client for Meetings and
Download SFZC Chants in PDF.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

Half-day Sitting, followed by Jizo Ceremony (online)
2021-04-03 09:00 - 13:00
This half-day sitting (9 am – noon) will be followed by a Jizo Ceremony to celebrate the arrival of McKinsey Shrader, Joshua and Laura Shrader’s soon-to-be-born second daughter. Rev. Doralee Grindler Katonah will offer the dharma talk and lead this special ceremony.
Jizo, known as the ‘Earth Store’ or ‘Earth Womb’ Bodhisattva, embodies and transmits the qualities of fearlessness, tenderness, and open heartedness – qualities that protect the mother and cradle the child during birth. Everyone is invited to participate by offering blessings and good wishes through a spoken prayer to Jizo. The prayers will be typed into the Zoom chat and later made into prayer flags for the family to hang.
Register on Eventbrite.com
A detailed schedule and Zoom Meeting ID will be sent to all who register.

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 a 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

One-day Sitting: Riding the (Mind) Donkey
2021-05-01 09:00 - 17:00
This is a day-long meditation retreat with a Dharma talk by practice leader Rev. So On Jim Hare. “Riding the ox” or “riding a donkey” are phrases used in Zen stories to describe our responsive encounter with mind-consciousness during sitting meditation practice and in our daily lives.
We will look at a couple of these stories during our day of mostly silent sitting and walking meditation. Some experience with day-long sitting is recommended, but everyone is welcome. A schedule for the day and Zoom link will be sent to those who register. Your generosity makes these sittings possible. Thank you.
• REGISTER on Eventbrite.com

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we 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 a meeting by computer, you must install Zoom software:

Sign Up for Weekly Emails to receive the 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

Allowing Emptiness to Fill the Page: a Sitting & Writing Retreat with Beth Jacobs (online)
2021-06-05 09:00 - 16:00
This workshop will be dedicated to writing practices that honor the Buddhist path. We will practice techniques that illustrate the overlap between mindfulness training and expressive writing. Using material from the Abhidharma, Mahayana sutras and writings of Eihei Dogen, we will demonstrate how personal writing can enrich our study of the dharma and provide a space where teachings can come to life in our creativity.
Beth Jacobs is a writer, transmitted lay teacher in the Soto Zen Buddhist lineage, and a clinical psychologist in private practice. She is the author of The Original Buddhist Psychology; Long Shadows of Practice, Poems; and A Buddhist Journal: Guided Practices for Writers and Meditators. She facilitates expressive writing groups for children, teenagers, and grandparents. She has taught Abhidharma classes at several sanghas and has co-taught “Abhidhamma and Buddhist Thought” through the Mid-American Buddhist Association and the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka.
Register on Eventbrite.com
Tickets: $20-$60 (or an amount that is right for you.)
For questions, email Doralee at grindkaton@icloud.com

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

Register for the retreat to receive the 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.
Join the meeting at: https://zoom.us/j/[Meeting ID],[Password]
A detailed schedule will be emailed to those who are registered.

*To join by telephone (audio only):

Dial 669 900 6833 (San Jose) and follow voice prompts for entering the Meeting ID and password.
Phone Controls: *9 = Raise hand; *6 = Mute/unmute

One-day Sitting: Benefitting All Beings (at the Dharma Center)
2021-07-03 09:00 - 17:00
In Buddhism, the four unlimited mental attitudes are loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. These attiudes are unlimited because the benefits thay bring to self and other can’t be quantified; they are immeasurable.
In this day of in-person sitting meditation practice, we will focus on these four immeasurables that teach all sentient beings and bring us contentment.
This retreat will be led by Valley Streams practice leader So On Jim Hare. The day will include a morning Dharma talk and afternoon discussion.
REGISTER ON EVENTBRITE.COM (NOTE: because this is an all-day event, we will not be offering it online.)

Half-day Zazenkai, led by So-On Jim Hare (in-person OR online)
2021-08-07 08:30 - 12:30
This sitting may be on Zoom rather than outdoors at the Dharma Center as recently planned. In addition to heightened concerns about Covid, we are experiencing poor air quality due to fires in the Sierra. If these conditions continue on Saturday, the sitting will be held via Zoom. Please call or send an email for most recent venue information.
Zazenkai is a silent meditation retreat that doesn’t feature a Dharma talk. It is simply to go deeply into the practice of 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 silent break in mid-morning.

If this is your first time practicing with us or your first half-day sitting, please call So-On Jim at 916-456-7752 to learn more about the day.

Register on Eventbrite.com

Awakening Bodhi Mind - A One-day Zen Retreat, led by So-On Jim Hare
2021-10-02 09:00 - 17:00
Zen master Dogen speaks of “raising an aspiration to escalade the very sky.” What is the place for such audacity in our practice?
Many of us begin Zen practice with the hope that it will relieve the pain and grief we feel much of the time. Later, we learn that relieving suffering is just part of the work. The Buddhas point the way toward complete liberation, not only for ourselves but for all beings. The aspiration for such liberation is called Bodhicittapada.
We will explore the aspiration for enlightenment in our one-day sitting, through multiple periods of zazen, a morning Dharma talk and afternoon discussion.
Please note this is an IN-PERSON retreat. All who attend must be vaccinated against Covid-19. In addition, masking and social distancing protocols will be practiced.

If this is your first time practicing with us or your first one-day sitting, please call So-On Jim at 916-456-7752 to learn more about the day.
Please bring a bag lunch.
Fee is by donation.

REGISTER ON EVENTBRITE.COM

Yogacara: a One-day Virtual Retreat, led by Rev. Ben Connelly
2021-11-06 08:30 - 15:30
Yogacara: Integrating Personal and Social Healing and Liberation (online retreat)
How can we heal ourselves and our communities? How does our personal conduct, wellness, suffering, and trauma, relate to interpersonal and transpersonal systems? How can we give our lives to universal liberation without sacrificing our own well-being? These are the questions at the heart of Yogacara Buddhism, which brings Early Buddhist and Mahayana practice into an integrated approach to joyful, compassionate, altruistic living.
This retreat will focus on the practices upheld in the Indian Yogacara master Vasubandhu’s Thirty Verses on Consciousness Only. We will move towards a deeper knowing of the fact that in every moment we are participating in the whole of the world in all its beauty and harms, and that in every moment we can act for the liberation of all.
Ben Connelly is a Soto Zen teacher and Dharma heir in the Dainin Katagiri Roshi lineage. He also teaches mindfulness in a wide variety of secular contexts including police and corporate training, correctional facilities, and addiction recovery and wellness groups. Ben is based at Minnesota Zen Meditation Center and travels to teach across the United States. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the author of: Inside the Grass Hut: Living Shitou’s Classic Zen Poem, Inside Vasubandhu’s Yogacara: a Practitioner’s Guide, and Mindfulness and Intimacy.
This event will be ONLINE ONLY via Zoom. • REGISTER ON EVENTBRITE

Rohatsu Sesshin, led by So-On Jim Hare (in person and online)
2021-11-28 19:30 - 20:30
Welcome and orientation to Rohatsu Sesshin, Nov. 28 – Dec. 5, 2021
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 celebrating Buddha’s awakening, which is our awakening too. This sesshin will be a combination of in-person and online programs. It will last a full week, but we’ll be sitting only morning and evening periods, Sunday – Thursday. Friday will be online only; Saturday we offer a full day of sitting in person at the Dharma Center. We close out the week on Sunday, Dec. 5, with a half-day, in-person program of zazen, a Dharma talk and closing ceremony. For questions, contact So-On Jim Hare, info@valleystreamszen.org.
Rohatsu Sesshin Schedule Register on Eventbrite.com

Rohatsu Sesshin, morning program (online)
2021-11-29 06:00 - 07:30, 2021-11-30 06:00 - 07:30, 2021-12-01 06:00 - 07:30
Morning Rohatsu schedule, Monday – Wednesday.
6:00 Zazen
6:30 Kinhin
6:40 Zazen
7:10 Service
Full Rohatsu Sesshin Schedule Register on Eventbrite.com
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 will be online only; Saturday we offer a full day of sitting in person at the Dharma Center. We close out the week on Sunday, Dec. 5, with a half-day, in-person program of zazen, a Dharma talk, followed by a closing ceremony.

Rohatsu Sesshin, evening program (online)
2021-11-30 17:00 - 21:00
Evening Rohatsu schedule, Tuesday – Thursday, 5 pm – 8:45 pm.
5:00 Zazen
5:30 Service
Break/Dinner
7:30 Zazen
8:00 Kinhin
8:10 Zazen
8:40 Refuges
Full Rohatsu Sesshin 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 will be online only; Saturday we offer a full day of sitting in person at the Dharma Center. We close out the week on Sunday, Dec. 5, with a half-day, in-person program of zazen, a Dharma talk, followed by a closing ceremony.
