Our Sejiki or food-offering, ceremony is an opportunity to call forth the spirits of those who have passed this way before, offering them solace and acknowledging our ongoing connection to them. Treats, tea and conversation after the ceremony. Please bring noise makers and a treat to share. If you would like the name of a loved one […]
Our November 4th half-day sitting will be followed by a modified Oryoki (3-bowl) lunch at noon. This will help orient us to the meal practice that we will use for our mini-Rohatsu sesshin that's coming up December 1-3. So, if you are planning to attend November 4th, you don't need to bring a lunch; it […]
Please join us as we take a look back at how far we've come in our first year. We'll get an "Envisioning" update from Lynelle and Steve McNiel that will help us chart future uses of our building and grounds. Enjoy some treats, drinks, and socializing too. SDC President Susan Orr's words are as fitting […]
One Mind is an intimate portrait of life inside one of China's most respected & austere monastic communities. Eschewing talking-head interviews and the authority of a narrative voice, audiences can expect an immersion into the textures and sounds of life in a traditional Zen (Chan) monastic community in Southern China. (2016; Edward A. Burger; filmed in Jiangxi […]
Lama Yeshe Jinpa is the spiritual director and resident teacher of Lion’s Roar Dharma Center in Sacramento. In 1995, Lama Jinpa received direct heart/mind transmission from Geshe Gyatso after 25 years of Dharma practice and study. He is one of the few western lamas thus far recognized within the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan or Vajrayana […]
We welcome our guiding teacher from Hartford Street Zen Center in San Francisco.
"...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 it true activity." ~Suzuki Roshi For the first time Valley Streams Zen is offering a multi-day, non-residential retreat. This is an opportunity to set aside the concerns of daily […]
After meditation & service, join us for tea and discussion. The evening will be devoted to responding to building plans envisioned for our home, the Sacramento Dharma Center.
After meditation & service, join us for tea and discussion. The evening will be devoted to responding to landscape plans envisioned for our home, the Sacramento Dharma Center. Lynelle McNeil, landscape architect, will be joining us. Study her design options from your own computer: SDC Concepts Slideshow (PDF)
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 […]