Letting Go and Turning Towards ~ The pathway to freedom from suffering. 'A student at Tassajara sat facing Suzuki Roshi on a tatami mat in his room. The student said he couldn’t stop snacking in the kitchen and asked what he should do. Suzuki reached under his table, “Here, have some jelly beans,” he said.' (from To […]
Study is one of the pillars of Zen practice. Please join us every Thursday morning for our ongoing study group to discuss ancient and contemporary texts. Facilitated by Rev. So On Jim Hare. Current text: Living by Vow: A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts by Shohaku Okamura. Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom […]
Sangha member and board member, Sarah O'Gara, will share some of her adventures in Japan during her trip to visit many Buddhist temples. Our Monday night programs always begin with zazen (sitting meditation). Additional offerings include a devotional service, dharma talks by visiting teachers, group discussions, practice circles and retreat nights. There are no membership […]
Misha Merrill is the primary teacher for Zen Heart Sangha in Menlo Park and Woodside, California and has been practicing Zen since 1984. She was ordained as a Zen priest in 1988 and received Dharma Transmission in 1998 from her teacher, Les Kaye Roshi, the abbot of Kannon Do Zen Center and dharma heir in […]
Rev. Myo Lahey is Abbot at Hartford Street Zen Center in San Francisco and our guiding teacher. He has previously served as Practice Leader at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He is a Dharma heir of Tenshin Reb Anderson. Rev. Myo is available for individual practice discussion by appointment prior to our Monday evening program. Email info@valleystreamszen.org
This ceremony is an affirmation of the vow to live for the benefit of all beings. In the Zen tradition we associate the full moon with the ideal of awakening. All are welcome.
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, and priest ordained by Myo Lahey […]
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 […]
Thursday morning Study Group is cancelled this week due to conflicting activities. Please join us next Thursday morning. Facilitated by Rev. So On Jim Hare. Current text: Living by Vow: A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts by Shohaku Okamura. Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra Contact Rollin Ives (twl4148@gmail.com) for details.
Tassajara was established in 1967 as the first Soto Zen training monastery outside of Japan. It offers monastic training periods during the fall and winter months, and each year from May to September, Tassajara, or Zenshinji (Zen Heart-Mind Temple), opens its gates to students and guests alike for the summer guest season. This year, ten […]
Rev. Myō Lahey is Abbot at Hartford Street Zen Center in San Francisco and our guiding teacher. He has previously served as Practice Leader at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He is a Dharma heir of Tenshin Reb Anderson. Rev. Myō is available for individual practice discussion by appointment prior to our evening program. NOTE: We would like to take some […]