Social Identities as a Cause of Suffering (Hybrid)
2022-09-05 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
A program presented (in-person) by Paravrtti Doralee Grindler-Katonah and Sarah O’Gara in preparation for our September 12th program with Rhonda V. Magee, MA, JD. Our evening will include:

Introduction to Rhonda V. Magee’s concepts of Color-Insight, not Color-Blindness;
Making – not Taking Refuge;
Guided Meditation;
Small Group Reflection.

*Zoom link for this program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977

CANCELED - Morning Zazen & Service (Hybrid)
2022-09-08 06:00 - 07:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Taking a one-week hiatus. Please join us for early morning silent meditation next Thursday before Study Group meeting. Contact Rollin Ives at twl4148@gmail.com for Zoom login and program information.
Schedule:
5:45-Zoom room opens
6:00-Zazen
6:30-Walking Meditation
6:40-Zazen
7:10-Service
•Download SFZC Chants in PDF.

CANCELED - Study Group (Hybrid)
2022-09-08 08:00 - 09:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
We will reconvene next Thursday, September 15.
The Zen Study Group meets at the Dharma Center AND online. The study group is facilitated by Rev. So-On Jim Hare, with readings from ancient and contemporary Mahayana Buddhist & Soto Zen texts and commentaries.
To join the Thursday morning study group, email the coordinator, Rollin Ives, twl4148@gmail.com

BIPOC Sangha Meeting with Rhonda V. Magee (Online)
2022-09-11 16:15 - 18:00 | ONLINE via Zoom
BIPOC Sangha is pleased to welcome Professor Rhonda Magee for “Reflections on Engaged Mindfulness: The Inner Work of Confronting Social Injustice in a Time of Distress”
*This program is for BIPOC practitioners.

REGISTER FOR THIS ONLINE PROGRAM
Rhonda Magee, MA, JD has dedicated her life to healing and teaching that inspires personal, interpersonal and collective transformation. Professor of Law at University of San Francisco since 2004, her teachings support compassionate conflict engagement and management, holistic problem-solving to alleviate suffering, presence-based leadership and humanizing approaches to education. A trained mindfulness teacher, she demonstrates the merit of embodied meditation allied with the disciplines of study and community engagement. A Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, she is also a guest teacher and has held senior leadership positions with several international mindfulness organizations. Author of numerous articles and book chapters, her first book, The lnner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities through Mindfulness, was published in 2019.

⇒ Rhonda Magee will also be guest teacher on Monday, September 12, 7-9 PM at Valley Streams Zen Sangha.

Reflections on Engaged Mindfulness with Rhonda V. Magee (Hybrid)
2022-09-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Rhonda Magee, MA, JD joins us on zoom with reflections on the inner work of confronting social injustice in a time of distress. She is an internationally recognized educator, author, and practice leader, focused on integrating mindfulness into social change. She draws from Buddhist teachings, law and legal history, weaving together storytelling, poetry, analysis and practices. A trained mindfulness teacher, Rhonda Magee demonstrates the merit of embodied meditation.
Professor Magee has dedicated her life to healing and teaching that inspire personal, interpersonal and collective transformation. Professor of Law at University of San Francisco since 2004, her teachings support compassionate conflict engagement and management, holistic problem-solving to alleviate suffering, presence-based leadership and humanizing approaches to education.
This event is co-sponsored with BIPOC Sangha-Sacramento, an affiliate of Sacramento Buddhist Meditation Group (SBMG).

The zendo opens at 6:50 pm.
Zoom link for this program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977
Tonight’s chant: Zenju Earthlyn Manuel’s “Loving Kindness Meditation – For All Beings”
Donations for Professor Magee may be sent via Paypal to rvmagee@usfca.edu

Exploring the Many Faces of Compassion with Paravrtti Doralee Grindler-Katonah (Hybrid)
2022-09-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Paravrtti Doralee Grindler Katonah serves as Ino, or head of the meditation hall, and president of the Valley Streams Board of Directors. She studied in the Soto Zen lineage with Sojun Diane Martin in Illinois and Rev. Val Szymanski in California. She was priest ordained in 2019 by Sojun Diane Martin.
A Practice Circle: Exploring the Many Faces of Compassion Through Listening Together to our Experiences and Reflections. Rhonda Mcgee wrote: “Compassion is the will, the wherewithal, and the motivation to actually do something to assist in alleviating suffering, whether it’s our own or others. We need compassion that embraces our own suffering – self-compassion. And we need compassion that embraces the suffering of others – other-regarding compassion.”
*Zoom link for this program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977

Dharma Talk with Rev. Myo Lahey (Hybrid)
2022-09-26 19:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Rev. Myo Lahey, our guiding teacher, will join us online via Zoom from Hartford Street Zen Center in San Francisco, where he is Abbot. He previously served as Practice Leader at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He is a Dharma heir of Tenshin Reb Anderson.

Our Monday night programs begin with zazen (sitting meditation) followed by a devotional service and dharma talk. 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.
*Zoom link for this program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977

Half-Day Retreat (In-Person)
2022-10-01 08:30 - 12:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Everything is in Everything!
There is “Not One Single Thing.” (Shodo Harada)
Come sit, walk together, deeply entering the silence as we realize our lives are not our own.
Rev. Paravrtti Doralee Grindler Katonah will lead a half-day retreat with sitting meditation (zazen), walking meditation (kinhin), and a dharma talk and discussion. Everyone is welcome.
Bring a lunch and join a social conversation in the newly landscaped Dharma Center north yard at the conclusion of the retreat.
Register on Eventbrite.
Sign up for VSZS Weekly News to learn the latest on program details.

Dharma Talk by So'on Jim Hare (Hybrid)
2022-10-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
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 was priest ordained by Rev. Myo Lahey in 2016.
The Monday night programs begin with zazen (sitting meditation) followed by a devotional service and dharma talk. 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.
*Zoom link for this program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977

Jukai Ceremony (Hybrid)
2022-10-09 14:00 - 16:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
The ceremony of Jukai consists in receiving the precepts of the Bodhisattva and, by doing so, takes refuge in the three treasures: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. It is the ceremony for lay ordination.
Preceptor Rev. Myo Lahey, together with So’on Jim Hare, will convey the precepts to sangha members Brendan O’Brien and Tony Wallin-Sato. A reception will follow the ceremony.
The Jukai ceremony and reception is an in-person event with a Zoom option. Masking is optional, but please be vaccinated and boosted for Covid 19.
• The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83950936011.

Way-Seeking Mind Talk with Tony Wallin-Sato (Hybrid)
2022-10-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Each of us has come to Zen practice as a seeker, with a spirit of inquiry, from diverse backgrounds. The idea of our way-seeking mind talks is for members to share how it is they came to practice. Each person tells his or her own story in a unique way that often blends autobiography, spiritual biography, and the practice questions engaging each person.
Tony will receive jukai or lay ordination Sunday October 9, 2022 at the Sacramento Dharma Center.
To offer dana to support Valley Streams’ programs and space rental, click here.
*Zoom link for this program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977

Way-Seeking Mind Talk with Dave Jarrell (Hybrid)
2022-10-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Each of us has come to Zen practice as a seeker, with a spirit of inquiry, from diverse backgrounds. The idea of our way-seeking mind talks is for members to share how it is they came to practice. Each person tells his or her own story in a unique way that often blends autobiography, spiritual biography, and the practice questions engaging each person. Dave is a member of Board of Directors and manages the Valley Streams newsletter.
To offer dana to support Valley Streams’ programs and space rental, click here.
*Zoom link for this program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977

Study Group (Hybrid)
2022-10-20 08:00 - 09:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
On hiatus until November 10th
The Zen Study Group is now meeting at the Dharma Center AND online. The study group is facilitated by Rev. So’on Jim Hare, with readings from ancient and contemporary Mahayana Buddhist & Soto Zen texts and commentaries.
To join the Thursday morning study group, email the coordinator, Rollin Ives, twl4148@gmail.com

Dharma Talk by Meikyo Bob Rosenbaum (Hybrid) (In-person Teacher)
2022-10-24 19:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Meikyo Robert Rosenbaum, PhD, received lay entrustment in Soto Zen from Sojun Mel Weitsman. He is also authorized as a senior teacher of the Taoist practice of Dayan (Wild Goose) Qigong in the lineage of Yang Meijun by Master Hui Liu. In addition, he has received denkai in Ordinary Mind Zen from Karen Terzano. Bob teaches Zen and Qigong at the Meadowmind Center in Sacramento.
Bob is the author of several books including Zen and the Heart of Psychotherapy, Walking the Way : 81 Zen Encounters with Tao Te Ching and most recently, That is not your Mind! Zen Reflections on the Sarangama Sutra.
The teacher will join us in the zendo.
To offer dana to Valley Streams for space rental, click here.
*Zoom link for this program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977

Morning Zazen & Service (Hybrid)
2022-10-27 06:00 - 07:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Please join us for early morning silent meditation each Thursday before Study Group meeting. Contact Rollin Ives at twl4148@gmail.com for Zoom login and program information.
Schedule:
5:45-Zoom room opens
6:00-Zazen
6:30-Walking Meditation
6:40-Zazen
7:10-Service
•Download SFZC Chants in PDF.
To offer dana to support Valley Streams’ programs and space rental, click here.

Study Group (Hybrid) - On Hiatus
2022-10-27 08:00 - 09:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
On hiatus until November 10th
The Zen Study Group is now meeting at the Dharma Center AND online. The study group is facilitated by Rev. So’on Jim Hare, with readings from ancient and contemporary Mahayana Buddhist & Soto Zen texts and commentaries.
To join the Thursday morning study group, email the coordinator, Rollin Ives, twl4148@gmail.com

To offer dana to support Valley Streams’ programs and space rental, click here.

Sejiki Ceremony (Hybrid)
2022-10-31 19:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
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.
If you would like the name of a loved one who has died during the past year, recited in the ceremony, please send the full name of that person (and pronunciation) to info@valleystreamszen.org.
Bring bells, cymbals, drums, or other noisemakers to participate in the banishment of the hungry ghosts from the Dharma Hall at the conclusion of the ceremony. Then, stay awhile to share hot cider and a treat.
*Zoom link for this program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977

Study Group (Hybrid) - On Hiatus
2022-11-03 08:00 - 09:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States

"Just This Person" - One-Day Retreat, led by Rev. So'on Jim Hare (In-person)
2022-11-05 08:30 - 16:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Sitting still in the company of others is the heart of Zen practice. Please join us for this day of inner work, being “just this person.”
Just before leaving a practice period, a student asked his teacher, “If, after many years, someone should ask me what you were like, how should I respond?”
After remaining quite for a while, the teacher said, “Just this person.”
We’ll explore this story during our one day sitting, in silence and in dialogue. Please bring your own lunch. If you have questions about this retreat, please contact the retreat leader, So’on Jim Hare, at info@valleystreamszen.org
Register on EventBrite.

Monday Night Meditation and Dharma Talk by Rev. Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah (Hybrid)
2022-11-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Rev. Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah will present a dharma talk in person at the Dharma Center. She serves as Ino, or head of the meditation hall. She studied in the Soto Zen lineage with Sojun Diane Martin, founder and guiding teacher of Udumbara Zen Center in Illinois and Rev. Val Szymanski, Head Priest of Bamboo in the Wind Zen Center in Sunnyvale, California. She was priest ordained in 2019.
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.
*Zoom link for this program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977

Morning Zazen and Service (Hybrid)
2022-11-10 06:00 - 07:30 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Join us for two periods of zazen (seated meditation) and kinhin (walking meditation), or just the first or second second meditation periods, as your schedule allows.
6:00 am – Zazen (sitting meditation)
6:30 am – Kinhin (walking meditation)
6:40 am – Zazen
7:10 am – Morning Service
Please arrive a few minutes before the beginning of each period to t ake your seat in the zendo or, if arriving via Zoom, to allow the AV person time to admit you. If you arrive on Zoom after the beginning of the sit, the AV person will not admit latecomers until the beginning of the next period. Stay for a cup of tea after service if you join in person.
•Zoom meeting link.
•Download chants used in our morning service. (SFZC website)
•Make a donation to help support our building expenses.

Annual Meeting Celebrating 20 Years of Valley Streams Zen Sangha (In-person)
2022-11-13 10:00 - 13:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Join Valley Streams Sangha Board of Directors for a Sunday potluck brunch to celebrate Valley Streams’ 20th Anniversary. Spouses, partners, friends and family—are all invited. Gather at 10 am to share a meal and each others’ company. After a fun social mixer, President Doralee Grindler Katonah will introduce the 2022-2023 Board and give a report on the state of the sangha. Tanto Jim Hare and other long-time sangha members will share memories and reflect on Valley Streams Zen Sangha’s 20 years.
RSVP via Eventbrite. An email confirmation will confirm your potluck contribution.

Introduction to Zen Meditation (in person)
2022-11-14 18:00 - 18:40 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
On the second Monday of each month, we offer a 40-minute introduction to Zen practice. 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.
* Meets in the Library at the Sacramento Dharma Center.
Sign up for Weekly Emails to receive current program information.

Dharma Talk by Rev. Myō Lahey (Hybrid)
2022-11-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Rev. Myō Lahey, Valley Streams’ guiding teacher, joins us online via Zoom from Hartford Street Zen Center in San Francisco, where he is Abbot. He previously served as Practice Leader at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He is a Dharma heir of Tenshin Reb Anderson.
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.
*Zoom link for this program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977

Way-Seeking Mind Talk with Brendan O'Brian (Hybrid)
2022-11-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Shi Shin Brendan O’Brien has been a member of the Valley Streams community for the past three years. He is also a member of the Hartford Street Zen Sangha in San Francisco. Recently, in October, he received the Bodhisattva precepts from Rev. Myō Lahey and Rev. So’On Jim Hare. Brendan is a student of history at Sacramento State University and works as a civil servant for the State of California.
Each of us has come to Zen practice as a seeker, with a spirit of inquiry, from diverse backgrounds. The idea of our way-seeking mind talks is for members to share how it is they came to practice. Each person tells his or her own story in a unique way that often blends autobiography, spiritual biography, and the practice questions engaging each person.

*Zoom link for this program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977

CLOSED for Thanksgiving Holiday
2022-11-24 08:00 - 09:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States

Rohatsu Sesshin - Opening Evening Program (Online)
2022-11-27 19:30 - 20:30 | ONLINE via Zoom
Rohatsu means the 8th day of the 12th month, which is the traditional day for celebrating Buddha’s enlightenment. Sesshin means ‘to gather the mind.’ As the darkest days of the year approach, we sit together with the principle of awakening, fully opening to the ‘wisdom beyond wisdom’ that is revealed in sitting meditation.
The initial days of this week-long retreat will be offered online via Zoom, sitting mornings and evenings, starting Sunday evening Nov. 27 through Thursday Dec. 1. Friday Dec. 2 and Saturday Dec. 3, we will sit in person all day at the Dharma Center, including into the evening. These in-person days will include Oryoki meals, the traditional three-bowl Zen style of eating. We will end with a half-day in-person sitting and closing ceremony on Sunday, Dec.4. There will be Dharma talks on Monday evening and Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. Full 7-Day Rohatsu Schedule

Sunday Schedule:
7:30 pm Welcome and Orientation
8:00 pm Zazen
8:30 pm Refuges
For more information or to request a reduced fee or scholarship, please contact us at info@valleystreamszen.org
** Register for full Sesshin at Eventbrite.com

Rohatsu Sesshin Morning Program (Online)
2022-11-28 06:00 - 07:30 | ONLINE via Zoom
Morning Rohatsu schedule, Monday – Wednesday – ONLINE
6:00 Zazen
6:30 Kinhin
6:40 Zazen
7:10 Service
Register for week-long program on Eventbrite.
Full Rohatsu 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.

Dharma Talk by Rev. So'on Jim Hare (Hybrid)
2022-11-28 19:00 - 21:00 | Sacramento Dharma Center, Sacramento Dharma Center, 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
Rev. 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 was priest ordained by Rev. 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.
*Zoom link for this program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82008151977

Rohatsu Sesshin Evening Program (Online)
2022-11-29 17:00 - 21:00 | ONLINE via Zoom
Online Evening schedule for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
5:00 pm Zazen
5:30 pm Service
Break/Dinner
7:30 pm Zazen
8:00 pm Kinhin
8:10 pm Zazen
8:40 pm Refuges
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 Boddha’s awakening, which is our awakening too.
Register for week-long program on Eventbrite.com
Full Rohatsu Schedule
