Valley Streams Zen Sangha

Dharma Talk by Lama Yeshe Jinpa
2018-11-19 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | 3111 Wissemann Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95826, United States
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 recognized within the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan or Vajrayana Buddhism, the lineage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Vasubandhu's Thirty Verses by So On Jim Hare
2018-11-12 19:00 - 21:00
In fourth-century India one of the great geniuses of Buddhism, Vasubandhu, sought to reconcile the diverse ideas and forms of Buddhism practiced at the time and demonstrate how they could be effectively integrated into a single system. This was the Yogacara movement, and it continues to have great influence in modern Tibetan and Zen Buddhism. Vasubandhu’s “Thirty Verses” lay out a path of practice that integrates the most powerful of Buddhism’s psychological and mystical possibilities: Early Buddhism’s practices for shedding afflictive emotional habits and the Mahayana emphasis on shedding divisive concepts, the path of individual liberation and the path of freeing all beings, the path to nirvana and the path of enlightenment as the very ground of being right now.
This is a continuation of our Fall Practice Period theme on Yogacara, using Ben Connelly’s book, Inside Vasubandhu’s Yogacara: A Practitioner’s Guide for reference.

Buddhist Women Ancestors - Tea & Conversation with Wendy Garling
2018-11-08 09:00 - 10:30
Join us for tea and conversation with special guest: Wendy Garling, author of Stars at Dawn: Forgotten Stories of Women in the Buddha’s Life.
Wendy Garling has taught women’s spirituality focusing on Buddhist traditions for more than 20 years. She has a BA from Wellesley College and MA in Sanskrit language and literature from the University of California, Berkeley. A Tibetan Buddhist practitioner and authorized dharma teacher, she took refuge with His Holiness the 16th Karmapa in 1976 and began lifelong studies with His Holiness the Dalai Lama after their first meeting in Dharamsala, India in 1979. At that time she also met the late Venerable Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden who became her principal teacher.

Our study group meets on the third Thursday of every month from 9 am-10:30 am. The group is open to all sanghas and genders – to anyone who is interested in studying the Dharma through the lives and teachings of Buddhist women. Linda Dekker and Susan Farrar will facilitate.
Some resources we use are:

The Hidden Lamp, edited by Florence Caplow & Susan Moon
Stars at Dawn: Forgotten Stories of Women in the Buddha’s Life, by Wendy Garling
Women of Wisdom, by Lama Tsultrim Allione
Being Bodies: Buddhist Women on the Paradox of Embodiment, edited by Lenore
Friedman & Susan Moon

An evening with Wendy Garling: Stories of Women in the Buddha's Life
2018-11-07 19:00 - 21:00
Stars at Dawn is a retelling of ancient legends of the women in Gautama Buddha’s intimate circle. Lesser-known stories from Sanskrit and Pali sources are for the first time woven into an illuminating, coherent narrative. Interspersed with original insights, fresh interpretations, and bold challenges to the status quo, these stories invite us to open our minds to a new understanding of women’s roles in the Buddha’s life and in early Buddhism. Books will be available for purchase after the lecture.

Wendy Garling has taught women’s spirituality, focusing on Buddhist traditions for more than 20 years. She is a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner and authorized Dharma teacher.
ALSO:
Tea & Conversation with Wendy in the SDC LibraryThursday morning, November 8, 9:00-10:30 am
REGISTER ON EVENTBRITE.COM

Koan Study, led by Doralee Grindler Katonah
2018-11-05 19:00 - 21:00
Doralee will lead us in an experiential process of working with the different characters in a koan as parts of ourselves. Through sharing these experiences we may become open to something fresh arising. The koan we will work with is “Senjo and Her Soul are Separated“, p. 157 in The Hidden Lamp – Stories from Twenty-five Centuries of Awakened Women. Florence Caplow and Susan Moon, eds. (Wisdom Publications, 2013).
Copies of the koan will be provided.
The transmission of the dharma happens through intimate encounters, between seekers on the path and between students and teachers, to awaken us to our true selves and to relieve our suffering. Koans are stories of such encounters that at first appear opaque or like conundrums that don’t make sense. Koans are meant to come alive to us and meet us exactly where we are blind to our awakening, yet the keys to unlocking the awakening process offered in koans calls upon us to engage these stories beyond our usual ways of thinking.

One-day Sitting - CANCELLED
2018-11-03 09:00 - 17:00
This one-day sitting is cancelled in order to focus on the 3-day Rohatsu Sesshin, scheduled for November 30 – December 2. Please consider giving yourself this special treat of setting aside the concerns of daily life for two and a half days in and giving your attention to your sitting practice and taking care of yourself as you would take care of a guest.

Sejiki Ceremony
2018-10-29 19:00 - 21:00
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 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.

Sangha Annual Meeting & Potluck Brunch
2018-10-28 10:00 - 13:00
This is a once-a-year opportunity to meet your sangha friends, new board members and get the latest news about Valley Streams Zen Sangha. All members, along with their family & friends are warmly invited to attend.
Sign up at a regular meeting, or let us know by email, what food offering, and how many people you will bring. Drinks and utensils will be provided.
NEW DATE: Sunday, Oct. 28, 10 am – 1 pm

Dharma Talk by Rev. Myo Lahey
2018-10-22 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-09-17 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-08-20 19:00 - 21:00
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. Please email info@valleystreamszen.org

Vasubandhu's 30 Verses, by So On Jim Hare
2018-10-15 19:00 - 21:00, 2018-10-08 19:00 - 21:00

Half-day Sitting, led by So On Jim Hare
2018-10-06 09:00 - 13:00
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 will stand on its own for people who did not attend that 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. $20

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

Dharma Talk by So On Jim Hare
2018-10-01 19:00 - 21:00
Who was Vasubandhu?

Fall Study Period Begins
2018-10-01 19:00 - 21:00
Our fall study period echoes the centuries-old tradition of Buddhist communities gathering for “winter rains” retreats. This is a time for deepening one’s study of the Buddha Way.
In a traditional Zen practice period you are in residence. Your days are regulated by a schedule of zazen, service, formal oryoki meals, and work around the temple grounds and kitchen. Simply following the schedule, you find yourself carried along in the stream of practice. You sit zazen, hear and study teachings, and meet with a teacher for dokusan or practice discussion. Your individual effort is reinforced by the collective effort of the sangha. The Valley Streams study period replicates some aspects of a traditional practice period, but relies more on your individual motivation and effort. It requires faith and confidence to remember you are joining other Sangha members when you sit, study, and work. More information here.
The study period will be led by So On Jim Hare. Our focus will be on Yogacara, an influential school of Buddhist philosophy that explains how our human experience is constructed by the mind. “All experience is preceded by mind, led by mind, made by mind”: this opening line of the Dhammapada could be called the root position of Yogacara thought. It captures the “radical” idea that nothing appears except what is previously conceived in human thought and perception. The Yogacara (yoga practice) school arose in 5th century India and was influential at the same time that the Zen school was developing in China. We will explore the central ideas of Yogacara thought, as succinctly conveyed through the text known as Vasubandhu’s Thirty Verses. Ben Connelly’s book Inside Vasubandhu’s Yogacara: a Practitioner’s Guide (Wisdom Publications, 2016) will be our guide.

Full Moon Ceremony
2018-09-24 19:00 - 21:00
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.

The Radiant Light of Buddha Nature: One-day Sitting with Kokyo Henkel
2018-09-22 09:00 - 17:00
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 from him in 2010. Kokyo enjoys studying the original teachings of Buddha-Dharma from ancient India, China, and Japan with an eye to their relevance in bringing peace and harmony to this troubled world.
» REGISTER at EventBrite.com
The fee is on a sliding scale of $20-$60, according to ability. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. You will be invited to give an additional teacher donation on the day of the retreat. For questions, please contact Sarah at sarah_ogara@yahoo.com or 916-484-6808.

Study Group - Vasubandhu's Yogacara
2018-09-20 08:00 - 09:00
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: Inside Vasubandhu’s Yogacara: A Practitioner’s Guide, by Ben Connelly
Contact Rollin Ives (twl4148@gmail.com) for details.

Shamata/Vipassana Teachings - So On Jim Hare
2018-09-10 19:00 - 21:00

CLOSED for Labor Day Holiday
2018-09-03
Please enjoy the holiday with family and friends.

Labor Day Holiday - No One-day Sitting
2018-09-01

Retreat Night
2018-08-27 19:00
On Retreat Night we enjoy our traditional retreat night; a chance to settle into our meditation practice with three 25-minute periods of zazen, interspersed with walking meditation (kinhin). Turning the light inward we explore the causes of suffering and what ends it. This invitation is extended to everyone.

Practice Talk by Doralee Grindler Katonah
2018-08-13 19:00 - 21:00
Peggy McIntosh, in her article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”, describes white privilege as “an invisible package of unearned assets.” These advantages in a very deep way remain invisible to white people because they are built in to our way of life, and we often mistake them for just how life is. White privilege and racism are reflections of each other. We practice to liberate all beings…..addressing white privilege is our side of the coin which remains hidden from our view.
Doralee will share her learnings and invite us to consider these insights through discussion and a guided exercise.

Practice Circle: Acceptance & Respect in Community
2018-08-06 19:00 - 21:00
Practice Circle led by So On Jim Hare
The Three Treasures are the foundation of the Practice Circle: (1) the Oneness of Buddha, (2) the Diversity of Dharma, (3) the Harmony of Sangha. The circle itself is a container for being in the present, manifesting just as we are in the truth of the moment.
Practice Circle Guidelines (as adapted from the Zen Center of Los Angeles):
When speaking, we practice speaking from integrity and speak the truth as we know it. We stay focused on our own experience as opposed to taking about others or talking abstractly.
In listening, we try not to interrupt, even with our thoughts. We practice receiving whatever is being offered by another without attachments or judgements.
In silence, we allow all things to arise and pass away, accepting and honoring different expressions and perspectives. We sit with our discomfort.

CANCELLED: One-day Sitting with Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
2018-08-04 09:00 - 17:00
We are sorry that Zenju has had to cancel this retreat with us due to illness.

Half-Day Sangha Work Practice, led by Linda Dekker
2018-08-04 09:00 - 12:00
“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 much is getting done. In not rushing to get the dishes washed or the carpets vacuumed, we have an opportunity to just appreciate the work for what it is—a thoroughgoing engagement with our life in the moment.
We will begin the day with a period of zazen; then pick up our tools with silent intention. Please join us, and bring a bag lunch to stay for social time in our freshly cleaned center!
To register, email zendekker@gmail.com

Poetry Night, led by Linda Dekker
2018-07-30 19:00 - 21:00
Sangha member, Linda Dekker, will lead us in an evening of reading and writing poetry.

Dharma Talk by Rev. Myo Lahey
2018-07-23 19:00 - 21:00
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 (staged) photographs tonight for use on our website.

Tassajara Study Week - Presentation
2018-07-16 19:00 - 21:00
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 members of Valley Streams Zen Sangha were invited to join with resident and guest students for 5 days of formal practice, work and play. Tonight we will hear about their experiences there.
