RSVP | Saturday, April 10th | Special Online Guest Teacher Talk

 

RSVP | Saturday, April 10 | Special Online Guest Teacher

Saturday, April 10, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Special Dharma Talk: Rev. Shohaku Okumura Roshi

Rev. Shohaku Okumura Roshi is a Soto Zen priest and is a Dharma successor of Kosho Uchiyama Roshi. Okumura practiced at Antaiji with Uchyiama Roshi from 1970 until Uchiyama retired in 1975. Okumura co-founded Pioneer Valley Zendo in Massachusetts and continued to practice Uchiyama’s style of zazen practice. Since 1981 Okumura has been translating writings of Uchiyama and Eihei Dogen from Japanese to English. Okumura has taught at Kyoto Zen Center and Minnesota Zen Center in Minneapolis and was director of Soto Zen Buddhism International Center in San Francisco from 1997 – 2010. Free registration required.   REGISTER NOW

Special Online Guest Teacher Series are presented via Zoom and require preregistration to receive the Zoom link. SMZC offers these programs freely due to your generosity. If you are able to do so, we kindly ask that you make a donation for the program when you register.   COVID FUNDRAISER ($20 suggested donation)   DONATE NOW

6367 Sonoma Mountain Road, Santa Rosa, CA, 95404 (707) 545-8105 Share on social www.smzc.org

🌸 Join Us Online | Sunday, April 4th | Buddha's Birthday Celebration 🌸

 

Join Us Online | Sunday, April 4th | Buddha's Birthday Celebration

Buddha's Birthday 3-Day Sesshin Online       March 31, 2021 at 7:30 pm to April 3, 2021 at 12:00 pm PST   Please feel free to join as you can. However, please refrain from joining in the middle of a period. The sesshin is open to all by donation ($20/day suggested).   Sesshin Schedule

48th Flower Festival Celebration/Buddha's Birthday       April 4, 2021 at 1:00–2:00 pm PST   This special and joyous event will be held at the zendo and attended by Roshi, Shinko, Nyoze, Kashin and SMZC residents while being Zoomed live.   By Donation ($10 suggested)   Sunday Zoom Link

The life of a Zen student is not all super models and speed boats. But finally, in Genjokoan, Dogen arrives to take us on a ride in his boat. If we watch the world from the shore, we might miss the boat. Speed boats do not necessarily know they are speed boats. If we practice with a confused mind, we might think that all things are speedboats. But if we practice clearly and return to where we are, we will find that nothing at all has an unchanging self. Please join us for the adventure of a lifetime. We are reading Genjo Koan Tuesday evenings 7:30–9:00pm. Everyone is welcome. —Matt Haug, El Cerrito, CA

Morning Zazen Reflection Across the World At first online zazen was distracting to me. Technology is so much fun, I rationalized —

how can I sit still?   I light a candle and offer incense. I bow to the altar. And then to my cushion. I sit down.   I turn to the wall, listen for the bonsho and the bell, and breathe in the silence.   With all of us present and hushed, holding the stillness for each other, I settle, with gratitude, for the space that we create together.   —Barbara Tanko (旦光) Médaille, Healdsburg, CA, Received Jukai (Dawn Light) from Kwong-roshi in 2004 and SMZC Sangha Member since 2001

SMZC Sangha Treasure   Thank you, Megan Backus, Santa Rosa, CA for video editing Saturday Community Dharma talks since this year. Megan has been a member since 2019.   Membership Info

Online Programs Are Open to All. Thank you for your support! Our temple gates are always open to those who wish to practice Zen.

In order to continue to offer these programs and ensure the future of SMZC, we are asking for your support. Your donation is tax deductible. Sonoma Mountain Zen Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tax ID #23-7304793   DONATE ONLINE

We welcome submissions of your zazen reflections, Zen-related poetry, prose, photo, and art. Please sponsor this weekly newsletter for one year. Contact us for details.

6367 Sonoma Mountain Road, Santa Rosa, CA, 95404 (707) 545-8105 Share on social www.smzc.org

Join Us This Week | Saturday, March 27th | Saturday Community & More

 

Join Us This Week | Saturday, March 27th | Saturday Community

Saturday Community, March 27       10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.   Zazen 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.   Talk       Dharma Talk by by ​Erik Zenjin (善神) Shearer, Student of Kwong-roshi   DONATE to Saturday Community To sustain SMZC, please donate for the Saturday Community online program ($10 suggested for non-members).   Saturday Zoom Link

Morning Zazen Reflection Across the World A Prayer of Near & Far

May the pains of Suffering find a center, So that the breath Of the silent bell May freely enter.   No Near, No Far...   The small mind will capture Life's moments in the jar... Simply practice Simply here Not Knowing---   No Near, No Far...   —Alexander Cook, Fort Worth, TX SMZC Sangha Member since Jan 2021

Daily Meditation Schedule   6:30 a.m. – 7:00 a.m.   Morning Zazen 7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.   Evening Zazen   Please enter the virtual zendo a few minutes early to get settled (seated and logged in before the starting bell).   Join Us Online

Saturday Community Dharma talk replays are available on our Facebook and YouTube. Please like us, write us your comment and share with your friends and family!

Halfway through kinhin how many have passed beneath these smiling eyes of Kanzeon     by Russ Jakushin(寂心) Flynn, Lafayette, IN Received Jukai (Serenity/Tranquility Mind) from Rev. Shōhaku Okumura in 2014

SMZC Sangha Treasure Thank you, Shannon DeJong in Petaluma, CA for covering the cost of our updated membership page. Shannon is a renewed member since Jan 2021.   Artwork by Barbara Tanko (旦光) Médaille, Received Jukai (Dawn Light) from Kwong-roshi in 2004 and SMZC Sangha Member since 2001   Membership Info

Online Programs Are Open to All. Thank you for your support! Our temple gates are always open to those who wish to practice Zen.

In order to continue to offer these programs and ensure the future of SMZC, we are asking for your support. Your donation is tax deductible. Sonoma Mountain Zen Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tax ID #23-7304793   DONATE ONLINE

We welcome submissions of your zazen reflections, Zen-related poetry, prose, photo, and art. Please sponsor this weekly newsletter for one year. Contact us for details.

6367 Sonoma Mountain Road, Santa Rosa, CA, 95404 (707) 545-8105 Share on social www.smzc.org