Month: April 2021

It’s a bright morning in San Francisco. I’m enjoying the light on the branches and shiny leaves of the sycamore outside my window. We had a virtual full moon ceremony at City Center this morning, and I found myself longing to be in the Buddha hall chanting together again.

This week’s Newsette includes news of Tassajara’s first steps in reopening to students, more about the May 4^t National Memorial Service mentioned last week, and the first Zen Sewing Teachers practice period.

Plans are developing for Branching Streams Flow On, our May 22, 9 a.m. to noon PT gathering. Please save the date. I will share a draft program in next week’s Newsette. This is a last request from Teresa Bouza, tbouza@gmail.com, for your favorite nature photos taken during the last year. She will be use the photos to create a video to show on May 22^nd. Please send your photos by May 10^th.

Thank you to the many Zen Centers and sanghas that have sent your annual contributions during the last two weeks. If you have not yet responded, you can contribute electronically with this link, or you can send a check to San Francisco Zen Center with the name of your sangha on the memo line and mail it to Tova Green, 300 Page Street, San Francisco CA 94102. Please contact me if your sangha is experiencing financial hardship.

Jon Voss will host the weekly Zoom Clinic on Wednesday April 21from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. PDT. You are welcome to share this information with sangha members who are hosting sangha Zoom events including zazen, service, classes, etc. Here is the Zoom link or Meeting ID: 222 402 816, Passcode: 057143.

There is some good news about Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Although there won’t be a guest season this summer Tassajara is taking applications for summer students who want to do work practice for stays of two weeks or longer. The summer season begins April 6 and ends September 12.

Goyo Piper, the Tassajara Director, notes: ”Residents will be asked to do a wide variety of different jobs / tasks, often in the same day, whereas in a typical summer, a resident might work on just one crew. We will need to be putting energy into fuels reduction work to prepare for fire season.  Applicants need to be fully vaccinated.” Applications or questions can be sent to zmcdirector@sfzc.org.

 There will be a three month Fall Practice Period led by Senior Dharma Teacher Ryushin Paul Haller from September 13 to December 12. Applications will be available soon.

May We Gather, a Buddhist Memorial Ceremony for Asian American Ancestors will take place online on Tuesday May 4th, 4 pm PDT/7 pm EDT. Held forty-nine days after the Atlanta shootings in which eight people, of whom six were of Asian descent, were killed, the memorial ceremony arose in response to the need for mourning and renewal in the face of ongoing anti-Asian violence. 

Over 75 Asian American Buddhist partner temples in the U.S. and Canada have endorsed the Memorial. In addition, San Francisco Zen Center as well as twenty Branching Streams affiliates have signed on as ally sanghas for this event.

The organizers invite you to “explore the website, sign your temple/center up as a sponsor, and address the situation of the anti-Asian American racism that has surfaced in the U. S.” They encourage sanghas to consider hosting an in-person or virtual event in conjunction with May We Gather. “Your community may wish to hold a brief ritual or discussion immediately before or after the livestreamed event, which could be projected for community viewing. Alternatively, the ceremony will be recorded, and you are welcome to use the recording for an event at a later date.”

Many Branching Streams sewing teachers are members of the Zen Buddhist Sewing Teachers. ZBST is announcing Sew with Heart: Sewing teachers practice period.

“We are delighted to invite you to join our first national Zen sewing practice period. In association with Zen Buddhist Sewing Teachers (zbst.org) and Every Day Zen (everydayzen.org), ‘Sew With Heart’ will take place from June 3rd to December 11th, 2021. 

Practice period leadership includes Dharma teachers, Nyohō e teachers and senior students in both Zenkei Blanche Hartman’s and Tomoe Katagiri’s traditions, joining together to guide us all. This online practice period includes plenary events every 3 weeks, with guided activities for local and affinity groups i between the full sessions. Here is the link to the registration form and schedule.

I apologize for the length of this Newsette. Thank you for reading to the end!

This is the first time I’ve sent two Newsettes in one week!

Today is Earth Day and I would like to share a stunning setting of “Let Them Not Say,” a poem by Jane Hirshfield, who read at our December “Ten Thousand Joys and Ten Thousand Sorrows” gathering. I’d also like to alert you to two time-sensitive offerings, the start of a one-month practice offered by our two Canadian affiliates, which begins on Saturday, and a European Conference, also taking place on Saturday.

Jane Hirshfield, who sent me the video this morning, says: “If you have the four minutes to watch this — a Scottish composer who gives away all his work related to climate change for free released a video today of my “Let Them Not Say”. The music is one of the most beautiful settings I’ve ever heard of my work. But the graphics… educational, harrowing.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ss5ugQA5sI  I cried when I watched it.

Mountain Rain Zen Community in Vancouver and Calgary Soto Zen are collaborating on a month-long Spring practice intensive on “Life Koans, led by their guiding teachers, Shinmon Michael Newton and Myoshin Kate McCandless with Baizan Tim Sampson

As we look towards the future and imagine a post-pandemic life, while still living daily lives in the midst of pandemic conditions, core questions arise about life and death, sickness and health, right and wrong, self and other. Questions about making difficult choices, about how we manifest our practice in our daily lives. These are what we’re calling life koans. During this practice intensive we will investigate how the teaching stories and dialogues of the classical Zen koan tradition support practicing with our personal and collective life questions.

The practice intensive will begin the weekend of April 24-25 and end May 29-30.  For a detailed schedule click here. 

All events are by donation to Mountain Rain Zen Community and/or Calgary Soto Zen.
No formal registration is required, but to help you set your intentions we invite you to fill out an informal registration form, which will go to the teachers. This will help us to get a sense of what your life koans are! Register here.

I have been reaching out to Branching Streams teachers in Europe and learned that Dario Girolami, the Abbot of Centro Zen l’Arco in Rome, is co-organizing an online public conference sponsored by the European Buddhist Union this Saturday, April 24th on Death and Dying from a Buddhist Perspective. The speakers include Ven. Lama Ngawang, a Spanish Tibetan teacher, Dario, Roshi Joan Halifax from Upaya Zen Center, and Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison from the New York Zen Center, plus panel discussions and Q&A. You can learn more at https://www.ebuconference.org/.

May you find ways to cherish and be nourished by the earth this weekend.

This continues to be a difficult time for the U. S. and the world. Around the globe, Covid-19 deaths continue to rise and many countries have only begun to vaccinate their citizens. Many of us in the U.S. await the outcome of the George Floyd/Derrick Chauvin trial in Minneapolis, and may be reeling from the recent police killings of unarmed BIPOC people and the spate of mass shootings. We may be asking, “what is an appropriate response?” And we may be turning to practice, Buddhist teachings, and sangha for nourishment and support more than ever.

I’m happy to welcome a new Branching Streams affiliate, Seattle Soto Zen, whose guiding teacher, Allison Tate, is a student of Norman Fischer. Allison has been leading SSZ for nearly two years, after many years of training at San Francisco Zen Center.

Thank you to many sanghas who have sent their annual contributions to Branching Streams in the last week. If you would like to do so, you can contribute electronically with this link, or you can send a check to San Francisco Zen Center with the name of your sangha on the memo line and mail it to Tova Green, 300 Page Street, San Francisco CA 94102. Please contact me if your sangha is experiencing financial hardship.

Thank you also from Teresa Bouza, who has received photos from many of you as we continue to prepare for our online Gathering, Branching Streams Flow On. Whether you can attend the May 22^nd event or not whether you will be able to attend the event or not, you are invited to submit photos to celebrate our amazing mother… The Earth. I’m repeating Teresa’s words from last week:

Did you spend time in Nature during this past year of social isolation? Did you find the time outdoors nurturing and supportive? Did you take any pictures of your favorite places outside? Is there any image of Nature that is particularly meaningful to you? If so, we would love it if you could send one or a few pictures to create a video to celebrate our Mother the Earth. Please indicate your name and the name of the place where the pictures were taken. Images of outdoor activities with your sangha are also very welcomed.

 We will play the video at our Branching Streams Online Gathering on Saturday, May 22 (9:00 am to 12 noon PDT).  Please save the date. Teresa Bouza will be creating the video for the event. Please send your photos to tbouza@gmail.com. Teresa made a video using images she received from sanghas, which we shared at our December 10,000 Joys and 10,000 Sorrows gathering. Here’s the link in case you missed it.

Jon Voss will host the weekly Zoom Clinic on Wednesday April 14^th from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. PDT. You are welcome to share this information with sangha members who are hosting sangha Zoom events including zazen, service, classes, etc. Here is the Zoom link or Meeting ID: 222 402 816, Passcode: 057143.

Some upcoming events you may want to put on your calendar:

Konjin Gaelyn Godwin, Abbot of Houston Zen Center, posted on the Soto Zen Buddhist Association an action on May 4^th. .called “May We Gather, A National Buddhist Ceremony for Asian American Ancestors. www.maywegather.org . This event will address the situation of anti-Asian-American racism. Gaelyn wrote, “Please explore the website, and sign your temple/center up as a sponsor.” Houston Zen Center will also hold observances on May 4^th.

Chapel Hill Zen Center is supporting the 34th Annual Chapel Hill/Carrboro CROP Hunger Walk. Their newsletter invites us to “,”join fellow CHZC sangha members and people of faith of many persuasions throughout our area in supporting both the Interfaith Council and hunger relief efforts worldwide. April 18-25 is walk week, but you can walk or not, as you choose–there is no  organized walk this year because of the pandemic.” Please visit the Chapel Hill ZC CROP Walk page if you would like to make a donation. https://events.crophungerwalk.org/2021/team/chapel-hill-zen-center 

I will be co-leading an online daylong workshop on Joanna Macy’s The Work that Reconnects with writer Laura Davis on Saturday April 24^th. I first experienced Joanna Macy’s work in 1982 and trained with her soon after. I see this work as an antidote to overwhelm, numbness, and fear about the future. Please spread the word if you know people who might like to participate. Writing Our Way to Hope and Commitment, Online 4/24 (sfzc.org)

Earth Day is being celebrated this week in many centers. Mountain Rain in Vancouver, BC will show a film, The Story of Plastic on April 22^nd to launch a month-long Call to Action to consider, observe and become more aware of our consumption and use of plastic. Click here for details.

I wish you all good health and strength in this time of both celebrations and mournings.

As Spring is spreading its colors, leaves are appearing on deciduous trees, and birds are returning, many Sanghas are finding new ways to meet outdoors as well as planning for the time when we can safely gather indoors.

At this time I’m inviting you to make your annual contribution to Branching Streams. It is easy to do so electronically with this link, or you can send a check to San Francisco Zen Center with the name of your sangha on the memo line and mail it to Tova Green at 300 Page Street, San Francisco CA 94102. Please contact me if your sangha is experiencing financial hardship.

Branching Streams is continuing to prepare for our online Gathering on May 22^nd. Here is one way you can participate, whether you will be able to attend the event or not:

Branching Streams Flow On

Invitation to submit photos to celebrate our amazing mother… The Earth

Did you spend time in Nature during this past year of social isolation? Did you find the time outdoors nurturing and supportive? Did you take any pictures of your favorite places outside? Is there any image of Nature that is particularly meaningful to you? If so, we would love it if you could send one or a few pictures to create a video to celebrate our Mother the Earth. Please indicate your name and the name of the place where the pictures were taken. Images of outdoor activities with your sangha are also very welcomed.

 We will play the video at our Branching Streams Online Gathering on Saturday, May 22 (9:00 am to 12 noon PDT).  Please save the date. Teresa Bouza will be creating the video for the event. Please send your photos to tbouza@gmail.com. Teresa made a video using images she received from sanghas, which we shared at our December 10,000 Joys and 10,000 Sorrows gathering. Here’s the link in case you missed it.

Jon Voss is resuming the weekly Zoom Clinic on Wednesday April 14^thfrom 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. PDT. You are welcome to share this information with sangha members who are hosting sangha Zoom events including zazen, service, classes, etc. Here is the Zoom link or Meeting ID: 222 402 816, Passcode: 057143.

Here are some current sangha offerings:

Seattle Soto Zen is beginning a Spring practice period including a six-week online class starting April 16^th led by guiding teacher Allison Tait. The class will explore both Dogen Zenji’s text Genjōkōan and Larry Yang’s book Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community. Allison writes, “In Genjōkōan, Dogen Zenji says “Though there are many features in the dusty world and the world beyond conditions, you see and understand only what your eye of practice can reach.” How can we broaden our eye of practice? How can we form communities that nourish us each as individuals?” Here is the link for more information.

Many sanghas are continuing to invite guest teachers to offer series of classes or single talks. Zen Center North Shore in Beverly, MA is featuring a six-week class on the Paramitas taught by Shokuchi Carrigan, who is based in Brooklyn, New York. Here is the link to more information about the class, which began on April 1^st.

Recently All Beings Zen in Washington, DC had a guest speaker, Tilde Carbia from Mid-City Zen in New Orleans. Tilde who spoke about “The Penalty of Death” is a Lay Soto Zen practitioner who has worked with people on death row. She offered a powerful first-person perspective on executions in the United States, according to Inryu Ponce-Barger, the guiding teacher.

I welcome your comments and suggestions about this Newsette and our newly refreshed website.

Thank you for all the ways you support your sanghas and one another.

I have good news to share with you today! Our new website is up and running. Here is the link. We can thank Jon Voss, the SFZC IT staff, and volunteers Bernard Voss-Potts and Pat Yingst for the refreshed look and updated content. Please let me know if you see anything that needs to be corrected.

Branching Streams Flow On – Invitation to submit photos

You and members of your sangha are invited to a Branching Streams Online Gathering, Saturday May 22 from 9a.m. to 12 noon PDT. Please save the date.

Teresa Bouza will be creating a video for the event, using photos of sanghas’ outdoor activities and images of nature. Please send your photos to tbouza@gmail.com. Teresa made a video using images she received from sanghas, which we shared at our December 10,000 Joys and 10,000 Sorrows gathering. Here’s the link in case you missed it.

There will be no Zoom Clinic with Jon Voss this week. He will be back on Wednesday April 14^th.

Celebrating spring and Earth Day – Here are two expressions of spring you may enjoy knowing about:

Mountain Rain Zen Community in Vancouver is offering a creative way of celebrating the new season with a Spring Renga-kai on Saturday, April 17, 1:00-4:00.
Cherry blossom season is here! Please join us for our fifth renga-kai, or “linked-verse gathering”. Renga is a sequence of linked verses, typically created by a group of 2-4 people in a convivial atmosphere. The roots of renga lie deep in the history of Japanese poetry, but the form has survived and evolved through the emergence of haiku and into modern times and other languages. We will learn how to write and share renga in a way that is both grounded in our Zen practice of moment-to-moment awareness, and also accepting and fun! Click here for registration and details.

Austin Zen Center is celebrating Earth Day on Thursday, April 22, 6.45 pm CT All are invited to participate (in person outside, or by Zoom) by offering words of gratitude, intention, and vow regarding our commitment to our Mother the Earth on paper ‘ema’ (plaques),: in-person or online. The paper ‘ema’ will be hung from the great oak in the front yard. The oak tree, which was symbolically ordained in 2014, reminds us of our unfathomable and absolute mutual interconnection with all things, and specifically that our natural world greatly deserves and needs our utmost respect, care, and stewardship. For more information, here’s the link.

Shokuchi Carrigan of Brooklyn Zen Center shared information about a Love Walk/Love Sit in New York City on April 11^th from 3-6 p.m. EDT, sponsored by the Buddhist Council of New York. The walk is in solidarity with the Asian Community in response to recent and past violence toward people of Asian descent.

Wishing you joy on Buddha’s birthday this week, as we are all buddhas, taking our steps toward liberation for all beings.