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 22nd. 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 14thfrom 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 16th 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 1st.
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.