All posts by BZC News

BZC President Notes Board Transitions

As we begin the New Year, on behalf of the BZC Board I’m pleased to welcome recently elected Jed Appelman to the Board of Directors. Stepping down after serving one term is Troy DuFrene. Troy has been the implementer of BZC’s electronic voting system, which has greatly streamlined the election process, and he is also a member of the party planning committee for our upcoming 50th Anniversary celebration. We thank Troy for his valuable work on the board.

Celebrating Martin Luther King Day at BZC

We will be commemorating the MLK holiday this year by having a special program at BZC on Monday, January 16, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Instead of our usual early morning sitting we will have a sitting at 8:30 for 40 minutes, followed by a short dharma talk. Prior to this day we will do some outreach to our neighborhood and invite residents to participate in the morning discussion. We will then have a period of Dharma dialog which will involve small group discussion about the ways in which BZC can reach out to our neighborhood in constructive ways and more effectively promote diversity in the sangha. After this we will have tea and social time. Some of us will then set up a table in the front yard and invite people to create messages to hang on the tree to commemorate loved ones harmed by violence and hatred.

For further information and to get involved with this effort, contact Gerry Oliva at gryoliva@gmail.com.

Celebrating 50 Years of Berkeley Zen Center!

We need your help. As part of the 50th Anniversary celebration we are taking a long look back at BZC’s history to remember and share its remarkable journey from its beginnings on Dwight Way to its subsequent decades on Russell Street, with its unique blend of lay and priest sangha, residents and home-dwellers.

We plan to create a 50-years-of-memories book, and we would appreciate participation of as many people as possible. Do you have a story, photos, or reflections to share about the various aspects of practice at BZC over all these years? If you have digital versions of photos, that would be ideal, but we also can arrange to scan hard copies.

Please send texts or photos to Mary Duryee (maduryee@earthlink.net) or Andrea Thach (andrea.thach@gmail.com) or by snail mail to them at BZC.

Thank you, and see you at the party on September 30, 2017!

February Study Sesshin

There will be a two-day sesshin on February 11 – 12. The doshi and reading will be announced; please check the bulletin board for details. On Saturday, February 11, we will sit from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with a lecture in the morning and a study period in the afternoon. On Sunday, February 12, we will sit from 5:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and have two study periods. We encourage old and new sangha members to participate. Please sign up on the patio bulletin board by Wednesday, February 8, after morning zazen. If this is your first sesshin at BZC, we recommend that you first participate in a full Saturday program and also speak with the sesshin director. The fee is $35 per day and should be paid in advance (a discounted fee is possible for those in need; please speak to the director). Leave checks marked “Study Sesshin” in the mail slot in the courtyard laundry room door or mail them to the BZC Office Manager, 1931 Russell St., Berkeley, CA 94703. If you have any questions, contact the sesshin director, Ken Powelson, at SesshinDirectorBZC@gmail.com.

First Sesshin of 2017

Taking the time to sit still after all the holiday and year-end activity is a great way to begin the New Year. The first sesshin of 2017 will take place on Saturday, January 14, from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. We encourage old and new sangha members to participate. If this is your first sesshin at BZC, we recommend that you first participate in a full Saturday program and also speak with the sesshin director, Ken Powelson. Please check the patio bulletin board for the sesshin sign-up sheet, the sesshin information forms, and further information. The sesshin fee is $35 (a discounted fee is possible for those in need; please speak to the director). Place checks marked “January 14th Sesshin” in the slot in the courtyard laundry room door or mail them to the BZC Office Manager, 1931 Russell St., Berkeley, CA 94703.

The deadline for sign-up and payment is Wednesday, January 11, after morning zazen. If you have questions, contact the sesshin director at SesshinDirectorBZC@gmail.com.

Have a Cup of Tea with Ross Blum

Ross will conduct an orientation to the World of Tea as he inherited it from the teachers at Peet’s during his 25 year tenure. Along with the oral presentation and a Q&A, we’ll taste a range of teas whereby you will leave appreciating the myriad subtleties of this centuries old beverage—the most popular one on the planet second only to water.

Donation: $30 per person

Sign up on the bulletin board or by emailing Mary Beth Lamb. mbethlamb@gmail.com

Vallejo Zen Center’s Jazz and Garden Party

It is that time of year again. We are offering our fundraiser party at 607 Branciforte St., Vallejo.

Great jazz, food, drink, door prizes, silent auction and a grand raffle of dinner for two at Greens.

(Need not be present to win the raffle.)

Raffle/doorprize chances are $5 per chance or $20 for five chances.

Admission for adults is $15 per person. Kids under 12 free.

You can purchase tickets from Ko Blix or Steve Treagus at BZC.

Changing Hands

This month we report a huge transition in roles at Berkeley Zen Center. After several years in the position as coordinator, Leslie Bartholic is stepping down. Leslie brought a thoughtfulness, attention to detail, and equanimity to this responsibility that would have made Shakymuni smile. Fortunately for us, the Cal Ripken (or Lou Gehrig, if you prefer) of BZC, Ross Blum is taking over.  Innumerable gasshos to them both.

We offer our thanks to Ross as well for serving as Head Doan for the past year and a half. Paul Ridgway will be stepping into this position.

Paul has been our Art Coordinator for several years now. He has cared for and displayed the art pieces you see in the zendo and in the community room. We are grateful for his service and welcome Alexandra Frappier to this position.

Stephanie Seaborg has been our Head Chiden for the past two and a half years, with Jeanne Courtney assisting this year. We thank them both for their devotion to this practice. They have been overseeing the care of our altars on a day to day basis as well as for our ceremonies. We welcome Alexandra Frappier to this position.

Marie Hopper has been our newsletter distributor for the past two years. She’s been responsible for making sure the newsletters get addressed, stamped and mailed, as well as distributed at BZC. We’re very grateful for her service and welcome Heather Burns to this position.

And finally, Greg Denny is passing newsletter editor duties to the very capable Ken Knabb.

One-day Sesshin

Sojun Mel Weitsman will lead a one-day sesshin on Saturday, August 20th, from 5 am–9 pm. We encourage old and new sangha members to participate. Please sign up on the patio bulletin board by Wednesday morning, August 17th after zazen. If this is your first sesshin at BZC, we recommend that you first participate in a full Saturday program and also speak with the sesshin director. The fee is $35 per day and should be paid in advance (a discounted fee is possible for those in need; please speak to the director). Leave checks marked “August sesshin” in the mail slot in the courtyard laundry room door or mail to the BZC Office Manager at 1931 Russell St., Berkeley 94703.

For those attending for the first time you will need to fill out a Sesshin Information Sheet to let us know of health problems, food allergies, or physical problems requiring accommodation. Please request this by contacting the sesshin director.

You can contact the sesshin director, Gary Artim, at gartim@gmail.com or (510) 676-9756.

Board Party Fundraiser – Save the Date

Please join us for Berkeley Zen Center’s annual fundraising party Saturday, September 24th. Food, Music, and Fun!  Raffle tickets will be on sale in August  – there will be numerous prizes, including a $150.00 gift certificate to REI and to Chez Panisse. All funds raised are to support the Building Fund. Look for more details in the September Newsletter.