Calendar

2024 BZC Calendar of Events

Weekly Schedule

Week of Sep 25th

  • Way Seeking Mind Talk: Zachary Sherman

    Way Seeking Mind Talk: Zachary Sherman


    Mon, Sep 25, 2023

    There will be a student talk in the online zendo right after a shorter period of zazen:

    7:30 am: zazen
    8:00 am: way-seeking mind talk

    What is a "way-seeking mind" talk?  See below.

    Way-Seeking Mind at Berkeley Zen Center

    “Way-Seeking Mind” talks by practitioners at Berkeley Zen Center have been a regular event on Monday mornings for more than thirty years. Each of us came to Zen practice as a seeker, with a spirit of inquiry. Each of us arrives at BZC from our own diverse backgrounds—social, familial, educational, religious, and so on. The idea of our way-seeking mind talks is for students to share how it is that they came to practice. Each person tells his or her own story in a unique way that often blends autobiography, spiritual biography, and the practice questions that each of us is engaged with.

    The talks are by invitation, and last about twenty-five minutes, including time for presentation and short question & answer period. For newer students, this is a chance to meet and hear those we are sitting with. Those invited to talk have been sitting steadily at BZC; for them it is an opportunity to tell their story and be seen and heard. One of the teachers or senior students is available for advice in shaping one's talk, should that be useful.

  • Class: What is a Good Life

    Class: What is a Good Life


    Thu, Sep 28, 2023

    Berkeley Zen Center is pleased to host Shaykh Yassir Chadly for a 3-session dialogue with Abbot Hozan about “a good life” in our respective Sufi and Zen traditions.

    Please register at https://forms.gle/WTS5VK9PFNo9PeSz5

    Details

  • Lecture: Ellen Webb

    Lecture: Ellen Webb


    Sat, Sep 30, 2023

    Saturday Morning Schedule

    • Temple cleaning:  7:35 – 8:10 (in person)
    • Zazen:                        8:30 – 9:10
    • Service:                      9:10 – 9:30
    • Kinhin:                       9:30  – 9:40
    • Zazen:                        9:40 – 10:10
    • Kinhin/break         10:10 – 10:15
    • Lecture:                   10:15 – 11:15

     

  • October Beginner's Sesshin

    October Beginner's Sesshin


    Sun, Oct 1, 2023

    Please join us for a special sitting that comes around only twice a year. This is an opportunity for new and old practitioners alike to become intimate with beginner’s mind. The sesshin will be led by Laurie Senauke and Susan Marvin. The focus will be on the basics of Suzuki Roshi's practice: zazen, kinhin, and bowing. New students will receive clear explanations of our sometimes challenging forms, while more experienced students will have a chance to fine-tune their practice.

    Here is the link to register (please be sure to read the details below):

    https://forms.gle/uC7hnTD6p2GfmAtq8

    The sesshin will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, October It will be offered in-person only (no online participation). The rhythm of the day will be similar to our regular sesshins, with shorter periods of zazen and some on-the-spot instructions. Please bring your own bag lunch (or you can purchase a lunch nearby).

    The fee for this day is $15, or whatever you can afford.

    You may pay online, or you can send a check to BZC at:
    Berkeley Zen Center
    1931 Russell Street
    Berkeley, CA 94703
    Attention:  Office Manager, Helen Cheng
    If you have questions, please contact the day's directors, Susan Marvin (lai_hang@yahoo.com) and Laurie Senauke (lauriesenauke@gmail.com).