Calendar

2024 BZC Calendar of Events

Weekly Schedule

Events in January 2022

  • Zendo Holiday - Informal Zazen Only

    Zendo Holiday - Informal Zazen Only


    Sat, Jan 1, 2022

  • Open Discussion

    Open Discussion


    Mon, Jan 3, 2022

    There will be an open discussion in the online zendo right after a shorter period of zazen:

    7:30 am: zazen

    8:00 am: open discussion

  • Wednesday Night Drop In Sitting and Study

    Wednesday Night Drop In Sitting and Study


    Wed, Jan 5, 2022

  • Sojun Roshi Annual Memorial

    Sojun Roshi Annual Memorial


    Fri, Jan 7, 2022

    On Friday morning, January 7, at 7:30 a.m. we will observe the one-year memorial for our late teacher Hakuryu Sojun Daiosho. This first annual memorial ceremony will follow the form of our annual Suzuki Roshi Memorial, which takes place on December 4.

    The simple form is ten minutes of zazen, bowing, making an offering, and chanting the Sandokai. Following that, Abbot Hozan will offer memorial verses, and all members present (on Zoom) will have an opportunity to speak to or about Sojun Roshi, or just to bow in respect.

    In time, we will offer an in-person formal memorial ceremony for Sojun. As you know, the field of Sojun Roshi’s teaching and the number of people who felt close to him is vast. Because of pandemic restrictions, we have not been able to find a space that could accommo­date the numbers who will want to attend such a ceremony. We have been in touch with the abbots of San Francisco Zen Center and the staff at Green Gulch, and we are thinking about when and how to do this safely. Mean­while, we hope to see you on January 7.

    Way-Seeking Mind Talk: Mauro Sifuentes

    Way-Seeking Mind Talk: Mauro Sifuentes


    Fri, Jan 7, 2022

    There will be a way-seeking mind talk in the online zendo at the time of the usual Friday afternoon zazen:

    5:40 pm: zazen
    5:45: talk

    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.

  • Lecture: Hozan Alan Senauke

    Lecture: Hozan Alan Senauke


    Sat, Jan 8, 2022

    Saturday Program Link (ie, Online Zendo)
        • Zendo opens:       8:30 am
        • Zazen:                      8:40 – 9:20
        • Service:                   9:20 – 9:30
        • Kinhin/break       9:30  – 9:40
        • Zazen:                      9:40 – 10:10
        • Lecture:                  10:15 – 11:15

    Meeting ID: 657 798 2914
    Passcode: bzc

  • Online Informal Tea with the Abbot

    Online Informal Tea with the Abbot


    Sun, Jan 9, 2022

    Beginning on Sunday, January 9, 7:00‒8:00 p.m., Abbot Hozan will resume offering small informal “tea gatherings.” If you are interested in participating, please email Hannah Meara: hmeara@gmail.com.

     

  • Way-Seeking Mind Talk: Nick Robinson

    Way-Seeking Mind Talk: Nick Robinson


    Mon, Jan 10, 2022

    There will be a Zoom 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.

  • Wednesday Night Drop In Sitting and Study

    Wednesday Night Drop In Sitting and Study


    Wed, Jan 12, 2022

    Parent/Guardian Dharma Study and Support Group

    Parent/Guardian Dharma Study and Support Group


    Wed, Jan 12, 2022

    New in 2022!  We're launching an online parent dharma group (to become in person with childcare when Covid allows). The idea is for us to support each other in holding and growing our parenting as an expression of practice. The theme for our first meeting is Taking Refuge in Buddha.

    We will meet on the 2nd Wednesdays at 8 pm. I am convening the group, and it will include visits by other BZC practice leaders.
    Upcoming meetings:

    May 11
    Note - NO MEETING June 8

    Note that this meeting will not be in the main Online Zendo, but in the room where we offer Zazen Instruction - link is on the website below the Online Zendo link on the home page, and will be sent to those who let me know they are coming.

    If interested in joining us, or for more information, email Laurie Senauke (lauriesenauke@gmail.com)

  • Class on the Three Doors of Liberation

    Class on the Three Doors of Liberation


    Thu, Jan 13, 2022

    Class on the Three Doors of Liberation

    Hozan will offer a four-session online study on this classic teaching—the Three Doors of Liberation—on Thursday evenings, 7:15 to 8:45, January 13 through February 3.

    Zen Master Yoka Genkaku’s Shodoka/Song of Enlightenment begins with this verse:

    There is the leisurely one,
    Walking the Way, beyond philosophy,
    Not avoiding fantasy, not seeking truth.
    The real nature of ignorance is the Buddha-nature itself;
    The empty delusory body is the very body of the Dharma.

    These Zen verses remind us of the Three Doors of Liberation: Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness. While we have never studied these practices in detail, Sojun gave a rich lecture on them towards the end of his life. They feature prominently in the teaching of Thich Nhat Hanh and others in Theravada and Mahayana lineages. More to the point, the Three Doors of Liberation help us see the whole of our life as practice that is easeful, fluid, and ever-changing. Please join us for these classes, which will include study and reflection on our own embodiment of freedom.

    The suggested donation is $40 for the series (or $10 per class).  You may donate by check or via the website.  If you donate using the website, click on Sits/Classes (under the Generosity tab) and please include a note indicating that you are paying for "Hozan's Thursday class".

    Resource Links:

    https://www.lionsroar.com/the-doors-of-liberation-may-2014/

    https://berkeleyzencenter.org/dharma-talk/sojun-mel-weitsman-three-doors-of-liberation/

  • One-Day Sesshin

    One-Day Sesshin


    Sat, Jan 15, 2022

    Abbot Hozan will lead our first two sesshins of the year on Saturday, January 15, and on Saturday, February 19. The January sesshin will be on Zoom and will take place from 7:40 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The February sesshin’s format is yet to be determined. Taking the time to gather body and mind after holiday and year-end activities is a sound way to begin the new year. We encourage sangha members and friends to participate.

    Sign up here: https://forms.gle/Tq8dryQYXubswxzC7

    If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the sesshin director, Blake Tolbert, at sesshin@berkeleyzencenter.org.

    When paying for either sesshin, please indicate on your check or in the PayPal note field that your donation is for the “January Sesshin.” The suggested donation is $15 for each sesshin, or whatever you can afford. Mail a check to BZC Office Manager, 1931 Russell St., Berkeley, CA 94703, or pay through the website using the “Sits/Classes” tab on the Donate page. Please consider a donation to Berkeley Zen Center above the suggested fee to help us maintain our practice.

     

     

    Lecture: Hozan Alan Senauke

    Lecture: Hozan Alan Senauke


    Sat, Jan 15, 2022

    Saturday Program Link (ie, Online Zendo)
        • Zendo opens:       8:30 am
        • Zazen:                      8:40 – 9:20
        • Service:                   9:20 – 9:30
        • Kinhin/break       9:30  – 9:40
        • Zazen:                      9:40 – 10:10
        • Lecture:                  10:15 – 11:15

    Meeting ID: 657 798 2914
    Passcode: bzc

  • Martin Luther King, Jr Neighborhood Engagement

    Martin Luther King, Jr Neighborhood Engagement


    Mon, Jan 17, 2022

    On January 17 we will be commemorating the MLK holiday again this year by having a special program at BZC. On Zoom, we will have a 7:30 a.m. zazen period followed by a short talk by Hozan on the legacy and Dharma of Dr. King. We will then have the opportunity to reflect on these themes and explore ways BZC can engage in partnership with our neighbors on issues of diversity and inclusion. This part of the program will end by 8:45.

    This will be followed at 9:30 by an in-person community service project where we can assist in the upkeep of our neighborhood, particularly focusing, as we have in the past, on the often neglected end of our block. We’ll let our neighbors know of our plans and they are welcome to join if they wish. Details to follow.

  • Wednesday Night Drop In Sitting and Study

    Wednesday Night Drop In Sitting and Study


    Wed, Jan 19, 2022

  • Class on the Three Doors of Liberation

    Class on the Three Doors of Liberation


    Thu, Jan 20, 2022

    Class on the Three Doors of Liberation

    Hozan will offer a four-session online study on this classic teaching—the Three Doors of Liberation—on Thursday evenings, 7:15 to 8:45, January 13 through February 3.

    Zen Master Yoka Genkaku’s Shodoka/Song of Enlightenment begins with this verse:

    There is the leisurely one,
    Walking the Way, beyond philosophy,
    Not avoiding fantasy, not seeking truth.
    The real nature of ignorance is the Buddha-nature itself;
    The empty delusory body is the very body of the Dharma.

    These Zen verses remind us of the Three Doors of Liberation: Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness. While we have never studied these practices in detail, Sojun gave a rich lecture on them towards the end of his life. They feature prominently in the teaching of Thich Nhat Hanh and others in Theravada and Mahayana lineages. More to the point, the Three Doors of Liberation help us see the whole of our life as practice that is easeful, fluid, and ever-changing. Please join us for these classes, which will include study and reflection on our own embodiment of freedom.

    The suggested donation is $40 for the series (or $10 per class).  You may donate by check or via the website.  If you donate using the website, click on Sits/Classes (under the Generosity tab) and please include a note indicating that you are paying for "Hozan's Thursday class".

    Resource Links:

    https://www.lionsroar.com/the-doors-of-liberation-may-2014/

    https://berkeleyzencenter.org/dharma-talk/sojun-mel-weitsman-three-doors-of-liberation/

  • Lecture: Hannah Meara

    Lecture: Hannah Meara


    Sat, Jan 22, 2022

    Saturday Program Link (ie, Online Zendo)
        • Zendo opens:       8:30 am
        • Zazen:                      8:40 – 9:20
        • Service:                   9:20 – 9:30
        • Kinhin/break       9:30  – 9:40
        • Zazen:                      9:40 – 10:10
        • Lecture:                  10:15 – 11:15

    Meeting ID: 657 798 2914
    Passcode: bzc

  • Gardening Afternoon

    Gardening Afternoon


    Sun, Jan 23, 2022

    f you are fully vaccinated, please join head gardener Mira Queen for time working in the BZC gardens. January is a time for weeding, some pruning, raking up leaves, and general cleanup.
    We share dharma friendship, snacks, and the delight of maintaining our temple grounds.
    All Sangha Gathering About Re-opening

    All Sangha Gathering About Re-opening


    Sun, Jan 23, 2022

    There will be an All Sangha Meeting on Sunday, January 23 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. to discuss the reopening of BZC to in-person activities.
    As the omnicron virus spread is currently rising, the BZC leadership continues to monitor the date of reopening. Please join us!
  • Way-Seeking Mind Talk: Jim Erb

    Way-Seeking Mind Talk: Jim Erb


    Mon, Jan 24, 2022

    There will be a Zoom 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.

  • Wednesday Night Drop In Sitting and Study

    Wednesday Night Drop In Sitting and Study


    Wed, Jan 26, 2022

  • Class on the Three Doors of Liberation

    Class on the Three Doors of Liberation


    Thu, Jan 27, 2022

    Class on the Three Doors of Liberation

    Hozan will offer a four-session online study on this classic teaching—the Three Doors of Liberation—on Thursday evenings, 7:15 to 8:45, January 13 through February 3.

    Zen Master Yoka Genkaku’s Shodoka/Song of Enlightenment begins with this verse:

    There is the leisurely one,
    Walking the Way, beyond philosophy,
    Not avoiding fantasy, not seeking truth.
    The real nature of ignorance is the Buddha-nature itself;
    The empty delusory body is the very body of the Dharma.

    These Zen verses remind us of the Three Doors of Liberation: Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness. While we have never studied these practices in detail, Sojun gave a rich lecture on them towards the end of his life. They feature prominently in the teaching of Thich Nhat Hanh and others in Theravada and Mahayana lineages. More to the point, the Three Doors of Liberation help us see the whole of our life as practice that is easeful, fluid, and ever-changing. Please join us for these classes, which will include study and reflection on our own embodiment of freedom.

    The suggested donation is $40 for the series (or $10 per class).  You may donate by check or via the website.  If you donate using the website, click on Sits/Classes (under the Generosity tab) and please include a note indicating that you are paying for "Hozan's Thursday class".

    Resource Links:

    https://www.lionsroar.com/the-doors-of-liberation-may-2014/

    https://berkeleyzencenter.org/dharma-talk/sojun-mel-weitsman-three-doors-of-liberation/

  • Lecture: Ryushin Andrea Thach

    Lecture: Ryushin Andrea Thach


    Sat, Jan 29, 2022

    Saturday Program Link (ie, Online Zendo)
        • Zendo opens:       8:30 am
        • Zazen:                      8:40 – 9:20
        • Service:                   9:20 – 9:30
        • Kinhin/break       9:30  – 9:40
        • Zazen:                      9:40 – 10:10
        • Lecture:                  10:15 – 11:15

    Meeting ID: 657 798 2914
    Passcode: bzc

  • Way-Seeking Mind Talk: Dean Bradley

    Way-Seeking Mind Talk: Dean Bradley


    Mon, Jan 31, 2022

    There will be a Zoom 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.