My Calendar

Mon, Jul 6, 2020

Way-Seeking Mind Talk: Yoni Ackerman

Way-Seeking Mind Talk: Yoni Ackerman


Mon, Jul 6, 2020

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.

Class: A Closely Watched Mind

Class: A Closely Watched Mind


Mon, Jul 6, 2020

An Online Class on the Eight Consciousness Model of the Mind-Only School of Buddhism

Led by Hozan Alan Senauke, held in the Online Zendo 

Four Mondays  from 7 to 8:15pm, beginning June 29

Open registration

Class Materials:

Class Overview

Vasubandhu's 30 Verses - Cook

Suggested donation $30, or what you can afford

The Yogacara or Mind-Only School of Mahayana Buddhism represents foundational teachings of the Zen School. While the philosophical aspects of Yogacara are complex, at heart it is Buddhist psychology, a map of the way our minds work, allowing for transformation from delusion to enlightenment. In these classes we will touch on basic Yogacara principles, particularly the “Eight Consciousnesses” model, and how it is useful in meditation and in regulating and harmonizing our lives. Newer and older members are welcome to participate, we’ll move at a moderate pace, incorporating dialogue so one can see the utility of these teachings. For class materials, please contact Hannah Meara <hmeara@gmail.com>

Donations by check to BZC or by BZC’s Paypal link using the Classes tab: https://berkeleyzencenter.org/support-bzc/

If you have questions about the class, please contact Hozan Sensei at asenauke@gmail.com.