John King Memorial Altar
built by sangha at San Quentin Prison
A letter read by Rev. Greg Fain in his dharma talk at HSZC
Dear John, Hartford Street Members and Guests:
Through the graciousness of Greg Fain and many others, I am able to be with you and speak these few
words. My name is Mac and I am a member of the San Quentin Buddhadharma Sangha. Approximately a year
ago, I was having a discussion with John about an altar for your garden. From that discussion John
brought me a leaflet from Tassajara, which showed an outside altar. After seeing what was needed, I
offered to make it.
It was suggested (by John) that a donation could be made for this effort. Please understand that that would not be acceptable! It was an honor and a privilege to do this for you. What might have been lacking in craftsmanship, we hope was more than made up for in the love that went into it.
At this time, on behalf of all the Sangha members at San Quentin, I would humbly like to present to you an Outside Altar designed for your garden.
Please accept this, with our love and compassion. Perhaps someday members of our sangha will be able to come and sit zazen in the garden with you.
Editor's note: If you have questions about the San Quentin Buddhadharma Sangha, please contact Rev. Greg Fain at SFZC: 415.863.3136Watch for the announcement of the dedication ceremony for this altar in the upcoming months.
Our Beautiful Zen Garden
By David Bullock
(continued from August 2006 newsletter)
HARTFORD STREET HISTORY
ORIGINAL OWNERS: CABRAL FAMILY
Recollections by Jennifer Birkett and Jeffrey Thomas
Tony Cabral, the grandson of the original owner of 57 Hartford Street and two other family members stopped by one afternoon to see if they could spend a few moments inside the house. Tony's father, who died the week before, grew up in this house. Tony and the family (mostly in Lodi) were bringing his father's ashes back to San Francisco for a memorial service and burial. When they arrived, Jeff was home and Jennifer was in the garden working. They toured the house sharing lots of memories and tears. While walking and talking in the garden, Jen suggested that on Saturday (the day of their memorial) they scatter some of Tony's father's ashes in our garden. Tony accepted the offer, to bring their father "full circle" back home.
15 family members showed up around 11:30am after our Saturday lecture. Tony and the family then made their way into the back garden for a moving memorial. Then Tony spread his father's ashes in the bamboo grove. Afterwards, Tony showed us pictures of the family and shared some of the history of the house.
57 Hartford Street was built in 1880 and owned by Tony's grandfather through the late 1970's. During the 1906 quake, the house on the north side fell down, was leveled, then rebuilt. Tony's grandmother Mimi, apparently stashed lots of cash inside the walls of the house before she died. Myo said its okay to search for treasure during zazen but not be attached to it! Tony's dad's teddy bear is encased in cement on the front walk border to the left of the house facing in. It was placed there when he outgrew the bear.
Tony remembered the back garden as being full of tall weeds and a scary place to play as a child. His father's room was on the top floor, back of house where Alex lives now. His brother had the room across the hall. They played darts sometimes using each other as targets. One time Tony's dad was so full of red marks, his mother Mimi thought he had some terrible contagious disease.
What a beautiful family and what loving memories! Thank you!Gay Men's Buddhist Sangha
By Albert Kaba
The Gay Men's Buddhist Sangha (GMBS) has been in existence since 1999 and practicing at Hartford Street Zen Center for over 2 years. We are deeply grateful to Rev. Myo Lahey and the Hartford Street Zen Center Board of Directors for having invited us to hold our meetings in this beautiful and sacred space.
GMBS respects all traditions and ways of practice. It is the starting point or Dharma gate for many practitioners who we refer to as "Buddhist-curious." Our speakers and topics also reflect the diversity of our Sangha members. On any given Sunday afternoon, you may hear a Vedanta, Vipassana, Theravadan, Tibetan or Zen teacher or perhaps, a medical doctor, psychologist, author or instructor in non-violent communication or yoga. And of course, we often have our own Sangha members sharing their practice, expertise and stories about their spiritual path.
We have a great blessing in that we can draw richly from the Soto Zen tradition and have enjoyed dharma talks from Revs. Myo Lahey, John King, Blanche Hartman, Fu Schroeder, Shinshu Roberts, Jeffrey Schneider, Jana Drakka and Laura Burges, among others.
You may have noticed several women's names in the previous list. Despite the name of our Sangha, we are honored and delighted to have women guests and teachers. All are invited to participate in our Sangha.
Please feel free to drop in and join us some Sunday afternoon. Our current speaker schedule is always posted on the HSZC foyer bulletin board. In gratitude and with bows.
Editor's Note: The Gay Men's Buddhist Sangha meets at HSZC's zendo on Sundays from 3-5 p.m.Dana
Donations are important for us to remain viable and
to continue the work started by Issan Dorsey. Thank
you for your dana (generosity)!
Let's make this our month to clean closets and donate items to Community Thrift (623 Valencia between 17th and 18th Streets) specifying HSZC (Charity Code #155). They accept donations every day from 10am-5pm. For pick-ups, call 861-4910. They accept most items, except computer equipment, encyclopedias, linens and major appliances. Items should work and be in good condition. ARIGATO!!
You can also help by registering your CALA or Ralph's card online at www.ralphs.com (click on community contribution) and specifying Hartford Street Zen Center (NPO #81398). Thank-you again!CORPORATE MATCHING FUNDS PROGRAMS
As employees or retirees of Bank of America or Moody's, your company matches gifts to Hartford
Street, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Sun Microsystems and VISA International also have similar programs.
If you know of other companies with matching funds programs, please let us know. Many thanks and bows.
Saturday Speakers
Upcoming Guest Speakers:We are thrilled that Rev. Daigaku Rumme will be returning to HSZC to give a dharma talk in the near future. Rev. Daigaku is a Westerner who spent twenty-seven years at Hosshin-ji monastery in Japan, studying with the celebrated teacher Harada Sekke-roshi. He now lives in San Francisco and works with the Soto School International Center in Japantown. Check the website or the bulletin boards at HSZC to find out which Saturday he will be here.
Recent Guest Speakers:
Our thanks to Laura Burges for her dharma talk on October 21. Laura is a long-time Zen student, a classroom teacher with S.F. Unified School District, and an experienced Twelve-Step practitioner. Laura's talk - about dying and end-of-life - was, surprisingly, both poignant and filled with humor. Thanks also to Revs. Shinshu Roberts, Jeffrey Schneider and Taigen Leighton for their recent talks.
Opening for Resident Students
Issan-ji, or One Mountain Temple, has residential openings for serious practitioners of Soto Zen. Our daily schedule consists of morning and evening zazen (seated meditation) and chanting services Monday through Friday, and a public Dharma talk in addition to zazen on Saturday mornings. There is also a retreat day on the first Saturday of each month. We have space for four residents in addition to our Practice Leader and are looking for persons who are familiar with the rhythms, responsibilities and ceremonies of temple life, and for whom Zen practice is of paramount importance.We are located one block east of Castro St. in one of the City's busy neighborhoods, so the ability to practice in an actively urban setting is necessary. Ideally, we would like prospective residents to be known to the Sangha already. Failing that, we usually ask for a firm recommendation from a Dharma teacher or mentor of established reputation. Residents are asked to pay tuition to support the temple, and to join voluntarily in the cleaning and upkeep of the practice place. If you would like to apply, please send an email to: hszc108@yahoo.com, or leave us a phone message at (415)-863-2507.
Hartford Street Zen Center is a neighborhood temple in the Soto Zen tradition of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi and the San Francisco Zen Center, and a California non-profit religious organization. The practice is presently under the guidance of Rev. Myo Denis Lahey, who received Dharma Transmission from Rev. Tenshin Anderson in March of 1999.
Daily Schedule and Meditation Instruction
MORNING (Monday-Friday)5:30am-6:10 Zazen - Sitting Meditation
6:10am-6:20 Kinhin - Walking Meditation
6:20am-7:00 Zazen
7:00am-7:20 Chanting (Service)
7:20am-7:35 Soji -Temple Cleaning
EVENING (Monday-Friday)
6:00pm-6:40 Zazen
6:40pm-6:50 Chanting
SATURDAY MORNING
6:30am-7:15 Zazen
7:15am-7:35 Chanting
7:35am-7:55 Soji
[BREAK]
9:10am-9:50 Zazen
10:00am-11:00 Dharma Talk followed by tea and cookies and discussion.
MEDITATION INSTRUCTION
Zazen instruction:
brief form at 8:30am on 2nd and 4th Saturdays - just drop-in;
long form with more detail at 1pm on 3rd Saturdays - by appointment.
SUNDAYS and HOLIDAYS - Closed
Special Events
SEJIKI CEREMONY - Sat. 28 Oct., 10:30 a.m.
This ceremony incorporates the symbolism of a ritual feeding of the "hungry ghosts" (or pretas,
in Sanskrit), beings who, due to overwhelming, obscuring karma, wander the world tormented by
insatiable hunger and thirst. As an act of compassion, we summon these beings to join us in the
meditation hall, where we provide food for them, chant for their well-being, and then invite them
to depart. Costumes are encouraged! Bring noisemaking instruments! Note: This ceremony will take
place following a brief Dharma talk at 10 a.m.
MOVIE NIGHTS:
A group of us got together at HSZC recently to share a
potluck dinner and watch "Fateless," a beautifully made and moving story of a young Hungarian
boy sent to a concentration camp in World War II. A deep gassho to Richard for organizing this
evening of fellowship and entertainment.
One-day retreats are held the first Saturday of each month. Please contact us to register. A dharma talk, open to all - without registration - will be given at 10 a.m. as on every Saturday morning.
Check the outside bulletin board (to the left of the front door) at 57 Hartford St for upcoming movie nights (and other special events).