Robe Sewing
Mar
19
6:45 PM18:45

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 6:45 to 8:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Spring Half Day Sit led by Patrice Monsour and Rev. Rachel Grad
Mar
21
8:30 AM08:30

Spring Half Day Sit led by Patrice Monsour and Rev. Rachel Grad

A half-day sit led by Patrice Monsour and Rev. Rachel Grad

Location: In person and via SCZC Zoom

Leaders: Patrice Monsour and Rev. Rachel Grad

Suitable for all. Come for all or any part, in person or via SCZC Zoom. No need to sign up in advance. Suggested donation is $12 for sustaining members or $15 for others. Just pay whatever you can and talk to the coordinators if you have questions.

Schedule:

8:30-9:10 Zazen
9:10-9:20 Service
9:20-9:35 Kinhin
9:35-10:00 Zazen
10:00-10:10 Talk
10:10-10:30 Kinhin
10:30-11:00 Zazen
11:00-11:15 Kinhin
11:15-11:30 Talk
11:30-11:55 Zazen
11:55-12:00 Refuges

View Event →
Introduction to Zen
Mar
21
1:00 PM13:00

Introduction to Zen

All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

Illustration by Tomi Um.

View Event →
Path to Harmony: Buddha's Precepts
Mar
22
10:00 AM10:00

Path to Harmony: Buddha's Precepts

Sunday mornings, March 8, 15, 22, 29

10am—11:30am

 

The Buddha's ethical teachings are found in the 16 bodhisattva precepts. Not only are they a prescription for harmony and cooperation among people, but are also a path to liberation. 

 

We will be discussing Dogen's fascicle, Do No Evil. We will also learn from lectures by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi on the precepts found in the newest collection of his talks, Becoming Yourself

 

Class participants will find it handy if they own one (not all) of the following books:

    Being Upright, by Tenshin Reb Anderson

    Path with a Heart, by John Daido Loori

    Mind of Clover, by Robert Aitkin

 

Recommended donation for each class is $10 for sustaining members and $13 per class for all others. But it is your participation that is most valuable, so please contribute only what your budget will allow.

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Mar
22
1:00 PM13:00

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 1:00-3:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Zen in Art
Mar
28
1:30 PM13:30

Zen in Art

Meet fellow Zendo creatives and art lovers once a month to explore the intersection of Art & Zen. Let’s support our creative practices in art and life via prompts and exercises offered by Valéria (“Val”) Miranda, inspired by John Daido Loori’s book The Zen of Creativity and Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way.

Val is a long term SCZC practitioner who is an arts administrator and practices dance and visual arts. Please bring a journal with unruled pages or a sketchbook, pencil, and/or pen, and, as an option, art materials such as colored pencils/watercolors/, and images and words cut out from magazines. 

Monthly on Saturdays - 1:30-3 pm in the Sangha Home

View Event →
Path to Harmony: Buddha's Precepts
Mar
29
10:00 AM10:00

Path to Harmony: Buddha's Precepts

Sunday mornings, March 8, 15, 22, 29

10am—11:30am

 

The Buddha's ethical teachings are found in the 16 bodhisattva precepts. Not only are they a prescription for harmony and cooperation among people, but are also a path to liberation. 

 

We will be discussing Dogen's fascicle, Do No Evil. We will also learn from lectures by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi on the precepts found in the newest collection of his talks, Becoming Yourself

 

Class participants will find it handy if they own one (not all) of the following books:

    Being Upright, by Tenshin Reb Anderson

    Path with a Heart, by John Daido Loori

    Mind of Clover, by Robert Aitkin

 

Recommended donation for each class is $10 for sustaining members and $13 per class for all others. But it is your participation that is most valuable, so please contribute only what your budget will allow.

View Event →
Foundations of Practice
Apr
2
6:40 PM18:40

Foundations of Practice

@ 6:40 pm In person at SCZC or on Zoom.

We usually meet one evening a month, 6:40 in-person and on Zoom to study some of the foundational teachings of our Buddhist lineage.

The new book that we are reading for this foundations class is :"The Wholehearted Way, a translation of Eihei Dogen's Bendowa with commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi."

Translated by Shohaku Okumura and Teigen Daniel Leighton








View Event →
Buddha's Birthday Sesshin
Apr
9
to Apr 12

Buddha's Birthday Sesshin

  • Santa Cruz Zen Center (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

We will sit together in the zendo for four days from Thursday, April 9 thru Sunday, April 12 The schedule begins at 5:40am and extends to 8:30pm. Sunday the 12h we end at 2pm, but then celebrate Buddha's Birthday with a ceremony and celebration from 2:30 until 4pm. There will be a Dharma Talk each day (this will be available via Zoom, too), three oryoki meals and a work period.

The suggested donation is $35/day for members and $40/day for non-members.  But your participation is what we value the most, so please contribute only what your budget will allow.

Please see the sesshin daily schedule here.

View Event →
Zen Listening Circles
Apr
9
5:00 PM17:00

Zen Listening Circles

In our Zen Meditation, we practice listening without judgment to our own sometimes diverging thoughts and feelings. Given our new government in the White House, these listening skills come in handy and can be put to good use in order for us and others to not succumb to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Holding up common values, such as treating each other humanely and with dignity and goodwill, are the voices that need to be heard more than ever.

Therefore, we are creating a space for people to be heard, and to listen to others--hoping that more clear, powerful and effective communication and action will arise.

 As Zen practitioners, it is important to acknowledge that nobody is left out and that nobody is outside the system. We are all part of the same wonderful universe and planet, even though right now, it very much seems like we represent different sides of one coin.

The listening Circles are happening begin at 5 pm. People are encouraged to stay for Zazen, which it starts at 6 pm. The format will consist of both small group and larger group non-judgemental listening sessions. In the Sangha Home, 2nd Thursdays - confirm on calendar.

View Event →
Earth Care Practice Group
Apr
14
12:00 PM12:00

Earth Care Practice Group

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Apr
16
6:45 PM18:45

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 6:45 to 8:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Introduction to Zen
Apr
18
1:00 PM13:00

Introduction to Zen

All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

Illustration by Tomi Um.

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Apr
19
1:00 PM13:00

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 1:00-3:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely
Apr
19
4:30 PM16:30

Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

View Event →
Zen in Art
Apr
25
1:30 PM13:30

Zen in Art

Meet fellow Zendo creatives and art lovers once a month to explore the intersection of Art & Zen. Let’s support our creative practices in art and life via prompts and exercises offered by Valéria (“Val”) Miranda, inspired by John Daido Loori’s book The Zen of Creativity and Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way.

Val is a long term SCZC practitioner who is an arts administrator and practices dance and visual arts. Please bring a journal with unruled pages or a sketchbook, pencil, and/or pen, and, as an option, art materials such as colored pencils/watercolors/, and images and words cut out from magazines. 

Monthly on Saturdays - 1:30-3 pm in the Sangha Home

View Event →
Ben Connolly Workshop
May
2
9:30 AM09:30

Ben Connolly Workshop

Ben Connelly workshop - Flower Garden Buddhism: Interdependence, Social Engagement, and Abundance

Huayan Buddhism arose in the sixth century in China rooted in the Mahayana Flower Garland (Huayan) Sutra. Huayan is relational, practical, and positive. Its emphasis on interdependence, celebration of the sensual world, and diversity of people and practices has much to offer during this era when many folks see ever-deepening divisions.

 

Ben will illustrate the teachings with stories and lessons from his recent involvement with an array of nonviolent community responses to the violence ICE brought to his hometown Minneapolis over the last few months.

 

For this special event we ask a donation of $50. We ask that you register in advance.

View Event →
Earth Care Practice Group
May
12
12:00 PM12:00

Earth Care Practice Group

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

View Event →
Zen Listening Circles
May
14
5:00 PM17:00

Zen Listening Circles

In our Zen Meditation, we practice listening without judgment to our own sometimes diverging thoughts and feelings. Given our new government in the White House, these listening skills come in handy and can be put to good use in order for us and others to not succumb to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Holding up common values, such as treating each other humanely and with dignity and goodwill, are the voices that need to be heard more than ever.

Therefore, we are creating a space for people to be heard, and to listen to others--hoping that more clear, powerful and effective communication and action will arise.

 As Zen practitioners, it is important to acknowledge that nobody is left out and that nobody is outside the system. We are all part of the same wonderful universe and planet, even though right now, it very much seems like we represent different sides of one coin.

The listening Circles are happening begin at 5 pm. People are encouraged to stay for Zazen, which it starts at 6 pm. The format will consist of both small group and larger group non-judgemental listening sessions. In the Sangha Home, 2nd Thursdays - confirm on calendar.

View Event →
Foundations of Practice
May
14
6:40 PM18:40

Foundations of Practice

@ 6:40 pm In person at SCZC or on Zoom.

We usually meet one evening a month, 6:40 in-person and on Zoom to study some of the foundational teachings of our Buddhist lineage.

The new book that we are reading for this foundations class is :"The Wholehearted Way, a translation of Eihei Dogen's Bendowa with commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi."

Translated by Shohaku Okumura and Teigen Daniel Leighton








View Event →
Introduction to Zen
May
16
1:00 PM13:00

Introduction to Zen

All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

Illustration by Tomi Um.

View Event →
Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely
May
17
4:30 PM16:30

Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

View Event →
Robe Sewing
May
21
6:45 PM18:45

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 6:45 to 8:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Zen in Art
May
23
1:30 PM13:30

Zen in Art

Meet fellow Zendo creatives and art lovers once a month to explore the intersection of Art & Zen. Let’s support our creative practices in art and life via prompts and exercises offered by Valéria (“Val”) Miranda, inspired by John Daido Loori’s book The Zen of Creativity and Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way.

Val is a long term SCZC practitioner who is an arts administrator and practices dance and visual arts. Please bring a journal with unruled pages or a sketchbook, pencil, and/or pen, and, as an option, art materials such as colored pencils/watercolors/, and images and words cut out from magazines. 

Monthly on Saturdays - 1:30-3 pm in the Sangha Home

View Event →
Robe Sewing
May
24
1:00 PM13:00

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 1:00-3:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Earth Care Practice Group
Jun
9
12:00 PM12:00

Earth Care Practice Group

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

View Event →
Zen Listening Circles
Jun
11
5:00 PM17:00

Zen Listening Circles

In our Zen Meditation, we practice listening without judgment to our own sometimes diverging thoughts and feelings. Given our new government in the White House, these listening skills come in handy and can be put to good use in order for us and others to not succumb to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Holding up common values, such as treating each other humanely and with dignity and goodwill, are the voices that need to be heard more than ever.

Therefore, we are creating a space for people to be heard, and to listen to others--hoping that more clear, powerful and effective communication and action will arise.

 As Zen practitioners, it is important to acknowledge that nobody is left out and that nobody is outside the system. We are all part of the same wonderful universe and planet, even though right now, it very much seems like we represent different sides of one coin.

The listening Circles are happening begin at 5 pm. People are encouraged to stay for Zazen, which it starts at 6 pm. The format will consist of both small group and larger group non-judgemental listening sessions. In the Sangha Home, 2nd Thursdays - confirm on calendar.

View Event →
Foundations of Buddhism
Jun
11
6:40 PM18:40

Foundations of Buddhism


@ 6:40 pm In person at SCZC or on Zoom.

We usually meet one evening a month, 6:40 in-person and on Zoom to study some of the foundational teachings of our Buddhist lineage.

The new book that we are reading for this foundations class is :"The Wholehearted Way, a translation of Eihei Dogen's Bendowa with commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi."

Translated by Shohaku Okumura and Teigen Daniel Leighton








View Event →
Robe Sewing
Jun
18
6:45 PM18:45

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 6:45 to 8:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Introduction to Zen
Jun
20
1:00 PM13:00

Introduction to Zen

All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

Illustration by Tomi Um.

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Jun
21
1:00 PM13:00

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 1:00-3:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely
Jun
21
4:30 PM16:30

Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

View Event →
Zen in Art
Jun
27
1:30 PM13:30

Zen in Art

Meet fellow Zendo creatives and art lovers once a month to explore the intersection of Art & Zen. Let’s support our creative practices in art and life via prompts and exercises offered by Valéria (“Val”) Miranda, inspired by John Daido Loori’s book The Zen of Creativity and Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way.

Val is a long term SCZC practitioner who is an arts administrator and practices dance and visual arts. Please bring a journal with unruled pages or a sketchbook, pencil, and/or pen, and, as an option, art materials such as colored pencils/watercolors/, and images and words cut out from magazines. 

Monthly on Saturdays - 1:30-3 pm in the Sangha Home

View Event →
Foundations of Buddhism
Jul
2
6:40 PM18:40

Foundations of Buddhism


@ 6:40 pm In person at SCZC or on Zoom.

We usually meet one evening a month, 6:40 in-person and on Zoom to study some of the foundational teachings of our Buddhist lineage.

The new book that we are reading for this foundations class is :"The Wholehearted Way, a translation of Eihei Dogen's Bendowa with commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi."

Translated by Shohaku Okumura and Teigen Daniel Leighton








View Event →
Zen Listening Circles
Jul
9
5:00 PM17:00

Zen Listening Circles

In our Zen Meditation, we practice listening without judgment to our own sometimes diverging thoughts and feelings. Given our new government in the White House, these listening skills come in handy and can be put to good use in order for us and others to not succumb to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Holding up common values, such as treating each other humanely and with dignity and goodwill, are the voices that need to be heard more than ever.

Therefore, we are creating a space for people to be heard, and to listen to others--hoping that more clear, powerful and effective communication and action will arise.

 As Zen practitioners, it is important to acknowledge that nobody is left out and that nobody is outside the system. We are all part of the same wonderful universe and planet, even though right now, it very much seems like we represent different sides of one coin.

The listening Circles are happening begin at 5 pm. People are encouraged to stay for Zazen, which it starts at 6 pm. The format will consist of both small group and larger group non-judgemental listening sessions. In the Sangha Home, 2nd Thursdays - confirm on calendar.

View Event →
Earth Care Practice Group
Jul
14
12:00 PM12:00

Earth Care Practice Group

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Jul
16
6:45 PM18:45

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 6:45 to 8:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Introduction to Zen
Jul
18
1:00 PM13:00

Introduction to Zen

All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

Illustration by Tomi Um.

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Jul
19
1:00 PM13:00

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 1:00-3:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely
Jul
19
4:30 PM16:30

Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

View Event →
Zen in Art
Jul
25
1:30 PM13:30

Zen in Art

Meet fellow Zendo creatives and art lovers once a month to explore the intersection of Art & Zen. Let’s support our creative practices in art and life via prompts and exercises offered by Valéria (“Val”) Miranda, inspired by John Daido Loori’s book The Zen of Creativity and Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way.

Val is a long term SCZC practitioner who is an arts administrator and practices dance and visual arts. Please bring a journal with unruled pages or a sketchbook, pencil, and/or pen, and, as an option, art materials such as colored pencils/watercolors/, and images and words cut out from magazines. 

Monthly on Saturdays - 1:30-3 pm in the Sangha Home

View Event →
Earth Care Practice Group
Aug
11
12:00 PM12:00

Earth Care Practice Group

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

View Event →
Zen Listening Circles
Aug
13
5:00 PM17:00

Zen Listening Circles

In our Zen Meditation, we practice listening without judgment to our own sometimes diverging thoughts and feelings. Given our new government in the White House, these listening skills come in handy and can be put to good use in order for us and others to not succumb to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Holding up common values, such as treating each other humanely and with dignity and goodwill, are the voices that need to be heard more than ever.

Therefore, we are creating a space for people to be heard, and to listen to others--hoping that more clear, powerful and effective communication and action will arise.

 As Zen practitioners, it is important to acknowledge that nobody is left out and that nobody is outside the system. We are all part of the same wonderful universe and planet, even though right now, it very much seems like we represent different sides of one coin.

The listening Circles are happening begin at 5 pm. People are encouraged to stay for Zazen, which it starts at 6 pm. The format will consist of both small group and larger group non-judgemental listening sessions. In the Sangha Home, 2nd Thursdays - confirm on calendar.

View Event →
Foundations of Buddhism
Aug
13
6:40 PM18:40

Foundations of Buddhism


@ 6:40 pm In person at SCZC or on Zoom.

We usually meet one evening a month, 6:40 in-person and on Zoom to study some of the foundational teachings of our Buddhist lineage.

The new book that we are reading for this foundations class is :"The Wholehearted Way, a translation of Eihei Dogen's Bendowa with commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi."

Translated by Shohaku Okumura and Teigen Daniel Leighton








View Event →
Introduction to Zen
Aug
15
1:00 PM13:00

Introduction to Zen

All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

Illustration by Tomi Um.

View Event →
Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely
Aug
16
4:30 PM16:30

Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Aug
20
6:45 PM18:45

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 6:45 to 8:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Zen in Art
Aug
22
1:30 PM13:30

Zen in Art

Meet fellow Zendo creatives and art lovers once a month to explore the intersection of Art & Zen. Let’s support our creative practices in art and life via prompts and exercises offered by Valéria (“Val”) Miranda, inspired by John Daido Loori’s book The Zen of Creativity and Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way.

Val is a long term SCZC practitioner who is an arts administrator and practices dance and visual arts. Please bring a journal with unruled pages or a sketchbook, pencil, and/or pen, and, as an option, art materials such as colored pencils/watercolors/, and images and words cut out from magazines. 

Monthly on Saturdays - 1:30-3 pm in the Sangha Home

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Aug
23
1:00 PM13:00

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 1:00-3:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Earth Care Practice Group
Sep
8
12:00 PM12:00

Earth Care Practice Group

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

View Event →
Zen Listening Circles
Sep
10
5:00 PM17:00

Zen Listening Circles

In our Zen Meditation, we practice listening without judgment to our own sometimes diverging thoughts and feelings. Given our new government in the White House, these listening skills come in handy and can be put to good use in order for us and others to not succumb to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Holding up common values, such as treating each other humanely and with dignity and goodwill, are the voices that need to be heard more than ever.

Therefore, we are creating a space for people to be heard, and to listen to others--hoping that more clear, powerful and effective communication and action will arise.

 As Zen practitioners, it is important to acknowledge that nobody is left out and that nobody is outside the system. We are all part of the same wonderful universe and planet, even though right now, it very much seems like we represent different sides of one coin.

The listening Circles are happening begin at 5 pm. People are encouraged to stay for Zazen, which it starts at 6 pm. The format will consist of both small group and larger group non-judgemental listening sessions. In the Sangha Home, 2nd Thursdays - confirm on calendar.

View Event →
Foundations of Practice
Sep
10
6:40 PM18:40

Foundations of Practice

@ 6:40 pm In person at SCZC or on Zoom.

We usually meet one evening a month, 6:40 in-person and on Zoom to study some of the foundational teachings of our Buddhist lineage.

We are studying the Diamond Sutra this year. We'll examine Thich Nhat Hanh's commentary, the Diamond that Cuts Through Delusion. Katherine Roshi used this book in a class she taught in the mid '90s. I still have my underlined copy! On the internet I see many used book sites that sell it for less than $10 and here is a pdf version online as well.

The Sutra is divided into 32 short chapters, some of the chapters are just a few sentences long.








View Event →
Robe Sewing
Sep
17
6:45 PM18:45

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 6:45 to 8:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Introduction to Zen
Sep
19
1:00 PM13:00

Introduction to Zen

All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

Illustration by Tomi Um.

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Sep
20
1:00 PM13:00

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 1:00-3:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely
Sep
20
4:30 PM16:30

Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

View Event →
Zen in Art
Sep
26
1:30 PM13:30

Zen in Art

Meet fellow Zendo creatives and art lovers once a month to explore the intersection of Art & Zen. Let’s support our creative practices in art and life via prompts and exercises offered by Valéria (“Val”) Miranda, inspired by John Daido Loori’s book The Zen of Creativity and Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way.

Val is a long term SCZC practitioner who is an arts administrator and practices dance and visual arts. Please bring a journal with unruled pages or a sketchbook, pencil, and/or pen, and, as an option, art materials such as colored pencils/watercolors/, and images and words cut out from magazines. 

Monthly on Saturdays - 1:30-3 pm in the Sangha Home

View Event →
Foundations of Buddhism
Oct
1
6:40 PM18:40

Foundations of Buddhism


@ 6:40 pm In person at SCZC or on Zoom.

We usually meet one evening a month, 6:40 in-person and on Zoom to study some of the foundational teachings of our Buddhist lineage.

The new book that we are reading for this foundations class is :"The Wholehearted Way, a translation of Eihei Dogen's Bendowa with commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi."

Translated by Shohaku Okumura and Teigen Daniel Leighton








View Event →
Zen Listening Circles
Oct
8
5:00 PM17:00

Zen Listening Circles

In our Zen Meditation, we practice listening without judgment to our own sometimes diverging thoughts and feelings. Given our new government in the White House, these listening skills come in handy and can be put to good use in order for us and others to not succumb to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Holding up common values, such as treating each other humanely and with dignity and goodwill, are the voices that need to be heard more than ever.

Therefore, we are creating a space for people to be heard, and to listen to others--hoping that more clear, powerful and effective communication and action will arise.

 As Zen practitioners, it is important to acknowledge that nobody is left out and that nobody is outside the system. We are all part of the same wonderful universe and planet, even though right now, it very much seems like we represent different sides of one coin.

The listening Circles are happening begin at 5 pm. People are encouraged to stay for Zazen, which it starts at 6 pm. The format will consist of both small group and larger group non-judgemental listening sessions. In the Sangha Home, 2nd Thursdays - confirm on calendar.

View Event →
Introduction to Zen
Oct
10
1:00 PM13:00

Introduction to Zen

All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

Illustration by Tomi Um.

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Oct
11
6:45 PM18:45

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 6:45 to 8:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Earth Care Practice Group
Oct
13
12:00 PM12:00

Earth Care Practice Group

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Oct
15
1:00 PM13:00

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 1:00-3:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Introduction to Zen
Oct
17
1:00 PM13:00

Introduction to Zen

All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

Illustration by Tomi Um.

View Event →
Zen in Art
Oct
24
1:30 PM13:30

Zen in Art

Meet fellow Zendo creatives and art lovers once a month to explore the intersection of Art & Zen. Let’s support our creative practices in art and life via prompts and exercises offered by Valéria (“Val”) Miranda, inspired by John Daido Loori’s book The Zen of Creativity and Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way.

Val is a long term SCZC practitioner who is an arts administrator and practices dance and visual arts. Please bring a journal with unruled pages or a sketchbook, pencil, and/or pen, and, as an option, art materials such as colored pencils/watercolors/, and images and words cut out from magazines. 

Monthly on Saturdays - 1:30-3 pm in the Sangha Home

View Event →
Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely
Oct
25
4:30 PM16:30

Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

View Event →
Earth Care Practice Group
Nov
10
12:00 PM12:00

Earth Care Practice Group

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

View Event →
Zen Listening Circles
Nov
12
5:00 PM17:00

Zen Listening Circles

In our Zen Meditation, we practice listening without judgment to our own sometimes diverging thoughts and feelings. Given our new government in the White House, these listening skills come in handy and can be put to good use in order for us and others to not succumb to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Holding up common values, such as treating each other humanely and with dignity and goodwill, are the voices that need to be heard more than ever.

Therefore, we are creating a space for people to be heard, and to listen to others--hoping that more clear, powerful and effective communication and action will arise.

 As Zen practitioners, it is important to acknowledge that nobody is left out and that nobody is outside the system. We are all part of the same wonderful universe and planet, even though right now, it very much seems like we represent different sides of one coin.

The listening Circles are happening begin at 5 pm. People are encouraged to stay for Zazen, which it starts at 6 pm. The format will consist of both small group and larger group non-judgemental listening sessions. In the Sangha Home, 2nd Thursdays - confirm on calendar.

View Event →
Foundations of Buddhism
Nov
12
6:40 PM18:40

Foundations of Buddhism

@ 6:40 pm In person at SCZC or on Zoom.

We usually meet one evening a month, 6:40 in-person and on Zoom to study some of the foundational teachings of our Buddhist lineage.

We are studying the Diamond Sutra this year. We'll examine Thich Nhat Hanh's commentary, the Diamond that Cuts Through Delusion. Katherine Roshi used this book in a class she taught in the mid '90s. I still have my underlined copy! On the internet I see many used book sites that sell it for less than $10 and here is a pdf version online as well.

The Sutra is divided into 32 short chapters, some of the chapters are just a few sentences long.








View Event →
Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely
Nov
15
4:30 PM16:30

Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Nov
19
6:45 PM18:45

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 6:45 to 8:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Introduction to Zen
Nov
21
1:00 PM13:00

Introduction to Zen

All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

Illustration by Tomi Um.

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Nov
22
1:00 PM13:00

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 1:00-3:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Zen in Art
Nov
28
1:30 PM13:30

Zen in Art

Meet fellow Zendo creatives and art lovers once a month to explore the intersection of Art & Zen. Let’s support our creative practices in art and life via prompts and exercises offered by Valéria (“Val”) Miranda, inspired by John Daido Loori’s book The Zen of Creativity and Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way.

Val is a long term SCZC practitioner who is an arts administrator and practices dance and visual arts. Please bring a journal with unruled pages or a sketchbook, pencil, and/or pen, and, as an option, art materials such as colored pencils/watercolors/, and images and words cut out from magazines. 

Monthly on Saturdays - 1:30-3 pm in the Sangha Home

View Event →
Zen Listening Circles
Dec
10
5:00 PM17:00

Zen Listening Circles

In our Zen Meditation, we practice listening without judgment to our own sometimes diverging thoughts and feelings. Given our new government in the White House, these listening skills come in handy and can be put to good use in order for us and others to not succumb to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Holding up common values, such as treating each other humanely and with dignity and goodwill, are the voices that need to be heard more than ever.

Therefore, we are creating a space for people to be heard, and to listen to others--hoping that more clear, powerful and effective communication and action will arise.

 As Zen practitioners, it is important to acknowledge that nobody is left out and that nobody is outside the system. We are all part of the same wonderful universe and planet, even though right now, it very much seems like we represent different sides of one coin.

The listening Circles are happening begin at 5 pm. People are encouraged to stay for Zazen, which it starts at 6 pm. The format will consist of both small group and larger group non-judgemental listening sessions. In the Sangha Home, 2nd Thursdays - confirm on calendar.

View Event →
Foundations of Buddhism
Dec
10
6:40 PM18:40

Foundations of Buddhism


@ 6:40 pm In person at SCZC or on Zoom.

We usually meet one evening a month, 6:40 in-person and on Zoom to study some of the foundational teachings of our Buddhist lineage.

The new book that we are reading for this foundations class is :"The Wholehearted Way, a translation of Eihei Dogen's Bendowa with commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi."

Translated by Shohaku Okumura and Teigen Daniel Leighton








View Event →
Robe Sewing
Dec
17
6:45 PM18:45

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 6:45 to 8:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Introduction to Zen
Dec
19
1:00 PM13:00

Introduction to Zen

All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

Illustration by Tomi Um.

View Event →

Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely
Mar
15
4:30 PM16:30

Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

View Event →
Path to Harmony: Buddha's Precepts
Mar
15
10:00 AM10:00

Path to Harmony: Buddha's Precepts

Sunday mornings, March 8, 15, 22, 29

10am—11:30am

 

The Buddha's ethical teachings are found in the 16 bodhisattva precepts. Not only are they a prescription for harmony and cooperation among people, but are also a path to liberation. 

 

We will be discussing Dogen's fascicle, Do No Evil. We will also learn from lectures by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi on the precepts found in the newest collection of his talks, Becoming Yourself

 

Class participants will find it handy if they own one (not all) of the following books:

    Being Upright, by Tenshin Reb Anderson

    Path with a Heart, by John Daido Loori

    Mind of Clover, by Robert Aitkin

 

Recommended donation for each class is $10 for sustaining members and $13 per class for all others. But it is your participation that is most valuable, so please contribute only what your budget will allow.

View Event →
Mar
12
6:40 PM18:40

Foundations of Practice

@ 6:40 pm In person at SCZC or on Zoom.

We usually meet one evening a month, 6:40 in-person and on Zoom to study some of the foundational teachings of our Buddhist lineage.

The new book that we are reading for this foundations class is :"The Wholehearted Way, a translation of Eihei Dogen's Bendowa with commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi."

Translated by Shohaku Okumura and Teigen Daniel Leighton

View Event →
Zen Listening Circles
Mar
12
5:00 PM17:00

Zen Listening Circles

In our Zen Meditation, we practice listening without judgment to our own sometimes diverging thoughts and feelings. Given our new government in the White House, these listening skills come in handy and can be put to good use in order for us and others to not succumb to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Holding up common values, such as treating each other humanely and with dignity and goodwill, are the voices that need to be heard more than ever.

Therefore, we are creating a space for people to be heard, and to listen to others--hoping that more clear, powerful and effective communication and action will arise.

 As Zen practitioners, it is important to acknowledge that nobody is left out and that nobody is outside the system. We are all part of the same wonderful universe and planet, even though right now, it very much seems like we represent different sides of one coin.

The listening Circles are happening begin at 5 pm. People are encouraged to stay for Zazen, which it starts at 6 pm. The format will consist of both small group and larger group non-judgemental listening sessions. In the Sangha Home, 2nd Thursdays - confirm on calendar.

View Event →
Earth Care Practice Group
Mar
10
12:00 PM12:00

Earth Care Practice Group

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

View Event →
Path to Harmony: Buddha's Precepts
Mar
8
10:00 AM10:00

Path to Harmony: Buddha's Precepts

Sunday mornings, March 8, 15, 22, 29

10am—11:30am

 

The Buddha's ethical teachings are found in the 16 bodhisattva precepts. Not only are they a prescription for harmony and cooperation among people, but are also a path to liberation. 

 

We will be discussing Dogen's fascicle, Do No Evil. We will also learn from lectures by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi on the precepts found in the newest collection of his talks, Becoming Yourself

 

Class participants will find it handy if they own one (not all) of the following books:

    Being Upright, by Tenshin Reb Anderson

    Path with a Heart, by John Daido Loori

    Mind of Clover, by Robert Aitkin

 

Recommended donation for each class is $10 for sustaining members and $13 per class for all others. But it is your participation that is most valuable, so please contribute only what your budget will allow.

View Event →
Parinirvana Sesshin
Feb
27
to Mar 1

Parinirvana Sesshin

  • Santa Cruz Zen Center (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

This three day sesshin will give us the opportunity to settle into our True Self, which is actually the Whole World. Daily lectures will focus on cultivating harmony within this World/Self complex.

Sesshin consists of meditation, oryoki meals, work practice and lectures. Please sign up for a minimum of two consecutive days. We will end on the last day with lunch, and then enact the Parinirvana Ceremony along with the larger Santa Cruz Zen Center Sangha.

Fees are $35/day for Sustaining Members or $40/day for all others. But it is your participation that is most valuable, so please donate only what your budget will allow.

Please see the sesshin daily schedule here.

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Feb
22
1:00 PM13:00

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 1:00-3:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Zen in Art
Feb
21
1:30 PM13:30

Zen in Art

Meet fellow Zendo creatives and art lovers once a month to explore the intersection of Art & Zen. Let’s support our creative practices in art and life via prompts and exercises offered by Valéria (“Val”) Miranda, inspired by John Daido Loori’s book The Zen of Creativity and Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way.

Val is a long term SCZC practitioner who is an arts administrator and practices dance and visual arts. Please bring a journal with unruled pages or a sketchbook, pencil, and/or pen, and, as an option, art materials such as colored pencils/watercolors/, and images and words cut out from magazines. 

Monthly on Saturdays - 1:30-3 pm in the Sangha Home

View Event →
Introduction to Zen
Feb
21
1:00 PM13:00

Introduction to Zen

All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

Illustration by Tomi Um.

View Event →
Robe Sewing
Feb
19
6:45 PM18:45

Robe Sewing

Sewing Buddha’s Robe

Led by Rev. Gene Bush

@ 6:45 to 8:00 pm

Anybody who is sewing a rakusu with the permission of their teacher is welcome to sew with us. Please come for instruction or community. Participation by those who need to sew an envelope, repair an old rakusu or robe, or wish to sew a robe as a gift, is also encouraged.

More Information

Contact Rev. Gene Bush

View Event →
Jukai
Feb
15
1:45 PM13:45

Jukai

Please join us on Sunday, February 15, for Jukai— a lay ordination ceremony.


Rev. Patrick Teverbaugh, Mugai Onryu, will offer the precepts to Michael Kaplan and Shakti Bell.
Rev. Cathy Toldi, Myoka Ganman, will offer the precepts to Terry Butler, from the Hollister sangha. 

The ceremony will begin at 2:00 pm, followed by a reception.


Please arrive by 1:45.


All are welcome!

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Foundations of Buddhism
Feb
12
6:40 PM18:40

Foundations of Buddhism

@ 6:40 pm In person at SCZC or on Zoom.

We usually meet one evening a month, 6:40 in-person and on Zoom to study some of the foundational teachings of our Buddhist lineage.

The new book that we are reading for this foundations class is :"The Wholehearted Way, a translation of Eihei Dogen's Bendowa with commentary by Kosho Uchiyama Roshi."

Translated by Shohaku Okumura and Teigen Daniel Leighton

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Zen Listening Circles
Feb
12
5:00 PM17:00

Zen Listening Circles

In our Zen Meditation, we practice listening without judgment to our own sometimes diverging thoughts and feelings. Given our new government in the White House, these listening skills come in handy and can be put to good use in order for us and others to not succumb to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Holding up common values, such as treating each other humanely and with dignity and goodwill, are the voices that need to be heard more than ever.

Therefore, we are creating a space for people to be heard, and to listen to others--hoping that more clear, powerful and effective communication and action will arise.

 As Zen practitioners, it is important to acknowledge that nobody is left out and that nobody is outside the system. We are all part of the same wonderful universe and planet, even though right now, it very much seems like we represent different sides of one coin.

The listening Circles are happening begin at 5 pm. People are encouraged to stay for Zazen, which it starts at 6 pm. The format will consist of both small group and larger group non-judgemental listening sessions. In the Sangha Home, 2nd Thursdays - confirm on calendar.

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Earth Care Practice Group
Feb
10
12:00 PM12:00

Earth Care Practice Group

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

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Full Moon of SH’VAT
Feb
1
4:00 PM16:00

Full Moon of SH’VAT

FULL MOON OF SH’VAT

Celebrating the Tree of Life 

Sunday, February 1st

From the mystical Tree of Life to 

Climate change awareness and action,

Tu Bishvat, the "New Year of the Trees,"

is a time to bridge our reverence for nature and spirituality

through our relationship with trees.  

This year, we share this sacred time with friends of many traditions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4:00 pm - “Seder” ~ Interfaith Teachings & Songs 

5:30 pm - Vegetarian Potluck

at Chadeish Yameinu Jewish Renewal 

239 High Street, Santa Cruz

[rsvp to rsvp@CYSantaCruz.com]

  Co-sponsored by Chadeish Yameinu Jewish Renewal, 

Santa Cruz Zen Center, and the Dayenu Interfaith Climate Action Circle

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Zen in Art
Jan
24
1:30 PM13:30

Zen in Art

Meet fellow Zendo creatives and art lovers once a month to explore the intersection of Art & Zen. Let’s support our creative practices in art and life via prompts and exercises offered by Valéria (“Val”) Miranda, inspired by John Daido Loori’s book The Zen of Creativity and Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way.

Val is a long term SCZC practitioner who is an arts administrator and practices dance and visual arts. Please bring a journal with unruled pages or a sketchbook, pencil, and/or pen, and, as an option, art materials such as colored pencils/watercolors/, and images and words cut out from magazines. 

Monthly on Saturdays - 1:30-3 pm in the Sangha Home

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Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely
Jan
18
4:30 PM16:30

Aging Openly, Honestly, and Wisely

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

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