Young Urban Zen SF San Francisco Zen Center

Michael McCord: in a world with so much suffering, how can a person (should a person?) be joyful? Is this not taking the cares of the world seriously?  And in the face of so many existential threats (pandemics, climate change, political polarization, wars, etc.) - what is the appropriate way to live a life that is responsible, connected and thriving?
We'll unpack this from the context of Zen Buddhist principles.  Since Buddhism has at its core the concept of "liberation", one shouldn't have to wait until some distant time in the future to exhale and set down the baggage of the world, and find ways to live into mini-liberations all along the way.

Zachary Smith shares a collection of strange Zen stories, including Case 19 of the Blue Cliff Record, about a teacher named Jùzhī with a very eccentric teaching style.

In this week's gathering we will talk about practical application of some of the core Buddhist teachings by bringing inquiry and curiosity to the expectations we hold.

Kodo Conlin: In this brief dharmette, we collapse the gap between audience and speaker and set the stage for intimate exchange about the Zazen.

Michael McCord discusses “things that are broken” and celebrating the way we are.