San Antonio Zen Center

Hello friends,
Here are the scheduling notes for September at SAZC. We invite you to participate as you are able. Our incoming teacher, Karen DeCotis, will be arriving in late October 2024.

Dharma talks:
August 31 Dokan Rick Wadsworth
September 7 Kruba Chris
September 14 Work Day (No Dharma Talk)
September 21 Myoshin Laurie Haley
September 28 Shijun Heather Martin

Classes
*Beginner meditation class is noon-2pm on Saturday, Sept. 7. You can message this page for more information.
*A new 8-week Dharma Inquiry Class begins Tuesday, Aug. 27, from 6:45-7:45 pm and continues through Oct. 15. This class is open to participants at all levels of experience. No registration is required, and there is no requirement to attend every class. Meetings will be in person and on Zoom.
*Wednesday Evening: A Weekly Sutra Reading of the Avatamsaka Sutra, 6:45 – 7:15 PM continues.
Also known as The Flower Ornament Sutra, this text is a classic of the Mahayana tradition. We will read together from a projector screen. Zoom participants are free to join as well. A free PDF copy of the text is also available through the following link:https://terebess.hu/english/Flower-Ornament.pdf

As with all things, this schedule is subject to change.
SAZC is committed to offering the dharma to all, regardless of financial means. SAZC does not charge membership dues or program fees, and exists only through the generosity of its members and benefactors. Your dana, offerings to support SAZC, is vital to fulfilling this commitment. You may make a donation here: www.paypal.me/sanantoniozen

We continue our hybrid zazen offerings. The Zoom link for all periods of zazen and the Tuesday and Wednesday evening programs is available under the "Calendar" page of our website.

San Antonio Zen Center t-shirts are available in sizes small through extra large, and a suggested donation for the shirt is $15.
Weekly Schedule
Monday Morning Zazen:
6:00am - 7:15am

Monday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Tuesday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Wednesday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Thursday Morning Zazen:
6:00 am - 7:15am

Thursday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Saturday Morning Zazen and Dharma talk:
8:15 am - 10:45 am

Interesting story about skillful means! Not without controversy...

Beats for Buddhism: A South Korean DJ spins followers to the faith : State of the World from NPR Like many other countries, South Koreans are turning away from organized religions. But DJ Yoon Seong-ho is using his beats to attract new followers to his Buddhist faith.

Hello friends, the internet at SAZC is currently out, and it’s intermittent in other areas. The Tuesday class will be held in person, but it may not be online if Spectrum remains out over the next couple of hours. Just an FYI. We hope to see you next week if not tonight.

Hello friends, here are some scheduling notes for July. Please note the dates for closure for summer interim especially.

Friday, July 12 to Monday, July 22: SAZC closed for Summer Interim/Tassajara trip
Tuesday, July 23: Schedule resumes
Saturday, July 27: Zenshin Greg Fain gives the Dharma talk

Great news! Thanks to your generosity and support, the travel funds have been raised for Kruba Chris to further his studies in Germany in August.

Classes
Tuesday Evenings: Intro to Dogen Class, 6:45 –7:45pm
This class is taught by Shinchi Linda Galijan and Zenshin Greg Fain introducing students to the teaching of Zen Master Dōgen. On July 2, 9, & 23, we will study Shushogi, the classical distillation of the whole of Dōgen’s teachings.

Wednesday Evenings, 6:45-7:15 pm: the Sutra reading continues of the Avatamsaka Sutra, or Flower Ornament Scripture, translated by Thomas Cleary. We will read together from a projector screen. Zoom participants are free to join as well. A free PDF copy of the text is also available through the following link:https://terebess.hu/english/Flower-Ornament.pdf

As with all things, this schedule is subject to change.
SAZC is committed to offering the dharma to all, regardless of financial means. SAZC does not charge membership dues or program fees, and exists only through the generosity of its members and benefactors. Your dana, offerings to support SAZC, is vital to fulfilling this commitment. You may make a donation here: www.paypal.me/sanantoniozen

We continue our hybrid zazen offerings. The Zoom link for all periods of zazen and the Tuesday and Wednesday evening programs is available under the "Calendar" page of our website.

San Antonio Zen Center t-shirts are available in sizes small through extra large, and a suggested donation for the shirt is $15.
Weekly Schedule
Monday Morning Zazen:
6:00am - 7:15am

Monday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Tuesday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Wednesday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Thursday Morning Zazen:
6:00 am - 7:15am

Thursday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Saturday Morning Zazen and Dharma talk:
8:15 am - 10:45 am

Hello friends,
Our Tuesday and Wednesday Intro to Dogen Class and the Avatamsaka Sutra Class will be postponed next week. Our visiting teachers, Linda and Greg Roshi, will be traveling to Alabama to participate in the Juneteenth celebration at the Legacy Museum and Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama. Classes will resume the following week on June 25 and 26.

Also, we'd like to announce a Forms Class happening Saturday, June 22 at 1:30 PM. This class will be led by Linda and Greg. They will share with us their knowledge about the traditional forms and instruments used during service. They will offer helpful tips about how to use these forms to deepen our practice. Please e-mail [email protected] to sign up.

Hello friends, SAZC would like to help our resident monk Kruba Chris to attend a mindfulness retreat in person in Germany this summer as part of a yearlong course, where he would also get to meet his teacher! Kruba Chris is a tireless helping hand to SAZC, doing everything from opening the door to teaching beginning meditation to keeping the garden going, and we are proud and lucky to have him. If you'd like to support his trip, you can donate at the GoFundMe below, or make a tax-deductible donation to the San Antonio Zen Center earmarked for his travel via the following PayPal link. If you do, please email [email protected] to ensure your contribution is tagged as such:
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/sanantoniozen

https://angelinkweb.page.link/qpaGUacQrisYAUTm6

Costs to attend Mindfulness retreat for Kruba Chris This fundraiser is to allow our friend and fellow sangha member Kruba Chris Ornelas, a resident monk at the San Antonio Zen Center, to attend a Mindfulness Teacher Training Course (MTTC) 5 Day Residential Retreat, August 7-11, 2024, in Waldhaus Zentrum, Germany as part of his yearlong study under te...

Happy Pride from San Antonio Zen! We'd like to share this piece on mindfulness from author and advocate Jay Michaelson today.
"I didn’t start meditating until right after I came out – which, in my case, was relatively late, around age thirty. This can’t be a coincidence. I wonder what it would even have been like to meditate while still lying to everyone I knew – most of all, people closest to me – about something so important to my self-conception, so essential to who I am in the world. Could I have possibly 'sat with' all of that shame, tension, and deceit? I don’t know. I doubt it...
In a sense, then, every moment of mindfulness is a moment of coming out. It’s a small 'yes' to whatever your reality is, whether it’s mundane or terrifying. It’s acknowledging what’s true for you, and doing your best to coexist with it. "

What Does Mindfulness Have to do with Pride Month? — Ten Percent Happier Pride Month is a funny thing. Of course, its main focus is on sexual and gender minorities; folks who don’t fit into the majority’s boxes of male, female, heterosexual, or cisgender. This week, after all, is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion, a crucial turning point in the contempo...

Reminder about our weekly Wednesday evening sutra readings! These are offered online and in person, and no registration or prior experience are required.

You can find the link at sanantoniozen.org/calendar or message this page for more information. The link to the text is found here: Avatamsaka Sutra:
https://terebess.hu/english/Flower-Ornament.pdf

Some mid-month announcements! There are several special events upcoming that we'd like you to know about.

Wednesday April 17: Mindfulness of Breathing for Beginners Class at San Antonio College, 2-3pm. This class will offer basic meditation instruction followed by a guided meditation, led by Kruba Chris. Location: Moody Learning Center, 409, Library Performance Area, San Antonio College
https://alamo.campuslabs.com/engage/event/10068447

Saturday April 20: We will have a workday after regular service, from 10:00 AM till noon. Please come help us take care of the Zen Center. We will be doing much needed spring cleaning and yard work. All volunteers are welcome, and we have tasks big and small. Wear closed-toed shoes and bring gloves if you're open to working outside. We often have newcomers come "try us out" by meeting everyone at workday if they aren't sure about coming to a service, so feel free to just turn up!

Saturday May 4: We will have our monthly beginner class from noon-2pm, but we are also excited to welcome Sinchi Linda Galijan and Zenchin Greg Fain to the San Antonio Zen Center. We will host a Chosan discussion to give Sangha members a chance to meet with them and ask questions.

Sinchi Linda was the former director of Tassajara and President of the San Francisco Zen Center. Greg is a student of Sojun Mel Weitsman, abbott of the Berkeley Zen Center, and trained with him for over twenty years.

They both bring a wealth of experience and we are honored to host them here at the SAZC for the summer.

Upcoming Dharma talks at SAZC include Dokan Rick Wadsworth and Rev. Choro Antonaccio of Austin Zen Center.

Short-eared owl by Numata Kashu, 1885

Reminder that there will be no Saturday service this weekend, April 13, due to the planned sesshin. However, recovery group will be meeting as usual on Friday evening.

Hello friends, here are the scheduling notes for April, 2024.

*Saturday, April 6: Intro to Meditation Class, 12 – 2pm. Feel free to message this page for information.
*Saturday-Sunday, April 13-14: Two day sesshin begins 7:45am on Saturday and from 8:15am-noon on Sunday. The sesshin is full and there is a waiting list to participate, but you can message this page to inquire. It requires prior instruction. Our incoming teacher Karen DeCotis is available for practice discussion at the sesshin and during her visit for the first two weeks of April.

Dharma Talks at San Antonio Zen Center:
April 6, Karen DeCotis;
April 13, Sesshin (no talk);
April 20, Chosan (Group Discussion);
April 27, Dokan Rick Wadsworth
As with all things, this schedule is subject to change.

Most offerings are available via Zoom, and the link and passcode are under the "Calendar" page of our website: www.sanantoniozen.org/calendar

SAZC offers the dharma to all, regardless of financial means.
SAZC does not charge program fees but operates on a dana model, relying solely on individual donations. SAZC could not exist
without your support. Any amount of dana is greatly appreciated
and can be given using this link:
www.paypal.me/sanantoniozen

SAZC t-shirts are available in sizes
small through extra large, and a suggested donation
for the shirt is $15.

Weekly Schedule
Monday Morning Zazen:
6:00am - 7:15am

Monday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Tuesday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Wednesday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Thursday Morning Zazen:
6:00 am - 7:15am

Thursday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Saturday Morning Zazen and Dharma talk:
8:15 am - 10:45 am

Cherry Blossoms, by Utagawa Hiroshige, woodblock print, 1800s

Apologies, friends— we’re having technical difficulties and Zoom will not be available this evening. We hope to have it up and running soon.

TWO-DAY SILENT SESSHIN
From 7:45am on Saturday, April 13, 202406:45
until noon on Sunday, April 14, 2024
The sesshin will be led by incoming guiding teacher Karen DeCotis. It begins at 7:45 am on Saturday with a brief Orientation and runs until 5:00 pm on Saturday, and 8:00 am to noon on Sunday. This event requires previous meditation instruction and registration.

Please sign up in the foyer at SAZC or by emailing [email protected]

The programs of the San Antonio Zen Center are by made possible by donations offered by the members and attendees of the San Antonio Zen Center. We do not charge for our programs, but your donations ensure that we can continue to continue offering the Dharma to the San Antonio community.

Hello sangha,
Our valued member Kruba Chris Bhikku will give a dharma talk on Valentine’s Day at San Antonio College. Kruba Chris Is a compelling speaker adept at expressing compassion In the way he carries himself, but also in words that are accessible even to those new to the study of Buddhism, and we encourage you to go and listen.

“Compassion in Everyday Life -A Dharma Talk"

Wednesday, February 14, 2-3 pm

San Antonio College Library Performance Area - MLC 400

1819 N Main Ave, San Antonio, Texas

Description:
What is compassion? Compassion is a virtue that can transform our lives. A single act of compassion can change feelings of despair and powerlessness into feelings of hope and resilience.

The ability to express compassion is an essential human virtue. How do we bring this power into our everyday lives? This talk will discuss the power of compassion to transform the human heart.

Hello friends,
Here are the scheduling notes for February 2024:
Please note there is no beginner class this month due to the annual meeting. If you need instruction prior to March, we can set up an appointment— just message this page.
Saturday, February 3: Annual Meeting and potluck lunch, 10am. See the Events tab for more information.
Saturday, February 24: Monthly Half-Day Sitting, 8:15am – noon

Dharma talks to be given: Feb. 10, Karen DeCotis; Feb. 17, Gaelyn Godwin Roshi, Abbot, Houston Zen Center; and Feb. 24, Kruba Chris Ornelas

Our incoming teacher Karen DeCotis plans to be in attendance prior to and during evening meditation periods at SAZC Jan. 31-Feb. 8 as well as for three Saturdays, Feb. 3, 10, and 17. If anyone wishes to meet with her, they can message this page or send an email to [email protected]

As with all things, this schedule is subject to change.

SAZC exists only through the generosity of its members and benefactors. Your dana, offerings to support SAZC, is greatly appreciated. Our Treasurer is preparing 2023 donation letters to hand out at the annual meeting. To request a copy of yours, email [email protected] or call 210-239-8842.

We continue our hybrid zazen offerings. The Zoom link for all periods of zazen and the Tuesday and Wednesday evening programs is available under the "Calendar" page of our website.

SAZC offers the dharma to all, regardless of financial means.
SAZC does not charge program fees but operates on a dana model,
relying solely on individual donations. SAZC could not exist
without your support. Any amount of dana is greatly appreciated
and can be given using this link:
www.paypal.me/sanantoniozen

San Antonio Zen Center t-shirts are available in sizes
small through extra large, and a suggested donation
for the shirt is $15.

Hello friends,
Please join us at our annual meeting, 10am on Saturday, February 3rd. Please come even if you are very new to practice -- this meeting is to discuss with the sangha what has gone on in 2023 and what is planned for 2024, but we also want to hear about the needs of our community. Potluck to follow!

Friends, we usually participate in the annual King March, but it is canceled this year for safety reasons. We encourage you to reflect at home. Since injustice continues come rain or shine, so must the practice of realizing awakening for and with all beings.

Martin Luther King, Jr. March Cancelled Due to Icy Road Conditions For the safety of all participants, the City of San Antonio and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission have announced the cancellation of the 2024 Martin Luther King, Jr. March.

Hello friends!
Here is the schedule for January , 2024. The regular schedule resumes Tuesday, January 2, at 5:40 pm.

Saturday, January 6: Beginning Meditation Class, 12 – 2pm. Message this page to sign up or for more information.
Tuesday, January 9: Dhammapada Class resumes, 6:45 – 8:00pm
Wednesday, January 10: Sutra Readings resume, 6:45pm
Saturday, January 20: Monthly Half-Day Sitting, 8:15am – noon
Saturday, January 27: Work Day, 10am - noon

Dharma talks: January 6, Shijun Heather Martin; January 13, Kosen Cuca Montecel, Roshi; January 20, Daiki Sarah Pinnock. As with all things, this schedule is subject to change.

We continue our hybrid zazen offerings. The Zoom link for all periods of zazen and the Wednesday evening sutra reading are available under the "Calendar" page of our website.

SAZC offers the dharma to all, regardless of financial means. We do not charge program fees, operating on a dana model and relying solely on individual donations. SAZC could not exist without your support. Any amount of dana is greatly appreciated
and can be given using this link:
www.paypal.me/sanantoniozen

San Antonio Zen Center t-shirts are available in sizes
small through extra large, and a suggested donation
for the shirt is $15.

Image of Buddha statue taken at San Antonio Museum of Art.

Last night San Antonio Zen Center hosted a New Year's celebration -- we ate together, sat together, and lit a fire to burn the remains of the year's temple incense, as well as papers containing notes of the hindrances we hope to work with and leave behind. Every year, we welcome regular friends as well as newcomers from the wider community, with much gratitude for their presence.

The peace and encouragement of purification by fire is available to all of us, each moment -- we have merely to take a breath with intention. It's simple...but not easy, and we are here for those needing support in the practice.

SAZC would like to offer our hopes for a peaceful year for all beings, in every country of the world. We are thinking of those suffering illness and violence, hearing their voices, which are not separate from Buddha's. There is news of continuing war and natural disaster today as every day, and we remember those who are affected and those who care for them.

2024 is a Year of the Dragon in the 12-year zodiac. Dragons represent water, power, and protection, and we hold those elements in mind as we wish for all beings to be happy and free from suffering in this new year.

Image: Edo period water dragon block print by Hokusai, 1760-1849.

NYE event, Dec. 31, 2023, 7-9pm.
In traditional Zen temples, New Year’s eve is an important time when the sangha and wider community come together and talk about intentions, sit zazen, and conclude the night with the purification of fire.

We will begin the evening with zazen, enjoy a potluck, and end with the fire ceremony where we burn away our hindrances.

All are welcome to join us.

As we approach the solstice this evening, and as the daylight hours become incrementally longer starting tomorrow, San Antonio Zen Center wishes you a safe and peaceful holiday season. Please be reminded that we will be closed for winter interim from Dec. 23-Jan 1, excepting for the New Year's Eve event.

When you see forms or hear sounds fully engaging body-and-mind, you grasp things directly. Unlike things and their reflections in the mirror, and unlike the moon and its reflection in the water, when one side is illuminated the other side is dark.
-- Dogen Zenji, The Genjo Koan

Hello friends, lots of big news for the month of December. Please note especially the dates of the holiday closure, and the stepping down ceremony for our beloved guiding teacher.

*Saturday, December 2: beginning Meditation Class, 12 – 2pm. Please message this page for more information.
*Wednesday, December 6 – Saturday, December 10. Annual Rohatsu Sesshin. Sesshin begins 7:45am on Wednesday and ends at noon on Sunday. Registration is required this event. Please message this page for more information.
*Sunday, December 10: Jukai Ceremony, 3pm
*Saturday, December 16: Stepping Down Ceremony for Zenka Colin Gipson, 11:45am
*Closed for the holiday season from Saturday, December 23 – Saturday, January 1, except for the annual New Year’s Eve gathering at 7 pm on Dec. 31.

Our regular schedule resumes Tuesday, January 2 at 5:40pm.

You can find our regular weekly schedule and the zoom link for all hybrid offerings at SanAntoniozen.org/calendar

Reminder: SAZC will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from Thursday, Nov. 23 through Sunday, Nov. 26. Safe travels and happy holiday wishes to all.

Sun faced Buddha, moon faced Buddha.
Annular solar eclipse at SAZC, 2023.

Hello friends, here are the scheduling notes for October.

*Tuesdays through Nov. 21, Study group on the Dhammapada, led by Kruba Chris Ornelas begins, 6:45 - 8pm. This group meets in person, but is also available online via the zoom information on the calendar page of our website, or see the flyer in the comments below.
*Saturday, October 7: Meditation Class, 12 – 2pm. Message this page for more information, or to sign up.
*Saturday, October 14: Lay Entrustment Ceremony for Dokan Rick Wadsworth, and Myoshin Laurie Haley, 3pm (after the eclipse!)
*Saturday, October 21: Monthly Half-Day Sitting, 8:15am – noon. Message this page to register.

Dharma Talks planned by Zenka Colin Gipson, Myoshin Laurie Haley, Dokan Rick Wadsworth, and Kruba Chris Ornelas

Hello friends,
Here is the schedule for September, in addition to the regular weekly schedule.

Saturday, September 2: Meditation Class, 12 – 2pm
Saturday, September 9: Monthly Half-Day Sitting, 8:15am – noon
Saturday, September 16: Work Day, 10:15am – noon
Saturday, September 23: Forms Class, 12 – 1:30pm

Dharma talks by Zenka Colin Gipson, Daigan Christopher Cruz, Tetsugen Karen Dodwell, and Myoshin Laurie Haley

The schedule and zoom link for all regular zazen and service is on the calendar page of the website: www.sanantoniozen.org/calendar

“Farewell, my old fan.
Having scribbled on it,
What could I do but tear it
At the end of summer?”
~Matsuo Basho, 1644-1694

A reminder that SAZC is closed for summer interim through Sunday, August 13, so there will be no Saturday service today. Or rather, there will be Saturday service everywhere, all at once, but we won’t be gathering together in the zendo to attempt to notice. We encourage you to attempt to notice wherever you happen to be, instead. It’s slightly more difficult, but no less true.

Hello friends, below is the schedule for August, but there are 2 major notifications -- please note the dates we'll be closed for summer interim, and we'd also like to let you know that the info@ email address is currently down. If you have sent an email recently or need to email a question, please message this page or visit the About Us section of the website to email Shijun Heather.

Here are the scheduling notes for August at SAZC:
*Saturday, August 5: Meditation Class, 12 – 2pm
*SAZC closed for Summer Interim, Sunday, August 6 – Sunday, August 13.
*SAZC reopens at 6am, August 14 for morning zazen
*Saturday, August 19: Monthly Half-Day Sitting, 8:15am – noon
*Weekly sutra readings continue Wednesdays at 6:45pm except for Aug. 9.

Dharma talks planned by Shijun Heather Martin and Zenka Colin Gipson.

We continue our hybrid zazen offerings. The Zoom link and passcode are available under the "Calendar" page of our website.

SAZC offers the dharma to all, regardless of financial means.
SAZC does not charge program fees but operates on a dana model,
relying solely on individual donations. SAZC could not exist
without your support. Any amount of dana is greatly appreciated
and can be given using this link:
www.paypal.me/sanantoniozen

San Antonio Zen Center t-shirts are available in sizes
small through extra large, and a suggested donation
for the shirt is $15.

Weekly Schedule
Monday Morning Zazen:
6:00am - 7:15am

Monday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Tuesday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Wednesday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Thursday Morning Zazen:
6:00 am - 7:15am

Thursday Evening Zazen:
5:30pm - 6:15pm

Saturday Morning Zazen and Dharma talk:
8:15 am - 10:45 am

Hello friends, here is the schedule for July, in addition to the regular weekly schedule:

Saturday, July 1: Meditation Class, 12 – 2pm. Message this page for more information or to register.
Wednesday, July 5: Weekly Sutra readings resume with the Surangama Sutra, 6:45pm – 7:15pm
Two-Day Sesshin, Saturday, July 8 – Sunday, July 9. Sesshin begins
7:45am on Saturday, and ends at noon on Sunday. This event requires registration. Message this page for more information or to sign up.
Saturday, July 15: Forms Class, 12 – 1:30pm. Forms can be confusing and unfamiliar to newcomers and old hands alike, but they are an important aspect of practice that supports meditation practice. If you're looking to learn more about when to bow and where to stand, this is for you!
Saturday, July 22: Dharma Talk by Karen DeCotis, Roshi. Lunch and sangha meeting afterwards.

Dharma talks scheduled this month will be by Dokan Rick Wadsworth, Karen DeCotis, and Zenka Colin
Gipson.

We continue our hybrid zazen offerings. The Zoom link can be found on the calendar page of our website: www.sanantoniozen.org/calendar

Below is a detail from one of Hokusai's sketchbooks of the Edo period, in the early 1800s. Although he's best known in the West for his spectacular landscapes of giant waves and Mount Fuji, his sketchbooks are full of detailed botanical, faunal, and architectural renderings.