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San Francisco
Buddhist Center

Bay Area Friends of the Western Buddhist Order

Upcoming Events and Classes

See the calendar for more info about these and other events:

• beginning june 20 - international urban retreat, see special events
• beginning july 1st - our next 6 week level 2 Dharma series: *living ethically* (sangha night)
• tuesday evening introduction to meditation courses begin sep 8 (introductory classes)
• tuesday evening introduction to buddhism courses begin oct 13 (introductory classes)
• our 2009 retreat schedule.
• sfbc talks online

the sfbc space is available to rent.

some interesting links:

buddhist talks/podcasts,
sfstation.com article - sf meditation centers,
fwbo news blog

About the San Francisco Buddhist Center

Located in San Francisco's Mission district since 1994, the SFBC offers a relaxed and friendly place for people who want to participate in a Buddhist community or who want clear, ecumenical instruction about Buddhism and meditation and how they can apply it in their life.

Our community is dedicated to supporting the development of spiritual friendship among those who wish to experience the benefits of Buddhist practice and believe that it can make a constructive contribution to the modern world. A recent article on sfstation.com about meditation centers affirms the SFBC as an unpretentious and friendly place to learn meditation or practice meditation within a community.

Regular Weekly and Monthly Program

Our offerings include the following (start dates listed in the calendar of upcoming events):

• A weekly Thursday evening drop-in introduction to Buddhist meditation (see Introductory Course Descriptions)
• A weekly Thursday evening Hatha yoga class (see Yoga Classes)
• Six-week Tuesday evening courses in Buddhist meditation (4 per year) (see Introductory Course Descriptions)
• Six-week Tuesday evening courses in Buddhism (3 per year) (see Introductory Course Descriptions)
• A regular ongoing class ("Sangha Night") on Wednesday evenings featuring meditation, talks, study and discussion. (see Ongoing Community Class Descriptions)
• A weekly Friday Hatha yoga and Buddhist meditation class.
• Several 2 or 3 day meditation retreats per year with two longer retreats (7-10 days) in June and December. (retreat calendar)
• Daylong meditation retreats and daylong study retreats on weekends.
• Monthly yoga, meditation and dharma talk on the Second Saturday of each month. (see Ongoing Community Class Descriptions)
• Arts events and workshops such as music, film, dance, performance, and writing. (see Buddhist Arts)

About the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order

The SFBC is part of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), an international Buddhist network of public centers, communities, ethical businesses, and social projects. Founded in England in 1968 by Urgyen Sangharakshita, FWBO draws inspiration from the whole of the Buddhist tradition and is based in central teachings that are common to all the main schools. At the heart of the FWBO is the Western Buddhist Order (see What is an Order Member?), made up of men and women from diverse backgrounds who have dedicated their lives to the practice of Buddhism. The FWBO system of practice emphasizes the following spiritual practices in addition to both samatha and vipassana meditation: friendship/sangha, creativity/art, study, and ritual.