Sangha Night

In Person with a zoom option - register for updates and zoom links (see registration on monthly series pages below). 

Our Wednesday Sangha Nights are dedicated to supporting anyone wishing to experience and share the benefits of Buddhist practice. We are committed to strengthening the connection between personal practice and positive action in the world around us, and providing a welcoming and safe place for all those who want to participate. You are welcome here.

Our theme for 2024 is Waking up to Imagination

Imagination can bring us closer to awakening, or distract and keep us trapped in conditional views and beliefs. How do we tell the difference? This year we will look at teachings through the ages, from the Pali Canon to the modern day, that help us distinguish between imagination that opens the heart and mind and imagination that perpetuates delusion.

Most evenings are informal and interactive. Introductions are followed by meditation and after the tea break there's usually a talk, workshop or discussion. No particular experience is required, though if you have not meditated before we recommend first attending one of our introductory classes

Most of our practice periods begin with Saluting the 3 Jewels and we sometimes chant the Refuges and Precepts together. 

Suggested donation: $10–$5, or whatever you can afford. If you'd like a brief orientation please arrive before 7pm. 

Sangha Night Classes

Wednesdays 7pm to 9pm, online and in person
Wed, Feb 28, 2024

Knowing Imagination as Imagination

During February and March Prasadachitta will explore the Buddha's teachings on cultivating a clear mind. Our focus will be on understanding cognition as emphasized in the instruction to Bahiya: "In the seen, there is only the seen, in the heard there is only the heard, in the sensed, there is only the sensed, in the cognized, there is only the cognized".  Cognition, in its broadest sense, involves the mental processes of acquiring and comprehending knowledge.
 

Four Approaches to Knowing as It Is:

 

Feb 7 Releasing Fixation:

Anchoring attention to the current moment we will cultivate a heightened sense  of clarity and objectivity.

 

Feb 14 Present-Moment Awareness:

We will observe how our experience manifests within our body, feelings and sense of space, simply attending to their aesthetic quality. 

 

March 6: Non-Judgmental Observation:

We will observe how our experience comes into being within our body feelings and sense of space simply attending to their aesthetic quality 

 

March 13: Inquiry into the Present Moment:

We will engage in mindful inquiry questioning the nature of cognitive experiences. Asking: What is truly present in this moment? How are my thoughts influencing this experience?
 

March 20: Series Conclusion

 
During the remaining weeks of February and March, various Sangha members and Special guests will continue the Imagination theme:

 

Feb 21 Parinirvana Day Celebration

With Shunyamala and Abhayamoksha

 

Feb 28 Special Event - Guest Speaker

Todd, a Mitra from NYC, will talk about his experience visiting the Roma community of Buddhists in Hungary.
 

March 27: Imagining something completely different

With Padmatara

 

Sangha Nights are open to everybody. Our theme for 2024 is Waking up to Imagination.

 

Donations, Attendance, Registration

Donations: We appreciate any donations and suggest a weekly donation of $10 to $5 for Sangha Nights, or you might consider joining our dana program and donating monthly.

For in person attendance: please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here

For online attendance: please register below to receive the 2024 zoom link. The link will stay the same throughout the year - if you lose it just send us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. 

To register enter the amount you wish to pay in the box below, based on the suggested donation of $5 to $10 per week. If you prefer to pay another way, you can enter 0 in the box, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page, otherwise the registration won't work. Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.

It may take up to a day or two to receive the zoom link - thank you for your patience.

Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.  

WEDNESDAYS 7PM TO 9PM, IN PERSON and online
Wed, May 29, 2024

Waking up to the Imagination

April 3: Imagination and the Earth

April 10 and 17: "Playing with the Mind" - Pete

April 24, May 1 and 8: Viveka

May 15:

May 22: Celebrating Buddha Day

May 29: 

DONATIONS, ATTENDANCE, REGISTRATION

Donations: We appreciate any donations and suggest a weekly donation of $10 to $5 for Sangha Nights, or you might consider joining our dana program and donating monthly.

For in person attendance: please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here

For online attendance: please register below to receive the 2024 zoom link. The link will stay the same throughout the year - if you lose it just send us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. 

To register enter the amount you wish to pay in the box below, based on the suggested donation of $5 to $10 per week. If you prefer to pay another way, you can enter 0 in the box, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page, otherwise the registration won't work. Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.

It may take up to a day or two to receive the zoom link - thank you for your patience.

Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.  

Waking up to Imagination
Wed, Jan 31, 2024

WEDNESDAYS 7PM TO 9PM IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM

Our theme for 2024 is Waking up to Imagination.

Imagination can bring us closer to awakening, or distract and keep us trapped in conditional views and beliefs. How do we tell the difference? This year we will look at teachings through the ages, from the Pali Canon to the modern day, that help us distinguish between imagination that opens the heart and mind and imagination that perpetuates delusion.

Our January Rainy Season Retreat, is an opportunity to simplify, dating back to the Buddha's day. Each Wednesday from Jan 10 to 24 we'll gather and read a Sutta from the Pali Canon together, reflecting and imagining how it would be to really apply these teachings to our lives today.  We'll end each evening with meditation and/or chanting. 

January 10: Mokshasi will introduce the theme of Imagination, and we'll read Pingiya's Praises of the Way to Beyond

January 17: The Sallasutta, or Sutta of the Dart (aka the Second Dart or Arrow), with Shunyamala

January 24: The Bāhiya Sutta, (In the seen only the seen... ) with Padmatara

Sangha Nights are open to everybody. During the Rainy Season we also have discussion groups and other events for Order Members and Mitras. (Information here.)

 

January 31: Imagining Peace in Gaza, Israel and beyond - how to have courage in turning towards inner and outer wars. A meditation and talks from sangha members Zue, Jon R and rodashruti.

Donations, Attendance, Registration

Donations: We appreciate any donations and suggest a weekly donation of $10 to $5 for Sangha Nights, or you might consider joining our dana program and donating monthly.

For in person attendance: please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here

For online attendance: please register below to receive the 2024 zoom link. The link will stay the same throughout the year - if you lose it just send us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. 

To register enter the amount you wish to pay in the box below, based on the suggested donation of $5 to $10 per week. If you prefer to pay another way, you can enter 0 in the box, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page, otherwise the registration won't work. Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.

It may take up to a day or two to receive the zoom link - thank you for your patience.

Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.  

The Way of the Bodhisattva
Wed, Dec 20, 2023

WEDNESDAYS 7PM TO 9PM

The last series of our “Pathways to Awakening” theme this year is the Way of the Bodhisattva:  a guide to cultivating the heart/mind of awakening, and to generating the qualities of love, compassion, generosity, and patience.

December 20: Last thoughts and end of year celebration, with Danadasa as host. This week will now be on zoom only! Email or register if you don't have the link. Thanks!

Winter Break: Dec 21 to Jan 10, 2024

For online attendance please register to receive zoom link (you only need to do this once because the link stays the same, but if it ever changes we will send you the new one).

We ask for a donation of $10 to $5 for Sangha Nights, or consider joining our dana program and donating monthly.

To register for zoom, enter the amount you wish to pay in the box below, or if you prefer to pay another way, you can enter 0, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page, otherwise the registration won't work. Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.

It may take up to a day or two to receive the zoom link - thank you for your patience.

Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.*  

Celebrating Sangha
Wed, Nov 29, 2023
WEDNESDAYS 7PM TO 9PM IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM
 
We reverence the Sangha, and aspire to follow it:
The fellowship of those who tread the Way.
As, one by one, we make our own commitment,
An ever-widening circle, the Sangha grows.  
(From the 3 fold puja)
 
November is Sangha Month, a time to reflect on our own commitment to the path while appreciating both the Sangha of awakened beings and the Sangha we create each Wednesday night. Following on from last month's topic of Spiritual Friendship we'll explore the role of Sangha as we deepen our practice and experience the joys and difficulties of our paths. 
 
Nov 1 - A celebration of Día de los muertos - Day of the Dead, and an opportunity to remember together the loved ones we have lost. With Mokshasi and Danadasa
Nov 8 - New commitments: welcoming back a newly ordained sangha member and celebrating new commitments, with Shunyamala, Danadasa and Padmatara
Nov 15 - Sangha Members reflecting on their experience of Sangha (ing)
Nov 22 - No Class
Nov 29 - Sangha Day Celebration
Prasadachitta will share some thoughts on the contribution each of us makes in creating a supportive sangha, and we will especially celebrate two of our long-time Sangha members as they step back from some of their responsibilities: Karunadevi and Danadasa.
 
For in person attendance please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here
 
For online attendance please register to receive zoom link (you only need to do this once because the link stays the same, but if it ever changes we will send you the new one).
 
We ask for a donation of $10 to $5 for Sangha Nights, or consider joining our dana program and donating monthly.
 
To register for zoom, enter the amount you wish to pay in the box below, or if you prefer to pay another way, you can enter 0, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page, otherwise the registration won't work. Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.
It may take up to a day or two to receive the zoom link - thank you for your patience.
 
Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.*  
A Lineage of Spiritual Friendship
Wed, Oct 25, 2023

Wednesdays 7pm to 9pm in person and on zoom

During the month of October, we will explore the meaning of lineage within the context of spiritual friendship. The Buddha said "spiritual friendship is the whole of the spiritual life". The Buddha also said "be an island unto yourself, be your own refuge, having no other". How do we make sense of these seemingly contradictory teachings? Please join us to find out more. 

To mark Indigenous Peoples Day Oct 9, all donations from Sangha Nights this month, and from our Movie Night Oct 8, will go to Friendship House, an Indigenous led Organization in the Mission (15th & Julian off of Mission St), that has been providing services to Native Americans for almost 60 years.

Oct 4 - Join us to celebrate MJ's path to ordination, as she prepares to leave for her ordination ceremony in Mexico, at Chintamani Retreat Center

Oct 11 - Danadasa will explore the meaning of lineage and spiritual friendship

Oct 18 - Viradhamma will share the story of Dr. Ambedkar the the mass Buddhist conversions in India

Oct 25 - Danadasa will speak about some of the teachers who have shaped his journey

For in person attendance please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here

For online attendance please register to receive zoom link (you only need to do this once as the link stays the same, but if it ever changes we will send you the new one).

We ask for a donation of $10 to $5 for Sangha Nights, or consider joining our dana program and donating monthly.

To register for zoom, enter the amount you wish to pay in the box below, or if you prefer to pay another way, you can enter 0, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page, otherwise the registration won't work. Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.

It may take up to a day or two to receive the zoom link - thank you for your patience.

Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.*  

Encounters on the Path: Demons, Dakinis, and Gurus
Wed, Sep 27, 2023

Continuing our 2023 theme: Pathways to Awakening, this month we will share stories of some of the archetypal, mythological, beautiful and scary beings we are likely to encounter on the path, and see what they have to teach us about staying present and waking up.

Sep 6:   Embracing our demons (and allies): the Buddha's journey, with Padmatara

Sep 13:  Milarepa's story, with Viradhamma

Sep 20:  Meeting the Dakinis, with Karunadakini

Sep: 27: Padmasambhava Day Celebration, with Mokshasi

For in person attendance please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here. (No need to register.)

Sangha Night Donations

We suggest $10 to $5 for Sangha Nights. If you'd prefer to pay monthly, ask about our dana program.  

All our teachers are volunteers and any donations we receive go towards keeping our center running so that we can continue to provide a space for practice. 

Registe here to receive zoom link (you only need to do this once - we will update you of any changes). Enter the amount you wish to donate in the box below, and if you prefer to pay another way, you can enter 0, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page, otherwise the registration won't work. Drop us an email if you have any difficulty. It may take up to a day or two to receive the zoom link - thank you for your patience.

Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.*  

Creating your Path
Wed, Aug 30, 2023

Wednesdays 7pm to 9pm

Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar. Pathmaker, there is no path, the path is made by walking. (Antonio Machado)

Continuing our 2023 theme: Pathways to Awakening, this month various Sangha Members will share what they have learned on the paths they have created by "walking" (poetically speaking). Prasadachitta will hold the space and contribute his own reflections. 

Aug 2:  Abhayamoksha has just returned from a three-month ordination retreat in Spain. Let's welcome him back and hear about his journey. 

Aug 9: Vimalamoksha, joining us on a break from Lake County, will share some of his reflections on the progressive yet non-linear nature of the spiral path.

Aug 16: Danadasa

Aug 23: Chiaraaccepting the invitation to practice. With Prasadachitta.

Aug 30: Prasadachitta

For in person attendance please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here

For online attendance please register to receive zoom link (you only need to do this once).

We suggest donations of $10 to $5 for Sangha Nights, but they are always optional and any amount is welcome and helps cover our costs. Enter the amount you wish to donate in the box below, and if you don't wish to donate or prefer to pay another way, you can enter 0, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page, otherwise the registration won't work. Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.

It may take up to a day or two to receive the zoom link - thank you for your patience.

Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.*  

The Path of Commitment
Wed, Jul 26, 2023

Wednesdays 7pm to 9pm

Are you ready to embark on the journey of embracing the groundlessness of life?  Are you ready to consider falling in love with the ever-shifting, never-certain reality of our situation? (Pema Chodron)

Commitment is primary, lifestyle secondary. (Sangharakshita)

Our theme for 2023 is Pathways to Awakening, and this month we will look at commitment as a source of courage in the face of uncertainty and freedom. Within the broader framework of the 3-fold path of Ethics, Meditation and Wisdom, we'll explore the meaning and benefits of these 4 commitments or vows:

July 5:  Non-harm: allowing the precepts of non-harm and kindness to protect the heart/mind and wake us up

July 12: The bodhisattva ideal: practicing care for all beings - the freedom of interconnection and letting go of the illusion of separateness

July 19: Turning towards reality: letting go of holding on, resting in groundlessness

July 26: Meditation: supporting and deepening our commitment through meditation and mantra chanting.

It's important to remember that these commitments are not rules or things we should do: rather they express our natural awareness of interconnection and our longing to get out of our own way. They're what we do when we are not distracted by the uneasiness that comes from our limited, self-referential perspective and we're able to be with what is. 

Mokshasi and Padmatara will lead this series.

To support our commitments we are also offering the following this month: 

Morning Meditations - committing to sitting!  Join us weekday mornings for a 40 minute sit in person throughout July.  

See also Silent Meditation Day - Saturday July 15. More information coming soon. 

For in person attendance please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here if you plan to attend in person. (No need to register.)

For online attendance please register to receive zoom link (you only need to do this once).

We suggest donations of $10 to $5 for Sangha Nights, but they are always optional and any amount is welcome and helps cover our costs. Enter the amount you wish to donate in the box below, and if you don't wish to donate or prefer to pay another way, you can enter 0, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page, otherwise the registration won't work. Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.

It may take up to a day or two to receive the zoom link - thank you for your patience.

Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.*  

Wisdom in Action
Wed, Jun 28, 2023

Wednesdays 7pm to 9pm

June is Buddhist Action Month. Continuing our 2023 Pathways to Awakening theme we will look at ways that Buddhist wisdom can prepare and guide us to take action on issues that are important to us, while staying true to our values and intentions. Through cultivating wise compassion towards ourselves and others, and increasing our awareness of the impact of our actions, perhaps we can participate more fully in the world, becoming more resilient, without losing sensitivity and responsiveness. 

With Prasadachitta, Shunyamala, and friends

Please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here if you plan to attend in person.  

Register for online attendance and to receive updates (no registration required for in person attendance):

We suggest donations of $10 to $5 for Sangha Nights, but they are always optional and any amount is welcome and helps cover our costs. Enter the amount you wish to donate in the box below, and if you don't wish to donate or prefer to pay another way, you can enter 0, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page, otherwise the registration won't work. Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.

It may take up to a day or two to receive the zoom link - thank you for your patience.

Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.*  

The Way of Practice
Wed, May 31, 2023

 

THEME FOR 2023: PATHWAYS TO AWAKENING 

Wednesday Sangha Nights in 2023, 7pm to 9pm. 

This month we begin with a "Buddha Day" Festival on May 3. Danadasa will lead the evening.

Buddhist Festivals usually occur on or near the Full Moon, as this is said to be an especially good time for the Bodhicitta to awaken in collective practice. 

From May 10 through 31 we will consider ways to create conditions for awakening through our practice of ethics, meditation and wisdom, including integration, positive emotion, spiritual death and rebirth or insight, and receptivity. 

May 10: Viradhamma, introduction and Integration

May 17: Shunyamala, Positive Emotion

May 24: Karunadevi, Spiritual Death

May 31: Mokshasi, Spiritual Rebirth and Puja

Please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here if you plan to attend in person.  

Register for online attendance and to receive updates (no registration required for in person attendance):

We suggest donations of $10 to $5 for Sangha Nights, but they are always optional and any amount is welcome and helps cover our costs. Enter the amount you wish to donate in the box below, and if you don't wish to donate or prefer to pay another way, you can enter 0, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page, otherwise the registration won't work. Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.

It may take up to a day or two to receive the zoom link - thank you for your patience.

Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.*  

In Person and Online, Wednesdays, 7pm to 9pm
Wed, Apr 26, 2023

 

THEME FOR 2023: PATHWAYS TO AWAKENING 

Wednesday Sangha Nights in 2023, 7pm to 9pm. 

April 5, 12, 19: Viradhamma

The practices we do at the SFBC are part of a tradition or pathway that has been passed on from generation to generation for the last 2,500 years. Viradhamma will share his thoughts about how the Dharma was passed on, some of the key figures in our lineage, and what it means for us to participate in this tradition. 

The talks are based on Dhardo Rinpoche’s motto

“Cherish the Doctrine, Live United, Radiate Love.”

April 26: Paramananda: The Poetics of Awakening

Paramananda will join us for a celebratory send-off for Brad as he heads for the hills of Spain to be ordained.

DONATIONS:

Please consider making a donation or joining our Dana program to help support our teaching. More information on this page

Registration

We do not currently require registration for our Sangha Night Classes, but please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here if you plan to attend in person.  

For online attendance please join through the link below a few minutes before 7pm.

Zoom link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84923542148?pwd=a0lxZTlTQmNuT05uZkZrTXJlU3lIQT09

Meeting ID: 849 2354 2148. Passcode: Sangha

 

The Buddha's Noble Eight Fold Path
Wed, Mar 29, 2023

Theme for 2023: Pathways to Awakening 

Wednesday Sangha Nights in 2023, 7pm to 9pm. 

The Buddha's Noble 8 fold Path

In February and March we will take a deep look at the Buddha's Noble 8 fold Path, one of the most widely known formulations of the spiritual path found within Buddhism.

Donations

All donations received for Sangha Nights in February will go to Oakland based Returning Citizens Association.  More information here.  How to donate.    

Program

February 1 - Introduction to the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path led by Danadasa

February 8 - Perfect Vision led by Danadasa

February 15 - Perfect Emotion led by Claudia

February 22 - Perfect Speech led by Acarasiddhi

March 1 - Perfect Action led by Acarasiddhi & Nanasiri

March 8 - Perfect Livelihood led by Medhahshri

March 15 - Perfect Effort led by Viradhamma

March 22 - The Promise of a Sacred World - Special Guest Nagapriya from Cuernavaca, Mexico, will talk about the topic of his new book

March 29 - Perfect Awareness and Perfect Samadhi led by Karunadevi

Registration

We do not currently require registration for our Sangha Night Classes, but please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here if you plan to attend in person.  

For online attendance please join through the link below a few minutes before 7pm.

Zoom link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84923542148?pwd=a0lxZTlTQmNuT05uZkZrTXJlU3lIQT09

Meeting ID: 849 2354 2148. Passcode: Sangha

Donations:

Please consider making a donation or joining our Dana program to help support our teaching. More information on this page

Pathways to Awakening
Wed, Jan 25, 2023

PATHWAYS TO AWAKENING

Wednesdays in 2023, 7pm to 9pm. 

Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar. Pathmaker, there is no path, the path is made by walking. (Antonio Machado)

There are as many paths to awakening as there are beings - it's up to us to start walking and let each step reveal itself, until, as some would say, we discover we were already where we wanted to be. Luckily the Buddha gave countless clear instructions to guide us. This year we'll look at some of them together. 

In January we'll begin our exploration with a series on the Anapanasati Sutta, the Buddha's meditation instructions, directing us to discover the nature of reality through gentle attention to our experience. 

Jan 4: Mokshasi will introduce the Sutta

Jan 11: Shunyamala will share her reflections on the second set of verses - feeling/vedana.  There will also be a Mitra Ceremony for Molly and Dylan - marking their personal commitment to practice. 

Jan 18: Prasadachitta will continue with the Heart-Mind/Citta set of verses.

Jan 25: Mokshasi will lead the last night of the series on Wisdom

Here is a link to a series of talks on this Sutta given by Viveka in 2003, still well worth a listen. And here is the Sutta from that same retreat.

Registration

We do not currently require registration for our Sangha Night Classes, but please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here if you plan to attend in person.  

For online attendance please join through the link below a few minutes before 7pm.

Zoom link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84923542148?pwd=a0lxZTlTQmNuT05uZkZrTXJlU3lIQT09

Meeting ID: 849 2354 2148. Passcode: Sangha

Donations: Please consider making a donation or joining our Dana program to help support our teaching. More information on this page

Deepening Practice through Ritual, in Buddhism and in Life (and Death)
Wed, Dec 21, 2022

 

Deepening Practice through Ritual and Honoring our Ancestors

Wednesdays in November and December, 7pm to 9pm. 

In November and December we have been looking at the meaning and role of Ritual and Honoring our Ancestors and Lineage, reflecting on the influence and inspiration of the generosity and wisdom of other beings, in our cultures, sanghas and buddhist traditions.

We began with a celebration of Day of the Dead, and continue with an exploration of buddhist ritual, spiritual rebirth, and the transcendental.

November wss Native American Heritage Month, and our November sangha night benefit raised $750 for Friendship House, an Indigenous led organization in the Mission.   

Read more here.

Nov 2: Celebrating Day of the Dead, Día de Muertos, with Mokshasi.

Nov 9: Sangha Day - celebrating the inspiration and aspirations of Sangha, lineage, and ancestors.  With various Sangha Members. 

Nov 16: Honoring our Ancestors, with Prasadachitta

Nov 23: no class

Nov 30: Spiritual rebirth, with Prasadachitta. The freedom that follows deeper understanding.

Dec 7: Samayashri - our new President, will lead this evening on a topic of her choice.

Dec 14: Prasadachitta will explore the importance of ritual in our tradition, perhaps with a puja. 

Dec 14: Winter Solstice with Danadasa

Dec 28: no class. See Winter Retreat  (now full with a waiting list.)

Registration

We do not currently require registration for our Sangha Night Classes, but please make sure you can agree to our safety requirements listed here if you plan to attend in person.  

For online attendance please join through the link below a few minutes before 7pm.

Zoom link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84923542148?pwd=a0lxZTlTQmNuT05uZkZrTXJlU3lIQT09

Meeting ID: 849 2354 2148. Passcode: Sangha

Donations: Please consider making a donation or joining our Dana program to help support our teaching. More information on this page

Impermanence and Death
Wed, Oct 26, 2022
Wednesdays in October - 7pm to 9pm
Earlier this year we explored the four reminders, important Dharma teachings that remind us of the liberating potential of acknowledging impermanence, the preciousness of life, and the inevitability of death. This month we will go deeper into these important subjects, as Helen and Dayamudra lead us in an exploration that is both practical and dharmic. Please register below.
 
Please note: We will explicitly talk about and visualize death this month. It is likely to be an emotional time. Please be sure you’re up for it. Tissues will be provided. Bring a journal and pen for notes and reflection.
 

Oct 5: Dying Without Regret 

In the Words of Lou Reed,  “We’re gonna have a real good time together!"
To begin our month-long reflection on impermanence, we engage in a practice of embodied meditation and personal reflection on dying with grace. How can we embrace the wonder of each moment, preparing for a death with no regrets? What did the Buddha teach us?
 

Oct 12: Buddhist-inspired Practical Solutions to Living & Dying

An evening to engage with the practicalities of our impermanence: creating a network of support, updating an emergency contact list, and designing files to make life's transitions smoother. Practical solutions will be offered, along with guided periods of individual reflection and opportunities to meditate walking, sitting, and lying down, inspired by the Buddha.
 

Oct 19: Making our Dying Wishes Come True - For ourselves, our families & loved ones

Tonight Dayamudra and Helen explore death from both a Buddhist perspective and a family perspective. Special guest Vimalamoksha will also share the outcome of his two recent near-death experiences.
 

Oct 26: Fungi and the Bardo

With special guest Amy Rathbone
Fungi have long been considered the bridge between light and dark, half-alive and existing between animate and inanimate states. Tonight we take a look at the similarities of fungi in the transitioning state between life and death and how this relates to impermanence from both scientific and Buddhist perspectives. We also explore green/ eco burial alternatives.
 

Bonus Workshop: Saturday November 5, 1pm to 5pm

Let’s have a real good time filling out our Living Will / Advanced Care Directives together!
All materials provided —see link! 5 wishes workshop
 
Registration - please register below to receive the zoom link. You only need to do this once. If you plan to attend in person please check you can agree to our current safety requirements listed here
 
Donations: Please consider making a donation or joining our Dana program to help support our teaching. More information on this page
 
 
TO REGISTER 
Enter the amount you wish to donate in the Event Donation box and click add to cart. Donations of any amount are very much appreciated but always optional - please feel free to enter 0 in the box, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page (otherwise the registration won't work). Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.
Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes. 
Recollecting the Buddha
Wed, Sep 28, 2022

Recollecting the Buddha

Wednesdays in September, 7pm to 8:30pm.  Please register below if this will be your first time at Sangha Night.

Our theme for 2022 is Deepening Practice. In September Paramabodhi is visiting from the UK, and will lead us in some recollections of the Buddha. 

Sep 7: Celebrating our change of chair, hosted by Viveka - see separate page for more information

Sep 14 to 21: Recollecting the Buddha, with Paramabodhi

Sep 14: Going Forth and quest for Enlightenment

Sep 21: Enlightenment and Turning the Wheel of Dharma

Sep 28: Teaching Years and Parinirvana 

Registration - please register below so that we have your information in case of changes to the Sangha Night program or zoom link. You only need to do this once.  

Donations: Please consider making a donation or joining our Dana program to help support our teaching. More information on this page

If you would like to attend in person please check you can agree to our current safety requirements listed here. We will ask you to confirm when you arrive. 

We will still offer the zoom option each week. 

TO REGISTER

Enter the amount you wish to donate in the Event Donation box and click add to cart. Donations of any amount are very much appreciated but always optional - please feel free to enter 0 in the box, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page (otherwise the registration won't work). Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.

Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.*  

What's Love got to do with it?
Wed, Aug 31, 2022

What's Love got to do with it?

Wednesdays in July and August, 7pm to 8:30 on zoom and in person

Pre-registration required

What does love have to do with the 4 noble truths, the 5 hindrances, the 5 or 10 precepts, the 10 fetters, the 6 or 10 perfections, the 8 Worldly Winds .... and other important teachings?  

The answer, of course, is everything, although we're talking here about unconditional love, or Metta/loving-kindness, and not the second hand emotion Tina Turner refers to. We're always in relationship, and the teachings would be meaningless if they didn't address how to relate from love, from the heart, and not simply from our own delusional search for security. 

In July and August we will continue our Deepening Practice theme by exploring key Buddhist Teachings and what they say or imply about love and relationship, with the four Brahma Viharas (Metta/Loving Kindness, Karuna/Compassion, Mudita/Sympathetic Joy, Uppeka/Equanimity) as a framework.  With short talks, discussion, and lots of meditation, together we'll see if we can create a container kind enough to allow a deeper wisdom. 

Resources, Suggestions and Challenge - on this page you'll find further reading, quote sources, suggestions and our Summer challenge. Updated each week.

Wednesdays in July and August, 7pm to 8:30pm. 

July 6: PadmataraDefining Love

July 13: Padmatara: Love and the 5 "hindrances

July 20 and 27: Danadasa

August 3: Mokshasi Love, Impermanence and Surrender

August 10: Viradhamma Infinite Love

August 17: Karunadevi Equanimity and the Broad Band of Awareness — All about love

August 24: Prasadachitta

August 31: Love puja with Brad

Registration - please register below so that we have your information in case of changes to the Sangha Night program or zoom link. You only need to do this once.  

Donations: Please consider making a donation or joining our Dana program to help support our teaching. More information on this page

If you would like to attend in person please check you can agree to our current safety requirements listed here. We will ask you to confirm when you arrive. 

We will still offer the zoom option each week. 

TO REGISTER

Enter the amount you wish to donate in the Event Donation box and click add to cart. Donations of any amount are very much appreciated but always optional - please feel free to enter 0 in the box, but if you do this please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page (otherwise the registration won't work). Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.

Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.*