Special Events

Occasional courses, workshops, retreats, arts and special interest events. 

Special Events

New 4 week Course, in person, April 30 to May 21
Tue, Apr 30, 2024

Four Tuesday evenings, April 30 to May 21, 7pm to 9pm, with Padmatara

 

This course brings the wisdom of the body to the practice of mindfulness. Practicing sitting and walking meditation along with the gentle movements of Qigong calms the nervous system so that our daily life begins to flow with more mindfulness, kindness and ease. 

 

The forms of sitting and walking meditation we will practice come from the buddhist tradition, including the Mindfulness of Breathing, Metta Bhavana (Cultivation of Loving Kindness), Natural Mindfulness, Somatic energy awareness. Each practice encourages our natural ability to be present and brings us into a more relaxed relationship with ourselves and other beings. 

 

The forms of moving meditation we’ll learn come from Qigong (chee-gong), a healing practice dating back to ancient China. Qi is usually translated as vital life force or energy or vibration, and gong is cultivation or exchange. Qigong keeps our energy flowing, prevents stagnation, and with gentle, consistent attention to sensations, it awakens inner healing and softens the boundaries between the internal and external worlds.

 

These forms support each other beautifully and with regular practice they can have a profoundly healing effect on our lives, allowing our natural confidence to flow freely.

 

Each week we will learn simple forms that we can practice together and take home with us. 

 

Suitable for complete beginners to meditation and qigong as well as anyone wishing to refresh their practice. The forms we will practice can be adapted to most physical limitations - for example they can be done standing, sitting or even to some extent lying down. No need to bring anything with you, but you may want to wear loose fitting clothes so you'll be comfortable sitting and moving. 

 

Since this class is in person we have safety requirements - please check them here

 

Please register by Monday 5pm April 29

To register: enter the amount you wish to donate in the Event Donation box and click add to cart. The range is $150 to $110, and paying the higher amount helps us to offer our events to those who are not in a position to pay. No-one is turned away for lack of funds, so please let us know if you require a lower rate. If you prefer to pay when you come in person you can enter 0 and click 'pay later' on the payment page. (If you don't click "pay later" the registration may not go through.)

All our teachers are volunteers and our class fees and donations all go towards keeping our center running so that we can continue to provide a space to practice. 

Thank you!  

Saturday June 8, 5pm to Monday June 17 at noon.
Sat, Jun 8, 2024 to Mon, Jun 17, 2024

Awakeness Now

There is an aliveness and awakeness that we can recognize at any moment. It’s an openness to our full being - in body, senses and awareness. It points to what we really are, outside of conceptual fabrications. In recognising and opening to a spacious yet embodied presence, here and now, we may discover a timeless awareness-emptiness that is inseparable from loving, compassionate energy.

We’ll explore all this through sitting meditation, experiential ‘lookings’ and by discovering our own direct experience as awareness, simplicity, intimacy and aliveness. These four awakened qualities are the essence of the wisdom of the five Buddhas and offer a very hands-on 'map' of our immediate experience, pointing to what has been here all along, unnoticed. 

Tejananda  lives full-time at a retreat center in Wales and has taught meditation for many years. He will guide us in embodied practice, based in the direct experience of the living energy of our body and being. Embodiment means realizing our undivided wholeness, our natural positivity and our intrinsic capacity to see dharma truth directly - all through being open to the energy of the body, and by becoming attuned to its actual nature.

Experience

The retreat is for people with experience of meditation wishing to go deeper into meditation and insight. You should be comfortable being in silence with others for extended periods of time. If you're not sure please feel free to email us

The Gift of Silence

We will be mostly silent except for teachings, meditation reviews and mindful communication. It's a rare chance to take a break from making conversation and to see what happens when we really let ourselves be. We will provide an emergency number so that you do not need to check your phone.  If you don't feel comfortable putting your device/s aside please consider not attending. 

Health and Safety

We ask everyone to take reasonable precautions to protect against infection in the days leading up to the retreat. Please check all our requirements here.  

If you consider yourself at increased risk you should not attend.

We recommend that you don't travel long distance since there is always the risk of cancelation or illness in these uncertain times, but if you do, please be sure you have refundable tickets and/or a back-up place to stay.

Food and Work Periods 

All food is vegan, with eggs and dairy options on the side. To simplify cooking and cleaning in silence we have a cook to organize lunch and dinner, and everyone on the retreat chooses a task that they can do every day - either preparing breakfast, chopping vegetables, or cleaning dishes. If you have a preference please let us know in advance. There is also a clean up session that we all share at the end of the retreat. 

Free Time

There will be plenty of free time to hike or stroll around the area or relax. 

Dharmadhara

Is a rustic residence with a very beautiful shrine room, located  in Lake County – about 2.5 to 3 hours North of San Francisco. The main building has a kitchen, dining room, sitting room with wood burning stove, 7 small dorms, some with 2 beds, some with 3 beds, 3 indoor toilets and 2 showers. There are no private rooms.  Please be prepared to share and bring good earplugs. If you do not feel comfortable sharing a room with others you may prefer to camp.  There is plenty of space for tents, and the weather is usually fine in June. 

Travel and Carpooling

We encourage carpooling and if you would like us to help you find a ride please let us know on your registration. If you are driving and can offer rides, please also let us know. Thank you! 

I'm sorry that we cannot arrange airport or train station pickups. 

Timing and Cost

The retreat is nine nights, beginning 5pm Saturday June 8, and ending Monday June 17 at noon.

The cost is $730 to $990 for nine nights, including shared accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, tea, coffee and snacks. 

There is no weekend option - please register only if you know you are able to stay the whole time. 

Registration and Payment

Registration deadline May 25. 

To register enter the amount you wish to pay in the Event Donation box and click add to cart. You can pay in full now ($730 to $990), or reserve your place with a $200 deposit and pay the rest by May 25. In the event that we need to cancel we will refund all payments. If there is a waiting list and you have not paid a deposit we will do our best to contact you but if we don't hear back we will give your place to someone else. Deposits are non-refundable after the registration deadline. 

Please pay the highest amount you are able within the range of $730 to $990. This helps us to cover the cost of the retreat leader, the cook, and others needing help with costs.  

If you need to request a rate lower than $730 please email us at info@sfbuddhistcenter.org and we will send you an application.

When you get to the checkout you will have the choice to pay now through paypal/credit card, or pay later.  (If you click pay now and don't actually pay now, your registration won't go through - contact us if you have any problems.)  If you choose pay later please send your check, payable to San Francisco Buddhist Center - Triratna, to SFBC, 37 Bartlett Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. You can also pay by Venmo - @SFBuddhistcenter. 

Embracing Liberation for All Beings
Tue, Jul 16, 2024

Out now - New EDJI Blog Fall Edition

From SFBC Equity Diversity Justice Inclusion (EDJI) Group and friends,

with contributions from rodashruti, danadasa, helen, dayamudra and more:

  • EDJI Welcome- Dayamudra
  • Social Endosmosis - Dayamudra
  • Teaching Dharma: Arabs & Islam - rodashruti
  • An Archaeology of Silence: An East Asian Perspective - Danadasa
  • Indigenous People's Day - helen
  • SFBC Land Acknowledgment - Prasadachitta
  • Honoring Day of the Dead - helen
  • (w) AIR Course starting in January 2024
  • Karuna USA Green Film Festival News

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