Occasional courses, workshops, retreats, arts and special interest events.
Special Events
Sangha Night Wednesday October 30, 7pm to 9pm
Each year, on Sangha Night, close to the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), we come together to honor our ancestral kinship.
This year, Mokshasi will share her reflections on the significance of Día de Muertos in her home country of Mexico. She will explore the myths surrounding this celebration and how we can cultivate a relationship with La Dama de la Muerte, Coatlicue, or Lady Death—not as something to fear, but as someone to embrace as an essential part of our Life/Death/Life nature.
The evening will include meditation, group reflection questions, and ritual, featuring the Threefold Puja and the rite of the Ofrenda. Ritual serves as a means for us to gain perspective on our lives, acting as a gateway to transformation. The Ofrendas—altars honoring those who have passed—provide a compassionate reflection on our shared histories.
This year, we will create an ofrenda not only for our ancestors but also for the children we once were. Please bring photographs of your loved ones who have died, and also objects, mementos, or symbols from your childhood that represent your journey.
Join us in celebrating Buddha nature as un baile con La Muerte, a dance with death —a harmonious partnership between death and life.
Cada año, en Sangha Night, cerca del Día de Muertos celebramos parentesco ancestral.
Este año, Mokshasi compartirá el significado del Día de Muertos en México que es su país natal. Además, explorará algunos de los mitos de estas fechas y cómo podemos desarrollar una relación con La Dama de la Muerte o Coatlicue o "Lady Death" no como alguien a quién temer o de quién huir, sino como alguien con quién abrazar nuestra naturaleza de Vida/Muerte/Vida.
Habrá meditación, preguntas de reflexión en grupos pequeños y habrá ritual de Puja de tres Etapas y ritual de Ofrenda.
Ritual es una manera en que los humanos podemos tomar perspectiva de nuestra vida. Los rituales son un portal de transformación. El rito de las Ofrendas, altares para los que han dejado esta vida, pueden darnos perspectiva y una representación compasiva de tiempos pasados.
Este año tendremos una ofrenda, no sólo para nuestros ancestros, sino también para el/la/le niño/a/e que fuimos. Te invitamos a que traigas fotos o algo que represente a tus muertos y también objetos o símbolos de tu infancia.
Ven y celebra con nosotros/as/es y date cuenta que la naturaleza Budíca es un baile con La Muerte. La Muerte, esa bailarina que baila y baila con su pareja, la Vida.
Saturday, Nov. 2, 1:00-2:30 PM
An opportunity to check in and meditate together. The acute uncertainty that comes with electoral politics can reveal what the Dharma has to offer. Meditation and sangha can help ground us so we can see more clearly and have a better foundation for action. No matter what happens in the election, groundedness and clarity will help us on our path.
This will be a non-partisan space and not related to endorsing or advocating for any party or candidate.
2024 Dec 21 to 28
Embodied Courage
Led by Pasadini, at Dharmadhara
There is something very special about Winter Retreats - it's a natural time to turn inwards and allow ourselves to simply be, offering ourselves and others the gentle, silent presence we really need. This year we're lucky to have Pasadini here from Glasgow. Pasadini leads regular retreats at Dhankosa Retreat Center in Scotland and has taught meditation and buddhism for many years.
Theme
How do we face our life fully? Where do we find the courage to turn towards ourselves and others, the fullness of our lives, the negative as well as the positive? When we deeply inhabit the space of our body, both somatic and energetic, it gives us a resource from which to walk through life more easefully, freely and joyfully. On this retreat, we will use different methods to help us find the support to witness and engage with ourselves, and others, with love, kindness, courage, and joy.
Alongside meditations focusing on breath, body and heart, we will introduce exercises focused on the energy centres that lead to an increasing awareness of our energetic/somatic body. This helps to build resources both inner, outer and higher to help us find the ground of our “being-ness”. From this ground we can courageously meet life, and see the deeper truths of reality.
We also incorporate working in healing circles which is a practice of deep listening, and speaking, and allows for connection and healing, and serves as an interpersonal meditation practice.
EXPERIENCE
This retreat is for people who are familiar with Mindfulness of Breathing, Metta Bhavana, and Just Sitting meditation practices. You should feel comfortable being in silence around people for long periods of time. It is helpful if you have been on a previous retreat. If you are not sure whether this retreat is right for you please email us.
SILENCE
After the first day the retreat will be in silence except for teachings, meditation reviews, and some mindful communication in the shrine room. There will be a note jar for questions, and the organizer will be available for anything urgent. 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 highly recommend being vaccinated and boosted against COVID 19 but this is no longer required.
We ask that you 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.
ACCOMMODATION
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 and we ask that you come prepared, with good earplugs and a willingness to practice forbearance towards your roommate/s. If you do not feel comfortable sharing a room with others we may be able to find space in the living room or shrine room for one or two people, but this is not guaranteed, so please get in touch about this before you register. There is also the option to camp, although it will be cold, and possibly raining or snowing.
TRAVEL AND CARPOOLING
We encourage carpooling. If you need help organizing a ride please let us know and we will do our best to get you there. 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 seven nights, beginning 5pm Saturday Dec 21, and ending Saturday Dec 28 by noon.
The sliding scale is $770 to $600. The deposit to reserve your space is $200.
REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT
Registration deadline December 1.
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 ($570 to $770), or reserve your place with a $200 deposit and pay the rest by December 1. 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 $570 to $770. 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 $570 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 you can pay through PayPal (info@sfbuddhistcenter.org) or Venmo (@SFBuddhistcenter) or Zelle, or you can drop off a check, payable to San Francisco Buddhist Center - Triratna, to SFBC, 37 Bartlett Street, San Francisco, CA 94110.