Dealing with our "Shadow Side"

Michael McCord leads us on a talk titled, "Dealing with our Shadow Side." He explored questions like, "How do we deal with the weaknesses that plague us over and over again?" and "What are the Zen teachings to help deal with the areas we'd like to change about ourselves?"

Learning to Trust Oneself

Mei Elliott gives a talk called “Learning to Trust Oneself.”

Being able to trust is an important foundation in any close relationship. Yet for many, trusting others comes far more easily than trusting oneself. Often when faced with making decisions, we are at a loss, lacking confidence that we will make the right choice and unable to trust ourselves to proceed. This lack of trust and confidence can ripple out beyond our decision-making, and extend into a lack of confidence in our character, intelligence, and worth. How can the teachings of the Buddha support us in establishing trust? As we engage in this inquiry together, we will also explore what it means to trust oneself in a tradition that questions the very notion of self to begin with.

Shelter in (the) Present

Heather Iarusso leads YUZ on what it means to “Shelter in (the) Present.”

Her description of the talk is as follows: How can paying radical attention to the present moment alleviate anxiety about the future, help us let go of remorse about the past, and infuse our lives with the wonder of now. Although causes and conditions are beyond our control, practicing The Way illuminates the perfection and liberation abiding in each moment.

Concentric Circles of Care: Goodwill for the Happiness of All Beings

Kodo Conlin continues on the theme from last week with a talk titled "Concentric Circles of Care: Goodwill for the Happiness of All Beings." The description for the talk is as follows:

We start where we are, developing goodwill, mettā, for ourselves. Isn't it so, that challenges mount as we begin to widen this circle of care? Together we will explore some skillful approaches for extending our mettā, pointing toward our potential for boundless goodwill.

Kodo is a Zen priest, the City Center ino (head of the meditation hall), and a resident of SFZC. To learn more about Kodo you can view his bio here.

Mettā: Accessing Refuge Amidst Affliction

Kodo Conlin leads us on a talk titled "Mettā: Accessing Refuge Amidst Affliction." His description is as follows:

Fortunate for us now, the Way is rarely practiced amidst perfect conditions. Still, we find refuge.
Mettā, the cultivation of lovingkindness, is one way to access a refuge within, even as we find ourselves challenged.

Yun Men's Appropriate Statement (Response)

Zachary Smith hosts YUZ on Yun Men's Appropriate Statement (Response). He describes the topic as follows:

Yun Men, when asked about the meaning of Buddhism - that is, of the whole body of the Buddhist Teaching - famously responded, “An appropriate statement,” and in the commentaries (Blue Cliff Record case 14) this is called, “An iron hammerhead with no handle-hole,” (and also, “A rat gnawing on ginger” but never mind that). Nonetheless we’ll be seeing if we can get a handle on the story and the message it delivers about how to live creatively and skillfully in any time but especially in these “interesting” times.

Zachary is a Zen priest, Dharma transmitted teacher, and a long-time practitioner. You can find his bio here.

The Political and the Spiritual

Peter Coyote speaks about the continuity between spiritual practice and political practice, providing a chronicle of his life before zen (and according to him, a chronicle of his "deficiencies") as well as why he's stuck with this practice for nearly 50 years. He also shares stories about the efficacy of Zen in relating to political obstructions.

Peter, a Zen priest and teacher, has a long history as an actor, author, director, and Emmy-winning narrator. Though he is well known for his film career (having acted in E.T., Patch Adams, Erin Brockovich, etc.) he identifies foremost as a Zen student. To learn more about Peter, you can view his bio here.

Right Intention

Mei Elliot gives a talk on the topic of Right Intention.

As we crest into 2021, many people are considering intentions and goals for the coming year. While New Year's resolutions tend to be an All-American pastime, what does intention setting have to do with Buddhist practice? And what do intentions have to do with freedom, with happiness? During this meeting, we discuss the three facets of right intention that appear in the eightfold path: renunciation, kindness, and compassion. We will also explore practices for deliberately cultivating wholesome intentions and for noticing the more subtle intentions already operating within our actions of body, speech, and mind.

Gratitude and Dukkha: A Thanksgiving Meditation

Zachary Smith leads YUZ with a talk entitled “Gratitude and Dukkha: A Thanksgiving Meditation."

Perhaps the single most obvious feature of humans as a species is how continually dissatisfied with life, and their lot in it, they seem to be-- often regardless of the actual circumstances. The Buddha summed up this observation in the First Noble Truth and offered a ground-breaking and novel explanation for it in the Second. The rest, as they say, is history but it’s still a rich area of investigation because, frankly, things have not improved much in the last 2,500 years. On this special occasion we’ll revisit the fundamental question of suffering and see how it can be turned through Practice.

Missing You: Love and Longing in Isolation

Mei Elliott speaks about love and longing. During this time of social distancing, many people are anticipating a holiday season without the ability to travel to be with loved ones. Missing one's friends and family is particularly pronounced during this extended period of isolation and has become a source of longing for many of us. This longing can take many shapes: longing for time with one's parents and siblings, romantic longing for a partner, the grief-based longing for a loved one who has died, or the general longing for anything that is just out of reach. Whether it's for food, sex, entertainment, etc. how can we satisfy this yearning? During this YUZ meeting, Mei Elliott explores the roots of longing as well as practices for finding freedom and wholeness in its midst.

The Three Marks of Existence: Not-Self

This was our final class in the three-part lecture series from Heather Iarusso called "Sitting for Liberation." This series explores The Three Marks of Existence, one of the Buddha's most transformative teachings. During the past two weeks we've investigated how becoming intimate with suffering and how embracing impermanence can bring ease, wonder, and contentment to our lives.

This Tuesday was our last meeting, which focused on the not-self characteristic. The teachings on not-self are an integral part of Buddhist study, providing deep freedom and clarity in daily life.

This series is being led by Heather Shoren Iarusso. Heather is the SFZC program director, as well as a Zen teacher and priest, currently living in residence at City Center. To learn more about Heather you can view her bio here.

The Three Marks of Existence: Impermanence

We continue with our three-part lecture series with Heather Iarusso called "Sitting for Liberation." This series explores The Three Marks of Existence, one of the Buddha's most transformative teachings. We will investigate how becoming intimate with suffering, embracing impermanence, and comprehending the not-self characteristic can bring ease, wonder, and contentment to our lives. As the talk was given on election night, the relevance of this event is woven into the subject matter for the evening.

The series is being led by Heather Shoren Iarusso and is taking place on three consecutive Tuesdays, with one class for each of the three marks. This past Tuesday, 10/27, we focused on the characteristic of suffering.

The Three Marks of Existence: Suffering

Heather Shoren Iarusso, SFZC program director, as well as a Zen teacher and priest, leads us in this three-part lecture series that explores The Three Marks of Existence, one of the Buddha's most transformative teachings. We will investigate how becoming intimate with suffering, embracing impermanence, and comprehending the not-self characteristic can bring ease, wonder, and contentment to our lives.

Don't Harbor Ill Will, Try Love Instead

2020 has been an eventful year to say the least. A year filled with issues that have weighed heavily on many people's core beliefs. During these times when it's easy to find oneself in the midst of contentious topics, many find it hard to practice with the precept "not to harbor ill will." On 10/13, Eli Brown-Stevenson, a resident priest at City Center, shared how he has been practicing with this precept during these recent times.

Fear and Anxiety

Mei Elliott discusses fear and anxiety. Whether you're having a bout of full blown panic or experiencing daily anxiety, fear manifests in a variety of ways. Without realizing it, fear is often the driving force behind everyday choices, guiding our conversations, determining our decisions, and legislating our preferences. Given its power, how can we learn to be free from suffering in the midst of fear? During this talk we explore ways to identify and practice with anxiety and fear in daily life.