Category: Zen Meditation

Photo by Gaelyn Godwin   San Francisco Zen Center is pleased to announce that Tenshin Reb Anderson will be releasing a new book this spring called Nothing to Attain: Zen Stories of Faith and Understanding. The book will be published by Penguin Random House/Shambhala and is currently available for pre-order, as well as in SFZC…

Pictured l-r: Michael Novak, Ryushin Paull Haller, Lauren Dankiewicz, Anshi Zachary Smith, Abbot Mako Voelkel   There was an ordination ceremony at City Center on January 17, 2026. Michael Novak (Zenrin Myoko, Zen Forest /Wondrous Virtue) was ordained by Sr. Dharma Teacher Ryushin Paul Haller. Lauren Dankiewicz (Myozan Ankyo, Inconceivable Mountain/Peaceful Abiding) was ordained by…

Sessei Meg McNeil, Tassajara’s Tanto (Head of Practice), and Ashley Ng, Tassajara’s Director. Photo by Jennie Li.   There’s no place like Tassajara. I first drove over the road and entered this deep valley more than 30 years ago, just as I was making big decisions about life, called by the sense that there was…

Photo by Shundo David Haye   There were three shuso ceremonies at our temples in December 2025. Deep bows to all shusos and much gratitude for your service to the Dharma. Shuso Ceremony at Tassajara Congratulations to Dōjin Brent Hass (Dōjin Gisen, Path Compassion/Faith River) whose shuso ceremony on December 16 marked the end of…

  Dear Sangha: I’ve just returned from Minneapolis where I joined over 700 clergy members from across the country for two days of community building, training, witnessing, and marching. The event was organized by a group called MARCH (Multifaith Antiracism, Change & Healing). I found this interfaith collaboration of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Indigenous practitioners…

Photo by Brenda Zambrano   By Ty Greenstein When Tova Green began writing for Sangha News Journal during the early months of the pandemic, San Francisco Zen Center, like many communities, was in a period of adaptation and improvisation. It was in that moment that Tova took on the role of blog writer, helping to…

Kate Skinner. Photo by Claire de Chivré.   by Tova Green The Role of Tenzo: Cooking as Practice Myosen Claire de Chivre, who began serving as City Center Tenzo (kitchen manager) in January 2025, explains her approach to the role: “In the kitchen, I try to give each crew member the opportunity to express their…

Photo by Erin Scott   San Francisco Zen Center is pleased to announce that Tassajara will be offering an inspiring array of retreats this summer! These Zen meditation and interdisciplinary arts retreats are geared towards guests who are interested in immersing in practice and nature under the guidance of some of our most established teachers.…

  By Claire de Chivre, City Center Tenzo (Kitchen Manager) Editor’s Note: The City Center Tenzo (Kitchen Manager) recently began sending out monthly notes from the kitchen to the City Center residents. We’re sharing one here with the wider sangha. This newsletter offers a glimpse into the philosophy, values, and operations of a Zen kitchen,…