Evening Practice -Dharma Talk by Sensei Inryū on May 25, 2023 7pm Eastern In person and online

Tonight we will have a short service that includes chanting the Heart Sutra in English. Followed by one period of Zazen and a Dharma Talk offered by Inryū Sensei . Will we close with chanting the refuges. You are welcome to stay online following the chanting of the refuges to share greetings with the sangha.

Photograph by Suzanne Ehrenhalt


Here is the link to join us via the cloud zendo at 7PM for the All Beings Zen Sangha evening program.

If you are asked for a password please use this   794038

Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.

Order of Service

Greeting by the Kokyo

Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo

Heart Sutra in English

All Buddhas Chant

25 Minute Zazen Period

5 minutes of Kinhin (slow walking)

Dharma Talk

Four Great Vows

Refuges in Pali

THE FOUR GREAT VOWS

Beings are numberless; I vow to save them.

Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.

Dharma Gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.

Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to become it.

Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo

KAN ZEON

NA MU BUTSU

YO BUTSU U IN

YO BUTSU U EN

BUP PO SO  EN

JO RAKU GA JO

CHO NEN KANZEON

BO NEN KANZEON

NEN NEN JU SHIN KI

NEN NEN FU RI SHIN

Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva,

when deeply practicing prajña paramita,

clearly saw that all five aggregates are empty

and thus relieved all suffering.

Shariputra,

form does not differ from emptiness,

emptiness does not differ from form.

Form itself is emptiness,

emptiness itself form.

Sensations, perceptions, formations,

and consciousness are also like this.

Shariputra,

all dharmas are marked by emptiness;

they neither arise nor cease,

are neither defiled nor pure,

neither increase nor decrease.

Therefore, given emptiness, there is

no form, no sensation, no perception,

no formation no consciousness;

no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue,

no body, no mind;

no sight, no sound, no smell, no taste,

no touch, no object of mind;

no realm of sight… no realm of mind consciousness

There is neither ignorance nor extinction of ignorance…

neither old age and death,

nor extinction of old age and death;

no suffering, no cause, no cessation, no path;

no knowledge and no attainment.

With nothing to attain,

a bodhisattva relies on prajña paramita,

and thus the mind is without hindrance.

Without hindrance, there is no fear.

Far beyond all inverted views, one realizes nirvana.

All buddhas of past, present, and future

rely on prajña paramita and thereby attain

unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

Therefore, know the prajña paramita as

the great miraculous mantra,

the great bright mantra,

the supreme mantra,

the incomparable mantra,

which removes all suffering

and is true, not false.

Therefore we proclaim the prajña paramita mantra,

the mantra that says:

“Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha.” ∅

Refuges in Pali (Call and Response)

Accapella, inflections as follows:

➞Buddham Saranam Ga➚cha➘mi➞iii

BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

DUTIYAMPI BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

DUTIYAMPI DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

DUTIYAMPI SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

TATIYAMPI BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

TATIYAMPI DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

TATIYAMPI SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

Dharma Talk by Guest Teacher Jisan Tova Green, Sensei 7pm Eastern

Thursday May 11th, 2023 – 7PM Guest Dharma Teacher Rev. Jisan Tova Green, Sensei to offer a talk on the topic of “Respect for Things” following a brief period of zazen. In person and online. Use this link to join. If asked for a password use 794038.

Photograph by Choku Proudfoot

Jisan Tova Green was ordained as a Zen priest in 2003 and received Dharma Transmission from Eijun Linda Cutts in 2015. She is currently the Liaison for Branching Streams, the network of over 75 Zen Centers and sanghas in the Suzuki Roshi Lineage. During her 23 years in residence at San Francisco Zen Center she has served in varied roles, including City Center Director, Vice President, Development Director, and Board Secretary. Tova is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and spent four years doing hospice social work after she completed five years of priest training at Tassajara and Green Gulch Farm. Tova co-founded the SFZC Queer Dharma Group in 2010, and has taken a leadership role in many of SFZC’s Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, including the group “Unpacking Whiteness – Reflection and Action.” Tova enjoys playing the cello and reading and writing poetry.

Thursday evening practice, May 4, 2023 @ 7pm Eastern Time

May the 4th be with you! LOL Here is the Zoom link to join in the cloud zendo, password if needed: 794038

Tonight we will have a short service followed by two periods of Zazen with an interval of Kinhin (5 minutes of slow walking in between). We will have our monthly pass the feather sharing and conclude by chanting the refuges in Pali. Please feel welcome to stay on zoom if you are able to share greetings with the sangha.

Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.

Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.

Order of Service (text available at highlighted links)

Greeting by the Kokyo

Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo

Heart Sutra in English

25 Minute Zazen Period

5 minutes of Kinhin (slow walking)

25 Minute Zazen Period

Four Great Vows

Refuges in Pali

Brief Check in and announcements

Evening Practice for April 27, 2023 7pm Eastern

Tonight we will have a short service that includes chanting the Heart Sutra in Chinese. Following by two periods of Zazen. Will we close with chanting the refuges. You are welcome to stay online following the chanting of the refuges to share greetings with the sangha.


Here is the link to join us via the cloud zendo at 7PM for the All Beings Zen Sangha evening program.

If you are asked for a password please use this   794038

Please put your zoom in gallery mode, and keep your video link on while muting your mic until the end of the service – Feel welcome to face away from your device camera while keeping your presence visible in the frame for others in attendance to see and know you are there. Please refrain from moving your device around while others are sitting zazen with you.

Order of Service

Greeting by the Kokyo

Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo

Heart Sutra in Chinese

All Buddhas Chant

25 Minute Zazen Period

5 minutes of Kinhin (slow walking)

25 Minute Zazen Period

Four Great Vows

Refuges in Pali

THE FOUR GREAT VOWS

Beings are numberless; I vow to save them.

Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.

Dharma Gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.

Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to become it.

Enmei Jukko Kannon Gyo

KAN ZEON

NA MU BUTSU

YO BUTSU U IN

YO BUTSU U EN

BUP PO SO  EN

JO RAKU GA JO

CHO NEN KANZEON

BO NEN KANZEON

NEN NEN JU SHIN KI

NEN NEN FU RI SHIN

Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra in Chinese

The Pinyin pronunciation:

(Title) bō rě bō luó mì duō xīn jīng

guān zì zài pú sà , xíng shēn bō rě bō luó mì duō shí,zhào jiàn wǔ yùn jiē kōng, dù yī qiē kǔ è。

shè lì zǐ, sè bù yì kōng ,kōng bù yì sè , sè jí shì kōng , kōng jí shì sè。

shòu xiǎng xíng shí,yì fù rú shì。

shè lì zǐ, shì zhū fǎ kōng xiāng,

bù shēng bù miè, bù gòu bù jìng, bù zēng bù jiǎn ,

shì gù kōng zhōng wú sè, wú shòu xiǎng xíng shí,

wú yǎn ěr bí shé shēn yì, wú sè shēng xiāng wèi chù fǎ,

wú yǎn jiè, nǎi zhì wú yì shí jiè, wú wú míng , yì wú wú míng jìn,

nǎi zhì wú lǎo sǐ, yì wú lǎo sǐ jìn。

wú kǔ jí miè dào, wú zhì yì wú dé, yǐ wú suǒ dé gù。

pú tí sà duǒ, yī bō rě bō luó mì duō gù, xīn wú guà ài。

wú guà ài gù, wú yǒu kǒng bù, yuǎn lí diān dǎo mèng xiǎng, jiū jìng niè pán。

sān shì zhū fó, yī bō rě bō luó mì duō gù, dé ā nòu duō luó sān miǎo sān pú tí。

gù zhī bō rě bō luó mì duō, shì dà shén zhòu, shì dà míng zhòu,

shì wú shàng zhòu, shì wú děng děng zhòu。néng chú yī qiē kǔ, zhēn shí bù xū。

gù shuō bō rě bō luó mì duō zhòu, jí shuō zhòu yuē:

jiē dì jiē dì, bō luó jiē dì, bō luó sēng jiē dì, pú tí sà pó hē。

Refuges in Pali (Call and Response)

Accapella, inflections as follows:

➞Buddham Saranam Ga➚cha➘mi➞iii

BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

DUTIYAMPI BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

DUTIYAMPI DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

DUTIYAMPI SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

TATIYAMPI BUDDHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

TATIYAMPI DHAMMAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

TATIYAMPI SANGHAM SARANAM GACCHAMI

Guest Speaker Rev. Renshin Bunce with ABZS on April 8, 2023 2pm Eastern- online only

April 8th Saturday, 2023 – 2PM Guest Speaker Renshin Bunce is a Soto Zen priest in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. She lives in Northern California and is happily retired from her work as a hospice chaplain. She has written two books, Entering the Monastery about monastic life and Love and Fear about chaplaincy life; both are available on Amazon. Renshin Sensei has extensive experience as a zen sewing teacher and has been Tenzo at San Francisco Zen Center (City Center). Please join us for a fun and engaging time with Renshin Sensei.

Use this link to sign in. If asked for a password use 600732

Movie Night at the Freer Museum for April 7, 2023 7pm Eastern

ZEN MOVIE NIGHT AT THE FREER MUSEUM. Friday April 7th, 2023 – 7P “The Zen Diary” film at Meyer Auditorium in the Smithsonian Freer Gallery.  Admission free, ticket required.  ABZS is supporting the showing with a live demonstration of Oryoki practice and providing a small to go box to sample Japanese meal preparation with directions, mindful cooking instructions and references for further zen food practice.   Get tickets to see the film here. Tickets are free of charge.

Based on an essay by Tsutomu Mizukami, director Yuji Nakae presents a modest film of gratitude and Zen revolving around the art of simple cooking. Former Zen monk Tsutomu (Kenji Sawada) lives alone in the mountains, writing essays and cooking food with vegetables he grows and shoots, sprouts, and mushrooms he picks in the hills. His routine is happily disturbed when Machiko, his editor/love interest, occasionally visits. She loves to eat, and he loves to cook for her. Tsutomu seems content with his daily life, but on the other hand, he still hasn’t let go of his wife’s ashes, though she died thirteen years ago. When Tsutomu’s mother-in-law suddenly passes, it sets in motion a review of life and its meaning. Depicting the changing seasons in beautiful mountainous rural Japan, The Zen Diary features rich cuisine made from seasonal produce in the style of Zen cooking, inspiring many of the meals that are foundational to Japanese cooking. Description adapted from the Hawai’i International Film Festival. After the film, watch a demonstration of the formal Zen food serving practice, Oryoki, by members of the All Beings Zen Sangha, and pick up a free package of ingredients and instructions for preparing your own Zen meal at home. (Dir.: Yuji Nakae, Japan, 2022, 111 min., DCP, Japanese with English subtitles)