All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

Weekly Dharma Study Group on Monday mornings at 7:50 a.m. with Rev. Patrick Teverbaugh in person in the Sangha Home or on Zoom.

We are reading Silent Illumination by Guo Gu.

Join here.

A Ceremony to Honor the Trees of the Farmers Market

Wednesday June 25, 5 p.m. 
Site of the Old Farmer’s Market
639 Cedar Street, Downtown Santa Cruz

All are welcome to join us in a ceremony to honor and thank the trees who have watched over the old Farmers Market area for many years. They will soon be cut down to make space for a new project for the community. 

Participating in ceremony gives us a way to be with our grief in community and to deepen our relationship with the Earth and each other in the midst of many changes. 

You are invited to bring a short poem, prayer, song, or quote to share to honor our tree friends and our connection with the Earth. 
There will be time to share and connect with others as part of our time together. All are welcome!

Offered by the Santa Cruz Zen Center, sczc.org

For more information, please contact Rev. Steve at steve@stevepalmisano.com 

At 6:40 pm on Wednesday evening, join us for our weekly, live dharma talk following by an open question and answer period at the Santa Cruz Zen Center. You may also participate via Zoom. All are welcome.

You are also invited to join us for zazen at 6 pm., just prior to the dharma talk.

Meet fellow Zendo creatives and art lovers once a month to explore the intersection of Art & Zen. Let’s support our creative practices in art and life via prompts and exercises offered by Valéria (“Val”) Miranda, inspired by John Daido Loori’s book The Zen of Creativity and Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way.

Val is a long term SCZC practitioner and a local nonprofit arts administrator who practices dance and visual arts. Please bring a journal with unruled pages or a sketchbook, pencil, and/or pen, and, as an option, art materials such as colored pencils/watercolors/, and images and words cut out from magazines. 

Monthly on Saturdays - 1:30-3 pm in the Sangha Home

Weekly Dharma Study Group on Monday mornings at 7:50 a.m. with Rev. Patrick Teverbaugh in person in the Sangha Home or on Zoom.

We are reading Silent Illumination by Guo Gu.

Join here.

At 6:35 pm on Wednesday evening, join us for our weekly, live dharma talk following by an open question and answer period at the Santa Cruz Zen Center. You may also participate via Zoom. All are welcome.

You are also invited to join us for zazen at 6 pm., just prior to the dharma talk.

Weekly Dharma Study Group on Monday mornings at 7:50 a.m. with Rev. Patrick Teverbaugh in person in the Sangha Home or on Zoom.

We are reading Silent Illumination by Guo Gu.

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

At 6:35 pm on Wednesday evening, join us for our weekly, live dharma talk following by an open question and answer period at the Santa Cruz Zen Center. You may also participate via Zoom. All are welcome.

You are also invited to join us for zazen at 6 pm., just prior to the dharma talk.

In our Zen Meditation, we practice listening without judgment to our own sometimes diverging thoughts and feelings. Given our new government in the White House, these listening skills come in handy and can be put to good use in order for us and others to not succumb to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Holding up common values, such as treating each other humanely and with dignity and goodwill, are the voices that need to be heard more than ever.

Therefore, we are creating a space for people to be heard, and to listen to others--hoping that more clear, powerful and effective communication and action will arise.

 As Zen practitioners, it is important to acknowledge that nobody is left out and that nobody is outside the system. We are all part of the same wonderful universe and planet, even though right now, it very much seems like we represent different sides of one coin.

The listening Circles are happening begin at 5 pm. People are encouraged to stay for Zazen, which it starts at 6 pm. The format will consist of both small group and larger group non-judgemental listening sessions. In the Sangha Home, 2nd and 4th Thursdays - confirm on calendar.

Please join us at the Santa Cruz Zen Center for a Full Moon Bodhisattva Vow Renewal Ceremony in place of zazen/meditation. In person and on Zoom.

@ 9:30 am to 12:00 pm

Work practice, samu, is naturally a part of community life, giving us the chance to interact informally. Come to School Street and enjoy the company of dharma companions as we care for the grounds and the zendo.

Weekly Dharma Study Group on Monday mornings at 7:50 a.m. with Rev. Patrick Teverbaugh in person in the Sangha Home or on Zoom.

We are reading Silent Illumination by Guo Gu.

Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting

@ 6:45 pm

in person at SCZC or join on Zoom here.

The Sutra reading group is on one Wednesday each month from 5-5:45 pm. We will begin with the Lotus Sutra translation & introduction by Gene Reeves. We will read the Sutra out loud together in the Sangha House.

At 6:35 pm on Wednesday evening, join us for our weekly, live dharma talk following by an open question and answer period at the Santa Cruz Zen Center. You may also participate via Zoom. All are welcome.

You are also invited to join us for zazen at 6 pm., just prior to the dharma talk.

All are welcome to join us for this introductory class which is usually held on the third Saturday of each month. Feel free to join and invite your friends to learn about the world of Zen Buddhism.

You will receive an introduction to the body and mind of Zen meditation and the forms of practice at Santa Cruz Zen Center. This includes instruction in sitting and walking meditation forms as well as an open discussion.

There is no charge for this class.

Please join us in person at the Santa Cruz Zen Center.

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

Weekly Dharma Study Group on Monday mornings at 7:50 a.m. with Rev. Patrick Teverbaugh in person in the Sangha Home or on Zoom.

We are reading Silent Illumination by Guo Gu.

Join here.

In our Zen Meditation, we practice listening without judgment to our own sometimes diverging thoughts and feelings. Given our new government in the White House, these listening skills come in handy and can be put to good use in order for us and others to not succumb to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. Holding up common values, such as treating each other humanely and with dignity and goodwill, are the voices that need to be heard more than ever.

Therefore, we are creating a space for people to be heard, and to listen to others--hoping that more clear, powerful and effective communication and action will arise.

 As Zen practitioners, it is important to acknowledge that nobody is left out and that nobody is outside the system. We are all part of the same wonderful universe and planet, even though right now, it very much seems like we represent different sides of one coin.

The listening Circles are happening begin at 5 pm. People are encouraged to stay for Zazen, which it starts at 6 pm. The format will consist of both small group and larger group non-judgemental listening sessions. In the Sangha Home, 2nd and 4th Thursdays - confirm on calendar.

A half-day sit lead by
Rev. Rachel Grad

Location: In person and via SCZC Zoom
Signups: Online or on paper at the zendo, or just show up.

Suitable for everybody. Come for all or any part. In person or via SCZC Zoom. Sign up in person or visit sczc.org.Santa Cruz Zen Center relies on fees and donations to continue its mission. Please pay what you can and talk to the coordinator, Rev. Rachel Grad, if you have questions. Suggested donation: $12 for sustaining members, $15 for contributing members and others. 

Schedule:

8:30-9:10 Zazen
9:10-9:20 Service
9:20-9:30 Kinhin
9:30-9:45 Talk
9:45-10:25 Zazen
10:25-10:35 Kinhin
11:05-11:20 Talk
11:20-11:50 Zazen
11:50-12:00 Close

@ 6:40 pm In person at SCZC or on Zoom.

We meet one evening a month, 6:40 in-person and on Zoom to study some of the foundational teachings of our Buddhist lineage.

We are studying the Diamond Sutra this year. We'll examine Thich Nhat Hanh's commentary, the Diamond that Cuts Through Illusion. Katherine Roshi used this book in a class she taught in the mid '90s. I still have my underlined copy! On the internet I see many used book sites that sell it for less than $10 and here is a pdf version online as well.

The Sutra is divided into 32 short chapters, some of the chapters are just a few sentences long.

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

The Sutra reading group is on the second Wednesday of each month from 5-5:45 pm. We will begin with the Lotus Sutra translation & introduction by Gene Reeves. We will read the Sutra out loud together in the Sangha House.

A half-day sit lead by
Rachel Grad

Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting

@ 6:45 pm

in person at SCZC or join on Zoom here.

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

In this class series we will explore the experience of following the forms of practice as they have been given to us. In the first session we will examine:

What is the heritage expressed in our forms?

How do the hand postures support you in remaining steady, focused, and grounded?

In what ways is walking meditation a continuation of zazen?

Where is the bow directed?

When do we know that harmony is expressed?

In the second and third sessions we will experience the application of attentive movement to the support roles in the zendo. We will use this time to learn or refine your skills as the ringer of bells, the sounder of the drum, the attendant at the altar, the officiant.

Session dates are: Sept 13, Oct 11, Oct 25; 10:00-11:30am

$12 Sustaining Members per class and $15 Others per class 

Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting

@ 6:45 pm

in person at SCZC or join on Zoom here.

A half-day sit lead by
Cathy Toldi and Rachel Grad

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

In this class series we will explore the experience of following the forms of practice as they have been given to us. In the first session we will examine:

What is the heritage expressed in our forms?

How do the hand postures support you in remaining steady, focused, and grounded?

In what ways is walking meditation a continuation of zazen?

Where is the bow directed?

When do we know that harmony is expressed?

In the second and third sessions we will experience the application of attentive movement to the support roles in the zendo. We will use this time to learn or refine your skills as the ringer of bells, the sounder of the drum, the attendant at the altar, the officiant.

Session dates are: Sept 13, Oct 11, Oct 25; 10:00-11:30am

$12 Sustaining Members per class and $15 Others per class 

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting

@ 6:45 pm

in person at SCZC or join on Zoom here.

In this class series we will explore the experience of following the forms of practice as they have been given to us. In the first session we will examine:

What is the heritage expressed in our forms?

How do the hand postures support you in remaining steady, focused, and grounded?

In what ways is walking meditation a continuation of zazen?

Where is the bow directed?

When do we know that harmony is expressed?

In the second and third sessions we will experience the application of attentive movement to the support roles in the zendo. We will use this time to learn or refine your skills as the ringer of bells, the sounder of the drum, the attendant at the altar, the officiant.

Session dates are: Sept 13, Oct 11, Oct 25; 10:00-11:30am

$12 Sustaining Members per class and $15 Others per class 

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at our annual ALL SANGHA MEETING at the Zen Center on Saturday, November 16 from 1:30 - 3 pm. We will also be joining together at 12 noon before the meeting for a plant-based potluck (all are welcome).

We welcome and look forward to hearing ideas from the Sangha on how to help Santa Cruz Zen Center thrive and fulfill its Mission of integrating Zen practice and everyday life and its Vision of keeping alive the Buddha’s open-hearted way, compassionately engaging with ourselves, our community and our world.

We also welcome those who can’t attend in person, to join us by Zoom.

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

A half-day sit lead by
Patrice Monsour and Rachel Grad

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.

Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting

@ 6:45 pm

in person at SCZC or join on Zoom here.

How can we engage in care for the Earth as an expression of our spiritual practice?

How might we weave together activism and our Bodhisattva Vows?

Please join us

in the Sangha House

to explore ways we can engage in our practice to

address the environmental and climate crises.

“The purpose of a human being is to participate in the flourishing of life…Beholding earth as a being, a magnificent being, a gorgeous being, a sacred being, we fall ever deeper in love.” -Charles Eisenstein, How the Environmental Movement Can Find Its Way Again

May we bring the Warm Jewels of our practice out into the world:

Presence, Compassion, Interbeing, Service

The Aging Group will meet 4:30pm-5:30pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting February 16.

For those who are practicing with aging. In this group we will talk about how we are practicing with our aging bodies and minds.

We will use the book “this is getting old,” by Susan Moon, as our template for discussion. Click on the book image below for a link to the publisher’s info.