Occasional courses, workshops, retreats, arts and special interest events.
Special Events
Saturday, April 27th, 10 AM, Dolores Park (Meet at the corner of 20th and Dolores)
Collectively, we are facing many critical issues, including horrific violence across the globe and at home. This is happening alongside much that is positive and beautiful, which can create a sense of dissonance or distraction. In the midst of all of this, the climate crisis continues. It can be quite easy to fall into horrified anxiety or just check out. How do we hold it all? Can we? What are skillful responses? There will be space to share what's difficult and what is helpful in our practice. Please bring what you need to sit outside. Meet at 20th & Dolores. Rain cancels.
Please register on the Climate Week Calendar so we have a sense of how many people are coming.
Saturday May 18, 9am to 12 noon
Please join Mokshasi at the SFBC for a very simple, silent morning of meditation practice. You're welcome to come for the whole morning or any portion of it - just please be sure to arrive during a break, as we will be unable to let you in otherwise. Please pre-register so we have an idea of numbers.
Meditations will be unguided, just bells, and the opportunity to sit together in our lovely shrine room.
As for all our in person events we ask that you check the requirements here before attending.
Session 1
Doors open at 8:45am and close by 9am.
9am short welcoming ritual followed by meditation to 9:45am, followed by 15 minutes to lie down, take a break, walk or leave.
Session 2
Doors open at 9:45am and close by 10am.
Meditation 10am to 10:45am, followed by 15 minutes to lie down, take a break, walk or leave.
Session 3
Doors open at 10:45am and close by 11am.
Meditation 11am to 11:45am
Registration and Donations
Enter the amount you wish to donate in the Event Donation box and click add to cart. Our suggestion is $20 to $40, but donations of any amount are very much appreciated. (If you enter 0 please make sure to click 'pay later' on the payment page (otherwise the registration won't work). Drop us an email if you have any difficulty.)
Please add info@sfbuddhistcenter.org to your address book so we can keep you up-to-date with any changes.*
Saturday June 8, 5pm to Monday June 17 at noon.
Awakeness Now
There is an aliveness and awakeness that we can recognize at any moment. It’s an openness to our full being - in body, senses and awareness. It points to what we really are, outside of conceptual fabrications. In recognising and opening to a spacious yet embodied presence, here and now, we may discover a timeless awareness-emptiness that is inseparable from loving, compassionate energy.
We’ll explore all this through sitting meditation, experiential ‘lookings’ and by discovering our own direct experience as awareness, simplicity, intimacy and aliveness. These four awakened qualities are the essence of the wisdom of the five Buddhas and offer a very hands-on 'map' of our immediate experience, pointing to what has been here all along, unnoticed.
Tejananda lived full-time at a retreat center in Wales until recently, and has taught meditation and led retreats for over 30 years, without losing his commitment to push the edge of his practice and teaching. He will guide us in embodied practice, based in the direct experience of the living energy of our body and being. Embodiment means realizing our undivided wholeness, our natural positivity and our intrinsic capacity to see dharma truth directly - all through being open to the energy of the body, and by becoming attuned to its actual nature.
Experience
The retreat is for people with experience of meditation wishing to go deeper into meditation and insight. You should be comfortable being in silence with others for extended periods of time. If you're not sure please feel free to email us.
The Gift of Silence
We will be mostly silent except for teachings, meditation reviews and mindful communication. 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 ask everyone to 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.
Free Time
There will be plenty of free time to hike or stroll around the area or relax.
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. Please be prepared to share and bring good earplugs. If you do not feel comfortable sharing a room with others you may prefer to camp. There is plenty of space for tents, and the weather is usually fine in June.
Travel and Carpooling
We encourage carpooling and if you would like us to help you find a ride please let us know on your registration. 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 nine nights, beginning 5pm Saturday June 8, and ending Monday June 17 at noon.
The cost is $730 to $990 for nine nights, including shared accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, tea, coffee and snacks.
There is no weekend option - please register only if you know you are able to stay the whole time.
Registration and Payment
Registration deadline May 25.
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 ($730 to $990), or reserve your place with a $200 deposit and pay the rest by May 25. 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 $730 to $990. 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 $730 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 please send your check, payable to San Francisco Buddhist Center - Triratna, to SFBC, 37 Bartlett Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. You can also pay by Venmo - @SFBuddhistcenter.
with Samayashri Aug 30 to Sep 2
This Retreat is an opportunity for Order Members and Mitras from the SFBC Sangha to practice together, deepen our friendships, have fun, and to meet and hear some wisdom from our SFBC President, Samayashri.
We will have more information about the retreat theme later in the year.
TIMING AND COST
The retreat is 3 nights, from 5pm Friday Aug 30 to around 12 noon Monday Sep 2 (Labor Day).
For those of you with family caregiving responsibilities or other limitations on your time we'd like to make it possible for you to join us for any part of the retreat.
If you are able to attend the whole retreat please register below.
If you would like to attend part of the retreat please register below and complete this short form. Thank you!
The cost for 3 days starts at $180 to $250. Please pay the highest rate you can comfortably afford within the range - thank you.
If you need a reduced rate go here.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
We ask everyone to 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.
FOOD AND WORK PERIODS
All food is vegan, with eggs and dairy options on the side. On Core Sangha retreats we all share the cooking and cleaning - there will be a sign up sheet.
There is also a clean up session that we all share at the end of the retreat.
DHARMADHARA AND ACCOMMODATION
Dharmadhara (Dharma Mountain) is about 2.5 to 3 hours North of San Francisco, in Lake County. (Thanks to Pete for the new road sign in the photo.)
There are 7 small dorms, some with 2 beds, some with 3 beds, 3 indoor toilets and 2 showers. There are no private rooms. Please be prepared to share and bring good earplugs, or, if you do not feel comfortable sharing a room with others you may prefer to camp. There is plenty of space for tents, and the weather should be fine in September.
TRAVEL AND CARPOOLING
We encourage carpooling and if you would like us to help you find a ride please let us know on your registration. If you are driving and can offer rides, please also let us know. Thank you!
REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT
Registration deadline Aug 15.
You can pay in full now ($180 to $250), or reserve your place with a $100 deposit and pay the rest by Aug 15 or at the beginning of the retreat.
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.) Choose pay later if you want to pay by a method other than PayPal, or if you have asked for a reduced rate. Checks are payable to San Francisco Buddhist Center - Triratna, addressed to SFBC, 37 Bartlett Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. You can also pay by Venmo - @SFBuddhistcenter. If you want to pay cash please just let us know and bring it with you to the retreat.
2024 Dec 21 to 28
Embodied Courage
Led by Pasadini, at Dharmadhara
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 $570 to $770. 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.