Dharma Heart Zen
October Sangha News

Dharma Heart Zen Study and Practice Focus

Shunryu Suzuki “Becoming Yourself”

BUDDHISTDOOR GLOBAL featured a series of articles exploring Engaged Buddhism, which connects spiritual pratice with social action, and examines how his Engaged Buddhism was formed and shaped through his life experiences.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s Engaged Buddhism

Embodying the Bodhisattva’s Path
The Avatamsaka Sutra, Chapter 26
The Ten Bodhisattva Grounds

Resources:

October Dharma Talks

For general information about weekly sittings and other offerings,
see Dharma Heart Zen Offerings

Announcements

All Day Sitting & Opening of Practice Period
Sunday, October 12
9:00am-4:00pm
Please Register!
More Information

Bodhisattva Precepts Study this month
Tuesday, October 14
More Information

17th Annual Fall Practice Period
Details and applications now available
More Information

Practice News

More Dharma Heart Zen Practice Retreats and Dharma Events

October 5: A Ceremony for Those Who Have Died at Green Gulch Farm with Chris Fortin, Jennifer Block and Chelsea True - Learn More

October 12: All-day Sitting with Opening of 2025 Practice Period and Shuso Entering Ceremony

November 9: All-day Sitting (register after October sitting)

December 8-9: Buddha’s Enlightenment Retreat with Hossenshiki Shuso Ceremony and Closing of Practice Period

December 28 - January 2: Tassajara Wildland Firefighter Retreat  

These events are also listed on the Dharma Heart Zen Upcoming Events page and Calendar

Engaged Buddhism:
Practicing in the World
Resources and ways to engage and help

Responding with Clarity and Compassion  

Dharma Heart Zen is curating a list of resources and engaged actions to help us respond with bodhisattva hearts and minds to the suffering and chaos that is unfolding in our government and in the world.   

Please visit the Engaged Buddhism page and join in as you can.
It is updated regularly.

Jizos for Peace

At this time of great loss and uncertainty,  a project arose as a response to the immense tragedy in Gaza and Israel. 

In the Buddhist tradition, Jizo bodhisattva is the guardian of fearlessness and unwavering optimism, most known as the guardian for children who have passed. At this time, there are approximately 19,000 children who have been killed in this war.

The intention of Jizos for Peace is to honor each child by creating a Jizo from clay. We gather together with caring hearts and clay in our hands, and the grounding, deep presence of this loving bodhisattva, The warmth and connection we cultivate in these gatherings is healing.

A Jizo Peace Project first arose twenty years ago, to honor all those who had perished the first year after the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki: 270,000 Jizos were created and eventually found their places in special sites in Japan. This current project feels like a continuation of that caring act.

May our hearts guide us in creating more peace and fostering hope within ourselves and in the world. This project has unfolded naturally, informed by the greater benevolent field and our love and care.

Upcoming dates:

  • Friday, October 10, 10 am - 12:30 pm

  • Thursday, October 16, 1:30 - 4:00 pm

  • Tuesday, October 21, 1:30 - 4:00 pm

  • Saturday, November 1, 10 am - 12:30 pm

If you are interested in joining a gathering, please email Cherie.

Dharma Heart Zen Lay Entrustment Ceremony with Chris, Erika, and Chelsea

Join Bhikkhu Bodhi online Sept 28 for the Awareness in Action series.
His perspective around genocide, war, peace and sanity is essential to hear at this time.

More Information

For the Well being and Safe Passage list, contact Barbara Spain