San Francisco Zen Center Dharma Talks

I Don’t Know, And I Know

Given by Jiryu Rutschman-Byler at Green Gulch Farm on September 13th, 2026 Jiryu Rutschman-Byler discusses and appreciates Suzuki Roshi’s teaching that: “We should unde

Being Where You Are: Dogen and Huaishen

Given by Henzan Roger Hillyard at City Center on September 9th, 2026 Roger Hillyard explores how we need not travel from teacher to teacher or temple to temple to recei

Women Wielding Liberating Power

Given by Paula Arai at City Center on September 5th, 2026 Dr. Paula Arai explores the question that drives her book Of Mud & Lotuses: Dreaming the Lives of Buddhist Wom

Changsha and Radiant Light

Given by Kokyo Henkel at Green Gulch Farm on August 30th, 2026 Kokyo Henkel explores three classic Zen sayings by Ninth Century Chinese Zen Ancestor Changsha: the entir

Kindness and Oneness

Given by Jiryu Rutschman-Byler at Green Gulch Farm on August 23rd, 2026 Jiryu Rutschman-Byler reflects on Suzuki Roshi’s encouragement to “not lose these points: how to

Spiritual Friendship & Dharma Friends

Given by Odo Ellen Simpson at City Center on August 19th, 2026 Odo Ellen Simpson explores the nature of spiritual friendship in the context of Buddhist life is a suppor

The Gift of Attention

Given by Dan Zigmond at City Center on August 13th, 2026 Dan Zigmond explores attention itself as a form of generosity: dana, the first of the Buddhist perfections and,

Cleaning Our Environment/Cleaning Our Mind

Given by Kika Susan Hellein at Green Gulch Farm on August 9th, 2026 Kika Hellein discusses the relationship between interior and external realities.

Heart-Teachings of a No-Good, Lazy Monk

Given by Jan Willis at Green Gulch Farm on August 2nd, 2026 Dr. Jan Willis discusses the life of eighth-century poet and philosopher, Shantideva, and what it can teach

Attention: Practice to Benefit the World

Given by Eijun Linda Cutts at Green Gulch Farm on July 26th, 2026 Eijun Linda Ruth Cutts explores how caring with wholehearted attention to what is before us and within

Turning the Light Around to Illuminate the Light

Given by Tenzen David Zimmerman at City Center on July 25th, 2026 Central Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman offers three analogies related to light as supportive practices f

Joy and Responsibility in Zen

Given by Doshin Dan Gudgel at City Center on July 22nd, 2026 Doshin Dan Gudgel explores joy as a fuel for practice and shares a practice for connecting with joy during

Nothing Wasted

Given by So-on Eli Brown-Stevenson at Green Gulch Farm on July 19th, 2026 So-on Eli Brown-Stevenson explores a practice that rejects nothing, wastes nothing, and reveal

We Are Buddhas and Ancestors

Given by Odo Ellen Simpson at City Center on July 18th, 2026 Odo Ellen Simpson explores the depth and complexity of Soto Zen ancestor practice in the context of monasti

When A Buddha Breaks

Given by Tenzen David Zimmerman at Green Gulch Farm on July 12th, 2026 Central Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman speaks to the loss felt by the fire that destroyed the Tassa

Honoring My Teacher

Given by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho at City Center on July 11th, 2026 Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho shares the experience of being a student and learning from a Zen teache

Returning and the Settled Self

Given by Horin Nancy Petrin at City Center on July 8th, 2026 Horin Nancy Petrin reflects on the ‘settled self’ inspired by Suzuki Roshi’s lecture ‘Be Kind with Yourself

To Shine One Corner

Given by Jiryu Rutschman-Byler at Green Gulch Farm on July 5th, 2026 Abbot Jiryu Rutschman-Byler shares some of Suzuki Roshi’s views on WWII, America and Japanese natio

Taste The Truth

Given by Shundo David Haye at City Center on July 1st, 2026 Shundo David Haye reflects on the role and value of practice in imbuing us with inner integrity, in this age

The Dharma of Demi-Girls

Given by Shoren Heather Iarusso at Green Gulch Farm on June 28th, 2026 Shōren Heather Iarusso explores the intersection of Buddhism, gender fluidity and the PRIDE movem