The problem is you think you have time---the Buddha…read more This is a beautiful Buddhist temple in the heart of the Mission. I lived over a year in an intentional Buddhist community with 30 folks along with a Tibetan Lama. There are different branches of Buddhism just as there are different styles of jazz music. The nuns here were very kind giving us a tour of the facility. One giant Buddha was here that was quite impressive. One of the Buddhist nuns was doing an interesting ritual carefully lighting heaps of candles. Lovely welcoming place. Be sure to have a look inside and except to be greeted by warm hospitality. The outside architecture is beautiful as well.

A beautiful temple with many unique Buddha statues. The Amitabha Buddha statue on the second floor…read morewas huge and touched my heart. I felt peace right after I looked up at the Buddha. It was nice to have a Spanish-speaking girl or volunteer there to give you a tour and explain some Buddhist history in fluent Spanish. Una amable señorita! I forgot her name but overall, a great experience and tour if you want to visit a Buddhist temple in San Francisco.

I've been coming here for 1.5 years and love it. I've actually been meditation-hopping around the…read morecity - checking out different meditation groups - and like this one the best. It's Zen meditation, meaning it's the most simple and less "preachy." I look forward to those 90 minutes every week where I sit on the floor of a bare room and do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. It feels like the world has stopped, I can relax, focus, and feel really happy. Sitting in silence for 90 minutes sound weird until you actually do it. And then you realize how calm and happy and useful it is. Plus the people here are really cool too. Michael and Chris are very welcoming along with everyone else.

Zen may not have all the answers, but it is for people who have questions…read more I started meditating with this group for just that reason. I wanted to learn how my mind works...how other people think...how to sit still, relax, and just breathe. I had a lot of questions. I still do--and I'm finding a lot of interesting things here. The koan format? Provocative, moving, sometimes funny. The people? Great. Fellow 20-30 somethings (and a few who are young at heart). Wednesday nights are so good that people come all the way from Oakland and Marin. Definitely worth it.

James teaches you a way to find consistent peace and inner happiness in your life. He helps…read moreintegrate meditation into your daily life (I still meditate twice a day after taking his Vedic Meditation course two years ago). The practice has helped me have a calm mind and live life in HD with a higher level of presence ... life flows, music sounds better, I appreciate the details of nature more. I feel very lucky that I took James' course and I hope you will too!

I like to describe James' teaching process as "mindfulness for the modern world". He focuses on the…read morehuman aspects of learning to meditate rather than the rigid, dogmatic approaches that are often put forward by focus-based meditation practices and even some of the mindfulness apps. The key differences are twofold: flexibility and ease. Learning skills through meditation that can be applied to everyday life helping to embrace change with poise and grace. And the practice itself is effortless and sustainably stress alleviating. If you're interested in mindfulness or already practicing and ready to accelerate progress, joining one of James' courses or events is a recommended next step.

I didn't take part in the online programs(zoom) with the Zen Center, but I went back tonight for…read moreYoung Urban Zen. Zazen meditation and dharma talk with a small group discussion. Other than St. Ignatius Easter mass, this is the religious activity I did after covid.

I reflected on my experience at the zen center the other day. It was rude of me to say it is not a…read moreplace for people seriously interested in awakening. I think the teachings here have merit (not that I'm the judge). What I *will* say is any sangha in the west has to be prepared for deeply wounded / traumatized / self hating individuals to walk in. I couldn't "let go" until I had access to embodied safety and also self love. The work of Deidre Fay is excellent for this. I needed help building a developmental scaffold to get from where I was to where I wanted to be -- and that was uncharted territory. To the extent that SFZC wants to welcome people with differing levels of access to embodied safety, I would love if each talk had advice tailored to both kinds of people -- those with porous ego structures and those with more "typical" egos as well for whom letting go without any preamble is solid advice.

I said that I am trying to get into Buddhism now. Since I live in SF, this is possible because…read moreBuddhism is favorable in this kind of big city. Kadampa is suitable for me. I had been calling to ask about their events. I decided to spend a good portion of my day today at Kadampa. First they had a meeting at 5:30pm called "Heart Jewel Puja." This is the description: By engaging in the Guru Yoga practiced in conjunction with Je Tsongkhapa we can purify negativity, accumulate merit, receive blessings, and attain a very special compassion, wisdom, and spiritual strength....This involved silent meditation and some prayer that I didn't understand. You look toward the buddha. There were two people at this event other than me. After that, I stepped out of the building to walk around Valencia. I came back for the Happy Hour event. A Buddhist nun who works at the center made some nice slider sandwiches with pesto, cheese, and tomato. And there were some sweet potato chips, drinks, etc. It was a nice snack and you could meet some others. After the Happy Hour(6:45pm), there was "Drop-in Class with Gen Kelsang Choma." This went from 7:15pm-8:30pm. It felt like an extended period of time. It's interesting what can stretch an hour of your life. This is described: "Our Tuesday evening drop-in meditation classes provide a basic introduction to Buddhist teachings and meditation that are suitable for beginners and experienced meditators. Each month we explore a new topic from Buddha's teachings and learn how to practically apply it in our daily lives." Basically, this is where you have a Buddhist preacher give a sermon about living life with Buddhist philosophy. Buddhists like love and kindness. Buddhists believe we need to relieve ourselves of jealousy and negativity. We need to find relationships we enjoy with people, so that we are not feeling lonely. Buddhists have basic lessons and I listened to this preaching today. The center seems to be run by older women who have gray, short hair and they wear Buddhist robes. The founder is from Tibet, but this western Buddhist. Most people were white and there was a nice black lady who has a family in Berkeley...and then there was me. It was for liberals. After that, I went home by taking the Muni bus #22 and before I took the bus, I stopped in at Manny's and there was a meeting by leftists who were talking about climate change and reform...something like that. So that is my day in San Francisco, CA. I am at home with my parents now. Good night.

Very lovely and welcoming community. The Buddhist teachings and meditations are very practical and…read morehelpful for daily life. They have certainly changed my life for the better. The center is very beautiful and peaceful and they offer many different classes for all levels. Highly recommend checking it out.

I love going to Joseph's class every week. I feel so fortunate that we have this conscious dance…read moreclass in San Francisco! There aren't many in the city, and this has become my favorite weekly dance. The music is great -- some familiar, some new stuff every week. We dance alone, in partnership and in groups throughout the class, but mostly on our own. Joseph always brings in different ideas to ponder about the human condition, how we act or react to things, our patterns and conditioning, and we do movement within that pondering (or not, as the moment beckons!) It's a very friendly group, tended by Joseph's thoughtfulness and curiosity. A wonderful Thursday evening opportunity to connect deeply with myself, in the context of community. Thank you, Joseph! And to you, fellow movers!

I have been making Moving Meditation a part of my weekly practice as much as I'm able. Because of…read moreits effectiveness, in healing me and connecting me to myself and others, I feel more and more of a need for it. It feels like it's becoming important work for me. Joseph and Tamara do a beautiful job of creating a safe and playful space...or helping us explore our movement, come to know ourselves more fully, and push ourselves as well at times. I enjoy their guidance, the space, and the energy of the folks that attend. I really dig Joseph's music...have been slowly adding much of it to my own playlist for more frequent listening and movement ;-)

I just took an intro to mindfulness class at the SF Buddhist center. I have to say that I was so…read moreimpressed by what was provided in the four week course. I'm really blown away by the quality of the class and what I got out of it. The teachers were both fantastic. Danadasa was an engaging teacher and really knows his stuff. Both teachers are very knowledgeable about Buddhist practice, as well as how to apply it in our daily lives. They were also so kind and made the class a joy to be in. We had time for discussions, practice, and even got a mindfulness book with the class.

I have been going to the San Francisco Buddhist Center for almost seven years. I started out by…read moreattending an introduction to meditation class and fell in love with the place. The people are friendly and down to earth and the center is a quiet retreat from the busy city life. A great place for new time meditators, as well as people with an established practice!

I attended Subuddh's free class on dynamic meditation. 12 minutes each of : chaos, yelling, fast…read morebreathing, quiet, and dancing Afterwards, my mind felt clean and alert. It was exactly what I needed. Thank you.

Briksha was hands down my favorite teacher I have had. I was impressed with his clarity and warm…read moreheart. He told us to smile, during some of the most difficult moments in class. The vinyasa series was concise and built a lot of heat. Thanks so much for class. Hope to be back soon. Namaste May the light in me shine to the light in you.