Where do I go and when?
842 B Carolina Street, San Francisco CA 94107, Wednesdays 7-8:30pm. You are welcome to arrive late or leave early if that means you will be able to attend. Check the location tab for better directions. There is plenty of parking, and the Cal train (22nd street stop) and 22 bus get you there. If you are taking BART, the 16th or 24th street stations are best, and you can notify us to see if you can coordinate a pickup.
What does it cost?
Nothing. Zen observes a tradition of charity ("dana"), and thus we have a collection box if you decide to give to WiG to help us cover the cost of rent and upkeep, but nothing is required and you will never be required to pay to practice with us. Further, we are fortunate to have several Zen Teachers ("Roshi"s) in the area that graciously teach at WiG. David Weinstein, Roshi, head teacher at the Oakland and San Jose Zendos, teaches in Potrero Hill the third Wednesday of each month. When a teacher has graciously given of his/her time and energy, all collections that night will go to that teacher to show our appreciation for their generosity.
There are, also, wonderful retreats and seminars happening through Pacific Zen Institute, of which we are a part, that ask for a modest payment to defray lodging and food costs. We recommend you attend these no matter what your financial situation if they appeal to you. Just speak to someone about what you can pay. Further, WiG tries to keep a small scholarship fund available to make sure that interest, and not ability to pay, is the limiting factor.
There are, also, wonderful retreats and seminars happening through Pacific Zen Institute, of which we are a part, that ask for a modest payment to defray lodging and food costs. We recommend you attend these no matter what your financial situation if they appeal to you. Just speak to someone about what you can pay. Further, WiG tries to keep a small scholarship fund available to make sure that interest, and not ability to pay, is the limiting factor.
What can I expect in terms of results?
In a word- freedom. The basic observation that is core to our practice is that we suffer because our mind tends to add stories to our experiences that cause suffering (i.e. My boss doesn't recognize the work I am doing, my mind is too scattered to do the work I want to do, I am never going to find a partner who appreciates me etc). There seem to be two basic things you can do about this- train the mind to avoid the painful issue, or come to terms with it and move past it.
Zen does the latter. The idea is to sit with our minds, notice what they do, accept that, and then see reality without those stories, giving us freedom to step out of old painful stories and patterns. At first, that freedom is brief and accidental feeling, but as you continue your practice, you ability to leave behind the pain and fetters of what your mind is telling you grows and grows, allowing you to meet new experiences freshly and be kinder to yourself and others.
To achieve this end, we use traditional methods that have, for thousands of years, been immensely successful in widening our appreciation of reality as it is: seated and walking meditation, koans, reviewing writings talks by teachers, group discussions. And since we are after results, and not trying to reproduce a historically accurate version of Japanese Zen practice, we are not afraid to avail ourselves of techniques outside the core Zen cannon- Yoga, somatic therapy, experiments, questioning, tai chi, whatever. Its about making your life better, not what is and is not Zen.
Zen does the latter. The idea is to sit with our minds, notice what they do, accept that, and then see reality without those stories, giving us freedom to step out of old painful stories and patterns. At first, that freedom is brief and accidental feeling, but as you continue your practice, you ability to leave behind the pain and fetters of what your mind is telling you grows and grows, allowing you to meet new experiences freshly and be kinder to yourself and others.
To achieve this end, we use traditional methods that have, for thousands of years, been immensely successful in widening our appreciation of reality as it is: seated and walking meditation, koans, reviewing writings talks by teachers, group discussions. And since we are after results, and not trying to reproduce a historically accurate version of Japanese Zen practice, we are not afraid to avail ourselves of techniques outside the core Zen cannon- Yoga, somatic therapy, experiments, questioning, tai chi, whatever. Its about making your life better, not what is and is not Zen.
What if I need to come late?
There is no late.
Many practices accentuate punctuality for sake of respect to the space and the practice, however, our group is made up of working professionals and out of respect for their practice, which often involves late nights and moving deadlines, we do not have any reservation about you coming late, though do try and be courteous when finding a seat.
Many practices accentuate punctuality for sake of respect to the space and the practice, however, our group is made up of working professionals and out of respect for their practice, which often involves late nights and moving deadlines, we do not have any reservation about you coming late, though do try and be courteous when finding a seat.
What is Zen?
For a practice known for its simplicity, a staggering amount of literature has gone into answering that question. Here is one detailed summary. John Tarrant recently wrote an article on Zen in the Wall Street Journal. There are books that offer great introductions listed in the More Reading tab above.
You likely can find a hundred other answers, each correct, but in our experience, Zen is, at its heart, the moment to moment practice of giving attention to what is arising without rejection or attachment. In this way, we experience life more sharply, more vividly, more honestly, more compassionately and sometimes more painfully. Usually though we discover that life is more unpredictably beautiful than we had ever imagined possible and that perfection is underfoot. And of course, sometimes we fall asleep or feel our bellies gurgle.
Zen focuses on the practice of seated meditation, called zazen, which is often thought to involve actively trying to calm your mind, but which really just asks that you are not doing anything other than breathing and engaging whatever comes up. Sometimes the most profound thing you can do is just notice your not noticing. We cultivate not-knowing, that way we can be constantly surprised by the possibilities inherent in each moment and aware that you can get to any point from here.
We also use short cases that are designed to stimulate awareness, called koans. You hold a koan lightly in your attention and then watch as reason and logic get tired of it and let your spirit engage it directly. The result is often a shifting of both you and the koan. It sounds obtuse, of course, and reading this it sounds like one of those irritatingly ambiguous zen hiakus, but frankly, its just the second best way to explain it. The best is to let you experience it. Then you can re-write this FAQ if you disagree.
You likely can find a hundred other answers, each correct, but in our experience, Zen is, at its heart, the moment to moment practice of giving attention to what is arising without rejection or attachment. In this way, we experience life more sharply, more vividly, more honestly, more compassionately and sometimes more painfully. Usually though we discover that life is more unpredictably beautiful than we had ever imagined possible and that perfection is underfoot. And of course, sometimes we fall asleep or feel our bellies gurgle.
Zen focuses on the practice of seated meditation, called zazen, which is often thought to involve actively trying to calm your mind, but which really just asks that you are not doing anything other than breathing and engaging whatever comes up. Sometimes the most profound thing you can do is just notice your not noticing. We cultivate not-knowing, that way we can be constantly surprised by the possibilities inherent in each moment and aware that you can get to any point from here.
We also use short cases that are designed to stimulate awareness, called koans. You hold a koan lightly in your attention and then watch as reason and logic get tired of it and let your spirit engage it directly. The result is often a shifting of both you and the koan. It sounds obtuse, of course, and reading this it sounds like one of those irritatingly ambiguous zen hiakus, but frankly, its just the second best way to explain it. The best is to let you experience it. Then you can re-write this FAQ if you disagree.
What is a koan?
Flypaper. A Mirror. One true thing upside down.
Koans are tools used in our Zen tradition for stimulating and supporting awareness and awakening. They take the form of short phrases, statements, conversation, or sometimes a description or question. They cannot be resolved by logic or thinking; yet they are capable of resolution when they have finally inspired a change of heart. Koans have a way of showing your mind to you, including its inadequacy to describe your life experience. This usually happens when you notice what thoughts a particular koan attracts and which stick to it like flies. Then you can take down the koan and investigate what delusions are attached to it.
They help you practice the skill of opening to the world that goes on independent of your thoughts. It helps when you stop making arbitrary decisions about what is and is not working with the koan. Just notice then, and over time you will see that like the rest of life, it is an illusion that you are working on the koan alone. The koan is moving toward you and supporting you, just as life rises up to attend to you. The trick, perhaps, is letting it, and trusting to that process and not selecting which responses to it are "right" or "wrong". You can read more about koans on our koan page.
And, if all that is too esoteric for you, then stop the sound of the distant bell.
Koans are tools used in our Zen tradition for stimulating and supporting awareness and awakening. They take the form of short phrases, statements, conversation, or sometimes a description or question. They cannot be resolved by logic or thinking; yet they are capable of resolution when they have finally inspired a change of heart. Koans have a way of showing your mind to you, including its inadequacy to describe your life experience. This usually happens when you notice what thoughts a particular koan attracts and which stick to it like flies. Then you can take down the koan and investigate what delusions are attached to it.
They help you practice the skill of opening to the world that goes on independent of your thoughts. It helps when you stop making arbitrary decisions about what is and is not working with the koan. Just notice then, and over time you will see that like the rest of life, it is an illusion that you are working on the koan alone. The koan is moving toward you and supporting you, just as life rises up to attend to you. The trick, perhaps, is letting it, and trusting to that process and not selecting which responses to it are "right" or "wrong". You can read more about koans on our koan page.
And, if all that is too esoteric for you, then stop the sound of the distant bell.
Do I need experience in meditation to attend?
No. Absolutely not. In fact, in many ways, the less formal experience you have, the fewer pre-formed ideas you will bring and the more you will be open to whatever arises. Heck, maybe we will put you in charge. We are all constantly striving for beginner's mind.
What if I am disabled or just plain stiff- can I sit?
There is a traditional image that most of us seem to have in mind of a wizened old monk with his legs folded over sitting contentedly. Yet for many of us, our physiology, health or just plain preference prevents that posture from being comfortable or sustainable. No problem. Burmese, half lotus and for the truly flexilble, lotus positions are beautiful, but not at all necessary. Many of us kneel instead, use multiple cushions or even sit in chairs. I attended a week long sesshin once with a woman 3 days done with (unrelated) back surgery who laid on the floor on some cushions. Our own teachers often use chairs and it is no impediment to your practice except that which you make it. Our sitting practice encourages discipline, not pain.
If its my first time, what do I do?
Preferably, if you have never followed a formal Zen practice, you can contact the practice leader (see contact information page), to arrange a quick introduction before practice begins. But frankly, Zen is not rocket science, and if you cannot come early, just follow everyone else, and ask questions.
There are some bells, a little bowing and an altar, but Zen is not a religious rite in the sense that there is no worship of a God or instructions about how to live life. Ritual, however, remains important and serves as a tool to stimulate awareness, so please engage fully as you feel comfortable. If it all seems a little weird, give us the benefit of the doubt. This practice would not have survived 2000+ years if it was empty.
There are some bells, a little bowing and an altar, but Zen is not a religious rite in the sense that there is no worship of a God or instructions about how to live life. Ritual, however, remains important and serves as a tool to stimulate awareness, so please engage fully as you feel comfortable. If it all seems a little weird, give us the benefit of the doubt. This practice would not have survived 2000+ years if it was empty.
What can I expect from a Zen practice?
Zen will not fix you because there is, in fact, nothing wrong with you. We often do however, in our practice, get to realize our perfection in a very personal way and observe the stories we endlessly tell ourselves about how there is a problem with this moment.
Zen practice does not intentionally calm your mind, though that is often a by-product. For many people, zazen is not initially calming at all as our attention is brought to the chatter in our heads. Your practice is a personal relationship, and no one can tell you what you are going to experience, though you will discover that no matter how off the center you feel you are not alone.
Zen will not prevent you from being sad or hurt or disappointed. It encourages us to open our fingers from over our eyes just a little bit more to allow life to come in unfiltered and unprocessed. We can have access to greater joy, but also greater sadness. But the idea is not to be numb.
Zen is not intended to be a replacement for professional therapeutic help. You practice may reveal all the parts of yourself, and blur the distinction between yourself and other, but things may come up during the course of your practice and we recommend that you make it part of your practice as well as turn to whatever other resources you see fit.
Zen is zen. Its what is left over once you have tried everything else.
Zen practice does not intentionally calm your mind, though that is often a by-product. For many people, zazen is not initially calming at all as our attention is brought to the chatter in our heads. Your practice is a personal relationship, and no one can tell you what you are going to experience, though you will discover that no matter how off the center you feel you are not alone.
Zen will not prevent you from being sad or hurt or disappointed. It encourages us to open our fingers from over our eyes just a little bit more to allow life to come in unfiltered and unprocessed. We can have access to greater joy, but also greater sadness. But the idea is not to be numb.
Zen is not intended to be a replacement for professional therapeutic help. You practice may reveal all the parts of yourself, and blur the distinction between yourself and other, but things may come up during the course of your practice and we recommend that you make it part of your practice as well as turn to whatever other resources you see fit.
Zen is zen. Its what is left over once you have tried everything else.
