a New book by Brad Warner

3-16-13 - Thannal, hand sculpted homes, from friend Biju Bhaskar in Tiruvannamalai, India. Help them to help nature.

3-05-13 - Thanks to BC Computer Services in Fort Worth, TX (817920-0909) (erin.bienert[at]gmail.com) for quickly and cheaply finding and fixing the problem with my Asus X202E Touch Notebook - cracked screen made touchpad useless and touch function go haywire so they disengaged that which isn't necessary anyway.

2-13-13 - Seeking donations for Asa Horvitz's Koans and Performance Project born out of the work of John Tarrant and Pacific Zen Institute. 

Groundbreaking multi-disciplinary performance based on Zen Koans, created by theater artists and musicians from Denmark, Poland, and the US.

Asa writes: Dear Zen friends,

I took up Zen in High School and, after college and after studying performance on a Fulbright in Poland I had this idea of bringing together a group of international artists to explore koans and to create a multi-disciplinary performance piece with one foot in the group theater and experimental music tradition and another foot in work in the koan world. After a year of intensive fundraising and development, this project – the Koans and Performance Project – is close to becoming a reality.

So I am writing to ask for your help.

We have just put up an Indiegogo campaign to raise the last chunk of money that we need to pay our performers and do our first big round of work this spring.

 Here is a link to the site

2-11-13 - Dear Friends,
    Zen Center will be hosting a very special event to honor Mitzu Suzuki Sensei, the wife of Suzuki Roshi and teacher of Japanese tea ceremony for many of us.  She will be turning 99 this April 23rd.
    We will be gathering in the Buddha Hall at the SF Zen Center at 3:00 pm on Sunday, April 7th to have a simple tea together.  There will be time for sending our memories and regards to Suzuki Sensei by video.  Perhaps we will be able to Skype with Suzuki Sensei.
    For those who can stay, we will be having a Bento Box dinner at Zen Center following our tea and appreciations.
    Please come.  This event is open to anyone who knew Suzuki Sensei or would like to know more about this incredible woman.  And do feel free to forward this e-mail to anyone you think might be interested.
    Please let me know as soon as you can if you will be able to attend and if you will be staying for dinner.  More details to follow.
Mary Watson [If you need help contacting Mary, please contact DC.]

12-19-12 - cuke's holiday gift suggestions - or post holiday or 2013 holiday.

11-09-12 - Lew Richmond and Peter Coyote to give benefit performance for people who are ill - Saturday, Nov. 10 at 2 pm, at the Community Congregational Church, 145 Rock Hill Dr. in Tiburon  -  Well-being Fund created

10-16-12 - Only two days to go for Jamie Fox to achieve his Kickstarter goal of $30,000 to fund his documentary film on the BP oil spill. Jamie is already an acclaimed documentary film maker.

10-01-12 - Community Grows - Barbara Wenger continues greening up the Koshland Park and San Francisco and SF youth. Give generously.

9-29-12 - Welcome, to Jikoji's Sunday Programs - south of San Francisco, near Santa Cruz

9-19-12 - Robert Moses, the inspiring leader of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer Project,  will be in the Bay Area at an Oakland church near Mills College raising funds for Ron Bridgeforth [see article in SF Chronicle]. While he is here, he would like to meet with Bay Area veterans of the Mississippi Movement to discuss plans for a 50th anniversary gathering of the Mississippi Summer Project. He was truly a moving and humble spokesman for non violent change - and that's change I hope for. - DC - Read details

9-13-12 - Cooking from the Summer Garden with Deborah Madison

with Deborah Madison and Koyo Dan Welch September 28-30, 201

A benefit at and for Crestone Mt. Zen Center

8-01-12 - Standing at the Blue Cliff: The Enlightenment Talks

September 13 – 16, 2012 at the Santa Rosa Creek Zendo

A retreat exploring the seminal koan text the Blue Cliff Record and implications of enlightenment with John Tarrant & Joan Sutherland

7-06-12 - Sue Moon will be guest editing another issue of Inquiring Mind, the spring 2013 issue, along with editor Barbara Gates, and Sue writes, "Because it's a different sort of issue than usual, we are sending out a call for submissions." Here it is:

The spring 2013 Inquiring Mind will feature stories and poetry. Please send us creative work that comes from a dharmic perspective, but you don’t need to mention the Buddha unless you feel like it. 3,000-word limit for stories.  Deadline: October 1, 2012.

Check out the website, which will give you a sense of the printed magazine if you're not familiar with it.  Send submissions to Spring2013@inquiringmind.com.

5-21-12 - Stephan Bodian's School for Awakening begins this fall.

4-19-12 - Help needed for Diane Di Prima - on Shambhala Sun Space

Diane Di Prima cuke page

on the Poetry Foundation site

Donate here

Diane di Prima on Wikipedia

Diane was a student of Shunryu Suzuki and other Buddhist teachers and is Poet Laureate of San Francisco. Get well Diane. - dc

3-17-12 - Consider Crestone Mountain Zen Center as a possible venue for your group retreats.

They still have availability for 2012, and we are accepting reservations for 2013 and 2014. For more information please visit their website or call the office at 719-256-4692.

Crestone Mountain Zen Center is a year-round Zen practice and retreat center in one of the most secluded and extraordinarily beautiful places in the country. The Center is located on 240 acres of piñon and juniper forest, at the foot of majestic 14,000-foot peaks and above the vast, ancient lakebed of the San Luis Valley.

CMZC has been hosting meditation, yoga, music, dance, bodywork, writing, and psychotherapy groups for more than twenty years.

Della Goertz memorial coming up the 16th of March

Taigen Dan Leighton's latest book, Zen Questions: Zazen, Dogen, and the Spirit of Creative Inquiry is now available. Congratulations Taigen!

 - Wisdom Publications link to Zen Questions

Excerpts from Zen Questions related to Shunryu Suzuki

Taigen's cuke link page for much more

Vista from way above Crestone Mountain Zen Center (CMZC).

This is a great place to practice or to hold workshops and retreats. - dc

Here's the zendo.

Calling all SF Zen Center alumni! Please offer your input on our newly forming alumni organization by taking our survey. An alum is defined as someone who has completed at least one full practice period at CC, GGF, or Tassajara, and/or has received the precepts from an established teacher at San Francisco Zen Center. See our introductory letter on the SFZC alumni home page. Please help us get the word out by  emailing the survey link to friends and posting it on your blog or Facebook page, if you have one. Let's explore the possibilities of reconnecting our wider sangha.

Fire Monks released July 7th.

Fire Monks events page on Colleen Morton Busch's Fire Monks' website - San Francisco ZC on 7-14, Green Gulch Farm on 7-17.

Fire Monks Facebook page

There's a note in the back of the book that says for history on fire at Tassajara (and that area) go to cuke.com/tassfire. So that's there now plus more on the book, including a brief review by DC.

Shambhala has brought John Tarrant's Bring me Rhinoceros back out

Look at Tarrant Works

and his Zenosauras blog

Check out Tarrant's books on cuke.

and PZI (Pacific Zen Inst)

Santa Rosa Creek Zendo with Monday eve gathering and Sunday Morning at the Creek.

A new zendo in San Francisco

Decomposition:
Fungi-Inspired Poems

a new book by Kelly Chadwick and Renée Roehl

  (now in its second printing)

Read about it, how to buy, and see a nifty photo of the authors

Zen Monster, Vol. 1, #2  is now on sale @ all 3 ZC bookstores or online @ www.spdbooks.com and 'google' Zen Monster on the site; its around $10. And don't forget Zen Monster Vol. 1, #1. You can order them both from SFZC Bookstore. Check out the Zen Monster website.

ZEN MONSTER LAUNCHES 3RD ISSUE

See cool Zen Monster release card

click on thumbnail to enlarge

Books by Dainin Katagiri -  compilations of his lectures

Out of Afghan!

Get a hit from Nisargadatta

click on thumbnail to enlarge

When in Colorado visit this Zen Boulder Colorado Bed and Breakfast - the Briar Rose Bed and Breakfast. It's beautiful, has a scrumptious breakfast, run by students of Zentatsu Baker Roshi, and has a zendo. It's across the street from Naropa University

Beltane Flowers

Elizabeth Tuomi Memorial Page

Kyoto Art and Antiques  Tell 'em cuke sent you. - dc

Need tech support? Try David Cohen, Tech God at Tech Light
who helps cuke.com out a lot. Thanks - DC

Check out Andy Ferguson's
South Mountain China tours         More on cuke on Andy
with it's fantastic videos of China and Chinese Zen

South Mountain China Zen Tours 2010 Report by fearless tour leader Andy Ferguson
Also check out Andy's momentous Zen's Chinese Heritage, Wisdom Publications and there's a video on these tours on the South Mt. site. Andy Ferguson cuke main page

photo of this bodhidharma by Doug McKechnie

Original site designed by Sheryl B at the end of 1998 and later redone by The Empty Wig  who made the above banner. The work of both is still all over the site.