To better accomplish our mission, “to express, make accessible, and embody the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha,” the San Francisco Zen Center has developed a Work Practice Apprenticeship (WPA) Program for Zen students who are ready to enter a one-year, entry-level Zen training program.
As a Work Practice Apprentice, each student will be working and practicing full-time at City Center, wholeheartedly engaging with all aspects of the daily practice life in the temple. This includes all of Zen Center’s core practice activities: morning and evening zazen, service, study, practice discussion, ceremonies, and work-practice; as well as the many other aspects of living, working, and practicing together in sangha. This program is modeled after the work practice apprenticeship programs at Green Gulch Farm and Tassajara. The goals of the program are three-fold:
- To support Zen students to establish a solid foundation in Zen meditation, work-practice, and the spirit of the Buddha’s teachings as passed down to use by Suzuki Roshi and his dharma heirs.
- To offer a low-cost way for sincere students to make a commitment to full-time, residential Zen practice.
- To reward those who successfully complete the initial three- to six-month period with the opportunity to continue and deepen their practice at Zen Center.
The three-month period of the Work Practice Apprenticeship Program begins upon acceptance through application to the director and practice committee. All applicants must have completed a minimum of two weeks as a Guest Student at City Center prior to starting the apprenticeship program. Upon successful completion of the three-month session, Work Practice Apprenticeship Program participants receive a scholarship for one practice period that may be used at any one of the three Zen Center practice places, with some limitations (please consult with the City Center Director about the details and circumstances of your particular situation).
The work-practice program requires a commitment to the following practice activities:
- Early morning zazen, service, and temple cleaning six days per week
- Afternoon zazen at 5:40 p.m., five days per week, work permitting
- 30 hours of work-practice per week (M-F, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- At least one class per study session
- Regular private meetings with a resident Practice Leader
- Monthly one-day sittings
- Scheduled sesshins, depending on work and practice assignments
- Saturday morning oryoki breakfast, when scheduled
- Saturday morning and Wednesday evening Dharma talks
- Various monthly and yearly ceremonies and events
Additional Information about the City Center Work Apprenticeship ProgramBuddhist Precepts: All members of the Work Practice Apprenticeship Program are expected to practice in relation to the 16 Bodhisattva precepts. In particular, students are asked to refrain from initiating new sexual relationships during their first six months of residency and to refrain from all drug and alcohol use at City Center. Please obtain a copy of the
Zen Center Ethical Principles and discuss any questions or concerns you have regarding these guidelines with the City Center director prior to submitting an application.
Expenses and Stipends: There is a one-time $70 application fee for the City Center Work Practice Apprenticeship Program. After this initial fee, all room, meals, and tuition are provided while in residence during the apprenticeship program. During participation in the program, each apprentice will receive $20 per month for essential purchases. After three months, the apprentice may participate in a practice period or apply for another three-month apprenticeship. After six months of continuous residency (which can include the practice period awarded after participation in an initial three-month apprenticeship), and upon acceptance in a second three-month work practice apprenticeship, an apprentice will receive a $75 per month stipend.
You must apply for and be accepted for each three-month apprenticeship. To earn the pp scholarship you will need to sign an agreement with the director.
Practice Period Scholarships: After successfully completing a three-month apprenticeship, a work practice apprentice is eligible to receive a scholarship for one practice period at Tassajara, Green Gulch Farm, or City Center. This allows students to continue in residential practice or return to Zen Center at a later date, acknowledging that a variety of life situations may not allow continuous residency. To attend a Tassajara practice period, one must have first completed a practice period at the either City Center or Green Gulch Farm, including a sesshin.
Upon completion of each WPA you receive a confirmation letter by the director confirming that you have earned a pp scholarship. You must apply and be accepted for each practice period. Acceptance to the practice period is subject to space availability, as well as review by the practice period applications committee at the respective practice center.
Transition Time and Vacations: The City Center Work Practice Apprenticeship Program includes a five-day vacation/transition after completion of the initial three-month period. There is also a one-week vacation between practice periods.
Health Insurance: Zen Center does not provide health insurance for work practice apprentices. City Center Work Practice Apprentices are not considered to be on staff, and thus time as a WPA participant does not count toward the accrual of the one-year staff time necessary to qualify for Zen Center health insurance.
Continuing on in a Staff Position: Upon successful completion of the one-year Work Practice Apprenticeship Program (two three-month apprenticeships and two practice periods), students are eligible to apply for a City Center staff position. A description of staff policy, benefits, and stipend levels is available from the City Center director.
How to ApplyPlease fill out the program application and submit it, along with the $70 application fee and a recent photo, to the address found below.
Work Practice Apprentice Application: PDF |
WordAll applications for the City Center Work Practice Apprenticeship Program should be sent to the following address:
City Center Work Practice Apprenticeship Program
CC Director
San Francisco Zen Center
300 Page Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Please keep this program description for your reference. For more information, call the City Center director at 415-354-0383, or email
ccdirector@sfzc.org.
Two Zen practitioners agreed to share their experience as Work Practice Apprentices (WPA) at the City Center Temple.
> Read their stories here.