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Current and Upcoming Art Exhibits at City Center

ImageKaren Hamilton’s show of collage paintings will be up till November 22, 2008. Deborah Goodrich will be showing her calligraphy and sumi-e brush paintings during the month of December.

Please call the City Center office at 415-863-3136 to confirm availability of viewing these works in the Art Lounge.

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Announcing the Dharma Transmission of Susan Jion Postal

ImageThe Empty Hand Zen Center, in New Rochelle, New York, joyfully announces the Dharma Transmission of Susan Postal in the Soto Lineage of Suzuki Roshi by her teacher, Darlene Cohen, of the Russian River Zendo in Guerneville, California on January 18, 2008.

Susan has been deeply involved in Buddhism since 1970, originally in the Tibetan tradition. Entering Zen practice in 1980 with Glassman Roshi in Riverdale, she eventually began to study with Maurine Stuart in Cambridge. Susan was ordained by Maurine in 1988, and received encouragement to lead practice at the Rye Meeting House before Maurine’s untimely death in 1990.  Since 2000, Susan has been working with Darlene. Plans for this Dharma Transmission came to fruition due to the support of two former San Francisco Zen Center abbots – Blanche Hartman and Mel Weitsman, both of whom had known and encouraged Susan over many years.

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Letter from Zen Center President

Today, just a little over a week after election-day, and despite the many challenges facing all of us, it feels to me like we now have permission to be optimistic again. As if it is o.k. to hope and see the possibility of a better, kinder, more awake and compassionate world.

ImageIn the days leading up to the election I was privileged to join a small group of Zen Center folks who went to Las Vegas, Nevada to help encourage people to vote. In the picture here I am with Zen Center Vice President Susan O’Connell and Treasurer Greg Fain.

For four days we were part of a huge and impressive organization that knocked on doors and distributed voter information to thousands of people—many of whom were taking part in an election for the first time. It was inspiring to come face-to-face with people of such great diversity and feel what it was like to be a part of something larger than ourselves, something that could benefit all beings.

I would like to acknowledge that over the last two years many people have embraced possibility and hope against long odds and much difficulty, and have made great efforts to put their aspirations into action to create positive change. To all of you who have worked so hard to make our world a better place, we bow to you.

I hope that you enjoy this issue of sangha-e!

Slideshow: Tassajara Prepares for Winter's Rains
Tassajara Prepares for Winter's Rains

Please click on the image above to view Simon Moyes' photos of flood preparations taking place at Tassajara this Fall.

Green Gulch Farm's Efforts to Reduce Unnecessary Waste Recognized by CUESA
In the November 7 issue of the CUESA newsletter (CUESA runs San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, of which Green Gulch is a part) it was announced that it will be banning the distribution of plastic bags. The article goes on to highlight Green Gulch Farm and Market Manager Qayyum Johnson for their inspiring endeavours to introduce this policy last season, observing that included in the transition was a consciousness-raising effort in the form of informational flyer distribution for several weeks before the swich. [To read the article, visit this page and scroll down to "Feature...We Can Make Plastic Bags a Thing of the Past."]
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