Young Urban Zen SF

This talk is the beginning of a series on the paramitas which are the fruits of living the precepts of Buddhism.
Michael will be discussing the paramita of patience in this talk. Paramitas are viewed as perfections to be addressed directly as a way of working with one's practice. Please come and turn over not only this paramita but how it relates to our everyday life, no matter where we spend our day (in the monastery, out in the world, in the home...).

Tim Wicks closes out the year (2025) with a talk about Renunciation, letting go.
He speaks about the grasping at the root of our suffering, our conditioning as "graspers," and how we help each other in learning to let go.

As the year comes to a close, Young Urban Zen invites you into The Gift of Nothing: a talk and experiential practice on generosity without striving. Eli Brown-Stevenson leads us together through an exploration on what it means to give, receive, and belong when we release the need to add, fix, or improve anything.

When practice starts to feel frustrating, like why am I not feeling a certain way by now, or when we wonder if we’re “doing it right”—it can quietly turn into a kind of transaction. We’ll explore this train of thought with some lightness and curiosity, and look at how practice can become less about getting somewhere and more about meeting ourselves where we are with compassion.

Many of you may be traveling this year or at least experiencing a different schedule (some may take time off; some may work more due to the rest of the team taking time off... etc.) than how things usually unfold for you.
How will you stay grounded in the midst of large meals, or extra time or family interactions, or increased solitude?
In this talk, Michael discusses what Zen principles apply to staying grounded in the midst of change.