Young Urban Zen SF

This week's theme is "The heart of Zen teachings - Grandmotherly Mind". Zen practice isn't about becoming a better version of yourself—it's about learning a radically different way of relating to the person you already are. This talk explores the Zen teaching of Grandmotherly Mind: a compassionate, clear, and courageous way of meeting ourselves and others that transforms how we navigate work, relationships, and everyday life. Drawing on the teachings of the great Zen master Eihei Dōgen, we'll explore how this ancient practice speaks directly to the challenges of modern life.
























Grandmotherly Mind

Young Urban Zen

Tonight Tim Wicks will speak about accumulation. We collect lots and lots of stuff. For some of us shopping can be an addiction. A lot of it gets thrown away.
Greed is one of the three poisons that we work with in Zen, it is an obstacle to our awakening. Here we discuss…
























Accumulation

Young Urban Zen

In a culture that often measures human worth by productivity and output, this talk explores what is distinctly and irreducibly human—our capacity for empathy, our unique perspective, our ability to be present with difficulty, and our power to connect. Drawing on Zen practice, neuroscience, and contemplative wisdom, Sozan Michael McCord examines our relationships with technology, with each other, and with the processes that fill our days.
























Being-Human-In-The-Age-Of-AI

Young Urban Zen

Let's get real. Life can be messy. Relationships become complicated. Work is uncertain. We lose our way. Our bodies change. The people we love get older. We lose faith in everything. Sometimes everything seems to happen at once. Now what?
Buddhism and meditation practice doesn't promise that life will become easy or that somehow we'll rise above it all. It does offer practical ways to meet whatever arises with a little more awareness, honesty, kindness, and freedom.
























It's-a-Mess-Now-What?

Young Urban Zen

Heather Iarusso leads us through a talk on the "origin of conflict" and "mindfulness of mind." How does our thought-world affect how we think, act, and speak? How can we transform harmful "verbal action" into beneficial "internal speech"? The more we pay close attention to what arises in the mind, the more we can respond to what's happening in the moment with compassion and care. There is a slightly guided meditation at the end as well!
























Origin of Conflict and Mindfulness of Mind

Young Urban Zen