Berkeley Zen Center
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BZC's abbot is Shinchi Linda Galijan At BZC our everyday activity, as it extends from zazen, is the field where practice finds its full expression.
Berkeley Zen Center is a Soto Zen Buddhist temple where people practice zazen together daily and are supported by the teachings of founding dharma teacher, Sojun Mel Weitsman, and all in the lineage. Meditation, which is called zazen, or sitting in stillness, is the center of our practice, following and adapting the traditions of Soto Zen Buddhism. Changes since March 2020:
Join us online at berkeleyzencenter.org. Daily Zazen
Monday – Friday
7:30–8:10 am (See Calendar for special Monday morning schedule)
5:40–6:20 pm
Earlier zazen on Tuesdays and Thursdays
5:40‒6:40 am (in addition to 7:30)
Tea and Chat
Mondays, 5:00 pm until afternoon zazen
Chanting for All Who Are Suffering
Tuesdays, 8:15‒8:45 am
Well-Being or Memorial Service
Wednesdays, 8:10 am
Saturday Program (in Zendo)
9:45 am: zazen
10:15 am: lecture and discussion
We’ll end around 11:15 am
See our Calendar for speaker schedule
Wednesday Night Drop-In Study (in Zendo)
7:00 Zazen
7:30 – 8:30 Reading
Each month there is an intensive meditation period of one day. Several times a year there are longer sittings, called sesshin, that last two, five, or seven days. We will be offering these online.
10/05/2026
It's been a rough year for Tassajara, to say the least. The last time SFZC did a fundraiser like this was when SFZC purchased the former resort. Now, 60 years later, our treasured mountain monastery needs our help. They've gathered some amazing artists and performers from the sangha to perform in an evening of goodwill and lifting each other up. Let's gooooooo
https://www.sfzc.org/zenefit
https://blogs.sfzc.org/blog/2026/09/17/timber-fire-2026/
https://blogs.sfzc.org/blog/2026/07/20/tassajara-zendo-fire-2026/
Our most recent shuso, Colleen Morton Busch, will be reading her beautiful work. And check out the Avatamsaka Collective's metal opera about Buddha's enlightenment. Seriously... it is the good stuff! Then hear them LIVE at Zenefit 2026!
https://open.spotify.com/album/6IUU2jRv9bOs4HXl2UQWvw?si=Ys_qWx94Q0mOXK3NbggCnA
09/29/2026
This Saturday, BZC practice leader Mary Duryee will give the dharma talk. In-person and online options! Please visit our website for details: berkeleyzencenter.org
09/22/2026
Looking for some goodness in the world? We are too. Come study the goodness to be found in the way of Zen in our Thursday night Practice Period class, The Roots of Goodness. **ONLINE OPTION** details at berkeleyzencenter.org
09/15/2026
Our fall practice period opens this Saturday with a one-day sesshin. Details on our website: berkeleyzencenter.org
09/07/2026
Berkeley Zen Center BIPOC group will be hosting a half-day retreat on Sunday, October 18th, 8:00 a.m. to noon. The retreat will be held IN-PERSON and ONLINE, and our guest teacher is professor, author and member of the BZC teaching circle, Rhonda Magee. We invite BIPOC practitioners to join us in this warm space for meditation, dharma, and sangha.
FOR REGISTRATION
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFbQCAhU-zq-zDlcIana9Ra14xWvbH3Flvdu-ZjEZDdDXjfw/viewform?usp=publish-editor
Or visit the BZC calendar
https://berkeleyzencenter.org/
01/20/2026
On MLK Day, we headed streetside to make and place peace prayers on the bare branches of a cherry tree just outside the temple gate. 🎋
05/01/2025
Tomorrow, Friday May 2, at 5:40 p.m., Berkeley Zen Center will hold a Teacher Entering Ceremony to formally install Linda Galijan and Greg Fain as our Abiding Teachers. The ceremony will be held in the Zendo and will be available on Zoom as well. Please join us tomorrow in welcoming them.
May all beings be well. May all beings be at peace. May all beings be free from suffering.
04/23/2025
Our newsletter for May-June 2025 is now available, here: https://media.berkeleyzencenter.org/BZC-Newsletter-May-June-2025-FINAL-CORRECTED.pdf
You can also read this newsletter, and all of our past newsletters dating back to 2002, on our website: https://berkeleyzencenter.org/newsletters/
May all beings be well. May all beings be at peace. May all beings be free from suffering.
04/17/2025
This Saturday, April 19, senior student Susan Marvin will offer the dharma talk, followed by Q&A.
5:40 a.m. Zendo Opens
6:00-6:40 Zazen
6:40-6:50 Kinhin
6:50-7:20 Zazen
7:20-7:40 Service
7:40-8:30 Breakfast
8:30-8:45 Break
8:45-9:30 Work Practice
9:30-10:05 Zazen
10:05-10:15 Kinhin
10:15-11:15 Dharma Talk
Berkeley Zen Center also offers in-person zazen instruction every Saturday morning, from 8:40 to 9:10 a.m. Pacific. No need to sign up; all are welcome.
May all beings be well. May all beings be at peace. May all beings be free from suffering.
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Contact the place of worship
Telephone
Address
1929 Russell Street
Berkeley, CA
94703
Opening Hours
| Monday | 7:30am - 8:30am |
| 5:40pm - 6:30pm | |
| Tuesday | 5:30am - 7am |
| 5:40pm - 6:30pm | |
| Wednesday | 5:30am - 7am |
| 5:40pm - 9pm | |
| Thursday | 5:30am - 7am |
| 5:40pm - 6:30pm | |
| Friday | 5:30am - 7am |
| 5:40pm - 6:30pm | |
| Saturday | 6am - 12pm |
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