Gay Buddhist Fellowship of San Francisco

05/31/2026

THANGKA ART EXHIBIT

Strolling Market Street we came across this artist's exhibition of beautiful framed Buddhist thangka paintings (not cloth hangings) at Art House SF Gallery

It's stunning vibrant art - very worth seeing, and just the website provides an amazing education on this type of work.

- The Exhibition at Art House SF:
https://www.arthousesf.com/collections/tashi-gurung

- About Tashi Gurung:
https://www.arthousesf.com/pages/thangka-art-by-tashi-gurung-from-nepal

The gallery has scheduled free talks discussing:
- The artist and his world-renowned work
- His process and natural materials
- The Mustang region of Nepal that inspires his work

Free Talks - Today 1:00 and 4:00pm | June 5, 6, 7, 12, 13
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-talk-buddhist-thangka-art-by-tashi-gurung-tickets-1990139610147

Tashi Gurung is a Thangka and Mandala artist from Lo Manthang, Nepal. In 1999, Tashi and several other artists began restoring 500-year-old Buddhist murals in local gompas (monasteries). Tashi helped to restore Jampa, Thupchen, Tsarang, and other Buddhist gompas, as documented in the NOVA PBS docume...

04/13/2026

How can we maintain a compassionate heart in a world defined by conflict?

Listen to "Leading with a Friendly Heart" the latest dharma talk now available on our website, podcast and YouTube channel.

https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/leading-with-a-friendly-heart-sean-feit-oakes/

04/03/2026

Sean Feit Oakes is returning for the third year to lead our Spring retreat April 15-19 at Vajrapani Institute, a beautiful and calm center in the redwoods near Boulder Creek, CA.

We still have a few openings for all LGBTQI individuals, so please consider joining us for our retreat which offers opportunities for meditation and community. We have scholarships available so do not let funding prevent you from attending.

If you have questions please contact Richard [email protected]
For more information or to register visit https://linktr.ee/gaybuddhistfellowship

03/26/2026

The latest dharma talk is now available online:
"The War Within: Transforming Aggression into a Pure Heart" with Mary Stares

https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/the-war-within-mary-stares/
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*Onryu Mary Stares* helps us understand why external peace is impossible without first addressing the "war" occurring inside—the aggression and destructive emotions within our own heart. She offers several key approaches to support this effort:

• *Navigating the Kleshas*: Mary identifies aggression as a "cold, critical, and fixed" mind and encourages practitioners to acknowledge this and other destructive emotions (pride, craving, jealousy, and ignorance) rather than skipping over them

• *The Wisdom of Manjushri*: She uses the imagery of the bodhisattva Manjushri and his sword to illustrate how wisdom can be "cutting" and clear without being aggressive, provided it is used with a "pure heart" to perform appropriate actions

• *Practical Tools for Peace*: A number of actionable methods for maintaining a peaceful internal posture during conflict are discussed, such as the *STOP practice* (Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed) and Pema Chödrön’s guidance to remain "embodied, present, and kind."

• *Transforming Personal Conflict*: Through personal stories of facing workplace hostility and homophobic harassment, Mary demonstrates how meeting aggression with awareness and sadness—rather than counter-aggression—can prevent the creation of negative karma and lead toward wholeness and relationship

Onryu Mary Stares helps us understand why external peace is impossible without first addressing the “war” occurring inside—the aggression and destructive emotions within our own heart. She offers several key approaches to support this effort: