http://sfzc.org/, http://groups.google.com/group/sfzcqdharma

San Francisco Zen Center Queer Dharma Group, 300 Page Street, San Francisco, CA (2026)

08/07/2026

Join us tomorrow, Saturday, August 8th, 1:00pm - 2:15pm, for another Q***r Dharma online gathering. Our speaker will be Kirk Phillips, whose topic is, "Coming Home to Ourselves: A Q***r Buddhist Path of Healing and Self-Compassion." Once again, we'll share in the spirit of connection, well-being, and authentic presence...virtually. https://www.sfzc.org/calendar/events/online/q***r-dharma-group-topicspeaker-kirk-phillips-online-88

Kirk Phillips began formal meditation practice in 1987 after meeting Issan Dorsey at the Hartford Street Zen Center and Maitri Hospice during the height of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco. He was a student at Hartford Street Zen Center and later practiced at Russian River Zendo in Guerneville, California, where he received priest ordination from Darlene Cohen in 2009. Kirk worked as a Nurse Practitioner for 23 years in the Adult Primary Care Clinic at Kaiser San Francisco, followed by 12 years in the Department of Surgery, retiring from clinical practice in 2021. He currently teaches science classes in a nursing school in Portland, Oregon.
In 2023, Kirk received Dharma transmission from Peter van der Sterre at Oak Street Zendo and co-founded the Sellwood Soto Zen Meditation Group with Reverend Cynthia Ziegler. His ongoing practice is supported by zazen, 12-step recovery, and the aspiration to embody an awakened heart. “My path has always been shaped by the intertwining of meditation, caregiving, and recovery. What continues to sustain me is the intimacy of zazen and the wholeheartedness it invites.”

07/30/2026

Join us for another Q***r Dharma online gathering on Saturday, August 8th, 1:00pm - 2:15pm. Our speaker will be Kirk Phillips. Once again, we'll share in the spirit of connection, well-being, and authentic presence...virtually. https://www.sfzc.org/calendar/events/online/q***r-dharma-group-topicspeaker-kirk-phillips-online-88

Kirk Phillips began formal meditation practice in 1987 after meeting Issan Dorsey at the Hartford Street Zen Center and Maitri Hospice during the height of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco. He was a student at Hartford Street Zen Center and later practiced at Russian River Zendo in Guerneville, California, where he received priest ordination from Darlene Cohen in 2009. Kirk worked as a Nurse Practitioner for 23 years in the Adult Primary Care Clinic at Kaiser San Francisco, followed by 12 years in the Department of Surgery, retiring from clinical practice in 2021. He currently teaches science classes in a nursing school in Portland, Oregon.
In 2023, Kirk received Dharma transmission from Peter van der Sterre at Oak Street Zendo and co-founded the Sellwood Soto Zen Meditation Group with Reverend Cynthia Ziegler. His ongoing practice is supported by zazen, 12-step recovery, and the aspiration to embody an awakened heart. “My path has always been shaped by the intertwining of meditation, caregiving, and recovery. What continues to sustain me is the intimacy of zazen and the wholeheartedness it invites.”

07/10/2026

Our next Q***r Dharma online gathering is tomorrow, Saturday, July 11, from 1:00pm to 2:15pm. Our speaker is Karen Sundheim. Join us once again as we share in the spirit of connection, well-being, and authentic presence...virtually. https://www.sfzc.org/calendar/events/online/q***r-dharma-group-topicspeaker-karen-sundheim-online-711

Karen has practiced at the Berkeley Zen Center since 1976. In addition, from 1978 to 1993, she studied Tibetan Buddhism with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Vipassana meditation with Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield. She received Lay Ordination at BZC in 1996, was Shuso in 2006, and received Lay Entrustment from Sojun Roshi in 2010. During her nearly 44 years at BZC, she has held many practice positions, including Sesshin Director, Tenzo, and Librarian. She currently leads a dharma study group and teaches Dharma in prisons and libraries. She worked for many years at the San Francisco Public Library, where she was the Program Manager of the James C. Hormel LGBT Center. She lives with her wife, Nancy, and cats, Max and Gustavo, in Oakland.

06/13/2026

This month's Q***r Dharma online gathering is this Saturday, June 13, 1:00 - 2:15 pm (PST). Our speaker is Lorenzo Garbo, whose topic will be: "What happens to the perception of our place, the place where practice occurs, as we face loss?" Once again, we'll share in the spirit of connection, well-being, and authentic presence...virtually. https://www.sfzc.org/calendar/events/online/q***r-dharma-group-topicspeaker-lorenzo-garbo-online-613

Rev. Hokyo Yoshin Lorenzo Garbo has been practicing in the Shunryu Suzuki Soto Zen lineage since 2001. After many years of lay practice while serving as an economics faculty member of a liberal arts college, Lorenzo entered residential practice at City Center in 2020. He received the bodhisattva precepts from Tenshin Reb Anderson in January 2006 and priest ordination from Kiku Christina Lehnherr in September 2023; that year, he also completed a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies at IBS (Berkeley). He lived and practiced at all three SFZC temples and was shuso (head student) at City Center in the winter of 2026. He currently serves as San Francisco Zen Center’s Director of Hospitality, and has previously held work-practice positions in the Guest Program at Green Gulch, the Online Program, and the Accounting department. Lorenzo has been married to Rev. Zenrin Michael Novak since 2007.

06/08/2026

Our next Q***r Dharma online gathering is Saturday, June 13, 1:00 - 2:15 pm (PST). Our speaker is Lorenzo Garbo, whose topic will be: "What happens to the perception of our place, the place where practice occurs, as we face loss?" Once again, we'll share in the spirit of connection, well-being, and authentic presence...virtually. https://www.sfzc.org/calendar/events/online/q***r-dharma-group-topicspeaker-lorenzo-garbo-online-613

Rev. Hokyo Yoshin Lorenzo Garbo has been practicing in the Soto Zen lineage of Shunryu Suzuki since 2001. After many years of lay practice while serving as an economics faculty member of a liberal arts college, Lorenzo entered residential practice at City Center in 2020. He received the bodhisattva precepts from Tenshin Reb Anderson in January 2006 and priest ordination from Kiku Christina Lehnherr in September 2023; that year he also completed a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies at IBS (Berkeley). He lived and practiced in all three SFZC temples and was shuso (head-student) at City Center in the winter of 2026. He currently serves as San Francisco Zen Center’s Director of Hospitality, and has previously held work-practice positions in the Guest Program at Green Gulch, the Online Program, and the Accounting department. Lorenzo has been married to Rev. Zenrin Michael Novak since 2007.

05/08/2026

Our next Q***r Dharma online gathering is Saturday, May 9 (tomorrow), 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm. Our speaker is Abbot David Zimmerman, and his topic will be "When A Buddha Breaks." Once again, we'll share in the spirit of connection, well-being, and authentic presence...virtually. https://www.sfzc.org/calendar/events/online/q***r-dharma-group-topicspeaker-abbot-tenzen-david-zimmerman-online-59

Rev. Tenzen David Zimmerman has been practicing Soto Zen since the early 90s, and has lived and practiced at San Francisco Zen Center since 1999. He was ordained as a Zen priest in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi by Teah Strozer in 2006 and received Dharma Transmission from her in 2018. David spent eight years at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, where he held a number of positions, including monastery director. Prior to his current role as SFZC's Central Abbot, David served as Abiding Abbot of City Center; he has also served as the Tanto (Head of Practice), programs director, and corporate secretary. David has a Certificate of Zen Ministry through the Shogaku Zen Institute/Zen Priest Training Seminary, serves on the SFZC Promoting Inclusivity & Equity Committee, and is a co-facilitator of Q***r Dharma. He regularly leads retreats, workshops, and classes at SFZC and other Dharma centers, particularly on transforming depression and anxiety.

05/03/2026

Our next Q***r Dharma online gathering is Saturday, May 9, 1:00pm - 2:15pm. Our speaker is Abbot David Zimmerman, and his topic will be "When A Buddha Breaks." Once again, we'll share in the spirit of connection, well-being, and authentic presence...virtually. https://www.sfzc.org/calendar/events/online/q***r-dharma-group-topicspeaker-abbot-tenzen-david-zimmerman-online-59

Rev. Tenzen David Zimmerman has been practicing Soto Zen since the early 90s, and has lived and practiced at San Francisco Zen Center since 1999. He was ordained as a Zen priest in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi by Teah Strozer in 2006 and received Dharma Transmission from her in 2018. David spent eight years at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, where he held a number of positions, including monastery director. Prior to his current role as SFZC's Central Abbot, David served as Abiding Abbot of City Center; he has also served as the Tanto (Head of Practice), programs director, and corporate secretary. David has a Certificate of Zen Ministry through the Shogaku Zen Institute/Zen Priest Training Seminary, serves on the SFZC Promoting Inclusivity & Equity Committee, and is a co-facilitator of Q***r Dharma. He regularly leads retreats, workshops, and classes at SFZC and other Dharma centers, particularly on transforming depression and anxiety.

04/10/2026

Join us for the next Q***r Dharma online gathering tomorrow, Saturday, April 11, 1:00pm - 2:15pm. Our speaker will be Rev. River Shannon, whose topic will be “Spiritual Friendship, Q***r Friendship, Radical Friendship.” Once again, we'll share in the spirit of connection, well-being, and authentic presence...virtually. https://www.sfzc.org/calendar/events/online/q***r-dharma-group-topicspeaker-river-shannon-online-411

Daisen River Shannon (she/her) is a student of Soto Zen Buddhism in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. In October 2023, she received priest ordination (Shukke Tokudo) from Myoshin Kate McCandless, a guiding teacher of Mountain Rain Zen Community in Vancouver, British Columbia. River practices as a lawyer, offering free legal help to q***r and trans people, as well as survivors of intimate partner violence. She also educates and advocates in the fields of violence prevention and trauma-informed practice. River has contributed as an author to Trauma-Informed Law: A Primer for Practicing Lawyers and a Pathway for Resilience and Healing, edited by Helgi Maki, Marjorie Florestal, Myrna McCallum, and J Kim Wright (2023) for the American Bar Association, as well as the Golden Eagle Rising Society’s Trauma-Informed Legal Practice Toolkit. In 2023, River was named Legal Advocate of the Year by DomesticShelters.org.

04/05/2026

Our next Q***r Dharma online gathering is Saturday, April 11, 1:00pm - 2:15pm. Our speaker will be Rev. River Shannon, whose topic will be “Spiritual Friendship, Q***r Friendship, Radical Friendship.” Once again we'll share in the spirit of connection, well-being, and authentic presence...virtually. https://www.sfzc.org/calendar/events/online/q***r-dharma-group-topicspeaker-river-shannon-online-411

Daisen River Shannon (she/her) is a student of Soto Zen Buddhism in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. In October 2023, she received priest ordination (Shukke Tokudo) from Myoshin Kate McCandless, a guiding teacher of Mountain Rain Zen Community in Vancouver, British Columbia. River practices as a lawyer, offering free legal help to q***r and trans people, as well as survivors of intimate partner violence. She also educates and advocates in the fields of violence prevention and trauma-informed practice. River has contributed as an author to Trauma-Informed Law: A Primer for Practicing Lawyers and a Pathway for Resilience and Healing, edited by Helgi Maki, Marjorie Florestal, Myrna McCallum, and J Kim Wright (2023) for the American Bar Association, as well as the Golden Eagle Rising Society’s Trauma-Informed Legal Practice Toolkit. In 2023, River was named Legal Advocate of the Year by DomesticShelters.org.

San Francisco Zen Center Queer Dharma Group

08/07/2026

07/30/2026

07/10/2026

06/13/2026

06/08/2026

05/08/2026

05/03/2026

04/10/2026

04/05/2026

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