Sanghas + Events in the Plum Village Tradition in Northern California
April 24, 2027 @ 10:00 am – 2:30 pm
Please save the date for a Day of Mindfulness in San Francisco, co-sponsored by Home Within Sangha and the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco.
milesrose17@pm.me
January 23, 2027 @ 10:00 am – 2:30 pm
Please save the date for a Day of Mindfulness in San Francisco, co-sponsored by Home Within Sangha and the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco.
milesrose17@pm.me
Saturday, October 24 @ 10:00 am – 2:30 pm
Please save the date for a Day of Mindfulness in San Francisco, co-sponsored by Home Within Sangha and the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco.
milesrose17@pm.me
Friday, November 6 @ 5:00 pm – Monday, November 9 @ 12:00 pm
Our annual winter retreat will be held from Friday to Monday on the weekend before Veteran’s Day / Armistice Day. More details TBA.
+1 650-315-9607
dylan@tweney.com
Saturday, July 25 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Singing Frog Sangha wants to warmly invite you to a Day of Mindfulness we’re hosting on July 25th, 9a-4p at Canticle Farm (1972 36th Ave, Oakland)! We would love for you to come join us in practice.
The inspiration for the day is to reflect on stories from the founding of our tradition, in resistance to war authoritarianism in Vietnam, and how we can live that spirit today. Here’s the description:
The Plum Village tradition has its roots in a period of violent authoritarian repression of Buddhism and social work in Vietnam in the 1960s. In this Day of Mindfulness, we will look deeply into stories of how monks, nuns, and lay people, including Thich Nhat Hanh, Sister Chan Khong, Nhat Chi Mai, and others found strength in the dharma and took bold, loving action to resist authoritarianism and war. Rooted in the stories of our spiritual ancestors, we will contemplate questions like: How might we continue their spirit of dharmic resistance in our own times? What blocks might be preventing us from living in deeper alignment with our values? What medicine might our tradition and our sangha(s) have to offer our movements? We will also have concrete opportunities to connect with existing and emerging liberation efforts like the ICE Out of Dublin Coalition, Singing Resistance, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, and more. We will have ample time for silent practice, mindful movement, and a vegetarian meal.
Here’s a link to rsvp, which also has more info! Feel free to forward to other friends and local sanghas if you like. We have a cap of 35 participants, so we may not be able to accept everyone who wants to come, but if folks are interested in the topic, we can do it again!
Guangpingchu@gmail.com
Saturday, May 9 @ 10:00 am – 1:30 pm
Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 1:30 pm
Location: Presidio Tunnel Tops, 210 Lincoln Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94129
Dear Bay Area OI Siblings and Aspirants, you are invited to our second Fire-Building Session.
The Presidio Tunnel Tops is a stunning open-air park at the gateway of the Presidio, offering sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge, beautiful public lawns, accessible restrooms, and paid parking. It is easily reachable by public transit (Muni Routes 43 and 30), as well as by Waymo or Uber.
This is a beautiful opportunity for our Bay Area OI community to come together in person, practice in community, and share a casual recitation of the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings.
Please RSVP
To help us prepare, please reach out and let us know:
If you feel called to help shape and organize this gathering, we warmly welcome your energy and creativity — please reach out to any member of the organizing committee.
With care, joy, and deep gratitude, Dylan, Sheryl, and Tanya
For more information about the encouragement of these fire-building sessions from Plum Village, check out this link: https://plumvillage.org/articles/sangha-fire-building-sessions-around-the-world.
Thursday, January 8 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
On Thursday Jan 8, one of our local Plum Village practitioners, Chris Punongbayan, will offer a special workshop for us (and whoever else would like to join!) on the topic of Reducing Implicit Bias. This is a practical application of our Buddhist training of non-discrimination and inclusivity.
Date: Thursday Jan 8, 6-7:30pm
Location: Interfaith Chapel @ UUSF (1187 Franklin St. in San Francisco)
Workshop Description Implicit bias is part and parcel of the human experience, but it is nonetheless a taboo subject. Implicit biases are learned from a lifetime of social conditioning, but they can also be unlearned and overcome. This training will provide an overview of: what implicit bias is, the harmful effects of implicit bias in society, and techniques to retrain the mind to minimize the occurrence of implicit bias. The session will include traditional mindfulness practices including a closing session on confronting the effects that implicit bias has had on participants in their own lives.
The workshop is freely offered, with the option to help donate for rental of the space.
Bio
Chris Punongbayan (he/him) is yoga and mindfulness teacher and recovering lawyer. He draws inspiration from all of the diverse peacemakers striving to make the world fairer and more just. Chris profoundly believes in giving voice to the unheard, breaking down barriers, and creating strategic alliances to advance equity. He has a loving family with his husband including two kids adopted from the foster system and three cats, two of whom were adopted from the SPCA. He is a 500-YTT certified yoga teacher and is a lead teacher for the 2026 Mindfulness for Lawyers Teacher Training program. He currently serves as the Executive Director of California ChangeLawyers, a community foundation whose mission is to build a better justice system and is the proud son of immigrants from the Philippines.
nicole.pkramer@gmail.com
Friday, May 29 @ 8:00 am – Sunday, May 31 @ 5:00 pm
Dharma teacher Valerie Brown will be offering a retreat at Quaker Center this coming year. Please share this invitation with your sanghas!
This is an in-person retreat, May 29-31, 2026.
Immersed in the stunning beauty of the redwoods in spring, this retreat explores issues of life transition, vocation, passion, purpose, meaning, direction, and underlying patterns, to live in greater alignment with your deepest values, to listen to your own inner wisdom, and to have the courage to act with integrity and authenticity.
For more information, see this link:
About the facilitator. Valerie Brown is an author, Buddhist-Quaker Dharma teacher, facilitator, and executive coach specializing in leadership development and mindfulness practices with a focus on diversity, social equity, and inclusion. A former lawyer and lobbyist, Valerie transformed her high-pressure career into serving nonprofits to create trustworthy, authentic, and compassionate workspaces. For more information about Valerie, please visit www.valeriebrown.us.
Saturday, April 18 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Celebrate Vesak (the Buddha’s birthday) at Chua Pho Tu!
There will be events on April 18 and 19.
Details TBA.
Sunday, January 25 @ 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
All are welcome for a bilingual (English-Vietnamese) event commemorating Thích Nhất Hạnh at the Hayward Temple (Compassion Meditation Center/Chua Pho Tu).
Details:
Commemoration Ceremony for the Anniversary of the Passing of Master Thich Nhat Hanh (bilingual)
9:30 AM Buddhists and friends gather.
10:00 a.m. Venerable monks and nuns arrive at the main hall.
Sitting meditation (10 minutes)
Incense offering – Ceremony for the Triple Gem & the Enlightened Spirit of the Venerable Master (bilingual)
12:00 noon Tea offering (Br. Phap Huy, Plum Village tradition)
Recitation of the Refuge Chant (Vietnamese) and reading of The Refuge Chant (English)
Reflections from the Sangha (Vietnamese, American): Representatives from Plum Village, Tiếp Hiện
Dedication of Merit
A few words of thanks from the Abbot.
11:30 a.m. Informal lunch
1 p.m. Conclusion