Valley Streams Zen Dharma Talks

Dharma Talk given on Monday, March 2nd, 2026 – Jisan Tova Green (18.1 MB, 55 min). Jisan Tova Green Visiting Teacher She/her, is a resident priest at San Francisco Zen Center. She was ordained in 2003 and received Dharma transmission from Eijun Linda Cutts in 2015. Tova is the Branching Streams Director, supporting and connecting the 75+ Zen Centers and sanghas in the Suzuki Roshi lineage. She also writes blogs for SFZC’s online newsletter, Sangha News. Tova co-founded SFZC’s Queer Dharma group and has been involved in Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives during her twenty-four years as a resident. She has worked with those who are approaching death as a hospice social worker and as a priest. Tova enjoys reading and writing poetry and playing the cello. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Monday, February 16th, 2026 – Meikyo Robert Rosenbaum (21 MB, 64 min). Meikyo Robert Rosenbaum, PhD Visiting Teacher Meikyo Robert Rosenbaum, PhD, received lay entrustment in Soto Zen from Sojun Mel Weitsman.  He is also authorized as a senior teacher of the Taoist practice of Dayan (Wild Goose) Qigong in the lineage of Yang Meijun by Master Hui Liu.  In addition, he has received denkai  in Ordinary Mind Zen from Karen Terzano. Bob teaches Zen and Qigong at the Meadowmind Center in Sacramento. Bob is the author of several books including Zen and the Heart of Psychotherapy, Walking the Way : 81 Zen Encounters with Tao Te Ching and most recently, That is not your Mind! Zen Reflections on the Sarangama Sutra. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Monday, February 23rd, 2026 – Nyokai Kristin Diggs (18.3 MB, 54 min). Nyokai Kristin Diggs Practice Committee, Teachers Joined our sangha as Teacher in 2026. Prior to moving to Sacramento, she trained residentially at all three San Francisco Zen Center temples (2014-2025), holding a number of senior positions, including Ino, Tenzo, and Work Leader. Lay ordained by Tenshin Reb Anderson and priest ordained by Eijun Linda Cutts, she served as Shuso during the winter 2025 practice period at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, led by Eijun Linda Cutts. Kristin offers practice discussion upon request at nyokai.kristin.diggs@gmail.com. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Saturday, February 7th, 2026 – So’on Jim Hare (12.2 MB, 43 min). So'on Jim Hare Board of Directors, Practice Committee, Teachers Serves as Tanto, or head of practice. He lived in the San Francisco Zen Center community from 1980 to 1984; was lay ordained by Tenshin Reb Anderson in 1985, and priest ordained by Myō Lahey in 2016. He served as Shuso (Head Student) at Green Gulch Farm during the spring 2002 practice period.  Jim offers practice discussion upon request at info@valleystreamszen.org. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Monday, February 9th, 2026 – Susan Moon (9.8 MB, 29 min). Susan Moon Visiting Teacher Susan Moon is a writer, editor, and lay teacher in the Soto Zen tradition. She is the author of a number of books about Buddhism, including the humor book The Life and Letters of Tofu Roshi and This Is Getting Old: Zen Thoughts on Aging with Humor and Dignity. For many years she was the editor of Turning Wheel, the journal of socially engaged Buddhism. Her short stories and essays have been published widely. Sue has been a Zen student since 1976, practicing in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi at Berkeley Zen Center, Tassajara Zen Mountain Monastery, Green Gulch Farm, and now with Zoketsu Norman Fischer’s Everyday Zen sangha. She received “entrustment” as a lay teacher in 2005. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Monday, January 26th, 2026 –  Rev. Shōku Kathy Early (16.7 MB, 52 min). Shōku Kathy Early Visiting Teacher Shōku Kathy Early came to zen practice in 1994 through classes with Tenshin Reb Anderson at the Yoga Room in Berkeley while working as a semiconductor engineer in Silicon Valley. She then practiced for several years with Keido Les Kaye at Kannon Do Zen Center in Mountain View, after which she trained at San Francisco Zen Center for 16 years. She was priest ordained by Tenshin Anderson in 2005. Shōku also spent a year and a half in residence at Toshoji International Training Monastery, in Okayama, Japan, including four angos (90 day training periods). Right-click to Download File

Talk given on Monday, January 19th, 2026 – Shokan Clement Spring and Malia McCarthy (17 MB, 53 min). Shokan Clement Spring Other Sangha Leaders Shokan Clement Spring is in his second rotation at Head Doan for Valley Streams Zen. He received Jukai (lay precepts) with Rev. Myō Lahey in 2010 and Shukke Tokudo (priest ordination) with Rev. Kyosho Valorie Beer in 2023. Preparatory to ordination, he completed two practice periods at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center and he has recently returned from his first post-ordination practice period, again at Green Gulch Farm. Malia McCarthy Board of Directors Malia is a member of the Valley Streams Board of Directors and serves as secretary.  She recently retired from the practice of child and adolescent psychiatry.  She has two daughters in college and lives in Davis with her husband.  She feels very fortunate to have been able to practice with Valley Streams since 2019 Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Saturday, January 3rd, 2026 –  Rev. So’on Jim Hare (14.4 MB, 55 min). Rev. So'on Jim Hare Board of Directors, Practice Committee, Teachers Serves as Tanto, or head of practice. He lived in the San Francisco Zen Center community from 1980 to 1984, was lay ordained by Tenshin Reb Anderson in 1985, and priest ordained by Myo Lahey in 2016. He served as Head Student at Green Gulch Farm during the spring 2002 practice period. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Friday, December 5th, 2025 by Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah (13.4 MB, 43 min). Rev. Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah Practice Committee, Teachers Serves as Ino,  or head of the meditation hall. She studies in the Soto Zen lineage with Sojun Diane Martin, founder and guiding teacher of Udumbara Zen Center in Illinois and Rev. Val Szymanski, Head Priest of Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha in California. She was lay ordained in 2008 and priest ordained in 2019. She served as head student for the Spring practice period at Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha this May 2022. She offers Practice Interviews upon request. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Saturday, December 6th, 2025 –  Rev. So’on Jim Hare (18.2 MB, 63 min). Rev. So'on Jim Hare Board of Directors, Practice Committee, Teachers Serves as Tanto, or head of practice. He lived in the San Francisco Zen Center community from 1980 to 1984, was lay ordained by Tenshin Reb Anderson in 1985, and priest ordained by Myo Lahey in 2016. He served as Head Student at Green Gulch Farm during the spring 2002 practice period. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Sunday, December 7th, 2025 by Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah (13.2 MB, 43 min). Rev. Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah Practice Committee, Teachers Serves as Ino,  or head of the meditation hall. She studies in the Soto Zen lineage with Sojun Diane Martin, founder and guiding teacher of Udumbara Zen Center in Illinois and Rev. Val Szymanski, Head Priest of Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha in California. She was lay ordained in 2008 and priest ordained in 2019. She served as head student for the Spring practice period at Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha this May 2022. She offers Practice Interviews upon request. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Monday, December 15th, 2025 –  Rev. So’on Jim Hare (18.1 MB, 53 min). Rev. So'on Jim Hare Board of Directors, Practice Committee, Teachers Serves as Tanto, or head of practice. He lived in the San Francisco Zen Center community from 1980 to 1984, was lay ordained by Tenshin Reb Anderson in 1985, and priest ordained by Myo Lahey in 2016. He served as Head Student at Green Gulch Farm during the spring 2002 practice period. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Monday, November 17th, 2025 –  Rev. Myō Lahey (13.8 MB, 43 min). Rev. Myō Denis Lahey Teachers Rev. Myō Lahey is the guiding teacher for our sangha.  Rev. Myō became interested in Zen as a teenager and started full-time residential practice at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982. He received dharma transmission from Tenshin Reb Anderson in 1999 and served as head of practice at Tassajara Zen Mountain Monastery from 2000 – 2002. He is now Abbot of Hartford Street Zen Center in San Francisco. (http://www.hszc.org) Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Monday, November 10th, 2025 –  Kokai Shalamah Yahchove (10.9 MB, 44 min). Kokai Shalamah Yahchove Visiting Teacher Kokai Shalamah Yahchove is a Soto Zen priest in the Suzuki Roshi lineage. She was lay-ordained in 2019 and became a priest in August 2025, with both ceremonies conducted by her Root Teacher, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, at the Berkeley Zen Center. Kokai has practiced with the Still Breathing Sangha and at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Monday, October 20th, 2025 by Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah (14 MB, 51 min). Rev. Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah Practice Committee, Teachers Serves as Ino,  or head of the meditation hall. She studies in the Soto Zen lineage with Sojun Diane Martin, founder and guiding teacher of Udumbara Zen Center in Illinois and Rev. Val Szymanski, Head Priest of Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha in California. She was lay ordained in 2008 and priest ordained in 2019. She served as head student for the Spring practice period at Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha this May 2022. She offers Practice Interviews upon request. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Saturday, October 4th, 2025 – Rev. So’on Jim Hare (15.7 MB, 63 min). Rev. So'on Jim Hare Board of Directors, Practice Committee, Teachers Serves as Tanto, or head of practice. He lived in the San Francisco Zen Center community from 1980 to 1984, was lay ordained by Tenshin Reb Anderson in 1985, and priest ordained by Myo Lahey in 2016. He served as Head Student at Green Gulch Farm during the spring 2002 practice period. Right-click to Download File

Way Seeking Mind Talk given on Monday, September 29th, 2025 –  Todd Stein (11.2 MB, 44 min). Todd Stein Board of Directors Todd Stein has been practicing Zen since the early 1990s and was a resident within San Francisco Zen Center from 1996 to 2002. He received Jukai from Ryushin Paul Haller in 1997. A former journalist, he’s currently a marketing consultant to healthcare technology companies. His marriage of 23 years has produced two children, a mortgage, two lazy cats and one exceedingly noisy chihuahua. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Monday, September 22nd, 2025 –  Rev. So’on Jim Hare (10.9 MB, 44 min). Rev. So'on Jim Hare Board of Directors, Practice Committee, Teachers Serves as Tanto, or head of practice. He lived in the San Francisco Zen Center community from 1980 to 1984, was lay ordained by Tenshin Reb Anderson in 1985, and priest ordained by Myo Lahey in 2016. He served as Head Student at Green Gulch Farm during the spring 2002 practice period. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Monday, September 15th, 2025 by Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah (9.2 MB, 54 min). Rev. Parāvṛtti Doralee Grindler Katonah Practice Committee, Teachers Serves as Ino,  or head of the meditation hall. She studies in the Soto Zen lineage with Sojun Diane Martin, founder and guiding teacher of Udumbara Zen Center in Illinois and Rev. Val Szymanski, Head Priest of Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha in California. She was lay ordained in 2008 and priest ordained in 2019. She served as head student for the Spring practice period at Bamboo in the Wind Zen Sangha this May 2022. She offers Practice Interviews upon request. Right-click to Download File

Dharma Talk given on Monday, September 8th, 2025 – Yo-on Jeremy Levie (16.5 MB, 62 min). Yo-on Jeremy Levie Visiting Teacher Yo-on Jeremy Levie, born in San Francisco in 1970, grew up in Fresno, California, where he excelled in math and developed a lifelong love of theater. After earning a B.A. in philosophy from Yale University, Jeremy returned to San Francisco and soon discovered the San Francisco Zen Center. He moved to Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in 1995 and lived and practiced at the three temples of SFZC until the fall of 2019. He was ordained by Eijun Linda Cutts in 2005 and trained as shuso (head monk) with her in the spring of 2009. Jeremy served in various positions of significant responsibility while at SFZC, including as the director and tanto (head of practice) at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center and twice on the SFZC Board of Directors. Right-click to Download File