Beginner’s Mind

Shunryu Suzuki Roshi was the founding teacher of the San Francisco Zen Center. His simple teachings have inspired many new dharma teachers such as Myogen Steve Stucky, Zoketsu Norman Fischer, Wendy Johnson, and many others. My first experience at the San Francisco Zen Center was in 1972. I did a seven day sesshin there with […]

What Is Meditation? What is Zen?

Myōgen Steve Stücky, the late central abbot of San Francisco Zen Center, answers, “What is meditation?” for us in this video. He also talks about, “What is Tassajara?” and “What is Zen?”It was filmed last summer at Tassajara. In the video Steve explains: Zazen is to settle into ‘now’ – right here, right now. And, […]

The Bodhisattva’s Edge

These words of wisdom are from the former grand abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center, Myogen Steve Stucky. He passed away on December 31, 2013, a little over three months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. On December 27, Steve offered the following Death Poem. which appeared on his website, Subtle Eye: Many Zen […]

Imagination Shapes Reality

My first Zen teacher was Dainin Katagiri Roshi in 1972 when I did a 7 day sesshin (an intense period of meditation) at the San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC). In the 80’s, when I regularly attended Monday night sitting practice, my teacher was Myogen Steve Stucky. At the  SFZC in Green Gulch Farm in Sausalito […]

In Memory Of Myogen Steve Stucky

I just learned that Zen Master Myogen Steve Stucky passed away on December 31, 2013 – just a couple of days ago. He was a wonderful man and beloved teacher. In the 1980’s, I sat Zen meditation with him in his home in Mill Valley with many other devoted students. He will be deeply missed […]

Thanksgiving Day Reflections from Myogen Steve Stucky

These Thanksgiving day reflections from Myogen Steve Stucky were shared by OI brother Gary Gach. Little did he know that in 1987 and 1988, I used to attend Steve’s Monday evening sitting group in Mill Valley. I stopped coming the week after my father died. My knees were bothering me and I had a disappointing […]