CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO LONDON N. BREED, MAYOR OFFICE OF SMALL BUSINESS REGINA DICK-ENDRIZZI, DIRECTOR Legacy Business Registry Staff Report HEARING DATE SEPTEMBER 9, 2019 SAN FRANCISCO ZEN CENTER Application No.: LBR-2018-19-070 Business Name: San Francisco Zen Center Business Address: 300 Page Street District: District 5 Applicant: Myles Cowherd, Development Director Nomination Date: June 19, 2019 Nominated By: Supervisor Vallie Brown Staff Contact: Richard Kurylo
[email protected] BUSINESS DESCRIPTION The San Francisco Zen Center (“SFZC” or “Zen Center”) was established in 1962 under the leadership of Shunryu Suzuki (a.k.a. Suzuki Roshi) (1904-1971), and today is one of the largest Sōtō Zen residential training and practice centers outside of Asia. The Sōtō Zen, or Sōtō school, is the largest of the three sects of Japanese Zen Buddhism. When first incorporated, the SFZC was located at the Sokoji Zen Buddhist Temple (1881 Bush Street). As the Zen Center grew, attracting more of the San Francisco counterculture, it became necessary to look for an independent home. Since 1969, the Zen Center’s main location – “Beginner’s Mind Temple,” or “City Center” – has been at 300 Page Street. This building, which was originally the Emanu-El Residence Club, was designed to support a residential community with small rooms for boarders on the upper floors and large communal spaces on the lower floors for activities. This layout suited the SFZC, allowing it to create its unique residential learning community. The SFZC also runs the monastic retreat and seasonal resort at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in the Los Padres National Forest (established in 1966) and Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, in Marin County (purchased in 1972).