San Francisco Classes

The Kadampa Buddhist Temple
of San Francisco
Saraha Center
3324 17th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: (415) 503-1187
Web: MeditationinSanFrancisco.org
Email: info@kadampas.org

See map.

For more information, scroll down or use the links below.

Our Center
Our Temple
Our Teacher
Drop-in meditation classes
In-depth study programs
Our branches
Retreats and chanted meditations
Our bookstore

Resident Teacher: Tessa Logan
Education Program Coordinator: Michele Thorsen
Administrative Director: Eva Ilona Brzeski
Branches: Palo Alto, San Jose, Los Gatos, Mill Valley, Terra Linda and Corte Madera

Our Center

Saraha Center is the longest established Kadampa Buddhist Meditation Center in North America.

Vajrasattva Empowerment 2005

It has been in the Bay Area for more than sixteen years and has a large and thriving community of lay and ordained members who come from a variety of backgrounds and experience.

Our Temple

Our beautiful Kadampa Buddhist Temple, dedicated to world peace, is located in the Mission.

Here we offer classes to people of all levels of interest.

Our Teacher

Tessa Logan: Resident Teacher of San Francisco

Tessa Logan is a senior Buddhist meditation teacher in the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT). Over the last thirty years, Tessa has studied the entire Teacher Training Program, engaged in many meditative retreats, and developed a vast depth of Buddhist knowledge and experience.

Drop-in meditation classes

Tuesday evenings, 7:00pm-8:45pm
at the Kadampa Buddhist Temple
3324 17th St., San Francisco, CA 94110
with Tessa Logan

This weekly class is our main meditation class. Each month we present a new series of classes and although each class is taught as a part of this series, it is also self-contained, so new people are always welcome. Find out more about our current class titles.

Sunday Morning Meditation: Prayers for World Peace
10:30am-Noon
at the Kadampa Buddhist Temple
3324 17th St., San Francisco, CA 94110
with Tessa Logan

Each morning includes a relaxing guided meditation, short prayers dedicated to peace in our world, a teaching, and an opportunity for discussion.

Downtown Lunch-time Meditation
Tuesdays 12:15-1:00pm
at St. Mary's Church: Paulist Bookstore, Room 2,
614 Grant Ave. (cross street California) 94108
with Reed Sherman

Short, but effective lunch-time meditations to release stress and find some happiness and inner peace in the middle of a busy week.

Inner Sunset
Mondays, 7:30-9pm
at the Seventh Avenue Presbyterian Church
1329 7th Ave (between Irving St. & Judah St.) 94122
with John Greenham

The Haight (ongoing)
Mondays, 8-9:15pm
At Sophia Healing Center
776 Haight St. (at Scott) 94117
with Richard Johns

The Marina (beginning May 7th)
Wednesdays, 7-8:30 pm
at the Meeting and Activity Space at Fort Mason Center
Building "C", Room C190 (Laguna St. and Marina Blvd.)
with Carroll Child and Suzannah Stason

The Castro/Hayes Valley (ongoing)
Wednesdays, 7-8:30pm
at the LGBT Community Center
1800 Market St. (at Octavia St.) 94102
with Kevin Otsuka and Steve Snelling

Glen Park
Sundays, 7-8:30pm
at Kiki-Yo Personal Training and Yoga Studio
605 b Chenery (off Diamond St.) 94131
with Alise Halbert and Michael Rollins

These drop-in meditation classes consist of a talk, guided meditation and a chance for questions and answers. Each talk is a part of a series, yet is self-contained. This means that you can drop in at any point and still feel that you have something worthwhile to take home with you. See links to the left for class titles and more information.

Evening classes are $10 and lunch-time classes are $5.

In-depth Buddhist study programs

Foundation Program: For those who wish to explore Buddha's teachings more deeply, we offer the Foundation Program (FP) in Mahayana Buddhism. Find out more information about the Foundation Program and the text that we are currently studying.

These study and meditation classes are ideal for those who wish to take their understanding and meditation practice to a different level, even if they are relative newcomers. Everyone is welcome to come to a class to see if they like it and want to stay.

Teacher Training Program:
Saraha Center also has the longest running Teacher Training Program in Kadampa Buddhism in North America. Enrolment and an interview with the Teacher, Tessa Logan, are required to join this program.

Our branches

The left sidebar lists our branches in the Bay Area. We are planning to start more branch classes in the city of San Francisco itself. If you would like to see meditation classes in your area of the city, let us know: epc@kadampas.org

Retreats and chanted meditations

We offer a full weekly program of pujas (chanted meditations) and regular retreats. We also host an assortment of special events throughout the year. Please consult the monthly timeline or Special Events page for details.

Our bookstore

Our bookstore contains the 21 books written by our Spiritual Director and Teacher, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, which are suitable for both beginners and more experienced meditators.

There is also an assortment of meditation supplies, Buddha statues and artwork, ritual items, CD's, tapes, cards, prayer books and gift items. Several of Geshe Kelsang's books are available in Spanish.

We look forward to seeing you soon!