Gay Buddhist Fellowship of San Francisco

02/05/2026

Watch or listen to the full talk on our website, podcast or YouTube channel https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/why-practice-part-2-nibbana-ian-challis/

02/02/2026

Thank you to all the volunteers who have kept GBF thriving for nearly 35 years! 👏

We are pleased to welcome 3 new members to the GBF Board of Directors:

Clint Seiter
Ricky Robertson
Tom Bruein

They join our existing volunteer members:
Cass Brayton
Grecia Haigwood
Marcus Rooney
Matthew Perifano
Richard Azzolini

Thank you for keeping GBF a force in spreading the dharma to LGBTQI communities the world over.

01/29/2026

Listen to the full talk, "Why Practice?" on the GBF website, podcast and YouTube channel:
https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/why-practice-part-1-samsara-ian-challis/

01/28/2026

Listen to the full talk, "Why Practice?" on the GBF website, podcast and YouTube channel:
https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/why-practice-part-1-samsara-ian-challis/

01/27/2026

Meet Ziggy, Bharat Jeffery Lindemood's delightful companion who is seeking a new forever home.

A "tortie," Ziggy has a striking short-hair tortoise shell coat with a mix of black, orange, brown, and cream in a mottled pattern.

She's on the younger side—full of energy and always ready to investigate her surroundings. While she may be a bit reserved at first, give her a little time and she’ll warm up into a sweet, loyal companion.

Ziggy is a curious young explorer with a love for fresh air. She thrives with access to outdoor time, whether it’s a secure yard or supervised adventures, and would do best in a home that allows her some independence while offering gentle affection.

If you would be interested in meeting her, please DM this page administrator, Tom Bruein, or contact Richard Azzolini if you and he are friends.

01/22/2026

Dear Community,

✨ Bharat Jeffery Lindemood, our board President and beloved friend with a boundless heart, journeyed to the other shore at 10pm Pacific, Tuesday January 20, 2025 ✨

This followed a sudden decline that lasted just 36 hours, as he was recovering at home from shoulder surgery on January 9. Like a true bodhisattva, Bharat stayed just long enough to grant us the opportunity to gather and gain some closure. 💕

Bharat was surrounded Tuesday at Highland Hospital in Oakland by friends from GBF and his community from Ram Dass in the lineage of Maharajji.

Accompanied by teacher and singer/composer Eve Decker, we filled the room to the brim with love, joy, music and chanting.

He was noticeably calmed by it all and draped in a lotus batik from Bali - the site of his month-long meditation one year ago.

Here's a photo from his bedside along with the last photo Jeff sent us, following his shoulder surgery. No matter what life presented him, he always left friends knowing he was okay through his smile and hearty laugh.

His feline companion Ziggy is safe - but looking for a new home.

A message will be forthcoming at some point about any memorial plans for .lindemood

Love & Light,

Tom Bruein

01/18/2026

What if the imagination itself could become a doorway to compassion, ease, and awakening?

In this talk, Danadasa grounds us in the Tibetan practice of tonglen—breathing in the suffering of oneself and others as dark smoke, and breathing out cool, healing moonlight. Rather than treating this as a grim or burdensome task, he reframes it through the imaginal realm: a space where metaphor, poetry, and visualization bypass the thinking mind and speak directly to the heart. Danadasa highlights how imaginal practices help counter our culture’s tendency to live “up in the head,” inviting a more embodied, heartfelt presence.

Enjoy the full talk on the GBF website, podcast and YouTube channel:
https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/tonglen-and-the-illumined-imagination-danadasa/

01/17/2026

For those of you interested in the intersection of engaged Buddhism and q***r studies, this book was brought to our attention.
Not an endorsement, just worthy of sharing for your consideration...

Kody Muncaster, PhD ISBN 978-1-998248-15-5/ 126 pages / 6.14" x 9.21" / Bibliography included. Q***r Engaged Buddhism explores the relationship between q***r and trans theories and Buddhist scriptures across traditions, to begin a q***r and trans approach to socially engaged Buddhism.

01/16/2026