Shundo David Haye, Zen Priest

Serves Soma, CA

35244

Hired 19 times

Not yet available

10 years in business

$400

5.0

This pro accepts payments via Apple Pay, Cash, Check, PayPal, Square cash app, and Venmo.

Next Service

Hours

Sun 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Mon 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Tues 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Wed 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Thurs 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Fri 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Sat 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

Credentials

Background Check

David Haye
Completed on 5/3/2021

Introduction

I am a zen priest. I was ordained in 2009 and became a teacher in 2012. To everything I do, I bring 15 years of residential zen practice, including five years of intense monastic practice at Tassajara, and many silent retreats. There are two main fields of expertise I offer on Thumbtack: Conducting weddings is one of the most rewarding things I have done as a priest, starting with friends and acquaintances, and now on Thumbtack. I have been delighted to be involved with many multi-cultural, same-sex and queer weddings. I believe in and support everyone's right to love, and to marry the person they love. I would be happy to be an officiant for any couple who would like a Buddhist or non-denominational wedding ceremony. I love the formal aspects of zen, but I also want to bring meditation to people who will never set foot in a temple. I teach at large corporations, tech companies, start-ups, yoga studios, retreat centers, schools, colleges and the county jail. I enjoy introducing people to this transformative practice, in whichever style is most appropriate to their needs. My years of experience means that I know how to navigate the highs and lows of a meditation practice, and can advise people on whatever they may encounter on the path. Much of my work as a teacher has been counseling people as a spiritual advisor. If you would like to meet with me one-on-one to discuss issues you might be having and how the wisdom of a zen approach might help you, please be in touch. I used to offer this in the Spiritual Counselling section, but since I got so many strange contacts (all of which I have to pay for), I have discontinued offering that officially, but you can still reach out via the meditation instruction if you need to have a conversation. Studying this practice has helped me to be present for each moment and each situation, so I can show up completely to what and who is in front of me.

Q&A

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?

Each time someone reaches out to a professional on Thumbtack, the professional pays a fee for the contact, regardless of whether there is any follow-up or whether the professional gets hired, so that cost is a part of the overall estimate for each job. Travel time and expenses are a part of my overall fee; if your ceremony is going to be outside of San Francisco, that will add to the cost. Also included are the time we spend getting to know each other, on a video call usually, and all the necessary exchanges for the script and other logistics. I also take responsibility for the license after the ceremony. If it was issued in San Francisco or Oakland I typically deliver it back in person, otherwise I send it back to the city hall by Priority Mail

What is your typical process for working with a new customer?

For weddings, meeting the couple ahead of time to get a sense of who they are and how they relate to each other is a valuable step. I am always happy to advise on how a ceremony can unfold, and helping to write vows that resonate for the couple, if that is needed. My guiding principle is that this is your day, and should reflect who you are as people; my role is to reduce your stress. For meditation, I will ascertain what style the person or group is most interested in, and will shape my instruction accordingly. I can accommodate for whatever setting is available, whether it be chairs around a conference table, traditional cushions, or taking a group outdoors to sit in the open air.

What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?

I have fifteen years of residential zen training at San Francisco Zen Center, including five years of intense monastic training at Tassajara, and many silent retreats. Important steps on the path have been ordaining as a priest in 2009, and training as head monk in 2012, marking my transition to becoming a teacher. ----- I have been leading groups and teaching for almost fifteen years. I co-led Zen Center's Coming of Age program for seventh grade boys; co-founded and led the thriving Young Urban Zen group at Zen Center. I have given talks to groups ranging from four people to more than a hundred, have taught workshops at Zen Center, Green Gulch, Tassajara, Santa Cruz, and in England on regular visits; I have met with many students individually as well as in ongoing groups. ----- More recently I have led regular groups and offering one-off sessions at large corporations, tech companies, start-up spaces, colleges, high schools and middle schools, yoga studios, retreat centers, and the county jail, where I volunteered to teach meditation a couple of times a month before the pandemic.

How did you get started doing this type of work?

I loved zen from my earliest days of practice, and as the years went by came to realize that I wanted to be able to share the benefits and joys of it with others. Ordaining as a priest was a natural step for me to take. As a wedding officiant, my first few ceremonies were for friends, and friends of friends.

What types of customers have you worked with?

As a wedding officiant I am proud to have performed many same-sex marriages, and many of the couples I have married have been multi-cultural. I am often asked to wear my Buddhist robes for the ceremony, but that is entirely up to the couple. Ceremonies have ranged in size from the couple, me and the photographer, to much more formal settings for up to two hundred people. I have worked a lot with people in their twenties and thirties, but have also taught in middle schools, high schools and colleges, and to diverse age ranges.

What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

The personal connection is all important in all of these areas: For a couple seeking a wedding officiant, feeling comfortable with that person is paramount. You have enough stresses to deal with as you prepare for your big day. My line is always that it is your day, and you are the people that need to be happy with how it unfolds. My meditation practice helps me remain grounded and present in these big moments, and that can help the couple to stay calmer as well. ----- Good meditation teachers have presence and groundedness that people respond to. Hopefully the teachers are able to put the teaching above their own personal agenda. There are a lot of people starting to teach who do not have so many years of experience, so they would not be so helpful guiding people through difficulties or other situations they may encounter through meditation or spiritual practice. ----- I have a regular job that pays my rent, so for each of the services I offer on Thumbtack, I am not dependent on accumulating large amounts of work to be able to survive. I like to be able to choose projects that feel like the best fit for me, and hopefully for the customer. Since all these services are very personal, it is worth considering whether your provider is really able to give you their full devoted attention.