The Way of Chan with Guo Gu

"The Tallahassee Chan Center has always functioned as a dharma center and that is a little different than building a community of Chan practitioners." -Guo GuTo carry forward the vision of his teacher, Master Sheng Yen, Guo Gu speaks about his lifelong aspiration to bridge the rich tradition of Chan Buddhism and the West. In this second talk on that mission, he describes how that bridge...

“If a family unit were to adopt these 6 Harmonies, that family would become strong and flourish.” -Guo Gu What makes monasteries, sangha, communities, and even large organizations truly strong? Their strength comes from living in accordance with the Six Harmonious Principles of body, speech, mind, precepts, views, and benefit. In tonight’s talk, Guo Gu explores each of these principles and shows h...

In response to the suffering experienced by our Dharma brothers and sisters, as well as the wider world, the Tallahassee Chan Center will be hosting Loving-Kindness Meditation sessions on the first and third Monday of the coming months, offered both in person and via Zoom. Guo Gu will teach and guide the practice, which will include a recitation of the names submitted by our sangha. More informati...

"The transfer of merit requires that we let go of our self-referentiality." -Guo Gu In his final talk on the Depths of the Chan Liturgy, Guo Gu reflects on the practice of transferring merit. The basis of this practice is the Mahayana teaching of interconnectedness and self-less compassion. Thus, We prayFor the flourishing of Buddhadharma – Buddhism has no “othering” in its teachings and...

I vow to deliver innumerable sentient beings. I vow to cut off endless vexations. I vow to master limitless approaches to dharma. I vow to attain supreme Buddhahood. "The Three Gates of Liberation – emptiness, formlessness and non-contrivance – are essential for true liberation. Without them spiritual practice becomes merely an attempt to be a nice person.” — Guo Gu Through emptiness we learn...

I vow to deliver innumerable sentient beings. I vow to cut off endless vexations. I vow to master limitless approaches to dharma. I vow to attain supreme Buddhahood. "The locus of all sentient beings is not outside; it’s in our minds.” - Guo Gu In tonight's Guo Gu talk parses out the language of the Four Great vows, showing how they are actually meant work. On the first and third Monday o...

The Four Great Vows. I vow to deliver innumerable sentient beings. I vow to cut off endless vexations. I vow to master limitless approaches to dharma. I vow to attain supreme Buddhahood. “The practice of emptiness is the practice of seeing things and engaging with everyone through the lens of possibilities. Everything and everyone is workable.” Guo Gu In this evening’s talk, Guo Gu presents Chapte...

I vow to deliver innumerable sentient beings. I vow to cut off endless vexations. I vow to master limitless approaches to dharma. I vow to attain supreme Buddhahood. "In order to become a Bodhisattva your vow is to interact with all kinds of people, and we all know how difficult it is to relate to people.” -Guo Gu In Part Three of his teachings on the Four Great Vows of the Bodhisattva Path,...

I vow to deliver innumerable sentient beings. I vow to cut off endless vexations. I vow to master limitless approaches to dharma. I vow to attain supreme Buddhahood. "The Four Great Vows are intimately connected to the 15 Minds, without which it would be very difficult to practice or understand the Bodhisattva path.” Guo Gu In Part 2 of his teaching on the Four Great Vows of the Bodhisattva P...

I vow to deliver innumerable sentient beings. I vow to cut off endless vexations. I vow to master limitless approaches to dharma. I vow to attain supreme Buddhahood."The four great vows are the heart of the Bodhisattva altruist path of awakening, and probably the most meaningful thing we can do.” Guo Gu On the first and third Monday of each month, Guo Gu offers teachings on the practice of Ch...

"The Three Jewels – Buddha, Dharma, Sangha – is your true nature, and the most important thing you can do in your life is to activate this true nature…foster it and bring it to fruition." Guo Gu On the first and third Monday of each month, Guo Gu offers teachings on the practice of Chan Buddhism. In this session, he continues his series on the Chan Liturgy—exploring the chants, prayers,...

“I vow to transfer all merit to others.” Samantabhadra “At the core of it all, it’s about relieving suffering for oneself and others, and the primary obstacle to that is self-referential grasping.” Guo Gu The Tenth Vow of Samantabhadra is the culmination of the Bodhisattva path. This involves being engrossed in this world because it is through interaction with the world that the bodhisattva flouri...

“I vow to harmonize with all sentient beings.” Samantabhadra “We are all interconnected on an unimaginable level.” Guo Gu There exists an intrinsic connection between Buddhahood and sentient beings—we are not separate but fundamentally interrelated. The principle of harmonizing offers a compelling model grounded in the profound concept of “interfusion,” or mutual inclusivity, presenting a meaningf...

“I vow to always study the teachings of the Buddha.” -Samantabhadra "Samsara is the playground of full liberation, nirvana. This is where we perfect our practice.” -Guo Gu The first seven of Samantabhadra’s vows prepare us for the core eighth vow: to follow the Buddha in study and all that it entails—to emulate his wisdom and follow his practice as a Bodhisattva. In the process, we discover t...

“I vow to request that Buddha’s dwell in the world.” Samantabhadra “When you don’t have a stallion, a donkey will do.” Guo Gu As Buddhist practitioners, we read and study the profound practice of following the Buddha from 2,500 years ago. His teachings are so powerful that they continue to influence millions of people in countless ways. Since attaining enlightenment is believed to be much more lik...

“I vow to request the turning of the Dharma Wheel.” Samantabhadra “Of the three turnings of the Dharma Wheel none of them are called Making Us Feel Better…the full potential of the Buddha Dharma is not peace, not bliss, but freedom.” Guo Gu “The turning of the Dharma Wheel” refers exclusively to the Buddha’s teaching . Just as the mythical Chakravartan wielded his sword to subdue his enemies, the...

Merit and The Ten Great Vows of Samantabhadra. “I vow to rejoice in the merits of others.” Samantabhadra “In order to really rejoice in the merits of others we have to be selfless.” Guo Gu Merit shapes our connections with other sentient beings and is built upon recognizing the goodness in others. People serve as mirrors, revealing what needs to be done in our practice by exposing how the self man...

“I vow to repent all karmic obstructions.” Samantabhadra“ Awakening is right in this moment.” Guo Gu The Buddha taught that the foundation of everything is liberation - we are already free. What obstructs us from experiencing this is that when the six sense faculties come into contact with six sense objects, our habitual tendencies – our karmic obstructions - cause us to reify and solidify our sen...

“I vow to make ample offerings to all the Buddhas.” Samantabhadra “Supporting the Three Jewels so that people can engage in practice is the ultimate object of offering.” Guo Gu The third vow of Samantabhadra, “To make ample offerings to all the Buddhas,” builds upon the first vow. If we truly honor and respect all Buddhas, recognizing that all sentient beings have the potential for awakening, then...

“I vow to glorify the qualities of all the Tathagatas.” Samantabhadra “In the moment in which you are solidifying and reifying someone into a ‘thing,’ look at it and put it down…that is the way to praise the Tathagata…when we practice the dharma.” Guo Gu There are 10 honorific titles of the Buddha that reveal the merit, honor and wisdom of the Buddha. Guo Gu uses these 10 names to steer us deeper...

“I vow to pay homage to all the Buddhas.” Samantabhadra “The worst thing that we can do is deny other people the possibility of change.” Guo Gu In the Avatamsaka or Flower Ornament Sutra , in what has been called The Perfect Teaching, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva emphasizes interdependence and the infinite perspectives inherent in reality, guiding us away from dualistic and self-centered ways of seei...

“We are all Samantabhadra.” Guo Gu Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, revered as “Universally Worthy” or “All Good,” holds a central place in Mahayana Buddhism, embodying the vast Bodhisattva path of compassion and wisdom. Alongside Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of wisdom, Samantabhadra is seen as a protector of the Lotus Sutra , which is significant for its inclusive teaching that all beings have the potent...

“Having no obstructions there is no fear and departing far from confusion and imagining they reach ultimate nirvana. All past, present, and future Buddhas, relying on prajnaparamita attain annuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Therefore, know that prajnaparamita is the great mantra of power, the great mantra of wisdom, the supreme mantra , the unequalled mantra, which is able to remove all suffering. It is r...

“There is no wisdom or any attainment. With nothing to attain, bodhisattvas relying on prajnaparamita have no obstructions in their minds.” Heart Sutra “The wisdom of no self resolves suffering.” Guo Gu Guo Gu’s teaching emphasizes the idea that the root of obstructions or vexations in our lives stems from the presence of a self. When we view experiences and situations through the lens of a fixed,...

“There is no wisdom or any attainment. With nothing to attain, bodhisattvas relying on prajnaparamita have no obstructions in their minds.” Heart Sutra “The essence of dharma practice does not lie in successful meditation or blissful experiences.” Guo Gu The root of our suffering is grasping - our strong sense of self. In this powerful talk Guo Gu shows us all the many ways the self manifests, bot...