Tallahassee Chan Center

Tallahassee Chan Center Tallahassee Chan Center (TCC) offers group meditation, workshops, retreats, outreach programs, and regular lectures. All are welcome! On the West Coast?

Our group consists of a community of helpful, resourceful, and gentle people. Guo Gu is the founder and teacher at TCC. The Tallahassee Chan Center (TCC) is a community of practitioners learning and living the Buddha’s teachings through the tradition of the Dharma Drum Lineage of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, as established by Chan Master Sheng Yen. TCC was founded in 2009 by our teacher Guo Gu (Dr. Jimmy Yu), one of Master Sheng Yen’s senior and closest disciples. Dr. Yu was a monk for ten years, earned his doctorate in Buddhist Studies, and is now an associate professor of Buddhist Studies at Florida State University. Contact us for more information. The Chan (Zen) center hosts weekly sitting practice every Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm, Sunday mornings at 9:30am, and meditation instructions on select Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm. All events are at our center located at 1310 North Paul Russell Road in Tallahassee. We have weekday morning meditations from Monday - Friday at 7:30am - 8:00am. Check out our West Coast meditation at 7:30am PST (10:30am EST), also Monday-Sunday. We offer meditation instructions on the 1st Thursday evenings of the month from 6:30-8pm. There is no set fee but donations are welcomed. Please feel free to stop by the Center. These instructions cover basic postures and methods of practice.

10/30/2025

Guo Gu discusses seeing emptiness through the lenses of dependent origination and impermanence, and the difference between using apophatic language vs cataphatic language to help shift our practice into seeing relationships and new beginnings.

Taken from his latest Depths of Chan Liturgy: The Four Great Vows Part 4 talk.

Watch here: https://youtu.be/u7Aa1mchzxI?si=dGwNHJszgm-RLENy
Listen to Podcast here: https://linktr.ee/thewayofchan

10/28/2025

Ashley M discusses the jhanas, the topic to be covered for her "Foundations of Chan in the Nikayas/Agamas" course which will be held tomrrow, Thursday October 28th and every Thursday through December 2025⁠
⁠
This course presents important Buddhist principles and shows how they are described or discussed in the Early Buddhist Texts (the Pali Nikayas and the Chinese Agamas). It covers a wide range of topics, including generosity, ethics, aggregates, karma, dealing with anger, mindfulness and meditation practices, emptiness, the evils of comparison, how to deal with thoughts, bias against others, and much more. Although these texts may also serve as the basis for other Buddhist traditions, the focus will be on how they relate to Chan practice and concepts presented by Guo Gu.⁠
⁠
More information and details:⁠
https://courses.tallahasseechan.org/foundations-of-chan-nikaya-agama

10/27/2025

🌟 Discover the Depth of Chan Meditation—From Anywhere 🌟

The residential retreat is full, but you can still join us online for this rare opportunity:

Silent Illumination and Investigating a Critical Phrase: A Chan Retreat (Hybrid)
🪷 with Guo Gu
📅 December 8–14, 2025
💻 Join live via our Hybrid Dharma Hall

For seven days, enter a rhythm of noble silence, guided meditation, mindful movement, and evening Dharma talks with Guo Gu—one of today’s most respected Chan teachers.

➡️ Silent Illumination (mòzhào) — a serene settling into the nature of awareness
➡️ Investigating a Critical Phrase (huàtóu) — an energizing method to break through habitual patterns
➡️ Receive real-time guidance and support and benefit from the steadiness of a full retreat container—without leaving home.

✨ Experience the intimacy of an in-person retreat from wherever you are.

👉 Online seats are still open—reserve your spot today:
🔗 https://bit.ly/4jZ1uaf]

Join us on Tonight - Monday, October 20th, for Guo Gu's Dharma talk on continuing the Chan retreat liturgy, featuring Fo...
10/20/2025

Join us on Tonight - Monday, October 20th, for Guo Gu's Dharma talk on continuing the Chan retreat liturgy, featuring Four Great Vows (text below). During these Monday sits, we will begin with a short period of meditation, followed by the Dharma talk.⁠
⁠
This talk series will continue on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month. Next year, Guo Gu will begin a new series on Chan meditation methods.⁠
⁠
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.⁠
Please join us in person or online. All are welcome!⁠
⁠
Zoom link (Updated): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87674890410?pwd=Dza0FehSe2RjDVa5upt6XezZMtrKCG.1 (passcode: chan)⁠
⁠
Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm Eastern⁠
⁠
Location: Meets In Person at the Tallahassee Chan Center or streamed live on Zoom

Tonight, Friday October 17- Evening Bodhisattva Precepts Ceremony Recitation⁠⁠The Tallahassee Chan Center will host a mo...
10/17/2025

Tonight, Friday October 17- Evening Bodhisattva Precepts Ceremony Recitation⁠
⁠
The Tallahassee Chan Center will host a monthly ceremony on the third Friday of each month. For more information and Zoom links, please go here. https://tallahasseechan.org/friday-ceremony/

10/15/2025

Guo Gu explores our inclination to reify things into separate and distinct entities. He highlights how even those who practice may mistakenly perceive emptiness as a goal to achieve or comprehend, identifying this misunderstanding as a major underlying problem. ⁠
⁠
⁠
Taken from his Part 3 of his talk on the Four Great Vows from the Depths of Chan Liturgy series.⁠
⁠
Watch here: https://youtu.be/xw6liorwkv8?si=x-xuoBk8pAkz9thx

10/14/2025
10/09/2025

This Sunday, October 12th⁠
⁠
Awareness in Action Series for Upaya Zen Center⁠
GuoGu’s Session—“EMBODIMENT”⁠
Time: 11:00–12:30 pm MT (1:00–2:30 pm ET)⁠
⁠
Part of a fifteen-session online series exploring engaged practice and social justice through contemplative teachings, Upaya Zen Center's Awareness in Action series features an extraordinary lineup, including Roshi Joan Halifax, Sensei Noah Kodo Roen, Sensei Dainin Lau, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Christiana Figueres, Ruth King, Valerie Brown, Bhikkhu Bodhi, Father Greg Boyle, Terry Tempest Williams, Konda Mason, Rebecca Solnit, Father John Dear, Tara Brach, Frank Ostaseski, Sharon Salzberg—and, for its 13th session, GuoGu.⁠
⁠
Join him on Sunday, October 12, on “EMBODIMENT.” To tune in live (11:00–12:30 pm MT / 1:00–2:30 pm ET), please register here: https://www.upaya.org/program/engaged-buddhism-online-october-2025/

10/08/2025

Ashley M discusses the jhanas, the topic to be covered for her "Foundations of Chan in the Nikayas/Agamas" course which will be held tomrrow, Thursday October 8th and every Thursday through December 2025⁠
⁠
This course presents important Buddhist principles and shows how they are described or discussed in the Early Buddhist Texts (the Pali Nikayas and the Chinese Agamas). It covers a wide range of topics, including generosity, ethics, aggregates, karma, dealing with anger, mindfulness and meditation practices, emptiness, the evils of comparison, how to deal with thoughts, bias against others, and much more. Although these texts may also serve as the basis for other Buddhist traditions, the focus will be on how they relate to Chan practice and concepts presented by Guo Gu.⁠
⁠
More information and details:⁠
https://courses.tallahasseechan.org/foundations-of-chan-nikaya-agama

10/08/2025
Join us on Monday, October 6th, for Guo Gu's Dharma talk on continuing the Chan retreat liturgy, featuring Four Great Vo...
10/03/2025

Join us on Monday, October 6th, for Guo Gu's Dharma talk on continuing the Chan retreat liturgy, featuring Four Great Vows (text below). During these Monday sits, we will begin with a short period of meditation, followed by the Dharma talk.⁠
⁠
This talk series will continue on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month. Next year, Guo Gu will begin a new series on Chan meditation methods.⁠
⁠
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.⁠
Please join us in person or online. All are welcome!⁠
⁠
Zoom link (Updated): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87674890410?pwd=Dza0FehSe2RjDVa5upt6XezZMtrKCG.1 ⁠
(passcode: chan)⁠
⁠
Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm Eastern⁠
⁠
Location: Meets In Person at the Tallahassee Chan Center or streamed live on Zoom

Address

1310 North Paul Russell
Tallahassee, FL
32301

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About Us

New Online Programs

All of our activities have moved online via Zoom Video Conference to support your practice at home, all times listed below are Eastern time: Morning meditations @7:30am seven-days a week. One meditation period followed by chanting (live). Click here: https://zoom.us/j/241022433 Liturgy here: Abbreviated Liturgy with Heart Sutra


  • Every Monday @7:30pm. One meditation period followed by a short Dharma Talk by Guo Gu (live). Click here: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/893204244

  • Every Wednesday @7:30pm. Click here: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/232968500 Sessions will alternate weekly between:One period of guided Loving-Kindness Meditation led by Assistant Teachers (live)