Tallahassee Chan Center

01/09/2026

Our annual, end-of-year 7-day intensive retreat by GuoGuconcluded from December 26 to January 2, bringing together over 40 in-person retreatants and 30 online participants. Here is a glimpse of the community at the end of an intensive week of practice.

01/07/2026

Beginner Meditation Workshop — In Person
January 11 & 18 | 2–5pm

For many years, teachers from the Tallahassee Chan Center have offered meditation instruction across the Tallahassee community, including hospitals, libraries, and public institutions. This January, we’re offering our Beginner Meditation Workshop again.

This is a practical, non-sectarian introduction to meditation. Participants learn how to meditate correctly and sustainably—working with posture, breath, attention, and common challenges like restlessness or fatigue. The emphasis is on clear instruction and methods that can be used in daily life.

Suggested donation: $70
(Participants choose their own contribution; no one is turned away for lack of funds.)

The workshop is well-suited for students, working professionals, retirees, and anyone looking for a grounded way to begin the year.

Details & registration: https://tallahasseechan.secure.retreat.guru/program/beginner-meditation-workshop-2/

01/06/2026

Beginning January 8, the Tallahassee Chan Center offers a year-long, weekly Lotus Sutra Dharma Discussion Group on Zoom, led by Fran Berry.⁠
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Classes include meditation, teaching, and small-group discussion, with two weeks devoted to each chapter of the sutra.⁠
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Multiple enrollment options are available, including free access by request.⁠
Learn more on the course page.⁠
https://courses.tallahasseechan.org/lotus-sutra-dharma-discussion-group

12/23/2025

Donate here: https://tallahasseechan.org/support/

Supporting Teacher Guo Gu’s Mission to Bring Chan Buddhism to the West, in Gratitude to Master Sheng Yen

In Chan practice, we reflect on how each moment contains infinite potential. A single thought can lead to suffering or awakening; a single act of generosity can ripple outward beyond what we can see. As the Huayan teaching of Indra’s Net reminds us, all beings and actions are deeply interconnected.

This understanding is expressed through dāna, the practice of wholehearted giving. Through generosity, we participate in the flourishing of the Dharma and support all those who benefit from it. As the programs of the Tallahassee Chan Center continue to grow, so too do the resources required to sustain them. We are deeply grateful that several donors have offered $40,000 in matching funds, creating a powerful opportunity to multiply the impact of each contribution.

We are pleased to share that Teacher Guo Gu has been granted a one-year sabbatical from his teaching duties at Florida State University beginning in Fall 2026. While the sabbatical provides half salary and benefits, it also creates a rare opportunity for focused Dharma work. During this time, Guo Gu plans to translate foundational Chinese Huayan Buddhist texts into English and to present Huayan and Chan teachings through workshops in multiple U.S. cities. Whether or not external grants are awarded, our community is committed to supporting this work through collective effort and Sangha participation. This project represents a vital step in ensuring the preservation and flourishing of Huayan Buddhism—a precursor to Chan Buddhism—in the West, in gratitude to Master Sheng Yen’s vision.

At the same time, our Sangha is working toward the creation of a new Chan Community and Dormitory Center—a space for meditation, retreats, Dharma study, and compassionate service. In a world filled with noise and unrest, this center will offer a place of refuge, clarity, and sincere practice.

May your generosity bring benefit to all sentient beings, and joy to your heart.

12/18/2025

12/17/2025

Ashley M's final "Foundations of Chan in the Nikayas/Agamas" course is tomorrow, Thursday December 17th. ⁠
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This course presented important Buddhist principles and shows how they are described or discussed in the Early Buddhist Texts (the Pali Nikayas and the Chinese Agamas). It covered 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 was be on how they relate to Chan practice and concepts presented by Guo Gu.⁠
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Please join tomorrow to share your reflections! ⁠
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More information and details:⁠
https://courses.tallahasseechan.org/foundations-of-chan-nikaya-agama

12/11/2025

Five Voices, One Path: A Weekend of Zen Teachings⁠
Jan 30 – Feb 1, 2026 | In-Person + Online⁠
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A rare weekend with Jan Chozen Bays Roshi, Hogen Bays Roshi, Fred Eppsteiner, and Angie Parrish, with Guo Gu hosting.⁠
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Meditation • Dharma talks • Group dialogue⁠
Open to all levels.⁠
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Register:⁠
http://tallahasseechan.secure.retreat.guru/program/five-voices-one-path-a-weekend-of-zen-teachings/

12/09/2025

🧘‍♀️ Sunday, December 14, Join Us for a One-Day Retreat⁠
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET⁠
In-Person & Online⁠
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Take a morning to reset and reconnect. This one-day retreat offers the chance to deepen your meditation practice in a supportive and peaceful environment. Lunch available for those in-person.⁠
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Led by our community timekeeper, the schedule includes alternating sitting and walking meditation, gentle guidance, and space for Q&A.⁠
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Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.⁠
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📍 Location: Tallahassee Chan Center (or join via Zoom)⁠
💻 Registration & details:https://tallahasseechan.org/events/category/retreat

12/04/2025

Guo Gu recently sat down with Dan Harris on the 10% Happier podcast for an episode called “How To Be Less Tense.” They explore how to take your thoughts less seriously, relate to experience with more ease, and become the calmest person in the room. Guo Gu also guides a short body-scan meditation and shares practical insights for everyday life.⁠
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🔗 Watch the full conversation:⁠
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thqbMJFTks8⁠
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🎧 Or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

12/02/2025

Give here: https://tallahasseechan.org/support/

In Chan practice, every moment holds infinite potential—each act of kindness rippling outward like Indra’s Net. The Tallahassee Chan Center is growing, and with that growth comes the need for greater support. Thanks to several generous donors, all gifts are now being matched up to $40,000. We’re also preparing for Guo Gu’s upcoming sabbatical in Fall 2026, during which he will translate essential Huayan Buddhist texts and offer workshops across the U.S.—a rare chance to help preserve these teachings for the West. In addition, our community is building a new Chan Community & Dormitory Center to serve future generations. Your dāna directly supports these projects, strengthens our Sangha, and brings the Dharma to countless beings. May your generosity benefit all, and bring joy to your heart.

12/01/2025

Join us tonight, Monday, December 1st, 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

11/28/2025

How do you transform suffering?