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New to Guo Gu's Teachings?

Welcome! Here you can take self-paced audio and video courses on meditation, the mind and emotions, kōans, and more.

All courses are 10% off with coupon code TENPERCENT

Access “The Three Gates of Chan" for free with coupon code HAPPIERINTRO

Courses on Chan Buddhism

Welcome to a repository of teachings by Guo Gu and the Tallahassee Chan Center.

We encourage you to visit our center in Tallahassee and connect with Guo Gu in person or through Zoom.

Alternatively, learn more about Chan Buddhism by listening to the recorded courses below or by enrolling in upcoming live classes.

Reflections

Rose W

Thank you. This course has been life changing for me for relaxing, being grounded and engaging and so much more for being present and staying in the present. The learning has been terrific. Today’s class was phenomenal!

Anonymous

Guo Gu is an outstanding teacher. His depth of knowledge of the subject matter, gained from years in monastic life and academic study, gives him the credibility to speak with unquestioned authority. But just as important is his ability to convey the course material in a manner that is easily absorbed both by practicing Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.

Lynn R

Thanks for this wonderful class, my first regarding Buddhism.  I’ve read Guo Gu's The Essence of Chan and have another book on the list on the way.  I look forward to learning much more, taking advantage of your website and meeting in person some day.

Recorded Courses

Chan Practice

Buddhism must be practiced and realized, not theorized based on concepts. - Essence of Chan (2012)

Learn how to practice Chan in daily life.

Courses currently available:

  • 3-Part Video Course on the 3 Gates of Chan

  • 6-Part Video Course on Silent Illumination 

  • 48-Part Audio Course on Kōans

View courses

Chan Teachings

Chan teaches that we are already free. We are buddhas. - Silent Illumination (2021)

Learn about the teachings of Chan.

Courses currently available:

  • 6-Part Video Course on The Art of Living and Dying in Buddhism 

  • 6-Part Audio Course on Mind, Mental Factors, and Emotions

  • 6-Part Audio Course on the Platform Scripture

  • 11-Part Audio Course on the Vimalakīrti Sūtra

  • 16-Part Video Course on From Indian Buddhism to Chinese Chan

  • Multi-month Video Course on the Foundations of Chan in the Nikayas/Agamas

View courses

What is Chan?

Chan is freedom, expressed through wisdom and compassion. 

Awakening in Chan means the direct experience of being freed from self-referentiality and vexations. Buddhism articulates this freedom as the wisdom of emptiness (śūnyatā), which means everything is interdependent, connected, and viewed with compassion. This gives rise to selfless activity, the ability to connect with everyone and everything.

Chan as practice means grounding and engaging. Grounding means facing, embracing, working through, and letting go of the self. Engaging means offering oneself to the benefit of others. Through this practice, all the ups and downs of life become part of the path.

Chan is also a school within East Asian Buddhism, with a history dating back to 7th century CE in China. Later this form of Buddhism was transmitted to Japan as “Zen” in the 13th century.

Image: "No Barriers", Guo Gu

Weekly Courses

All sessions are recorded and available to view anytime

Starts January 8, 2026

Lotus Sutra Discussion Group by Fran Berry

Every Thursday (unless otherwise noted), 7:00-8:30pm, via Zoom

The Lotus Sutra is a central Mahayana Buddhist scripture that teaches the universality of Buddhahood and the compassionate skillful means of the Buddha. It emphasizes that all beings possess the potential to attain enlightenment, revealing that earlier teachings were provisional steps toward this ultimate truth. Through parables and vivid imagery, it portrays the Buddha’s eternal nature and his ongoing guidance of all beings. The sutra encourages faith, devotion, and compassionate action, presenting enlightenment as accessible to everyone.

Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Tallahassee Chan Center?

The Tallahassee Chan Center is a non-profit, spiritual home for residents of the Tallahassee, Florida area, an important Chan community in the Southeastern United States, and in the West in general. It is the fruition of the teacher of the Center, Guo Gu's relationship with his teacher Master Sheng Yen, and the beginning of new expressions of Chan Buddhism in the West so that the transmission of Chan may continue into the future. 

This page serves to list courses offered by the Tallahassee Chan Center as a means of donation revenue to support programming activity.

Who is Guo Gu?

Guo Gu means the result of being a valley. It comes from the Chinese proverb, “To be humble as a valley.” A valley is humble because it is empty, resting at the lowest part of earth. Yet it is able to support and nourish all life forms.

Guo Gu is the founder of the  Tallahassee Chan Center, the founder of the socially engaged intra-denominational Buddhist organization, Dharma Relief. He has been a close disciple of the late Master Sheng Yen (1931-2009) for more than 30 years; nine of which as a monastic.

He is the author of  The Essence of Chan (2012),  Passing Through the Gateless Barrier (2016), and Silent Illumination (2021). He is also an Associate Professor of Chinese Buddhism and Religions in the Department of Religion, Florida State University, USA. 

How do I create an account on this site?

To access course materials, you must create an account on this course website using your e-mail address. You can do this when you purchase a course. Your account allows you to access courses you have purchased and engage in discussion in our online community.

Please note that this account is only for this course page, not the Chan Center's main page.

If you are interested in further opportunities to deepen your practice, please consider opting in to our "marketing e-mails" when you create your account. The Tallahassee Chan Center is not a commercial entity, and will not send you marketing e-mails. We will only use e-mail correspondence to alert you to new and upcoming opportunities for practice in-person and online.

What do I receive upon purchasing a course?

For recorded courses, upon purchase, you will receive unlimited access to the course material, video/audio file for each lecture, and access to the Tallahassee Chan Center online community to ask questions on practice. 

For live courses, you will be given unlimited access to the teachings via a live Zoom link and a platform to access recordings and course files.

How long do the courses last?

Each course ranges depending on the depth of the topic.

On average, you may spend 10-14 hours on each course.

How long do I have access to the courses?

Once purchased, you have lifetime access to these teachings, and can re-visit them as many times as you need.

Do these courses only consist of self-study materials? How do I ask questions about what I am learning?

We have created a Community Discussion Forum for students to meet each other and share their learnings and questions about each course. Please register through this link or click on "Community" at the top of each page on the website.

Do you offer discounts? Are these courses free?

Please email tallahassee.chan@gmail.com with the email subject "Course Discount" and include the course(s) you're interested in. 

We offer discounts up anywhere from free to 75% off.  Let us know what monetary donation you can afford, and we will provide you with a coupon code to apply to the course.

For those who have the means, payment is a means of engaging in the practice of generosity (dāna). Donation revenue will support the Center's teachings, helping more people to improve their lives and ease suffering.

What if I need more help?

We are always available to help answer any questions about this website or our courses. Please use the green chat button in the lower right of every page to reach us. We will respond as soon as we can.