Heart of Healing Wellness Series
GuoGu’s Events
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Heart of Healing Wellness Series
March 8 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am
Event: Sunday, March 8, 2026
Time: 9:30-11 am Eastern Time
Talk: Will Evans presents the 12-Steps as personified by the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous and the teaching of the Dharma personified by Gautama Buddha as parallel spiritual paths addressing the disease of suffering caused by self-centeredness or bondage of self. Drawing from One Breath at a Time by Kevin Griffin, he explores how 12-Step recovery and Buddhist practice integrate and deepen one another, while remaining open to agnostics and atheists through the idea of “God as we understand God.” Will shares that, for him, Dharma practice and 12-Step work go hand-in-hand, each complementing the other. His own path began with immersion in the 12-Steps, followed by study of the Pali Canon and retreats including those led by Stephen Batchelor and in the tradition of S. N. Goenka. He attributes 19 years of sobriety to this integration of recovery and Dharma.
Talk: Will Evans presents the 12-Steps as personified by the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous and the teaching of the Dharma personified by Gautama Buddha as parallel spiritual paths addressing the disease of suffering caused by self-centeredness or bondage of self. Drawing from One Breath at a Time by Kevin Griffin, he explores how 12-Step recovery and Buddhist practice integrate and deepen one another, while remaining open to agnostics and atheists through the idea of “God as we understand God.” Will shares that, for him, Dharma practice and 12-Step work go hand-in-hand, each complementing the other. His own path began with immersion in the 12-Steps, followed by study of the Pali Canon and retreats including those led by Stephen Batchelor and in the tradition of S. N. Goenka. He attributes 19 years of sobriety to this integration of recovery and Dharma.
Will Evans is a longtime practitioner of both 12-Step recovery and Chan (Zen) Dharma practice, with nearly two decades of sobriety. His work explores the deep parallels between the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and Buddhist teachings, viewing both as complementary spiritual paths aimed at alleviating suffering rooted in self-centeredness. Drawing on personal experience, classical Buddhist texts, and contemporary resources such as One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps by Kevin Griffin, Will examines how recovery and Dharma practice mutually inform and strengthen one another. He brings a perspective shaped by early immersion in AA meditation practice, intensive study of the Pali Canon, multiple Zen and Vipassana retreats, and long-term training under his teacher, Guo Gu. Will speaks to the integration of recovery and contemplative practice as a practical, inclusive path toward living “happy, joyous, and free,” one day at a time.
In-Person Location:
Tallahassee Chan Center
1310 N Paul Russell Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Google Maps link
Registration:
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