Ep284: Adventures of a Chan Master - Gilbert M Gutierrez 2
Gilbert M Gutierrez is a Chan Buddhism teacher and dharma heir of Master Sheng Yen.
Available on Youtube, iTunes, SoundCloud & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Gilbert recalls his discipleship under renowned Chan Master Sheng Yen, shares stories of gruelling retreat, private 1-1 exchanges, profound spiritual insights, mystical visions, and supernatural powers.
Gilbert gives an overview of Chan philosophy, emphasises the importance of both study and practice, and illuminates the Buddhist doctrine of emptiness.
Gilbert also details his process of becoming a Dharma Heir, defends telling stories of spiritual experiences, and reflects on his difficulties as an American in being accepted as a genuine teacher of Chan Buddhism.
00:00 - Intro
00:51 - Becoming a disciple of Master Sheng Yen
04:49 - Eat bitter in your practice
05:54 - Loss of faith
08:21 - Profound encounter with the bodhisattva Quan Yin
12:48 - A contract of the heart
13:39 - A private meetings with Master Sheng Yen
18:30 - Receiving inka transmission from Master Sheng Yen
19:47 - A real master is a chameleon
22:36 - Master Sheng Yen’s compassion and mission
25:49 - About Chan Buddhism and emptiness
29:19 - The Heart Sutra
33:07 - We awaken people
35:10 - Master Sheng Yen’s emphasis on study
36:42 - Study and practice
38:33 - A reading from Daoxin
39:37 - Meditation experiences and a humbling lesson
45:39 - It’s a joke and a sham
47:34 - Becoming a Dharma Heir
49:54 - Everything is mind
51:03 - Special experiences and transcending pain
53:10 - Hearing one’s heart beat
53:38 - A state of ultimate bliss
55:08 - A famous master, a loyal attendant, and Gilbert’s powerful realisation
01:01:03 - Catching the bug
01:06:26 - The bug whisperer
01:08:44 - Why share stories of spiritual experiences?
01:10:17 - Gilbert’s biggest realisation
01:16:22 - Communicating with animals and entities
01:19:58 - Seeing peoples’ past and future lives
01:20:36 - Working with ghosts
01:21:39 - How to calm down a ghost
01:22:54 - Dealing with heaven dwellers
01:24:30 - Concerns about being accepted as a dharma heir
01:28:45 - Anti-Western prejudice
01:30:31 - Growing acceptance from the Taiwanese sangha
01:32:55 - The death of Master Sheng Yen
01:37:07 - A final encounter with the master
Previous episode with Gilbert M Gutierrez:
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Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James