Testimonials

I am an artist. A painter. Painting has always been a form of meditation for me but it wasn't until the last year that I fully committed myself to a meditation practice outside of my studio. Something other than the physical act of painting. Sitting quietly and focusing on my breath & clearing my mind has become a daily practice. Meeting Su Co and meditating with her has expanded my awareness and helped me to understand that my art and meditation support one another in a way that grounds me and allows me to be fully present. It is a profound connection that I am incredibly humbled by and grateful for. - Anne M


 Unconditional Love

Xa Loi Temple and Su Co Bao Co have been such a support on my life journey.   In the summer of 2020, I spent a week with Su Co Bao Co (and many long phone calls), receiving her unfailing encouragement, love, and strong transmission of discipline, positivity, compassion, and kindness.   She also supported our family during my father's illness and my mother's passing, kindly checking in to see how we were doing, offering wisdom and blessings, and tending to my mother's transition with prayers at the temple.  

She is a strong guide in the light of Unconditional Love, and supports in a way that is accessible to all, regardless of one's religion.  Though I worked mostly with Su Co Bao Co, Master Bao Thanh warmly welcomed me when I first called the temple years ago during a time of distress.  He connected me with Su Co Bao Co and I know he is a teacher also of tremendous wisdom and compassion.

I will be forever grateful to Master Bao Thanh, Su Co Bao Co, and Xa Loi.


Unlocked the door to my soul… 

"When encouraged by one of the students to attend an Inner-peace Meditation class the first time, I didn't know what to expect or what it would feel like walking out of this experience.

The calmness and quietness combined with a serene feeling from my inner-self was something I had never experienced before.

It seemed as if a door had been shut tight for a very long time, however, that first meditation night unlocked the door to my soul and keeps opening more and more...

Tonight, as we placed our hands over our heart I became very emotional, it sparked my inner flame and was able to feel so deeply life within...

You as my teacher has this unique skill to reach out to all of us individually with your amazing way in using metaphors that touch each and everyone to the core. Gratitude to you Su Co Bao Co for being in my life this time around"


-Lise T

" Prior to attending Inner- Peace, I was told that while meditating you are to have a blank mind, no thoughts.

My first blessing is that while attending Inner- Peace Meditation I learnred to acknowledge my thought's and let them pass, again & again gently until the mind settles.

The second major aha moment is leaning to honor my breathing. With the breath I can get through mental suffering, physical & emotional pain. I can also breathe through alcohol cravings, uncomfortable thoughts and bad intentions.

The third blessings is seeing a closer bond with friends on the same spiritual path.

I have known L. since I was a teenager, we graduated college together but we were never that close. To her I am thankful, she brought to Inner- Peace classes. I have a spiritual mentor Su Co who keeps me on track, and I have friendships with B. and A. through our unique experience of attending class together.

Then, there is feeling compassion for myself.

I am a peoples pleaser to the detriment to myself. I am learning to always be kind to my being and acknowledge my consistent progress.

I am loving life with all it's new possibilities."

T.J

05/22/2024

“ What an amazing session. I felt so deeply connected to everyone in my life. I felt love for all even those I have had disagreement with. There was no room for anger. Nothing but love, acceptance, and kindness in the world radiating from my own heart."

-JM

Willing to grow and change… 

"I came to Su Co's meditation class because my old way of life was failing me. My path was unhealthy and destructive. I am in search of a new path to explore my full potential and to find healthier ways to deal with life.

Since joining the meditation classes, I have learned to slow down and embrace pain. It is important to look through the uncomfortable feelings and emotions. It will not kill you.

I have also learned that it is important to observe your surroundings carefully, but do not necessarily let them affect your thought process. Deep breathing is crucial to clear thinking, or else your mind will race. It also helps me stay grounded in the present moment, which is all I need.

It is important for me to relax and release tension in my body -- I am too tense and uptight and I don't even realize it. This will also allow me to focus on other parts of my body.

Above all, I must remain open-minded and willing to grow and change. I am always learning more about myself. Through this process, I believe I will create positive change and become my best self! Thank you much appreciated Su Co Bao Co. "

-Bryan M

Conocí a Bao Co en el primer retiro que realice, un mes antes del COVID y en su país natal, Francia. Desde el primer encuentro, me impactó su presencia, y más aún haber tenido el privilegio de estar a su lado. A partir de ese momento, siempre he estado en contacto con el budismo de un modo u otro. Y es que la maestra aparece cuando el alumno está preparado, o como pone en los textos de yoga medieval, “sin gurú, no hay yoga”. Me supuso embarcarme en un camino de autoconocimiento al que nadie de mi entorno ha tenido la oportunidad de acceder. Ese soy yo, el divergente, el profesor de yoga que no se conforma con la vida que plantea el sistema. Así que, haber practicado con Bao Co marca un antes y un después en la senda del yoga. Su dilatada experiencia y dominio energético le confiere la capacidad de ayudar a cualquier persona de cualquier condición. Su energía te abre la puerta, pero el resto has de hacerlo tú. Como decía Antonio Machado, caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar.  -R P B

I met Su Co Bao Co at the first retreat I did, a month before Covid and in her country, France. From the first meeting her presence impacted me and even more so having the privilege of being next to her. From that moment on, I have always been with Buddhism in one way or another. And it is as the teacher appears when the student is ready, or as it is put in the ancient yoga texts, “without a guru, there is no yoga”. She led me to embark on a path of self-knowledge that no one around me has had the opportunity to access. That is me, the divergent, the yoga teacher who doesn’t conform to the life that the system proposes. So having practice with Bao Co marks a before and after on the path of yoga. Her extensive experience and mastery give her the ability to help any condition. Her energies open the door for you, but you have to do the rest. As said Antonio Machado, "walker, there is no path, the path is made by walking”.

R P B.

In my journey of spiritual awakening, I recall a story of a wise spiritual leader, who shared final words with his students from his deathbed.  He told his students that he rememberd the exact day he stopped praying, realizing instead that his entire life was meant to be lived as a prayer. This resonated deeply with me, as it marks the moment when the path transcends mere thought or feeling—it becomes a direct experience of reality.

On my own journey, the Dharma always resonated with me intellectually and I spent years studying, practicing breathwork and meditation. Yet, I struggled with feelings of separation and found myself trapped in "success culture"—driven by striving, grasping, and inadvertently causing suffering for myself and others.  I struggled with moving from a conceptual understanding to an embodied practice, and experienced a long, painful dark night of the soul, hurting people I love and using alcohol to numb out.  Then, I was fortunate to meet Su Co Bao Co, whose teaching and guidance catalyzed my understanding and fundamentally changed my life.

With Su Co Bao Co's support, I shifted from understanding teachings conceptually to embodying them fully. My life is a testament to the power of genuine interconnection and presence, thanks to her transformative teachings, her transmission and her lived example. I wholeheartedly recommend Su Co Bao Co to anyone seeking to deepen their spiritual practice and experience life as a true prayer.  As the hymn beautifully expresses, "I was blind ... and now I see."  - PB