The Way Out Is In

Welcome to episode 88 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino discuss one of the Buddha’s key teachings: the four immeasurable minds. When cultivated, these four qualities – love, compassion, joy, and equanimity – can help heal negative emotions and lead to a more fulfilling, compassionate life. Both hosts share personal stories and insights about how to apply these teachings, and how to help transform suffering and cultivate a deeper understanding and connection with ourselves and those around us. They emphasize the importance of self-love, deep listening, and embracing interbeing, as well as the power of small acts of kindness, the role of playfulness, the wisdom of non-discrimination in leading a more fulfilling life, and more. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Donate to support Plum Village’s reconstruction https://plumvillage.org/donate Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing The Four Immeasurable Mindshttps://tnhaudio.org/tag/four-immeasurable-minds Dharma Talk: ‘The Four Immeasurable Minds – The Four Elements of True Love' with Sister Dieu Nghiem (Sister Jina)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKXJIdhJJHo Brahmaviharahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmavihara Sariputrahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C4%81riputra Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong Maitrihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maitr%C4%AB Order of Interbeinghttps://orderofinterbeing.org/ Trevor Noahhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Noah ‘Listening to Namo Avalokiteshvara'https://plumvillage.app/listening-to-namo-avalokiteshvara/ Upekshahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upeksha_(Indian_thought) Quotes “If you learn to practice love, compassion, joy, and equanimity, you will know how to heal the illnesses of anger, sorrow, insecurity, sadness, hatred, loneliness, and unhealthy attachments.” “You have to learn to be like the Earth. The Earth doesn’t discriminate; it accepts all and is the mother of all.” “Understanding is love, and it’s the most profound love because, when you understand, there’s no longer a barrier between you and me as separate people.” “The safest foundation is understanding. When you have that, you can work tirelessly because your understanding is your compass. And it can give you so much insight and so many ways of bridging the separation.” “One word can release suffering, one action can save a life.” “Looking with eyes of compassion, we can listen deeply to the cries of the world.” “There is a truth in Buddhism that, no matter what condition you’re going to find yourself in, suffering’s going to be there; your mind is going to create moments of ‘you’re not enough'.” “Why not be soft? There is so much strength in softness.” “Thay talked about how we can find joy in everything, that we can find joy in a pebble on the beach, we can find joy in a flower. We can find joy in someone’s smile. We can find joy in the fact that we’re alive. We can find joy in the fact that we can see all the textures and colors in the world. It doesn't have to be a big thing, but it is the recognition of what it is to be alive.” “I love the idea that one smile from somebody can restore our faith in humanity. Often, we think we have to act in big ways; that we have to carry out bold actions to create change. But one smile can genuinely save someone’s life. As Thay said, one small action can save a life; even a smile can change a life. We underestimate the power of the small things in life. We’re taught to see things in grand ways, but, often, seeing things in the small ways can be more important.” “Non-discrimination is the wisdom that we all are children of this Earth and we manifest on this Earth and we will return to the Earth.” “We should never be too sure of ourselves, our views, and our feeling of righteousness, because that only leads to more division.” “When you touch these elements of true love, loving kindness, compassion, and joy, your interbeing becomes stronger. Because if you have joy and you’ve tasted it, don’t you want others to have joy?” “Non-discrimination is for the more-than-human world as well; it’s for all beings. Because it’s very easy to separate ourselves from the natural world and to forget that, actually, the health of the trees is our health and the health of the oceans is our health; that, actually, the love that Mother Earth gives to us is also the love that we can offer back. So there’s a real feeling of reciprocity there.”

Welcome to episode 87 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino discuss the Noble Eightfold Path, a fundamental teaching that was emphasized by the Buddha. The eight elements of the path are: right view, right thinking, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right diligence, right mindfulness, and right concentration. The hosts focus on each element and explain their interconnectedness and how they form a comprehensive approach to self-discovery, personal transformation, and spiritual development. Jo and Brother Phap Huu also emphasise the importance of making the Noble Eightfold Path relevant, accessible, and applicable to contemporary challenges and needs, and the role of Plum Village community in adapting these teachings.The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Dhyana in Buddhism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhyana_in_Buddhism The Bodhi Treehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhi_tree Dharma Talks: ‘Right Livelihood and True Love'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/right-livelihood-and-true-love 51 Mental Formationshttps://plumvillage.org/transcriptions/51-mental-formation The Way Out Is In: ‘Taming Our Survival Instinct (Episode #65)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/taming-our-survival-instinct-episode-65 Sister Lang Nghiemhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-lang-nghiem Sister True Dedicationhttps://www.instagram.com/sistertruededication/ Brother Phap Ung https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-chan-phap-ung  The Five Mindfulness Trainings https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-5-mindfulness-trainings The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainingshttps://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-14-mindfulness-trainings  Old Path White Clouds https://plumvillage.org/books/old-path-white-clouds-2 Quotes “The question is whether you want to liberate yourself or not. If you do, practice the Noble Eightfold Path.” “‘Now I have a path, there’s nothing to fear' – because once you have the path, even if suffering is there, you will know how to walk it, because you start to see the way.” “The Buddha said that there are two extreme paths that we should avoid. The first one is seeking sensual pleasures, the pleasures of the world. The second is the practice of depriving the body, such as the practice of asceticism. Those extremes do not lead towards happiness and peace, they lead to failure on the path of understanding and love. And he said we have to find a middle way. And the middle is the Eight Noble Path.” “What we see, what we hear, what we taste, and what we consume on a daily basis will affect the way we are thinking. So, by focusing and practicing right thought, you will start to have a lot of agency. You will start to reflect on how your thought patterns are created, what habits arise in your daily life because of your thoughts, because of the ingredients that have been taken in through your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and mind consciousness.” “We do workshops on learning how to listen before even speaking. How to listen with our whole body, how to listen so that we don’t react, how to listen so we don’t allow our judgmental mind to try to fix that person right away. And then to mindfully select the words that we want to use to communicate. Even if it’s a wrong perception, there’s a way to communicate, to remove the wrong perception – or there’s a way to justify it and create even more distance and destruction.” “When we learn to expand our understanding, I think our life will become richer.” “There are pathways in life via which we know we can get richer and become filled with wealth. But what is our truest belonging? It’s not money. When we die, money doesn’t go with us. What is left behind is our legacy of who we were as a human being.” “I remember a soldier asking Thay [Thich Nhat Hanh] about how he can apply this pathway to his career, as a protector. And Thay said, ‘Of course we want compassionate soldiers. I would rather have you holding that weapon, who has deep understanding and has interbeing, than someone who is evil and who just wants to punish or be violent.'” “Sometimes we talk about the Zen mind as a mind that is empty. That’s not it. In the Buddhist deep meaning of emptiness, emptiness is ‘very full'; because of emptiness, everything can coexist.” “Mindful first and foremost is to be mindful of the suffering that is present, as well as mindful of the joy and happiness that is also present. So we want to continue to transform suffering as well as to create and generate joy and happiness, for ourselves and for all beings.” “Concentration can be grounded and developed everywhere, anywhere, and all at once.” “What Buddhism does, and what the teachings of the Buddha do, is show that we have a choice in everything we do. Because often we feel that life is imposed on us, that we don’t have choices. But, actually, in every single event, however painful, we always have a choice of how to respond. And that choice is based on our awareness. We need to be aware of what is going on, what the situation is. We need to be aware of our habit energy, and then we need to be aware of these teachings that show an alternative.” “We have our entire life to learn and we don’t have to be perfect now. But, as Thich Nhat Hanh would say, if there’s a little bit of improvement every day, that is more than enough. We don’t need to become suddenly enlightened.” “The exponential nature of technology, with AI and everything else, means that, actually, it’s easier to travel away from ourselves than towards ourselves.”

Welcome to episode 86 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino discuss Thich Nhat Hanh's calligraphic work ‘Are You Sure?'. Together, the presenters discuss how this simple question encourages us to examine our perceptions, assumptions, and certainties about ourselves and the world around us as a path to greater understanding and well-being. The conversation further explores the importance of cultivating an open, curious, and reflective mindset, rather than clinging to rigid beliefs or opinions; being present, listening deeply to ourselves and others; the value of community, friendship, and feedback in helping us to see our blind spots and to grow; the interplay between the historical and ultimate dimensions of life, and how holding multiple perspectives can allow us to respond with wisdom and compassion; and more. The episode concludes with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu.Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Koanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koan  Cong Phu Journal – Everything You Need to Know About the Practice Notebookhttps://plumvillage.app/cong-phu-journal-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-practice-notebook Plum Village podcast: ‘With Each and Every Brushstroke: When Art and Meditation Come Together'https://plumvillage.org/library/meditation/with-each-and-every-brushstroke-when-art-meditation-come-together The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainingshttps://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-14-mindfulness-trainings Sister Peacehttps://www.sfzc.org/teachers/sister-peace Brother Phap Khoihttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-phap-khoi The Way Out Is In: ‘Shining Light (Episode #63)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/shining-light-episode-63 The Way Out Is In: ‘Bringing the Ultimate Dimension Down to Earth (Episode #40)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/bringing-the-ultimate-dimension-down-to-earth-episode-40 Joanna Macyhttps://www.joannamacy.net/ The Way Out Is In: ‘Active Hope: The Wisdom of Joanna Macy (Episode #25)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/active-hope-the-wisdom-of-joanna-macy-episode-25 The Way Out Is In: ‘Grief and Joy on a Planet in Crisis: Joanna Macy on the Best Time to Be Alive (Episode #12)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/grief-and-joy-on-a-planet-in-crisis-joanna-macy-on-the-best-time-to-be-alive-episode-12 Quotes “‘Are you sure?' is a question that directs towards our mind consciousness and particularly towards our perceptions. So we are always creating perceptions, from what we see, what we hear, what we have observed. And a lot of the time we believe our perceptions. And because of our habitual energy of self, there is pride connected to it, there is certainty connected to it, and there is a righteous energy that we all carry in our way of being.” “The Buddha would say that 98% of our perceptions are wrong. And the other two percent should be our way of double-checking.” “Reflecting is double-checking. It is to look more deeply, to see the roots, the source of the perception that we have created. This is an ongoing practice. In some of our locations in the monastery, we have ‘Are you sure?' literally framed, because a lot of the time we can be very sure about our own self, about our own practice, about our own growth, and even about our own insight.” “The perception about Zen is that you reach enlightenment and then you’re done. But enlightenment is always enlightenment of something. And that enlightenment is a kind of understanding. And understanding is very organic. It has to be alive. It’s adaptive to the suffering of our times, the happiness of our times, the well-being of our times. So our looking deeply should always contain a question like, ‘Are we certain?', ‘Are we sure?'” “We’re living in a world with huge levels of uncertainty. We’ve got the sudden exponential growth of AI. We’ve got so much uncertainty in terms of economics, in terms of politics, in terms of climate change. There’s so much where we don’t know. And often people want to look for certainty when there’s uncertainty. They feel they need to find a grounding, because if they don’t feel grounded, then they can be overwhelmed and washed away. Let’s get back to some basics here: being certain is not really a good foundation – but Buddhism offers some very good foundations for living with uncertainty.” “I feel confidence when I want to show up with my full presence, but I don’t want to be so certain because then I’m not going to be able to listen. And as we know, and as our training shows, listening is already a communication.” “Don’t believe everything I say; believe what you put into practice.” “None of us will escape suffering. But if you know how to care for it, and you know how to tend to your suffering, you can grow the lotus out of the mud.” “We can’t reflect in a hurry.” “In 2025, with the uncertainties and the fast pace of our society, I think it's crucial that we see the importance of stillness, the importance of allowing our understanding to ripen.” “Zen is to learn to stop. It’s the first wing of meditation, it’s learning to give yourself the space and the time and the ability to pause.” “There are so many moments when we’re going to find ourselves sitting. So how can that moment translate from being still in our corner, in our home, to the engagement of our life with everything that we do?” “Wherever there is darkness, light will appear. Wherever there is light, darkness will also be there.” “The Buddha has taught us that every action we take – whether it's thought, speech, or bodily action – bears our signature. And we will receive the consequences of all of our actions.” “A breath is very spiritual because it allows us to be in touch with the whole cosmos. That is a very spiritual moment of interconnectedness.”

Welcome to episode 85 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino discuss the true meaning of Zen, finding beauty and meaning in simplicity, and how to practice so in everyday life. Also, what does it mean to be part of a Zen tradition? And how do we practice Zen? How do we see the world ‘through the eyes of Zen'? The conversation also touches upon the cultivation of mindfulness, concentration, and insight; the importance of humility; finding beauty in the mundane; the sacredness of objects and spaces; the role of rituals and routines; the balance between sophistication and simplicity in one’s spiritual practice; and much more. The episode concludes with a short meditation, guided by Brother Phap Huu, on being present and grateful for the wonders of life.Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Donate to support Plum Village’s reconstruction https://plumvillage.org/donate Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Samathahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samatha-vipassan%C4%81Dhyana in Buddhismhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhyana_in_Buddhism Dharma Talks: ‘Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/taking-refuge-in-the-three-jewels-sr-chan-duc-spring-retreat-2018-05-20 Wim Wendershttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wim_Wenders Perfect Dayshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv8YO5BXCAQ Love Letter to the Earthhttps://www.parallax.org/product/love-letter-to-the-earth/Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong  Sister Hien Nghiem (Sister True Dedication)https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem European Institute of Applied Buddhismhttps://www.eiab.eu Sutrashttps://plumvillage.org/genre/sutras Quotes “Zen is an art of contemplation in order to see reality as it is.” “This is because that is.” “The first foundation of mindfulness, which is the core of Zen, is learning to be in the body; aware of the body in the body.” “The essence of Zen can simply be called the beginner’s mind, or the art of stopping, the art of living. And I can confidently say that in the training of the Zen school, we have to embody the three elements or three energies. Thay sometimes called them the holy energies: the energy of mindfulness, the energy of concentration, and the energy of insight.” “Sacredness is very alive when the practice is alive. And that definition comes into play when we’re in a space that has cultivated this energy of mindfulness, concentration, and insight, such as Thay’s hut, where we’re sitting now.” “Being aware and having the ability to take care of ourselves in the practice of sitting is as exciting and challenging as scoring a goal.” “I saw Thay open a door, and I learned everything I needed to learn.” “We can find meaning in everything.” “Being mindful is to establish yourself to be so alive in the present moment that nothing becomes boring.” “The art of Zen and the art of meditation is seeing the mundane, seeing the simple everyday life. And that becomes a sacred action, because our relationship to what we are doing has deep meaning, and that deep meaning represents our inner beauty, our inner contentment with this life.”“When you have something and you know it is enough, you don’t have to chase anymore. Your life suddenly becomes so much deeper and more relaxed.” “The schedule becomes our teacher, because it helps realign our energies. But we also have to have the flexibility to not be so caught in form. Form is important. Form can support us. But form shouldn’t entrap us.” “Don’t take lightly the words you announce. They come with particular energies that will come into play.” “Talent has to go with virtue.”

Welcome to episode 84 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino focus on profound Buddhist sutra The Discourse on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone. Using personal stories and examples, they illustrate the daily relevance of its teachings on being present in the moment, acceptance, and the interconnectedness of all things. Brother Phap Huu discusses how this sutra emphasizes not dwelling in the past or worrying about the future, but instead being fully present in and accepting of the here and now. He also reflects on recent events in the Plum Village community, such as a fire that destroyed an important building and why this was a profound experience for the community, leading them to grieve the loss while also finding strength in their togetherness. The presenters further explore grieving as a necessary part of the healing process, acknowledging loss rather than trying to bypass difficult emotions; the practice of being fully present (and how to recognize when one is truly present), even in times of chaos and uncertainty; the importance of community, the role of leadership, and the transmission of teachings; the need to accept suffering as a path to greater freedom and understanding; and much more. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Donate to support Plum Village’s reconstruction https://plumvillage.org/donate Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Sister Hien Nghiem (Sister True Dedication)https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem Sutrashttps://plumvillage.org/genre/sutras Magnolia Grove Monasteryhttps://magnoliagrovemonastery.org/ ‘Letters from Thich Nhat Hanh'https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters ‘Plum Village Practice Centers'https://plumvillage.org/community/monastic-practice-centres Dharma Talks: ‘Redefining the Four Noble Truths'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/redefining-the-four-noble-truths Quotes “The Buddha taught: ‘Do not pursue the past. Do not lose yourself in the future. The past no longer is. The future has not yet come. Looking deeply at life as it is in the very here and now, the practitioner dwells in stability and freedom. We must be diligent today. To wait until tomorrow is too late. Death comes unexpectedly. How can we bargain with it? The sage calls a person who dwells in mindfulness night and day the one who knows the better way to live alone.'” “We all have an appointment with life every day. And that appointment with life is the very here and now.” “To not grieve would be to deny our humanity.” “We need the ability to ground ourselves, whether it is through a practice of sitting meditation, walking meditation, or mindful breathing: a place where we can be still and let all of our feelings appear, just like letting a lake become calm, so that we can identify and acknowledge how the world and the situation is affecting us.” “Building my stability just means being able to also recognize the wonders I have in this moment. And that means also coming to community, coming to your loved ones, acknowledging what you have in this moment and what you’ve lost.” “We have to come together in order to resist. We have to come together in order to speak the voice that is not being heard right now, to show the injustice that is happening.” “A collective voice is much stronger than an individual.” “We have to move with kindness even when we are being treated unkindly; we still have to respond with kindness. That is our vow and nobody can take that away. The only thing that can take that away is our own anger and our own decision about the actions that we take.” “We cannot lose the integrity and humanity that we have cultivated and developed. That is the freedom that we have. That is the stability that will be transmitted into the next generation.” “Whatever emotion we’re cultivating, we will become that emotion. So if we cultivate anger, we will become angry. If we cultivate kindness and peace, but with the Zen sword of strength, then that’s what we will become.” “We are not a creation, we are a manifestation. So we are here because we have been conditioned by many elements.” “Thich Nhat Hanh gives the metaphor of a boat that’s in danger of sinking. If everyone is panicking, the boat will surely capsize and everyone will be lost. But sometimes it takes just one calm person on board to settle everyone down and save the boat. So there’s something very powerful about not reacting to everything.” “If you know how to suffer, you will suffer much less.”

Welcome to episode 83 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This installment sees Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino joined by Zen Buddhist nun Sister True Dedication to discuss the Eight Realizations of Great Beings. This ancient Buddhist sutra provides guidance on overcoming suffering, putting an end to misunderstandings and difficulties, and making progress towards or even attaining enlightenment: “leaving behind the world of birth and death, [and] dwelling forever in peace”.In this, the second of two parts, the three contributors explore the last four realizations, which provide a manual for seeing the world with the wisdom needed to deal with suffering and act with clarity. The realizations covered include the awareness that ignorance is the cause of the endless cycle of birth and death, and how bodhisattvas develop their understanding and skillful means; the awareness that poverty (but not only poverty!) can create hatred and anger, and how to practice generosity equally towards friends and enemies; living simply to ‘practice the way', and the great vow to help all beings and guide them to joy; and more. The discussion emphasizes the importance of grounding Buddhist teachings in real-world realities, cultivating compassion and understanding even for those causing harm, simplifying one’s life, and committing to the bodhisattva path of alleviating the suffering of all beings. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resourcesInterbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Sister Hien Nghiem (Sister True Dedication)https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem Sutrashttps://plumvillage.org/genre/sutras The Eight Realizations of Great Beings https://www.parallax.org/product/the-eight-realizations-of-great-beings Dharma Talks: ‘Manas Consciousness, Teachings on Buddhist Psychology Retreat, 1997'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/manas-consciousness-thich-nhat-hanh-teachings-on-buddhist-psychology-retreat-1997 Mahayanahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana Bodhisattvahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong Martin Luther King Jr.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr. Pema Chödrönhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pema_Ch%C3%B6dr%C3%B6n ‘Recommendation'https://plumvillage.org/articles/recommendation Viktor Franklhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Frankl The Eight Realizations of Great Beings: Essential Buddhist Wisdom for Realizing Your Full Potentialhttps://plumvillage.shop/products/highlighted/new-books/the-eight-realizations-of-great-beings/ Being with Busyness: Zen Ways to Transform Overwhelm and Burnout https://www.parallax.org/product/being-with-busyness Quotes “If love is limitless and love and understanding go together, then understanding must also be limitless.” “Lower your ego, be open, change your attitude in order to receive.” “Where there is life, there is death. Where there is death, there is life.” “A very deep teaching from Thay and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. about the idea of the beloved community, which, in their few brief meetings, they discussed at length: in the ideal beloved community of Dr. King, your enemies are included. Your enemies are included. The ones currently persecuting you are included. This was an important spiritual faith and practice at the time of the Civil Rights Movement. This is the 1960s, our spiritual love should have that capacity to embrace everyone. And that is a spiritual challenge. It starts closer to home, but it really opens up. And that’s a great vision. I find it really spiritually inspiring and challenging. [it] calls me forward.” “My practice is to see everyone as human beings.” “One of the vows of a bodhisattva, of a great being, is to always shine the light of openness, the light that everyone has inside of them: a seed of love and a seed of compassion.” “There are going to be times when we recognize that, ‘Right now, my heart is not the size of the great ocean. It’s literally a puddle.' If I allow many people to walk around that puddle, it will be stirred up and become very muddy and I can’t be of service. So we have to be able to know our capacity, our limits, and to not feel that this is something to be attained in one day, in one month, in one year, but that it requires a lifetime of cultivation.” “When we are angry, we’re not clear, we’re not compassionate, and we don’t carry out our profession well.” “The past was wrong, we know that. But what can we do now? Starting today, how can we reset this?” “When there’s not enough love around, there’s not enough understanding, everybody feels unsafe; everybody is always on guard. And when we’re on guard, we stop looking at each other as an opportunity for connecting as humanity. It’s just fear.” “One can only overcome anger with kindness. One can only conquer evil with good. One can only win over the miser with generosity. One can only convince the liar with truth.” “True, full, deep Buddhism is grounded in a real awareness of economic realities and economic systems. So, when someone has hatred and anger, there may be many causes and conditions, including poverty. But we don’t blame or punish or condemn people for struggling with that; we bring great compassion and understanding.” “Although you are in the world, try not to be caught up in worldly matters. A monastic, for example, has in their possession only three robes and one bowl. They live simply in order to practice the way. Their precepts keep them free from attachment to worldly things, and they treat everyone equally and with compassion.” “Each day is a chance to contribute good thinking, speech, and action into the world, whether we’re monastic or not.” “The more we consume and the more we think that we can find our happiness in consuming, the more we are destroying the Earth. The more we are climbing over each other for status and fame and power and influence and all these other things, the more, ultimately, we’re creating suffering and exploitation around us. And it's endless. The consequences of human cravings are that the more we lose ourselves in these sense-pleasures, the less we’re really awake to and aware of the actual, very real, tangible suffering that we are perpetuating upon each other and upon the planet.” “Maybe the most important thing we can do in our life is cultivate the energy of mindfulness, compassion, understanding, and harmony in our lives and relationships.” “We’re all living in this crazy world. And how can we live in the world and not be too shaped and imprinted by it, but instead find our freedom within it and really live in line with our values? I want to put out a rallying call: don’t settle for anything less. Life is so short. Life is so precious. How can we make these choices really intentionally? How do we want to live in a way that’s in line with these values, and what radical choices can we make to put what’s most meaningful and important first?” “Simplicity is a keyword for living simply, leanly, and lightly – not living simply, leanly, and lightly, and then taking loads of photos and posting them on social media and being like, ‘Look at my highly curated simple life.' That’s not what we’re talking about. It’s how to simplify what we’re doing, what we need, and what we’re in pursuit of in order to show up fully in the moments of our life; to be able to slow down and live this precious life deeply. And that is already an act of resistance.” “The simple moments of life are enough. And I feel that this word ‘simplicity' is the real takeaway from this realization of how we can bring this quote-unquote monastic awakening into our daily life. And it takes courage because everyone is trying to make it complicated for us, including our loved ones. So it takes real courage to keep it simple.”

Welcome to episode 82 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This installment sees Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino joined by Zen Buddhist nun Sister True Dedication to discuss the Eight Realizations of Great Beings. This ancient Buddhist sutra provides guidance on overcoming suffering, putting an end to misunderstandings and difficulties, and making progress towards or even attaining enlightenment: “leaving behind the world of birth and death, [and] dwelling forever in peace”.In this, the first of two parts, the three contributors explore the first four realizations, which cover the impermanence of all things, the suffering caused by desire, the tendency of the mind to seek fulfillment outside of itself, and the importance of diligent practice to transform unwholesome mental states. Their conversation also touches upon the relevance of these teachings for modern life and the need for a balanced approach that combines inner work and outward service; the value of community; and a non-judgmental approach to one’s own mind and body as key to the Buddhist path of understanding and love. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Sister Hien Nghiem (Sister True Dedication)https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem Sutrashttps://plumvillage.org/genre/sutras The Eight Realizations of Great Beings https://www.parallax.org/product/the-eight-realizations-of-great-beings Dharmakayahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharmak%C4%81ya Pali Canonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali_Canon Parthian Empirehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthian_Empire Sister Jinahttps://plumvillage.shop/authors/sister-jina-van-hengel/ ‘The Three Dharma Seals'https://www.parallax.org/mindfulnessbell/article/the-three-dharma-seals/ Dharma Talks: ‘The Five Remembrances' https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-five-remembrances-sr-thuan-nghiem-spring-retreat-2018-05-17 Brother Phap Linh (Brother Spirit)https://www.instagram.com/brotherspirit Mahayanahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana ‘Three Resources Explaining the Plum Village Tradition of Lazy Days'https://plumvillage.app/three-resources-explaining-the-plum-village-tradition-of-lazy-days/Dharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-noble-eightfold-path Pema Chödrönhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pema_Ch%C3%B6dr%C3%B6n Bodhisattvahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva Quotes “When we talk about non-self in Buddhism, it is to understand that we cannot exist by ourselves. That is non-self in a nutshell.” “Those things we might hold on to as important are also impermanent. In this realization we’re touching both the good news and the challenge: the good news of impermanence and the challenge of impermanence. So those things that are causing great injustice, hardship, suffering, fear, and despair: they are impermanent. That can give us some relief when we really look into the broad scale of things and the broad scale of time. But, also, things we cherish are impermanent. The house that we saved up to build, to renovate, to take care of – where will that house be in two thousand years' time? In twenty thousand years' time? We can pour our whole heart into a project – but where will that project be in ten thousand years? And this is an important contemplation, because it’s one of the unlocking keys in Buddhism. Everything is a formation, made of other parts, but we grasp on to and we hold on to these things and we sacrifice our life and our happiness, our present moment, and our relationships chasing after those things, investing in those things – and we lose the wonders of the present moment.” “If you look at the global situation, it can be quite easy to despair. But if you look at your local community and what you can do, that can be very empowering.” “What gets me up and what continues to motivate me is that we are developing and nurturing the continued spiritual tradition that we have received.” “In Buddhism we have this line, ‘The mind is a field to be cultivated.' There are seeds and we have to take care of the ones that come up as weeds and the ones that will come up as good things that can nourish us.” “You are the guardian of this body; you better be careful how you handle all those impulses, because, left unhandled, they lead to this impulsive, short-sighted behavior which is the root of suffering and injustice in the world. So both our body and mind are something for us to take care of.” “The mind is an organ. It’s an uncultivated organ until we become really familiar with it and learn how to take care of it with a lot of compassion and understanding.” “All hardships in daily life arise from greed and desire. Those with little desire and ambition are able to relax their body and mind, free from entanglement.” “You can lose your practice in your monastic life very easily if there is no deeper desire to have the impact of change, of compassion, of love, and of transformation.” “We’re always picking up what’s going on outside, but often not actually listening at all to what’s going on inside.” “If we generate joy inside of ourselves it naturally flows into the world.” “The fourth realization is the awareness that indolence is an obstacle to practice.” “What I love about Buddhism is that Buddhism loves lists. We often say this. And we also love repetition.” “There are things that we think are important but actually aren't, and they’re taking our time and energy from a deep pursuit of something inside that can really unlock understanding of suffering, can really unlock insight and help us live a deeper, more meaningful, healing, and loving life.” “The main point here is: guard your mind and feed your mind good things, and apply effort every day, every week.” “The fire of birth and death is raging; this is something we are bearing witness to as humans on this planet. And simply how I consume and take that in is a cultivation of the mind – so I don’t want to have a lazy mind, an indolent mind, when I’m reading the news. It’s not that the news is happening to me.” “When we say that we observe what is happening in the mind, this mere recognition is already a power, because we’re saying, ‘I am more than this thing'.”

Welcome to episode 81 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This new installment was recorded before a live audience, in the Stillwater Meditation Hall of Upper Hamlet, Plum Village, in December 2024. In its first section, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino talk about what it means to let go of the past and create a new future. They delve into the Buddhist meanings of renewal, alongside personal reflections on the challenges and achievements of the past year.The conversation also touches on the role of Plum Village in renewing and transmitting Buddhist teachings to new generations; the importance of ‘beginner’s mind' and the ability to adapt and evolve, both as a community and as individuals.In the second section, the hosts answer questions from the audience on the topic of renewal, such as, ‘What practical strategies can maintain mindfulness and presence in the face of demanding responsibilities?', and ways to reduce overconsumption. Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Brother Phap Linh (Brother Spirit)https://www.instagram.com/brotherspirit/Sister Hien Nghiem (Sister True Dedication)https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem  ‘The Pebble Meditation'https://plumvillage.org/articles/news/the-pebble-meditation Dharma Talks: ‘Pebble Meditation for Adults'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/pebble-meditation-for-adults-br-phap-huu-spring-retreat-2018-05-13 The Art of Livinghttps://www.parallax.org/product/the-art-of-living/ Mahayanahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana Old Path White Cloudshttps://www.parallax.org/product/old-path-white-clouds/ The Way Out Is In: ‘Feel It to Heal It: The Dharma of Music (Episode #79)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/feel-it-to-heal-it-the-dharma-of-music-episode-79 Dharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-noble-eightfold-path Bodhicittahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhicitta A Beginners Mind for a Beautiful Future: Dharma Talk by Thich Nhat Hanhhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_F_cxM9d5Q&t=0s Quotes “I die and I am reborn in every moment.” “When I reflect on renewal, it is to be reminded that everything is impermanent. So this moment will be impermanent. I will be alive in the next moment, and it will help me remember that life is constantly flowing. So we are also constantly changing.” “Mindfulness and our practice of dwelling in the present moment allows us to be in touch with the here and now. And it’s different from yesterday. It’s different from what we thought yesterday also. But it’s thanks to what we did yesterday that we have, maybe, a new way of seeing, a new way of being, a new way of listening, a new way of speaking. It is wonderful to know that every moment, therefore, is a new moment. This gives us an opportunity to heal the past. And gives us an opportunity for a new aspiration: to have new hope for oneself and for the world. So renewal is the action of constantly being born and constantly dying.” “As it was falling, the leaf knew that it was not dying. The leaf was very much alive during the spring and the summer. And it contributed everything it could during those seasons. And when the time came for the leaf to, in our language, die and fall, it had no regret. Because the leaf was only returning to the earth, to nurture the earth in order to nourish the tree, which would then produce new leaves when the spring comes. And when we have this insight, there’s no more fear, because we understand this nature of life, this rhythm of life that is coming and going.” “If you don’t touch suffering, then you’re not really practicing right mindfulness.” “One element of our spiritual practice is our responsibility to learn to cultivate joy and happiness in the very here and now, even amidst the pain and suffering of the world.” “Thay called his hut the Sitting Still Hut. He said that when you come to Plum Village and want to be in touch with him, you just need to sit still and you can feel his presence, you can feel the breath that he has transmitted in the very here and now.” “Often, people will practice mindfulness because they want to get from place A to place B in their life – whether it’s a career move or whatever – and the mindfulness is there to help with their concentration and their focus on that. But true mindfulness may lead to you questioning place A in the first place and whether you really want to get to place B.” “Everything we say and do is to enhance the harmony, not the separation. And we even have a vow that when we are emotional, we don’t speak; we wait until our emotions are settled and then speak.” “When we first come to the practice, we feel very encouraged and very hopeful. But if we don’t renew ourselves, that state of mind becomes very stale and we will lose motivation. So, even in our practice, we have to constantly renew ourselves.” “The work in the monasteries is never finished in one lifetime.” “Be beautiful, be yourself.” “Love is stronger than force.” “The Buddha was human, but he was enlightened. We’re all human; we can be enlightened also.” “Every generation needs to renew Buddhism to make it relevant for people living today, because if it’s not relevant, then the teachings will die.” “You are enough.” “The beginner’s mind, in the Zen tradition, is your openness, your willingness to learn, your willingness to relearn, sometimes to unlearn.” “Our way of being able to cultivate inner peace, to transform the bombs and the guns inside of us, the hatred inside of us: that is a gift that we can offer to the present moment and the future generations so that new wars won’t start.”

Welcome to episode 80 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino talk about how to come home to ourselves, why it can be so difficult for people to feel at home in their own skin and to feel that they are enough, and why people go searching for things outside of themselves in order to feel better about themselves on the inside.  The hosts further explore self-love and self-acceptance; compassion; overcoming perfectionism and feelings of inadequacy; redefining beauty; true generosity; dismantling self; the Buddhist teachings on interbeing and dwelling in the present moment; and more. They also share personal experiences and insights from Thich Nhat Hanh's own journey to inner freedom and stability. The episode concludes with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Brother Phap Linh (Brother Spirit)https://www.instagram.com/brotherspirit ‘Three Resources Explaining the Plum Village Tradition of Lazy Days'https://plumvillage.app/three-resources-explaining-the-plum-village-tradition-of-lazy-days/ ‘Thich Nhat Hanh on Discrimination and Complexes'https://plumvillage.app/thich-nhat-hanh-on-discrimination-and-complexes Dharma Talks: ‘What Is the Equality Complex?'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/what-is-the-equality-complex How To: ‘Begin Anew'https://plumvillage.org/articles/begin-anew Dharma Talks: ‘The Five Remembrances' https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-five-remembrances-sr-thuan-nghiem-spring-retreat-2018-05-17 The Way Out Is In: ‘Feel It to Heal It: The Dharma of Music (Episode #79)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/feel-it-to-heal-it-the-dharma-of-music-episode-79 The Way Out Is In: ‘Shining Light (Episode #63)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/shining-light-episode-63 Quotes “Where there’s a stillness, the energy of mindfulness is present.” “Thich Nhat Hanh would speak about how, sometimes, we have to expand our mind and expand ourselves to see that our suffering is not ours alone: it is a shared suffering. And, also, when we transform the suffering, it is not only our transformation: it is a transformation for the greater collective. And we don’t discriminate about whether it is a small or a large transformation, because all transformations have an impact on the greater consciousness of our society.” “When we talk about coming home to oneself, that is the whole journey of meditation: dwelling happily in the present moment. It means that, in the present moment, whether there’s a storm, whether it is a moment that is blissful and peaceful, I can be happy. And if there is a moment when there is suffering, like if I am unwell and I’m not experiencing joy and happiness, I can learn to still tap into my happy conditions and be there for this moment. So I can generate happiness in this moment, even in the midst of suffering and pain.” “The word love in Buddhism is very deep; there’s so many layers to it. And a part of love always starts with oneself – like, can we learn to be kinder to ourselves? Can we make ourselves a little bit kinder, so that our home in ourselves is a little bit kinder?” “We, as practitioners, know that we’re not only conditioned from the outer energy, we also have the capacity to condition ourselves. And that is part of the journey of arriving home: starting to redevelop the foundation of our home.” “A lot of people in the West suffer from two negative qualities that really rub up against each other. People suffer from self-loathing and they suffer from perfection. In other words, they don’t like themselves and they’re trying to be perfect – and that combination is pretty catastrophic.” “It takes time to really look at and be honest about what we don’t like about ourselves and where that is coming from. You can't just tell someone, ‘Well, start loving yourself. What is there not to love?'” “Meditation is a journey where the destination can be reached in every moment. The destination is not in five years, in 10 years, or only reached when I can sit and not move and have no feelings. To erase all feelings and emotions and thinking is not the aim of meditation. It’s learning to ground ourselves, it’s learning to guide our energies and to guide our mind.” “Why is it that we can’t love ourselves? What makes it so difficult to say the word love? But, at the same time, when I say ‘learn to love yourself', it doesn’t mean that we have to say, ‘Oh, I love me.' Loving yourself can happen in so many ways. For example, acceptance is love. So, expanding the value of loving oneself is important, like redefining what our values are. It’s like, when I am overwhelmed I know how to take a pause: I go for a walk on the grass; I touch the grass or I go into the forest and I give myself a moment of just relaxation. That’s learning to love yourself.” “People think compassion is very soft or very weak, but part of the journey of coming home is that there has to be the element of compassion. Compassion becomes a foundation that allows us to accept ourselves, to accept the unwholesome actions that we have already performed.” “As we progress on the path of life – not even in terms of meditation – I think that our definition of home continues to evolve and our way of being in the present moment continues to deepen.” “You can only be you with the non-you elements.” “How can we dismantle this concept of self? It has to come into action with the insight of interbeing.” “I was always so captivated by how magnetic our teacher Thay was around the walking meditation, when all the kids would want to hold his hand and sit around him. But he wasn't saying anything; he was just drinking a cup of tea or walking in silence. And I think the beauty that he was expressing was his way of being: that he could move so freely on this planet, and transform so much of his pain and suffering through what he experienced in life without being caught up in that. But he was walking with steps of freedom in the present moment, not taking for granted that moment of joy, of peace, and of connection.” “For those of us who are young, we are always going to be tackling the question, ‘Am I enough?' And even those of us who are older – guess what, young people? We still have these questions. But let us collectively transform this, so that what we can transmit to the next generation is, ‘You are enough and your potentials are all there. You just have to water the right seeds.'” “Thay found his home in the midst of fire and fury. He found his home in the midst of being banished from his homeland. Thay found home wherever he was, rather than in a place.” “Your pain is not yours alone.”

Welcome to episode 79 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino are joined by musician/producer Jack Peñate and frequent guest Brother Phap Linh, Dharma teacher/musician. Together, they talk about the release of A Cloud Never Dies, the debut album by the Plum Village Band – a musical meditation on love, continuation, and non-fear, inspired by and dedicated to Thich Nhat Hanh.The album was produced by Jack, with the two monastics joining the conversation as co-creators of the album and representing the Plum Village Band: a collective of Zen Buddhist monks and nuns from Plum Village Monastery, France, plus musician-meditator friends from around the world. In the first part of the episode, the guests discuss their musical journeys, from childhood to this point; the power of music as a portal to share the Dharma; music and Buddhist tradition; making music as a spiritual form; art as a Zen practice; and more.In the second part, they share songs from the album and discuss their origins, meaning, creative process, and production stories. And we get to listen to the discussed songs too. Listen to the album and find out more about it here. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Jack Peñatehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Pe%C3%B1ate Brother Phap Linh (Brother Spirit)https://www.instagram.com/brotherspiritSister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong  ‘Recommendation'https://plumvillage.org/articles/recommendation Album: A Cloud Never Dieshttps://plumvillage.org/album-a-cloud-never-dies The Way Out Is In: ‘Regeneration and Musical Inspiration: The North American Tour (Episode #53)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/regeneration-and-musical-inspiration-the-north-american-tour-episode-53 Pirates Blendhttps://piratesblend.com/ ‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village'https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village Aretha Franklinhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklin Billie Holidayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Holiday Lee ‘Scratch' Perry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_%22Scratch%22_Perry Narcissus and Goldmundhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_and_GoldmundThe Glass Bead Gamehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Glass_Bead_GameHermann Hessehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Hesse Bhagavad Gitahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita Quotes “Music and Zen go together.” “There’s art in making tea and there’s art in life, in the way that we live our days.” “The highest music, the best kind of music, is breathing.” “Everything could become practice. It just depends on our heart and our intention. We feel like we can be very authentic practitioners and teachers of mindfulness and meditation and combine that with playing music, singing, creating. Because our teacher showed us how to do that, and how to be real in the doing of that, to make the music a meditation as well.”“Music not as a performance, but as an invitation to touch the present moment.” “When you know what your path is, you have to completely follow that, and be completely aligned with your intuition and your instinct about that.” “Harmony isn’t something that you’re always in, but it’s something you’re always striving for.”“You deal with the desire for fame by finding a deeper desire, one that’s more important to you. And then you can handle the other one, and the desire for fame looks silly in comparison. That’s a practice that people can do together. And it’s a discipline. And it’s a way of life. And that’s what I love about it. But what I’m interested in is how we get aligned in our purpose and aspiration. And are there things that we can actually do as practices?” “Music as an offering. We’re not doing this to be known, to make money, to be famous, to be successful, to do any of these things. We’re doing it to connect with the suffering that’s in the world, with the struggle that’s in us in relation to that suffering. The struggle of, ‘How do I help?' When we see the strife, the pain, the killing, the destruction of humans – humans by humans and humans of ecosystems, of the beauty and diversity of the Earth – for me, it’s incredibly painful and there’s a feeling of, ‘How can I respond?' How can I use what I have to try to help in some way, to alleviate some of the pain, to make things a little bit better for somebody, somewhere? And, as a musician, I do feel that music’s relevant to that somehow.” “I really feel like we can’t make the more beautiful world that our hearts know is possible without music. Music is going to be part of it. Music is going to give us the courage to do it; the fearlessness, the vision. It’s going to help us to keep coming back to our vulnerability, to stay honest with ourselves when we get into pride.” “You have to feel it to heal it. If we don’t feel our pain, then there’s no hope for us to embrace it, to understand it, to transform it, to look deeply into it. So it starts with feeling it. And music, I think, really can get past all of our psychological defenses, our armor, and our intellectual reasons and justifications and explanations and rationalizations; it can cut to the heart of the matter, which is the heart, and take you right there. And suddenly you find yourself feeling things that, maybe, without the music, it wouldn’t feel safe to feel.” “There was no difference, at a certain point, between composing and praying and crying and healing.”

Welcome to episode 78 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives.This special episode – part two of two Q&A installments – marks the launch of the first book by Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino. Being with Busyness: Zen Ways to Transform Overwhelm and Burnout is intended to help readers navigate these experiences, relieve stress, and reconnect to their inner joy through mindfulness and compassion practices inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh.  Instead of discussing the book, the two presenters asked listeners to submit their questions on these timely topics. Listeners’ generous, vulnerable questions answered in this episode include: What are some practical tips for staying grounded and mindful amidst the busyness? How can I get back into practicing mindfulness? How can I practice mindfulness while doing multiple things at once? How can I be of service to others while still caring for myself? How can busy people know when it's enough and draw a line? How does Plum Village deal with the burnout issues that also exist in the outside world? Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Being with Busyness https://www.parallax.org/product/being-with-busyness The Way Out Is In: ‘Being with Busyness Q&A, Part One (Episode #77)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/being-with-busyness-qa-part-one-episode-77 The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditationhttps://www.parallax.org/product/the-miracle-of-mindfulness Pema Chödrönhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pema_Ch%C3%B6dr%C3%B6n Start Where You Arehttps://pemachodronfoundation.org/product/start-where-you-are-book/ Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong ‘Three Resources Explaining the Plum Village Tradition of Lazy Days'https://plumvillage.app/three-resources-explaining-the-plum-village-tradition-of-lazy-days/ Dharma Talks: ‘The Fours Pillars of Spiritual Life'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-four-pillars-of-spiritual-life-dharma-talk-by-sr-dang-nghiem Bodhisattvahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva Quotes “The Buddha explains that each and every one of us has an island within us that we have to tend and take care of. That island is our way of being, our calm that we can bring to the chaos. And it doesn’t mean that our surroundings are calm, but that we are calm inside. Even just a slice of calmness can relieve everything that is happening around us.” “The art of a meditator among busyness is to not be dispersed or carried away. When we are dispersed and carried away, we have the ability to come back to that island of practice. And this is an ongoing practice that we can all develop. We develop it when we’re at peace, when we have calm, when there is stillness.”  “Our mindfulness is what we’re cultivating in our mind at the present moment.” “When you’re washing your plate, that is a moment when you’re just washing your plate, not thinking about the next project; that is mindfulness.” “The spiritual dimension is an old technology. It’s free and can be practiced from day one, right now, right here.” “Letting go in the space of Dharma is to grow and to have freedom. But if we’re to let go, to give up, that’s a different energy. So we also have to know that taking a step back to have more space, and then continuing, is also okay.” “People have dual problems. One is that they have self-loathing; the other is that they wish for perfectionism. In other words, not only do we not feel we’re enough, but we often don't like ourselves. And then, on the other end of the spectrum, we’re trying to be perfect. That is the perfect storm for overwhelm and burnout.” “A hungry ghost: never satisfied and always desperate.” “The idea that there is a perfection to mindfulness is a wrong view because it doesn’t embrace the insight of non-duality: that suffering and happiness lean on each other. So imperfection and perfection play their part in life, in meditation, in love, in joy, and in community.” “Two people can share the same bed, but if they don’t share the same dreams then there’s no foundation for that relationship.” “When your generosity is no longer there and you don’t have any more to give, you have to rebuild. So the Buddha teaches that we have to learn to take care of the island within us. We have to know how to understand our capacity; this is very difficult.” “Being able to witness what’s going on in the world and also maintain our own sense of love, self-love, and love for the world is so important.” “The work of temples is never done.”

Welcome to episode 77 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This special episode – part one of a two Q&A installments – marks the launch of the first book by Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino. Being with Busyness: Zen Ways to Transform Overwhelm and Burnout is intended to help readers navigate these experiences, relieve stress, and reconnect to their inner joy through mindfulness and compassion practices inspired by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Instead of discussing the book, the two presenters asked listeners to submit their questions on these timely topics. Listeners’ generous, vulnerable questions answered in this episode include: Can mindfulness help us observe busyness, set limits, and let us savor boredom and solitude? How do you handle the phone as monastics in Plum Village, and what do you do to not get pulled in? How can I make long-lasting change when our culture demands constant attention? How do I survive when I desperately want to leave my line of work but can't for financial reasons?  Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Being with Busyness https://www.parallax.org/product/being-with-busyness ‘Three Resources Explaining the Plum Village Tradition of Lazy Days'https://plumvillage.app/three-resources-explaining-the-plum-village-tradition-of-lazy-days/ Dharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-noble-eightfold-path Online course: Zen and the Art of Saving the Planethttps://plumvillage.org/courses/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet Bodhisattvahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva Christiana Figuereshttps://www.globaloptimism.com/christiana-figueres Quotes “The title, Being with Busyness: it’s not getting rid of busyness, it's not fixing busyness, but it is a way of being with busyness. But it’s not about fixing it, it's about how to be in it and how to be with it; how to move through these particular strong energies of our society so that we don’t lose ourselves.”“The first wing of meditation is the art of stopping and recognizing the present moment. But there is a fear of doing nothing, because we have been educated – dare I say, brainwashed – to think that we have to do something in every moment of life, because time is money. Time is projects; time is to succeed. And this has driven our society into a mindset of not knowing how to be in the now.” “Thay always reminds us that the purpose of being alive, first and foremost, is to be here, to know what is happening in the very here and now.” “Knowing that we have habits that are taking us away from the present moment is already mindfulness.” “A mindful life, the art of mindfulness, is not about just cutting off bad habits; it's also about developing enough good habits to replace the bad ones.” “I really love this idea of reciprocity: the idea that if you’re given something valuable then the most natural thing is to want to give something valuable back.”“It’s not about the laptop. It's about how we use it; it's about what kind of practice we build around it.”“There is a system pushing us to be a certain way. There is a system making demands of us – but, actually, within that system we always have agency. There is always something we can do.”“Dwelling happily in the present moment doesn’t mean that that moment needs to be happy for us to be happy – but it is about being happy no matter what.”

Welcome to episode 76 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino put a modern twist on the Four Nutriments – one of the Sutras of the Buddha – using it as a framework to explore what it is to be a mindful consumer of life.  With each of the Four Nutriments – edible foods, sense impressions, volition or aspiration, and consciousness – the Buddha gave a little story which the presenters explore and bring into the reality of our times.The ensuing conversation touches many topics and ideas, like how and why to invest in our spiritual dimension; individual and collective consciousness; shifting consciousness, generating community and a fairer society; practicing moderation; cultivating compassion; habit energies; rebuilding our connection to food; changing the way stories are told; suffering as a bell of mindfulness; and more. Brother Phap Huu shares deeply about experiencing burnout; speaking our minds; and adapting Buddhist teaching for each new generation. Jo complements this episode's theme with personal stories and a new approach to what it is to be courageous.  Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Online course: Zen and the Art of Saving the Planethttps://plumvillage.org/zasp?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=twoii&utm_campaign=zasp Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Sutrashttps://plumvillage.org/genre/sutrasSutras: ‘Discourse on the Four Kinds of Nutriments'https://plumvillage.org/library/sutras/discourse-on-the-four-kinds-of-nutriments Bodhisattvahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva Douglas Tompkinshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Tompkins The Order of Interbeinghttps://plumvillage.org/community/order-of-interbeing John Bellhttps://www.parallax.org/authors/john-bell/ Who Cares Wins: How to Protect the Planet You Lovehttps://www.penguin.co.uk/books/305695/who-cares-wins-by-cole-lily/9780241309148 Quotes “Every being has a spiritual dimension and we need to invest in our spiritual dimension. And if young people can invest in it earlier, then the future has a greater hope and a more wonderful and sustainable livelihood that we can lead ourselves towards.” “Consuming is not just what we eat and drink but what we listen to, what we smell, what we taste, and so on.” “It’s not that wanting a state of peace means that we can suddenly have peace; we have to nurture the peace inside of us.” “Mindfulness gives us the lens of awareness to go inwards and see what we are consuming on a daily basis. What is intentional and what are we consuming that we’re not even aware of?” “Our way of being is also food for elements that are outside of us.” “We’re creating a cacophony of thoughts, feelings, and actions that form an individual basis, then create a collective. Often, people don’t feel that their individual behavior has an impact on the collective; often, they think that the collective is the only thing influencing them.” “Trust the seeds that you plant, but don’t expect them to grow right away.” “The Buddha says every action has an impact on the past, the present, and the future. So our actions today actually have an impact 1,000 years later.” “When we practice a vegetarian or a vegan diet, it is because we are aspiring to cultivate our compassion.” “Vulnerability opens support.” “We know that habit energy is not ours alone: it’s society’s habit, it is our ancestors’ habit. So if we come from a family that has addictions, we know we have addictions in us.” “Once we know where food comes from, our gratitude manifests; it is born. And when you have gratitude, food automatically tastes better.” “The Buddha says that our world is lived by our shared consciousness.” “The work that we are doing in Plum Village is helping, wanting to shift consciousness, and showing that love is possible and that love is there and that peace is action.” “Sense impressions are also teachers. And this is why, for us, the Dharma is not just spoken Dharma, but the way we live, how we show up. That is a sense impression. That is a teaching in itself.” “When it’s all about the money, we lose our ethical compass and we lose our connection; we lose our sense of responsibility and accountability. And if money is the object, then there’s going to be a lot of suffering.” “Why don’t we like good news? Because we’re so conditioned to suffering.” “The Buddha says that we have to reflect and shine our light onto our views, that we are striving towards. And if that view, goal, or aspiration is destroying our well-being, we have to have the courage to walk away.” “Courage is being prepared to not be like everybody else.” “What is our worldview? Are we limited? Are we expanding? I think coming to retreats like Plum Village, or traveling, is so helpful for expanding our consciousness that maybe our way of thinking about what is right is very limited. That’s why, when we learn about ethics, we have to be very open. And in Buddhism, one of the greatest foundations is openness, because what we think is right may be totally different in a different culture. So, consciousness: we have to allow it to expand, be flexible, transform, grow.”

Welcome to episode 75 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino discuss the practice of being and doing – in terms of both Buddhist and mainstream-society perceptions. Together, they look at practical ways to create conditions in which our way of being present can be truly valued and made essential in all our daily actions. How can we train ourselves to maintain presence, in spite of our circumstances? The conversation tackles various relevant topics, such as being as the ground of our actions; being as a state which is crucial for the art of peace; training our concentration; the super-strength of allowing and sharing our vulnerabilities; creating a schedule for practicing being; how ‘to be’ in Zen and what people can get wrong about it; being as a way to access interbeing; doing as an avoidance of being (what is it about being that scares us?); the risks of not bringing being into doing; and more.The episode ends with a short meditation on being, guided by Brother Phap Huu. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Online course: Zen and the Art of Saving the Planethttps://plumvillage.org/zasp?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=twoii&utm_campaign=zasp Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing ‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village' https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village The Way Out Is In: ‘The Art of Laziness: Don't Just Do Something, Sit There! (Episode #41)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-art-of-laziness-dont-just-do-something-sit-there-episode-41The Way Out Is In: ‘Taming Our Survival Instinct (Episode #65)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/taming-our-survival-instinct-episode-65 John Bradshawhttps://www.johnbradshaw.com/ Quotes “Mainstream society seems to believe that action equates to what we do, and how we are and the way we are in the world tends to be relegated to a very, very poor second place.”“In the deep view of Buddhism, ‘being' can only be when you interbe with everything else.” “To be is to interbe.” “Don’t just do something, sit there.” “We tend to think in terms of doing and not in terms of being. We think that when we are not doing anything, we are wasting our time. That is not true. Our time is, first of all, for us to be. To be what? To be alive, to be peace, to be joy, to be loving. And that is what the world needs the most. So we train ourselves in order to be. And if you know the art of being peace, being silent, then you have the ground for every action, because the ground for action is to be. And the quality of being determines the quality of doing. Action must be based on non-action.” “This mindset of doing and being has been divided. Whereas, in our training we don’t separate between spirituality and doing.” “In Buddhism, our actions – which we leave behind in this world – are our truest karma. They are the true continuation of our thoughts, our speech, and our bodily actions: how I open the door, how I see you, how I speak to you, how I engage in difficult conversations.” “The schedule is our teacher.” “Being can be very confronting because, when we’re truly there, we start to see ourselves more clearly.” “The real art is being blissful and being present through every storm that arises.” “By being and understanding how to be, you can act with integrity and with understanding.” “Don’t try to explain it; be it first.” “The essence of our practice is to develop our quality of being present. Being present is the ground of all actions. But, a lot of the time, we don't do it with the foundation of right intentions. So when we practice meditation, study the teachings of the Buddha, and really put it into practice, it comes down to becoming more and more present and alive for whatever is present for us.”“We can’t convince people of the importance of being; they have to taste it.”

Welcome to episode 74 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino are joined by special guest Kate Raworth, the creator of Doughnut Economics, to discuss from spirituality to new economic thinking; individual, community, and planetary boundaries; putting ideas into practice; practicing true love and no self; avoiding the trap of fame; and much more.Kate shares her journey into reimagining economics; the encounters that shaped her vision; regenerative enterprises and the inspiring communities making new economics a reality; and the discoveries made after attending a Plum Village retreat with her family.  Kate Raworth is the creator of the Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries, co-founder of Doughnut Economics Action Lab, and author of the internationally bestselling Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think like a 21st Century Economist. She is a Senior Associate at Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute, and Professor of Practice at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.  Over the past 25 years, Kate's career has taken her from working with micro-entrepreneurs in the villages of Zanzibar to co-authoring the Human Development Report for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in New York, followed by a decade as Senior Researcher at Oxfam. Read more about her work on her website. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Online course: Zen and the Art of Saving the Planethttps://plumvillage.org/courses/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Doughnut Economics Action Lab https://doughnuteconomics.org Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think like a 21st Century Economisthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughnut_Economics:_Seven_Ways_to_Think_Like_a_21st-Century_Economist ‘Five Contemplations before Eating'https://www.parallax.org/mindfulnessbell/article/five-contemplations-before-eating/Biocentrismhttps://www.britannica.com/topic/biocentrism Lily Colehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Cole The Raft Is Not the Shorehttps://www.parallax.org/product/the-raft-is-not-the-shore/‘Begin Anew'https://plumvillage.org/articles/begin-anewClub of Romehttps://www.clubofrome.org/The Art of Powerhttps://www.parallax.org/product/art-of-power/ Herman Dalyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Daly Chants: ‘The Three Refuges' https://plumvillage.org/library/chants/the-three-refuges Wellbeing Alliancehttps://www.culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk/ Economy for the Common Good https://www.econgood.org Elinor Ostromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elinor_Ostrom International Monetary Fund (IMF)https://www.imf.org/en/Home TED Talk: A Healthy Economy Should Be Designed to Thrive, Not Growhttps://www.ted.com/talks/kate_raworth_a_healthy_economy_should_be_designed_to_thrive_not_grow?subtitle=enBarbara Wardhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Ward,_Baroness_Jackson_of_Lodsworth  Marilyn Waringhttps://marilynwaring.com/ Donella Meadowshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donella_Meadows Janine Benyushttps://biomimicry.org/janine-benyus Quotes “Doughnut economics is one way of trying to create an economics that actually is based on this planet, and lives on Earth. Economics, when you go back to ancient Greek, literally means the art of household management.” “We need to create economies that are distributive by design, that share resources with all, that are regenerative by design, that regenerate the living systems, and that go beyond growth. That’s the essence of doughnut economics.” “A volition and aspiration is a nutriment. It’s an energy to help us keep going. And the Buddha also gives us another antidote: aimlessness, which is to help us have an aspiration, but not think that, once we’ve arrived and completed that aspiration, that’s when we finally touch happiness.” “Man is not our enemy. It is ignorance, it is discrimination, it is ideology.” “I have arrived, I am home.” “In the light of Plum Village teaching, that joy and happiness is not money, it is not success in wealth and in fame, but it is in the mindfulness that in this moment I have eyes to see, I have a family to love, I have a community to be with. I can forgive my parents, my ancestors, because I am their continuation. I am renewing them in this moment.” “I wrote a book, but actually it’s the practitioner, the people who want to try it and do it, that turn ideas on a page into a reality.” “The Buddha did not say that on the shore there’s no suffering. It’s how to be free, even in our suffering, how to still touch happiness while there are storms and misunderstandings.” “Don’t try to be the movement, join the movement.” “One of the chapters I wrote in Doughnut Economics is called ‘Nurture Human Nature', and it starts with looking at ‘rational economic man’, a character that is taught in mainstream economics; it’s the individual, the autonomous, atomized individual, self-interested. He’s got money in his hand, ego in his heart, calculating in his head, nature at his feet. He hates work. He loves luxury. And he knows the price of everything, and he can never get enough.” “The definition of economics is the management of scarce resources for unlimited wants, the self-interest. So the models we make of ourselves remake us. An economist called Robert Frank and his colleagues did research finding that students who go to university from year one to year two to year three of studying economics, the more they learn about rational economic man, the more they admire him, the more they value self-interest and competition over collaboration and altruism.” “Who we tell ourselves we are shapes who we become. And this is a critical insight, not just for economics, but for any discipline, indeed any art, any belief system that tells us who we are. It remakes us.” “If you were holding a tiny baby and their temperature hit 40 degrees, would you say, ‘You go, girl, you burst through that boundary.' No. You would do everything you can because when something is a living being, we know that life thrives within boundaries. Our bodies give us signals about boundaries all day.” “We’re all probably lightly sweating now because today’s going to become 40 degrees and our bodies will sweat trying to calm themselves down. Or we shiver when we try to warm up. Or our stomachs will rumble if we’re really hungry or we’re thirsty. So we thrive within boundaries and rules give us a freedom. And when those rules are shared and we know others are following those rules, it allows all of us to be free and to enjoy something, and to come out and be truly ourselves and vulnerable and open, because there’s a deep trust.” “I am a drop in a river and we’re going together and there’s no hurry and nowhere to get to.” “Practice first, theorize later.” “People in a place utterly know their context and know what would be useful and know what would be possible and what they have energy and excitement to try.”

Welcome to episode 73 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. Nobody escapes pain, but, for most people, knowing how to handle it remains a mystery. That's why, in this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino discuss ways to cope with painful feelings, both individually and collectively. The two presenters talk about the Buddhist practices of being with pain, and how to handle it, be aware of it, and understand it, in order to start transforming it. The conversation touches upon personal stories of transformation, including snippets from Thich Nhat Hanh's life; the general fear of being with our suffering; the ability to touch joy in daily life; deep happiness; accessing the wisdom in ourselves; eight practical stages for dealing with our pain, based on Buddhist practices; and much more. The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing ‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village' https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village Sister True Dedicationhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiemThe Way Out Is In: ‘The Three Doors of Liberation (Episode #18)' https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-three-doors-of-liberation-episode-18 The Way Out Is In: The Heart of Meditation – Part One (Episode #61)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-heart-of-meditation-part-one-episode-61 The Way Out Is In: ‘The Heart of Meditation – Part Two (Episode #62)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-heart-of-meditation-part-two-episode-62 51 Mental Formationshttps://plumvillage.org/transcriptions/51-mental-formation ‘Texts for the Practice of “Touching the Earth”'https://plumvillage.org/texts-for-the-practice-of-touching-the-earth Quotes “I think pain is a universal thread that connects all of us human beings, because it is inevitable that each and every one of us experience pain, whether it is physical or emotional. And part of the Buddha’s journey of spiritual investigation was how he could touch deep freedom and deep awakening.” “When we are taking care of our happiness, we are also taking care of our pain and our suffering. And these emotions coexist. They are like light and darkness, up and down; like all opposites. These two fundamental elements of life are very important ingredient of spirituality.” “If we know how to look deeply into suffering, we will know how to suffer.” “In kindness there’s patience.” “Understanding pain and suffering is a very important element of spiritual growth.” “Someone like Thay, who experienced war, would never take a peaceful day for granted. And that became a root of his insight; he went through so much suffering, so much despair, so much killing, that the peace he was able to experience in 24 hours was the greatest gift.” “When we can touch our own pain and our own suffering, that is already mindfulness: just knowing that we suffer.” “The path is to be with our suffering in order to generate happiness.” “As a practitioner, we have to remember to nourish an important element in our daily life: the ability to experience joy in the present moment. And then recognize that happiness in the present moment.” “You are more than your emotions.” “Don’t think about your breath; feel your breath. Don’t think about your body; feel your body.” “Each moment is creating a new past. Each moment is creating a new future.”

Welcome to episode 72 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino discuss finding a spiritual path and the conditions that need to exist for someone to feel at home with a spiritual practice. And what is it to find a spiritual practice and truly rest in it and develop it over time? How do we know if we've found a practice that works for us, and what is it to go deeply into one way of seeing the world?The conversation touches upon many other ideas and topics such as bringing the sacred into the everyday; to be in service to the past and/or the future; Buddhist practices for people from different religious backgrounds; Dharma sharing and trust; and many more.Brother Phap Huu also shares stories of many spiritual paths that are being told at the current Plum Village retreat.The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu.Thank you for listening, and enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing The Sun My Hearthttps://www.parallax.org/product/the-sun-my-heart/ Understanding Our Mind https://www.parallax.org/product/understanding-our-mind/ ‘The Five Mindfulness Trainings'https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-5-mindfulness-trainings ‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village' https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village Quotes “To find a practice, a spiritual practice, Thay says that’s a treasure in life. And this is why we always have to practice gratitude. I’m very grateful every day that I have a community, I have a practice, and that I’m still part of the practice.” “When we say ‘I take refuge in the Buddha', it means ‘I take refuge in the seed of awakening inside of me'.” “What I like about Plum Village is that there are very strong guidelines about sharing: to deeply listen with love; to speak only from the heart; not to cross-talk or answer back. And not to give people advice, but just be present for them, to offer a safe space into which they can pour their pain and let it be released but not to have to justify it, not have to answer questions about it – just know that people are present for them.” “Buddhist practices are not in conflict with any religion; they actually coexist alongside very beautifully.” “When we lose our sense of being, we don’t touch interbeing, which is the deep connection that comes from us all being interrelated.” “Buddha means awakening.” “When we don’t know how to take care of our pain, we go and consume. We are ready to create more pain for other people, because we don’t know how to cope with our pain. We don’t know how to transform our pain.” “We don’t have the ability to sit with nothing, to sit with the sense of pain in us. Or, sometimes, we don't have the ability to be there and do nothing.” “Don’t just do something, sit there.” “For those who would really like to be Buddhist, they can be Buddhist. And those who would like to keep their tradition but also be Buddhist and practice mindfulness, go ahead.” “The first wing of meditation: stop. Know what you have. Check in. Where are you in your life?” “This idea that when you practice, you don’t suffer; we have to review that idea. We have to give a new language to that.” “Sometimes, joy and happiness can coexist at the same time as suffering.” “My mantra has been, ‘There are other wonderful human beings on this Earth.' And we can even coexist also with humans who are not awakened and who have very dangerous and dogmatic views – to reawaken the seeds of goodness that are available in the present moment.”

Welcome to episode 71 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. We're delighted to share this special two-part installment with you, which was recorded in June 2024 at the recent Plum Village retreat, Ancient Path for Modern Times. This is the second recording of a panel discussion based loosely around the 14 mindfulness trainings – Thich Nhat Hanh’s ethical guidelines for living, a modern distillation of the traditional Bodhisattva precepts of Mahayana Buddhism. The trainings are followed by monastics and lay friends who have made a formal vow to receive, study, and observe them. In the panel, you will hear from leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino, Sister Lang Nghiem, one of the senior nuns in Plum Village, and Elli Weisbaum. Their conversation focuses on what it is to feel safe in the world, what it is to belong, and what it is like to feel at home in the world, and touches upon topics such as healing the past in the present moment; spiritual homes; community building; localization; being aware of indoctrination; challenging our worldviews; misinformation; creating resilience; and much more. Dr. Elli Weisbaum, BFA, MES, PhD, has worked internationally facilitating mindfulness workshops and retreats within the sectors of education, healthcare, and business. She is currently the Acting Program Director for the Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health Program (BPMH), at New College, University of Toronto, Canada. At the heart of her teaching and research is an interest in cultivating learning and occupational environments where all members of the community can flourish and thrive. She attended her first retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh at the age of 10 and has continued to train with the Plum Village community. Elli's background in both academic research and traditional mindfulness practice provides a distinct approach to her ongoing work teaching and researching in the field. Read more on her website.Thank you for listening, and enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainingshttps://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-14-mindfulness-trainingsMahayanahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana Elli Weisbaumhttps://www.elliweisbaum.com/ Sister Chan Lang Nghiemhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-lang-nghiem The Order of Interbeinghttps://orderofinterbeing.org/ Jamie Bristowhttps://www.jamiebristow.com/ Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong Christiana Figuereshttps://www.globaloptimism.com/christiana-figueres Dharma Talks: ‘Nutriments for Healing'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/nutriments-for-healing Deer Park Monasteryhttps://deerparkmonastery.org/ Sister Chan Duchttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-chan-duc A Cloud Never Dieshttps://plumvillage.org/a-cloud-never-dies Quotes “You practice in the good times so that when the bad, difficult times come, you’re prepared to act.” “Our thoughts, we consume them first. They lead to our actions.”“As a practitioner, I often look around in my day-to-day life and ask, holding up the four nutriments, what am I consuming beyond edible foods? And how is this impacting my internal landscape?” “How am I contributing to the landscapes of consciousness around me?” “Our practice is to turn towards suffering and embrace it. And, for me, the spaces where I feel safe are ones where that permission is given. And when that permission is given, then we also have the opportunity to touch happiness.” “When a woman feels safe, she’s at home.” “Home is to be at peace within myself.” “Our joy is in our suffering, and our suffering is in our joy. So to try to separate them is itself a mistake.” “I met up with someone who’d been a local journalist in Texas, who was bemoaning the fact that there were no longer any journalists sitting on the local government committees. And so all accountability had gone; there was no one to report on what was going on. So the only narrative was the official narrative, which could be manipulated at will.” “We need to educate ourselves into different worldviews, because it’s so deep within us that we’re completely unaware. And, of course, that’s why there are so many dangers with the contraction of real journalism into misinformation and individual bubbles where people just confirm their belief system. That is so intensely dangerous, because it's going one way but many, many millions of people are going very rapidly in the other direction, saying, ‘I’ll choose my own truth'.”

Welcome to episode 70 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. We're delighted to be able to share with you this special two-part installment, recorded in June 2024 at the recent Plum Village retreat, Ancient Path for Modern Times. This is the first recording of a panel discussion based loosely around the 14 mindfulness trainings – Thich Nhat Hanh’s ethical guidelines for living, a modern distillation of the traditional Bodhisattva precepts of Mahayana Buddhism. The trainings are followed by monastics and lay friends who have made a a formal vow to receive, study, and observe them. In the panel, you will hear two of our frequent guests, Sister True Dedication (Sister Hien Nghiem) and Christiana Figueres, as well as Dharma teacher Shantum Seth. These three panelists explore how the Buddha faced war and violence in his own time; the principle of ahimsa and Gandhian nonviolence; handling anger, despair, and burnout as activists; practicing in times of polarization and division; insights around the victim-perpetrator dynamic; sanghas as sanctuaries, and their role in activism; different aspects of engaged Buddhism and its evolution over time; the spiritual dimension of change; and much more. And does anger help? Christiana Figueres, one of the architects of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, was a student of Thich Nhat Hanh and is a valued member of the Plum Village Sangha. Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from 2010 to 2016, she is also the co-founder of Global Optimism, co-host of the Outrage + Optimism podcast, and co-author of the bestselling The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis.  Shantum Seth, an ordained Dharmacharya (Dharma teacher) in the Buddhist Mindfulness lineage of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, teaches in India and across the world. A co-founder of Ahimsa Trust, he has been a student of Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings for the past 35 years. Since 1988, he has led pilgrimages and other multi-faith, educational, cultural, spiritual, and transformative journeys across diverse regions of India and Asia. He is actively involved in educational, social, and ecological programmes, including work on cultivating mindfulness in society, including with educators, the Indian Central Reserve Police Force, and the corporate sector. Across various Indian sanghas, Dharmacharya Shantum is the primary teacher of different practices of mindfulness from Thich Nhat Hanh's tradition.Thank you for listening, and enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainingshttps://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-14-mindfulness-trainings Mahayanahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana Bodhisattva vowhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva_vow Magadhahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magadha Kosalahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosala Ahimsahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AhimsaMahavirahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MahaviraPatanjalihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patanjali Mahatma Gandhihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi Jan Smutshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Smuts Sister Chan Duchttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-chan-duc Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong Paris Peace Accordshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Peace_Accords The European Institute of Applied Buddhism (EIAB)https://plumvillage.org/practice-centre/eiab Quotes “I need to find a way of being peace, not just fighting for peace.” “There’s no teaching as clear as ‘no mud, no lotus', because that is the kernel of transformation. And if we can all give that to ourselves every day, then we can make space for the despair and the anger and maybe even the hatred. And, at the same time, be able to make space for the reconciliation and for the growth in our shared humanity.” “What has always been important for me, as a guidance, is to understand that, because of the truth of interbeing, we all play a role. We all have our different positions, our different opinions, our different interests, and they’re all necessary.” “I wake up, honestly, most mornings, despairing at what I’m seeing. The question for me, then, is: do I let that control my day? Do I let that control my thought, my word, and my action? Or do I use the despair as the very rich mud to transform into the lotus?” “I know the reasons for anger. And if anger is directed at me it’s probably a good direction, because it means that it won't be reflected back.” “Whatever is in me, I mirror out there in the world. Whatever I do has an effect on the world. The other option is to let the world determine what goes on inside me. I did that for many years, and it doesn’t lead to good results. So the invitation is to actually take responsibility. What is the world in here doing, and how do I reflect that onto the outside world?” “If you can still see that the flowers are smiling, you’re okay.” “True mindfulness or right mindfulness always contains ethics within it. And if it doesn’t have ethics in it, like, for example, using mindfulness to hold a gun and pull the trigger, then, actually, that’s not mindfulness. That would just be concentration or focus. Mindfulness is your whole being, including the ethical values that are there in the present moment.” “You could send all the bombs to the moon, but the roots of war would still be in our hearts and minds.” “The way we show up, the quality of our presence – whether it’s teachers or leaders in politics, the climate movement, our own organizations, or in our families – that quality of applied mindfulness in our presence is our engagement, and that’s what the world needs most.” “Don’t underestimate the power of our applied mindfulness, the quality of our presence in the most simple moments. That is how we can take our civilization in the right direction.”

Welcome to episode 69 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. With Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu away, leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino holds the fort with a special episode about the art of land regeneration, happy farming, and reconnecting deeply to nature. This time, Jo is joined by special guests and happy farmers Mick McEvoy and Sister Trang Lam Hy (Sister Forest of Joy), two of the people behind the agroecology project Happy Farms, in Plum Village.The conversation touches upon many topics, from Zen philosophies, the Diamond Sutra and deep ecology to seasonal planting and practicing mindfulness while working the land; producing food and caring for the Earth; collective awakening and beginning anew; empathy for our food; reclaiming the nobility of the farmer; the importance of growing (beautiful) vegetables (even in small quantities) in time of polycrises; land regeneration and Zen Buddhism; Thich Nhat Hanh's gardening metaphors; and more.Enjoy and thank you for listening! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources The Happy Harmhttps://thehappyfarm.org/ Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterbeingThe Five Earth Touchings https://plumvillage.org/key-practice-texts/the-five-earth-touchingsHappy Farms: ‘Reverence for the Land'https://plumvillage.org/articles/reverence-for-the-land  ‘Happy Farm: Rewilding'https://www.parallax.org/mindfulnessbell/article/happy-farm-rewilding/ Sutras: ‘The Diamond That Cuts through Illusion'https://plumvillage.org/library/sutras/the-diamond-that-cuts-through-illusionDharma Talks: ‘Free from Notions: The Diamond Sutra'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/free-from-notions-the-diamond-sutra Deep ecologyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_ecology Vandana Shivahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandana_Shiva Grow It Yourselfhttps://giy.ie/ Eating Meditationhttps://web.plumvillage.app/meditations/eating-meditationMary Oliverhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_OliverBodhi Treehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhi_Tree Global North and Global Southhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_North_and_Global_South Braiding Sweetgrasshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braiding_Sweetgrass Quotes “I can pivot 360 degrees, and I can see countless examples of what Thich Nhat Hanh refers to as interbeing, this interconnectedness of all life.” “Happy Farm literally grounds people in [mindfulness] practice.” “We are the Earth that carries us.” “Go home to nature and let nature heal you.” “Thay was a revolutionary to bring the community of humans, the community of practice, out into the forest to practice walking meditation every day. And that is so unique and healing in and of itself.” “We’re probably the first generation, at least in the Global North, that have been separated in our choices, and how our communities and cultures have evolved to be separate from the gifts and knowledge of how to grow some of our own food. And in that rediscovery, we took a lot and have a lot of reverence for the ancestors, our blood ancestors, our family, our spiritual ancestors, and our land ancestors, those who lived on these lands. And many people lived on these lands here, in Plum Village, going way back into historical times when people hunted in these valleys, or the people that farmed these lands before. And all our neighbors around us farming these lands, not just on the Happy Farm.” “Vandana Shiva talks about the most important thing we can do at this time is to start a food garden and to be soil builders, and that’s why, in the Happy Farm, we’re definitely soil builders.” “We’re all flowers in the garden of life.” “The weeds don’t take a lazy day, like we do” “It’s not about the carrots, it’s about the collective awakening.” “There is no way to harvest, to harvest is the way.” “We can harvest insights and collective awareness and joy and happiness every moment of being together as a farming family, living within the community. So it’s not just waiting until the end game, until we bring the harvest home, but every moment with consciousness and intention and awareness and choice is a moment to harvest.” “When conditions are sufficient, things will manifest. And when conditions are no longer sufficient, things will cease to manifest.” “We take for granted our food, but by growing it, we can dissolve that sense of apathy and inherently create a sense of empathy for our food, which can then ripple out into how we are with not just the food that we eat ourselves, but our global food systems, our global food economy.”

Welcome to episode 68 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino discuss Right Livelihood in Buddhism. After starting with what this means, they dive more deeply into practical steps and examples. How can we find joy, feel deeply connected, and also make a positive impact on the world through our daily work? The conversation also touches upon ‘bringing our cosmic body to work'; the insight of responsibility; the difference between doing what we love and doing what we’re good at; ego and compassion in the workplace; planning for the future while being in the present; and much more.  The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Enjoy and thank you for listening! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Dharma Talks: ‘Right Livelihood and True Love' https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/right-livelihood-and-true-love Dharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-noble-eightfold-path  Koanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koan Dharma Talks: ‘Our Cosmic Body'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/our-cosmic-body Buddha Mind, Buddha Bodyhttps://www.parallax.org/product/buddha-mind-buddha-body/ Sister True Dedicationhttps://www.instagram.com/sistertruededication/ The Art of Livinghttps://plumvillage.org/books/the-art-of-living Quotes “Each and every one of us has a spiritual dimension inside that we can generate wherever we go, and that is a contribution to what we want to build.” “By being we do more effectively.” “Don’t just do something, sit there.” “Time is being, time is to be alive.” “When you have anger, it can be a bell of mindfulness that tells us when we see injustice, when we see suffering. And we can be with that anger. And that anger can become a voice for us, to have empathy, to have compassion. Because compassion can come from anger sometimes. It can come from what we’re seeing, because it tells us that this is wrong. But if we allow anger to always be there and not transform, and we don't channel it into another energy, then we will become one with exactly that outer energy that made us angry in the first place.” “Sometimes silence is the loudest noise.” “Why not be soft? Why not be kinder? That softness and that kindness are very loud in a moment of big aggression. The kindness, the softness becomes a louder action because it shows our humanity; it shows the heart of love.” “Thay emphasized that all of us have a Buddha body. We have [the potential for] awakening inside of us – we just have to cultivate it. And there are moments that we’re not a Buddha. That's okay. But remember that we have Buddha nature inside of us.” “Thay had a calligraphy that really informs us about deep interbeing: ‘The piece of bread in your hands is the body of the whole cosmos.' And that is for us to have a deep understanding that this piece of bread didn’t just come from nowhere, nothing. It’s the whole lifetime of the existence of time and space. And it’s a miracle to have this piece of bread. So be grateful. Hold it with gratitude. Hold it with reverence. Eat it with gratitude. Eat it with reverence.”

Welcome to episode 67 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This inaugural live recording of the podcast was made in London, England, on April 5th, 2024, before a sold-out audience of more than 400 people. For the first half of this episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino explore what it means to step into freedom in the light of Buddhist teachings, drawing on insights from the life and teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, and including much needed practical steps which can be applied to our daily lives. Their conversation touches upon the pressure of perfection; layers of freedom; the best time to make a decision; experiencing gratitude; true happiness; vulnerability as an expression of love; working with the feeling of ‘not enough'; and much more.The second half of the episode consists of a live question-and-answer session, with questions from the audience covering a wide range of topics: ways to embrace suffering; compassionate sharing; ending wars by cultivating peace; the joy of missing out; cultivating aspirations; empathy and mindfulness; and more.   And this time you can even enjoy two short meditations guided by Brother Phap Huu.Thank you for listening! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Stepping into Freedom: An Introduction to Monastic Buddhist Traininghttps://plumvillage.org/books/stepping-into-freedom ‘Cong Phi Journal – Everything You Need to Know About the Practice Notebook' https://plumvillage.app/cong-phu-journal-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-practice-notebook/ Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha https://plumvillage.org/books/old-path-white-clouds-2 Rains Retreathttps://plumvillage.org/articles/now-we-have-a-path-2023-24-autumn-winter-rains-retreat Christiana Figuereshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiana_Figueres Dalai Lamahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalai_Lama World Wildlife Fundhttps://www.worldwildlife.org/ Quotes “We’re all looking to feel free, to be ourselves, to find happiness, to be recognized, to love and be loved. It’s at the core of our deepest aspiration in life. And yet, oftentimes, we don’t feel like that. We feel disturbed in our mind; we suffer from anger or frustration; we’re too busy; we have many obligations in our lives; we’re constantly bombarded with news and social media. And so we experience a dissonance between this wish to be free and our everyday lives.” “Practicing mindfulness is, first, a practice of mere recognition, to call our habits by their name and to recognize the sources of energy that emerge in us. That, already, is the first step towards freedom. And freedom is a continuous energy and a continuous insight that we are cultivating. Thich Nhat Hanh was very firm when he said we all have the ability to have freedom, but here freedom doesn't come from outside in, but is what we cultivate from the inside.” “Thay wasn’t ever using the war to affirm who he was. He was free from that. And that is something that I still aspire to walk towards. And when we talk about cultivating, it is very practical; it’s not just a mindset. Mindset is like a will – but, for us, aspiration has to go alongside action. So, very concretely, in the Plum Village tradition of Buddhist practice, in all of our Dharma, we have to engage in everyday life.” “Thich Nhat Hanh was once asked, ‘What’s the difference between Buddhism and engaged Buddhism?' And he said, ‘If Buddhism is not engaged, it’s not really Buddhism. That’s just philosophy.'” “I practice to look at all beings with the eyes of compassion. That is a choice we have. So, if we recognize this glimmer of life, this glimmer of a moment that we can make into a moment of freedom, we have freedom. And then we don’t just stop there; Engaged Buddhism is a continuous journey.” “Smiling is an act of peace.” “Why are we meditating? It’s not to run away; meditating is to be present. And if we allow ourselves to be truly present, we start to see ourselves more clearly; we get to identify the energies that pull us away from our freedom.” “Freedom […] is about attending to my pain.” “Each and every one of us is a flower in the garden of humanity. And a garden that is very diverse is beautiful; it’s colorful and it offers its uniqueness, its different cultures, i’s different understandings.”

Welcome to episode 66 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This time, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino talk about the practice of gratitude and its power to shine a light in even the darkest circumstances. Their conversation touches on many aspects of gratitude, from the way it has been viewed in Buddhism since the days of the Buddha, to gratitude for life, gratitude as a gift and a rebalancer, and gratitude even when things don't go well.   Brother Phap Huu further talks about nourishing our deep connection to interbeing; opening our hearts to suffering; loneliness in the monastic community; gratitude for the Earth, all living beings, and (even) minerals; the feeling of ‘enough'; the Cong Phu Sheet; and more. And why is gratitude a such a difficult practice, even when there are many opportunities to apply it? Jo delves into daily practices of gratitude; coming back into balance; Christmas presents and meaninglessness; approaches to economic development in Bhutan; and more. The episode ends with a short meditation on gratitude guided by Brother Phap Huu. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources The Way Out Is In live recordinghttps://wakeuplondon.org/thewayoutisin/ Bodhicittahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhicitta Old Path White Clouds https://plumvillage.org/books/old-path-white-clouds-2 Anandahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%80nanda Shariputrahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Śāriputra Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Bhutanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutan The Alchemisthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alchemist_(novel) Dharma Talks: ‘The Three Doors of Liberation or the Three Dharma Seals' https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-three-doors-of-liberation-or-the-three-dharma-seals-sr-chan-duc-italian-retreat-2018-05-04‘Cong Phi Journal – Everything You Need to Know About the Practice Notebook' https://plumvillage.app/cong-phu-journal-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-practice-notebook/ Maudgalyayanahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maudgalyayana ‘A Teacher Looking for His Student'https://plumvillage.org/poems Brother Bao Tang (Brother Treasure)https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-bao-tang Gratitude for the Four Elements (short audio meditation by Brother Phap Dung) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWQlmyXF7fc Quotes “When we really touch the present moment with the deep insight that ‘what I have here is enough', we start to touch freedom. But a lot of us are afraid to come home to ourselves. And the whole art of meditation is learning to come home.” “Gratitude is a practice and a muscle that we need to develop. Because if we have a practice of gratitude, then being grateful is going to flow much more easily.” “There is a lot of suffering today, but if we focus solely on that suffering, we may also lose the light. Therefore, gratitude becomes a light that we want to protect, to give us hope, to help us know why we are doing what we’re doing, for the activists to know what they are protecting, for the people who are calling out injustice to be grateful that, as human beings, we can use our voices to speak about suffering.”

Welcome to episode 65 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This episode is the second to be recorded live in front of an audience, in the Still Water Meditation Hall of Upper Hamlet, Plum Village, France. This time, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino are joined by frequent guest Sister True Dedication (Sister Hien Nghiem). Together, they discuss the aspects of the mind known as ‘manas' in Buddhism. The two monastics begin by defining manas and their larger context, as well as sharing relevant examples from their lives and the community, to support a better understanding of these concepts. The live discussion touches upon topics such as right diligence, watering the right seeds in us, Buddhist psychology, understanding how the mind works, the laws of moderation, reality checks, the importance of community in taming manas, the seven characteristics of manas, and much more. The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu.Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Sister True Dedicationhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem The Way Out Is In: ‘Understanding How Our Mind Works (Episode #28)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/understanding-how-our-mind-works-episode-28 The Way Out Is In: ‘Shining Light (Episode #63)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/shining-light-episode-63 Dharma Talks: ‘Manas Consciousness, Teachings on Buddhist Psychology Retreat, 1997' https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/manas-consciousness-thich-nhat-hanh-teachings-on-buddhist-psychology-retreat-1997  Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Quote “Mindfulness has to be a verb. Compassion has to be a verb. We have to practise compassion for ourselves.”

Welcome to episode 64 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This episode is the first to be recorded live in front of an audience, in the Still Water Meditation Hall of Plum Village, France, during a retreat, rather than in Thay's Sitting Still hut. Together, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino explore the Buddhist concept of ripening, or the Fourth Dharma Seal of Plum Village: the understanding that the care, love, attention, and commitment we put into what’s important in life take time to ripen, and that we shouldn’t expect instant results. Brother Phap Huu starts off by introducing the first Three Dharma Seals and why Thay created them, before digging deeper into the Fourth Dharma Seal, the main theme of this episode; the process of ripening; the life journey of the practice; and much more. Jo brings examples of lifelong journeys of forgiveness, and explores trust versus control, dharma rain, and more.And: how can we all apply this practice of ripening to our own lives? The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources  The Way Out Is In – Live recording informationhttps://wakeuplondon.org/thewayoutisin/ ‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village'https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village  Sutras: ‘Discourse on the Dharma Seal & the Three Doors of Liberation'https://plumvillage.org/library/sutras/discourse-on-the-dharma-seal-the-three-doors-of-liberationInterbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterbeingThe Way Out Is In: ‘The Three Doors of Liberation (Episode #18)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-three-doors-of-liberation-episode-18 Dharma Talks: ‘Three Doors of Liberation' https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/three-doors-of-liberation-br-phap-khi-italian-retreat-2018-05-01/ ‘The Doors of Liberation'https://www.lionsroar.com/the-doors-of-liberation-may-2014/ Mahayanahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MahayanaDharma Talks: ‘Right View: Understanding the Roots of Our True Happiness'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/right-view-understanding-the-roots-of-our-true-happiness Old Path White Cloudshttps://plumvillage.org/books/old-path-white-clouds-2 Fragrant Palm Leaves https://plumvillage.org/books/1998-neo-ve-cua-y-fragrant-palm-leaves Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khongSister Lang Nghiemhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-lang-nghiem  Sister True Dedicationhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem Quotes “When we practice meditation and mindfulness to come home to the here and now, we start to discover that the present moment is the only moment in which we can be alive. And the present moment embraces the past as well as creating the future.” “If we don’t have darkness, the light won’t have a chance to appear.” “It is impossible to physically go back to the past, but I can bring the past into the here and now, and heal it by being right here, right now. By this present moment, I am creating a new path.” “The world is created by our mind.” “The insight of ripening allows us to understand that the path of practice is a wonderful journey, and that it takes time and space for things to mature, for things to transform, for things to heal. When we hear about ripening, we may think of a tree – say, an orange tree. It takes time for the seed to be planted. For the roots to deepen. For the tree and its leaves and flowers to grow. Even when the fruit appears, it takes time to ripen. And so our practice can be viewed as a journey of ripening.” “Each thing we say, each thing we think, each thing we do, ripples out. I love that image of a pond or a big lake where you throw in a stone and see the ripples spread in every direction. And even when you can’t really see them, they’re still there in a subtle way, stretching out further and further.” “The learning journey is endless.” “If you know how to suffer, you suffer less.” “If we take away the need for the outcome and are instead just present for people, then life can show up fully.” “The Buddha said that the dharma is like fine-tuning an instrument for our path. If we are too intense, too rigid, too extreme, we won’t go the distance. The string might snap because there’s too much effort, there’s too much intensity. But if we’re too lazy, and are just daydreaming about what can be, then the string is loose and doesn’t play the the sound that’s needed.”

Welcome to episode 63 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino explore ‘shining light'. This deep-looking practice, established in the Plum Village community, allows monastics to share and receive feedback, so that they can learn and grow together, and better understand each other. Fresh from a shining light session, Brother Phap Huu offers insights into the practice and its evolution over the years, while Jo brings insights from feedback systems in the lay communities. Their conversation touches upon radical transparency, power dynamics, generating joy and happiness in the sangha, the practice of gratitude, the importance of language in the process of growth, bringing this shining light into the everyday, and much more. Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources ‘Shining the Light'https://www.parallax.org/mindfulnessbell/article/shining-the-light/ ‘The Practice of Gratitude'https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-practice-of-gratitude  Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing

Welcome to episode 62 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino continue their discussion with Sister True Dedication (Sister Hien Nghiem) about the 16 exercises of mindful breathing which are at the heart of the teachings offered by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village community.  This episode, the second of a two-part special, explains and breaks down the practice of breathing exercises nine to 16. It includes the exercises’ traditional texts, revised versions, and variations and adaptations, with extensive explanations given by the two monastics about how to apply each to our daily lives. The first eight exercises are also briefly recapped, along with a description of the Three Doors of Liberation. Also, where do the 16 exercises come from? How do we gladden the mind? What is true strength? What about authenticity? Why is it important to name the mental formations? What does liberation feel like? And how do we integrate the 16 exercises into a busy life? These and many other questions are answered in this installment of the podcast.Enjoy. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Sister True Dedication https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem/  Songs: ‘The 16 Exercises of Mindful Breathing'https://plumvillage.org/library/songs/the-16-exercises-of-mindful-breathing Thay’s Poetry: ‘Please Call Me by My True Names (Song & Poem)'https://plumvillage.org/articles/please-call-me-by-my-true-names-song-poem Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Sister Jinahttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-dieu-nghiem ‘51 Mental Formations'https://plumvillage.org/transcriptions/51-mental-formation Dharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path' https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-noble-eightfold-path The Way Out Is In: ‘The Three Doors of Liberation (Episode #18)' https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-three-doors-of-liberation-episode-18 The Art of Living https://plumvillage.org/books/the-art-of-living Chinese Buddhist canonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Buddhist_canon Dharma Talks: ‘The Five Remembrances'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-five-remembrances-sr-thuan-nghiem-spring-retreat-2018-05-17 ‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village'https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village Master Tang Hoihttps://plumvillage.org/books/master-tang-hoiNagarjunahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagarjuna Yogacharahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogachara Quotes “‘What is going on in my mind?' This phrase is a mental formation. And, especially in our tradition of Buddhism, we love this term ‘formation'; it means that everything is made of everything, is composite. Even our happiness, our sorrow, or our depression is made of lots and lots of different elements. There are many threads to them, and that insight, simply the word ‘formation', can help us to not be so scared or overwhelmed by our feelings. There’s an inquiry here, an investigation: ‘What is going on in my mind? What has come to be, what has formed in my mind at this moment?'” “In terms of Buddhist psychology, because our mind has different layers and different depths, we can be carrying a feeling in it without knowing that we’re carrying it. And I would say my loneliness is a feeling. It’s partly in the body, but largely in the mind, because of the way my mind processes my daily life. So, unconsciously, I’m processing my daily life, and perhaps even without words, non-verbally, I’m experiencing all sorts of moments as lonely moments. So I’m feeding the seed of loneliness in myself, without even knowing it.” “A lot of people feel power in their negative mental formations. If we’re angry or jealous, or whatever the feeling is, sometimes we feel that gives us power. And gladdening the mind at that point feels like disloyalty to our negative feelings. So it feels like a rebellious act to have a strong negative feeling and then to gladden one’s mind, or bring happiness at that moment when, actually, we often want to feel righteous; we want to believe that that negative feeling is who we are and is justified.” “How we cultivate our mind shapes how we interact with the world. So if we have an evil thought, that evil thought can become our speech, can become our action. But if we have a kind thought, that would then become our kind action, our kind speech, our kind attitude.” “Thanks to impermanence, everything is possible.” “You are much more than your emotions. Never die because of one emotion.” “We may feel completely stuck in the depths of the ocean of our despair and depression, but thanks to impermanence a day will come when that depression will no longer be there. That depression is surviving because it has sources of food. That depression is a mental formation. It is composed of different threads and by identifying the threads that are feeding it, one by one, we can dissolve it. We can find a way through.” “The future is not known to us, because of impermanence. And that’s good news.” “One of Thay's simple teachings is to contemplate the friend or loved one that we are angry with. And in that moment of anger, ask yourself, ‘Where will they and I be 200 years from now?' Apply this very simple lens of impermanence, this concentration of impermanence, even in the moment of great fury – because we’re often angry at the people that we love the most because we think, ‘How dare they be the ones that hurt us?' And then Thay would say, ‘You realize right away that they will be dust. I will be dust. But in this moment, we’re both alive.' And if we really touch the fruit of that insight, then all we want to do is hug that person and cherish the fact that, ‘Wow, in this moment we are both still alive in this human form. How wonderful that we can hug.'” “Going through these exercises, if we found that we were sitting with a specific anger towards a specific person, applying the practice of impermanence can really help us to hold that anger. Throw it away, choose to free yourself from it, and just get on with your life. That's a wonderful aspect of our teaching, and of Zen: to sometimes just cross to the other side of the road and keep going. We don't need to penetrate every aspect of why we were angry or, ‘Does the other person need to do this or that?' Choose a different channel and just proceed; let it go, leave it behind. Set yourself free. Don’t make too much fuss. Move on. Life is new in this moment. Celebrate it. Embrace it. Go forward.” “A little bit of growth can seem like a good idea. But now it’s become this terrible systemic mechanism that’s destroying our planet. And that’s the absolute hook. So you have to reel back. But in these [16 breathing] exercises we’re starting with ourselves, our own bodies, and our own wrong perceptions about what we think we need to be happy.” “Monastics of 15 or 20 years of meditation might spend 30 minutes only on those first four exercises. So, listen to yourself. And one reason it’s lovely to master these 16 exercises of mindful breathing is that we then have our own internal guided meditation to follow. Because when we listen to a recorded guided meditation, we’re following the pace of the person giving the guidance. The idea with these 16 is that they’re yours; they’re yours to keep and take to heart. They’re yours to play with, to experiment with, and to take as long as you need for each step, and to feel listened to and really respond to your own body and mind.” “Gladdening our mind is exactly that: a declaration of freedom around the mental formation, around our feelings. It’s like, ‘I have the freedom to choose, here. My anger is a seed that has manifested as a formation in my mind consciousness. But I am more than that.' So we trust in something, we have faith. We are claiming freedom by gladdening our mind, like, ‘I am angry and I have the right to take five breaths in peace and freedom because my anger isn’t all I am in this moment.' So I think that’s a great affirmation and freedom. And it’s not bypassing, it’s not escaping.” “The breath is the rope that brings our mind and our concentration back to the present.” “Especially when we look at suffering, it can be very tempting to go down a dark hole and get lost in it. So sometimes we have to remember that we are alive right now; we’re present, breathing. And then, when you have this wonderful habit of knowing how to come back to the body and come back to the present, you can apply this in meetings, gatherings, and big crowds, or when you’re very lonely. So it becomes your friend; it’s a companion for life.”

Welcome to episode 61 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino are again joined by frequent guest Sister True Dedication (Sister Hien Nghiem). Together, they discuss the sixteen exercises of mindful breathing which are at the heart of the teachings offered by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village community.This episode, the first of a two-part special, explains and breaks down the practice of breathing exercises one to eight. It includes the exercises’ traditional texts, revised versions (plus the reasons for their revision), and variations and adaptations, with extensive explanations given by the two monastics about how to apply each one to our daily lives. In addition, stories are shared about Thich Nhat Hanh practicing meditation, as well as the concrete steps taken and challenges faced over time by both Brother Phap Huu and Sister True Dedication. And why is sitting meditation the hardest practice? Is it essential to meditate in order to be a good practitioner of mindfulness? How can one ease oneself into attention? What difference does paying attention to our breathing actually make? These and many other questions are answered in this installment of the podcast.Enjoy. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Sister True Dedication https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem/ Songs: ‘The 16 Exercises of Mindful Breathing'https://plumvillage.org/library/songs/the-16-exercises-of-mindful-breathingDharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path' https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-noble-eightfold-path The Five Contemplations Before Eatinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjyQVYqr6-U Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Breathe, You Are Alive!https://plumvillage.org/books/breathe-you-are-alive Mahayanahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana Jo-ann Rosenhttps://www.parallax.org/authors/jo-ann-rosen/ Sister Jinahttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-dieu-nghiem Dharma Talk: ‘Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing'https://www.parallax.org/mindfulnessbell/article/dharma-talk-sutra-on-the-full-awareness-of-breathing-2/ Quotes “From a more Western background, there’s a goal we need to meet and then we’re done. And I think that has also been applied to meditation, mindfulness, or spirituality: we think that there is one aim and if we practice for this long, then we will feel successful and accomplished, and then we’re finished. But Thay didn't stop practicing, even after being named a Zen Master. The Buddha himself never stopped practicing, even after his enlightenment. So we have to change our view of meditation, to see and understand it as a path of practice. And each step, each breath is a journey, is a continuation. And we will grow in our own understanding of the breath.” “Our practice is also learning to befriend the breath, and seeing that the breath is our spiritual foundation, our spiritual home. And it’s mobile, because wherever we go, that breath is with us.” “Meditation in the sitting position offers a combination of stillness, alertness, and deep calm, and then deep looking can arise from that stopping and that stillness. And so, each of us may have to be quite creative to find the moment when we can have real stillness.” “Meditation is not a fixed point in time or a fixed place; it’s a way to see the world.” “In our deepest tradition, we learn there’s nothing to attain. There are fruits that may ripen, which we will get to in the later steps of these 16 exercises of mindful breathing, but ultimately there is no goal.” “It was very important to Thay to bring meditation out of the meditation hall and to integrate it into our daily life; for it to be accessible to everyone. So there is a doorway, a pathway to touch peace and stillness in our day. We don’t need to be in a temple; we don’t need to be in a formal setting in front of an altar. But, even at home, that stillness, peace, and presence is available to us. And the doorway which allows each of us to reach it is the breathing and the simplicity around that moment. And that’s where we really have this direct authenticity of Zen, which is there in the present moment, whatever it contains.” “There is no such thing as sitting for peace. We will sit in peace.” “Sitting meditation is a cultivation of true presence; a practice of learning to be there for yourself.” “In the sutra on the full awareness of breathing, the Buddha shows us how to transform our fear, despair, anger, and craving. I was so happy the day I discovered this sutra. I thought I had discovered the greatest treasure in the world. Before, I’d been content to simply gain knowledge, but I didn’t know how to enjoy the present moment, how to look deeply into my life, and how to enjoy the positive conditions that were all around me. This sutra is so basic and so wonderful. There are many great sutras, but approaching them without this one is like trying to reach the top of a mountain without a path to follow.” “By being with our breathing and our breath, we’re opening up doors of experience that are not normally available to us in our daily life, especially in the West, where the particular paradigm we live in excludes other modes of perception and ways of being in an embodied, interrelated way in the world. And so, by establishing ourselves in the body – by opening up the door of our body, by opening up the door of our senses – we start to experience the embodied mind.” “With this practice of mindful breathing, we’re establishing a real quality of presence and perception around ways of being in touch with ourselves in the present moment.” “To be a little bit more flexible and allow myself space to grow in the meditation is also very important, in the body as well as in the breath.” “One of the challenges with meditation is that our own ideas about it get in the way of doing it successfully, of having a fruitful time. We’re so convinced that there’s something to do, but that we’re doing it wrong, that we don’t allow ourselves to be as we are. And it’s simply the quality of our presence that is the meditation that is embracing, allowing us to be in the present moment in a deeply attentive, curious way.” “It is a daily practice to live in such a way that we are awake to the joys in life. And it’s a training to actively identify them, and to balance that against our society telling us that we don’t have enough: ‘You can only be happy when you have this, when you have that, when you’ve done this or realized that.' And so this is using our breathing, quietness, and stillness to cultivate, to activate, and to generate a feeling of joy as we’re sitting on the cushion, and then a feeling of happiness that has a little more peace in it.”

Welcome to episode 60 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach and journalist Jo Confino share 32 words from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh that can make your relationships deal with suffering and create happiness. The Four Mantras, Thay's beloved teachings, are intended to help create healthy relationships by allowing conversations and enabling people to be truly present for each other.  The discussion touches upon generating presence; setting up intentional practices; being a refuge for people; building two-way communication; calligraphy as a way ‘to change the energy'; and so much more. Brother Phap Huu shares the origins of mantras and helps introduce each mantra with practical tips, real stories from his life and from the monastic community, as well as unheard (yet!) insights from Thay's practice and creation of the mantras. And can you guess which is Thay's favorite mantra?  Jo brings his lay perspective on the mantras and their application in life. A couple of new mantras are discussed, too, but you'd better dive in for some pure essence of Buddhist wisdom. The episode ends with a mindful recap of the mantras discussed. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Rains Retreathttps://plumvillage.org/retreats/info/rains-retreat-2023 Historical Vedic religionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_Vedic_religion Vedashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedas Mahayanahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana New Heart Sutra translation by Thich Nhat Hanh https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/thich-nhat-hanh-new-heart-sutra-translation Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong Dharma Talk: ‘The Six Mantras'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-six-mantras-2 ‘Plum Village Mantras and How to Be the Sum of Your Acts' https://tnhaudio.org/2012/07/30/plum-village-mantras-and-how-to-be-the-sum-of-your-acts/ ‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village'https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village Dharma Talks: ‘True Love and the Four Noble Truths'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/true-love-and-the-four-noble-truths Quotes “Thay created these mantras, which are very practical; it sounds very simple, but if done with right mindfulness, it has such impact. The first mantra is the essence of the practice of mindfulness. When we practice mindfulness, it is to generate the energy of awareness, so that we can offer ourselves a presence and know what is going on inside of us and around us. And with that mindfulness, we are in control. We have the agency of the present moment.” “When we’re close to someone, we take each other for granted. We stop noticing the little things. We stop noticing that what someone is doing is generous. That what someone’s doing is making them happy. We just stop noticing.” “The first Dharma seal of Plum Village is, ‘I have arrived, I am home.' What does it mean to arrive and be home? It is to say, ‘I am safe here. I can show up as myself and I know that I will be held.'” “We forget how precious things are right in front of us, and we forget to be present for the ones we truly love. So the first mantra is, ‘I am here for you.' It is as simple as that. But in the word ‘present', when we want to give somebody a present, our natural tendency is to think about buying something, to consume in order to offer something that we feel will make them feel loved. And what we’ve learned in true love is that to be loved is to be seen. To be loved is to be recognized, is to be heard.” “The real practice of true love, first and foremost, is learning to be there for one another.'” “The way Thay poured tea, he was the freest person ever. So, in true presence, you are free because you’re not being distracted, you’re not being carried away, and you are just there for the person you love. And in our modern time, this is probably the most advanced training because we are so distracted, there is so much noise, there is so much information. And the seed of fear, anxiety, worries – even worrying for the goodness of life – can make us lose ourselves in the present moment.” “The practice of mindfulness is to always shine that light [that says] that you’re not alone and that there is love around you. But if we do close our hearts, we will not be able to tap into the love and the support that is around us.” “One time, walking with Thay, he stopped. It was in the evening. And Thay saw the full moon. And we took a very long pause and we just admired the moon. And in that admiration of the moon that is present is the practice, ‘I know you are there and I am very happy.'” “Love is understanding. Because that is true love, being there for our suffering. Because we all suffer, we have multiple sufferings. And if we’re truly there for our suffering and each other's suffering, how can that not be love?” “When we have the insight of interbeing, if a person is going through a hard time, there is no way that we cannot be in touch with their suffering, because we are interconnected through a relationship. And so the practice is to have courage. It is to show up for those who suffer and say, ‘I know you suffer and I’m here for you.' And ‘I’m here for you' doesn’t mean I have the answer. ‘I’m here for you' doesn’t mean I’m going to save you, or that I have the solution. It’s just, ‘I want you to know that I see you. I want you to know that I want to acknowledge what you are going through.' By showing up with this openness, if we do it with real presence and a true openness, without expectations and without creating the story of what will happen when I say that, but just showing up and sharing this, we may be able to allow that person to have the courage to also accept what they are going through.” “Do you want to be happy or do you want to be right?” “I am here for you.” “I know you are there, and I am very happy.” “I know you suffer. Therefore I am here for you.” “I suffer. Please, help.” “This is a Happy Moment.” “In true love there is freedom.” “You are partially right.” “I love you to not consume you. I love you to show you that you are enough.”

Welcome to episode 59 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach and journalist Jo Confino discuss conflicts in our world. They focus on the war in the Middle East, through the prism of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings, which remain so relevant in the current moment. Exploring Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings in relation to conflict, pain, and the path to peace, the presenters investigate ways to not take sides during a conflict, and how Thay managed this during the Vietnam War; deep listening, holding space, and transforming the conflict in us; keeping communities together; cultivating nondiscrimination; walking the path of love and understanding in times of war; and gratitude. Brother Phap Huu further shares around Thay’s legacy of dealing with conflict and the joint retreats he organized for Palestinians and Israelis in Plum Village; ways to show love for humanity; right action and enabling healing in the present moment; the importance of small acts of kindness; our own true presence of peace and nondiscrimination. Jo also opens up about what it feels like to go through a “period of deconstruction”; being the child of refugees and the deep connection this can create to generational trauma; dealing with the tensions created in organizations by global conflicts; and fear, and how to not be consumed by despair, but, instead, how to feel it in order to transform it. The episode ends with offerings of gratitude and a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources A Cloud Never Dieshttps://plumvillage.org/a-cloud-never-dies Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Peace Begins Herehttps://www.parallax.org/product/peace-begins-here/ Calming the Fearful Mindhttps://www.parallax.org/product/calming-the-fearful-mind-a-zen-response-to-terrorism/ Love in Actionhttps://www.parallax.org/product/love-in-action/ Peace Is Every Stephttps://www.parallax.org/product/peace-is-every-step/ The Way Out Is In: ‘War and Peace (Episode #24)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/war-and-peace-episode-24 Dharma Talks: ‘Right View: Understanding the Roots of Our True Happiness'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/right-view-understanding-the-roots-of-our-true-happiness Rains Retreathttps://plumvillage.org/retreats/info/rains-retreat-2023 Quotes “Thay went through the Vietnam War, or as it is known in Vietnam, the American War, and was constantly under pressure to take sides. And he refused to take sides and advocated for peace, knowing that violence does not end violence, that war does not end war, that killing does not end killing, and that all it creates is generational trauma.” “Thay's foundation of action was peace, and his foundation of action came from true love and deep mindfulness. To be aware of the suffering, to listen to the suffering, and to look deeply at the suffering will be the way out of the suffering.” “What you can offer is your true presence of peace, your true presence of nondiscrimination, and your true presence of courage to show up where it is needed.” “Thay did not take sides; he took nonviolence as the path and peace as the path. So the voice that we speak, that we use, the actions of body, speech, and mind, is to generate and cultivate peace inside, to bring peace around us.” “Thay always spoke about cultivating inner peace in order to touch true love inside, because love reminds us of our human nature, of our humanity. If there is love in us, there is love in others. If there is suffering in us, there is suffering in others. So these practices are to go deeper, to see the interbeing nature of all that is happening in the here and now.” “When somebody kills somebody, they are also killing themself. They’re killing a part of humanity.” “Thay said, ‘If you ask me what we want in Vietnam, we want the bombing to stop. We want the fighting to stop, the killing to stop, because only when we get it to stop can we start to listen deeply, to listen to the suffering that is happening and not be carried away by views and ideology that are probably not even true, that are probably based on greed and fear.'” “We have learned that the quality of our actions really matter. If we want a world of care, then love and compassion has to be the fabric of every moment. What we do every day is of cosmic importance.” “We need to make room for more than one truth.” “Stop the killing. Stop the bombing. Cease fire. I think that these are the main messages and calls for action that I am seeing across the world right now in protests. And this happened also during the Vietnam War. And this is also a way of showing love for humanity. And I feel that if we are taking actions to stop the killing, to stop the bombing, to cease fire, that is the course of right action. Like Thay said, ‘As a monk, I am not to go down the path of being a politician. But where there is suffering, I need to shine my light.'” “Sometimes, it’s powerful just to breathe together and acknowledge we’re all going through something.” “If we are to walk the path of peace, the peace has to be cultivated inside. So the way we show up has to be the peace.” “Anger is not a bad thing. Anger is a bell of mindfulness, a feeling that we experience. But we need to invite peace to hold and embrace anger. Because if we walk with anger, that can lead to destruction. But anger is like a bell of mindfulness that tells us that this is not right, this is injustice. But we also have many other emotions and feelings that are more wholesome, which lead down the path of peace. So we have to invite those energies up to accompany anger and not let it be alone. And so the walk is also peace itself.” “I remember Thay saying that he would walk so slowly that he created traffic jams in the march, but he was so committed to that because that was his voice. This is what peace is. It’s to be the peace, the transformation inside.” “I have a lot of gratitude, because it’s the most important thing in times of pain or suffering or despair to have a light to see in that darkness.” “Not all the darkness in the world can put out the light of a single candle.” “People don’t dare to listen. That is the problem. They don’t have the capacity and the courage to transform their own suffering, to truly look at the discrimination that is present inside of them. And that’s why meditation is so scary, for some, because you are learning to look at yourself and to really accept yourself. Acceptance is the first path of transformation. Once you accept that, there’s transformation already in action.” “There is a transmission through actions of kindness, of love and care, that we may not see the fruit of right away. And the fruit of it, for Thay, which he transmitted to us, was that every action counts and not to feel powerless. But every action that we can generate to offer to our loved ones, our community, our nation, the world, starts with each breath, each smile, each loving thought, each prayer, understanding, courage to hold, courage to speak, courage to shine the light. Where there is ignorance, you have to shine the light.” “Once the deep listening and loving speech happens on both sides, the heart starts to connect and the heart starts to open. Once the heart starts to open, once the heart connects, we have a bridge of communication. And therefore reconciliation is already happening, just by listening.” “What can I do? What I have to do in my current state is to transform the seed of discrimination in me, to transform the fear and the violence inside of me. That is my responsibility.” “Even if you only have five minutes, that five minutes is for you to cultivate peace so that it contributes to the peace of the world. And if you live for ten years, it is your responsibility to cultivate peace for those ten years so that it starts to transmit that culture into our way of being. And however many years you have, that is your responsibility. That is your practice: transforming war, the wars that have not yet broken out.”

Welcome to episode 58 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach and journalist Jo Confino talk about healing the body. Brother Phap Huu is back in Plum Village, five weeks after undergoing surgery on one of his knees, ready to discuss dealing with ill health after 21 years as a practitioner of mindfulness. How can we accept what is going on in our bodies but also heal and be present?   The conversation touches upon many relevant topics, such as deep endurance of pain and suffering; being mindful of your body and coming home to it; recognizing ‘the fear’; Thich Nhat Hanh's journey of being in hospital and dealing with health issues (as recalled by his attendants); accepting the present moment; learning to be teachers; impermanence; and more. Thank you for listening. Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Gatha Poemshttps://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/extended-practises ‘How to Dwell Happily in the Present Moment'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjfGvC-55GQ Stepping Into Freedomhttps://plumvillage.org/books/stepping-into-freedom ‘The Five Earth Touchings'https://plumvillage.org/key-practice-texts/the-five-earth-touchings Sister True Dedicationhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem Brother Phap Linhhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-phap-linh Neural pathwayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neural_pathway ‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village' https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village Quotes “In Buddhism, dying is not just the moment when we breathe our last breath. Because dying – the ‘no birth, no death' – is the insight that there’s always birth and there’s always death in every moment. And that’s why we are ever changing and recognizing that we have to learn to let go of everything we hold dear – even our health. Our true belongings are our actions of body, speech, and mind.” “It’s the cultivation of the practice that allows you – in this difficult time [ill health], when there’s so much energy in the opposite direction – to pull back and rest in that place.” “The only moment we have in life is the present moment. The past will become a memory, will become lessons, will become a legacy. And the future is not yet here. So all we have is the present moment.” “The present moment always teaches us to accept, let go, and embrace and dance with what we have.”

Welcome to episode 57 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives.In this episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach and journalist Jo Confino are joined by Clover Hogan, climate activist and founder of the Force of Nature NGO. Together, they discuss activism in times of emerging polycrisis, dealing with growing anxiety, empowering young activists, and turning despair into fuel for change in the climate movement (and beyond) – at both collective and individual levels. Clover Hogan is a 24-year-old climate activist, researcher on eco-anxiety, and the founding Executive Director of Force of Nature – a youth non-profit mobilizing mindsets for climate action. She has worked alongside the world's leading authorities on sustainability, consulted in the boardrooms of Fortune 50 companies, and helped students in more than 50 countries take action. Clover has taken the stage alongside global change-makers such as Jane Goodall and Vandana Shiva, and interviewed the 14th Dalai Lama, while her TED Talk has been viewed almost two million times. In addition, Clover shares about her first retreats in Plum Village (and why it is her favorite place on Earth) and how Thay’s teachings have impacted her activism; the pressure, as a teen activist, “to be optimistic and determined”; stepping out of her “bubble of climate privilege”; avenues to creating a regenerative organizational culture; the collective consciousness of the youth movement; lessons learnt from running Force of Nature; fear, disillusionment, and despair in the climate movement; working with intentionality; old practices for new activism; why a spiritual practice is essential; and much more. Brother Phap Huu and Jo contribute leadership guidance from different perspectives; relevant stories from Thich Nhat Hanh's own activism; teachings from Buddhism and Engaged Buddhism; advice about accessing the wisdom already inside us all; and mindful ways and practical tools for engaging with ‘the other side' and showing up in a world in crisis – as an activist, but also in other roles.The episode ends with a guided meditation from the Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet online course produced by the Plum Village community. Thank you for listening. Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Clover Hoganhttps://www.cloverhogan.com/ The Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet online coursehttps://plumvillage.org/courses/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet Lazy dayshttps://plumvillage.org/library/clips/the-art-of-being Polycrisishttps://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/polycrisis Dharma Talks: ‘True Love and the Four Noble Truths'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/true-love-and-the-four-noble-truths Retreats Calendarhttps://plumvillage.org/retreats/retreats-calendar#filter=.region-eu Christiana Figuereshttp://christianafigueres.com/#/ The Organic Happy Farmshttps://plumvillage.org/community/happy-farm ‘51 Mental Formations'https://plumvillage.org/transcriptions/51-mental-formation COP26https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/cop26 Limited liability companies (LLCs)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_liability_company The Stonewall uprisinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots The civil rights movementhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_rights_movement Hollyhockhttps://hollyhock.ca/ Dharma Talks: ‘Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels' https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/taking-refuge-in-the-three-jewels-sr-chan-duc-spring-retreat-2018-05-20 ‘The Pebble Meditation'https://plumvillage.org/articles/news/the-pebble-meditation Quotes “Plum Village is what I want the world to look like. [Experiencing] that was really profound, because I hadn’t found that in a place or in a community. It felt like a distant utopian vision and, frankly, trying to reintegrate back into the world was quite difficult. The place itself is a lesson in what the world can look like and how we can show up for one another.” “One of my favorite things about Plum Village is the deep ecology that supports the practice, and the feeling of interbeing and being interconnected with the abundance of life all around you. I never thought about the fact that, yes, the water in my cup of tea was once a cloud. It’s a very humbling thought.” “Our practice in Plum Village is learning to reconnect to this simple action: we’re all creating a body, speech, and mind, and seeing its deep impact in the past, present, and future. And this is Engaged Buddhism.” “All the wisdom is inside people. It’s not like Plum Village is here to give you wisdom. Plum Village is here to open up and share the wisdom it knows so that it can resonate like a tuning fork to one’s own wisdom; it’s only when we’re quiet that we can listen to the quiet voice of our wisdom.” “In that pit of grief, I realized that I couldn’t perform these mental gymnastics of ‘Everything’s fine', ‘We’re going to fix this', ‘We’re going to save the world', that kind of savior complex. We can't change everything. And I realized that the only way that I could actually travel through those feelings and not be swallowed by them whole was to talk about them. So I started talking about this terror about the future. And other young people, in particular, started coming forward and saying, ‘Yeah, we’re feeling the same thing. We’re terrified, and we also feel powerless and we feel a lot of despair in response to this widespread denial.' [Whereas,] people in positions of power, who have every resource and privilege at their disposal to take action in a big way, continue to greenwash and spend money on being seen to do the right thing rather than actually doing it. That has fueled a lot of despair and disillusionment in my generation.” “A lot of young people feel really hopeless and, at the same time, a lot of people in positions of power are clinging on to this old system, this old way of being, which has created the climate crisis, which continues to perpetuate the climate crisis. This story of separation, this global economic system of extracting from nature, commodifying nature, exploiting people. They’re refusing, even as the climate crisis unfolds around us, to really wake up to it, and, critically, to hold space for the really heavy emotions that come with the realization of what we’ve done and the communities and people that we’ve chosen to sacrifice through our inaction.” “Spiritual practice is not a nice-to-have, it’s essential. We can’t do this work without that foundation.” “The Buddha said, ‘My teachings are not to be followed blindly. You have to come and taste it for yourself. You have to come and experience it for yourself.'” “Love is a verb, right? So we have to learn to generate that love: a seed that we all have, the beginner’s mind, the mind of love.” “As a monk and as leaders and as parents, as friends, sometimes our teacher says all we have to do is touch the seed of wisdom in others. Allow them to touch the love that already exists in them: the ability to be kind, the skillfulness that they can cultivate inside. And sometimes it’s not by words, it’s by action, by how we show up, by how we are present for others. Because that’s also education, that’s also transmission.” “We think that by not saying anything, we’re not transmitting, but just by listening, you’re also transmitting space for the other person to see and hear themselves. And so, the power of presence is very real, and is not something that we have to wait 20 or 30 years to have; the wisdom of just one breath can be the thread to bring the mind home to the body, so that you can truly be there for yourself and for the ones around you. And by being present, you can offer so much space.” “In the wake of [spending time in] Plum Village and trying to maintain the practices as much as possible, I am working with a lot more intentionality. I’m not saying yes to things from a place of scarcity or obligation; I’m saying yes to things where I genuinely feel I can contribute in a meaningful way.” “We sometimes work with nine- and 10-year-olds who can very eloquently tell you why capitalism is a broken system. They can explain neoliberalism to you. They can explain why an LLC [limited liability company] shareholder model is not fit for purpose within business. These young people are so switched on, and, because they haven’t been around long enough to be indoctrinated into a lot of these systems, have the capacity to stand outside of them and to ask the question, ‘Why?' Why do we have a globalized food system that is so disconnected, that exploits people? Why is it, when I go to the supermarket, everything is wrapped in plastic? Why is it that there are people experiencing homelessness in my street when there are entire apartment blocks going empty for investors? Why is it that we’ve failed to solve the climate crisis?” “Asking ‘Why?', and then following that up with ‘What if?' – like, ‘What if we did things differently?' Young people have that disruptive energy. And that’s why they have been the beating heart of every social justice and environmental movement, whether it’s the civil rights movement or the suffragettes or the Stonewall uprising. And so, helping young people to tend to that passion and realize what a super power it is, that’s how I can best show up.” “Buddhism talks a lot about transforming suffering, and people think we only think about suffering. But that is a wrong perception. The balance and the nutriment that helps us is that we cultivate joy and happiness in our community. And this is real. And only by joy and happiness can we have enough well-being to take care of the loads of suffering.” “To say ‘no' can be a mantra. But ‘no' with intention, not of ignoring and avoiding; ‘no' when we know our limits, when we know, ‘If I do more, I'm just going to be angry and frustrated.'” “When suffering is there, the other energy that we need to bring is light, love, and joy.” “Instead of trying to run away from those emotions, or allowing them to ferment into despair, how do we turn them into the fuel that motivates us? How do we think about those emotions as the compass that tells us where we should be focusing our energy?” “Being human isn’t some pursuit of just experiencing happiness, just experiencing joy. Your capacity to experience joy is a reflection of your capacity to experience suffering. And rather than trying to run away from those emotions, it’s about removing judgment from them.” “How you are inside is what you create outside.” “You can’t swim in the same river as the same person, because we’re always changing.”

Welcome to episode 56 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives.In this episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach and journalist Jo Confino talk about the annual family retreats at Plum Village (the one time when families visit with their children): how they came about, and how the dharma can touch the lives of children and teenagers. The presenters share their unique experiences of these retreats, and stories of transformation involving parents and children, including ones featuring Thich Nhat Hanh and his deep teachings and special understanding of the youngest practitioners. Going deeper, the conversation delves into ways to remain compassionate and continue to listen deeply when dealing with a child; collective energy and co-creating an environment for children; the insight of nondiscrimination; the art of slowing down and being present for your children; authority and separation; the fourteen mindfulness trainings; and more. Plus, why do people bring their families to a Zen monastery in the south of France? Are mindful practitioners better parents?Brother Phap Huu further shares how the retreats are run, some popular mindfulness practices, and how monastics work with different age groups. Jo talks about generational pain and the importance of deepening our relationship with our children, at any age.The episode ends with ‘Practicing with the Five-Year-old in Me and in My Parents', a recording of a meditation guided by Thich Nhat Hanh. Thank you for listening. Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Old Path White Cloudshttps://www.parallax.org/product/old-path-white-clouds-walking-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha/ The Organic Happy Farmhttps://plumvillage.org/community/happy-farm ‘The Pebble Meditation'https://plumvillage.org/articles/news/the-pebble-meditation Looking Deeply: ‘Healing the Inner Child'https://plumvillage.org/articles/healing-the-inner-child ‘The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings'https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-14-mindfulness-trainings The Bodhisattva vowhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva_vow Mahāyānahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana‘Practicing with the Five-Year-Old Child in Me and in My Parents'https://web.plumvillage.app/item/vToqvVSlq6hvFCjp3QUy ‘Practicing with the Child in Me (Guided Meditation)'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG8OmTzmNW8 The Way Out Is In: ‘Healing Our Inner Child: Pathways to Embrace Our Suffering (Episode #10)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/healing-our-inner-child-pathways-to-embrace-our-suffering Quotes “Now that I reflect on my childhood, what were the gems in my upbringing? One that stands out very clearly is when my parents were in Plum Village, because somehow Plum Village energy and the creation of the space was developed together; everybody co-created the retreat and you got to be yourself. We weren't competing to see who was more mindful, or who was going to become the Buddha first. Then everybody slowly un-layered all of the masks they were wearing, as well as starting to embrace and accept themselves. And that presence has a very deep impact on a child.” “It does take a community to help a child grow.” “When the Buddha became enlightened, the first thing he did was to create a community. And I would even say that the Buddha’s journey goes all the way back to the support of children.” “Every action that Thay produced through body, speech, and mind was a transmission.” “The baby may not understand the words, but they absorb the collective energy.” “Be mindful of your thoughts. Be mindful of your speech. Be mindful of your presence, because it gives off an invisible transmission, just like radio signals that one can receive.” “What is the meaning of life? It is to be present enough that we can love, that we can see our interconnectedness with all those around us. Your parents, your brother, your sister: even though, sometimes, they make you angry, deep down inside, you do love them. And maybe our whole life journey is not to learn about that, but to live the message of love.” “Moments of care, moments for being with others, are also time for oneself. And when you shift that narrative, your energy changes; suddenly, your love becomes boundless. You are channeling and practicing non-self and you’re also practicing selflessness. And that is one of the deepest wisdoms of Buddhism.” “I’m holding this pebble, and if it represents a good deed and I throw it in the pond, where I know it will create ripples, then it seems that my good deeds will have a similar impact. So it is important to cultivate good deeds.” “Children are a wonderful bell of mindfulness, because they press all of our buttons. Because they often break the rules in a way that adults don’t with each other. They sometimes speak truths that are uncomfortable and that we don’t want to hear.” “Unless something is healed, it gets passed on, because the next child will witness that pain and soak it up. They either think it's normal behavior, or they try to swallow it to take it away from their parents, because they want their parents to be happy. That’s their key wish: for their parents to be happy, not for themselves to be happy. When people recognize that their own healing also heals the past, that’s a great motivator; they’re actually healing the wound that was felt in their parents, their grandparents, or their great-grandparents. And then they’re changing the future, especially for their own children.” “The heart of mindfulness is being in the present moment.” “We heal the past in the present moment.”

Welcome to episode 55 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach and journalist Jo Confino discuss spiritual journeys, why they take a lifetime, and why there are no quick fixes on the spiritual path. But how does this fit into busy lives and the instant answers and results we have become accustomed to? They also touch upon the difficulties of maintaining the practice, the reason there are no certifications for mindfulness, and why a retreat is not enough. And what type of happiness do you most want to generate in this life? Brother Phap Huu shares insights from both Buddhist teachings and recent Plum Village retreats where he interacted with families and teenagers – beginners on the spiritual path – and suggests essential practical steps for integrating the practice of mindfulness into busy schedules.The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Thank you for listening.Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources The Way Out Is In: ‘Engaged Buddhism: Applying the Teachings in Our Present Moment (Episode #9)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/engaged-buddhism-applying-the-teachings-in-our-present-moment The Way Out Is In: ‘Regeneration and Musical Inspiration: The North American Tour (Episode #53)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/regeneration-and-musical-inspiration-the-north-american-tour-episode-53 ‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village'https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village ‘The Pebble Meditation'https://plumvillage.org/articles/news/the-pebble-meditation Hollyhockhttps://hollyhock.ca/ The Bodhisattva vowhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva_vow Quotes “If Buddhism is not engaged, it is not Buddhism.” “Mindfulness is always mindfulness, first of all, of suffering. That’s why we practice. Because, to understand life, there always has to be an object for us to reflect on.”“Thay always says that walking meditation is not about arriving at a destination, but to arrive in the ultimate, which is the freedom of the now.” “Suffering, as a noble truth, teaches us the values of life and allows us to know what peace is. If you only live in peace, you don’t have gratitude for the wonderful conditions that you have. But if we meet suffering, it reminds us of the life that we’ve experienced and the life that we want to create together.” “When you look at the great arc of history, the idea of a quick fix falls apart very quickly. It seems ridiculous. A quick fix to what? To the millions of years of lives that have come before, which are in us?” “The Buddha said happiness and suffering are two truths that always go together. As long as there’s that thick mud, there can be some flowers there.” “What is the world made out of? Each and every one of us. What is the collective consciousness made out of? Each and every one of us. What is the collective habit made out of? Each and every one of us.”

Welcome to episode 54 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This week, we bring you a very special joint episode of The Way Out Is In and fellow podcast Outrage + Optimism, which explores the stories behind climate change headlines. From the peace and tranquility of the International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach and journalist Jo Confino speak with Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac. Christiana Figueres, a student of Thich Nhat Hanh, was one of the architects of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, and is a valued member of the Plum Village Sangha. Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from 2010 to 2016, she is also the co-founder of Global Optimism, co-host of Outrage + Optimism, and co-author of the bestselling The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis. Tom Rivett-Carnac is a political strategist, author, and podcaster who has spent more than 20 years working to address the climate and ecological crises. He is also a Founding Partner of Global Optimism, co-host of the podcast Outrage + Optimism, and co-author of The Future We Choose. Listeners of both podcasts are invited to join an intimate and deep conversation which covers the spiritual elements missing from the climate movement; moving beyond linear timelines into exponential transformation; how to develop the power within ourselves to drive change; non-attachment to views; listening without judgment; what happens when we all stop; and much more. Plus, what is spiritual power and how can it support us? So bring your tea to the table and let the radical collaboration begin. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resourcesChristiana Figuereshttp://christianafigueres.com/#/ Tom Rivett-Carnachttps://www.globaloptimism.com/tom-rivett-carnac The Art of Powerhttps://www.parallax.org/product/art-of-power/ Brother Phap Linh (Brother Spirit)https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-phap-linh The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Villagehttps://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village The B Teamhttps://bteam.org/ The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)https://unfccc.int/Zen and the Art of Saving the Planethttps://www.harpercollins.com/products/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet-thich-nhat-hanh Music for Difficult Times: Awakening the Heart of Compassion by Brother Phap Linhhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YarhXTDs8Z4 The Way Out Is In: ‘Being the Change We Want to See in the World: A Conversation with Christiana Figueres (Episode #21)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/being-the-change-we-want-to-see-in-the-world-a-conversation-with-christiana-figueres-episode-21 The Way Out Is In: ‘Benefitting from a Spiritual Practice: In Conversation with Tom Rivett-Carnac (Episode #37)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/benefitting-from-a-spiritual-practice-in-conversation-with-tom-rivett-carnac-episode-37 The Way Out Is In: ‘Bringing the Ultimate Dimension Down to Earth (Episode #40)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/bringing-the-ultimate-dimension-down-to-earth-episode-40 Aeschylushttps://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aeschylus Quotes “Recognizing our own presence is already a power.” “The linearity of time is something that those of us who work on climate change live with on a daily basis. We have an alarm clock that is with us all the time because we have very clear timelines. We know that by 2100, we absolutely must have guaranteed that we do not go over 1.5 degrees [Celsius]. We know that in order to get there, we have to be at net zero by 2050. We know that in order to get to net zero by 2050, we have to be at one half of global emissions by 2030. And we know that to be at half emissions by 2030, we have to reduce yearly by 7%. So we take time and we pull it into our current experience and we derive mathematically, we derive then the implications of time upon our work. And so it is not surprising that those of us who work on climate change have a huge anxiety about time.” “Time and space, we have to be attentive and mindful of them, but we can also be free from them, because this present moment that we’re living deeply is the seed that we need to plant for the future.” “Some of our transformation and actions of today, we may not see them until two, three, or five generations later – but nothing is lost. And that is the insight. And I believe it’s the truth of karma. The word karma, for us, is not what you hear in music: ‘What comes around, goes around,' ‘Do better'… Yes, do better, but karma is much more profound than that. The actions of today, we don’t see them. Some of it, we will experience right away; we experience the transformation right away. But there are deeper transformations that need time for ripening.” “Love has no frontier, it goes on forever.” “There’s no way to find common ground without respecting and understanding the differences, because then you don’t see what’s common.” “You can be a different person in how you show up.” “When you are able to live in the present moment, the right action emerges out of that space, out of that ultimate dimension that you are able to inhabit. If you can stay there and can trust that the best way to prepare for the future is to be in the present moment when it comes – rather than spend all of your time in your head trying to plan it out and think it through, which I think a lot of people get stuck in. Then, when that moment comes, what’s needed is there.” “Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God” – Aeschylus.

Welcome to episode 53 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach and journalist Jo Confino talk about what they learned and experienced on the recent Plum Village North American Tour, which consisted of retreats (including one for climate leaders and activists) and Plum Village’s first international music tour. The two presenters reflect on how the Buddhist teachings and lessons offered by this series of public events can help people create a healthier culture of service, and deal with both personal suffering and the collective suffering of climate destruction, biodiversity loss, and social injustice. Also, what is fierce compassion and how can we practice with it? Brother Phap Huu further shares on “opening new Dharma doors”, the adaptation of old teachings to new cultures; the importance of music in engaged Buddhism and why incorporating the flavors of contemporary music matters; Thay as peace activist and poet; the message of the song ‘Little Star' (which you get to listen to!); dealing with the energy of anger; deep connection; and more. And what did Thay say when Brother Phap Huu rapped at a Plum Village festivity? Jo also shares about innovation in the Plum Village tradition; resilience and guilt in the climate movement; novel teachings and itineraries for retreats; the deep spiritual dimension of climate work; radical compassion; forgiveness and transforming the system; nondiscrimination around suffering; and more. Thank you for listening. Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resourcesHollyhockhttps://hollyhock.ca/ ‘Unborn and Indestructible (song)'https://plumvillage.org/library/songs/unborn-indestructible/ ‘Plum Village Announces North American Fundraising Concert Tour with Hip-Hop Artist Born I'https://www.lionsroar.com/plum-village-announces-north-american-fundraising-concert-tour/ Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong/ Brother Phap Linh (Brother Spirit)https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-phap-linh/ Sister Trai Nghiemhttps://www.parallax.org/authors/sister-trai-nghiem-2/Christiana Figuereshttp://christianafigueres.com/#/ Sister True Dedication https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem/ Sister Lang Nghiemhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-lang-nghiem Tupachttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupac_Shakur Lupe Fiascohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupe_Fiasco Djembe drumshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DjembeThe Way Out Is In: ‘Engaged Buddhism: Applying the Teachings in Our Present Moment (Episode #9)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/engaged-buddhism-applying-the-teachings-in-our-present-moment Namo'valokiteshvaraya Chanthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZkjX_c4hm4 ‘Little Star' (song video with lyrics)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3uu_Ru5U1c Quotes “The work of a monastic is service and our service is sowing seeds of awakening, or sowing seeds of mindfulness in today’s language.” “One of my experiences of Plum Village is that there’s a willingness to always innovate. While the core teachings remain present and are at the heart of everything, Thich Nhat Hanh talks about opening new Dharma doors. So there are always new ways, depending on cultural or technological changes, of reaching new audiences with the teachings.” “Thich Nhat Hanh was an environmental leader and activist for more than 50 years, and he felt deeply around the need to help the environment, to collapse the separation between us and the environment, and the importance of dealing with our suffering so that we can deal with big issues like climate change and social inequality.” “Spirituality doesn’t mean becoming a Buddhist or following a religion; spirituality is the capacity of awakening which is in everyone: learning to stop our thoughts, our running, and connect to our suffering, taking care of it, transforming. That is spirituality.” “The way out is interbeing.” “Mindfulness is a path of understanding and transformation to cultivate nonviolence, peace, awakening, and love.” “Love is regeneration.” “With our thoughts, we create the world.” “Fierce compassion is a deep, deep strength that not only can help change the world, but sustain that change.” “Anger is not the solution. Anger is an energy to recognize, to practice with; guide it through walking meditation, guide it through being with nature. Because once you realize that your energy, your emotions, are also impermanence, you know that if it goes up, it will have to come down and you can come back to the situation with a different energy. And if you have practiced for a long time, you can channel your anger right away. You make sure that your anger is not the foundation of your words, your mind, and your actions.” “In Buddhism, the deepest insight of practice is to break free from all views: to touch interbeing so that we can be free and see the truth behind all manifestations, the forms that we meet, whether it is a person, whether it is their energy… Are we meeting just their anger, or can we see beyond their anger and still have compassion and help them out of their suffering?” “There are always new ways of seeing the world, and if you’re not adapting to that, then the teachings don’t become relevant.” “Family is not just genetic blood; family is shared aspiration, shared understanding, shared support that we offer for one another, and seeing each other as human beings.” “Often people chat to hide away from things, so when they’re given silence, it allows other things to emerge.” “It’s not about forgiving the system, it’s about understanding the system. We can’t forgive a system, but once we understand it, we can transform it. It’s not about forgiving all the time.”“The present moment is your canvas and your mindfulness, and your body, speech, and mind is the paintbrush that you paint with.”

Welcome to episode 52 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This time, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach and journalist Jo Confino are joined again by frequent podcast guest Sister True Dedication (Sister Hien Nghiem). Together, they respond to further questions from listeners in this second part of our first question and answer session of 2023.We hope that their answers will show how the teachings can help people who are in distress or are dealing with critical issues – but also simply how to find more joy in our lives.  This installment's questions and answers cover topics ranging from how to create a practice with no sangha to how to develop a spiritual practice in busy, stressful lives; how to find meaningful communities and connections and become aware of our own story and that of our ancestors; understanding the complexity of ancestry and transmitted wisdom; belonging and home; intention and aspiration; the quality of presence; how to engage mindfully in a policing role; the difference between mindfulness and concentration; finding the sweetness of joy in life and making simple things your joy – and much more. To give a flavor of Plum Village Q and A sessions, the two monastics share memories including a story about Thay singing a song during a Q and A session for children.  And what question do you think people should be asking? Or don’t ask enough?There's an answer to this one, too.Thank you for listening, and for sharing your deep questions! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resourcesThe Way Out Is In: ‘Listeners' Questions: Responding from the Heart (Episode #51)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/listeners-questions-responding-from-the-heart-episode-51/Sister True Dedication https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem/ Touching the Earthhttps://plumvillage.org/books/touching-the-earth/ The European Institute of Applied Buddhism (EIAB)https://plumvillage.org/practice-centre/eiab/ Dharma Talks: ‘The Five Skandhas of Grasping and Non-Self​'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-five-skandhas-of-grasping-and-non-self%E2%80%8B-dharma-talk-by-br-phap-lai-2018-06-08/ Find a local grouphttps://plumvillage.org/community/international-sangha-directory/ Local communities (sanghas)https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/local-communities-sanghas Kristallnachthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht The Miracle of Mindfulnesshttps://plumvillage.org/books/the-miracle-of-mindfulness/ Sutras: ‘Discourse on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone'https://plumvillage.org/library/sutras/discourse-on-knowing-the-better-way-to-live-alone/ ‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village'https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village/ Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong/ Dharma Talk: ‘Mindfulness and the Police' by Cheri Mapleshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ4jrd9IIh0 A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planethttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50747101-a-field-guide-to-climate-anxiety Zen and the Art of Saving the Planethttps://www.harpercollins.com/products/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet-thich-nhat-hanh?variant=40244149878818 Online course: Zen and the Art of Saving the Planethttps://plumvillage.org/courses/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet/ The Way Out Is In: ‘Connecting to Our Roots: Ancestors, Continuation and Transformation (Episode #5)'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHqj5mLGW5c Quotes “As long as you are breathing and have awareness to be with your breath, that is an opportunity. And nobody can take that away, besides our old excuses.” “At the beginning of my practice, I thought that mindfulness meant doing sitting meditation for 30 minutes every morning or having to do sacred reading or something, and having some kind of spiritual structure or program. And, actually, thanks to the five mindfulness trainings and coming on retreats here, I was like, ‘Oh, mindfulness is in three dimensions. Mindfulness is how I listen to my boss at work. Mindfulness is how I don’t get into arguments with my housemates.' And I started to realize this three- or four-dimensionality of mindfulness, which is about how I choose to spend my time.” “If we think of our separate selves as just our life and what we’ve experienced, that cuts off an enormous amount of intelligence, knowledge, and understanding that can help us to understand ourselves more deeply and to heal ourselves.” “Some of the themes we’ve been speaking about are also around despair, and in the Buddhist teachings, intention – what we’d call aspiration – is the antidote and the medicine for despair. And so, if we’re feeling dull in our life, it may be because we haven’t yet identified what we really want and aren't acting on it.” “We do not know how long we have. And if mindfulness can give us anything, it is awakening to what is most important to us.” “Mindfulness is mindfulness when it starts to generate more love and understanding.” “Mindfulness is not a pill, but it is a path.” “For us, mindfulness always contains within it love, understanding, and helping people to suffer less. But it also goes to the roots. And what’s happening now is that there are a lot of mindfulness products which are more about wellbeing and making you feel good. But for us, mindfulness does so much more. It gets to the root of our suffering so we can transform what is painful in our life, so we can generate more happiness in our life, so we can heal, sometimes healing things over many generations.” “It’s not that you can only be mindful in nature. So somehow challenging ourselves to see what is extraordinary about any moment in front of us, and to give ourselves space to enjoy those moments, can really bring back the sweetness.”

Welcome to episode 51 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives.In the spirit of Plum Village and its Zen tradition of public question-and-answer sessions, this is the second time that Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach and journalist Jo Confino have responded to listeners' questions. We hope that the answers will help show how the teachings can help people who are in distress or are dealing with critical issues – but also simply how to find more joy in our lives. Because we have received so many questions – around 200! – further answers will be given in a second part, to be released next week. The presenters are joined by frequent podcast guest Sister True Dedication (Sister Hien Nghiem). Topics which they address cover a wide range, from how to be brave, to speaking your truth and being fully yourself, and handling strong emotions and dealing with hate. Responses include practical examples, draw on both personal experiences and Buddhist wisdom, and cover numerous other topics, such as: non-attachment and healthy attachments; getting in touch with our patterns; building inner confidence; working with our negative seeds; letting go of pain; practicing with impermanence; the energy of prayer and interbeing; the power and purpose of Thay's favorite chant, Namo Avalokiteshvara; and more. Plus: what is a mudra?The three presenters also share their favorite daily reminders, sayings, or mantras for bringing them back to the path when they get distracted. Thank you for listening, and for your questions!Tune in next week for part two.Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resourcesSister True Dedication https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem/ The Four Noble Truthshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy-RI3FrdGADharma Talks: ‘True Love and the Four Noble Truths'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/true-love-and-the-four-noble-truths/ Bodhisattvahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva ‘Breathing In, Breathing Out'https://plumvillage.org/library/songs/breathing-in-breathing-out/ Sister Jinahttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-dieu-nghiem/ The Five Mindfulness Trainingshttps://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-5-mindfulness-trainings/ Pain, Despair, and the Second Arrow (a short Thich Nhat Hanh teaching video)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLvjFPtFXw Sutras: ‘Discourse on the 5 Ways of Putting an End to Anger'https://plumvillage.org/library/sutras/discourse-on-the-five-ways-of-putting-an-end-to-anger/ Abrahamic religions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrahamic_religions Avalokiteśvarahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalokite%C5%9Bvara Introduction to Namo Avalokiteshvara (a short Thich Nhat Hanh teaching video)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjBUZrrqAVQ ‘Listening to Namo Avalokiteshvara'https://plumvillage.app/listening-to-namo-avalokiteshvara/ Dharma Talks: ‘Listening to the Chant'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/listening-to-the-chant/ Namo'valokiteshvaraya Chanthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZkjX_c4hm4 Mudrahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudra Nāgārjunahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NagarjunaDharma Talks: ‘The Five Remembrances'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-five-remembrances-sr-thuan-nghiem-spring-retreat-2018-05-17/ Quotes “Buddhism has a great lineage tradition of mentoring and guidance, and we are all seekers on the path. But some of us have had more years of experience and mistakes and getting awakened to our suffering, and can share from that experience to help others.” “Thay would always say a good question can help many of us who are listening in this moment, because a good question will allow a good answer to manifest.” “Each day that you have stillness, that you have well-being, acknowledge it; make it your moment of presence, of solidarity.” “In the spirit of Zen, we have the warrior, and how we bring that warrior out is, first of all, by really knowing how to be with oneself when the emotions and storms are present. How do we recognize that and not be a victim of it? Not allowing ourselves to be the anger when the energy of anger manifests, not to be the fear when fear is present, and turtle away.” “Thay teaches us that a mountain doesn’t move when there’s a storm. And that storm is the storm of our perceptions, our judgment. We’re not being carried away by what we see, what we hear, but we still have the insight of interbeing. Therefore we can still have right view and clarity.” “I will not spread news that I do not know to be certain.” “We are not our thoughts, we are not our speech; we are not defined by that. We are so much greater as a formation, as an entity, than all of these things. But we do want to be aware of our legacy in thinking, speech, and action.”“In Buddhism, our negative seeds are just part of the garden that we’re composting. They’re something we’re working with, they’re something to embrace. And the good news of Buddhism is that when you see these seeds, you can get an enlightenment about them. That is the compost that we’re going to practice with: each time these seeds come up, try to make ourselves a little daisy. I may not be a lotus, but maybe one daisy for each seed.” “Some non-attachments are more difficult than others.” “Attachment that brings suffering, let it go. The attachment that keeps you on the path: ‘I’m attached to my brown robe. I’m attached to my precepts. I’m attached to my sangha.' We have to also let go of this view that in Zen there’s no thinking, there’s no feelings, there’s no emotions, there’s no attachment.” “When the going gets tough, keep going.” “‘Thanks to impermanence, everything is possible' comes from a great teacher called Nagarjuna. It’s a Buddhist phrase. And it helps me trust that everything is evolving, everything is shifting. My internal landscape is shifting, the external landscape is shifting. And if it’s hard, it won’t last for long; it’s just a phase that we’re passing through.” “Awareness is a mirror reflecting the four elements. Beauty is a heart that generates love and a mind that is open.” “Life is too short for mirrors.” “Our true actions are our continuation.”

Welcome to episode 50 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino contemplate how to find compassion for ourselves – even when we feel stuck and unable to move forward, and know what to do but enter self-loathing rather than self-compassion. Together, they discuss what it is to love ourselves and what a difference it can make. Plus, why is it so difficult to change? What should we be mindful of? And what is love to us? Brother Phap Huu further considers how helpful insights can blossom; attaining new views of growth in spirituality; unconditional love; what it is to be stuck and how to unstick ourselves; ‘striving' energy, perceptions, and aspirations; creating new stories; and acceptance.Jo starts with a confession before sharing about epiphanies; times when one's story is more important than one's happiness; self-worth; cultivating change at the edges; and mindful reminders. The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Sister True Dedicationhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem/ ‘Tangerine Meditation'https://plumvillage.org/library/clips/tangerine-meditation/ Sister Jinahttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-dieu-nghiem/ Saṃsārahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa%E1%B9%83s%C4%81ra_(Buddhism) Krishna Dashttps://www.krishnadas.com/ The Miracle of Mindfulnesshttps://plumvillage.org/books/the-miracle-of-mindfulness/ The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachinghttps://plumvillage.org/books/the-heart-of-the-buddhas-teaching/ Dharma Talks: ‘True Love and the Four Noble Truths'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/true-love-and-the-four-noble-truths/ The Four Noble Truthshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy-RI3FrdGA Dharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-noble-eightfold-path/ Quotes “Peace in oneself, peace in the world.” “When I know that I don’t hate myself, love is already there. And acceptance is a part of love.” “Mindfulness is the opposite of forgetfulness, and love is the opposite of hatred.” “After one of Thich Nhat Hanh’s talks, I said, ‘Sister Jina, don’t you monastics get bored of Thay repeating the same thing over and over again? And doesn’t Thay get bored with repeating the same teachings over and over again?' And she turned to me and said, ‘But do we practice?'” “Because of our unmindful society, where there’s more forgetfulness and not enough awareness, love becomes something to gain. People are trying to gain love rather than to cultivate love within them, creating a lot of expectation around it. And when there is love, there is already a need. But in the practice of Buddhism, and in our practice, love should be unconditional.” “Our practice is to understand that love is a growing organic energy. But hatred is also an organic energy. So the first practice in mindfulness and in Buddhism has to start with oneself. And maybe that is the most painful start because, for some reason, it’s easier to love others.” “Mindfulness is light. Forgetfulness is the darkness. But the two rely on each other and can dance within each other.” “If you have an empty bowl, then you’ve got nothing to give. All you really want to do is fill your own bowl. But when your bowl is full and overflowing, it naturally leads to generosity.” “In my own life, the moments of greatest transformation have been when I’ve stopped long enough for an insight to arise; what I refer to as an epiphany.” “New forms of life tend to grow at the very edges of ecosystems, like the edges of estuaries where new life forms have space to develop. If they develop and get enough strength, then they come towards the center and become an established lifeform. And they sometimes become what can’t change. Then something else will grow at the edge and come into the center.” “The Buddha said that we always have to check our perception of our reality and the reality that we want to achieve. And this is very different from aspiration.” “To look into the past is also to educate, to learn, and to have insight. So insight comes from awareness, and we have to have baby insight to have big insight.” “Thay says sometimes our habits, our energies, are there for us to reflect on. If I don’t have striving energy, then maybe I don’t have any aspirations.”

Welcome to episode 49 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This time, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino discuss freedom, exploring a deeper meaning of what it is to be free through a focus on freedom as approached in Buddhism and the Plum Village tradition: something associated with responsibility and commitment. So, what are we trying to be free from? They further delve into how one can become free within a monastery; liberating moments; working with energy levels; suffering and freedom; collective energy; redefining spaciousness; and letting go of busyness. And how did Thay express freedom in his life and in his practice? The episode ends with a short meditation on freedom guided by Brother Phap Huu. Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Bhikṣuhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhikkhu Filial pietyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filial_piety ‘The Fourteen Precepts of Engaged Buddhism'https://www.lionsroar.com/the-fourteen-precepts-of-engaged-buddhism/ Rains Retreat 2023-24https://plumvillage.org/retreats/info/rains-retreat-2023/ Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong/ Freedom Wherever We Gohttps://plumvillage.org/books/freedom-wherever-we-go/ ‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village'https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village/ Quotes “Coming back to the simple pleasures of life is freedom” “Freedom is commitment. This idea that we’re free if we can do anything we want is not freedom. But when we really commit to something, give ourselves wholeheartedly to it, then actually that is freedom.” “When we look at ourselves and we say, ‘I want to be me', who is this ‘me’? This ‘me' suddenly becomes an object. And if we look into our present moment, can we truly be just ourself?” “In Buddhism and in our practice of mindfulness, whenever we speak about something such as freedom, it’s always ‘freedom of something'. What is it that we are trying to be free from?” “We are speaking about freedom of our suffering, freedom of our negativity, freedom of how we want to walk and show up in this world. Our steps can be made of the energy of freedom and ease. Our breath can generate the sense of happiness, liberation in the present moment, which is freedom. And we understand that freedom is something that we can touch in the present moment, even if we are sitting in a prison.” “We are doing whatever we want. But are we truly free from the past? Are we free from daydreaming about the present moment? Are we free from being worried about the future? Are we free in our thinking? So freedom is always freedom of something. And our practice is to learn to walk and step into freedom each day.” “We can be in pain, but also be free from it by experiencing it, accepting it, and working through it. So freedom is not a destination very far away; it can be experienced through our practice of mindfulness. And freedom comes with responsibility: when we say something, it has consequences. When we act, it has consequences. So freedom can be cultivated, it can be experienced, but it can also be taken away.” “Meditation is not a competition.” “We will continue to be free in our doing.” “Freedom is not singular; it is not just about my freedom or your freedom: if I give you your freedom, I give myself my freedom. That freedom is not separated into one person.” “When we have fear, that is when we lose our freedom.”

Welcome to episode 48 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This instalment marks the first time the two presenters have recorded separately, with Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu in Thay’s Sitting Still Hut in Plum Village France, and journalist Jo Confino at the Garrison Institute, New York. Speaking from two different continents, they explore fame and humility. What price do we pay for our fame-obsessed societies? Can humility become a great power? How do we show up in the world? What is it ‘to be enough' in the world? And how did Thay handle fame and other famous people?These dimensions are discussed with help from Buddhist teachings, Thich Nhat Hanh's practices, and the presenters' personal life stories, giving us a flavor of experiences of fame, but also the power of humility in service to life. Brother Phap Huu further delves into inferiority, superiority, and equality complexes; openness and insight; unconditional presence; humility in learning and being; simplicity; curiosity; Thay's bodhisattva energy; and honoring blood and spiritual ancestors. And how is Brother Phap Huu coping with… feline fame? Jo muses about humility in leadership; the power of leading from the middle; responsible journalism; ‘un-cultivating' fame; looking inwards and outwards with humility; fame as another form of extraction; and more. The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources The Garrison Institute https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/ Dharma Talks: ‘The Power of Understanding – Transformation of Manas'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-power-of-understanding-transformation-of-manas-dharma-talk-by-sr-tue-nghiem-2018-08-02/ Dharma Talks: ‘The Face of Manas Revealed: Understanding a Hidden Aspect of Our Consciousness'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/live-dharma-talk-by-sister-tue-nghiem-2020-11-29-plum-village/ Parallax Presshttps://www.parallax.org/ The Happy Farmhttps://thehappyfarm.org/ The Order of Interbeing (OI)https://orderofinterbeing.org/ The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)https://www.iucn.org/our-union/iucn-world-conservation-congress Plum Village Thailandhttps://plumvillage.org/practice-centre/plum-village-thailand/ The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Villagehttps://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village/ Dharma Rain, and Being Alone (short teaching video by Thich Nhat Hanh)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYmON_ElwMw Quotes “Humility represents openness for us to enter into a spiritual path or into anything that we want to grow. We need an element of openness, of humility. It means we have to humble our ego. We have to let go of our knowledge. We have to come in with open eyes and open ears and an open mind and an open heart in order to truly allow our understanding to grow deeper.” “As human beings, we’re very curious. And when we block off our curiosity, we’re blocking off some deep resonance in us that wants to know more, wants to expand our knowledge and our awareness.” “Humility is learning to look with fresh eyes, listen with fresh ears, and continuing to expand our hearts and knowing, ‘How can we know everything?' There’s so much insight and so much wisdom alive around us, not just among the people, among our teachers, among our mentors, among this community – but we also [need to] learn to open ourselves to the environment, to nature.” “Service is a way of expressing love. Therefore, humility is also an expression of love, an expression of giving.” “You can be a victim of your success, but you would never be a victim of your happiness.” “Go as a river.” “One thing that we can always grow and develop is our heart; it’s our capacity for love and our capacity for being there for others.” “We all make our own contribution and everyone’s contribution is based on everyone else’s; we are a constellation of change. We’re all making a small mark on the world.” “There’s a humility to recognizing one’s skills or what one can offer and not be caught striving for ‘I need to be better at this', ‘I need to be better at that'. Recognizing who we are and not feeling we need to be more than that.” “Our greatest offering, I always come back to, is kindness, openness, and the way of being.” “Have the extraordinary in the ordinary, and the ordinary in the extraordinary.”

Welcome to episode 47 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This special episode features a precious recording of Thich Nhat Hanh which was previously thought lost. Dating from 2012, it documents an interview journalist Jo Confino conducted with the Zen master in Plum Village's Toadskin Hut. (Though since remastered, be aware that some background noise remains.) The conversation covers a wide range of absorbing topics, from the environment, climate change, and civilizational collapse to consumerism, the simple life, 70 years of practicing mindfulness, new Buddhism, passing on, and sangha as continuation. The recording is introduced by Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and Jo Confino, who provide details about the context of the interview and the significance of certain places, people, and events which are mentioned.“Thay is relaxed, insightful, open, and being Thay at his very best.”Enjoy! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources ‘The Toadskin Hut and Paths of Legend'https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/the-toadskin-hut-and-paths-of-legend/ ‘Our Hamlets'https://plumvillage.org/about/plum-village/hamlet/ Outrage + Optimismhttps://www.outrageandoptimism.org/ Brother Phap Linhhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-phap-linh/ Brother Phap Laihttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/br-phap-lai/ ‘Bat Nha: The Indestructible Seed of Awakening'https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/bat-nha-the-seed-of-awakening/ Rains Retreat 2023-24https://plumvillage.org/retreats/info/rains-retreat-2023/ Plum Village International Center in Thailandhttps://plumvillage.org/practice-centre/plum-village-thailand/ ‘New Contemplations before Eating'https://plumvillage.org/articles/news/new-contemplations-before-eating/ Mahatma Gandhihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi Hurricane Sandyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Sandy Stupashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupa Marahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mara_(demon) ‘The Five Mindfulness Trainings'https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-5-mindfulness-trainings/ 40 Years of Plum Village: ‘Dharma Lamp Transmission during the 40 Years of Plum Village Retreat (June 11-12, 2022)'https://plumvillage.org/articles/dharma-lamp-transmission-during-the-40-years-of-plum-village-retreat-june-11-12-2022/ Shambhala Sun/Lion's Roarhttps://www.lionsroar.com/shambhala-sun-is-changing-its-name-to-lions-roar-2/ ‘Plum Village Practice in Vietnam – Some Background'https://plumvillage.org/articles/blog/monastic/plum-village-vietnam-background/ Quotes “Love has no frontier.” “When you are grateful, you are happy.” “Why should they have the courage to think about the suffering of the Earth or the environment? They try not to think about it, like a camel who doesn’t want to realize that there’s a lion ahead, so they’re just looking to the sand in order to see only the sand. So that is the attitude of men; we are afraid, we don’t want to see the truth.” “Thay sent a message to the root temple [Tu Hieu Temple] saying, ‘You should not build a stupa for Thay, because Thay is continued out here.' One person has already built a temple for Thay in Hanoi, so I reminded them to make the inscription outside, on the front: ‘I am not in here.' And then if people don’t understand, you add a second sentence: ‘I’m not out there either.' And if they still don’t understand, add the third and the last sentence: ‘I may be found, maybe in your way of breathing or walking. I’m not in here.' The root temple has received that message. I said I don’t want to waste the land of the temple in order to build me a stupa. Don’t put me in a small pot in there; I don’t want to continue like that. It’s better to put the ash outside to help the trees to grow. That is the meditation.” “It’s not true that I will die one day, because I have already died many times. And you die every moment and you are reborn in every moment.” “The foundation of your happiness is understanding and love. So if you have that insight and you live by that insight, you will not be fearful anymore.” “We are happy because we are able to have the Buddha and to renew his teachings. He’s deeply misunderstood by many people, so we try to make the teachings available and simple enough so that people, all people, can make good use of that teaching and practice.” “Taking a walk and nourishing yourself never harmed anyone.” “And if this body has 100 years’ mortality, Thay will continue to practice, to learn how to love better, to understand better; there’s no limit to the practice. And I think that is true of the human race: we can continue to learn, generation after generation. And I think it’s time for us to begin to learn how to love in non-discriminative ways. Because we are intelligent enough, but we are not loving enough as a race, as a species.” “I think our perception of time may help, because for us, it [the climate crisis] is a very alarming notion – but if Mother Earth suffers, she knows that she has the power to heal herself. If needed, she will take one hundred million years to heal herself. But for us, we think that our time on Earth is only 100 years, and that is why we are impatient. But I think the collective karma, the collective ignorance, anger, and violence of our race, will lead to our destruction.”

Welcome to episode 46 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This time, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino talk about healthy boundaries. In this busy and complex world is it possible to remain open and vulnerable whilst also ensuring our safety and protection? This question is answered via stories from the Buddha's time and Thich Nhat Hanh's life and teachings, as well as from the presenters' own life experiences.    Brother Phap Huu further shares about practicing awareness; the two protectors: the warrior and the bodhisattva; teaching and the importance of understanding those you teach; deep listening and loving speech; friendships that end and being OK with someone not loving us; setting boundaries with people who have passed away; and creating a bodhisattva heart. Also, if there’s no self, why are we protecting it? Jo shares about courage and communication; speaking the truth; protecting ourselves from abusive behavior; loving people from a distance; change and shifting boundaries; and the power of presence.The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Bodhisattvahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva Bhikkhuhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BhikkhuMahāyānahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana Classes: ‘Right Diligence'https://plumvillage.org/library/classes/class-13-right-diligence/ Old Path, White Cloudshttps://plumvillage.org/books/old-path-white-clouds-2/ Aṅgulimālahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%E1%B9%85gulim%C4%81la The Five Mindfulness Trainingshttps://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-5-mindfulness-trainings/ Deer Park Monasteryhttps://deerparkmonastery.org/ Quotes “Being mindful, having love for oneself, is also learning to be true to oneself. And sometimes that means learning to say no to certain situations because we’re not yet capable. The practice here is not to feel despair or to lose faith in oneself because one cannot yet embrace such a situation; that can become an ingredient for aspiration and determination, so that we can cultivate our capacity to be there, to embrace, and to transform.” “Am I watering the seeds of mindfulness, the seeds of concentration, the seeds of understanding, the seeds of kindness? Or am I being watered by the seeds of violence, anger, fear, despair, jealousy? As a practitioner, mindfulness becomes a light to identify what is coming into our senses via our eyes, our ears, our nose, our tongue, our mind, and our body. And we have to learn to be mindful of what is coming in, because that will be the energy for us to give out.” “A good teacher, a good leader, a good parent, a good mentor is someone who is attentive to the kind of training that the one that they’re training needs. Our teacher, Thay was very mindful in understanding his students. In a way, Thay was studying us and he had to have the sensitivity – his mindfulness and his openness – to see each student differently and recognize what kind of ‘medicine' they needed.” “In hostile moments, if it’s not safe, you are allowed to protect yourself. Don’t think that being compassionate is to withstand everything; we also have to love ourselves. We have to know our capacity, we have to protect ourselves for everyone else. Thay would sometimes tell us, ‘You are more than just you: you also have to protect your teacher, which is me, you have to protect your parents, who are your ancestors, and your colleagues. So don’t allow yourself to burn out, because when you do, we all burn out with you.' And at first I thought he was just referring to work, but there is also burning out in our spirit. We have to continue to nourish our heart and compassion. We have to know our limits.” “Please, do not wait until you are angry, until you are violent, to practice. At that moment, it is too late. We have to already have invested our capacity to embrace and call our emotion by its name in the present moment.” “If you want revenge, dig two graves.” “With distance, there’s understanding. With time, the heat of the moment dissipates.” “A good teacher is someone who takes time to have a relationship. I truly believe that before trying to help someone, I have to also have time to be human with that person: having a cup of tea, seeing them as a friend, not just as a student or as younger, or a mentee.” “In Buddhism we always say don't be too intense with everything but also not too loose, knowing what is enough.” “Sometimes true love is just learning to let go.” “Thay talks about how, if you say something negative to someone or you’ve acted in anger, you can send a kind thought afterwards to neutralize it.”

Welcome to episode 46 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This time, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino talk about healthy boundaries. In this busy and complex world is it possible to remain open and vulnerable whilst also ensuring our safety and protection? This question is answered via stories from the Buddha's time and Thich Nhat Hanh's life and teachings, as well as from the presenters' own life experiences.    Brother Phap Huu further shares about practicing awareness; the two protectors: the warrior and the bodhisattva; teaching and the importance of understanding those you teach; deep listening and loving speech; friendships that end and being OK with someone not loving us; setting boundaries with people who have passed away; and creating a bodhisattva heart. Also, if there’s no self, why are we protecting it? Jo shares about courage and communication; speaking the truth; protecting ourselves from abusive behavior; loving people from a distance; change and shifting boundaries; and the power of presence.The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Bodhisattvahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva Bhikkhuhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BhikkhuMahāyānahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana Classes: ‘Right Diligence'https://plumvillage.org/library/classes/class-13-right-diligence/ Old Path, White Cloudshttps://plumvillage.org/books/old-path-white-clouds-2/ Aṅgulimālahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%E1%B9%85gulim%C4%81la The Five Mindfulness Trainingshttps://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-5-mindfulness-trainings/ Deer Park Monasteryhttps://deerparkmonastery.org/ Quotes “Being mindful, having love for oneself, is also learning to be true to oneself. And sometimes that means learning to say no to certain situations because we’re not yet capable. The practice here is not to feel despair or to lose faith in oneself because one cannot yet embrace such a situation; that can become an ingredient for aspiration and determination, so that we can cultivate our capacity to be there, to embrace, and to transform.” “Am I watering the seeds of mindfulness, the seeds of concentration, the seeds of understanding, the seeds of kindness? Or am I being watered by the seeds of violence, anger, fear, despair, jealousy? As a practitioner, mindfulness becomes a light to identify what is coming into our senses via our eyes, our ears, our nose, our tongue, our mind, and our body. And we have to learn to be mindful of what is coming in, because that will be the energy for us to give out.” “A good teacher, a good leader, a good parent, a good mentor is someone who is attentive to the kind of training that the one that they’re training needs. Our teacher, Thay was very mindful in understanding his students. In a way, Thay was studying us and he had to have the sensitivity – his mindfulness and his openness – to see each student differently and recognize what kind of ‘medicine' they needed.” “In hostile moments, if it’s not safe, you are allowed to protect yourself. Don’t think that being compassionate is to withstand everything; we also have to love ourselves. We have to know our capacity, we have to protect ourselves for everyone else. Thay would sometimes tell us, ‘You are more than just you: you also have to protect your teacher, which is me, you have to protect your parents, who are your ancestors, and your colleagues. So don’t allow yourself to burn out, because when you do, we all burn out with you.' And at first I thought he was just referring to work, but there is also burning out in our spirit. We have to continue to nourish our heart and compassion. We have to know our limits.” “Please, do not wait until you are angry, until you are violent, to practice. At that moment, it is too late. We have to already have invested our capacity to embrace and call our emotion by its name in the present moment.” “If you want revenge, dig two graves.” “With distance, there’s understanding. With time, the heat of the moment dissipates.” “A good teacher is someone who takes time to have a relationship. I truly believe that before trying to help someone, I have to also have time to be human with that person: having a cup of tea, seeing them as a friend, not just as a student or as younger, or a mentee.” “In Buddhism we always say don't be too intense with everything but also not too loose, knowing what is enough.” “Sometimes true love is just learning to let go.” “Thay talks about how, if you say something negative to someone or you’ve acted in anger, you can send a kind thought afterwards to neutralize it.”

Welcome to episode 45 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This time, the presenters – Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino – are joined by lay practitioner Nick Kenrick to talk about Plum Village as a healing center, the many reasons people go there, and the personal transformations and deep healing life journeys taking place there. For the past 18 months, Nick has been living with the Plum Village community of monastics and lay practitioners, and kindly agreed to share his own transformative deep healing journey. Nick Kenrick worked as a diplomat for the British government for nine years before retraining to work as a psychotherapist for the next decade. He has visited Plum Village every year since Thay and his monastics came to the UK in 2010, and helped to found Wake Up London — a local sangha for younger practitioners in the city – following Thay's visit. He joined the Order of Interbeing in 2018 and has been living in Plum Village since June 2021.  Nick's deep sharing touches upon the conditions that brought him to Plum Village, and upon exhaustion and breakdown, changing careers, and recovery and aspects of healing, including the practices he found refuge in. He further delves into individual and collective suffering; perceptions and the roots of conflict; befriending despair; psychotherapy and spiritual practice; healthy boundaries; following ‘the schedule'; sharing circles; taking refuge in the sangha; and much more. In addition, Brother Phap Huu shares about Plum Village as a practice center for meditation and mindfulness; the energy of collective mindfulness; meditation and its healing dimension; mindfulness of the body; and the importance of the schedule in the life of the community. And Jo recollects aspects of his own healing journey, and of learning through practice about some hard facts of life.You also get to witness the Plum Village tradition of watering the positive seeds and showing appreciation. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong/ Wake Up Londonhttps://wakeuplondon.org/ Order of Interbeinghttps://orderofinterbeing.org/‘Home Practices for the Rains Retreat'https://plumvillage.org/articles/home-practices-for-the-rains-retreat/ ‘Extended Practises' (Dharma sharing)https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/extended-practises/ The Organic Happy Farmshttps://plumvillage.org/community/happy-farm/ Brother Phap Linhhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-phap-linh/ Sister True Dedicationhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem/ Calligraphyhttps://plumvillage.org/thich-nhat-hanh/calligraphy/ ‘The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings'https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-14-mindfulness-trainings/ Bodhicittahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhicitta Quotes “Plum Village is a place where monks, nuns, and lay practitioners come to cultivate the seeds of mindfulness and the seeds of awareness, so that they can take care of their personal lives physically and emotionally. And through meditation, it offers a space and time to reflect.” “Plum Village has evolved into a community where practitioners live together, practice together, and produce an energy of collective mindfulness. And this collective mindfulness can become a source of energy to help individuals return to themselves, to look deeply within their current situation and find a way to heal, and find a way to rediscover themselves, so that they can come to the base of their suffering for a real transformation.” “We never say meditation and Zen will heal you completely and take care of all your suffering. Because for us, it's a journey, it's a path, and, actually, suffering is a part of the antidote. Suffering is a part of the transformation – so this understanding of Zen and Buddhism is very important; we’re not here to give you a quick fix: it’s a commitment to be with oneself and to learn to be vulnerable to oneself, as well as to others. I believe that’s where true transformation can begin, because that’s accepting oneself.” “Spirituality, the practice of meditation, also has a dimension of healing, because what is healing? For us, healing is having time to stop, to rest, and to discover what is happening in the here and now, physically, emotionally, and mentally, so that we can rebalance and not suppress our wounds, but have time to care for them, to mend them, to patch them, to give them the tenderness that they need.” “I’m so grateful to Thay for using organic metaphors in the teachings, [for suggesting] that being a mindfulness practitioner is like being a gardener. Sometimes you’ve got this really smelly compost, I mean, awful: ‘What on Earth can I do with this?' And I did not know what to do with this except to follow the schedule and watch my mind. And gradually I saw my mind turning it over. The following day, it would be softer, some of the edges would come off. And then I would see that it would bring pains up, it would turn them over; they would go down again. And I began to realize that there was a practitioner within my mind that was starting to take care of this for me. And the condition I needed to provide was to keep showing up, to let that process work.” “If I wake up in the morning and I feel good, I follow the schedule. If I wake up and I feel bad, I follow the schedule. If I wake up and I’m consumed by existential dread and despair, I follow the schedule. And I recognize through this the potential for a gradual liberation; that no matter what state I’m in, I can follow the schedule, because the schedule is so fundamentally wholesome.” “Being open is the first element of learning.” “When we learn to practice, we always say, ‘Feel the breath, don’t think about the breath.' We say, ‘Feel the body, don’t think about the body.' Because if you are mindful, you can feel the tension, you can feel the muscles. And the body is a teacher. If you truly learn to tune into your body, you know what to do and what not to do.” “Don’t wait until you suffer to practice. It’s too late by then; you won’t know how to practice, because you haven’t yet tasted the goodness of the practice.” “The engine that was moving forwards left me with a sense of helplessness, because I could only do the bit I could do. But it was enough to experience in that situation these awful conflicts; when perceptions changed and when trust could develop, and when the humanity of each other could be recognized, genuine change in attitude and motivation could take place. I saw that in conflict. Of course, I’ve also seen that in the therapy room; I’ve seen that in the community. And the Buddha’s diagnosis was that, when we get down to the root, the drivers of pain and suffering will be in the energies of hatred, of delusion, of ignorance, of greed. That’s absolutely what I saw.” “The despair held in mindfulness was slowly dissolving aspects of my past that I was very locked onto. And when I started to see that these experiences of very deep pain could actually be healing experiences, healing me of a fixation or an attachment, when there were enough conditions of safety and mindfulness and care around, there was a very deep shift in my relationship to suffering.” “When we become rigid and certain about a worldview and we need to have other people agree with it, peace will not come. That is not the way to peace. We can’t wait for everyone to hold the same view. We need the tools to live in harmony; even when we have different perceptions, we have ways to work with it.”

Welcome to episode 45 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. This time, the presenters – Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino – are joined by lay practitioner Nick Kenrick to talk about Plum Village as a healing center, the many reasons people go there, and the personal transformations and deep healing life journeys taking place there. For the past 18 months, Nick has been living with the Plum Village community of monastics and lay practitioners, and kindly agreed to share his own transformative deep healing journey. Nick Kenrick worked as a diplomat for the British government for nine years before retraining to work as a psychotherapist for the next decade. He has visited Plum Village every year since Thay and his monastics came to the UK in 2010, and helped to found Wake Up London — a local sangha for younger practitioners in the city – following Thay's visit. He joined the Order of Interbeing in 2018 and has been living in Plum Village since June 2021.  Nick's deep sharing touches upon the conditions that brought him to Plum Village, and upon exhaustion and breakdown, changing careers, and recovery and aspects of healing, including the practices he found refuge in. He further delves into individual and collective suffering; perceptions and the roots of conflict; befriending despair; psychotherapy and spiritual practice; healthy boundaries; following ‘the schedule'; sharing circles; taking refuge in the sangha; and much more. In addition, Brother Phap Huu shares about Plum Village as a practice center for meditation and mindfulness; the energy of collective mindfulness; meditation and its healing dimension; mindfulness of the body; and the importance of the schedule in the life of the community. And Jo recollects aspects of his own healing journey, and of learning through practice about some hard facts of life.You also get to witness the Plum Village tradition of watering the positive seeds and showing appreciation. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong/ Wake Up Londonhttps://wakeuplondon.org/ Order of Interbeinghttps://orderofinterbeing.org/‘Home Practices for the Rains Retreat'https://plumvillage.org/articles/home-practices-for-the-rains-retreat/ ‘Extended Practises' (Dharma sharing)https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/extended-practises/ The Organic Happy Farmshttps://plumvillage.org/community/happy-farm/ Brother Phap Linhhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-phap-linh/ Sister True Dedicationhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem/ Calligraphyhttps://plumvillage.org/thich-nhat-hanh/calligraphy/ ‘The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings'https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-14-mindfulness-trainings/ Bodhicittahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhicitta Quotes “Plum Village is a place where monks, nuns, and lay practitioners come to cultivate the seeds of mindfulness and the seeds of awareness, so that they can take care of their personal lives physically and emotionally. And through meditation, it offers a space and time to reflect.” “Plum Village has evolved into a community where practitioners live together, practice together, and produce an energy of collective mindfulness. And this collective mindfulness can become a source of energy to help individuals return to themselves, to look deeply within their current situation and find a way to heal, and find a way to rediscover themselves, so that they can come to the base of their suffering for a real transformation.” “We never say meditation and Zen will heal you completely and take care of all your suffering. Because for us, it's a journey, it's a path, and, actually, suffering is a part of the antidote. Suffering is a part of the transformation – so this understanding of Zen and Buddhism is very important; we’re not here to give you a quick fix: it’s a commitment to be with oneself and to learn to be vulnerable to oneself, as well as to others. I believe that’s where true transformation can begin, because that’s accepting oneself.” “Spirituality, the practice of meditation, also has a dimension of healing, because what is healing? For us, healing is having time to stop, to rest, and to discover what is happening in the here and now, physically, emotionally, and mentally, so that we can rebalance and not suppress our wounds, but have time to care for them, to mend them, to patch them, to give them the tenderness that they need.” “I’m so grateful to Thay for using organic metaphors in the teachings, [for suggesting] that being a mindfulness practitioner is like being a gardener. Sometimes you’ve got this really smelly compost, I mean, awful: ‘What on Earth can I do with this?' And I did not know what to do with this except to follow the schedule and watch my mind. And gradually I saw my mind turning it over. The following day, it would be softer, some of the edges would come off. And then I would see that it would bring pains up, it would turn them over; they would go down again. And I began to realize that there was a practitioner within my mind that was starting to take care of this for me. And the condition I needed to provide was to keep showing up, to let that process work.” “If I wake up in the morning and I feel good, I follow the schedule. If I wake up and I feel bad, I follow the schedule. If I wake up and I’m consumed by existential dread and despair, I follow the schedule. And I recognize through this the potential for a gradual liberation; that no matter what state I’m in, I can follow the schedule, because the schedule is so fundamentally wholesome.” “Being open is the first element of learning.” “When we learn to practice, we always say, ‘Feel the breath, don’t think about the breath.' We say, ‘Feel the body, don’t think about the body.' Because if you are mindful, you can feel the tension, you can feel the muscles. And the body is a teacher. If you truly learn to tune into your body, you know what to do and what not to do.” “Don’t wait until you suffer to practice. It’s too late by then; you won’t know how to practice, because you haven’t yet tasted the goodness of the practice.” “The engine that was moving forwards left me with a sense of helplessness, because I could only do the bit I could do. But it was enough to experience in that situation these awful conflicts; when perceptions changed and when trust could develop, and when the humanity of each other could be recognized, genuine change in attitude and motivation could take place. I saw that in conflict. Of course, I’ve also seen that in the therapy room; I’ve seen that in the community. And the Buddha’s diagnosis was that, when we get down to the root, the drivers of pain and suffering will be in the energies of hatred, of delusion, of ignorance, of greed. That’s absolutely what I saw.” “The despair held in mindfulness was slowly dissolving aspects of my past that I was very locked onto. And when I started to see that these experiences of very deep pain could actually be healing experiences, healing me of a fixation or an attachment, when there were enough conditions of safety and mindfulness and care around, there was a very deep shift in my relationship to suffering.” “When we become rigid and certain about a worldview and we need to have other people agree with it, peace will not come. That is not the way to peace. We can’t wait for everyone to hold the same view. We need the tools to live in harmony; even when we have different perceptions, we have ways to work with it.”

Welcome to a short bonus episode of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. On the eve of the anniversary of Thay’s passing, the presenters – Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino – recorded this episode from his former residence, the Sitting Still Hut in Upper Hamlet. Here, they mark this memorial day by recollecting the events of the past year – “a year of deep interbeing”. Together, they share how life unfolded for the monastic and lay communities around the world after the passing of the Zen Master, and discuss the transmission of the practice; the true continuation of Thay's legacy and vision; the significance of the spreading of Thay's ashes by the Fourfold Sangha, and the many fully-booked retreats with lay practitioners; and the challenges, lessons, and blessings along the path. There are also heartfelt sharings by Brother Phap Huu from his time as Thay's attendant. And a special dream full of hope. The episode ends with Brother Phap Huu reading a deeply personal appreciation of Thay on behalf of the entire community. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources The Way Out Is In: ‘A Cloud Never Dies: The Passing of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-passing-of-zen-master-thich-nhat-hanh-a-cloud-never-dies/ The Way Out Is In: ‘Deep Reflection: The Calligraphy of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/deep-reflection-the-calligraphy-of-zen-master-thich-nhat-hanh-episode-23/ Memorial Practice Resourceshttps://plumvillage.org/memorial-practice-resources/ How To: ‘Begin Anew'https://plumvillage.org/articles/begin-anew/ Koanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koan Bodhicittahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhicitta Stupahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupa Find a local group (or sangha)https://plumvillage.org/community/international-sangha-directory/ Quotes “Our theme last year was, ‘Now I have a path, there’s nothing to fear.' And it’s just to remember that the transmission that we receive from Thay is profound, and if practiced, can really lead us to inner peace and transformation.” “There’s always this fear, when a spiritual leader passes, of a period of chaos or of diminishment where things start to go wrong. But I know from my perspective and from watching this community and being part of this community, that the opposite has happened. Rather than vacuums of power and ‘who’s in charge', Thay built a very, very strong community that is based on common wisdom, common understanding, and coming to decisions as a collective. And what I’ve seen is more people coming to Plum Village, more sisterhood and brotherhood and, actually, no diminishment at all.”  “I don’t think Thay expects all of us to be him. He never wanted us to be him. He wanted us to learn from him and to have our own experience, our own insight in our practice. But he has been so generous in sharing profoundly and putting together the dharma, the teachings, the practice, which is so easy to understand.” “Thay wanted to help spread the seeds of mindfulness in the world, so that all of us can wake up and be the change that we want to see in the world, be the peace that we want to have for our planet, and ourselves, and our future generations. Thay once said, ‘If I have to let go of Buddhism for world peace, I will, because I’m not attached.' His deepest wish was for us to continuously build communities, [to build] collective awakening.” “Thay always taught us, if you want to become a good elder brother, you first of all have to know how to be a good younger brother. And if you want to be a good elder sister, you also have to be a good younger sister. So he’s always teaching us about interbeing. And very naturally, leaders will appear in the Sangha, and we’d like to see that all the leaders in the Sangha are still a part of this forest, and that is what keeps us safe and keeps us humble.” “In our modern time, one Sangha is not enough. One Buddha is not enough anymore. We need a collective awakening so that all of us can have inner peace, can accept our suffering, can transform our suffering, and can build a society that is compassionate and that has the ability to transform suffering and take care of happiness.”

Welcome to a short bonus episode of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. On the eve of the anniversary of Thay’s passing, the presenters – Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino – recorded this episode from his former residence, the Sitting Still Hut in Upper Hamlet. Here, they mark this memorial day by recollecting the events of the past year – “a year of deep interbeing”. Together, they share how life unfolded for the monastic and lay communities around the world after the passing of the Zen Master, and discuss the transmission of the practice; the true continuation of Thay's legacy and vision; the significance of the spreading of Thay's ashes by the Fourfold Sangha, and the many fully-booked retreats with lay practitioners; and the challenges, lessons, and blessings along the path. There are also heartfelt sharings by Brother Phap Huu from his time as Thay's attendant. And a special dream full of hope. The episode ends with Brother Phap Huu reading a deeply personal appreciation of Thay on behalf of the entire community. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources The Way Out Is In: ‘A Cloud Never Dies: The Passing of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-passing-of-zen-master-thich-nhat-hanh-a-cloud-never-dies/ The Way Out Is In: ‘Deep Reflection: The Calligraphy of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/deep-reflection-the-calligraphy-of-zen-master-thich-nhat-hanh-episode-23/ Memorial Practice Resourceshttps://plumvillage.org/memorial-practice-resources/ How To: ‘Begin Anew'https://plumvillage.org/articles/begin-anew/ Koanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koan Bodhicittahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhicitta Stupahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupa Find a local group (or sangha)https://plumvillage.org/community/international-sangha-directory/ Quotes “Our theme last year was, ‘Now I have a path, there’s nothing to fear.' And it’s just to remember that the transmission that we receive from Thay is profound, and if practiced, can really lead us to inner peace and transformation.” “There’s always this fear, when a spiritual leader passes, of a period of chaos or of diminishment where things start to go wrong. But I know from my perspective and from watching this community and being part of this community, that the opposite has happened. Rather than vacuums of power and ‘who’s in charge', Thay built a very, very strong community that is based on common wisdom, common understanding, and coming to decisions as a collective. And what I’ve seen is more people coming to Plum Village, more sisterhood and brotherhood and, actually, no diminishment at all.”  “I don’t think Thay expects all of us to be him. He never wanted us to be him. He wanted us to learn from him and to have our own experience, our own insight in our practice. But he has been so generous in sharing profoundly and putting together the dharma, the teachings, the practice, which is so easy to understand.” “Thay wanted to help spread the seeds of mindfulness in the world, so that all of us can wake up and be the change that we want to see in the world, be the peace that we want to have for our planet, and ourselves, and our future generations. Thay once said, ‘If I have to let go of Buddhism for world peace, I will, because I’m not attached.' His deepest wish was for us to continuously build communities, [to build] collective awakening.” “Thay always taught us, if you want to become a good elder brother, you first of all have to know how to be a good younger brother. And if you want to be a good elder sister, you also have to be a good younger sister. So he’s always teaching us about interbeing. And very naturally, leaders will appear in the Sangha, and we’d like to see that all the leaders in the Sangha are still a part of this forest, and that is what keeps us safe and keeps us humble.” “In our modern time, one Sangha is not enough. One Buddha is not enough anymore. We need a collective awakening so that all of us can have inner peace, can accept our suffering, can transform our suffering, and can build a society that is compassionate and that has the ability to transform suffering and take care of happiness.”

Welcome to episode 44 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In the first podcast recording of 2023, the presenters – Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino – discuss habits, both the positive ones that help us lead better lives, but also those that can cause us harm and make our lives difficult. Both presenters share negative and positive habits, and the difficulties of transformation.  Can you guess the negative habit both presenters have in common? And how can we transform our negative habits and bring more positive habits into our lives? Is it possible to truly transform at the base? How important is friendship in facing our habits? Also, what is ‘shining the light' and how can this Plum Village practice help us?  Brother Phap Huu shares on the topic of the most recent practice of shining the light during the annual Rains Retreat; rushing energy; generosity; dealing with inferiority complexes and accepting ourselves; folding clothes; mirroring each other’s transformation of habits; the interbeing of the community; and collective awakening through individuals' positive habits. And what did Thich Nhat Hanh mean by “happiness is a habit”? Jo delves into sharing the light for lay practitioners; seeing the best in people and watering people’s positive flowers; cultivating awareness; speed, chasing deadlines, and rushing as a way of life; inherited habits; fear of humiliation; and the interbeing of complexes. And what happens when you look deeply at just one bad habit?   The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources ‘Shining the Light'https://www.parallax.org/mindfulnessbell/article/shining-the-light/How to Take Care of the Habit Energy of Worrying https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jANxd6YGdAA ‘Home Practices for the Rains Retreat'https://plumvillage.org/articles/home-practices-for-the-rains-retreat/ The Four Noble Truthshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy-RI3FrdGA ‘The Five Mindfulness Trainings'https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-5-mindfulness-trainings/ The Seven Factors of Awakeninghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Factors_of_Awakening Beginning Anew: Four Steps to Restoring Communicationhttps://plumvillage.org/books/beginning-anew/ The Way Out Is In: ‘Deep Reflection: The Calligraphy of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/deep-reflection-the-calligraphy-of-zen-master-thich-nhat-hanh-episode-23/ The Way Out Is In: ‘Free from Views in a Polarized Wold' https://plumvillage.org/podcast/free-from-views-in-a-polarized-world-episode-36/ Quotes “Happiness is a habit.” “Thay always says suffering and happiness go together, so don’t be so blinded by suffering without recognizing happiness. And don’t be so confident about happiness that we forget that if we don’t take care of our happiness, suffering will come.” “It’s a beautiful meditation to look into our habits, because you can go into the history of it and know yourself more.” “Happiness is a habit in this particular practice; knowing the goodness in the here and now.” “When we enter the monastery for a retreat, there’s one habit that we invite everyone to practice, and it’s probably very new to someone who has never had any introduction to Buddhism or spirituality: stopping when you hear the sound of the bell. This is a habit that we have introduced to hundreds of thousands of people. And this habit brings out awareness in us. So, in my training, before reviewing and transforming my negative habits, I try to cultivate good habits first.” “If you do a lot of good things, you don’t have time to do bad things.” “Underneath our greatest problem is our greatest gift.” “Meditation is a habit. Meditation is not sitting in a temple, meditation is having moments where you connect to yourself. You allow yourself to be in stillness, you allow your mind to have a break. Bring it to oneness with an action. Walking, sitting, mindful breathing, enjoying a cup of tea, enjoying a cup of coffee; these snippet-moments can be wonderful habits that we can all create for ourselves.” “None of us is 100% perfect, but collectively we are forests that have leaves. Some trees offer flowers, some trees offer fruits. And all of us offer shade together. A sangha, sometimes we call it a forest. So don’t be so focused on just one tree. One tree may not be so strong and may not change the world, but one whole forest is a different story.” “With our thoughts, we create the world.” “Understanding the causes of my suffering has given me a route out of it. And if I had not gone into my suffering, I could never have found happiness.” “A real friend is someone with the courage to point out your shortcomings.” “Offering guidance to another is offering guidance to ourselves.” “Once there is seeing, there must be action. Otherwise, what’s the use of seeing?”

Welcome to episode 44 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In the first podcast recording of 2023, the presenters – Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino – discuss habits, both the positive ones that help us lead better lives, but also those that can cause us harm and make our lives difficult. Both presenters share negative and positive habits, and the difficulties of transformation.  Can you guess the negative habit both presenters have in common? And how can we transform our negative habits and bring more positive habits into our lives? Is it possible to truly transform at the base? How important is friendship in facing our habits? Also, what is ‘shining the light' and how can this Plum Village practice help us?  Brother Phap Huu shares on the topic of the most recent practice of shining the light during the annual Rains Retreat; rushing energy; generosity; dealing with inferiority complexes and accepting ourselves; folding clothes; mirroring each other’s transformation of habits; the interbeing of the community; and collective awakening through individuals' positive habits. And what did Thich Nhat Hanh mean by “happiness is a habit”? Jo delves into sharing the light for lay practitioners; seeing the best in people and watering people’s positive flowers; cultivating awareness; speed, chasing deadlines, and rushing as a way of life; inherited habits; fear of humiliation; and the interbeing of complexes. And what happens when you look deeply at just one bad habit?   The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources ‘Shining the Light'https://www.parallax.org/mindfulnessbell/article/shining-the-light/How to Take Care of the Habit Energy of Worrying https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jANxd6YGdAA ‘Home Practices for the Rains Retreat'https://plumvillage.org/articles/home-practices-for-the-rains-retreat/ The Four Noble Truthshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy-RI3FrdGA ‘The Five Mindfulness Trainings'https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-5-mindfulness-trainings/ The Seven Factors of Awakeninghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Factors_of_Awakening Beginning Anew: Four Steps to Restoring Communicationhttps://plumvillage.org/books/beginning-anew/ The Way Out Is In: ‘Deep Reflection: The Calligraphy of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/deep-reflection-the-calligraphy-of-zen-master-thich-nhat-hanh-episode-23/ The Way Out Is In: ‘Free from Views in a Polarized Wold' https://plumvillage.org/podcast/free-from-views-in-a-polarized-world-episode-36/ Quotes “Happiness is a habit.” “Thay always says suffering and happiness go together, so don’t be so blinded by suffering without recognizing happiness. And don’t be so confident about happiness that we forget that if we don’t take care of our happiness, suffering will come.” “It’s a beautiful meditation to look into our habits, because you can go into the history of it and know yourself more.” “Happiness is a habit in this particular practice; knowing the goodness in the here and now.” “When we enter the monastery for a retreat, there’s one habit that we invite everyone to practice, and it’s probably very new to someone who has never had any introduction to Buddhism or spirituality: stopping when you hear the sound of the bell. This is a habit that we have introduced to hundreds of thousands of people. And this habit brings out awareness in us. So, in my training, before reviewing and transforming my negative habits, I try to cultivate good habits first.” “If you do a lot of good things, you don’t have time to do bad things.” “Underneath our greatest problem is our greatest gift.” “Meditation is a habit. Meditation is not sitting in a temple, meditation is having moments where you connect to yourself. You allow yourself to be in stillness, you allow your mind to have a break. Bring it to oneness with an action. Walking, sitting, mindful breathing, enjoying a cup of tea, enjoying a cup of coffee; these snippet-moments can be wonderful habits that we can all create for ourselves.” “None of us is 100% perfect, but collectively we are forests that have leaves. Some trees offer flowers, some trees offer fruits. And all of us offer shade together. A sangha, sometimes we call it a forest. So don’t be so focused on just one tree. One tree may not be so strong and may not change the world, but one whole forest is a different story.” “With our thoughts, we create the world.” “Understanding the causes of my suffering has given me a route out of it. And if I had not gone into my suffering, I could never have found happiness.” “A real friend is someone with the courage to point out your shortcomings.” “Offering guidance to another is offering guidance to ourselves.” “Once there is seeing, there must be action. Otherwise, what’s the use of seeing?”

Welcome to episode 43 of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives.In the last podcast recording of 2022, the presenters – Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino – are joined by Zen Buddhist nun Sister Jina (the special guest in episode 14, ‘I Have Arrived, I Am Home; What a Blessing'). Together, they discuss loneliness, and how the Buddha's teachings and Plum Village practices and exercises can help us come back to ourselves, and feel connected and part of life. The three also share moments of loneliness from different points in their lives. Sister Jina (Sister Dieu Nghiem, translated as Sister True Wonder) further shares about coming home to oneself; creating self-compassion; people’s fears about looking inside themselves for answers; and learning from our mistakes. Brother Phap Huu shares about Thich Nhat Hanh's view of happiness, gratitude, and on identifying the goodness in life; ignoring our suffering; connecting to our true self; the temptation to retell stories of our suffering; the void and taking care of our wellness; learning to forgive; learning to be flexible; the practice of touching the earth; tree hugging; and silence. Jo shares about feeling worthless and lonely in front of 400 people; reaching out to others when suffering from loneliness; learning to love oneself; gifting presence to ourselves and others; and interbeing. The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. “We send our hearts out to you and hope that this conversation has brought some balm to your lives, and that over this period of days and weeks you find a sense of peace, a sense of calm, a sense of rootedness, and a sense of love and gratitude for yourself.”See you in the new year! Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/ And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Sister Jinahttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-dieu-nghiem/The Way Out Is In: ‘I Have Arrived, I Am Home; What a Blessing'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/i-have-arrived-i-am-home-what-a-blessing-episode-14/ Dharma Talks: ‘Interbeing and Store Consciousness'https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/interbeing-and-store-consciousness/ Climate Weekhttps://www.climateweeknyc.org/ Sutras: ‘Discourse on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone'https://plumvillage.org/library/sutras/discourse-on-knowing-the-better-way-to-live-alone/Our Appointment with Life: Sutra on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone https://www.parallax.org/product/our-appointment-with-life-sutra-on-knowing-the-better-way-to-live-alone/ Tom Rivett-Carnac https://www.globaloptimism.com/tom-rivett-carnac Christiana Figuereshttp://christianafigueres.com/#/ Thich Nhat Hanh: Live Our Life Whole: The Surface and the Depth of Our Being (4 February, 1993) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bUNFiPBIsw ‘The Five Earth Touchings' https://plumvillage.org/key-practice-texts/the-five-earth-touchings/ Quotes “As a young man, rather than true friendship, I was looking to get people to pay attention to me, almost to prove that I was alive and worthy to be alive. And it created an imbalance in my life: rather than thinking I had something to give and offer because I felt strong in myself, I was always looking for other people to mirror my existence.” “Sometimes when you’re suffering from real loneliness, reach out and be vulnerable and share and allow the love and support of other people to come in.” “We’re in a time of what’s supposed to be great connection; we’re all connected, but that connection is very often [on the] surface and is leading to more disconnection.” “In my orientation, I always guide and I always invite people at the retreat to learn to be a friend with their breath, because that breath accompanies you to the west, to the east, to the north, to the south, inside, outside. As long as you are there, that breath will be with you. And the more you are connected to the breath, the more you learn to guide your mind home to your body, then you have a chance to cultivate your mind.” “We have the view that being together is [only about] being with humans. But in our practice, we start to learn that being together is also [being] with nature, it’s also [being] with the conditions around you. Thay would teach us every morning to be grateful for one thing: ‘When you wake up and you see the sunrise; be grateful for that.' You’re not alone. The sunrise is there for you.” “Happiness is a very big word, but in the Zen tradition and in Plum Village, Thay talked about happiness as something as simple as having a cup of tea: feeling the warmth, seeing companions, seeing I’m not alone, and starting to train the mind [to see] that I have goodness inside of me, I have happiness inside of me, I have joy inside of me, I have peace inside of me. I can touch that, even though it’s not long-lasting. But peace is available. So the first steps, and the first attention and awareness that we are taught to identify, is the goodness in life, inside of us and around us. And what’s interesting is that it is very easy to have gratitude for things outside of us. [But] it takes a little bit more effort to have gratitude for oneself.” “Sometimes we get so lost in our practice or in that present moment, and Thay had a very funny, quirky side, so he would ask one of his students, ‘What moment is this?' And the right answer would be, ‘This is a happy moment.' Sometimes we just need to be reminded to show up for ourselves; only when we show up for ourselves we can truly show up for others.” “We also have to forgive ourselves. This forgiving is a journey, because when we forgive ourselves, we may also be forgiving our ancestors or our parents, who inflicted suffering to us, our society that inflicted suffering on us. And so this forgiving oneself has another layer that is unseen: learning to meet the other conditions, and forgiving, and recognizing them, embracing and transforming them, and letting them go. And when we say let go, it doesn’t mean they are not there anymore, but we’re not attached to them anymore because we, as practitioners, want to learn to be more free, because freedom is an element of self-love.” “I am as I am because of causes and conditions. And who am I to judge other people? What are their dreams? What are their hopes? What are their fears? And so I think the issue is not the other people; it’s inside of me – and that’s good because I can do something about it.”