The Way Out Is In
Thich Nhat Hanh: Zen Master and Simple Monk (Episode #8)
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Thay's grounded humility reflects in everyday actions, emphasizing simplicity and mindfulness.
- Thay practices humility through minimalistic lifestyle choices and sharing possessions with the community.
- Thay's commitment to mindfulness shown through simple tasks like washing socks reinforces humility.
- Thay balances compassion and firmness in addressing community weaknesses, guiding growth with nurturing guidance.
Deep dives
Thay's Life Beyond Books and Dharma Talks
Brother Phap Hu and Joe delve into the personal, human side of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, exploring his daily life as a simple monk beyond the realm of being a renowned spiritual leader. Thay, as he is affectionately known, is depicted as a humble individual, resonating tranquillity through his enjoyment of meditation. The episode highlights Thay's simplicity in personal possessions, exemplifying a life grounded in mindfulness and contentment.
Humility and Humbleness in Monk Living
The discussion unveils Thay's embodiment of humility and simplicity, showcased through his minimalistic lifestyle choices and humble wardrobe selection, like having only a couple of modest jackets. Thay's practice of humility extends to graciously accepting donations but also sharing excess possessions with the community, illustrating the monk's commitment to mindfulness and non-attachment.
Teaching Through Daily Actions: The Socks Washing Incident
Brother Phap Hu narrates a poignant incident where he witnesses Thay humbly washing his own socks, rejecting assistance. This simple task demonstrated Thay's commitment to mindfulness and reinforced the lesson of embracing simplicity in everyday actions, showcasing that even influential figures can exude profound humility through daily practices.
Compassion Through Firmness: Thay's Fierce Compassion
Phap Hu and Joe delve into Thay's multifaceted compassion, emphasizing his ability to address weaknesses within the community with firmness yet compassion. Thay's approach involves guiding individuals towards growth by highlighting their shortcomings while fostering a nurturing environment for self-improvement, embodying a balance between fierce teachings and compassionate guidance.
The Practice of Gardening: Thay's Relationship with Nature
The episode sheds light on Thay's profound relationship with gardening, illustrating his metaphorical teachings through practical engagement with nature. Thay's green thumb and dedication to tending to plants reflect his teachings on growth, impermanence, and self-care. His approach to gardening mirrors his spiritual teachings, emphasizing the importance of patience, mindfulness, and nurturing growth in oneself and others.
The Essence of Thay: Presence and Invisibility in Teaching
The episode encapsulates Thay's essence as a spiritual teacher, emphasizing his ability to embody presence and invisibility in teachings. Thay's humility and commitment to letting the teachings speak for themselves are highlighted through moments like a walk in the mist after a profound Dharma talk. His deep connection to the teachings and wisdom of ancestors is evident in a ritualistic reverence for a newly published book, signifying the transient nature of legacy and teachings.
Guided Meditation: Cultivating Mindfulness and Gratitude
Brother Phap Hu leads a reflective guided meditation emphasizing the impermanence of life and the deep interconnectedness of all beings. The meditation encourages introspection on embracing change, honoring relationships, and mindful action in daily life. Phap Hu's teachings resonate with Thay's core principles of compassion, non-discrimination, and the profound impact of mindful living.
Closing Remarks and Podcast Information
The episode concludes with reflections on Thay's profound teachings, emphasizing the practice of mindfulness and gratitude in daily life. Brother Phap Hu and Joe express gratitude for the listeners' engagement, inviting them to explore more episodes on various platforms and the Plum Village app. The closing remarks encapsulate the essence of Thay's teachings, promoting a harmonious blend of mindfulness, compassion, and self-awareness in navigating life's complexities.
Welcome to episode eight 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, on the eve of Thich Nhat Hanh’s 95th birthday (or continuation day), presenters Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and lay Buddhist practitioner and journalist Jo Confino take a walk down memory lane, remembering behind-the-scenes stories about Thay (Vietnamese for “teacher”): the humble monk, rather than his well-known public persona as spiritual teacher.
They do so in Sitting Still Hut in Upper Hamlet, Thay’s residence during his years in Plum Village. By taking a tour of the hut, they trace the teacher’s daily routine and linger over the minimal but essential objects in his life. With fine strokes, the conversation portrays Thay the gardener and community builder, his (compassionate) fierceness, his incredible memory, and his ability to turn complex teachings into simple, accessible ones.
Through many memories, Jo and Phap Huu muse about minimalism, sharing, consumerism, simplicity, the beginner’s mind, being grounded, nourishing humility and humbleness, the power of smiles, and some of Thay’s major teachings and legacies.
Befittingly, Brother Phap Huu ends the episode with a guided meditation.
Happy continuation day, dear Thay!
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 Precious Gift for Thich Nhat Hanh’s 95th Continuation Day: Deep Listening for Mother Earth
https://plumvillage.org/articles/giftforthay/
The Toadskin Hut and Paths of Legend
https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/the-toadskin-hut-and-paths-of-legend/
Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames
https://www.parallax.org/product/anger/
Sister Chan Khong
https://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong/
Dalai Lama
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalai_Lama
Joan Miró
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Mir%C3%B3
Beginner’s mind (shoshin)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoshin
Plum Village Practice Centers
https://plumvillage.org/monastic-practice-centres/
Plum Village Hamlets
https://plumvillage.org/retreats/visiting-us/hamlet/
Deer Park Monastery
https://deerparkmonastery.org/
Quotes
“Simplicity and nothing extra: everything in the hut is something that he uses and has a meaning.”
“Humility comes through action; not through what you say, but through how you live.”
“Meditation is the capacity to really be in the present moment to connect to oneself and to others.”
“In Buddhism, we have to learn to identify the simple joys in our life and our simple happiness. We may think that happiness is something very far away, something that we have to work hard to achieve. But if you touch the present moment and are really in touch with what you have right here, right now, are you sure that those conditions aren’t enough for you to be happy?”
“Thay made the teachings so simple just by the way he walked, by the way he was there with us.”
“Thay’s way of renewing Buddhism is to make the teachings of the Buddha and the teachings of mindfulness part of everyday life. And it’s not something that you seek for 10 or 20 years of practice, then say, ‘I got it’; you can say ‘I got it’ in this very moment.”
“It’s only when you go very deep into something that you can make it simple.”
“In our daily life, it is okay to make mistakes. But to continue, to move forward, we have to stand up and we have to clean up our mistakes.”
“Thay often talks about the fact that the Buddha was not a god, but a human being. And I think, by teaching that, he’s saying that anyone can be like the Buddha. The Buddha wasn’t a god, so everyone has the opportunity to transform. But also, everyone has his weaknesses; Thay talks a lot about the fact that, when he was enlightened, the Buddha didn’t just stay enlightened: he needed to continue his practice and keep on working on his stuff.”
“Having a garden helps you connect to reality in the present moment, but you can’t rush the process.”
“There is something about who Thay is, deeply: he’s completely present, but also invisible. Because he’s made himself invisible, but the teachings are full, they speak for themselves. A teacher often thinks they own their teachings, so they think that they are an important person. Whereas Thay always faded into the background, but his teachings were very alive.”
“As a human being, Thay was able to cultivate the practice and remain true to his aspiration, his ethics, and his direction.”
“The spiritual dimension is not far away: it is within your own breath, within your capacity for connecting to the present moment. This is something that Thay has said on multiple occasions: that you don’t have to be Buddhist to practice meditation, because as long as we’re breathing, we all have the chance to practice.”
“My actions are the ground upon which I stand. We all will leave a mark, a legacy on our planet. Know that what we think, what we say, and what we do all have an impact. So allow yourself to be mindful of your actions in daily life. Be mindful of what you say, as it has a profound effect. And be mindful and take care of the thoughts that are generated throughout the day; they all are impacts that we leave behind.”
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