143 Brother Spirit: Converting to Monastic Life, Thích Nhất Hạnh, & Collective Awakening

My guest is Brother Phap Linh, also known as Brother Spirit. He a zen Buddhist monk, musician and seeker. He began his monastic training with Thich Nhat Hanh in Plum Village in February 2008, and has since composed many of the community’s beloved chants.

Before ordaining he studied mathematics at Cambridge and worked professionally as a composer. A co-founder of the Wake Up Movement for young people, today Brother Phap Linh is actively engaged in teaching applied mindfulness to climate activists, business leaders, artists, and scientists. 

As a leading voice in the new generation of Buddhist monastics in the West, he is passionate about exploring how meditators and scientists can learn from each other and open new paths of healing and discovery. He has the conviction that a modern form of monasticism can play a crucial role in bringing about a more compassionate society as well as a much needed collective awakening to our interbeing with all life.

Time Stamps

- 03:59 From science to spirituality

- 08:47 what makes Thích Nhất Hạnh infinite

- 24:07 The decision to convert to the monastic life at Plum Village

- 28:11 The impact he didn't know about his conversion

- 41:12 His criteria to choose his community

- 43:22 What is Engaged Buddhism

- 52:00 What's his North Star

- 61:30 Strike a balance between tradition and adaptation

- 70:00 What makes Thích Nhất Hạnh a great teacher

- 85:12 Scaling transformation

- 92:46 Governance of an international monastic organization

- 100:48 Superpower of longterm practitioners

- 107:14 Honing the mind and being present

- 110:31 The Chinese story about a guy and a horse

- 115:03 What's happiness

- 126:17 Contemplating death for serenity

- 129:06 What to do with environmental anxiety

- 132:04 How zen Buddhism builds human resilience when facing existential crisis

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