The Way Out Is In

The discussion dives into the Noble Eightfold Path, breaking down each element's significance in personal transformation and spiritual growth. The hosts share insights on how to apply these teachings to modern challenges, emphasizing the interconnectedness of life. They explore the importance of right livelihood and mindfulness, highlighting personal stories that inspire authenticity. A guided meditation encourages listeners to cultivate presence and joy in their lives, while the role of community is underscored as vital for emotional stability and support.

Dive into a thought-provoking discussion about the philosophical implications of Thich Nhat Hanh's calligraphy 'Are You Sure?'. The speakers challenge perceptions and assumptions, advocating for an open mindset and deep listening. Explore the transformative power of community and honest feedback in personal growth. Delve into the balance between stillness and chaos, emphasizing emotional awareness and mindfulness. Conclude with insights on finding value in adversity and a guided meditation to foster compassion and presence.

Explore the beauty of Zen through everyday moments and mindfulness practices. Discover how simplicity can imbue depth into mundane tasks, illustrated by the life of a toilet cleaner reflecting on joy. Delve into the sacredness of rituals and objects, emphasizing community and respectful living. Humility is discussed as a vital element in genuine connections, contrasting intellectual sophistication with Zen simplicity. Conclude with a guided meditation that fosters gratitude and presence, inviting listeners to reconnect with life's wonders.

Explore the transformative teachings of a profound Buddhist sutra on living fully in the moment. Hear personal stories of resilience following a devastating fire at a community center, emphasizing the power of grief and collective healing. Discover how mindfulness can guide us through crises, connecting emotional awareness to global challenges. The conversation unveils the strength found in community support and the importance of acceptance in the face of life's adversities, encouraging listeners to embrace the present.

Sister True Dedication, a Zen Buddhist nun, joins the conversation alongside Brother Phap Huu and Jo Confino. They delve into the Eight Realizations of Great Beings, focusing on overcoming ignorance, practicing generosity, and embracing compassion. The trio highlights how ignorance fuels the cycle of birth and death, the necessity of treating everyone equally, and the power of empathy in healing relationships. Listeners are encouraged to pursue mindful living and simplify their lives to combat societal issues and foster deeper connections.

Sister True Dedication, a Zen Buddhist nun, dives into the transformative teachings of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings. She shares insights on the impermanence of all things and the suffering caused by desire. The discussion highlights the crucial shift from seeking fulfillment externally to nurturing inner peace. With humor and warmth, the conversation stresses the importance of community, mindful practices, and self-compassion as tools for navigating life's challenges. This engaging dialogue offers both depth and lightness in the pursuit of enlightenment.

Discover the profound connection between pain and renewal as the hosts explore personal struggles and community support. Reflect on the idea that destruction can pave the way for healing and hope. Dive into thematic discussions on mindfulness, personal transformation, and the importance of embracing change. Learn how cultivating a ‘beginner's mind’ can facilitate growth in both personal and collective journeys. This insightful dialogue is rich with personal reflections and strategies for maintaining presence amid life's demands.

Delve into the challenges of feeling at home in your skin and the quest for validation. Explore self-love, acceptance, and the impact of perfectionism on our well-being. Redefine beauty in a world obsessed with appearances, emphasizing the importance of inner qualities. Discover how connection and community can lighten the weight of despair and foster empathy. Engage with teachings on mindfulness and acceptance, culminating in a reflective meditation practice to cultivate gratitude and presence.

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.”

The hosts tackle the challenge of maintaining mindfulness amid chaos, offering practical strategies for grounding oneself. They discuss the significance of walking meditation and embracing imperfection on the path to self-acceptance. The emotional weight of burnout during crises is explored, highlighting community support and self-care. Listeners learn about establishing healthy boundaries in activism and the importance of rituals for resilience. A compelling look at navigating busyness, self-love, and the quest for internal fulfillment completes this enlightening conversation.