The Way Out Is In

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.

This engaging discussion tackles the whirlwind of modern busyness and the quest for mindfulness. It delves into the power of embracing boredom as a transformative tool for creativity. Listeners learn about the struggles of managing technology while seeking genuine connections. The hosts address workplace toxicity and the importance of personal agency in finding wellness. They also explore generational healing and how our past influences the present. Ultimately, it’s about finding stillness in a fast-paced world.

This conversation dives into the Four Nutriments from Buddhist teachings, offering fresh insights on mindful consumption. The hosts explore how our food choices impact personal and collective happiness. They discuss the emotional connections to food and the importance of gratitude in our diets. Insights on navigating identity in a media-driven world highlight the roles of mindfulness and self-acceptance. The power of volition in leadership and community support emerges as a major theme alongside the journey of courage and collective healing.

Dive into a thought-provoking discussion on the balance of being and doing in our fast-paced world. The speakers explore mindfulness versus productivity, emphasizing the power of presence and interconnectedness. They challenge the idea that self-worth relies on constant activity, advocating for 'lazy days' to nurture inner peace. The podcast also highlights the transformative role of mindfulness in daily life and community dynamics, urging listeners to embrace authentic connections and emotional growth.

Kate Raworth, creator of Doughnut Economics, dives into innovative economic thinking that prioritizes human needs within planetary limits. She discusses the synergy between her concepts and Buddhist teachings on interconnectedness, emphasizing the importance of community in fostering sustainable practices. Raworth shares insights from her experiences at a Plum Village retreat, reflecting on the transformative power of identity and collective action. With anecdotes from her journey, she inspires listeners to embrace authentic communities and redefine economic success.

Brother Phap Huu, a Zen Buddhist monk, and Jo Confino, a leadership coach and journalist, dive deep into the nature of painful feelings. They discuss Buddhist practices for embracing and transforming suffering, emphasizing mindfulness as a path to personal growth. Personal narratives are explored, showcasing how our stories shape perceptions and foster forgiveness. The conversation highlights the vital connection between individual healing and communal well-being, alongside practical techniques for self-compassion. It concludes with a transformative guided meditation.