The Way Out Is In

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.

Brother Phap Huu, a Zen Buddhist monk, and Jo Confino, a leadership coach and journalist, dive deep into the nuances of finding a spiritual path. They discuss how community support and personal experiences shape one's spiritual journey. The conversation touches on the necessity of feeling at home in spiritual practices and the importance of embracing discomfort for true growth. They also emphasize bringing spirituality into daily life and the transformative power of meditation, ending with a guided session that fosters mindfulness and presence.

In this podcast, a panel discusses feeling safe, belonging, and finding home in the world. They explore healing the past, challenging worldviews, building resilience, and more. The conversation touches on community, localization, misinformation, and embracing diverse perspectives.

Panel discussion on mindfulness trainings, nonviolence in activism, and facing anger and burnout. Insights on engaged Buddhism, sanghas in activism, victim-perpetrator dynamic, and spiritual dimension of change. Emphasis on personal transformation, community support, systemic change, conflict resolution, and presence in a distracted society.

Jo Confino, leadership coach/journalist, discusses the art of land regeneration and happy farming with Mick McEvoy and Sister Trang Lam Hy. They touch on Zen philosophies, seasonal planting, mindfulness in farming, collective awakening, empathy for our food, and the importance of growing vegetables. The conversation highlights the intersection of Zen Buddhism with land regeneration and the nobility of the farmer, emphasizing care for the Earth and producing food in times of crisis.

Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino discuss Right Livelihood in Buddhism, finding joy and connection at work, balancing ego and compassion, and being present while planning for the future. The conversation includes insights on aligning work with values, healing emotional wounds, embracing joy in the journey of work, and practicing mindfulness in the workplace. The episode ends with a guided meditation by Brother Phap Huu.

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 Phu 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.”  “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, its different understandings.”

Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and Jo Confino discuss the practice of gratitude in Buddhism, its power in challenging circumstances, and the struggle to apply it. Topics include interbeing, loneliness, gratitude for all beings, economic development in Bhutan, and daily gratitude practices. The episode ends with a guided meditation on gratitude.

Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino discuss 'manas': the aspect of the mind that craves pleasure, avoids suffering, and resists moderation. They delve into right diligence, Buddhist psychology, community importance, the seven characteristics of manas, and end with a guided meditation.