The Way Out Is In

Welcome to episode 54 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 week, we bring you a very special joint episode of The Way Out Is In and fellow podcast Outrage + Optimism, which explores the stories behind climate change headlines. From the peace and tranquility of the International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach and journalist Jo Confino speak with Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac. Christiana Figueres, a student of Thich Nhat Hanh, was one of the architects of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, and is a valued member of the Plum Village Sangha. Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from 2010 to 2016, she is also the co-founder of Global Optimism, co-host of Outrage + Optimism, and co-author of the bestselling The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis.  Tom Rivett-Carnac is a political strategist, author, and podcaster who has spent more than 20 years working to address the climate and ecological crises. He is also a Founding Partner of Global Optimism, co-host of the podcast Outrage + Optimism, and co-author of The Future We Choose.  Listeners of both podcasts are invited to join an intimate and deep conversation which covers the spiritual elements missing from the climate movement; moving beyond linear timelines into exponential transformation; how to develop the power within ourselves to drive change; non-attachment to views; listening without judgment; what happens when we all stop; and much more. Plus, what is spiritual power and how can it support us?  So bring your tea to the table and let the radical collaboration begin. 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 resourcesChristiana Figuereshttp://christianafigueres.com/#/  Tom Rivett-Carnachttps://www.globaloptimism.com/tom-rivett-carnac The Art of Powerhttps://www.parallax.org/product/art-of-power/  Brother Phap Linh (Brother Spirit)https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-phap-linh  The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Villagehttps://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village  The B Teamhttps://bteam.org/  The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)https://unfccc.int/Zen and the Art of Saving the Planethttps://www.harpercollins.com/products/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet-thich-nhat-hanh  Music for Difficult Times: Awakening the Heart of Compassion by Brother Phap Linhhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YarhXTDs8Z4  The Way Out Is In: ‘Being the Change We Want to See in the World: A Conversation with Christiana Figueres (Episode #21)’https://plumvillage.org/podcast/being-the-change-we-want-to-see-in-the-world-a-conversation-with-christiana-figueres-episode-21 The Way Out Is In: ‘Benefitting from a Spiritual Practice: In Conversation with Tom Rivett-Carnac (Episode #37)’https://plumvillage.org/podcast/benefitting-from-a-spiritual-practice-in-conversation-with-tom-rivett-carnac-episode-37  The Way Out Is In: ‘Bringing the Ultimate Dimension Down to Earth (Episode #40)’https://plumvillage.org/podcast/bringing-the-ultimate-dimension-down-to-earth-episode-40  Aeschylushttps://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aeschylus  Quotes “Recognizing our own presence is already a power.” “The linearity of time is something that those of us who work on climate change live with on a daily basis. We have an alarm clock that is with us all the time because we have very clear timelines. We know that by 2100, we absolutely must have guaranteed that we do not go over 1.5 degrees [Celsius]. We know that in order to get there, we have to be at net zero by 2050. We know that in order to get to net zero by 2050, we have to be at one half of global emissions by 2030. And we know that to be at half emissions by 2030, we have to reduce yearly by 7%. So we take time and we pull it into our current experience and we derive mathematically, we derive then the implications of time upon our work. And so it is not surprising that those of us who work on climate change have a huge anxiety about time.”  “Time and space, we have to be attentive and mindful of them, but we can also be free from them, because this present moment that we’re living deeply is the seed that we need to plant for the future.” “Some of our transformation and actions of today, we may not see them until two, three, or five generations later – but nothing is lost. And that is the insight. And I believe it’s the truth of karma. The word karma, for us, is not what you hear in music: ‘What comes around, goes around,’ ‘Do better’… Yes, do better, but karma is much more profound than that. The actions of today, we don’t see them. Some of it, we will experience right away; we experience the transformation right away. But there are deeper transformations that need time for ripening.”  “Love has no frontier, it goes on forever.”  “There’s no way to find common ground without respecting and understanding the differences, because then you don’t see what’s common.”  “You can be a different person in how you show up.” “When you are able to live in the present moment, the right action emerges out of that space, out of that ultimate dimension that you are able to inhabit. If you can stay there and can trust that the best way to prepare for the future is to be in the present moment when it comes – rather than spend all of your time in your head trying to plan it out and think it through, which I think a lot of people get stuck in. Then, when that moment comes, what’s needed is there.” “Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God” – Aeschylus.

Welcome to episode 53 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, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach and journalist Jo Confino talk about what they learned and experienced on the recent Plum Village North American Tour, which consisted of retreats (including one for climate leaders and activists) and Plum Village’s first international music tour.  The two presenters reflect on how the Buddhist teachings and lessons offered by this series of public events can help people create a healthier culture of service, and deal with both personal suffering and the collective suffering of climate destruction, biodiversity loss, and social injustice. Also, what is fierce compassion and how can we practice with it? Brother Phap Huu further shares on “opening new Dharma doors”, the adaptation of old teachings to new cultures; the importance of music in engaged Buddhism and why incorporating the flavors of contemporary music matters; Thay as peace activist and poet; the message of the song ‘Little Star’ (which you get to listen to!); dealing with the energy of anger; deep connection; and more. And what did Thay say when Brother Phap Huu rapped at a Plum Village festivity? Jo also shares about innovation in the Plum Village tradition; resilience and guilt in the climate movement; novel teachings and itineraries for retreats; the deep spiritual dimension of  climate work; radical compassion; forgiveness and transforming the system; nondiscrimination around suffering; and more.  Thank you for listening. Enjoy! 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 resourcesHollyhockhttps://hollyhock.ca/  ‘Unborn and Indestructible (song)’https://plumvillage.org/library/songs/unborn-indestructible/  ‘Plum Village Announces North American Fundraising Concert Tour with Hip-Hop Artist Born I’https://www.lionsroar.com/plum-village-announces-north-american-fundraising-concert-tour/  Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong/  Brother Phap Linh (Brother Spirit)https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-phap-linh/  Sister Trai Nghiemhttps://www.parallax.org/authors/sister-trai-nghiem-2/Christiana Figuereshttp://christianafigueres.com/#/  Sister True Dedication https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem/  Sister Lang Nghiemhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-lang-nghiem  Tupachttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupac_Shakur  Lupe Fiascohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupe_Fiasco  Djembe drumshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DjembeThe Way Out Is In: ‘Engaged Buddhism: Applying the Teachings in Our Present Moment (Episode #9)’https://plumvillage.org/podcast/engaged-buddhism-applying-the-teachings-in-our-present-moment  Namo’valokiteshvaraya Chanthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZkjX_c4hm4 ‘Little Star’ (song video with lyrics)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3uu_Ru5U1c Quotes “The work of a monastic is service and our service is sowing seeds of awakening, or sowing seeds of mindfulness in today’s language.” “One of my experiences of Plum Village is that there’s a willingness to always innovate. While the core teachings remain present and are at the heart of everything, Thich Nhat Hanh talks about opening new Dharma doors. So there are always new ways, depending on cultural or technological changes, of reaching new audiences with the teachings.”  “Thich Nhat Hanh was an environmental leader and activist for more than 50 years, and he felt deeply around the need to help the environment, to collapse the separation between us and the environment, and the importance of dealing with our suffering so that we can deal with big issues like climate change and social inequality.” “Spirituality doesn’t mean becoming a Buddhist or following a religion; spirituality is the capacity of awakening which is in everyone: learning to stop our thoughts, our running, and connect to our suffering, taking care of it, transforming. That is spirituality.”  “The way out is interbeing.” “Mindfulness is a path of understanding and transformation to cultivate nonviolence, peace, awakening, and love.”  “Love is regeneration.”  “With our thoughts, we create the world.” “Fierce compassion is a deep, deep strength that not only can help change the world, but sustain that change.”  “Anger is not the solution. Anger is an energy to recognize, to practice with; guide it through walking meditation, guide it through being with nature. Because once you realize that your energy, your emotions, are also impermanence, you know that if it goes up, it will have to come down and you can come back to the situation with a different energy. And if you have practiced for a long time, you can channel your anger right away. You make sure that your anger is not the foundation of your words, your mind, and your actions.” “In Buddhism, the deepest insight of practice is to break free from all views: to touch interbeing so that we can be free and see the truth behind all manifestations, the forms that we meet, whether it is a person, whether it is their energy… Are we meeting just their anger, or can we see beyond their anger and still have compassion and help them out of their suffering?”  “There are always new ways of seeing the world, and if you’re not adapting to that, then the teachings don’t become relevant.” “Family is not just genetic blood; family is shared aspiration, shared understanding, shared support that we offer for one another, and seeing each other as human beings.” “Often people chat to hide away from things, so when they’re given silence, it allows other things to emerge.” “It’s not about forgiving the system, it’s about understanding the system. We can’t forgive a system, but once we understand it, we can transform it. It’s not about forgiving all the time.”“The present moment is your canvas and your mindfulness, and your body, speech, and mind is the paintbrush that you paint with.”

Welcome to episode 52 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 time, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach and journalist Jo Confino are joined again by frequent podcast guest Sister True Dedication (Sister Hien Nghiem). Together, they respond to further questions from listeners in this second part of our first question and answer session of 2023.We hope that their answers will show how the teachings can help people who are in distress or are dealing with critical issues – but also simply how to find more joy in our lives.  This installment’s questions and answers cover topics ranging from how to create a practice with no sangha to how to develop a spiritual practice in busy, stressful lives; how to find meaningful communities and connections and become aware of our own story and that of our ancestors; understanding the complexity of ancestry and transmitted wisdom; belonging and home; intention and aspiration; the quality of presence; how to engage mindfully in a policing role; the difference between mindfulness and concentration; finding the sweetness of joy in life and making simple things your joy – and much more. To give a flavor of Plum Village Q and A sessions, the two monastics share memories including a story about Thay singing a song during a Q and A session for children.  And what question do you think people should be asking? Or don’t ask enough?There’s an answer to this one, too.Thank you for listening, and for sharing your deep questions! 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 resourcesThe Way Out Is In: ‘Listeners’ Questions: Responding from the Heart (Episode #51)’https://plumvillage.org/podcast/listeners-questions-responding-from-the-heart-episode-51/Sister True Dedication https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem/  Touching the Earthhttps://plumvillage.org/books/touching-the-earth/  The European Institute of Applied Buddhism (EIAB)https://plumvillage.org/practice-centre/eiab/  Dharma Talks: ‘The Five Skandhas of Grasping and Non-Self​’https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-five-skandhas-of-grasping-and-non-self%E2%80%8B-dharma-talk-by-br-phap-lai-2018-06-08/  Find a local grouphttps://plumvillage.org/community/international-sangha-directory/  Local communities (sanghas)https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/local-communities-sanghas  Kristallnachthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht  The Miracle of Mindfulnesshttps://plumvillage.org/books/the-miracle-of-mindfulness/ Sutras: ‘Discourse on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone’https://plumvillage.org/library/sutras/discourse-on-knowing-the-better-way-to-live-alone/  ‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village’https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village/  Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong/  Dharma Talk: ‘Mindfulness and the Police’ by Cheri Mapleshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ4jrd9IIh0  A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planethttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50747101-a-field-guide-to-climate-anxiety  Zen and the Art of Saving the Planethttps://www.harpercollins.com/products/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet-thich-nhat-hanh?variant=40244149878818  Online course: Zen and the Art of Saving the Planethttps://plumvillage.org/courses/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet/  The Way Out Is In: ‘Connecting to Our Roots: Ancestors, Continuation and Transformation (Episode #5)’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHqj5mLGW5c  Quotes “As long as you are breathing and have awareness to be with your breath, that is an opportunity. And nobody can take that away, besides our old excuses.” “At the beginning of my practice, I thought that mindfulness meant doing sitting meditation for 30 minutes every morning or having to do sacred reading or something, and having some kind of spiritual structure or program. And, actually, thanks to the five mindfulness trainings and coming on retreats here, I was like, ‘Oh, mindfulness is in three dimensions. Mindfulness is how I listen to my boss at work. Mindfulness is how I don’t get into arguments with my housemates.’ And I started to realize this three- or four-dimensionality of mindfulness, which is about how I choose to spend my time.” “If we think of our separate selves as just our life and what we’ve experienced, that cuts off an enormous amount of intelligence, knowledge, and understanding that can help us to understand ourselves more deeply and to heal ourselves.” “Some of the themes we’ve been speaking about are also around despair, and in the Buddhist teachings, intention – what we’d call aspiration – is the antidote and the medicine for despair. And so, if we’re feeling dull in our life, it may be because we haven’t yet identified what we really want and aren’t acting on it.”  “We do not know how long we have. And if mindfulness can give us anything, it is awakening to what is most important to us.” “Mindfulness is mindfulness when it starts to generate more love and understanding.” “Mindfulness is not a pill, but it is a path.” “For us, mindfulness always contains within it love, understanding, and helping people to suffer less. But it also goes to the roots. And what’s happening now is that there are a lot of mindfulness products which are more about wellbeing and making you feel good. But for us, mindfulness does so much more. It gets to the root of our suffering so we can transform what is painful in our life, so we can generate more happiness in our life, so we can heal, sometimes healing things over many generations.” “It’s not that you can only be mindful in nature. So somehow challenging ourselves to see what is extraordinary about any moment in front of us, and to give ourselves space to enjoy those moments, can really bring back the sweetness.” 

Sister True Dedication, a Zen Buddhist nun known for her insights and teachings, joins the hosts to address burning listener questions. They delve into the art of being brave, the journey of self-expression in today's cancel culture, and the importance of authenticity in navigating emotional pain. The discussion highlights transforming anger into compassion and exploring forgiveness within family dynamics. Through personal stories and Buddhist wisdom, Sister True Dedication offers practical guidance for enhancing joy and mindfulness in everyday life.

This discussion dives deep into the challenges of self-acceptance and the struggle between self-loathing and self-compassion. The speakers explore the importance of mindfulness and emotional shifts, emphasizing that happiness isn't solely found in achievements. They celebrate the necessity of personal narratives and the way they shape identity while advocating for genuine connections. The conversation culminates in a guided meditation, fostering a sense of acceptance, compassion, and presence in our ever-changing journeys.

Explore the deeper meaning of freedom through a Buddhist lens, connecting it to responsibility and personal growth. Delve into self-awareness and the impact of desires on true liberation. Discover how genuine connections enhance our freedom and how simplicity can redefine our human experience. Learn to find balance between energy and stillness, and reflect on the ongoing struggles for peace. The journey culminates in mindfulness, showcasing the transformative power of breathing and presence.

Discover the delicate dance between fame and humility as two hosts share personal experiences from different corners of the world. They explore how humility nurtures personal growth and community, while fame often leads to emptiness. Unpacking the impact of leadership on ego and connection, they emphasize the power of authentic relationships over superficial status. Delve into guided meditations and mindfulness practices that highlight simplicity, curiosity, and the joy of living authentically.

Welcome to episode 47 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 special episode features a precious recording of Thich Nhat Hanh which was previously thought lost. Dating from 2012, it documents an interview journalist Jo Confino conducted with the Zen master in Plum Village’s Toadskin Hut. (Though since remastered, be aware that some background noise remains.)  The conversation covers a wide range of absorbing topics, from the environment, climate change, and civilizational collapse to consumerism, the simple life, 70 years of practicing mindfulness, new Buddhism, passing on, and sangha as continuation.  The recording is introduced by Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and Jo Confino, who provide details about the context of the interview and the significance of certain places, people, and events which are mentioned.“Thay is relaxed, insightful, open, and being Thay at his very best.”Enjoy! 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  ‘The Toadskin Hut and Paths of Legend’https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/the-toadskin-hut-and-paths-of-legend/  ‘Our Hamlets’https://plumvillage.org/about/plum-village/hamlet/  Outrage + Optimismhttps://www.outrageandoptimism.org/  Brother Phap Linhhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-phap-linh/  Brother Phap Laihttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/br-phap-lai/  ‘Bat Nha: The Indestructible Seed of Awakening’https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/bat-nha-the-seed-of-awakening/  Rains Retreat 2023-24https://plumvillage.org/retreats/info/rains-retreat-2023/  Plum Village International Center in Thailandhttps://plumvillage.org/practice-centre/plum-village-thailand/  ‘New Contemplations before Eating’https://plumvillage.org/articles/news/new-contemplations-before-eating/  Mahatma Gandhihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi  Hurricane Sandyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Sandy  Stupashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupa  Marahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mara_(demon)  ‘The Five Mindfulness Trainings’https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-5-mindfulness-trainings/  40 Years of Plum Village: ‘Dharma Lamp Transmission during the 40 Years of Plum Village Retreat (June 11-12, 2022)’https://plumvillage.org/articles/dharma-lamp-transmission-during-the-40-years-of-plum-village-retreat-june-11-12-2022/  Shambhala Sun/Lion’s Roarhttps://www.lionsroar.com/shambhala-sun-is-changing-its-name-to-lions-roar-2/  ‘Plum Village Practice in Vietnam – Some Background’https://plumvillage.org/articles/blog/monastic/plum-village-vietnam-background/  Quotes “Love has no frontier.” “When you are grateful, you are happy.” “Why should they have the courage to think about the suffering of the Earth or the environment? They try not to think about it, like a camel who doesn’t want to realize that there’s a lion ahead, so they’re just looking to the sand in order to see only the sand. So that is the attitude of men; we are afraid, we don’t want to see the truth.”  “Thay sent a message to the root temple [Tu Hieu Temple] saying, ‘You should not build a stupa for Thay, because Thay is continued out here.’ One person has already built a temple for Thay in Hanoi, so I reminded them to make the inscription outside, on the front: ‘I am not in here.’ And then if people don’t understand, you add a second sentence: ‘I’m not out there either.’ And if they still don’t understand, add the third and the last sentence: ‘I may be found, maybe in your way of breathing or walking. I’m not in here.’ The root temple has received that message. I said I don’t want to waste the land of the temple in order to build me a stupa. Don’t put me in a small pot in there; I don’t want to continue like that. It’s better to put the ash outside to help the trees to grow. That is the meditation.” “It’s not true that I will die one day, because I have already died many times. And you die every moment and you are reborn in every moment.” “The foundation of your happiness is understanding and love. So if you have that insight and you live by that insight, you will not be fearful anymore.”  “We are happy because we are able to have the Buddha and to renew his teachings. He’s deeply misunderstood by many people, so we try to make the teachings available and simple enough so that people, all people, can make good use of that teaching and practice.”  “Taking a walk and nourishing yourself never harmed anyone.” “And if this body has 100 years’ mortality, Thay will continue to practice, to learn how to love better, to understand better; there’s no limit to the practice. And I think that is true of the human race: we can continue to learn, generation after generation. And I think it’s time for us to begin to learn how to love in non-discriminative ways. Because we are intelligent enough, but we are not loving enough as a race, as a species.”  “I think our perception of time may help, because for us, it [the climate crisis] is a very alarming notion – but if Mother Earth suffers, she knows that she has the power to heal herself. If needed, she will take one hundred million years to heal herself. But for us, we think that our time on Earth is only 100 years, and that is why we are impatient. But I think the collective karma, the collective ignorance, anger, and violence of our race, will lead to our destruction.”

Welcome to episode 46 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 time, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino talk about healthy boundaries. In this busy and complex world is it possible to remain open and vulnerable whilst also ensuring our safety and protection? This question is answered via stories from the Buddha’s time and Thich Nhat Hanh’s life and teachings, as well as from the presenters’ own life experiences.    Brother Phap Huu further shares about practicing awareness; the two protectors: the warrior and the bodhisattva; teaching and the importance of understanding those you teach; deep listening and loving speech; friendships that end and being OK with someone not loving us; setting boundaries with people who have passed away; and creating a bodhisattva heart. Also, if there’s no self, why are we protecting it? Jo shares about courage and communication; speaking the truth; protecting ourselves from abusive behavior; loving people from a distance; change and shifting boundaries; and the power of presence.The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. 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  Bodhisattvahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva  Bhikkhuhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BhikkhuMahāyānahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana  Classes: ‘Right Diligence’https://plumvillage.org/library/classes/class-13-right-diligence/  Old Path, White Cloudshttps://plumvillage.org/books/old-path-white-clouds-2/  Aṅgulimālahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%E1%B9%85gulim%C4%81la  The Five Mindfulness Trainingshttps://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-5-mindfulness-trainings/  Deer Park Monasteryhttps://deerparkmonastery.org/ Quotes “Being mindful, having love for oneself, is also learning to be true to oneself. And sometimes that means learning to say no to certain situations because we’re not yet capable. The practice here is not to feel despair or to lose faith in oneself because one cannot yet embrace such a situation; that can become an ingredient for aspiration and determination, so that we can cultivate our capacity to be there, to embrace, and to transform.”  “Am I watering the seeds of mindfulness, the seeds of concentration, the seeds of understanding, the seeds of kindness? Or am I being watered by the seeds of violence, anger, fear, despair, jealousy? As a practitioner, mindfulness becomes a light to identify what is coming into our senses via our eyes, our ears, our nose, our tongue, our mind, and our body. And we have to learn to be mindful of what is coming in, because that will be the energy for us to give out.”  “A good teacher, a good leader, a good parent, a good mentor is someone who is attentive to the kind of training that the one that they’re training needs. Our teacher, Thay was very mindful in understanding his students. In a way, Thay was studying us and he had to have the sensitivity – his mindfulness and his openness – to see each student differently and recognize what kind of ‘medicine’ they needed.”  “In hostile moments, if it’s not safe, you are allowed to protect yourself. Don’t think that being compassionate is to withstand everything; we also have to love ourselves. We have to know our capacity, we have to protect ourselves for everyone else. Thay would sometimes tell us, ‘You are more than just you: you also have to protect your teacher, which is me, you have to protect your parents, who are your ancestors, and your colleagues. So don’t allow yourself to burn out, because when you do, we all burn out with you.’ And at first I thought he was just referring to work, but there is also burning out in our spirit. We have to continue to nourish our heart and compassion. We have to know our limits.”  “Please, do not wait until you are angry, until you are violent, to practice. At that moment, it is too late. We have to already have invested our capacity to embrace and call our emotion by its name in the present moment.”  “If you want revenge, dig two graves.” “With distance, there’s understanding. With time, the heat of the moment dissipates.”  “A good teacher is someone who takes time to have a relationship. I truly believe that before trying to help someone, I have to also have time to be human with that person: having a cup of tea, seeing them as a friend, not just as a student or as younger, or a mentee.”  “In Buddhism we always say don’t be too intense with everything but also not too loose, knowing what is enough.” “Sometimes true love is just learning to let go.” “Thay talks about how, if you say something negative to someone or you’ve acted in anger, you can send a kind thought afterwards to neutralize it.” 

Welcome to episode 45 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 time, the presenters – Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino – are joined by lay practitioner Nick Kenrick to talk about Plum Village as a healing center, the many reasons people go there, and the personal transformations and deep healing life journeys taking place there. For the past 18 months, Nick has been living with the Plum Village community of monastics and lay practitioners, and kindly agreed to share his own transformative deep healing journey.  Nick Kenrick worked as a diplomat for the British government for nine years before retraining to work as a psychotherapist for the next decade. He has visited Plum Village every year since Thay and his monastics came to the UK in 2010, and helped to found Wake Up London — a local sangha for younger practitioners in the city – following Thay’s visit. He joined the Order of Interbeing in 2018 and has been living in Plum Village since June 2021.  Nick’s deep sharing touches upon the conditions that brought him to Plum Village, and upon exhaustion and breakdown, changing careers, and recovery and aspects of healing, including the practices he found refuge in. He further delves into individual and collective suffering; perceptions and the roots of conflict; befriending despair; psychotherapy and spiritual practice; healthy boundaries; following ‘the schedule’; sharing circles; taking refuge in the sangha; and much more. In addition, Brother Phap Huu shares about Plum Village as a practice center for meditation and mindfulness; the energy of collective mindfulness; meditation and its healing dimension; mindfulness of the body; and the importance of the schedule in the life of the community.  And Jo recollects aspects of his own healing journey, and of learning through practice about some hard facts of life.You also get to witness the Plum Village tradition of watering the positive seeds and showing appreciation.  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  Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong/  Wake Up Londonhttps://wakeuplondon.org/  Order of Interbeinghttps://orderofinterbeing.org/‘Home Practices for the Rains Retreat’https://plumvillage.org/articles/home-practices-for-the-rains-retreat/  ‘Extended Practises’ (Dharma sharing)https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/extended-practises/  The Organic Happy Farmshttps://plumvillage.org/community/happy-farm/  Brother Phap Linhhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-phap-linh/  Sister True Dedicationhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem/  Calligraphyhttps://plumvillage.org/thich-nhat-hanh/calligraphy/  ‘The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings’https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-14-mindfulness-trainings/  Bodhicittahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhicitta  Quotes “Plum Village is a place where monks, nuns, and lay practitioners come to cultivate the seeds of mindfulness and the seeds of awareness, so that they can take care of their personal lives physically and emotionally. And through meditation, it offers a space and time to reflect.” “Plum Village has evolved into a community where practitioners live together, practice together, and produce an energy of collective mindfulness. And this collective mindfulness can become a source of energy to help individuals return to themselves, to look deeply within their current situation and find a way to heal, and find a way to rediscover themselves, so that they can come to the base of their suffering for a real transformation.”  “We never say meditation and Zen will heal you completely and take care of all your suffering. Because for us, it’s a journey, it’s a path, and, actually, suffering is a part of the antidote. Suffering is a part of the transformation – so this understanding of Zen and Buddhism is very important; we’re not here to give you a quick fix: it’s a commitment to be with oneself and to learn to be vulnerable to oneself, as well as to others. I believe that’s where true transformation can begin, because that’s accepting oneself.”  “Spirituality, the practice of meditation, also has a dimension of healing, because what is healing? For us, healing is having time to stop, to rest, and to discover what is happening in the here and now, physically, emotionally, and mentally, so that we can rebalance and not suppress our wounds, but have time to care for them, to mend them, to patch them, to give them the tenderness that they need.” “I’m so grateful to Thay for using organic metaphors in the teachings, [for suggesting] that being a mindfulness practitioner is like being a gardener. Sometimes you’ve got this really smelly compost, I mean, awful: ‘What on Earth can I do with this?’ And I did not know what to do with this except to follow the schedule and watch my mind. And gradually I saw my mind turning it over. The following day, it would be softer, some of the edges would come off. And then I would see that it would bring pains up, it would turn them over; they would go down again. And I began to realize that there was a practitioner within my mind that was starting to take care of this for me. And the condition I needed to provide was to keep showing up, to let that process work.” “If I wake up in the morning and I feel good, I follow the schedule. If I wake up and I feel bad, I follow the schedule. If I wake up and I’m consumed by existential dread and despair, I follow the schedule. And I recognize through this the potential for a gradual liberation; that no matter what state I’m in, I can follow the schedule, because the schedule is so fundamentally wholesome.” “Being open is the first element of learning.”  “When we learn to practice, we always say, ‘Feel the breath, don’t think about the breath.’ We say, ‘Feel the body, don’t think about the body.’ Because if you are mindful, you can feel the tension, you can feel the muscles. And the body is a teacher. If you truly learn to tune into your body, you know what to do and what not to do.”  “Don’t wait until you suffer to practice. It’s too late by then; you won’t know how to practice, because you haven’t yet tasted the goodness of the practice.”  “The engine that was moving forwards left me with a sense of helplessness, because I could only do the bit I could do. But it was enough to experience in that situation these awful conflicts; when perceptions changed and when trust could develop, and when the humanity of each other could be recognized, genuine change in attitude and motivation could take place. I saw that in conflict. Of course, I’ve also seen that in the therapy room; I’ve seen that in the community. And the Buddha’s diagnosis was that, when we get down to the root, the drivers of pain and suffering will be in the energies of hatred, of delusion, of ignorance, of greed. That’s absolutely what I saw.” “The despair held in mindfulness was slowly dissolving aspects of my past that I was very locked onto. And when I started to see that these experiences of very deep pain could actually be healing experiences, healing me of a fixation or an attachment, when there were enough conditions of safety and mindfulness and care around, there was a very deep shift in my relationship to suffering.” “When we become rigid and certain about a worldview and we need to have other people agree with it, peace will not come. That is not the way to peace. We can’t wait for everyone to hold the same view. We need the tools to live in harmony; even when we have different perceptions, we have ways to work with it.”