Paths of Change and Resistance (Episode #114)

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Welcome to a new episode 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 Jo Confino are joined by Zen Buddhist nun Sister True Dedication. Together, they explore the significance and offerings of the Plum Village community – a sanctuary of peace, healing, and mindfulness, in stark contrast to the fast-paced, consumer-driven world outside.

The three speakers further discuss the importance of a physical environment for spiritual practice, where individuals can reconnect with their true selves; the value of community living, where monastics share a collective career and work towards the flourishing of the community rather than individual success; the relevance of the five mindfulness trainings, which serve as ethical guidelines for personal and societal transformation; and much more.

The conversation also touches upon the need for support to maintain and expand the Plum Village facilities, the importance of generosity, and the impact of supporting engaged monastic communities.

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

Plum Village Traditionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Village_Tradition

The Bodhisattva vowhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva_vow

The Five Mindfulness Trainingshttps://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-5-mindfulness-trainings

The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainingshttps://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-14-mindfulness-trainings

Es Devlinhttps://esdevlin.com/

Rebecca Solnithttps://www.rebeccasolnit.net/

The Way Out Is In: ‘Stepping into Freedom – Live Recording with Q&A Session (Episode #67)’https://plumvillage.org/podcast/stepping-into-freedom-live-recording-with-qa-session-episode-67

The Way Out Is In: ‘Cultivating Joy and Togetherness in the Midst of Hardship (Episode #95)’https://plumvillage.org/podcast/cultivating-joy-and-togetherness-in-the-midst-of-hardship-episode-95

Quotes

“Plum Village emerged from our teacher’s vision of how the world could look and feel different from mainstream society. From the beginning, Plum Village has been a community of resistance. We could even call it a community of resilience: a physical environment that holds different values to the mainstream consciousness. We can all recognize those values. It might be unbridled capitalism, craving, consumerism, violence, or excesses of different kinds that we see in our immediate lives, around us, and in the economic and labor systems that we’re a part of. The vision for Plum Village was, ‘What if we create a physical environment that models entirely different values?’ Embodying those values is the resistance. For example, embodying peace, harmony, collectiveness, and community rather than individualism.”

“We need to reclaim our sovereignty from the machines of our creation.”

“Plum Village is holding an environment of peace and healing and freedom from the rat race; freedom from the world of technological overwhelm.”

“At a retreat, we are invited into a space of sharing our generosity in presence. We’re not sitting for ourselves: we’re sitting for the collective. When we are taking care of our emotions, we’re also taking care of the emotions of the collective, because we start to see the interbeing of the individual and the collective, their interconnectedness.”

“We