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The Way Out Is In

The Miracle of Mindfulness: Thich Nhat Hanh in Conversation with Krista Tippett (Episode #19)

The Way Out Is In

Plum Village

Education, Religion & Spirituality, Self-improvement, Buddhism, Mental Health, Health & Fitness

0.0 • 0 Ratings

🗓️ 28 January 2022

⏱️ 47 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Welcome to episode 19 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. Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh passed away on January 22nd, 2022. As we grieve our dear teacher, we also want to celebrate his enduring legacy with the podcast’s first special edition.Therefore, we are sharing an edited recording of Thich Nhat Hanh interviewed by Krista Tippett during a USA tour in 2003, at a lakeside Christian conference center in rural Wisconsin.   The interview is reproduced with kind permission of Krista Tippett and her podcast and radio show On Being.Peabody Award-winning broadcaster Krista Tippett is a National Humanities Medalist and a New York Times bestselling author. She attended Brown University, then worked as a journalist and diplomat in Cold War Berlin. Subsequently, she lived in Spain and England before receiving a Master of Divinity at Yale University in the mid 1990s. The episode starts with an introduction by Brother Phap Huu – Thich Nhat Hanh’s former attendant, and the current Abbott of Upper Hamlet, Plum Village. The brother recites one of Thay’s best known poems and pays tribute to his beloved teacher.In the interview, Thich Nhat Hanh offers gentle wisdom for living in a world of anger and violence, through concepts such as engaged Buddhism, ‘being peace’, and mindfulness. He shares the story behind his classic book The Miracle of Mindfulness, and discusses the Vietnamese connotations of the word ‘mindfulness’; transforming suffering; and building a community of practice and teaching mindfulness to different groups – from members of the US Congress to Hollywood filmmakers and law enforcement officers.One segment of the interview focuses on dealing with war and ‘enemies’; the repetitive patterns of war, with a focus on the Vietnam and Iraq wars and the ‘war on terror’ taking place at the time. He further delves into: the root causes of war, anger, forgiveness, and peacekeeping; collective awakening; and viewing the world through the eyes of compassion. What is compassion in the wake of a terrorist attack? Does the practice of mindfulness cause forgiveness to become instinctual? And what were Thay’s pressing questions in 2003? Thay also recites poems in both English and Vietnamese and comments on their meanings and shifting contexts, such as the relevance of his 40-year-old poem ‘Illusion Transformed’ to the realities of 2003.  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  ‘Recommendation’https://plumvillage.org/articles/recommendation/ ‘Alone Again’ https://plumvillage.org/library/songs/alone-again-promise-me/ The Miracle of Mindfulness https://plumvillage.org/books/the-miracle-of-mindfulness/ ‘Illusion Transformed’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq5HHRJ9pIk  Drops of Emptinesshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/424577.Drops_of_Emptiness  ‘For Warmth’https://plumvillage.org/articles/for-warmth-thays-poem-in-my-two-hands-betsy-roses-song/  Fragrant Palm Leaves https://plumvillage.org/books/fragrant-palm-leaves/ Thich Nhat Hanh address to the US Congress, September 10, 2003https://plumvillage.org/it/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/thich-nhat-hanh-address-to-us-congress-september-10-2003/0/ ‘Mindfulness, Suffering and Engaged Buddhism’ (interviews with Thich Nhat Hanh, Cheri Maples, and Larry Ward)https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/interviews-with-thich-nhat-hanh/thich-nhat-hanh-on-mindfulness-suffering-and-engaged-buddhism/  The United Nationshttps://www.un.org/en/  The Vietnam Warhttps://en.wi

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to another episode in our podcast The Way Out is In, dear listeners. I am sitting in Plum Village

0:11.2

Upper Hamlet and I am sharing with you the news that our teacher,

0:16.0

Zen Master Tikikhan, has passed away on January 22, in the year 2022. 22. We are in a solemn moment in Plum Village as we are griefing the passing of

0:31.4

our teacher, but at the same time we are celebrating the

0:36.3

manifestation of our teacher in every one of us who follows his teaching and

0:42.0

put into practice,

0:44.0

mindfulness, breathing, and love.

0:48.0

During these moments as we grieve the passing of our teacher.

0:54.0

I haven't been able to pull myself together to record new episodes,

1:00.0

but nevertheless, I am still honoring my teacher and one way is I have been reading some of his poems and this poem really stands out for me. It teaches about interbeing and deep looking.

1:19.6

So I would like to read this poem, recommendation, as well as to sing it to all of you.

1:26.7

As a gift to my beloved teachers and master Tignihan and to all of you who have been following us and supporting us with a lot of love

1:36.3

thank you for being there.

1:40.3

Recommendation. Promise me.

1:46.0

Promise me this day. Promise me now.

1:51.0

While the sun is overhead exactly at the zenith, promise me.

1:58.0

Even as they strike you down with a mountain of hatred and violence, even as they step on you and crush you like a

2:07.3

worm. Even as they dismember and disembowel you, remember brother, remember man is not our enemy.

2:19.9

The only thing worthy of you is compassion, invincible, limitless, unconditional.

2:28.0

Hatred will never let you face the beast in man. One day when you face this beast alone with your courage

2:39.6

intact your eyes kind untroubled, even as no one sees them out of your smile will bloom

2:49.2

a flower and those who love you will behold you across 10,000 worlds of birth and dying.

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