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The Way Out Is In

Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet (Episode #4)

The Way Out Is In

Plum Village

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

0.00 Ratings

🗓️ 2 September 2021

⏱️ 51 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Welcome to episode four 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, presenters Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and lay Buddhist practitioner and journalist Jo Confino are joined by special guest Zen Buddhist nun Sister True Dedication (Sister Hien Nghiem). Together, they address contemporary environmental crises and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s ethical framework of living, to help us reach a better future – as presented in his new book, Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet.  The three further discuss Buddhist insights into the many existential crises faced by the global community; practical ways people can become empowered; not being overwhelmed by the suffering in the world, and how to work with our emotions to take positive action.  Jo recollects interviewing Christiana Figueres, the architect of the Paris Climate Agreement, including on how the practice of mindfulness was instrumental in her achievements, and the importance of deep listening in global talks.  Brother Phap Huu explains the insight of interbeing; the practice of gratitude; and shares about walking the (sustainability) talk in Plum Village; the ‘no car days’, shifting to veganism during a 800-people retreat, and starting a happy farm to become more self-sufficient and in touch with the Earth as a community of practitioners.Sister True Dedication talks about editing Thich Nhat Hanh’s new book, Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet; the hardest part of working on a book; Thay’s involvement in the environmental movement since the early 1970s, as a pioneer of deep ecology; the importance of joy and vitality for facing hard times; falling in love with the Earth; accessing the insight of interbeing in our daily lives, and having fulfilled present moments; finding peace and equanimity in a suffering world; practicing deep truth; taking care of our despair.  Finally, the sister ends the episode with a guided meditation. 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 Zen and the Art of Saving the Planethttps://www.parallax.org/product/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet/ Deep ecologyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_ecologySpiritual ecologyhttps://plumvillage.org/book/spiritual-ecology-the-cry-of-the-earth/  Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong/The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecologyhttps://www.parallax.org/product/the-world-we-have-a-buddhist-approach-to-peace-and-ecology/Other key books by Thich Nhat Hanhhttps://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/key-books/ Alfred Hasslerhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Hassler  The Diamond Sutrahttps://plumvillage.org/sutra/the-diamond-that-cuts-through-illusion/   Christiana Figuereshttp://christianafigueres.com/#/ Jo Confino interviews Christina Figuereshttps://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/climate-change-unfccc-christiana-figueresParis Climate Agreement https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement  Blue Cliff Monasteryhttps://www.bluecliffmonastery.org/  Happy Farmhttps://plumvillage.org/community/happy-farm/  A koanhttps://plumvillage.org/bg/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/bat-nha-a-koan/ Quotes “To be able to see heaven on earth is part of our mindfulness practice.” “What we learn in this kind of spiritual practice is that it’s a very embodied, complete, fully human experience of what it means to be alive and to be on this planet.” “If we allow ourselves to fall in love with the Eart

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi everyone. Welcome back to the latest episode of the podcast The Way Out is In. I am Joe Konfino and I am Brother Fophoo.

0:17.0

I am Joe Konfino and I am Brother Faphoo and in this episode we got a special guest

0:27.8

Sister True Dedication who spent the last two years editing a new book by Tignat Han called Zen and the Art of Saving the

0:35.5

the Planet.

0:36.5

And we're going to be going into detail about the environmental and social crisis we're facing and

0:41.9

how Zen master Tign Tickn's ethical framework of living can help us reach a new better future.

0:48.0

The way out is in. Sister, why don't you just introduce yourself and then we'll say why you are here?

1:06.0

Well, hello everybody. I'm very happy to join you, very happy to sit here with Brother

1:11.4

Fapu and with Joe, dear friends of mine and spiritual brothers on the path.

1:17.9

And I'm just happy to be in your company, happy to have some time together and happy to explore whatever you're going to ask me about,

1:24.1

although I'm still not quite sure what that's going to be.

1:26.7

Excellent, we'll keep you on your toes. So, Sister True Dedication, the reason you're here is

1:32.4

because you are literally just this week finished editing

1:35.8

Tignat Hans, latest book, Zen and the art of saving the planet which we all know is going to be a bestseller.

1:42.4

I want to just start by asking you a little bit about

1:46.4

the history of Tiknot Han or Thai as he's known, teacher. What can you just tell us a bit about

1:51.5

his past in terms of the environmental movement?

1:54.8

Well I think the word I'd probably use to describe our teacher's involvement is as a pioneer of perhaps we could call it deep ecology or spiritual

2:06.3

ecology and since the early 1970s he's been really concerned for the situation of the planet and in 1970,

2:18.0

1971 he understood it in terms of damage to the planet. That was already a time when there was deforestation,

2:25.6

there was pollution, but it wasn't much discussed and we hadn't yet had the first

2:30.4

UN conference on the environment. that came in 1972 in Stockholm.

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