Welcome to episode 71 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.
We’re delighted to share this special two-part installment with you, which was recorded in June 2024 at the recent Plum Village retreat, Ancient Path for Modern Times.
This is the second recording of a panel discussion based loosely around the 14 mindfulness trainings – Thich Nhat Hanh’s ethical guidelines for living, a modern distillation of the traditional Bodhisattva precepts of Mahayana Buddhism. The trainings are followed by monastics and lay friends who have made a formal vow to receive, study, and observe them.
In the panel, you will hear from leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino, Sister Lang Nghiem, one of the senior nuns in Plum Village, and Elli Weisbaum. Their conversation focuses on what it is to feel safe in the world, what it is to belong, and what it is like to feel at home in the world, and touches upon topics such as healing the past in the present moment; spiritual homes; community building; localization; being aware of indoctrination; challenging our worldviews; misinformation; creating resilience; and much more.
Dr. Elli Weisbaum, BFA, MES, PhD, has worked internationally facilitating mindfulness workshops and retreats within the sectors of education, healthcare, and business. She is currently the Acting Program Director for the Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health Program (BPMH), at New College, University of Toronto, Canada. At the heart of her teaching and research is an interest in cultivating learning and occupational environments where all members of the community can flourish and thrive. She attended her first retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh at the age of 10 and has continued to train with the Plum Village community. Elli’s background in both academic research and traditional mindfulness practice provides a distinct approach to her ongoing work teaching and researching in the field. Read more on her website.Thank you for listening, and 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
Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing
The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainingshttps://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-14-mindfulness-trainingsMahayanahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana
Elli Weisbaumhttps://www.elliweisbaum.com/
Sister Chan Lang Nghiemhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-lang-nghiem
The Order of Interbeinghttps://orderofinterbeing.org/
Jamie Bristowhttps://www.jamiebristow.com/
Sister Chan Khonghttps://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong
Christiana Figuereshttps://www.globaloptimism.com/christiana-figueres
Dharma Talks: ‘Nutriments for Healing’https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/nutriments-for-healing
Deer Park Monasteryhttps://deerparkmonastery.org/
Sister Chan Duchttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-chan-duc
A Cloud Never Dieshttps://plumvillage.org/a-cloud-never-dies
Quotes
“You practice in the good times so that when the bad, difficult times come, you’re prepared to act.”
“Our thoughts, we consume them first. They lead to our actions.”“As a practitioner, I often look around in my day-to-day life and ask, holding up the four nutriments, what am I consuming beyond edible foods? And how is this impacting my internal landscape?”
“How am I contributing to the landscapes of consciousness around me?”
“Our practice is to turn towards suffering and embrace it. And, for me, the spaces where I feel safe are ones where that permissi
