The new podcast series The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living is inspired by the renowned Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, regarded as one of the greatest spiritual leaders of the 20th and early 21st centuries.
Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings have touched the lives of millions of people across the globe and many leading mindfulness teachers, such as Jon Kabat-Zinn, have studied with him.
Known as Thay to his students, Thich Nhat Hanh has written more than 100 books and has created the world’s fastest-growing monastic community, with monasteries in France, Germany, US, Australia, Thailand and Hong Kong.
The podcast series mirrors Thay’s approach which is to translate the deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy into a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering and creating more happiness and joy in our lives.
People all over the world are currently facing enormous difficulties from issues ranging from climate change and Covid 19 to social and economic injustice and this series seeks to offer solace and advice on how to maintain balance and create wellbeing in the face of such challenges.
It is co-presented by Brother Phap Huu, the personal attendant of Thich Nhat Hanh for 17 years and the Abbot of the Plum Village monastery in South West France, as well as former Guardian executive editor Jo Confino, who works at the intersection of personal transformation and systems change.
Thay’s calligraphy “The Way Out Is In” highlights that the way out of any difficulty is to look deeply within, gain insights and then put them into practice.
The podcast series focuses on a topic each week that helps the audience to deepen their own personal understanding of their place in the world and to give them the tools to navigate this volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world with greater confidence and equanimity.
Examples of episodes range from practicing mindfulness in daily life and coming to terms with constant change, to dealing with personal traumas, and not falling prey to the temptations of fame, power and sex.
The podcast is co-produced by the Plum Village App and Global Optimism, with support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation.
Listen to the podcast on the FREE Plum Village App, the Plum Village website and other streaming services.
Dear Brother Phap Huu and Jo , dear sisters
Thank you so much for this podcast. It‘s interesting, opening new and deepen insights, developing my understanding. Thank you also for your personel experiences. Ist was very touching for me what you have told about your mother , Jo. I‘m german and the nazi past was/ is such a big burden on my shoulder. I did a lot of healing work, to deal with this burden of my parents. But your sharing about your mother ( she came back to Germany, to visit people of her past ) made me cry. She tried to reconcile, I‘m very touched.
With deep gratitude a lotus for you all! Gabriela
Dear Gabriela,
Thank you so much for your heartfelt sharing. We are happy that you’ve joined us on this journey 🙏.
Ein Lotus für Dich,
The Plum Village App team
I think Brother Phap Huu´s anecdotes about Thay are a treasure. He usually shares some of them in each episode. But I wonder if a special episode could be made with a collection of his best anecdotes. They are really inspiring…! Thank you Jo and Br. Phap Huu for this soothing conversations…
Thank you, Helena, for the kind words! We’ll definitely share this idea with the podcast team 🙂 A lotus for you 🙏