The Art of Transmission (Episode #93)

Welcome to the 93rd 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 installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino explore the art of transmission in Buddhism: wisdom and teachings being passed down over time, from teacher to student.

The hosts touch on the profound and nuanced ways in which Buddhist teachings and insights are passed down through generations, with the goal of cultivating understanding, compassion, and liberation; the role of nature as a powerful transmitter of wisdom; the significance of rituals and ceremonies in honoring this transmission; and more.

Brother Phap Huu emphasizes the importance of deep listening, humility, and direct experience in the transmission process, and how true transmission goes beyond the imparting of knowledge, to a requirement that both teacher and student be in a state of non-self and openness to receive the teachings.

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

Live show: The Way Out Is In podcast with special guest Ocean Vuong plumvillage.uk/livepodcast

Interbeing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing

‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village’ https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village

Dharma Talk: ‘The Five Powers: Faith, Diligence, Mindfulness, Concentration, Insight – Brother Phap Huu’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4PGrMjea7A

Album: A Cloud Never Dies https://plumvillage.org/album-a-cloud-never-dies

The Way Out Is In: ‘Feel It to Heal It: The Dharma of Music (Episode #79)’ https://plumvillage.org/podcast/feel-it-to-heal-it-the-dharma-of-music-episode-79

Dharma Talks: ‘Redefining the Four Noble Truths’ https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/redefining-the-four-noble-truths

Quotes

“Live happily in the present moment: ‘I have arrived; I am home.’”

“If we truly receive the Dharma, honestly and openly, by its nature we want to share it. It doesn’t start with us, doesn’t end with us. Instead, we are part of this extraordinary flow of life.”

“Listening is the first doorway to communication. And many of us think that communication is about speaking or writing. But the foundation for speaking and for writing is listening.”

“When the Buddha embarked on a spiritual quest, he was looking for an understanding of suffering and a liberation from suffering. And the way of liberation from suffering is to be in suffering, to understand suffering, to embrace it and not run away from it, but transform it. Therefore, Buddhism is a way of life. So mindfulness is a way of life. Transmission is a way of life.”

“When you hear the sound of the bell in the Plum Village tradition, you’re invited to pause and stop what you’re doing. Even if you’re listening to music, or having a wonderful, insightful conversation, you are invited to pause, to stop. And that stopping is a transmission of knowing how to cultivate stillness in life, in order to listen.”

“What we say, how we say it, and the tone of saying it creates a reality. That creates a transmission of knowledge, a transmission of feelings, a transmission of energy.”

“Buddhism is a very generous tradition. The Buddha offers, the teachers offer – and you’re the receiver. You can receive. Using the language of ‘I am receiving’ is very different from ‘I am taking.’ Or, even worse, ‘I am stealing.’ Because stealing indicates that something is now yours; it belongs to you. But when you receive, you gain a responsibility to transmit.”

“To receive, we have to ask.”