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Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

Plum Village

This podcast series is aimed at helping us to transcend our fear and anger so that we can be more engaged in the world in a way that develops love and compassion.

Thich Nhat Hanh’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 Way Out is In" is co-hosted by Brother Phap Huu, Thich Nhat Hanh's personal attendant for 17 years and the abbot of Plum Village's Upper Hamlet, and Jo Confino, who works at the intersection of personal transformation and systems change.

The podcast is co-produced by the Plum Village App and Global Optimism, with support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation.

The Way Out Is In

If you wish to support our podcast, please follow this link. Thank you!

Welcome to a new 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.

This is our third live recording of the podcast made in London, England, in July, 2026, before a sold-out audience. In it, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino are joined on stage by Zen Buddhist nun Sister True Dedication to explore the idea that the answers to life’s issues are often found within ourselves, rather than externally, and that we are already the person we want to become. 

The discussion includes reflections on the challenges of recognizing one’s own worth and the societal pressures that contribute to feelings of inadequacy; how mindfulness, presence, and community are essential in cultivating self-acceptance and personal transformation; the role of kindness in daily life; the power of the present moment in fostering personal and collective change; practicing self-compassion; and much more. 

The conversation concludes with questions from the audience answered by the three speakers.

Co-produced by the Plum Village App:
https://plumvillage.app/ 

Plum Village UK:
https://plumvillage.uk/

And Global Optimism:
https://globaloptimism.com/

With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:
https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/

List of resources 

Sister True Dedication
https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sister-hien-nghiem 

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

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

Plum Village Tradition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Village_Tradition 

Meredith Monk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meredith_Monk

The Way Out Is In: ‘Stepping into Freedom – Live Recording with Q&A Session (Episode #67)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/stepping-into-freedom-live-recording-with-qa-session-episode-67 

The Way Out Is In: ‘Cultivating Joy and Togetherness in the Midst of Hardship (Episode #95)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/cultivating-joy-and-togetherness-in-the-midst-of-hardship-episode-95

Quotes

“Given everything that’s happening in the world, the person I’d like to become is this impossible person – a person who can find an answer to heal and stop all of the suffering, all of the injustice, all of the violence. We know that the pain and discomfort we feel in ourselves is not only a personal, individual discomfort; we’re feeling the pain of the world, and that’s reflected in our bodies and in our feelings. And so, when we can’t accept ourselves, or think we’re not enough, it’s also because we’re not enough in the face of all of this. How could we be?”

“All the suffering of the world is reflected in us in a really concrete way: we watch something on a screen and we have a bodily response. We feel the anxiety, we feel the tension. We felt the heat in the heat wave last week. And that’s doing something to us at an emotional level; a kind of existential fear is triggered. So that suffering is really visceral in us. But what’s really interesting is that there’s also the other side of this: if the suffering of the world is reflected in our bodies and in our minds, the beauty of the word is also there in us.”

“I understand how hard it is to not feel enough in the face of what I would like to do, or need to do, to respond to the world. But, at the same time, all of the goodness of the world is refracted and expressed in unique ways in each one of us. For me, that’s the key to unlocking the door to accepting myself.”

“Coming home to oneself and embracing the pain and the suffering is the first act of mindfulness.”

“Today we’re so afraid of our own pain, of our own suffering, and of our own capacity that we don’t engage anymore. We’re all in our little worlds. And part of the journey of becoming isn’t an individual matter, it’s about becoming as a whole society.”

“We really live in an era of optimization, and we need to pause for a moment and recognize how many parts of our lives we’re trying to optimize. That may be one of the sicknesses of this era. We can’t allow things to be as they are. So with all the mess going on in the world, the injustice and the violence and the inequality, we pick up these habits from the capitalist grind. But we’re not really offering a different energy.”

“Whether you’re in a shop, on the Tube, at work, or on a Zoom call, when something happens, if we have a default response to allow us to come back to our in-breath and out-breath, and take care of our nervous system and arrive back into ourselves, that’s already an act of kindness. We’re rescuing ourselves. We are giving ourselves a breather, literally.”

“Thich Nhat Hanh was very clear that what our society needs – what we all need – is a different way of being and a different quality of being. And he spoke about the preciousness of time. Time is not money, time is not success, time is not work. Time is life. And we know how short this time is that we have with our children, with our loved ones; the time we have is so short and so precious.”

“How we are being in time, how we are allowing the fullness of any moment to reveal itself, whether we’ve just had bad news or experienced a strong emotion, we can be with that in a certain way. And that is already action, that is already a response, and that’s already patterning something different into society.”

“I don’t really discriminate between micro-resistance and systemic resistance. But I do believe that, when we come together in community – like in moments like this, in the weekly sanghas that many of you are part of we’re reinforcing that capacity of breathing together as an act of resistance, walking together, listening deeply. And then that is penetrating into our lives. It makes us change makers, whether we call ourselves a change maker or not. That’s the Buddhist understanding of action, it’s acting at every level and it’s available to all of us. The closer we are to our truth, to our body, to our breathing, you will be surprised by the kind of courage that manifests.”

“Thay would say a smile can save someone’s life in the right circumstances.”

“Kindness for me is real and it’s a force that can shift and change.”

“Breathing is a life jacket. When those emotions really come, our teachers say you are more than one emotion. Come back and breathe. Don’t let that emotion take over your whole being because you’re so much more than just one emotion, you bring up another emotion to embrace it.”

“My dad would say, ‘One, two, three, smile.’ And we would smile, but we hated it also. But he has transmitted that reminder that even in the midst of agony, that smile is your right.”

“We don’t need to set aside time to be more true to ourselves, to be more true to our values, to be more free, and to be more awake to what’s going on. We can simply do it on our way to work. And what’s life for if it’s not for that? To feel that freedom, to feel that agency, and just to arrive fully into the richness, the mud, and the beauty of this life that we have a chance to be in.”

“Engaged Buddhism means bringing everything you’re learning into the here and now.”

You Are Already the Person You Want to Become – Live Recording with Q&A Session (Episode #113)

If you wish to support our podcast, please follow this link. Thank you!

Welcome to a new 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 episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino are joined by special guest Pham Minh Huong, businesswoman and spiritual practitioner, to discuss integrating Buddhist teachings into the business world. 

Pham Minh Huong shares her journey from being a successful but lonely CEO to one who prioritizes trust, mindfulness, and community in her companies – by adopting practices like servant leadership and consensus-building, and by creating a culture of compassion and collaboration. She emphasizes the importance of presence, authenticity, and the power of mindfulness in navigating crises and maintaining a balanced life, but reflects also on the challenges of integrating spirituality into a business world dominated by metrics and competativeness. 

Brother Phap Huu shares his own experience as the abbot of Upper Hamlet, while Jo reflects on writing about sustainable businesses for The Guardian and on his current work as leadership coach. 

The conversation highlights the potential for businesses to be a source of meaning, connection, and positive change when guided by spiritual principles.

Ms Pham Minh Huong has nearly 30 years of experience in the finance and banking sector. Having previously served as Head of Treasury and Financial Markets at Citibank N.A., she was among the first members to contribute to its operational growth. She is a visionary leader and a pioneer in introducing new products to the market. Her significant contributions to the securities community and her personal professional reputation have established her as a highly respected leader in Vietnam’s financial market.

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 

Sister Chan Khong
https://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong 

Brother Phap Ung
https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-chan-phap-ung 

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

Plum Village Tradition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Village_Tradition 

The Way Out Is In: ‘The Three Jewels (Episode #89)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-three-jewels-episode-89 

Order of Interbeing
https://plumvillage.org/community/order-of-interbeing 

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

The Way Out Is In: ‘Space, Time, and the Ultimate Dimension (Episode #54)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/space-time-and-the-ultimate-dimension-episode-54

The Art of Power
https://plumvillage.org/books/the-art-of-power 

Quotes

“Now I have a path, there is nothing to fear.”

“When I first came to Plum Village, I saw that things were very organized, but I didn’t see leaders. And when I asked, people said, ‘That’s because of Yidma.’ Yidma, in Buddha’s teaching, is about consensus. But, at that time, I couldn’t believe that we could run a business in a slow way and build democratic governance as per Thay’s vision.”

“Good teacher, good methodology, and good friends.”

“If everything is important, then, actually, nothing is important.”

“What Buddhism and what the Buddha and Thay offer us is another dimension of really asking the question, ‘What is happiness? What is success?’”

“Engage, trust – and then there’s cooperation. And when there is cooperation, there is power and the result will come. We have to trust in that.”

“Sometimes it’s via absence that people recognize their love. If you’re always there, there’s not always the opportunity for that.”

Dharma and Business (Episode #112)

If you wish to support our podcast, please follow this link. Thank you!

Welcome to a new 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 episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino talk about finding beauty and reverence in the most ordinary of things.

Jo shares his new book, Between Earth and Sky, which documents his time in Mitla, Mexico, and his journey of deep looking and finding beauty in the seemingly empty land. Brother Phap Huu emphasizes the importance of mindfulness, stopping, and being present to see the wonder in everyday life.

The hosts further share the concept of consciousness in everything, and the need for reverence in our habits and interactions. The conversation also touches on reciprocity, the importance of community, and the journey of opening one’s heart through listening and acceptance.

The episode concludes with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu, to help listeners ground themselves in the present moment and to recognize the beauty in all life.

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 

Between Earth and Sky
https://www.parallax.org/product/between-earth-and-sky/ 

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

Plum Village Tradition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Village_Tradition 

Order of Interbeing
https://plumvillage.org/community/order-of-interbeing 

The Way Out Is In: ‘Space, Time, and the Ultimate Dimension (Episode #54)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/space-time-and-the-ultimate-dimension-episode-54 

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

Stephen Mitchell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Mitchell_(translator) 

Tao Te Ching
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching 

Samsara
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa%E1%B9%83s%C4%81ra 

Pema Chödrön
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pema_Ch%C3%B6dr%C3%B6n 

Quotes

“We can see beauty everywhere.”

“When we feel alive and present on this Earth, what more do we need?”

“The first act of meditation is learning to stop. It is learning to take a pause and feel the present moment. And feeling the present moment is more important than thinking about the present moment, because, when we attune ourselves into our own body, into our senses, what we see, what we smell, what we hear, what we touch gives us an opportunity to be in touch with life in the very here and now.”

“We can sit and look at a tree or even look at a rock and find all of life in that.”

 “This is it.”

“We want to know what’s out in space, but we don’t know what is in our inner space.”

“Depending on how we show up, our way of being can shift and change our whole mental formation, our whole consciousness of reality.”

“Reverence creates a sense of reciprocity because, when we have reverence, we are in conversation with whatever is in front of us. So when we think of things as objects, we’re looking at them as separate from ourselves. But when we have reverence for things, we see that they are talking to us as well as we are talking to them.”

“The beauty of Zen is turning a simple moment into a beautiful ritual.”

“Reverence is a manifestation of our mental formations.”

“I invite everybody to hold their next cup of tea, or coffee, or orange juice, with two hands. It shifts you into a different space. A simple action with two hands, and I’m fully present. Just like when we join our palms and offer a bow, it represents the body and the mind that come together.”

A Quiet Beauty in Everything (Episode #111)

If you wish to support our podcast, please follow this link. Thank you!

Welcome to a new 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 episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino are joined by Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Xa to explore the revolutionary aspect of walking meditation – not just a physical activity but a spiritual practice that can help us ground ourselves and connect with the present moment.

Brother Phap Xa – who co-authored the book Hiking Zen with Brother Phap Luu – shares practical tips for walking meditation, and personal experiences such as the way this type of meditation has helped him deal with strong emotions and transformed his perspective on life. 

The conversation also touches on the concept of aimlessness in walking meditation, the importance of walking for the sake of walking, the benefits of walking in silence, the idea of walking with ancestors, the practice of walking for others, and more.

The episode concludes with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu, to help listeners connect with the present moment when walking.

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 

Brother Phap Xa
https://www.parallax.org/authors/brother-phap-xa/ 

Brother Phap Luu
https://www.parallax.org/authors/brother-phap-luu/

Stephan Harding
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephan_Harding 

Hiking Zen
https://www.parallax.org/product/hiking-zen/ 

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

Plum Village Tradition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Village_Tradition 

EIAB
https://www.eiab.eu/ 

‘The Tortoise and the Hare’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tortoise_and_the_Hare 

Old Path White Clouds
https://www.parallax.org/product/old-path-white-clouds/ 

The Way Out Is In: ‘The Three Doors of Liberation (Episode #18)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-three-doors-of-liberation-episode-18 

The Way Out Is In: ‘Guest Episode: Reconnecting with Gaia – A Deep Time Walk’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/guest-episode-reconnecting-with-gaia-a-deep-time-walk 

Quotes

“Don’t take another step until you really believe that you can walk in freedom.”

“When we speak about freedom in the practice, it’s freedom to be fully in the present moment, with every step that we take, with every action that we can accumulate.”

“Whenever I am in fifth gear, I know I need to go down to first gear. And I don’t see it as a slowing down, as a bad thing – I see it as an upgrade to the presence, to the quality of freedom.”

“Meditation is in every action. That’s the way we look at it in our tradition. Meditation is to be engaged in the way we stand, the way we sit, the way we move – even the way we lay down. There is an attention that comes from bringing our mindfulness to how we are in the present moment.”

“I have arrived; I’m home wherever I go.”

“When you walk, don’t talk; just walk. This is one of the most difficult practices.”

“The miracle is not to walk on water, the miracle is to walk on this earth.”

“Walking meditation is an important practice for coming back to the present moment, because then we can recognize that there are many wonders happening in the present moment, inside and around us. And it’s already a wonder to be able to breathe, and to be able to be in touch with the many forms and colors around us.”

“Walk for the sake of walking.”

Hiking Zen (Episode #110)

If you wish to support our podcast, please follow this link. Thank you!

Welcome to a new 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 episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino reflect on the passing of Brother Phap Huu’s father and the power of community in difficult moments, as well as considering insights into the teachings of no birth, no death.

This emotional conversation touches tender places and explores the Brother’s personal journey of grief and loss, from first hearing the news of his father’s stroke, to the funeral and the subsequent processing. Brother Phap Huu further explores his complicated relationship with his father, the sacrifices made by his parents, and his regret at not being able to fully express his gratitude and love.

Indeed, “It’s one thing to teach about ‘no birth, no death’, the passing of a loved one, but it’s a very different thing to experience it.”

The episode ends with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. 

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 

Bodh Gaya
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodh_Gaya 

Bodhi tree
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhi_tree 

Christiana Figueres
https://www.globaloptimism.com/christiana-figueres 

‘The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings’
https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-14-mindfulness-trainings 

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

Jeta Grove
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jetavana 

Joan Halifax
https://www.joanhalifax.org/ 

‘Listening to Namo Avalokiteshvara’
https://plumvillage.app/listening-to-namo-avalokiteshvara/ 

Plum Village Tradition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Village_Tradition 

Sister Chan Khong
https://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong 

Upaya Zen Center
https://www.joanhalifax.org/upaya 

The Way Out Is In: ‘Slow Down, Rest, and Heal: The Spirit of the Rains Retreat (Episode #7)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/slow-down-rest-and-heal-the-spirit-of-the-rains-retreat

The Way Out Is In: ‘The Three Jewels (Episode #89)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-three-jewels-episode-89 

Quotes

“Be kind in life because that kindness is something that you can never underestimate. It will come back. Just trust that.”

“For a lot of us immigrants in Canada, the temple was not just a spiritual and religious refuge, it was a cultural refuge. It was where we would see each other as Vietnamese. It was where we would smell the incense, eat the Vietnamese food, and hear the language… The temple was where we touched our little Vietnam and where everyone could feel that their longing was being answered by this community coming together.”

“The good training of Plum Village is to learn to see the flowers first.”

“It is never too late to say what needs to be said, even if someone has passed.”

“‘Enjoy and easy.’ Enjoy that no matter how hard life is, we can always taste joy. And no matter how hectic life is, learn to be at ease; be easy with yourself.”

“The practice of no birth, no death is also to see that life is also right here, right now.”

“For me, the practice of no birth and no death gives us permission to hold both and to not be tied down by only sorrow.”

“We’re here to connect the ultimate and the historical – not to see them as separate, but to bring them closer together.”

Father (Episode #109)

If you wish to support our podcast, please follow this link. Thank you!

Welcome to a new 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.

This episode was recorded live onstage in New Delhi, India, in February 2026, at the end of the pilgrimage In the Footsteps of the Buddha. Leadership coach Jo Confino was joined by Zen Buddhist nun Sister Tam Muoi and Dharma teacher Shantum Seth to discuss what it means to renew Buddhism, and Thich Nhat Hanh’s vision for doing so – including his emphasis on simplicity, equality, and making the teachings accessible and relevant to the contemporary world. 

They also reflect on their 14-day pilgrimage in India, and how it deepened their understanding of and connection to the Buddha’s teachings. This includes Sister Tam Muoi’s insights about the strong sangha formed among the diverse group of 60 pilgrims from 16 different countries. She also reflects on her personal connection to India and her healing journey of reconnecting with the Buddha’s teachings in their land of origin.

Shantum Seth, who has been leading pilgrimages in India for over 30 years, explains the transformative power of these journeys in allowing people to connect with the Buddha as a human being and experience his teachings’ relevance to their own lives. He also shares plans for the Ahimsa Trust to establish a Plum Village center in India, to continue Thich Nhat Hanh’s legacy and bring the Dharma to a wider audience, especially a young one.

Shantum Seth, an ordained Dharmacharya (Dharma teacher) in the Buddhist Mindfulness lineage of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, teaches in India and across the world. A co-founder of Ahimsa Trust, he has been a student of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings for the past 35 years, and, since 1988, has led pilgrimages and other multi-faith, educational, cultural, spiritual, and transformative journeys across diverse regions of India and Asia. 

He is actively involved in educational, social, and ecological programmes, including work on cultivating mindfulness in society, including with educators, the Indian Central Reserve Police Force, and the corporate sector. Across various Indian sanghas, Dharmacharya Shantum is the primary teacher of different practices of mindfulness from Thich Nhat Hanh’s tradition.

Sister Tam Muoi (Sister Samadhi) is from the UK and was ordained in 2012 and became a Dharma teacher in 2022. Having encountered the practice whilst living in France, she became engaged in the French lay sangha and was ordained into the Order of Interbeing in 2004. She is actively supporting the recently created Being Peace Practice Centre in the UK and is deeply committed to the work of healing ancestral harm, and to participation in trainings and retreats exploring White Awareness. Read more here. 

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/

Recordist: Ann Nguyen
https://ann.earth
Sound editor: Joe Holtaway
https://joeholtaway.com
Publisher: Anca Rusu
Producer: Clay Carnill
https://claycarnill.com
Executive Producer: Catalin Zorzini

List of resources 

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

Plum Village Tradition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Village_Tradition 

Advaita Vedanta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advaita_Vedanta

A Pebble for Your Pocket 
https://www.parallax.org/product/a-pebble-for-your-pocket/ 

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

Bodh Gaya
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodh_Gaya 

Bodhi tree
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhi_tree 

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

Jamun Village
https://ahimsatrust.org/jamun-village/ 

Jeta Grove
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jetavana 

Nalanda University
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nalanda_University 

Old Path White Clouds
https://www.parallax.org/product/old-path-white-clouds

Pushyamitra Shunga
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pushyamitra_Shunga

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

Sister Chan Duc
https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-chan-duc 

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

The Stone Boy and Other Stories
https://www.parallax.org/product/the-stone-boy-and-other-stories/

Dharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path’
https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-noble-eightfold-path 

The Way Out Is In: ‘The Three Jewels (Episode #89)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-three-jewels-episode-89

Vulture Peak
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulture_Peak 

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

Quotes

“Often friends would tell Thay, ‘I try to do walking meditation. I find that difficult – but I love the sitting.’ And Thay would say, ‘Well, then sit. Do the practice that you enjoy.’ It’s so important to touch joy in whatever practice we do. It shouldn’t be hard work and creating more battles on your cushion.”

“Suffering is where we start. It’s your own suffering you have to handle. But also look at the suffering in the world. It’s not separate: other people’s suffering is your suffering; other people’s happiness is your happiness. That’s where we start. And then, know that all these things are interconnected. Nothing exists independently.”

“India is a great teacher because she’s confronting you all the time. That’s why we call her Mother India, I guess. She also challenges every preconception, and so, ‘Everything you say about India, the exact opposite is also true.’”

“It’s dangerous coming to India because you’re going to go back different.”

“Don’t believe something just because a teacher says it, or because it’s written in scripture, or has come from centuries-old tradition. Try it. And see how you feel.”

“Thay was a very revolutionary teacher because of his aspiration to make Buddhism relevant. He had seen the damage done by dogmatism, by fossilization. And so he was always thinking of new ways that we could make Buddhism appropriate.”

“Our precepts – the behavioral code for all the monastics and also for the lay friends – are rewritten every five or 10 years to update them. It’s quite extraordinary that Thay had the courage to do that; he faced criticism from many very traditional countries.”

“Something important about the Buddha Dharma is that it is very much about what we experience in this world. We’re not talking about something which is going to happen after some sort of transcendence. And that’s why I think the Buddha Dharma is relevant to our Earth: we have to care for this little planet of ours, we have to care for our rivers, we have to care for our climate, to care for each other. And it’s not about an outcome in some past or future life; the karma happens right here and now. Every action has a result and that result can be seen in this life and in this community.”

“You sit, you enjoy your breath, you get a little sense of being a Buddha for a moment. Maybe you can become a part-time Buddha, maybe a full-time Buddha. ‘Buddha’ just means ‘to be awake’ – and with mindfulness practice, being mindful is a type of awakening.”

Renewing Buddhism – Live New Delhi Recording (Episode #108)

This week’s show was recorded using an improvised audio recording setup while the podcast team was on pilgrimage through India. Thank you for your understanding. 🙏

If you wish to support our podcast, please visit this link. Thank you!

Welcome to a new 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.

The final in a series of six episodes recorded during the In the Footsteps of the Buddha pilgrimage, this instalment was made in Sravasti, India, in February 2026. In it, leadership coach Jo Confino is joined by Zen Buddhist nun Sister Tam Muoi and Dharma teacher Shantum Seth to share their experiences and reflections as they visit Sravasti and Jeta Grove. They discuss the power of community, and how the sangha held space for grief when co-host Brother Phap Huu received news of his father’s passing. 

They further explore themes of impermanence, non-attachment, transformation, the balance between the ultimate and historical dimensions in Buddhist teachings, and the importance of insight and practice. All three share personal stories illustrating these themes and the ways the pilgrimage has deepened their understanding of and connection to the Buddha’s legacy.

The episode concludes with the group singing a song composed by a fellow pilgrim, capturing the essence of the ‘way out is in’ teachings.

About the pilgrimage:

In 1988, Shantum Seth was invited by Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) to organize a pilgrimage to the sacred sites associated with the Buddha’s life across India. Subsequently, Thay encouraged Shantum to continue guiding such journeys each year, offering pilgrimage itself as a mindfulness practice – one that the Buddha had suggested. 

Shantum has been leading these transformative journeys ever since, offering people from around the world the opportunity to follow In the Footsteps of the Buddha with awareness and insight. After 15 years at the United Nations, Shantum left to volunteer with the Ahimsa Trust, which represents Thay’s work in India and promotes the practice of “peace in oneself and peace in the world”.

Through Buddhapath, his expression of Right Livelihood, Shantum continues to guide pilgrimages and share the wisdom and culture of the places he visits in India and across Buddhist Asia, cultivating community through these deeply meaningful journeys.

To learn more about upcoming pilgrimages, visit www.buddhapath.com, or follow Shantum on Facebook and Instagram at @eleven_directions. 

Shantum Seth, an ordained Dharmacharya (Dharma teacher) in the Buddhist Mindfulness lineage of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, teaches in India and across the world. A co-founder of Ahimsa Trust, he has been a student of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings for the past 35 years, and, since 1988, has led pilgrimages and other multi-faith, educational, cultural, spiritual, and transformative journeys across diverse regions of India and Asia. 

He is actively involved in educational, social, and ecological programmes, including work on cultivating mindfulness in society, including with educators, the Indian Central Reserve Police Force, and the corporate sector. Across various Indian sanghas, Dharmacharya Shantum is the primary teacher of different practices of mindfulness from Thich Nhat Hanh’s tradition.

Sister Tam Muoi (Sister Samadhi) is from the UK and was ordained in 2012, becoming a Dharma teacher in 2022. Having encountered the practice whilst living in France, she became engaged in the French lay sangha and was ordained into the Order of Interbeing in 2004. She is actively supporting the recently created Being Peace Practice Centre in the UK and is deeply committed to the work of healing ancestral harm, and to participation in trainings and retreats exploring White Awareness. Read more here.

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/

Recordist: Ann Nguyen
https://ann.earth
Sound editor: Joe Holtaway
https://joeholtaway.com
Publisher: Anca Rusu
Producer: Clay Carnill
https://claycarnill.com
Executive Producer: Catalin Zorzini

List of resources 

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

Plum Village Tradition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Village_Tradition 

Jeta Grove
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jetavana 

Mangala Sutta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma%E1%B9%85gala_Sutta 

Avalokiteshvara
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalokite%C5%9Bvara 

Song: ‘No Coming, No Going’
https://plumvillage.org/library/songs/no-coming-no-going-song 

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

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

Tathagata
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tath%C4%81gata 

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

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

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

Dharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path’
https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-noble-eightfold-path 

Anapanasati Sutta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%80n%C4%81p%C4%81nasati_Sutta 

Angulimala
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%E1%B9%85gulim%C4%81la 

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

Poem: ‘Please Call Me by My True Names’
https://www.parallax.org/mindfulnessbell/article/poem-please-call-me-by-my-true-names

Laurie Anderson
https://laurieanderson.com/

Quotes

“Some non-attachments are more painful than others.”

“Thay talked about the fact that we allow 20% attachment; that we need to recognize we’re living in this life. And that we need to honor our feelings and our emotions in the historical dimension, whilst also in the ultimate dimension.”

“We can have joy and sadness at the same time. They do not cancel each other out.”

“We can have a moment of happiness and a moment of deep sadness, and we can contain both emotions at the same time.”

“Because of the years of practice, when the difficult time comes we’re able to meet it with a degree of equanimity and understanding and not be dragged into a vortex of despair and depression. We are able to meet the moment.”

“The matter of birth and death is as serious as if your turban is on fire.”

“The art of life is increasingly bringing the ultimate and historical dimensions together and recognizing that they inter-are.”

“Thay once said that what we practice in Plum Village is insight-based stress reduction or insight-based transformation. And what he meant was that once we’ve had an insight, everything is different. We cannot unlearn something that we’ve learned. And so all of our practice is about developing mindfulness, concentration, which leads to insight that is really understanding.”

“There’s no point practicing if we don’t generate some insights.”

“The insight is not there to be endlessly repeated, the insight is there to encourage us to practice. It’s like an anchor that helps us to stay put, and then we work at it.”

“Peace in oneself, peace in the world.”

“Happiness rests within oneself.”

“If I want transformation outside, I need to do it inside. And my general upbringing has been to shift outside things outside – not to ignore the injustices outside, but to have the presence and then the wisdom of the community to act in a skillful way.”

“In Zen circles we say that practicing with your family is the highest practice, the deepest Zen practice. That’s when you find out how you are doing. Because our parents know us as that stroppy teenager or that difficult child. We can’t float in as a spiritual practitioner; they can see straight through that.”

In the Footsteps of the Buddha (6/6) | Loss and Transformation (Episode #107)

If you wish to support our podcast, please visit this link. Thank you!

Welcome to a new 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.

The fifth in a series of six episodes recorded during the In the Footsteps of the Buddha pilgrimage, this instalment was made in Kushinagar, India, in February 2026. In it, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino are joined by Zen Buddhist nun Sister Tam Muoi and Dharma teacher Shantum Seth to reflect on the Buddha’s final days and the legacy and continuation of his teachings. They also discuss Thich Nhat Hanh’s passing and how Plum Village responded to his transition; the responsibility of current and future generations to continue his work and teachings; and the importance of the multi-fold community in preserving and spreading the Buddha’s teachings in a way that is relevant and accessible to the modern world.

Furthermore, Shantum Seth provides historical context about the Buddha’s final journey and the events after his passing, including the first Buddhist council and the spread of Buddhism; Brother Phap Huu draws parallels between the Buddha’s and Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings and legacies; and Sister Tam Muoi discusses the importance of the monastic order in continuing the Buddha’s teachings – as well as Thich Nhat Hanh’s vision for the Plum Village tradition to evolve and adapt while staying true to its core principles.

About the pilgrimage:

In 1988, Shantum Seth was invited by Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) to organize a pilgrimage to the sacred sites associated with the Buddha’s life across India. Subsequently, Thay encouraged Shantum to continue guiding such journeys each year, offering pilgrimage itself as a mindfulness practice – one that the Buddha had suggested. 

Shantum has been leading these transformative journeys ever since, offering people from around the world the opportunity to follow In the Footsteps of the Buddha with awareness and insight. After 15 years at the United Nations, Shantum left to volunteer with the Ahimsa Trust, which represents Thay’s work in India and promotes the practice of “peace in oneself and peace in the world”.

Through Buddhapath, his expression of Right Livelihood, Shantum continues to guide pilgrimages and share the wisdom and culture of the places he visits in India and across Buddhist Asia, cultivating community through these deeply meaningful journeys.

To learn more about upcoming pilgrimages, visit www.buddhapath.com, or follow Shantum on Facebook and Instagram at @eleven_directions. 

Shantum Seth, an ordained Dharmacharya (Dharma teacher) in the Buddhist Mindfulness lineage of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, teaches in India and across the world. A co-founder of Ahimsa Trust, he has been a student of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings for the past 35 years, and, since 1988, has led pilgrimages and other multi-faith, educational, cultural, spiritual, and transformative journeys across diverse regions of India and Asia. 

He is actively involved in educational, social, and ecological programmes, including work on cultivating mindfulness in society, including with educators, the Indian Central Reserve Police Force, and the corporate sector. Across various Indian sanghas, Dharmacharya Shantum is the primary teacher of different practices of mindfulness from Thich Nhat Hanh’s tradition.

Sister Tam Muoi (Sister Samadhi) is from the UK and was ordained in 2012, becoming a Dharma teacher in 2022. Having encountered the practice whilst living in France, she became engaged in the French lay sangha and was ordained into the Order of Interbeing in 2004. She is actively supporting the recently created Being Peace Practice Centre in the UK and is deeply committed to the work of healing ancestral harm, participating in trainings and retreats exploring White Awareness. Read more here. 

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/

Recordist: Ann Nguyen
https://ann.earth
Sound editor: Joe Holtaway
https://joeholtaway.com
Publisher: Anca Rusu
Producer: Clay Carnill
https://claycarnill.com
Executive Producer: Catalin Zorzini

List of resources 

The Way Out Is In: ‘In the Footsteps of the Buddha (3/6) | The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachings (Episode #104)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha-3-6-the-heart-of-the-buddhas-teachings-episode-104

The Way Out Is In: ‘In the Footsteps of the Buddha (2/6) | Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree (Episode #103)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha-2-6-enlightenment-under-the-bodhi-tree-episode-103 

The Way Out Is In: ‘In the Footsteps of the Buddha (1/6) | The Buddha: Down to Earth (Episode #102)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha-1-6-the-buddha-down-to-earth-episode-102

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

Plum Village Tradition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Village_Tradition 

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

Blue Cliff Monastery
https://www.bluecliffmonastery.org/ 

No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering
https://www.parallax.org/product/no-mud-no-lotus/ 

The Order of Interbeing
https://plumvillage.org/community/order-of-interbeing 

The Way Out Is In: ‘The Three Jewels (Episode #89)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-three-jewels-episode-89

Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mah%C4%81y%C4%81na_Mah%C4%81parinirv%C4%81%E1%B9%87a_S%C5%ABtra 

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

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

Stephen Batchelor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Batchelor_(author) 

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

Sister Dao Nghiem
https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-dao-nghiem 

Letters from Thich Nhat Hanh
https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters 

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

Dharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path’
https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-noble-eightfold-path 

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

Sunyata
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81 

King Prasenajit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasenadi 

Kapilavastu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapilavastu_(ancient_city)

Mahākāśyapa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mah%C4%81k%C4%81%C5%9Byapa 

Quotes

“Thay really practiced the present moment, because in the present you’re also practicing impermanence. There’s only one moment to live and to touch life, and that is the very here and now.”

“All conditioned reality is subject to decay. Strive on diligently – essentially meaning, Everything is impermanent; keep up the practice.”

“Dwelling happily in the present moment is the insight of meditation. But dwelling happily in the present moment doesn’t mean that suffering doesn’t exist; doesn’t mean that our anger and our frustration is not there. But, no matter what the situation is – whether it is loss, grief, frustration, chaos – as a practitioner, we have to have the ability to dwell in the very here and now, and allow ourselves to see that wonder, because that wonder is the light that shines through the darkness, the fog, the chaos.”

“When we’re reaching the end of our lives, we want to declutter. We want to put our affairs in order. We want to make sure, to the best of our abilities, that we leave life clean, that we don’t leave arguments, resentments, and suffering behind for the next generation to have to deal with.”

“I have never met an individual. I meet the entire lineage of that person stretching back to the beginning of time – because, if there’d been an interruption, then you wouldn’t exist.”

“The Buddha said, ‘I’ve never taught with a clenched fist, I have offered all the teachings for you to be calm, peaceful, transform your emotions, and be liberated. And so keep the Dharma as your island and be a light unto yourself, and keep the Dharma as your island.’ So he’s very clear that the Dharma is his continuation; the teachings and practice are his continuation.”

“In a country like India, the Buddha exists at a very ambient level, in the way we live our lives and feel the interconnectedness of everything, with nature, with other people.”

“If we know how to suffer, we’re going to suffer a whole lot less.”

“Thay would always include our lay friends. Whenever he was teaching in any ceremony he would always add, ‘And our lay friends, our sisters and our brothers from the lay community, the multi-fold community.’ He would always correct the language as he went along, even if it wasn’t written down, to include everybody. And this was such a teaching for us that we want to continue it. We do not want to be a monastic community where the monastics are the privileged ones. Instead, we are all practicing together and all have different capacities and different things that we can offer.”

“Thay once shared that his vision is that, one day, we’re all walking in the marketplace and see a monk walking by with peace and grace. And that monk is a bell of mindfulness. You see that monk and you stop and just breathe, connecting back to your spiritual dimension. And then you go on.”

“Thay empowered us, each of us, and now we can empower so many other people. And I think it’s a reminder that we don’t need to look for the teachers and what impact they had; instead, we can look at the impact we are having every day, in all the interactions we have, in all the people we meet, in all of the thoughts we have and all the words we speak, in all the actions. We, each of us, are a continuation. And we’re not a continuation to one other person; we’re a continuation to all of life. The way we are present in nature is the way that nature can be present for us. The way that we are available to other people then gives people the opportunity to be available to others.”

“Everything Thay did, he always reflected back to the Buddha. The Buddha’s whole way of teaching was also to empower everyone he met, to water the seeds of mindfulness and awakening in every person.”

In the Footsteps of the Buddha (5/6) | The River of Life (Episode #106)

If you want to support our podcast please visit this link. Thank you!

Welcome to a new 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.

The fourth in a series of six episodes recorded during the In the Footsteps of the Buddha pilgrimage, this instalment was made in Vaishali, India, in February 2026. In it, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino are joined by Zen Buddhist nun Sister Tam Muoi and Dharma teacher Shantum Seth to discuss new steps in the pilgrimage, like their visit to Nalanda University, an ancient seat of Buddhist learning, and Vulture Peak, where the Buddha gave some of his most important teachings. In Vaishali, the Buddha made the revolutionary decision to ordain the first nuns, which was a significant step towards gender equality in Buddhism.

Shantum Seth discusses the historical context and significance of these events and places, the importance of adapting Buddhist teachings to the present day, and a vision for Plum Village India to be a multifold community that embraces diversity and continues the legacy of the Buddha and Thich Nhat Hanh in a way relevant to the current times.

Sister Tam Muoi and Brother Phap Huu share their personal experiences and reflections on the role of nuns and the evolution of the Plum Village community, emphasizing the importance of embodying Buddhist teachings, skillfully navigating change, and continuing Thich Nhat Hanh’s legacy of inclusivity and gender equality. 

About the pilgrimage:

In 1988, Shantum Seth was invited by Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) to organize a pilgrimage to the sacred sites associated with the Buddha’s life across India. Subsequently, Thay encouraged Shantum to continue guiding such journeys each year, offering pilgrimage itself as a mindfulness practice—one that the Buddha had suggested. 

Shantum has been leading these transformative journeys ever since, offering people from around the world the opportunity to follow In the Footsteps of the Buddha with awareness and insight. After 15 years at the United Nations, Shantum left to volunteer with the Ahimsa Trust, which represents Thay’s work in India and promotes the practice of “peace in oneself and peace in the world”.

Through Buddhapath, his expression of Right Livelihood, Shantum continues to guide pilgrimages and share the wisdom and culture of the places he visits in India and across Buddhist Asia, cultivating community through these deeply meaningful journeys.

To learn more about upcoming pilgrimages, visit www.buddhapath.com, or follow Shantum on Facebook and Instagram at @eleven_directions. 

Shantum Seth, an ordained Dharmacharya (Dharma teacher) in the Buddhist Mindfulness lineage of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, teaches in India and across the world. A co-founder of Ahimsa Trust, he has been a student of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings for the past 35 years, and, since 1988, has led pilgrimages and other multi-faith, educational, cultural, spiritual, and transformative journeys across diverse regions of India and Asia. 

He is actively involved in educational, social, and ecological programmes, including work on cultivating mindfulness in society, including with educators, the Indian Central Reserve Police Force, and the corporate sector. Across various Indian sanghas, Dharmacharya Shantum is the primary teacher of different practices of mindfulness from Thich Nhat Hanh’s tradition.

Sister Tam Muoi (Sister Samadhi) is from the UK and was ordained in 2012, becoming a Dharma teacher in 2022. Having encountered the practice whilst living in France, she became engaged in the French lay sangha and was ordained into the Order of Interbeing in 2004. She is actively supporting the recently created Being Peace Practice Centre in the UK and is deeply committed to the work of healing ancestral harm, participating in trainings and retreats exploring White Awareness. Read more here. 

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/

Recordist: Ann Nguyen
https://ann.earth
Sound editor: Joe Holtaway
https://joeholtaway.com
Publisher: Anca Rusu
Producer: Clay Carnill:
https://claycarnill.com
Executive Producer: Catalin Zorzini

List of resources 

The Way Out Is In: ‘In the Footsteps of the Buddha (3/6) | The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachings (Episode #104)’ 
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha-3-6-the-heart-of-the-buddhas-teachings-episode-104

The Way Out Is In: ‘In the Footsteps of the Buddha (2/6) | Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree (Episode #103)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha-2-6-enlightenment-under-the-bodhi-tree-episode-103 

The Way Out Is In: ‘In the Footsteps of the Buddha (1/6) | The Buddha: Down to Earth (Episode #102)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha-1-6-the-buddha-down-to-earth-episode-102

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

Plum Village Tradition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Village_Tradition 

Nalanda University
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nalanda_University

‘Female Buddhas: A Revolution for Nuns in the Plum Village Tradition’
https://plumvillage.org/articles/female-buddhas-a-revolution-for-nuns-in-the-plum-village-tradition 

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

Flower Sermon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_Sermon 

New Heart Sutra translation by Thich Nhat Hanh
https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/thich-nhat-hanh-new-heart-sutra-translation 

Sister Chan Duc
https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-chan-duc 

Sister Chan Khong
https://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong 

The Way Out Is In: ‘The Three Jewels (Episode #89)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-three-jewels-episode-89

Pratimokṣa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratimok%E1%B9%A3a 

Joan Halifax
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Halifax

Sutras: ‘The Ten Great Aspirations of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva’
https://plumvillage.org/library/sutras/the-ten-great-aspirations-of-samantabhadra-bodhisattva 

Vaishali
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaishali_(ancient_city)

Notre Dame Academy, Patna
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_Academy,_Patna 

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

Kapilavastu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapilavastu_(ancient_city) 

The Order of Interbeing
https://plumvillage.org/community/order-of-interbeing

Sujata
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sujata_(milkmaid) 

Kisa Gotami
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kisa_Gotami 

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

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

King Prasenajit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasenadi 

Bodhi tree
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhi_tree 

Brahmajala Sutra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmaj%C4%81la_S%C5%ABtra 

Sariputra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9A%C4%81riputra 

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

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

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

Xuanzanh
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xuanzang 

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

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

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

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

Dharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path’
https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-noble-eightfold-path 

Quotes

“Thay knew that the harmony of energies is so important to success, as well as to creation and to living organisms. You need all the elements. You can’t cut one off, because that’s discrimination. Thay continues to keep pushing boundaries in the context of Buddhism, of traditions. In very traditional monasteries and temples, the nuns can’t teach the monks. Even today, in 2026. In some of the institutes in Vietnam, in China, the nuns are still on one side, the monks on the other side. The nuns have to wear one color, the monks another. But Thay unifies all in brown.”

“‘If, ten years after I’ve transitioned, Plum Village looks exactly the same, Thay will be very disappointed.’ I really took that as his empowerment. We need to keep moving forward. We’re in a river. We cannot stop the river. The river needs to carry on flowing.”

“The precepts are your teachers. And when the time comes, keep renewing the precepts to make them relevant.”

“I can make change by embodying my practice.”

“The full inclusion of everyone can bring balance to a community.”

“Plum Village is not just monks and nuns; Plum Village is a multifold sangha.”

“If we don’t adapt to the current generation, even if we have all the amazing teachings, if they’re not relevant to people then the tradition will die.”

“Buddhism is very inclusive; there’s a lineage for everyone.”

“A great reminder is to embody the change – and not just to have a sign or shout about it, because that doesn’t have the impact of harmony.”

In the Footsteps of the Buddha (4/6) | Fourfold Sangha: The Living Community (Episode #105)

If you want to support our podcast please visit this link. Thank you!

Welcome to a new 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.

The third in a series of six episodes recorded during the In the Footsteps of the Buddha pilgrimage, this instalment was made in Rajgir, India, in February 2026. In it, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino are again joined by Dharma teacher Shantum Seth to discuss the foundational initial teachings of the Buddha: the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, Non-Self, and the Fire Sermon.

Together, they also share personal experiences of encountering the Buddha’s teachings, practicing Thich Nhat Hanh’s wisdom in daily life, highlighting the transformative power of mindfulness, community, the realization of non-self, and more.

About the pilgrimage:

In 1988, Shantum Seth was invited by Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) to organize a pilgrimage to the sacred sites associated with the Buddha’s life across India. Subsequently, Thay encouraged Shantum to continue guiding such journeys each year, offering pilgrimage itself as a mindfulness practice—one that the Buddha had suggested. 

Shantum has been leading these transformative journeys ever since, offering people from around the world the opportunity to follow In the Footsteps of the Buddha with awareness and insight. After 15 years at the United Nations, Shantum left to volunteer with the Ahimsa Trust, which represents Thay’s work in India and promotes the practice of “peace in oneself and peace in the world”.

Through Buddhapath, his expression of Right Livelihood, Shantum continues to guide pilgrimages and share the wisdom and culture of the places he visits in India and across Buddhist Asia, cultivating community through these deeply meaningful journeys.

To learn more about upcoming pilgrimages, visit www.buddhapath.com, or follow Shantum on Facebook and Instagram at @eleven_directions. 

Shantum Seth, an ordained Dharmacharya (Dharma teacher) in the Buddhist Mindfulness lineage of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, teaches in India and across the world. A co-founder of Ahimsa Trust, he has been a student of Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings for the past 35 years, and, since 1988, has led pilgrimages and other multi-faith, educational, cultural, spiritual, and transformative journeys across diverse regions of India and Asia. 

He is actively involved in educational, social, and ecological programmes, including work on cultivating mindfulness in society, including with educators, the Indian Central Reserve Police Force, and the corporate sector. Across various Indian sanghas, Dharmacharya Shantum is the primary teacher of different practices of mindfulness from Thich Nhat Hanh’s tradition.

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/

Recordist: Ann Nguyen
https://ann.earth
Sound editor: Joe Holtaway
https://joeholtaway.com
Publisher: Anca Rusu
Producer: Clay Carnill
https://claycarnill.com
Executive Producer: Catalin Zorzini

List of resources 

The Way Out Is In: ‘In the Footsteps of the Buddha (2/6) | Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree (Episode #103)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha-2-6-enlightenment-under-the-bodhi-tree-episode-103 

The Way Out Is In: ‘In the Footsteps of the Buddha (1/6) | The Buddha: Down to Earth (Episode #102)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha-1-6-the-buddha-down-to-earth-episode-102

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

Plum Village Tradition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Village_Tradition 

Old Path White Clouds
https://www.parallax.org/product/old-path-white-clouds

Sister Chan Khong
https://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong 

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

Bodhi tree
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhi_tree 

Sujata
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sujata_(milkmaid) 

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

Poem: ‘Please Call Me By My True Names’
https://www.parallax.org/mindfulnessbell/article/poem-please-call-me-by-my-true-names

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

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

Dharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path’
https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-noble-eightfold-path 

Duhkha
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du%E1%B8%A5kha 

Dignaga
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dign%C4%81ga 

The Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anattalakkha%E1%B9%87a_Sutta 

The Way Out Is In: ‘The Three Jewels (Episode #89)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-three-jewels-episode-89 

Kosala Kingdom
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosala_kingdom 

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

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

Joan Halifax
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Halifax 

Quotes

“Suffering is all around us. Hell is in the here and now. We have to collectively have the determination, as the Buddha did, not to deprive ourselves from food, from nutriment, but to understand the sources of our suffering – as well as the sources of the path of liberation.” 

“The teaching of the Four Noble Truths is the understanding of suffering. We all have suffering. This is the shared experience of us all. We are all equal because we all suffer. In spite of status, class – whatever labels humanity may have for one another – suffering is a truth that none of us can ignore or can escape.”

“We only have so much time on this planet. But there’s so much we can direct our attention towards. What are the seeds we are watering every day? The diligence of watering our consciousness and the seeds that become the action.”

“We have to see the Buddha a little bit like a doctor. We have to see suffering as a disease, a universal disease. You might think it’s very obvious that we all suffer, that we all get angry, that we are all separated from the ones we love, that we have sickness and old age. But it wasn’t a universal idea. Some people said, ‘This life is bliss.’ So when we start with the primacy of suffering, that in itself is a revolutionary moment.”

“As somebody who really is imbued with the Buddha’s teachings, I feel that all human beings experience suffering. And that in itself is revolutionary, saying, ‘This is where it starts.’ Because a lot of it is about escaping from the present, escaping from this world. Most teachings are around something which will come hereafter – but the Buddha is saying, ‘Come back to now; feel, understand your mind, see that your mind is creating your reality.’” 

“Thich Nhat Hanh always emphasized that people talk about Buddhism being about suffering. But he said, ‘No, it’s the third noble truth. It is about the releasing of suffering and the transforming of suffering into joy and happiness. That’s very important; don’t get stuck in the suffering. That’s why the first noble truth is a noble truth, because you use the suffering as a compost for happiness.” 

“Siddhartha touched the reality that life and death are just a game of hide and seek. They are just labels.”

“Acceptance, and being with all the conditions in the present moment, is a superpower. You cannot escape the present moments – except by being in your suffering and your wishful thinking. But once you arrive in the here and now, and you embrace these realities, you are free.”

“This is because that is. This is not because that is not.”

“‘Thay, what happens when I die?’ Thay said, ‘I haven’t died yet, I don’t know. But what I can tell you is what happens when we are very much alive.’ Let’s come back to that present moment, to that insight.” 

“Thay spoke so eloquently of the second teaching, the Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta; the sutra on non-self. Under the tree, the Buddha looked at the Bodhi leaf and said, ‘Ah, in that leaf is the sunshine, the earth, the rain, the seed, everything. And if you take one of those elements out of that leaf, the leaf won’t exist as we know it now.’ And that was his deep realization.” 

“One Buddha is not enough.”

“The Buddha is the sangha.”

“I’d been a political activist looking for a way of being peace, not fighting for peace. I had a lot of anger in me and I really felt I touched peace for the first time in that walking meditation – as a visceral experience, not as an idea, not as the concept of wanting peace, but as something that I could embody.”

In the Footsteps of the Buddha (3/6) | The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachings (Episode #104)

“The Way Out Is In” is a new weekly podcast by Plum Village where hosts Jo Confino and Brother Pháp Hữu explore how to bring the practise of mindfulness into our daily life. First episode launches on Friday the 13th of August.

Coming Soon

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