Ram Dass talks about the promises and the pitfalls of the spiritual path, and the shift of reality that happened in the sixties that was predicated by psychedelics. This shift blew apart the traditional religious systems that were in place at the time, and the psychedelics gave people a connection that they had never experienced before: a feeling that they were interconnected with the universe. When we see how much of our behavior is a defense mechanism to alleviate the pain of separateness, we begin to realize the importance of healthy intuitive and compassionate hearts.

16 - Promises & Pitfalls: Attunement To Other Planes

Soothing music to heal the conversation between the heart and mind.  Reach out to your crush.  Take the next step with your soulmate.  Tell them how you feel.   Love.  Hope.  Acceptance.  Understanding.

The Icebreaker

Apple Music

The Icebreaker | Soft Piano & Choir | Longing, Love | Music for Rest and Healing

We are in a time of great transition. The climate crisis, the pandemic, war, injustice, racism: they're all pressing on us to live in a different way. And if you live with a peaceful heart, the point is not to let your heart get hardened. Don't turn your gaze away. But see another possibility—see with the great heart of compassion. 

My teacher Ajahn Chah said, "We human beings are constantly in combat, at war to escape the fact of being so limited by so many circumstances we cannot control. But instead of escaping, we continue to create suffering, waging war with evil, waging war with good, waging war with what is too small, waging war with what is too big, waging war with what is too short or too long, or right or wrong, courageously carrying on the battle. It's time to stop the war. " 

The sociobiologist Edward O. Wilson said, "The real problem of humanity is the following: we have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and god-like technology."

The first response is tend the wounds, feed the hungry, and stand up for peace in whatever way you can. But there is also an inner response needed. We know where war starts—it starts in the human heart. We must make the heart a zone of peace. Set your compass to your highest intention. Something in us knows there is another way.

**Follow Jack on social media**
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jack_kornfield
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jkornfield
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jackkornfield

Visit www.jackkornfield.com​​​ for meditations, articles & other materials.

This dharma talk was originally livestreamed by Spirit Rock on 3/28/22.

Peace Is Possible Dharma Talk — Jack Kornfield

When I first entered the monasteries in Thailand and Burma, I was taught everything is anicca (impermanent), dukkha (unsatisfactory), and anatta (no-self). The reason these were repeated over and over again is because if you see these, you see with the eyes of wisdom. Because everything is changing, the more you cling and hold on, the more you suffer.

To free ourselves, we need to quiet the mind through some mindfulness in meditation.
Then, instead of identifying with the changing conditions, we learn to release them and turn toward consciousness itself, to rest in the knowing. My teacher Ajahn Chah called this pure awareness, "the original mind," or resting in "the one who knows."

As the Jiddu Krishnamurti said, “It is the truth that liberates, and not your efforts to be free.”

With practice, we discover the selflessness of experience; we shift identity. We can be in the midst of an experience, being upset or angry or caught by some problem, and then step back from it and rest in pure awareness. We let go; we release holding any thought or feeling as "I" or "mine." We release the whole sense of identification, and the conditioned world is just anicca (impermanent), dukkha (unsatisfactory), and anatta (empty of self) -- it has nothing to do with our true nature. We learn to trust pure awareness itself. This is one of the ways Ajahn Chah taught about liberation. Awakening is always here and now. Practicing this way, your life is transformed.

**Follow Jack on social media**
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_kornfield
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jkornfield
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jackkornfield

Visit https://www.jackkornfield.com​​​ for meditations, articles & other materials.

This dharma talk was originally livestreamed by Spirit Rock on May 16, 2022.

The Most Basic Truths: Gateways To Freedom Dharma Talk — Jack Kornfield

In this episode, the presenters, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino, talk about the very modern diseases of busyness, overwhelm, and burnout, and how Zen Buddhist practices and Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings can help us regain our balance. 

Brother Phap Huu shares his thoughts on busyness in a monastic environment; coming home to ourselves and learning to stop in the midst of crises; the four elements (the practice, the study, the service, the joy); the noble silence practice in a retreat and becoming one with the silence; learning to stop and listen to ourselves; the practice of deep belly breathing; impermanence. And do you know how the Zen Master himself would face up and deal with overwhelm?

Jo shares his thoughts on the Climate Leaders retreat and makes a case for an “age of community”. He further reflects on allowing vulnerability in our overwhelm and busyness; compassion for ourselves; selfishness and selflessness; simplicity in the practice; guilt.  

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

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🔔 The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living is 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. 🔔

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The podcast is 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/ 

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Resources:

Plum Village Community ➛ https://plumvillage.org/
Thich Nhat Hanh ➛ https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/  
🎙️ Brother Phap Huu ➛ https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/br-phap-huu/ 
🎙️ Jo Confino ➛ https://www.instagram.com/joconfino/

‘Wake Up Humanity 2022’ retreat ➛ https://plumvillage.org/retreats/info/international-wake-up-retreat-2022/ 
Plum Village Retreats Calendar ➛ https://plumvillage.org/retreats/retreats-calendar/ 
Five Skandhas ➛ https://encyclopediaofbuddhism.org/wiki/Five_skandhas 
Dharma Talks: ‘The Five Skandhas of Grasping and Non-Self’​ ➛ https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-five-skandhas-of-grasping-and-non-self%e2%80%8b-dharma-talk-by-br-phap-lai-2018-06-08/ 
Songs: ‘The 16 Exercises of Mindful Breathing’ ➛ https://plumvillage.org/library/songs/the-16-exercises-of-mindful-breathing/ 
‘Connecting to Our Root Teacher, the Buddha’ ➛ https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/connecting-to-our-root-teacher-a-letter-from-thay-27-sept-2014/
Thay’s Poetry: ‘Please Call Me by My True Names’ (song & poem) ➛ https://plumvillage.org/articles/please-call-me-by-my-true-names-song-poem/ 
‘The Toadskin Hut and Paths of Legend’ ➛ https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/letters/the-toadskin-hut-and-paths-of-legend/

Pathways through Busyness, Overwhelm and Burnout | TWOII podcast | Episode #34

In this episode, the presenters, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino, discuss views and perceptions, and how to move beyond them to find deeper meaning and truth in life.

Together, they provide the context for the Buddhist concept of right view, deconstruct ‘view’ and perceptions, including giving examples. They also share zen stories and practices (such as the Five Mindfulness Trainings - with a special focus on the first three) which can help us let go of views that bring suffering, while embracing the ones that can bring happiness.

Brother Phap Huu explains the Buddhist perception of view and the updated Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings for monastic and lay practitioners. He further discusses fanaticism; “seeing the world beyond our world”; the practice of compassionate listening and deep looking; true communication; freedom of thought and openness to learning; and collective awakening. And what is it about aligning with a particular viewpoint that makes people feel safe and secure? 

Jo delves into the “terror of nothingness”; the sacred nature of things, and the fear of the sacred; the importance of connecting with and understanding our roots; holding more than one truth; and the accumulation of intellectual knowledge.

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

-------
🔔 The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living is 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 podcast is 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/ 

-------
Resources:

Plum Village Community ➛ https://plumvillage.org/
Thich Nhat Hanh ➛ https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/  
🎙️ Brother Phap Huu ➛ https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/br-phap-huu/ 
🎙️ Jo Confino ➛ https://www.instagram.com/joconfino/

Dharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path’ ➛ https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-noble-eightfold-path/
Dharma Talks: ‘The Ground of Right View’ ➛ https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-ground-of-right-view/ 
Sister Chan Khong ➛ https://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong/ 
The Beginner’s Mind ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoshin 
The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings ➛ https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/the-14-mindfulness-trainings/ 
Mahāyāna ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana 
Buddhahood ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhahood 
Leaders’ Quest ➛ https://leadersquest.org/ 
Lindsay Levin ➛ https://leadersquest.org/who-we-are/people/lindsay-levin/ 
Dharma Talks: ‘The Three Doors of Liberation or the Three Dharma Seals’ ➛ https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-three-doors-of-liberation-or-the-three-dharma-seals-sr-chan-duc-italian-retreat-2018-05-04/ 
Old Path White Clouds ➛ https://plumvillage.org/books/old-path-white-clouds-2/ 
Dharma Talks: ‘The Four Immeasurable Minds - The Four Elements of True Love’ ➛ https://plumvillage.org/library/dharma-talks/the-four-immeasurable-minds-the-four-elements-of-true-love-sr-dieu-nghiem-sr-jina-2018-07-26/

Free from Views in a Polarized World | TWOII podcast | Episode #36

In this episode, the presenters, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino, are joined in conversation by Tom Rivett-Carnac. Together, they discuss the power that deep spiritual grounding has to support change in the world, as well as how to bring presence and insight into our daily lives and the global challenges we face; how to cultivate inner peace; and taking steps to make mindfulness a tool for individual and collective awakening. 

Tom Rivett-Carnac is a political strategist, author, and podcaster who has spent more than 20 years working to address the climate and ecological crises. He is also a Founding Partner of Global Optimism, co-presenter of the well-known climate podcast Outrage + Optimism, and co-author of bestselling book The Future We Choose. 

Tom also talks about his early-life experience as a Buddhist monk; spiritual development; coming together without egoic attachment to find collective solutions; and integrating practice and activism.  

Brother Phap Huu talks about practices for collective awakening and how to not lose track of mindfulness in society’s busyness; training for the hard times; communities as support for the practice; touching enlightenment in daily life; finding peace in silence; being the change we want to see; and how Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings can serve people in times of crises.  

Jo delves into the power of presence; letting go of views; and why ‘showing up fully at work’ may not work.

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

-------
🔔 The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living is 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 podcast is 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/ 

-------
Resources:

Plum Village Community ➛ https://plumvillage.org/
Thich Nhat Hanh ➛ https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/  
🎙️ Tom Rivett-Carnac ➛ https://www.globaloptimism.com/tom-rivett-carnac 
🎙️ Brother Phap Huu ➛ https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/br-phap-huu/ 
🎙️ Jo Confino ➛ https://www.instagram.com/joconfino/

The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimist’s Guide to the Climate Crisis ➛ https://www.globaloptimism.com/the-future-we-choose 
S.N. Goenka ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._N._Goenka 
Sagaing, Myanmar/Burma ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagaing 
Christiana Figueres ➛ http://christianafigueres.com/#/ 
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: ‘Free from Views in a Polarized World’ (episode 36) ➛ https://plumvillage.org/podcast/free-from-views-in-a-polarized-world-episode-36/ 
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OECD 
Ajahn Chah ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajahn_Chah

Benefitting from a Spiritual Practice: In Conversation with Tom Rivett-Carnac | Episode #37

Returning back HOME to the Heart, back to ONEness

The Feeling That Something Is Wrong

Does Presence Have an Emotion?

This meditation is inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh - it uses a simple set of Mantras and once learned can be used to quickly diffuse negative emotions as they come up.

Smile And Release Meditation - Uma Neave (Spender)

Preparation 01

Plum Village is a new, free mindfulness app with Buddhist insights and guided meditations offered by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and his monastic community: https://plumvillage.app/

Free from Views in a Polarized World | TWOII podcast | Episode #36

Plum Village App : guided meditations & talks