Silence (Episode #94)

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 installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino explore the importance of silence and its role in personal transformation and spiritual practice. They further discuss noble silence in the Plum Village tradition – a fundamental practice that allows for deep reflection, self-awareness, and connection with the present moment; silence as a space that enables practitioners to listen deeply; the challenges of silence; the contrast between the mainstream emphasis on productivity, noise, and external validation, and the Buddhist approach of valuing stillness, presence, and inner listening as a path to true well-being and happiness; silence as a means to engage more deeply with life, rather than as an escape; embodied listening; and more. The episode concludes with an invitation to take time for silent reflection and to explore the transformative power of silence in our lives. 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 Interbeing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Being with Busyness: Zen Ways to Transform Overwhelm and Burnout https://www.parallax.org/product/being-with-busyness/ Calm in the Storm: Zen Ways to Cultivate Stability in an Anxious World https://www.parallax.org/product/calm-in-the-storm/ Buddha Path https://buddhapath.com ‘The Four Dharma Seals of Plum Village’ https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-four-dharma-seals-of-plum-village Brother Spirit https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-phap-linh Brother Phap Ung https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/brother-chan-phap-ung ‘Three Resources Explaining the Plum Village Tradition of Lazy Days’ https://plumvillage.app/three-resources-explaining-the-plum-village-tradition-of-lazy-days/ Tao Te Ching https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching Bimbisara https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimbisara Devadatta