Cultivating Joy and Togetherness in the Midst of Hardship (Episode #95)

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 the recording of our second live public event, which recently took place in London. Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino are joined on stage by special guest Ocean Vuong, Vietnamese American poet, essayist, and novelist.

Their conversation explores the themes of joy, togetherness, and cultivating courage in the face of hardship and suffering; the role of language, narrative, and technology in shaping modern experiences of suffering and joy; intergenerational trauma; and more.

All three share personal experiences and insights about finding meaning and community amidst individual and collective challenges. Ocean recollects the way that, growing up in a community impacted by the opioid crisis, Buddhism and the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh provided solace and a path to understanding suffering, while Brother Phap Huu reflects on his journey to become a Zen Buddhist monk, and the role of kindness, fearlessness, and vulnerability in his practice. 

The discussion culminates with a chant offered by Ocean as a message of hope and resilience in the face of adversity.

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/

Photo credit: Wayne Price

List of resources

Ocean Vuong https://www.oceanvuong.com

Being with Busyness: Zen Ways to Transform Overwhelm and Burnouthttps://www.parallax.org/product/being-with-busyness/  

Calm in the Storm: Zen Ways to Cultivate Stability in an Anxious Worldhttps://www.parallax.org/product/calm-in-the-storm/ 

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

W. S. Merwinhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._S._Merwin 

Harry Beecher Stowehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Beecher_Stowe 

Tom Brokawhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brokaw

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

Ford Model Thttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Model_T 

The Dhammapadahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhammapada 

Anaphorahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaphora_(rhetoric) 

Schadenfreude