in this episode, the presenters, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and journalist Jo Confino, discuss the forgotten art of resting and how to free the word ‘laziness’ from its Western slander - as an equivalent of torpor or sloth – through the wisdom of Zen Buddhist teachings. Also, what is the story behind the weekly ‘lazy day’ in Plum Village? How does laziness support the doing? Could laziness be the route to healing?

Brother Phap Huu shares the story of how ‘lazy day’ became part of the Plum Village tradition, along with advice that Thich Nhat Hanh gave about being in a state of laziness – one of the key attributes to a healthy and happy life. The Brother further touches upon setting the right intentions; clarity; true presence and the awkwardness of quiet; Thay’s openness; allowing ourselves to be cared for; constant busyness, what it's like to face oneself, and learning to do nothing; and being mindfully… angry. And the surprise the presenters got when trying to record this episode about laziness on a lazy day.

Jo shares his experiences of a recent trip to New York and how to not get caught in the nonstop doing of large cities; laziness as an act of generosity; happiness as the avoidance of suffering; spaciousness; laziness as healing; and integrating lazy moments into a busy day for surprisingly creative results.

The episode ends with a reading from the ‘Lazy Day’ chapter of Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Happiness, and a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Intro
00:01:35 ‘Laziness’ in Buddhism
00:04:37 Lazy day in Plum Village
00:14:31 Recording the podcast on a lazy day
00:15:15 Allowing grace and spontaneity
00:16:34 Dalai Lama and Thay
00:19:10 Persimmon Village, Plum Village
00:20:57 The inception of lazy day in Plum Village
00:23:20 Constant busyness and facing ourselves
00:25:05 Laziness as healing
00:30:25 Generosity and creating spaciousness
00:33:17 Surrendering the doing
00:41:36 How laziness supports the doing
00:45:55 Creating breaks and lazy moments
00:49:00 The energy of ease and offering
00:50:24 Acceptance and letting go
00:55:00 The many ways to enjoy the scenery
00:58:15 Being present for ourselves and others
00:59:45 Lazy Day chapter from Thay’s book ‘Happiness’
01:03:10 Short guided meditation

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🎧 Listen to previous episodes on YouTube ➛ http://pvapp.to/twoii-episodes

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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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🎧 Listen to the podcast on the (completely free) Plum Village App ➛ https://web.plumvillage.app/talks/the-way-out-is-in and other streaming services.

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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/

‘The Art of Mindful Living’ ➛ https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness/mindfulness-practice/
Clips: ‘What’s the Point of Doing Nothing?’ ➛ https://plumvillage.org/library/clips/the-art-of-being/
Dalai Lama ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalai_Lama
The Art of Happiness ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Happiness
Persimmon ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon
Sister Chan Khong ➛ https://plumvillage.org/about/sister-chan-khong/
Mudra ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudra
Estes Park, Colorado ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estes_Park,_Colorado
Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices ➛ https://www.parallax.org/product/happiness-essential-mindfulness-practices/

Help us caption and translate this video: https://web.plumvillage.app/subs?yt=wnk_aN8m6-M

#TheWayOutIsIn #ThichNhatHanh #PlumVillageApp #twoii