Being with Painful Feelings (Episode #73)

Welcome to episode 73 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.

Nobody escapes pain, but, for most people, knowing how to handle it remains a mystery. That’s why, in this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino discuss ways to cope with painful feelings, both individually and collectively. The two presenters talk about the Buddhist practices of being with pain, and how to handle it, be aware of it, and understand it, in order to start transforming it. 

The conversation touches upon personal stories of transformation, including snippets from Thich Nhat Hanh’s life; the general fear of being with our suffering; the ability to touch joy in daily life; deep happiness; accessing the wisdom in ourselves; eight practical stages for dealing with our pain, based on Buddhist practices; and much more. 

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 

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

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

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

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: The Heart of Meditation – Part One (Episode #61)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-heart-of-meditation-part-one-episode-61 

The Way Out Is In: ‘The Heart of Meditation – Part Two (Episode #62)’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-heart-of-meditation-part-two-episode-62  

51 Mental Formations
https://plumvillage.org/transcriptions/51-mental-formation

‘Texts for the Practice of “Touching the Earth”’
https://plumvillage.org/texts-for-the-practice-of-touching-the-earth 

Quotes

“I think pain is a universal thread that connects all of us human beings, because it is inevitable that each and every one of us experience pain, whether it is physical or emotional. And part of the Buddha’s journey of spiritual investigation was how he could touch deep freedom and deep awakening.”

“When we are taking care of our happiness, we are also taking care of our pain and our suffering. And these emot