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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 episode, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino are joined by Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Xa to explore the revolutionary aspect of walking meditation – not just a physical activity but a spiritual practice that can help us ground ourselves and connect with the present moment.

Brother Phap Xa – who co-authored the book Hiking Zen with Brother Phap Luu – shares practical tips for walking meditation, and personal experiences such as the way this type of meditation has helped him deal with strong emotions and transformed his perspective on life. 

The conversation also touches on the concept of aimlessness in walking meditation, the importance of walking for the sake of walking, the benefits of walking in silence, the idea of walking with ancestors, the practice of walking for others, and more.

The episode concludes with a short meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu, to help listeners connect with the present moment when walking.

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 

Brother Phap Xa
https://www.parallax.org/authors/brother-phap-xa/ 

Brother Phap Luu
https://www.parallax.org/authors/brother-phap-luu/

Stephan Harding
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephan_Harding 

Hiking Zen
https://www.parallax.org/product/hiking-zen/ 

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

Plum Village Tradition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Village_Tradition 

EIAB
https://www.eiab.eu/ 

‘The Tortoise and the Hare’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tortoise_and_the_Hare 

Old Path White Clouds
https://www.parallax.org/product/old-path-white-clouds/ 

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: ‘Guest Episode: Reconnecting with Gaia – A Deep Time Walk’
https://plumvillage.org/podcast/guest-episode-reconnecting-with-gaia-a-deep-time-walk 

Quotes

“Don’t take another step until you really believe that you can walk in freedom.”

“When we speak about freedom in the practice, it’s freedom to be fully in the present moment, with every step that we take, with every action that we can accumulate.”

“Whenever I am in fifth gear, I know I need to go down to first gear. And I don’t see it as a slowing down, as a bad thing – I see it as an upgrade to the presence, to the quality of freedom.”

“Meditation is in every action. That’s the way we look at it in our tradition. Meditation is to be engaged in the way we stand, the way we sit, the way we move – even the way we lay down. There is an attention that comes from bringing our mindfulness to how we are in the present moment.”

“I have arrived; I’m home wherever I go.”

“When you walk, don’t talk; just walk. This is one of the most difficult practices.”

“The miracle is not to walk on water, the miracle is to walk on this earth.”

“Walking meditation is an important practice for coming back to the present moment, because then we can recognize that there are many wonders happening in the present moment, inside and around us. And it’s already a wonder to be able to breathe, and to be able to be in touch with the many forms and colors around us.”

“Walk for the sake of walking.”