In this orientation from the Wake Up Humanity retreat, Brother Phap Huu, long-term attendant of zen master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay), takes us on a journey as he relates stories of our teacher’s life and practice, and the genesis of the Plum Village Dharma Doors. We accompany Thay in his challenges, discoveries, and breakthroughs. We witness Thay returning again and again to the heart of the practice, as well as adapting and innovating its form, and we see how this brought him through many difficulties and allowed him to continue on the path of service.

Brother Phap Huu asks, as we are now living in a crucial moment for humanity, how can the practice of mindfulness help us to develop a new relationship with Mother Earth based on the insight of Interbeing?

Do we actually have a sustainable relationship with ourselves? Can we smile to ourselves when we make mistakes? Do we have an inner island to come back to?

Brother Phap Huu shares with us how our mindful breath and steps can become our foundation for such an authentic relationship with ourselves, others, and the Earth. We learn to come back to the present moment and to touch peace. Slowly and with the support of the Sangha, we also learn to recognize and embrace the experiences that have been transmitted to us by our ancestors. In our daily life, we learn to create moments just to be.