The Art of Laziness: Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There! (Episode #41)

Welcome to episode 41 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 time, 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.  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  ‘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/produ....ct/happiness-essenti