Thich Nhat Hanh Part 2: How to be More Compassionate & Live Longer

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Tay to his students) was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who spent his life promoting compassion, kindness to others, and being a tireless advocate for human rights, nonviolence, and peace. 

In Part Two of Tay’s episode on Into The Magic Shop, he continues the conversation around suffering and compassion, because says Tay, where there is no suffering, there is no happiness either. 

“We don't want to send our children to a place where there is no suffering. Because in such a place, you have no chance to learn to be understanding and compassionate. It is by touching suffering, understanding suffering, that you can generate love and compassion.”

And to truly understand compassion, says Tay, you have to truly understand love in terms of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. 

“We cannot do the healing of the world unless we have enough of that energy, understanding, and compassion. Because really, our society needs that kind of energy.”

To learn more about transforming suffering into compassion, download and listen to this episode. 

On today’s podcast:

• What you learn on a Plum Village retreat 
• Understanding mindfulness of compassion
• The four elements of true love
• How to cultivate the energy of compassion

Links:

• The Plum Village Tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

What is Into the Magic Shop?

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many were overwhelmed with stress, anxiety and depression. While this epidemic of stress has been growing over the past decade, it has been exacerbated by the pandemic and the divisive nature of political discourse. As a result, many people feel disconnected, inauthentic, and unhappy, while questioning the source of their unhappiness when they presumably have “everything”—an absence of compassion, for oneself and others, is often the source of the problem.

Many of us don’t understand the nature of self-compassion nor the power of compassion to improve our lives and alleviate our suffering. By entering the “Magic Shop”, Jim will share his wisdom and introduce a variety of techniques to change the course of one’s life and share his own lessons learned through the exchange of untold stories of his guests. He will interview authors and experts in the fields of philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, spirituality and religion, as well as individuals with unique points of view. He will also engage his listeners by answering their questions and also at times interview listeners who are willing to share their own stories of challenge and hardship.