Interview with Terry Gross for Fresh Air

Thich Nhat Hanh · September 10, 1997 · KPBS Studio, San Diego, United States · Audio Only · Monastic talk Not yet reviewed Tech notes

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Previous Talk September 8, 1997

Returning to the Ancient Garden to Meet the World-Honored One

Next Talk September 13, 1997

"Awakening the Buddha Within: Mindfulness, Interconnectedness, and Inner Peace"

monastic talk due to unclear permission to republish. i think this is the complete interview, not edited.

Transcript

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Interview setup, consent, and recording guidelines

00:00:14

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00:03:19

You were trained in a Buddhist monastery in Vietnam. Does Vietnam have its own school of Buddhism, and is it different from Zen?

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Entering the monastery at sixteen in 1942, and the first appearance of war in monastic life

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:06:33

Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Continuous wars after World War II and the birth of Engaged Buddhism—were senior monks supportive?

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Terry Gross

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00:08:20

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:09:09

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Wartime social work—how did you help civilians, and could mindfulness survive frantic flight?

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:11:47

Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:14:03

Working with boat people and keeping calm amid collective trauma—does practice differ outside the monastery?

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:14:51

Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:15:48

00:16:25

00:17:23

Terry Gross

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Several monks burned themselves to protest the war—what is your view of this act?

00:17:42

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:18:46

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Terry Gross

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Personal contact with the self-immolated monks—did you know them or advise them?

00:19:21

Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:20:06

Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Terry Gross

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00:21:04

Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:21:36

00:22:23

Meeting Martin Luther King in 1966—were you present as he shaped his stand on the war?

00:22:48

Terry Gross

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00:23:16

Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:23:48

Exiled after speaking abroad—how did you respond to being forbidden to return home?

00:24:20

Terry Gross

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00:24:37

Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:25:17

00:25:35

00:26:43

Founding a mindfulness community in France—what was the intention behind Plum Village?

00:27:28

Terry Gross

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00:27:44

Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:28:26

00:29:07

00:29:58

Special retreats for refugees, veterans, families, and professionals—how is the teaching adapted?

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Terry Gross

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00:31:19

Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:32:14

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00:34:02

Healing war veterans—can you share a concrete example?

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Terry Gross

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00:35:05

Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:35:38

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00:39:29

Why is mindful breathing central to meditation?

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:41:22

00:42:08

What should be done with thoughts while practicing mindful breathing?

00:42:38

Terry Gross

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Terry Gross

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00:43:07

Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:43:54

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00:45:28

How many hours a day do you meditate?

00:46:01

Terry Gross

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00:46:06

Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:46:38

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00:47:58

At the Paris Peace Talks, how did your delegation’s message differ from that of the warring parties?

00:48:35

Terry Gross

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00:49:01

Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:50:02

Maintaining mindfulness amid the tumult of American cities—is it really possible?

00:50:51

Terry Gross

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00:51:16

00:51:41

Thich Nhat Hanh

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00:52:13

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00:53:40

Closing thanks and farewell

00:54:36

Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Terry Gross

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Thich Nhat Hanh

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Terry Gross

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00:55:43

Thich Nhat Hanh

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