{"id":25692,"date":"2026-06-18T03:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T09:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/?post_type=podcast&#038;p=25692"},"modified":"2026-06-16T12:53:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T18:53:18","slug":"just-one-question-thich-nhat-hanh-what-is-the-root-cause-of-our-social-problems","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/podcast\/just-one-question-thich-nhat-hanh-what-is-the-root-cause-of-our-social-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"Just One Question | Th\u00edch Nh\u1ea5t H\u1ea1nh: What Is the Root Cause of Our Social Problems?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/1632d73c-91ea-42a8-a3db-a62b135d081c\/episodes\/753c98c4-da28-4149-a1df-9d0a444e45d9\/embed?theme=dark-custom&amp;primary_color=%23d8b6be\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What if the root cause of every social problem \u2014 starvation, ecological destruction, violence \u2014 wasn&#8217;t a broken system or a corrupt institution, but a collective state of unawareness? And what if the most powerful act of social change available to you today happened in your own mind?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That&#8217;s the territory Tami Simon explores in this remarkable exchange with Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Zen master who founded Plum Village, pioneered engaged Buddhism, and became one of the most influential spiritual teachers of the twentieth century. Recorded more than two decades ago beneath a willow tree, this conversation feels astonishingly present.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Th\u00edch Nh\u1ea5t H\u1ea1nh&#8217;s answer to Tami&#8217;s question doesn&#8217;t point outward to policy or protest \u2014 it points inward, then ripples out. Individual awakening, he says, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> collective awakening. Your practice is social action. Your light is contagious.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What you&#8217;ll hear in this exchange:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why individual mindfulness practice is inseparable from social transformation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How collective enlightenment spreads \u2014 and how it already has, in ways we don&#8217;t always recognize<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The role artists, teachers, economists, and politicians all play in the work of awakening<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to stay rooted in hope \u2014 and action \u2014 without being swallowed by despair<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a short clip, but it carries the full weight of a lifetime of practice and teaching. It may change how you think about what you&#8217;re doing every time you sit down to meditate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This clip is taken from the full <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Insights at the Edge<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> conversation with Th\u00edch Nh\u1ea5t H\u1ea1nh. Find the complete interview in this feed or at soundstrue.com.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This episode is sponsored by Omega Institute, a global gathering hub for lifelong learning and spiritual exploration. Omega offers weekend workshops, special events, rest and rejuvenation retreats, professional training, online learning, and more. Discover what calls to you at <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/eomega.org\/true\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eomega.org\/true<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":25695,"template":"","meta":{"_expiration-date-status":"","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[]},"categories":[382],"tags":[170],"contributor":[455],"class_list":["post-25692","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mindfulness","tag-insights-at-the-edge","contributor-thich-nhat-hanh"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Just One Question | Th\u00edch Nh\u1ea5t H\u1ea1nh: What Is the Root Cause of Our Social Problems? | Sounds True<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Just One Question | Th\u00edch Nh\u1ea5t H\u1ea1nh: What Is the Root Cause of Our Social Problems? | Sounds True\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What if the root cause of every social problem \u2014 starvation, ecological destruction, violence \u2014 wasn&#8217;t a broken system or a corrupt institution, but a collective state of unawareness? 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