In the Footsteps of the Buddha (2/6) | Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree | Episode 103

If you want to support our podcast please visit this link ➛ https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/?... Thank you! The second in a series of six episodes recorded during the In the Footsteps of the Buddha pilgrimage, this instalment was made in Bodh Gaya, India, in February 2026. In it, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino are joined again by Dharma teacher Shantum Seth to discuss the journey of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, before he reached enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya. It covers Siddhartha's early life, the various ascetic practices he tried, his finding of the middle way between extreme asceticism and hedonism and going through various stages of meditation and insight, to becoming the awakened one, and his first teaching. Together, the three participants further reflect on the relevance of the Buddha's journey to their own spiritual practices; the challenges of maintaining mindfulness and presence in the modern world; the importance of the sangha in the Buddhist tradition; and how the Buddha's teachings emphasize the interconnectedness of all things. ------- About the pilgrimage: In 1988, Shantum Seth was invited by Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) to organize a pilgrimage to the sacred sites associated with the Buddha’s life across India. Subsequently, Thay encouraged Shantum to continue guiding such journeys each year, offering pilgrimage itself as a mindfulness practice—one that the Buddha had suggested. Shantum has been leading these transformative journeys ever since, offering people from around the world the opportunity to follow In the Footsteps of the Buddha with awareness and insight. After 15 years at the United Nations, Shantum left to volunteer with the Ahimsa Trust, which represents Thay’s work in India and promotes the practice of “peace in oneself and peace in the world”. Through Buddhapath, his expression of Right Livelihood, Shantum continues to guide pilgrimages and share the wisdom and culture of the places he visits in India and across Buddhist Asia, cultivating community through these deeply meaningful journeys. To learn more about upcoming pilgrimages, visit www.buddhapath.com, or follow Shantum on Facebook and Instagram at @eleven_directions. ------- Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:01 Brother Phap Huu on reaching the second stage of the pilgrimage 00:22:09 Shantum Seth on moments of courage experienced on the path 00:33:33 Why did Siddhartha decide to take the ascetic path and what did he learn through it? 00:55:02 Shantum Seth on the history of asceticism in India; The middle path 1:05:21 Brother Phap Huu on the middle path 1:12:30 Teachers who empower students 1:19:08 Enlightenment; How can we understand this moment of the Buddha and represent it in our own lives? 1:41:25 Outro ------- 🔔 The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living is 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. 🔔 ------ The podcast is 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/ ------ Recording: Ann Nguyen ➛ https://ann.earth Sound editing: Joe Holtaway ➛ https://joeholtaway.com Publishing: Anca Rusu Producer: Clay Carnill ➛ https://claycarnill.com Executive Producer: Catalin Zorzini ------ 🎧 Listen to the podcast on the (completely FREE) Plum Village App ➛ https://link.plumvillage.app/rd1r and other streaming services. ------ Resources: 🎙️ Shantum Seth ➛ https://ahimsatrust.org/dharmacharya-... 🎙️ Brother Phap Huu ➛ https://plumvillage.org/people/dharma... 🎙️ Jo Confino ➛ https://www.instagram.com/joconfino/?... Interbeing ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Old Path White Clouds ➛ https://www.parallax.org/product/old-... Kaundinya ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaundinya Sister Chan Khong ➛ https://plumvillage.org/about/sister-... Bodhi tree ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhi_tree Bodh Gaya ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodh_Gaya Sujata ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sujata_...) Mahavira ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahavira Kumbh Mela ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumbh_Mela Maulana Azad ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maulana... Dalit ➛ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalit Dharma Talks: ‘Redefining the Four Noble Truths’ ➛ https://plumvillage.org/library/dharm... Dharma Talks: ‘The Noble Eightfold Path’ ➛ https://plumvillage.org/library/dharm... Help us caption and translate this video: https://web.plumvillage.app/subs?yt=5...