I read the book Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet thinking it would focus on environmental issues but found it covers much broader topics of human interactions including war and peace. If there is one word that best describes how to achieve peace in our minds and in our world interacting with each other is the art of listening. Thich Nhat Hahn (popular for teaching mindfulness is known as Thay to his followers) and two of his disciples describe their experiences surviving through the Vietnam War. As Buddhist monks, they advocated for peace and neutrality yet found themselves targeted by both sides of the conflict. They were forced to leave their homeland and created Plum Village in France.

Here are a few insights:

Eating bitter melon can cool our body just like meditation can relieve suffering.
Action will take us by being in the present loving moment if we let go of always taking action.
Deep listening is the gift of letting another person speak with no judgement or reactions. Hearing a person speak for 15 minutes can invoke compassion and empathy in ourselves. At Plum Village, they invited adversarial groups to resolve their arguments to strive for understanding.
The Diamond Sutra describes dropping four traps that create feelings of separateness of the self, people, other living beings and lifespans.
Transcending the ego self to see we are made of the elements in the cosmos just like a flower is made of sunshine, rain, and soil.
Christiana Figueres, a student of Thich Nhat Hanh and member of the Plum Village Sangha, was one of the architects of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015.

I’m adopting these principles in my life and seeing improved relationships with family and friends. It’s also great to listen to wildlife like birds and to our pets. As I finished writing, I just heard our dog Moka grunting to go outside!