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Born in Vietnam during the Vietnam war, Cuong Lu emigrated to the Netherlands in 1980 where he later studied at Plum Village under and later became ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh.

He served as a prison chaplain for 6 years and later founded the Mind Only School in the Netherlands, where he teaches Buddhist philosophy and psychology.

He is the author of The Buddha in Jail: Restoring Lives, Finding Hope and Freedom, Wait: A Love Letter to Those in Despair, Happiness is Overrated: Simple Lessons on Finding Meaning in Each Moment, and the upcoming At Peace filled with Joy Buddhist Wisdom from the Dhammapada.

We discuss how Cuong Lu came to Plum Village and his journey as a monk, teacher, chaplain and author. Cuong Lu talks to us about suffering and finding your true self and true home, the concept of fear/non-fear and that each student and person is your teacher.

*Read the open letter written by Cuong Lu to party leader Tô Lâm, urging him to no longer place fear and repression above wisdom and compassion.

Podcast edited by Brad Parsons at Train Sound Studio, www.trainsoundstudio.com

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While we usually have guests on, for this podcast we decided just to have a team discussion on the 2025 year. We discussed what challenged us, what we learned from, what we hope to see in 2026. We talked about grief, recovery, dogs, family, changes, the changing landscape of our nation and our world.

We hope you enjoy this different take on our podcast!

Podcast edited by Brad Parsons at Train Sound Studio, www.trainsoundstudio.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Contact us at editor@thetattooedbuddha.com.

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From journalist and internationally recognized author Lee Carlson comes a life-changing memoir about our journey to seek meaning and the personal relationships we build along the way.

A Single Excellent Night weaves together awakening experiences and pivotal realizations from the first four years of a 15-year apprenticeship Lee Carlson spent with Peter Matthiessen. The relationship between these two men, Zen teacher/student, writer mentor/mentee, trusted confidants and friends, unfolds in beautiful stories as Carlson goes on a quest to the furthest limits of human understanding and mindfulness, culminating with a single magical event on a winter beach.

Layered with profound insights on identity, belonging, and suffering, A Single Excellent Night is more than a book about Zen, spiritual awakening, and the enlightenment found in presence. It is a book about meaningful relationships, healing, love, and community. Unpacking the wisdom and teachings of towering literary figures like Peter Matthiessen and spiritual teachers like Joanna Macy, Carlson invites readers to experience the rare fusion of lived memory and meditative inquiry—a search for insight shaped by Zen practice, poetic prose, and the lasting imprint of a literary legacy. (see more here)

Gary Sanders and Dana Gornall talk with Lee Carlson, traumatic brain injury survivor, journalist, former magazine editor and Zen practitioner. Lee's previous memoir, Passage to Nirvana goes into his journey of near death to recovering from an accident that caused a Traumatic Brain Injury. We discuss some of his background and story along with his latest work, A Single Excellent Night.

Lee's website here: https://leecarlson.life/

Purchase A Single Excellent Night here: https://leecarlson.life/a-single-excellent-night

Amazon

Passage to Nirvana here: https://leecarlson.life/passage-to-nirvana

Podcast edited by Brad Parsons at Train Sound Studio, www.trainsoundstudio.com

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! Interested in being a guest on our podcast? Contact us at editor@thetattooedbuddha.com.