Dharma Friend
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Life Story
Brother Chân Pháp Hữu was ordained as a novice monk on February 7th 2002 in the “Sugar Palm Tree” family. He received full bhikkhu ordination on December 18th 2006, and the Lamp Transmission as a Dharma Teacher in 2009. He became vice abbot in 2008 and is the abbot of Upper Hamlet since January 2011.
Br. Pháp Hũu first encountered Thầy and the community as a 9-year-old when he traveled from Canada to Plum Village France in 1996 with his father and sister. He was immediately drawn by the joyous brotherhood and the peaceful comportment of the monks. At the age of 12 he knew then that he wished to become a monk. After much persistence, his family allowed him to realize this wish at the age of 13.
True to his name, and despite the age difference, Br. Pháp Hũu became a dear friend to Thầy. He is often by Thầy’s side as an attendant, sharing moments filled with love, laughter, tears, and inspiration.
As an abbot, Br. Pháp Hũu takes his time to connect with and understand his monastic and lay brothers. He is much appreciated as a skillful facilitator at Sangha gatherings. His favorite practices are walking meditation and organizing retreats in Plum Village. He is interested in team building, coaching, and mentoring. When playing, Br. Pháp Hũu loves basketball and music.
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Dharma Talks
🎄 Inner Peace This Holiday Season: Come Home, Smile to Yourself & Be There for Others
This Dharma Talk is the ninth talk of the Rains’ Retreat 2023 Sunday Talk series and part of the week-long Christmas retreat with the title “Coming Home to Peace”. 0:27: 🕯️ Brother Phap Huu shares about the practice of mindfulness as a way to find inner peace and healing,…
Br Pháp Hữu
Direction, Aspiration, and Obstacles on the Path | A Monastic Q&A Session
This session was recorded during our first week of the Plum Village Summer Opening retreat in July 2023. Thumbnail photo credit ©Jerome Cabeen — jeromecabeenphotography.com
Br Pháp Hữu, Br Pháp Linh, Br Troi Bao Tang
Let Your Breath Guide You Back
This Dharma Talk was recorded on the 6th of June 2023, in Lower Hamlet, Plum Village France, as part of the retreat “Finding our True Home”.
Br Pháp Hữu
With Each and Every Brushstroke: When Art & Meditation Come Together
In this beautiful video, our teacher Thay (Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh) and our abbot Br. Phap Huu share with us how to combine mindfulness and calligraphy to create beautiful art that can inspire and nourish life
Thich Nhat Hanh, Br Pháp Hữu
Recognising and Embracing our Emotions in the Present Moment
By becoming mindful of our emotions we can respond appropriately instead of reacting to a challenging situation. This is the art of mindfulness that we can cultivate in our daily life, to be the change we want to see in the world.
Br Pháp Hữu
On Acceptance: New Year’s Eve Talk
As the new year begins to unfold, we have the opportunity to look back: What have we cultivated in ourselves in 2022? Was there a habit energy that manifested strongly, carrying us away? And how about our relationships? Were we able to cultivate deep friendship? Do we hold pain…
Br Pháp Hữu
True Spiritual Friendship
from 2022 11 03, Rains Retreat, Lay Day, Talk 7. How can we embrace our ancestors that we have never met? This and the below questions were addressed by Brother Phap Huu and Sister True Dedication in this “a-la-carte Dharma Talk”. * How can we understand our deep suffering…
Br Pháp Hữu, Sr Hiến Nghiêm
Active Response to Suffering
Is Plum Village “engaged” enough today? Is our daily practice of mindfulness an appropriate answer to the problems our world is facing? If we look deeply at current issues such as war, injustice, or the climate crisis, we can understand their connection with our ways of thinking, speaking and…
Sr Hiến Nghiêm, Br Pháp Linh, Br Pháp Hữu
Creating a Culture of Healing, Stopping, & Having Enough | Br. Phap Huu
In this Dharma Talk at the start of the second week of our Summer Retreat, Brother Phap Huu begins by asking us a simple question: Have we really arrived in Plum Village? Or are we still running in the past, future, or even getting lost in the present? The…
Br Pháp Hữu
Q&A: News, Enlightenment, & Pain | Brs Phap Huu, Bao Tang, Srs Thuan Nghiem, Hien Nghiem
0:00 Introduction by brother Phap Huu 2:50 How to deal with News? How to protect ourselves when we read the News and how to balance the negative energy created by the News? 12:55 How can the peace movement respond in a non-violent way to the invasion of Ukraine? 21:42…
Br Troi Bao Tang, Br Pháp Hữu, Sr Thuận Nghiêm, Sr Hiến Nghiêm
Our Destination is the Present Moment (Wake Up Retreat #1) | Br Phap Huu
In this orientation from the Wake Up Humanity retreat, Brother Phap Huu, long-term attendant of zen master Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay), takes us on a journey as he relates stories of our teacher’s life and practice, and the genesis of the Plum Village Dharma Doors. We accompany Thay in…
Br Pháp Hữu
Celebrating 40 Years of the Plum Village tradition | A Music and Meditation Evening
on the 14th of June 2022, we had a wonderful music and poetry concert to celebrate 40 years of the Plum Village tradition. The concert was part of a two-week long mindfulness practice retreat, with the theme “Now We Have a Path, We Have Nothing to Fear”, held in…
Br Pháp Hữu, Br Pháp Linh, Sr Trai Nghiem, Sr Hiến Nghiêm, Br Phap Bieu
“Arrived, Home”: The First Plum Village Dharma Seal (40 Years Retreat #2)
Br. Phap Huu offers his experiences and insights on practicing “I have arrived, I am home”, the First Seal of Plum Village practice. He shares poignant moments by Thay’s side for us to have a taste of Thay’s great wisdom and love. Arriving in our body and mind in…
Br Pháp Hữu
Are You a Buddha? | Vesak 2022
In this Dharma Talk offered on Vesak day, Brother Phap Huu delves into the fascinating story of the historical Buddha Siddhartha to help us connect with the spiritual seeker inside of us. Are we in touch with our awakened nature as we live our daily life? What legacy do…
Br Pháp Hữu
The Discourse on Youth and Happiness
This talk, the first in our Rains Retreat, was offered by Brother Phap Huu from the New Hamlet of Plum Village, France.
Br Pháp Hữu
The Spirit of a Rains Retreat
Brother Phap Huu introduces the 2021 Rains Retreat: Gems of the Plum Village Tradition.
Br Pháp Hữu
Cultivating Kindness, Building Community
What does it feel like to receive kindness, from a loved one or even a stranger? What does it mean to have kindness in our own heart, and to be a true friend to ourselves and others? How can we cultivate these qualities, to help build a kind community…
Br Pháp Hữu
“How to Be a True Friend”
Brother Pháp Hữu’s name means “Dharma friend”. In this live talk , the first of our 3-month Autumn Rains Retreat, Brother Pháp Hữu speaks to us about how to be a true friend, and how to live in harmony with those around us in our family and community.
Br Pháp Hữu
Nourishing Spiritual Aspirations and Community Harmony
Br Phap Huu gives encouraging words to the Plum Village aspirants who are about to enter the monastic community. When we enter the ordained community, we do not do so only as individuals but we bring our whole ancestral lineage with us. It is important to have the aspiration…
Br Pháp Hữu
Opening the Rains Retreat
Br Phap Huu gives the opening talk of the Rains retreat on September the 17th, 2019, in the New Hamlet of Plum Village. He describes the history and spirit of the rains retreat since it started at the time of the Buddha. He tells a story of Thay and…
Br Pháp Hữu
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