Introduction to the Special Issue: Way Out Voices: A Phenomenology of Interbeing

Abstract

Interbeing is a foundational teaching of Thiền Sư (Zen master) Thích Nhất Hạnh, beloved Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist who has worked closely with Chân Không, an expatriate Vietnamese Buddhist nun. Together they founded Plum Village retreat center in the Dordogne region of France. This volume of invited essays – taken as a whole – reveals the inspirational power of the word interbeing as a focus for creating common ground within scholarship for voices not so often heard. Metaphorically, this phenomenology is what Nhất Hạnh might call a “hugging meditation.”

Introduction: On Agency and Transformative Experiences

“…During the last year, the United States—the region that is this journal's home base—continues to experience social and political upheaval that both colleagues and clients of mine describe as “unsettling,” “depressing,” and “traumatic.” Other members of my immediate community struggle to articulate how they find themselves disturbed and unsettled in a social and political climate that, for some, seems to be worsening. Even the most recent guest editor of this journal described late 2016 through early 2017 as a series of months that were “tumultuous and emotionally draining” (Hagens ). For many, this continues to be the case.…”