Wise Attention Blog
The writing on this site explores what it means to practice Buddhism, mindfulness and ethics in the modern world. You'll find reviews, , talks, interviews, broadcasts and reflection on the arts as well as reflections on the Buddha and Buddhist teachings
Thought for the Day
Arts
Buddhism in the Modern World
Book Reviews
The New Buddhism: an Interview with David Brazier
David Brazier discovered Buddhism in the 1960’s and followed it as a personal spiritual quest and an outlet for his social idealism. The New Buddhism challenges the views of many western Buddhists, proposing a focus on the earliest Buddhist teachings and social activism
The Big Bang, the Buddha and the Baby Boom
The hippy discovery of Buddhism (along with a cacophony of Eastern teachers and new ideas) is an important part of western Buddhist history. Wes Nisker’s memoir evokes the era and comically reflects on his generation’s trajectory with satire, irony and sincerity
Shakespeare’s Wisdom: The Buddha and Richard II
What is Shakespeare’s Wisdom and how does it match up to the Buddha’s? In this article I explore Shakespeare’s Richard II as a play about belief and identity, which are core concerns of Buddhism, and suggest parallels between Shakespeare’s insights and those of the Buddha
Mindfulness vs Drugs in Managing Depression
The $3 billion fine against GlaxoSmithKline for mis-selling antidepressants and other medication reveals the commercialisation of mental healthcare. But an alternative to medication is learning to manage your states of mind. Mindfulness-based approaches that draw on Buddhist practice are making that a realistic alternative to Big Pharma
Translating Emptiness: a Meeting with Stephen Batchelor
When the Buddhist writer and philosopher, Stephen Batchelor, published Verses From the Center: A Buddhist Vision of the Sublime I met him to discuss his new poetic translation of a seminal text by Nagarjuna that explores the seemingly mysterious subject of emptiness or sunyata
Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain
This book gives a rare insight into two leading western Buddhist movements: the Tibetan-derived New Kadampa Tradition and the Zen Buddhist Order of Buddhist Contemplatives
Aung San Suu Kyi & Freedom from Fear
As Aung San Suu Kyi addresses the UK parliament here’s a reflection on her political philosophy which emphasises the moral qualities and good sense rather than force or strategy
An Ambedkarite Mass Conversion and a Political Storm
Ten years ago I travelled to Delhi and found myself caught in the confusion, strong emotions and intense politics of a mass conversion to Buddhism among India’s dalit community
Ten Tips for Setting Up a Meditation Practice
The benefits of meditation come with regular practice, and that means making it part of your life. That’s one of the great challenges of learning meditation, so here are ten tips for establishing a meditation practice
When China Rules the World: And What it Means for Buddhism
China will soon possess the world’s largest economy, and cultural influence will follow economic power. Martin Jaques argues in his book ‘When China Rules the World’ that this change will shape the next century. But what does it mean for the future of Buddhism?
When a Buddhist Becomes a Catholic – Reflections on Paul Williams’ Conversion
Paul Williams, a prominent Buddhist scholar and author of Mahayana Buddhism shocked the Buddhist world by converting from Buddhism to Catholicism. That made me ask how deep an adopted faith reaches into the psyche
The Symbolism of the Olympic Torch
The Olympic Torch is being carried through Cardiff, today, passion near my house. The city is entranced, and I have been reflecting on its appeal. Weekend Word BBC Radio Wales, 25 May 2012
Connecting With Nature & Taking Responsibility
Human beings are a part of nature but with special power and responsibility. But we need to feel our connection with nature so we can feel our responsibility for it
Anders Behring Breivik used meditation to kill – he’s not the first
The Norwegian mass murderer meditated to numb his emotions – echoing the way it has been used by some Zen Buddhists. The effect of any practice depends on our values
Thich Nhat Hanh in Stormont
Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh recently visited Northern Ireland and addressed members of the Northern Ireland Assembly where former enemies work together in the Power-Sharing Executive. They listened respectfully to ideas that were influential in the province’s Peace Process.
Street Wise: Bernie Glassman in Yonkers
In the 1990s the American Zen teacher Bernie Glassman ditched traditional forms of practice and plunged into the poor, black community that surrounded his Center in Yonkers, New York. In 1997 I travelled there to witness this remarkable experiment in Buddhist social action and ask Bernie Glassman: is it working? and is it Buddhist?
The Buddha and The Scream
Edward Munch’s The Scream has just become the most expensive painting ever sold at auction. Meanwhile, Buddhists around the world are celebrating the Buddha’s Enlightenment by contemplating images of the Buddha. What is the mysterious power that images have over us? What do the express? And which should we choose to dwell on?
Transforming our Terror: A Meeting With Christopher Titmuss
As the Iraq war waged meditation teacher Christopher Titmuss wrote Transforming our Terror, exploring the response to 9/11 and the drive to war: ‘They decided that the way to combat their fear was to hit out.’ Vishvapani met him in Totnes to discuss the book and Buddhist responses in a time of war
Visiting Auschwitz: Pilgrimage or ‘Dark Tourism’?
When I spent a week at Auschwitz Concentration Camp with a Buddhist-led interfaith group, I confronted the question, is such a visit meaningful or morbid? We may not be able to make sense of such places, but ‘bearing witness’ to their horrors has a mysterious power
‘It’s Not Power That Corrupts But Fear’: Aung San Suu Kyi’s Buddhist Politics (2)
Aung San Suu Kyi’s political philosophy is a serious attempt to act from Buddhist principles. Under her leadership, the goal of the democracy movement has not been defeating military but restoring harmony and she has refused to endorse unethical means to achieve her political ends
Aung San Suu Kyi’s Buddhist Politics (1)
Burma’s inspiring opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi has waged a decades long campaign against the country’s military dictatorship. Her approach and her non-violent principles both stem from her understanding of Buddhism and her Buddhist practice. Pt 1 of 2: Who is Aung San Suu Kyi
Buddhist Rebels & Buddhist Despots in the Burmese Spring
Burma’s struggle isn’t between Buddhists and their opponents but between different kinds of Buddhists. The monastic establishment’s complicity with the generals’ Buddhist tyranny shows the need to reform Buddhism, freeing it from ancient practices that obscure its essential teachings
Responding to Suffering: Learning from Mindfulness Based Approaches Pt 2
Mindfulness based approaches use Buddhist methods to address psychological difficulties. But they adapt them to the needs modern society by emphasising acceptance or moving towards the difficult; being nonjudgmental; and being kind to yourself
Learning From Mindfulness Based Approaches: the State We’re In
Buddhists are often wary of secular mindfulness training. But Buddhists can also learn from Mindfulness Based Approaches which are a meeting ground between meditation and modern psychology. (1 of two posts)
Buddhism & the Mindfulness Movement: Friends or Foes?
We’re in the middle of the Mindfulness Boom as Buddhist-derived meditation practices enter the cultural mainstream. But is this the Dharma touching and transforming western society, or is Buddhism being turned into a self-help technique and a consumer product?
‘Compassion for My Torturer’: A Meeting With Palden Gyatso
Tibetan Buddhist monk, Palden Gyatso, spent 33 years imprisoned by the Chinese and drew deep on his Buddhist practice to survive his brutal treatment. He escaped to the West to tell his story, and when I met him in London he told me about his experiences and reflections. ‘I never regretted what I did. I did not put up the posters to alleviate my own suffering, but for the good of Tibet. The whole country was in prison, so it was not important what happened to me’.
Don’t Rely on Lineage
Many Buddhist traditions claim that they are reliable and authoritative because they inherit a lineage of realised masters dating back to prestigious teachers of the ancient past. That sounds impressive and appealing but the Buddha advised us to check out the truth of a teaching in our own experience. Perhaps the whole notion of lineage is a beguiling diversion from what Buddhist practice is really about.
Discovering the Buddha
What’s left to say about the Buddha? Everything, I discovered in writing my biography: Gautama Buddha: The Life and Teaching of the Awakened One. And the funny, original, surprising Buddha of history is more relevant than ever
How western Buddhism has changed in 50 years
It’s 50 years since Buddhist teachers started arriving in the west in the early 60s and Buddhism crash-landed into the counterculture. So what have we learned about western Buddhism? An article for The Guardian
Kalu Rinpoche’s Confessional Video and the Tulku Fantasy
The young Kalu Rinpoche, reborn ‘tulku’ of a respected Tibetan Buddhist teacher, has posted a video detailing sexual abuse by Buddhist monks, his tutor’s attempt to murder him and his descent into drug addiction and alcoholism. His testimony should lead us to question the tulku system and the adulation blinding us to its problems