Wise Attention Blog
Wise Attention includes 20 years of writing exploring 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
People power is the real deterrent
The UK is reviewing its spending on nuclear weapons. But if our nuclear policy undermines civil society, it makes us less secure. A Thought for the Day broadcast
Review of Gautama Buddha (AREIAC Newsletter)
“Excellent … thorough, carefully researched and well-written … A very readable and impressive account of one of the world’s most important religious leaders.”
Paul Hopkins reviews “Gautama Buddha” for the Association of Religious Education Inspectors, Advisers and Consultants: AREIAC Newsletter, Autumn, 2011
What the Buddha means … for me & the world
Reflections on the experience of writing Gautama Buddha: the Life & Teachings of the Awakened One, and the continuing relevance – and continuing misinterpretations of the Buddha. Part 3 of an email interview with Will Buckingham on the ThinkBuddha blog
The Buddha, Nature & Politics
In the second part of this interview with Will Buckingham on the ThinkBuddha blog, we discuss the place of nature in the Buddha’s life, his relationship with politics and the modern resonance of these subjects
Legend & History in the Buddha’s Life
Here’s Part 1 of an email interview with Will Buckingham of the ThinkBuddha blog about my book, Gautama Buddha: the Life & Teachings of the Awakened One. It explores why I wrote the book and how I approached the distinction between legend and history in the Buddha’s life
‘Challenging Times’: an Interview
Interview with Vishvapani on the book he edited: Challenging Times: Stories of Buddhist Practice When Things Get Tough
Hungary’s Gypsy Buddhists & Religious Discrimination
Hungary’s Gypsy Buddhists are under attack, along with other minority religious groups, from the country’s far-right Catholic-supporting government
Rugby Values
Welsh rugby is ascendent, English rugby’s in the doghouse. This talk on BBC Radio Wales teases out the underlying values this reveals
Learning from Ladakh: A Meeting with Helena Norberg Hodge
Helena Norberg Hodge saw the ill-effects of western-style development on the Himalayan Buddhist region, Ladakh. She has spent many years supporting sustainable development in Ladakh and reflecting on what development really means. I met her in Devon to talk about her work, her book ‘Ancient Futures’ and Ladakh’s lessons for the West
Secular Buddhist Reviews ‘Gautama Buddha’
This review of ‘Gautama Buddha’, my biography of the Buddha by Stephen Schettini appears on the website of the Secular Buddhist Association. “Vishvapani Blomfield’s Gautama Buddha: The Life and Teachings of the Awakened One is one of a new breed of Buddha biographies…”
Mindfulness in Action – new website
I’ve made a new website for my mindfulness training work at www.mindfulnessinaction.co.uk. It includes details of my courses, workshops and distance learning, as well as background material on MBSR and how it helps. There are media pieces and videos. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Trouble in the Sangha: the Quarrel at Kausambi
When the monks of Kausambi started feuding, the Buddha told them that responding with loving kindness was more important than who was right. This talk explores Sangha, or spiritual community and the practice of facing its difficulties
The Future of Buddhism in the West
Forces at work in Buddhism today offer hints of the future for Buddhism in western countries and its influence on society
Guru Trouble
Wise men, eccentrics, geniuses and charlatans. Gurus have featured large as Buddhism has come the West. What should we make of them? Reviews of Madame Blavatsky’s Baboon: Theosophy and the Emergence of the Western Guru by Peter Washington; Riding the Tiger by Lama Ole Nydahl; Zen In America by Helen Tworkov
Giving Life
As the UK debates how much women should be paid to donate eggs to infertile couples for IVF this Thought for the Day explores the real value of altruism, placing it in the context of Mahayana Buddhist teachings.
Take a Breathing Space
A breathing space is a way to regain calm and poise in the midst of a hectic day, reconnecting with yourself and broadening out your experience. Try it now!
Beyond the Driven Economy
In the grip of a recession we want economic growth, but we also fear its consequences. Is there an alternative and what light can Buddhism and mindfulness practice shed? Thought for the Day 13 October, 2011
Memento Mori
It’s easy to think that Insight, Wisdom and Enlightenment are far beyond the level of our experience. But if we reflect on our experience in the light of teachings such as the Worldly Winds we sometimes find that the deeper truths are present right now