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
Isolation and Connection in the COVID-19 Crisis
If we want to meet the challenge with an expansive response, I think we must start with our feelings in this moment and the people around us right now
Buddhist Reflections on brexit day
Brexit Day is an important milestone, but it’s part of the process that has lasted for three years and divided the country. Setting aside our preferences about Brexit, how can we engage with what's happening in line with Buddhist values Weekend Word, BBC Radio Wales...
Liminality
The Liminal Space of Election Day The enforced pause in broadcasting about the election on polling day has an oddly ritualistic effect, creating a rare space in our noisy public discourse. Using a term from anthropology, I’d call it a liminal space, meaning a...
Beyond Competition
Thought for the Day 6.12.19 When the four artists nominated for this year’s Turner Prize fell into conversation, they quickly decided that they didn’t want to compete against each other. They asked to be judged as a single collective and this week the Prize was shared...
Mindfulness and Government in Wales
Mindfulness & Government in Wales A unique collaboration between the Welsh Government and mindfulness teachers and reseachers is supporting the impact of mindfulness on sectors such as Education and Mental Health. But can mindfulness really change society and what...
Bidding Farewell to Harold Bloom
Harold Bloom, a man of letters in the old style and an authentic heir to the great Romantic writers, has died aged 89. He affected me deeply. He has importan for Buddhists and others pursuing a spiritual life in the modern world The sadness I feel at learning of the...
Interconnectedness and the Systems We Depend On
When the lights go out, we glimpse our dependence on conditions and lack of control. It's also a window onto our interconnected place in the fabric of life. Since the nationwide power cut a couple of weeks ago, people have been asking how it happened and who’s to...
Emotional Balance
How can we balance openness and emotional sensitivity, with traditionally masculine qualities like courage and fortitude? The Buddha's story of the Two Arrows offers an answer Lords was awash with red yesterday on the second day of the Ashes Test Match. Red caps, red...
The Wisdom of Trees
Weekend Word, BBC Radio Wales, 02/08/2019 Some years ago, I moved into a suburban house with a large, nondescript garden and started to imagine how it might look. Before long I’d caught the gardening bug and I’ve gradually created a beautiful space filled with flowers...
Speaking out on Climate Change
On June 26th 2019 I represented Buddhists at a gathering of the interfaith group The Faith For The Climate Network. Here's my talk This is text of my talk to the Faith for the Climate speakers meeting at Church House on June 25th. The other speakers included a...
Mental Health, the Buddha and Kisagotami
It's fitting that Vesak, the festival Buddhists celebrate on Sunday to mark the Buddha and his understanding of the human condition, falls this year in Mental Health Awareness week. The story of the Buddha's meeting with Kisagotami makes the connection.One day a woman...
Climate Change & The Good Life
To live sustainably we need to change our lifestyles and that means changing our image of 'the good life' Where can we find values to support that?Listen Here At the start of the mindfulness courses I teach I lead the group through a simple exercise. Each person is...
Peering into a Black Hole
The first ever images of a black hole show us something strange and immense. But is that overwhelming or inspiring? What’s the biggest thing in the news this week? The biggest story is clearly Brexit; but the biggest thing is the black hole whose image we saw for the...
Future Generations Need us to Think Big and Act Sustainably
Wales is pioneering a radical approach to sustainable development that links climate change with other kinds of social change. It chimes with Buddhism's holistic view of wellbeingGlobal warming was on the agenda at the Davos gathering yesterday with contributions by...
Mary Oliver: Wild and Precious Verse
Mary Oliver was the Poet Laureate of mindfulness, and many Buddhists felt an affinity with her themes of nature, appreciation and the importance of present moment awarenessMany British people, even those who read poetry, might not have heard of the American poet Mary...
Staying Ethical in the Brexit Debate
Amid the conflict over Brexit, perhaps the best contribution a Buddhist can make is not about the substance, but about how we conduct the debate itselfTalk on BBC Wales, Weekend Word, 14.12.2018 Whatever you think about Brexit, most people...
Brexit: a Crisis of Trust
Brexit has created a political crisis that could prompt an economic one. A way to get behind the headlines to the ethical issues is to see it as a crisis of trust
Marking Sangharakshita’s Death
Sangharakshita, the founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order died on 30th October 2019, aged 93. This is an 'official' obituary, which I wrote well in advance of the event, plus a talk I gave at the Cardiff Buddhist Centre on the evening of the day he...