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
Testing, Educating and Training
As British seven year-olds take national tests, what does Buddhism have to say about the ethical core of education?
Buddhist Shakespeare
Everyone has their own take on Shakespeare, but what happens if you read it as a Buddhist?
Buddhism: An Introduction – a Review
Buddhism: An Introduction by Alexander Wynne, I.B. Taurus, London 2015 Alexander Wynne's excellent book is nothing like most 'introductions' to Buddhism. There's no blow by blow explanation of the Eightfold Path or other basic doctrines. As Wynne points out, these are...
Mindfulness & Sleep Problems
Most approaches to sleep problems involve drugs and various techniques, but sleep is a natural process. The danger in trying really hard to get to sleep, is that you make it less likely to happen. And if you depend on techniques sleep can become less and less natural...
Caring for the World & Caring for Yourself
South Wales is poor and steelworkers job losses will make it poorer still. What does Buddhism, with its stress on self development have to offer? And how does caring for yourself connect with caring for others? It's been a bad week here South Wales, with news that 750...
Bowie’s Dharma
The response to David Bowie’s death shows his impact. What does his work mean for a Buddhist?
A Mindful Christmas Survival Guide
Sad to say, for many of us, the season of peace and goodwill has become a time of stress and indulgence. Here’s a mindful survival kit
Zuckerberg’s Giveaway and the Spirit of Generosity
As Mark Zuckerberg announces that he plans to give away 99% of his vast fortune, what is the value of generosity and can it really make us happy?
Schooling the Heart
Education means discovering what we love and learning how that love can carry us forward. How can mindfulness help? A talk to Head teachers on the difference mindfulness can make to schools and their leaders
Remembering the Drowned Village
Fifty years after the village of Capel Celyn in North Wales was flooded to make a reservoir, the wounds have not healed. What do we lose when we submerge the past and what can it teach us?
The Buddha’s Leadership Lessons
Everyone in a responsible position is asked to display leadership qualities. What kind of leader was the Buddha, and what lessons can modern leaders draw from his example?
Slavery: Reparations or Moving on?
The pain of slavery is resurfacing as demands for reparations. How can we resolve deep-rooted grievances and move on from the past?
Greek Buddha
What if the Greek philosopher who travelled to India with Alexander the Great had become a monastic practitioner and taught Buddhism to the Greeks, thus offering dramatic new evidence of the true character of Early Buddhism. Do the claims of ‘Greek Buddha’ stack up?
The Dharma of Children’s Wellbeing
When English children are asked how they feel, they’re less happy than children in Ethiopia and Algeria. How can Buddhist ideas of mindfulness and skilful action help young people?
Life After Shopping
As London prepares for 24-hour tube services and the way opens for 7-day shopping, how much commerce do we really need and what’s it doing to us?
The Refugee Crisis
There have never been more refugees. How can we respond to the crisis?
The Sleep Book: Review
It’s true that Buddhism is about waking up, but this book using mindfulness approaches to address sleeping problems is a clear, thoughtful and practical application of sound principles
The Buddha on Wall Street
What does Buddhism have to say about our society and how can it become a force for changing it? Book review of The Buddha on Wall Street: What’s Wrong with Capitalism and What We Can Do about It by Vaddhaka Linn