Buddhism, Mindfulness & the Buddha in the Modern World from Vishvapani

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About Wise Attention

Posted by on Jul 8, 2011 in About | 0 comments

Welcome to Wise Attention: exploring what it means to practice Buddhism, mindfulness and ethics in the modern world. There are reviews, talks, broadcasts, interviews and reflections on the arts and current events as well as background material to my book on the Buddha and the opportunity to learn mindfulness. I'd love to hear your comments

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Thich Nhat Hanh in Stormont

Posted by on May 19, 2012 in Buddhism in the West | 0 comments

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.

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Street Wise: Bernie Glassman in Yonkers

Posted by on May 16, 2012 in Buddhism in the West, Featured | 0 comments

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?

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The Buddha and The Scream

Posted by on May 5, 2012 in Featured, Thought for the Day | 1 comment

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?

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Transforming our Terror: A Meeting With Christopher Titmuss

Posted by on May 1, 2012 in Interviews | 0 comments

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

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Visiting Auschwitz: Pilgrimage or ‘Dark Tourism’?

Posted by on Apr 25, 2012 in Featured, Thought for the Day | 0 comments

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

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‘It’s Not Power That Corrupts But Fear’: Aung San Suu Kyi’s Buddhist Politics (2)

Posted by on Apr 21, 2012 in Buddhist World | 4 comments

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

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Aung San Suu Kyi’s Buddhist Politics (1)

Posted by on Apr 19, 2012 in Buddhist World | 0 comments

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

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Mindfulness in Action: Summer 2012 Programme

Posted by on Apr 17, 2012 in Mindfulness, Vishvapani | 0 comments

Here's the programme of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction courses I'll be running through Mindfulness in Action this summer

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Buddhist Rebels & Buddhist Despots in the Burmese Spring

Posted by on Apr 14, 2012 in Buddhist World, Featured, Thought for the Day | 0 comments

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

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Responding to Suffering: Learning from Mindfulness Based Approaches Pt 2

Posted by on Apr 11, 2012 in Buddhism in the West, Mindfulness | 0 comments

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

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About Wise Attention

Wise Attention explores what it means to practice Buddhism, mindfulness and ethics in the modern world. There’s background material on my book on the Buddha, reflections on the arts and current events; reviews and talks. Some of the material will be past writing reposted, but there's plenty of new material as well.

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