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
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...
The Edible is Ethical
Eating meat increases global warming and causes animals to suffer. That's why Buddhism sides with vegetarians and vegans in seeing food as a moral issue. It’s a little awkward for a vegetarian to talk about food at breakfast-time. But this week...
Climate Change and The Four Reminders
We know that climate change is happening, but our politics focuses elsewhere and our lifestyles remain the same. Real change means engaging our deepest values, and the Buddhist reflections on mortality, the world's imperfection karma and the precious...
The Ethics of Communication
As a society we constantly confront questions around how we should speak to each other about difficult issues. The Buddhist speech precepts offer a framework for ethical reflection on how we communicate Last week it was antisemitism in the...
The Call of the Forest
Creating a vast new forest inn Central England will help offset climate change, but it also appeals to the imagination. And that’s what we need we are to turn our environmental aspirations into reality
Healing Trauma With Gratitude
The Thai boys who were lost in a cave are spending time as novice Buddhist monks. Does gratitude offer an alternative way to recover from trauma?
‘East West Street’, by Philippe Sands – Review
East West Street is about the Nuremberg War Crimes trials, Sands’ family history and the law. It weaves its many threads into a powerful meditation on interconnectedness and its meaning for our lives and our ethics
Guilt and Remorse After Grenfell Tower
If you are caught up in a disaster and blamed for the consequences, even if you aren’t responsible, how can you cope with the feelings of guilt that are likely to arise?
What is the connection between mindfulness and ethics, and how does mindfulness fit into the Buddhist Path? In this talk, Vishvapani places mindfulness in an ethical context and explains what ethics means within Buddhism.
Climate Change and the Burning House
As climate change talks falter, the Parable of the Burning House from The Lotus Sutra has a new relevance. The need to change is clear enough, but what will inspire us to act on it? The 2015 Paris Climate Change agreement was an inspiring...
After 1968: Inner or Outer Revolution?
1968 saw riots in Paris and the start of western Buddhist movements. But who was right: the political or the spiritual revolutionaries? Thought for the Day 01/05/18 For anyone like me who didn't live through it, the images of workers and...
Mindfulness and Depression
Behind Dale Winton's breezy persona lay years of secret depression. Can mindfulness help people in his situation? Weekend Word, BBC Radio Wales 20.04.18 The news that Dale Winton died on Wednesday, aged 62, has shone a light on the troubled...
Mindfulness and Depression
Dale Winton suffered from depression for many years. Can mindfulness help people in his situation? Weekend Word, BBC Radio Wales, 20.04.18 The news that Dale Winton died on Wednesday, aged 62, has shone a light on the troubled life behind his...
Faith in the Buddha
Buddhists often talk about Enlightenment, but what does it mean? The Buddha is the object of faith in Buddhism, so in what are we placing our faith? Vishvapani (who has written a book about the Buddha) explores these questions and talks about what faith in...
The Meaning of Faith
Faith is 'the first of the five spiritual faculties’ taught by the Buddha; but in English it has many associations - ‘blind faith’, ‘leaps of faith’, faith as the alternative to ‘reason’ and so on. Vishvapani speaks about what faith means for Buddhists in...
The Skill of Ethics
Education focuses more and more on learning skills. The Buddhist idea of ethics as skilfulness makes a link between ordinary skills and he rely of ethics and spiritual life. On yesterday's programme we heard from apprentices at Sheffield...
Poverty Safari – Review
Poverty Safari is an eloquent account of poverty and the dangers and delusions that await people who emerge from it into a media spotlight. Change, he suggests, needs start with people.
Rediscovering the Buddha in Thailand
What did the Buddha look like? And why does it matter? At the Rediscovering the Buddha Seminar in Bangkok Vishvapani joined leading scholars to advise a Thai artist on the Buddha's appearance. 23-28 November 2017 I have just returned from...
Can We Create A Mindful Society?
Society faces an array of challenges that require us to attend to our minds and mental states. The mental health crisis, the wellbeing agenda, the attention economy and the Fourth Industrial Revolution all challenge our capacity to cope with - let alone...
Burmese Atrocities: The Problem With A Buddhist State
In Burma Buddhists are committing atrocities against Muslim Rohingyas. We must speak out, not just against the violence, but the very idea of a Buddhist nation that underpins it. Thought for the Day 12.09.2017 When I hear about the horrific...
Helping the Caring Professions
Police officers, and others in the public sector, often care deeply about what they do. But pressure is growing and stress is rising. Buddhist-inspired emotional intelligence can speak to these difficulties.
If Technology Served Buddhist Goals
What ground rules does Buddhism propose for how data is used and intelligent machines operate?