by Vishvapani | Jul 7, 2012 | Mindfulness, Thought for the Day
The $3 billion fine against GlaxoSmithKline for mis-selling antidepressants and other medication reveals the commercialisation of mental healthcare. But an alternative to medication is learning to manage your states of mind. Mindfulness-based approaches that draw on...
by Vishvapani | Jun 22, 2012 | Buddhist World, Thought for the Day
As Aung San Suu Kyi addresses the UK parliament here’s a reflection on her political philosophy which emphasises the moral qualities and good sense rather than force or strategy Weekend Word Talk, BBC Radio Wales 22/6/2012 She’s small and seems rather frail, but...
by Vishvapani | May 23, 2012 | Thought for the Day
Human beings are a part of nature but with special power and responsibility. But we need to feel our connection with nature so we can feel our responsibility for it I’ve recently taken faltering steps as a novice gardener. My little plot is hardly the Chelsea...
by Vishvapani | May 5, 2012 | Thought for the Day
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...
by Vishvapani | Apr 25, 2012 | Thought for the Day
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 retains a...
by Vishvapani | Apr 14, 2012 | Buddhist World, Thought for the Day
Burma’s struggle isn’t between Buddhists and their opponents but between different kinds of Buddhists. The monastic establishment’s complicity in the generals’ Buddhist dictatorship shows the need to reform Buddhism, freeing it from practices that...
