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 | Jun 20, 2012 | Buddhist World
Ten years ago I travelled to Delhi and found myself caught in the confusion, strong emotions and intense politics of a mass conversion to Buddhism among India’s dalit community. It was the day before the mass conversion, which Ram Raj promised million people...
by Vishvapani | Jun 5, 2012 | Buddhism, Buddhist World, Reviews
China will soon possess the world’s largest economy, and cultural influence will follow economic power. Martin Jaques argues in his book ‘When China Rules the World’ that this change will shape the next century. But what does it mean for the future...
by Vishvapani | Jun 1, 2012 | Buddhism in the West
Paul Williams, a prominent Buddhist scholar and author of Mahayana Buddhism, shocked the Buddhist world by converting from Buddhism to Catholicism. That made me wonder how deep an adopted faith reaches into the psyche Paul Williams, Professor of Indian religions at...
by Vishvapani | May 19, 2012 | Buddhism in the West
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...
by Vishvapani | May 16, 2012 | Buddhism in the West, Interviews
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...