Silence and Remembrance Sunday

In this talk, with the approach of Remembrance Sunday, Vishvapani considers the significance of silence and reflects back to his visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp where his grandfather and other family members had died.



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Off to School

It's back to Vishvapani for this talk in which he talks of his son Leo starting at school. He expresses his wish that he is taught not only about the world but also how to live well within it.



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Division and Food by Hardeep Singh Kohli

This piece by Hardeep Singh Kohli was transmitted live from the Edinburgh Festival on Saturday. Hardeep speaks of our divisions and how we can come together sharing food as in the Sikh practise of Langar.



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Syria, Egypt and Democracy

In this talk Vishvapani discusses the value of democracy in the light of the conflict in Egypt and Syria. "Democracy forces us to debate with people with whom we disagree........ and prehaps to listen to them"



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"Wise Speech"

Yesterday's Thought for the Day was by the Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks. In it he talks of the impact of "cyber bullying" and goes on to discuss the importance of "Wise Speech".

The Buddha was unequivocal about the importance of how we employ our human capacity for speech and verbal interaction.  Right Speech, also called Wise Speech or Virtuous Speech, is speech that gives rise to peace and happiness in oneself and others.



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"Buddhist" Nationalist Violence

Vishvapani discusses the phenomenon of "Buddhist" nationalist violence.



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The Divine Messages of Old Age, Disease and Death

Some time ago the news that a member of my family might have cancer filled me with terror: in my mind a positive diagnosis would have been a death sentence......................



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Following the News, or Not

In this talk Vishvapani discusses how we can become obsessed with following "the news" and what our reactions can be.



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Wesak

Vishvapani on the May full moon, the festival of Wesak, the recent violence in Woolwich and around the World and the relevance of the Buddha's enlightenment.



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Poverty and the New Pope

This is another non-Buddhist Thought this time by Abdal Hakim Murad who is a British Sufi Muslim researcher, writer and teacher. He talks here of the choice of a new pope and of World poverty and the growing wealth of the privileged minority, he also mentions the Buddha!



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Cardinal Keith O'Brien's Resignation

This forceful and moving piece is by the Rev Dr Giles Fraser, the ex-canon chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, who resigned, citing concerns that to evict the the Occupy London protest camp protesters would lead to "violence in the name of the Church". Here he examines the news that Cardinal Keith O'Brien is to step down with immediate effect after three priests and a former priest made complaints to the Vatican.



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Bradley Manning & Wise Speech

"Imagine you are Bradley Manning in 2009: a low-ranking US intelligence officer stationed in Iraq with access to vast amounts of diplomatic and military data." Vishvapani examines how the Buddhist precept of Wise Speech warns us against allowing self interest and moral outrage to over-ride what is the truly skilful response to the moral dilemmas that life throws at us.



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Compassion

This piece is by Bishop Tom Butler who describes how quite early in his ministry he served for five years as a priest in Zambia in Central Africa and encountered some of the first cases of HIV AIDS. He talks of the essential need for compassion within the NHS. The Dalai Lama, when asked what Buddhism meant to him, what was his religion, replied..... Compassion!



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Wise Speech

Here the Rev Rob Marshall talks about gagging orders and whistle blowing. He feels that it’s been a helpful debate because that crucial dilemma at work or at home – whether to say something or not – is always a tough call. This of course ties straight in to the Buddhist concept of wise speech.




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Richard the third's Skeleton and the Buddha

Vishvapani reflects on the discovery of Richard the third's skeleton and our understanding of the past.



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