Thought for the Day

The following talks are taken from BBC Radio 4's "Thought for the Day" series. Most are by Vishvapani, a Triratna member and are given from a Buddhist perspective. Occasionally relevant talks by speakers from various other faith traditions are included.

"This brief, uninterrupted interlude has the capacity to plant a seed of thought that stays with listeners during the day. Thought for the Day is broadcast during the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 every morning at around 7.45am."

Wednesday 18 January 2017

Buddhist Aggression

In this episode Vishvapani talks of past Buddhist aggression.


"As I understand it, Buddhism is essentially a pacifist faith that asks people to refrain from violence and root out the forces in their hearts and minds from which it develops. The challenge, however, is to encompass the gap between the ethically pure ideal and the much messier, ethically compromised reality. How do vested interests and nationalist feelings cause Buddhists to conform to the State? And how are core principles, such as non-violence, first qualified, then muddied or made relative, and eventually forgotten? Whatever beliefs we follow, we need to ponder how the good intentions they express can eventually cause suffering."



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Wednesday 11 January 2017

Mental Health and Mindfulness

In his first talk of 2017 Vishvapani comments on the Government's new initiatives on mental health and the centrality of the mind in the Buddha's teachings. He goes on to highlight how Buddhism encourages us to explore our minds with curiosity and friendliness and how this leads to being able to guide the mind in a more helpful direction...............



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