It’s not quite the Virgin Mary, but one day, about a year and a half ago, Spain quite clearly appeared to me in my coffee mug: (click on the picture for a higher resolution image) I pulled up Spain on Google Maps just to check and, except for what appears to be a large lake just west of Barcelona (perhaps a premonition of times to come?), it is definitely pretty close to Spain. Hmmm… Read more

I find myself with an odd mixture of just wanting to be home again, in my old rhythm and comfy bed, and wishing I could stay longer to see people, take day-trips out, photograph more, and (at some point) spend more serious time reading/writing. Just a few more days, a few more adventures, a few more old faces that I haven’t seen in too long. And probably a mad day at the British Library photocopying everything I can get my... Read more

This well worth a look for people interested in contemporary developments in Buddhism and Buddhist thought in Malaysia: http://www.c2rc.org/ Understanding Death & Beyond: Keynote Address by Ven Aggacitta Bhikkhu Download paper Nature of the ‘Disembodied Spirit’: A Comparison from Various Experiential & Empirical Angles compiled by Ven Aggacitta Bhikkhu Download paper Out-of-Body Experience (OoBE)& Near-Death Experience (NDE) by Wendy Loh Lai Si Download paper | View Slide Past Life Experience Through Regression Hypnosis by Dr Selina Chew, PhD, C.Ht Download... Read more

The paper went great, far better than I had expected (considering I was still piecing it together at 4:30 on the afternoon of the 6pm talk). The discussion was great and thoughful and everyone had very nice things to say. It was completely unlike giving papers in America (just kidding). Tomorrow I’m off to Bristol, first to Hodgkin House (where I lived 4 years ago whilst completing my MA in Buddhist Studies) to see at least one remaining old housemate,... Read more

Dinner out Friday with friends: Nienke, Sjors and Shahnaz Teenagers goofing off on the train (which happened to be delayed 40 minutes due to trespassers on the tracks four miles away) Obamamania in Cheltenham A brisk morning walk across Cheltenham with Dave and his wife Anna. More updates soon, but for now I’m meant to be touching up my paper for tonight (I’ll be happy when it’s done and we’re off to dinner and the pubs). Read more

As thousands gather around the UK to protest Israel’s invasion and destruction of Gaza, we find a great article about a Manchester Member of Parliament speaking out. It concludes: “We had an IRA bomb in Manchester which destroyed much of the centre – we didn’t send troops over to Belfast to murder 1,000 Catholics.” Sir Gerald said he had been a long-term supporter of Israel and has personally known many of its prime ministers. But he added: “I am not... Read more

Another great TED talk – religion, East and West, is rooted in compassion – a practice, not a belief. http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf Something we all can think of coming back to in the contemporary age. Read more

Arriving by train from peaceful Brockley, the first thing one notices in New Cross Gate is the smell of diesel fumes. Then it’s the rotting wooden stairs out of the train station that give way a little bit under each step. Then the noise… The above picture was taken about a year ago, literally leaning out my front kitchen window in my flat. The 12 or so feet of sidewalk between me and the mass of traffic did little to... Read more

I am one of those people who is constitutionally opposed to being busy. Some would say that’s called laziness, but I beg to differ. And yet, I seem to be busy, or at least have the perception of being busy, about 90% of the time. The benefit of a regular meditative practice in my life has been a bit greater acceptance of this busyness. Whereas the huge list of travel planning, people-coordinating, packing, writing, and so on would have felt... Read more