Vishvapani has been the Buddhist contributor to BBC Radio 4’s 'Thought for the Day' on the popular Today programme, giving 9-10 talks a year. He also gives several talks a year in a similar slot on Radio Wales.  The BBC recently asked him to do a series of talks in their 'Prayer for the Day' slot - a slot which has come into its own in the last year as issues in the news have have directly impacted everyone’s lives. 

Vishvapani writes: "I also a work with the UK’s Mindfulness Initiative and I’m a founder member of Mindfulness Wales, which is doing something similar: you can read our new Manifesto here.

Together these projects have helped me clarify my thinking about what the Dharma has to say to modern society. I shared my thoughts on this in a talk for the North London Buddhist Centre."  

Here are some of Vishvapani's recent contributions:

Prayer for the Day

Each broadcast is a short talk followed by a ‘prayer’ - Vishvapani has chosen to structure the talks around the Metta bhavana practice.

Talk 1 (March 6, 2021): What's a Buddhist doing on Prayer for the Day?

Talks 2-6 (March 8-13, 2021): Prayers for Kindness 
5 talks following the stages of the metta bhavana (loving kindness meditation) 

***

Thought for the Day and Weekend Word

February 19, 2021: Post-covid we need a mindset that fits reality
Covid and modern life bring out these impermanent, insubstantial and unsatisfactory nature of existence. We need a mindset that matches reality.

February 12, 2021: Facing Mortality on Parinirvana Day
Covid-19 has brought home to everyone the vulnerability and mortality we mark on Parinirvana Day.

February 5, 2021: Covid’s impact on children’s mental health means we must rethink education
A new curriculum in Wales which prioritises wellbeing approaches points the way forward.

January 15, 2021: Trump, Free Speech and Skilful Communication
As Trump incites his followers before the attack on Congress, where does Buddhism have to say about free speech and its limits? 

November 21, 2020: The Dharma of Vaccine Equity
Rich countries are pre-ordering massive quantities of covid-19 vaccines while poorer countries ho are pushed to the back of the queue.

November 7, 2020: Rituals can help us get through Lockdown
Rituals helped us through the first lockdown. We need them in the second.

September 4, 2020: The Views Behind Terrorism
The supposedly reformed terrorist who killed people at a conference on offender rehabilitation should prompt us to look at the role of views and beliefs in light of the Buddha’s teachings

August 28, 2020: Don’t forget the Green Recovery
The Buddhist teaching of conditionality asks us to think long-term, even in an economic crisis

August 21, 2020: The Limits of Daytime TV Kindness
As Ellen Degeneres’ Kindness brand runs into trouble, how does kindness look from a Buddhist perspective? 

***

Read Vishvapani's other Thoughts for the Day

Visit his Wise Attention blog