My sister Laura Bolton, who has died aged 46 from an undiagnosed brain condition (hydrocephalus), was a linguist and teacher who established Bikeability Wales, a prizewinning charity for disabled people....Japan she was also a Christian missionary, but there became interested in Buddhism and absorbed this into her spiritual beliefs, which were combined in...
Does karma make you calmer?
Rugby player Jonny Wilkinson has found tranquillity in Buddhism – but how do you find inner peace? In an interview with the Guardian Jonny Wilkinson lists the ways in which he maintains his equilibrium, from Buddhism and quantum physics to studying French and music. But how do you find and maintain inner peace while engaging on Cif's vigorous playing field? Deep breathing, perhaps, or an extra glass of wine? What are your tips for...Jonny Wilkinson lists the ways in which he maintains his equilibrium, from Buddhism and quantum physics...
Praying for change
Growing up in North London I hated going to synagogue on the high holidays. The services were long and monotonous. Most worshippers showed up at least an hour late and people chatted throughout the service and many just loitered outside socialising. Of course there were some who took the service seriously and were praying, but for most the synagogue services were something to...religion and are therefore seeking out spirituality in other religions such as Buddhism. As a rabbi reaching out to unaffiliated and assimilated Jews in...
Articles of note
New Humanist magazine has a very long and very interesting article on Adnan Oktar/Harun Yahya, the lavishly funded Turkish creationist and self-publicist. The Karmapa, one of the most senior reincarnate lamas in Tibetan Buddhism, and the only one at the moment to be recognised by both the Chinese government and the exiles around the Dalai Lama, has told the Times of India...publicist. The Karmapa, one of the most senior reincarnate lamas in Tibetan Buddhism, and the only one at the moment to be recogzised by...
Himalayan conflict centers on Tibet
There is perhaps no country more feared and less understood in India than China. In recent weeks Delhi newspapers and television have been awash with stories about the People's Liberation Army crossing the Himalayas to daub rocks with Chinese characters, making daredevil helicopter raids to drop (stale) tinned food on hapless farmers and trading fire with Indian soldiers. India...
Religion, theology, and daytime TV
A subject that comes up again and again in these discussions is whether religious statements, or myths, if you like, are even meant to be true. Are they meant to be accurate descriptions of the world? Do they describe a coherent body of theory? And, obviously, some are. Certainly, within Christianity and Buddhism there are schools of thought which attempt to map out coherent...coherent body of theory? And, obviously, some are. Certainly, within Christianity and Buddhism there are schools of thought which attempt to map out coherent...
Granny told me not to marry a Catholic, Tony Blair tells paper
Tony Blair has revealed that after ignoring a stern warning from his great-grandmother about marrying a Catholic, he now finds his new-found faith has become the driving force in his life as he seeks to clear up the world's religious conflicts. Speaking to L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's daily newspaper, Blair said today he considers Pope Benedict's belief that God is...dialogue with China ("They are talking a lot about Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism"), understanding what makes a family strong, and even how to fight...
Muslim, Zen, and proud
My cousin Siraj startled me the other day. He emailed me from his home in Washington DC, urging me to open my heart and accept Islam. I know you have been contemplating the step of becoming a Muslim for some time, he wrote: do it now, in the holy month of Ramadan! Becoming a Muslim, I thought… What the heck did he think I had been all these years, from birth onwards? My fat...
Why Sleep are a dream band for stoners
How do you know when an album has truly made it into the canon? It used to involve endless retrospectives in classic-rock magazines, but now the litmus test is the Don't Look Back shows organized by All Tomorrow's Parties. In May, ATP booked Sleep to play their outrageously good 1992 album Holy Mountain, the kind of record that sets the template for other bands and is...longer concerned with marijuana but the freedom and liberation of meditation and Buddhism. The ritualistic trances of Variations On a Theme continued with Conference...
