My Book
Here are the cover and contents pages of my forthcoming book…
In reverse order here are some of my main insights and events that have happened since I began to write my book on ritual in 2003.
January 2015
Led Mindfulness Refresher Day on ‘The Three Mindfulnesses’ at the Manchester Buddhist Centre
December 2014
Led day on ‘The Art of Ritual’ at the Manchester Buddhist Centre
September 2014
Led day on ‘The Art of Ritual’ at the Croydon Buddhist Centre
April 2014
Attended first day of ‘Mindfulness and Neuroscience’ conference at Bangor University. Launched business called ‘Mindfulness Origins.’
February 2014
Published ‘Mindfulness, metta and the dhyanas‘
This short article explains how mindfulness and loving kindness connect with the dhyanas, a set of four states of higher consciousness accessed in meditation. Published in February 2014 issue of Triratna Buddhist Order journal, Shabda.
May 2013
Gave two talks on Buddha Day at the Manchester Buddhist Centre.
A slide show talk on a pilgrimage to India I was on in February 2013, and ‘Nirvana explained in ten minutes.’
February 2013
Published ‘The doctrine of ‘non-self’ and the Buddha’s teachers’
This short article explains how the Buddha’s teachers taught him a form of Brahminical meditation which he then rejected. Published in February 2013 issue of Triratna Buddhist Order journal, Shabda.
July 2012
Led study at Buddhafield festival
Notes for ‘The Bhayabherava Sutra and the Buddha’s invention of skillfulness’
Notes for ‘The Niramisa Sutra and the bliss of liberation’
Notes for ‘The Satipatthana Sutta and the three marks of conditioned existence’
April 2011
Attended first day of ‘Mindfulness Now: Building on the last decade’ conference at
Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University, UK.
April 2011
Published ‘Universal Loving Kindness (Metta) as ‘Constructive Imagination’ ‘
This short article explains how we develop positive emotion through the transformation of sanna or apperception. Published in April 2011 issue of Triratna Buddhist Order journal, Shabda.
February 2011
Publish ‘A Schema for Imagination and Ritual based on the Five Buddha Mandala’
This short article explains the mechanics of imagination and ritual with emphasis on five pitfalls to avoid: literalism, philistinism, skepticism, superstition and delusion. Published in February 2011 issue of Triratna Buddhist Order journal, Shabda.
November 2010
Published ‘Twelve step bowing programme’
A short practical article on bowing. Published in November 2010 issue of Triratna Buddhist Order journal, Shabda.
Published ‘The Three Great Phases of the FWBO / Triratna Buddhist Community’
An analysis of evidence for Reginald Ray’s Threefold Model in the historical phases that the FWBO / TBC have gone through since 1973. Published in November 2010 issue of Triratna Buddhist Order journal, Shabda.
Published ‘Stream Entry and the ‘Five Paths’’
The path to awakening is expressed in the Jewel Ornament of Liberation as the ‘Five Paths.’ This article explores how they fit in with stream entry. Published in November 2010 issue of Triratna Buddhist Order journal, Shabda.
September 2010
Talk at Manchester Buddhist Centre
‘Work as Spiritual Practice: Introducing Reginald Ray’s Threefold Model
listen – free Buddhist audio
listen – MBC website
July 2010
Help with rituals at Buddhafield festival
June 2010
Taught meditation at Glastonbury festival
March 2010
Attend ‘Buddhism and Science’ colloquium at Oxford University
Contribute to discussion on second day.
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June – August 2009
Retreat and Buddhist Convention
On retreat for four weeks in Devon, England, working on Buddhafield Festival rituals team, and attending biannual Western Buddhist Order convention.
May – June 2009
Studying Phenomenology
Trying to get a better understanding of phenomenology, in particular to understand the difference between Husserl and Heidegger.
May 2009
Join Mind and Life Institute Discussion List
On connecting to the website of the Mind and Life Institute conference held in Dharamsala, joined academic discussion list and input ideas.
May 2009
Saw interviews from Mind and Life XVIII conference in Dharamsala on You Tube (Dialogues between Buddhist and scientists, and the Dalai Lama)
Mind and Life website
Conference website
May 2009
Decided to attempt own translation of the Satipatthana Sutta and published it in the in-house journal of Western Buddhist Order, Shabda.
April 2009
‘Mindfulness and Beyond’ Conference
Attended a conference of 120 delegates in London, many of whom were associated with the Buddhist-oriented Core Process Psychotherapy. Made a few contacts.
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April 2009
Published an article on ‘Zen and Views’ covering the topics of views, Zen, Eternalism, and Daoism in the context of an Order discussion in Shabda.
March 2009
Developed new thinking on the Buddhist teaching of ‘Wisdom and Skilful Means.’
On a solitary retreat I came up with an insight into the issues that apply when Buddhist ideas are taken into secular contexts.
February 2009
I developed my thinking around ‘mental objects’. I turned my attention to trying to clarify the fourth foundation of mindfulness.
June 2008
Attended 6th International Congress of Cognitive Psychotherapy in Rome and gave a poster presentation on my work entitled ‘Can Mindfulness Be Contained Within a Behaviourist Framework?’ outlining the ‘Satipatthana Model.’
Gave out 100 copies of a paper of the same name to delegates.
Met Jon Kabat-Zinn and Bob Leahy at Conference.
February 2008
Developed my thinking on the third satipatthana (’emotional and mental states’) and published an article entitled ‘What is the Third Satipatthana? in Western Buddhist Order journal, Shabda
September 2007
I delivered a five week course on Mindfulness at Manchester Buddhist Centre
Recorded talks and handouts available from course
June 2007
Exploring the idea of publishing the ‘Satipatthana Model’ in a psychology journal, I wrote to Mark Williams, Zindel Segal, Saki Santorelli and Stephen Hayes for advice.
June 2007
Had a period of assimilation, studying psychology journals and trying to digest what has been happening in terms of mindfulness and the field of psychology – the ‘Third Wave.’
May 2007
Presented the ‘Satipatthana Model’ to an audience of buddhist peers
Delivered a talk called ‘Consciousness and the Embodied Mind’ to around 100 members of Western Buddhist Order at Padmaloka Retreat Centre in Norfolk in the UK.
February 2007
Discovered that there had been a dialogue between Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Buddhism already, in the ‘Meeting of the Minds’ that took place between Aaron Beck – the founder of CBT – and the Dalai Lama at the 5th International Congress of Cognitive Psychotherapy held in Gothenburg in Sweden in 2005.
Aaron Beck website ‘Reflections On My Public Dialog With The Dalai Lama’
Video of his meeting with Dalai Lama
Autumn 2006
Realised that I had created a Buddhist model based on the same structure as the Cognitive Model of CBT, but it used the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, so I called it the ‘Satipatthana Model.’
Autumn 2006
Dialogue with Christine Padesky, co-author of the main Cognitive Behavioural Therapy workbook ‘Mind Over Mood’
on the origin of the Cognitive Model used in CBT.
November 2005
Published article on ‘Feeling and Acceptance’ in the Western Buddhist Order Journal Shabda
Autumn 2005
Dialogue with Dr. Margaret Cohn of Cambridge University (currently working on a new version of the Pali-English Dictionary) on meaning of phrases in Satipatthana Sutta (e.g. clarification of ‘kaye kayanupassi’.)
February 2005
Delivered Talk on Imagination at Buddhist Retreat Centre
Delivered a talk called ‘Mindfulness of Reality Through Play and Poetry’ to 100 members of the Western Buddhist Order, at Padmaloka Retreat Centre, Norfolk UK.
December 2004 – December 2005
Developed book in the direction of mindfulness using the provisional title: ‘On Safe Ground’
Autumn 2004
Published an article on ‘Play’ in the in-house journal of the Western Buddhist Order, Shabda.
December 2003 – December 2004
Began book and developed ideas on ritual