This time last month I set my alarm at 5.45am so I could join the monks for their morning prayers. I was on a 12 step retreat at Douai Abbey, a Benedictine community in Berkshire in the UK, which began four centuries ago in France. After singing praise to God in the peaceful space of the Abbey, I decided to go on a walk before I went back to my room. It was still early and no-one was about. I... Read more

Last week I was standing in a long queue at the airport, waiting to board my plane. I was travelling with a budget airline and so only people in the front half of the queue would get to keep their free hand luggage on the plane. We stood there patiently or impatiently for forty minutes. I was reading a book about yoga on my kindle. At one point I looked down and found that my left arm had somehow snaked... Read more

I love food. What we eat is deeply personal, like our religion. It nourishes us not only physically but emotionally and spiritually. It brings us together with our friends and families and helps us to celebrate. Most of us use food, at least occasionally, to soothe ourselves when we are sad or to suppress unwanted feelings. Food is close to our hearts. And so I want to begin this blog by saying that it’s not my intention to force anyone to change... Read more

Yesterday I returned from a long weekend in Poland with my colleagues in the European Buddhist Union. We are made up of representatives from the huge Buddhist Unions across Europe, from big Buddhist pan-European groups, and from much smaller organisations like mine. We look smiley in the photo, and these smiles are genuine. There is a lot of warmth and respect between these people, some of whom have been meeting for many years. There are also difficulties. The problem is that, despite... Read more

When I decided to take on this gig, which involves writing to you all several times a week, it brought up lots of feelings. The first flush were the most pleasant – great pleasure in being accepted as a Patheos blogger, gratitude for the opportunity, and excitement about how I might use it. Others feelings followed. During my career as a writer I have become tangled up in chasing affirmation and fame, and I didn’t want this new role to... Read more

Just now our female tabby Tsuki came into my office and started purring loudly. She hovered under my desk, waiting to be stroked. As I skimmed my fingers along her silky fur she purred louder and, predictably, started to dribble. What is it that Tsuki appreciates about me? What is making her so happy? I’m sure it helps that I give her things – food, affection – but that isn’t the whole story. I stopped stroking her a while ago,... Read more

Every Friday evening, the community here at the temple eat together. The people who live here are more or less involved with the Buddhist activities here, and so this meal gives us all an opportunity to meet at least once a week, in this big space where we might go from one week to the next without bumping into each other. People take turns to cook delicious food, and I traditionally fail to refuse as second portion. The conversation tends... Read more

Last week Kaspa and I were on a break, and so we spent some time catching up in the temple garden. We’re lucky enough to have a large space, even if it periodically threatens to overwhelm us. I forget that I enjoy gardening. When I’m busy with my work, I can’t imagine taking time to get into different clothes and fetch the trug and trowel from the shed at the top corner of the garden. I can’t imagine leaving my cosy office and... Read more

How is it to run a Pureland Buddhist temple in a small town? Our week begins on Tuesday. After feeding Roshi, Tsuki and Fatty (the three temple cats) and Peter and Poppet (the two temple bunnies – Peter is blind, Poppet has three legs) I climb two flights of stairs to the shrine room for half an hour of practice. Adam has already lit the candles and rings our big gong five minutes before we begin. There are six people... Read more

Twenty minutes ago, I noticed a ball of anxiety in my stomach. It had been nagging at me for a while, like my cat nags me when he thinks it’s time for his daily pills. We squish them into cheese so he’ll take them, and he’s rather fond of the cheese, so a couple of hours before they’re due he starts making a chirruping noises which he repeats every ten minutes or so until I get up in frustration and... Read more