Some fifty years ago now I read a wonderful book. It was called Ring of Bright Water and its author was Gavin Maxwell. The book, as I recall, was about otters. And although it was based in the rather cold and austere waters of Scotland, it was a lot about play. Otters are irascible creatures. […]

For more than a century those dealing with the mental disorders of human beings have been trying to assure us that their work is objective, based on evidence and should enjoy the same status as the work of the mainstream medical profession. Indeed in order to progress their case they have sought to highlight the […]

This is of course intended to be a provocative essay. My recent posts have tended to let my readership off lightly. But it seems to me to be an appropriate time to stir the pot again! Those of you that have had the stamina to read my postings over recent years will probably have a […]

The insights of Darwin and those who have succeeded him in developing the theory of evolution have helped immensely our understanding of the world. For over a century and a half since the 1859 publication of his seminal work On the Origin of Species scientists have accumulated evidence in support of his thesis. By the […]

“What cannot be seen with the eye, but that whereby the eye can see: know that alone to be Brahman, the Spirit, and not what people here adore. What cannot be heard with the ear but that whereby the ear can hear: know that alone to be Brahman, the Spirit, and not what people here […]

Augustus walked along the path meditating as he went. His young friend Lu-Wie had asked him to visit. He had said he needed some advice. Augustus was loathe to give advice. His natural inclination was to lead people to their own understanding. It was not long before he arrived at Lu-Wie’s little hut. There was […]

Early one morning Augustus was awoken by a shaking of his bed. After the initial dismay he concluded that it must have been an earth tremor. He meditated awhile and with his equanimity restored soon went back to sleep. He awoke at dawn as usual. After his ablutions he decided he would go for a […]

One day, Augustus found himself on a path that the locals told him led to a village called Elderton. The landscape now was one of open woodlands and grasslands. The ground was reasonably flat with just a few low hills and isolated rocky outcrops. Around noon he came to a small stream that meandered slowly […]

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mystery.” Albert Einstein It is easy to get disenchanted with a mundane, physical, secular world. This is a world of scientific determinism where one thing follows after another and things are predictable and it is only a lack of intellect and rationality that allows any room […]

Buddhism has a realistic outlook on the human condition. It emphasises the ephemeral nature of our lives. It also cautions us via the First Noble Truth that life unavoidably entails suffering. If suffering is unavoidable then we must be prepared to deal with it. In this sense we are all victims and it is futile […]