Dharma Reflections

Someone told me that I have joined the masses of names on Wikipaedia, the online encyclopaedia. Despite all the years of exploration and teaching of ‘non-self,’ I still find a certain interest in the name Christopher Titmuss. I looked at ‘my’ name on Wikipaedia. I smiled in its description of me as a Theravada tutor. I am not even a Buddhist let alone a Theravada teacher. I am a small servant of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. When I have nothing else to do, I will make one or two modest changes in the text – for the sake of accuracy. I look slightly mad in the photo taken while in full flow in giving a teaching at the Buddhafield Festival. Who am I to dispute appearances? …

Theravada and TantraRead More »

The fixing of a spiritual truth in terms of a location ranks as somewhat incongruous. We already have the tendency to locate truth within or without – within ourselves or within another. It is a foolish way of looking. It might be even more unwise to speak of priority in direction in terms of spiritual truth and the nation state. Having written that, I would suggest that two trends are evolving for serious spiritual practitioners, whether teachers, seniors in the Dharma or curious beginners. …

What direction? India or the USA?Read More »

I picked up The Times newspaper on Saturday, October 22, 2007. It had a rather large picture of Johnny Wilkinson, the handsome and much loved English rugby footballer, who was playing with the English team in the World Rugby Finals in Paris that afternoon.

In the previous World Rugby Finals in Australia, four years ago, Johnny scored the winning points in the very last seconds of the match against Australia. English fans went ballistic. Wilkinson joined the Realm of the Gods in sport.

In large print on the photograph on the front page, it said: “Buddha and Me. Johnny Wilkinson exclusive. I had to buy a copy of the paper. …

The Buddha and the Rugby PlayerRead More »

James Watson, the 79 year-old American, the winner of the Nobel Prize for his part in the establishing the model of the molecular structure of DNA, said last month in a newspaper interview:

“All our social policies are based on the fact that their (African) intelligence is the same as ours – whereas all the testing says not really.”

He said there was a natural desire that all human beings should be equal but “people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true.” …

Science and the Mind of the ScientistRead More »

One of the signals of the impact of global warming is the decision of a Devon farmer to plant olive groves on his land.

There is a certain poignancy in all this. Palestinians especially love dearly their olive groves – taken care of in the same family for centuries upon centuries – a rural culture under threat from the occupation.

Mark Dacano, who runs Otter Farm at Honiton in Devon, England, about an hour or so drive from Totnes, says that food grown in the hot climate of the Mediterranean has a real chance to grow in Devon in the west country of England. As the winter frosts get lighter and lighter, he sees the potential for olive groves, almonds and apricots. …

An Olive Grove in DevonRead More »