Monkey Do, Monkey See

I recently saw a magazine articles about 'mirror neurons ' and I thought it might be of interest. Although first noticed while studying brain activity in monkeys (hence the title) , the mirror neuron system in humans, and its development, might explain our rapid development as a species over the last forty thousand years even though our brains have apparently had the capability, the 'hardware', for over 200,000 years.

It was observed in monkeys that the same area of the brain was fired up not only by performing a particular action but also by seeing that action done by someone else. Further research and theory suggests that a more advanced version of this in the human brain explains our ability not only to learn from each other but to empathise with each other. It emphasises the importance of human socialisation, connectedness and culture in human development and why we get so involved with theatre, music and sport and so on. 'Mirror Neuron' theory has been around a while so for more information you can just 'google' the term - but here are three links to be going on with.

Mirror Neurons by V S Ramachandran

Mirror Neurons and Self-Understanding

Mirror Neurons - Quick Time video

Men's Droopy 'Jamas Class

Apologies for leaving this post so late - please don't tell Leo - it's been a busy week that's all I can say. Last week was a small class (Alex, Louis and myself) but very thoughtful. We started looking at the topic of mindfulness. We tried to make sense of the three shades of meaning of mindfulness contained in three Sanskrit/ Pali words that represent it: Smrti/Sati - mindfulnes as recollection or memory, Sampajanya/Sampajan - mindfulness as clear knowing or sense of purpose and thirdly Apramada/Appamadena - mindfulness as vigilance or sense of ethics.

We then began looking at the Four Dimensions of Awareness, Sangharakshita's expansion of the traditional Buddhist formulation, a way of looking at the areas where our mindfulness naturally gathers and where we can develop awareness. The topic is huge and far from exhausted so if you'd like to come along to the next class then it's Thursday 22nd May starting at 7pm in the Lotus Hall. The study topic is "The fifth precept - the principle of mindfulness"and if you'd like to read the material beforehand it can be found at Foundation Course Part Two: Week Six. Look forward to seeing you.


The men's drop-in class is available to anyone who has done Buddhism level 2. You can join us whenever you like, you don't have to prepare and you don't have to come every week. Email Nishpara if you have questions.

Celebrating Wesak - Buddhist on the radio

Kavyasiddhi has written to our blogspot - fame at last - to say that she is writing and recording five Pause for Thought episodes for broadcast during the week of Wesak (Buddha Day). They'll be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 from Monday May 19 to Friday May 23rd at 1.30 and 3.30am, in the Night Time slot.

If anyone wants to hear two minute dharma thoughts for non-Buddhist shift workers and insomniacs, tune to the Janice Long Show Monday to Friday a.m. (very, very early a.m.) Or you can listen again on BBC i-player for up to a week (there's a fast forward function).

Men's Drop-in Dharma Study

Last week's class continued the precept of truthful communication. Bringing the light of our own experience to this precept we again realised how much courage it takes to tell the truth when it reflects badly on us. We also agreed how free we feel when we are with friends with whom we can be ourselves, warts and all. Outside this situation we recognised how difficult truth telling is, how it can be one way traffic if people don't accept that everyone makes mistakes and that if we hide things then situations tend not to improve.

If you'd like to come along to the next class then it's Thursday 15th May starting at 7pm in the Lotus Hall and the study topic is "The fifth precept - the principle of mindfulness". If you'd like to read the material beforehand it can be found at Foundation Course Part Two: Week Six. Look forward to seeing you.


The men's drop-in class is available to anyone who has done Buddhism level 2. You can join us whenever you like, you don't have to prepare and you don't have to come every week. Email Nishpara if you have questions.

Meditating in Prison

I found this link, below, on the Wildmind website. It points to a review of a documentary film, The Dhamma Brothers, recently released in New York. The film is about the teaching of insight meditation in an American prison.

It caught my attention because the other day I was talking to someone who once worked as a prison-officer and he told me of an instance where a prisoner was forbidden to meditate because it was seen as a way of him avoiding his sentence. Astounding! We, of course, see meditation as part of the means of self-transformation. Shouldn't this be what prison should be aiming for too.

review here

Men's Drop-in Dharma Study

Last night's class looked at the precept of truthful communication. But first we looked at how we got on with giving up a small habit the previous week. Overall we were quite successful and we all knew from first-hand the feeling of discomfort at the moment of temptation and then the gradual contentment as we get on with things. Ah, the strength of friendship.

The current precept wasn't about discomfort but fear - the downright lie seems to come so quickly to defend our sense of weakness or guilt. Truthfulness takes courage. However we soon got down to our habits of more leisurely untruthfulness - the exaggerations, the omissions, the spin that we put on stories to keep ourselves in a good light.

We also reflected on truth not being the only consideration in truthful communication - kindness is also very important. After all truth can be subjective and more than one of us remembered taking a stand on 'my truth' and not enjoying the experience.

We haven't finished studying this topic so if you'd like to come along to the next class then it's Thursday 8th May starting at 7pm. And if you'd like to read the material beforehand it's here: Foundation Course Part Two: Week Five "The fourth precept - the principle of truthfulness". Look forward to seeing you.


The men's drop-in class is available to anyone who has done Buddhism level 2. You can join us whenever you like, you don't have to prepare and you don't have to come every week. Email Nishpara if you have questions.

Her Stroke of Good Luck

There was a fascinating interview given in a recent New Scientist by neuroanatomist (brain scientist) Jill Bolte Taylor who had a stroke about ten years ago. Over a long recovery she retreated into the right hemisphere of her brain while her left hemisphere recovered bit by bit. The fascinating thing is that she had control over her recovery, "..renewing or rerunning neurocircuits was a cognitive choice....when the circuits came back, I could choose to hook into them or not".

Her objectivity about her stroke and subsequent recovery comes from her scientific understanding. She looks at the mind as a "collection of neurocircuitry of thoughts and emotions and physiological responses". This has parallels with meditation and here is a longer quote by her from the article

"I think folks who meditate are willing to pay attention to their thoughts so that they can purposefully redirect their minds. Mantras, prayer beads, consciously thinking about one's breathing - these are tools that provide the brain with an alternative to the constant brain chatter, permitting the mind's focus to shift to something else. It's the same sort of thing. There are people who are comfortable witnessing their thoughts, while there are others who think they are their thoughts. Learning to observe our neural circuitry and not engage with it is a skill we all can learn."

watch her in video

She has published a book about her experience, My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey, but you'll have to visit Amazon or her web-site to buy it: www.drjilltaylor.com/

Mens Dharma Study Drop-in Class

This last class looked at the positive principle of contentment and its two allies stillness and simplicity. Well actually, we soon got to grips with its opposite - craving. The way we have of habitually filling the hungry void with something that then seems to take us over, blots out awareness of other stuff and then leaves us dissatisfied, unsettled and sometimes guilty. This was a very open and honest group and we all shared some experience of this precept working like this.

But what to do about it. It's not easy breaking habits. How to do we find contentment? Good friendship is a traditional way as recommended by the Buddha. Most neurotic craving seem to be lonely affair. There were also some exercises which we decided to try. First was just sitting with the discomfort of the 'hungry void' - spending some time being bored and not giving in to the lure of our usual void filling habit of eating a packet of Jaffa cakes all by ourselves. Next was giving up some small habit for a week - chocolate, TV whatever - and instead enjoying the sense will-power. Careful it might become addictive!

If you'd like to come along to the next class then it's Thursday 1st May starting at 7pm. And if you'd like to read the material beforehand it's here: Foundation Course Part Two: Week Five "The fourth precept - the principle of truthfulness". Look forward to seeing you.


The men's drop-in class is available to anyone who has done Buddhism level 2. You can join us whenever you like, you don't have to prepare and you don't have to come every week. Email Nishpara if you have questions.

Men's Dharma Study Drop-in Class

Last Thursday (17th April) the class finished looking at the second of the Five Precepts. It was a smaller class than usual with Alan, Francis, Louis, Phil and myself but this seemed to make it quite lively. We went back to the negative formulation of Generosity - that is, the training principle of abstaining from taking the not given. This was food for thought as it doesn't just mean not stealing - we had to look at the different ways that can be used to grab things from others - all those wheedling, sneaky or forceful bargaining skills that the world so loves.

More inspiring were the traditional Buddhist attitudes that cultivate Generosity: To follow through on generous impulses and not be swayed by inevitable 'second thoughts'. To practise small acts of generosity every day to counteract the tightening, closing up effects of being stingy. Of course when we're all enlightened Generosity will be second nature.

If you'd like to join us then just come, the next class is Thursday 24th April starting at 7pm. And if you want to see what it will be about then the material is here Foundation Course Part Two: Week Four "The third precept - the principle of contentment". Hope to see you then.


The men's drop-in class is available to anyone who has done Buddhism level 2. You can join us whenever you like, you don't have to prepare and you don't have to come every week. Email Nishpara if you have questions.

Three New Mitras Hit Town

At last night's Sangha Night we saw three people publicly declare themselves Buddhists, as they became FWBO mitras - hooray! These are really great occasions and it's always so interesting and heart warming to hear how people came to their decisions - it's always a personal matter, an individual journey and an inspiration.

There was a certain scientific bent to last nights group - a nuclear physicist, a biologist and an immunologist who were introduced by a mathematician, a geneticist and a polymath (has a go at everything). Above is a picture of this erudite ensemble - asking directions from an indian renunciant they just met. And here we show our master of ceremonies, Dh Mahasraddha, enjoying a cuppa after all that chantin', rejoicin' and stuff.