User:Dharmawise

=Vishvapani=

Vishvapani is an a writer and broadcaster focusing on Buddhism and Meditation. He is best known as a contributor to Thought for the Day, the religious reflection slot on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, and and for his biography of the Buddha, Gautama Buddha: the Life and Teachings of the Awakened One. He is a long-standing member of the Triratna Buddhist Order and a teacher of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

Early Years
Vishvapani was born Simon Blomfield in Croydon, South London in 1964. He attended Trinity School in Croydon and went on to study English Literature at Clare College, Cambridge University, graduating with a First Class degree, then taking an MA in Drama and Theatre Studies at Royal Holloway and Bedford College, Univ. London. He first encountered Buddhism when he was 14 and became a mitra with the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order aged 15.

Writing and Broadcasting
He edited Dharma Life Magazine for nine years. He edited an anthology, Challenging Times: Stories of Buddhist Practice When Things Get Tough (Windhorse, 2006). His biography of the Buddha: Gautama Buddha: The Life and Teachings of the Awakened One, was published by Quercus in 2011. He contributes to The Guardian, Tricycle: the Buddhist Review and oner publications and blogs at Wise Attention. He has been the Buddhist Contributor to Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme since 2006.

Mindfulness Training
Vishvapani founded Mindfulness in Action in 2010 and has taught many MBSR/MBCT courses for the general public as well as with groups such as offenders on probation. He is also an Associate of Breathworks Mindfulness.