Windhorse Publications move to larger offices

Sarah Ryan, from Windhorse Publications, the FWBO’s publishing house, writes to say -

“Dear all,

"After lots of preparation we are finally moving office to a larger space on Mill Road here in Cambridge, UK. This will be great as we will have more space and light, which we definitely need. It’s also going to be wonderful to be located on one of the most vibrant and independent streets in Cambridge.

"Having said this, our time at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre has been wonderful and we will miss sharing the space with such cheerful and friendly people – thank you very much to everyone there.

"From Tuesday 15th December our new address is:

Windhorse Publications
169 Mill Road
Cambridge
CB1 3AN

"Our telephone numbers and email addresses will be staying the same, and of course our website www.windhorsepublications.com .

"Wishing you all a warm winter
Sarah”

New book from Windhorse: Life with Full Attention

Windhorse Publications, the FWBO’s main publishing business, are proud to announce their new title ‘Life with Full Attention: A Practical Course in Mindfulness’.

Sarah Ryan from Windhorse writes to say “Maitreyabandhu’s new book has just come out and we’re really proud of it! A lot of work went in from a lot of people but it’s finally here. Can you please do a piece on it in the FWBO News next week?”

We’re happy to oblige...

The book’s blurb goes on to say -

Don’t live on automatic pilot – live life with full attention.


In this eight-week course on mindfulness, Maitreyabandhu gently guides readers, teaching them how to pay closer attention to their experience. Each week, he introduces a different aspect of awareness – such as mindfulness of the body, feelings, thoughts and the environment – and recommends a number of easy practices; from trying out a simple meditation to reading a poem.


Featuring personal stories, examples and tempting suggestions, Maitreyabandhu shows how by applying mindfulness we can steal back the lost moments of life.

Sarah ends by saying -

“Here the yellow leaves are just starting to drift across the street and even on sunny days the wind has a tooth in it – autumn is such a beautiful season.

Best wishes,

Sarah

Coming soon is Bodhipaksa's well-known exploration of vegetarianism. Click the image to find out more!

launch of 'Life with Full Attention'

Maitreyabandhu writes from the London Buddhist Centre, the FWBO's largest centre outside India -

"I'm delighted to announce the launch of my new book, Life with Full Attention - a practical course in mindfulness.

"My book is about paying attention.

"Mindfulness is something you can practise on a plane, waiting in a queue at the post office, or eating a takeaway. It's not religious. It's about paying attention.

"I explore the different levels and dimensions of mindfulness. I address the issues a reader might face when they try to put mindfulness into practice. But don't worry: I'm not assuming you have plenty of free time. I assume you have work to do, people to see, things to accomplish, children to get to school. The art of mindfulness will be learning to bring more attention to the sort of things you already do. I'm not trying to add another task to your jobs list".

Launch dates
London Buddhist Centre, 7.15pm, 2nd September
Manchester Buddhist Centre, 7.15pm, 7th September
Birmingham Buddhist Centre, 7.15pm, 29th September

For more information, and to order, check Windhorse Publications on  www.windhorsepublications.com/CartV2/Details.asp?ProductID=733.

Living Ethically: latest book by Sangharakshita

Sangharakshita's latest book has been released by Windhorse Publications, his publishers. It's entitled ‘Living Ethically: advice from Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland’ and is based, like many of his recent books, on edited transcripts of a seminar held many years ago. That's not as simple as it might sound - the seminar would have recorded, - probably at Padmaloka in 1975 or 1976, onto reel-to-reel tapes, painstakingly transcribed some years later using a typewriter, scanned still later - and now, finally, edited...

In this particular case what survived to be edited was only a single carbon-copy. Silabhadra, who did the scanning in 2004, commented as he began it "The only remaining original was just a carbon copy of the original typescript of the seminar. Much of what follows will, I predict, be totally incomprehensible!"

To illustrate just how true his prediction was, we copy below the first few lines of the scan of transcription:

All flght, let's go
on to Chapter One
and read a verse at
a time, going round the circle
and
t4~l
-
~
)
Chapter One
I bow down to theA i~~a;-2+. fre~from all defects,
... adorned with all virtues, the sole
friend o~~beings.
S.
There's quite a number of points to go into here.
Tho is being
saluted here, who is the author bowing down to?
The Pu-ddha.

From such unpropitious ingredients, we are fortunate indeed to have the book itself! Even the process of editing was not easy: Sangharakshita is now in his 84th year and has for some years suffered with little or no eyesight. The book was therefore produced in collaboration with Samacitta, chair of the nearby Birmingham Buddhist Centre, who visited him most days over the past year, reading him the manuscript and writing down his responses.

She writes - " I have been delighting in my contact with Bhante recently. Since he can no longer read with his own eyes, I was asked to help him edit his next book by reading the manuscript to him. The decline of his eyesight is obviously a great loss, not only for him personally but also indirectly for us, but for me it has led to a situation which is giving me a great deal of spiritual nourishment and inspiration".

On the book itself, Windhorse, his publishers, say –

“In a world of increasingly confused ethics, Living Ethically looks back over the centuries for guidance from Nagarjuna, one of the greatest teachers of the Mahayana tradition. Drawing on the themes of Nagarjuna’s famous scripture, Precious Garland of Advice for a King, this book explores the relationship between an ethical lifestyle and the development of wisdom. Covering both personal and collective ethics, Sangharakshita considers such enduring themes as pride, power and business, as well as friendship, love and generosity”.

‘Living Ethically' should be available in FWBO Centre bookshops - but can also be obtained on-line via Windhorse.

An invitation: spend FWBO Day 2009 with Sangharakshita

April 6th sees the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the FWBO, and to mark the occasion the Sangha in the UK’s West Midlands invites you to join them and Sangharakshita for a celebration.  This’ll be held at the Birmingham Buddhist Centre on Saturday 11th April.

During the event there will be a launch of The Essential Sangharakshita, Wisdom Publications’ new book that describes its author as “equally at home with science, philosophy, myth, art, and poetry,” and using “every inner avenue to communicate the timeless Dharma.”

They say -

“Bhante will be joining us for the launch and giving a talk.  He will be accompanied by Vidyadevi (aka Karen Stout), who edited the text and who has worked with Bhante for many years, who will introduce us to the book itself. 

“We invite you to join us as we celebrate Bhante, his writings, the FWBO, and all these as expressions of the Three Jewels”.

The program is as follows -

Arrival from 2pm onwards.  It is fine to arrive earlier than this, but we might encourage you to help with the preparations!

2.30pm: Optional Meditation

4pm: Book launch of ‘The Essential Sangharakshita’ with talks by Sangharakshita and Vidyadevi

5.30pm: Sandwich snacks available

6.30pm: Puja and close

"The Essential Sangharakshita" launched, available through Windhorse

‘The Essential Sangharakshita’, a major new title showcasing 50 years of Sangharakshita's writings, has just been published by Wisdom Publications. It is available via Windhorse Publications.

Drawing on no less than 38 of Sangharakshita’s books, and totalling 792 pages, it’s a very substantial resource for anyone interested in his teaching, his life, his poetry, and the Dharmic influences behind the FWBO. In fact, it’s a must-buy!

A full review of the book is available on FWBO Features.

The book’s organising principle is based on the Mandala of the Five Buddhas - the central concerns of Buddhism in the central realm of Vairocana; material on ‘Buddhism and the Mind’ in the realm of Aksobhya; ‘Art, Beauty, and Myth in the Buddhist Tradition’ under Ratnasambhava; faith, devotion, friendship and meditation in the Western realm of Amitabha, and finally a lengthy final section on ‘Buddhism and the World’ in the realm of Amoghasiddhi. A major work indeed.

Vidyadevi, the book’s editor, is an Order Member of many years’ standing and has lived and breathed the project for much the past 5 years – she told FWBO News that she’d started by re-reading all Sangharakshita’s books!

For some, ‘The Essential Sangharakshita’ will suffice, and may even be the only book of his they ever need. Certainly it is a more-than-adequate introduction to Sangharakshita’s thought and teaching – if not to the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order itself. For others, it will be a gateway, a taster, to the 38 works from which it is drawn, even to those not represented, and they will be led through it deeper into Sangharakshita’s thought – and perhaps into the spiritual community he has founded and nurtured for he past 40 years.

‘The Essential Sangharakshita’, ISBN 0-86171-585-3, is available from Windhorse Publications (www.windhorsepublications.com) in the UK or Wisdom Publications (www.wisdompubs.org) in the US, and Windhorse Books (www.windhorse.com.au) in Australia and New Zealand . For other countries please contact your nearest bookstore.

Click here for the full review – other reviews are welcome (just email FWBO News) and will be added as received.

Sangharakshita's news: an update

Sangharakshita’s diary last appeared in FWBO News in early October. Dharmamati, his secretary, has sent us this update. He writes -

Bhante's health:
Bhante continues to be in quite good health since the last report. His eyesight has been stable and he is still able to read large print, with the aid of a illuminated magnifying glass. He is also able to draft his own correspondence by hand.

September:
The main event for September was Bhante's visit to Krakow, Poland, where he opened the small but beautiful Krakow Buddhist Centre. Nityabandhu and others had put much hard work into creating a very welcoming space for Buddhist activities. This was Bhante's second visit to Krakow.

His first took place six years ago, when he launched the publication of a Polish translation of 'The Survey' Since then three more of his books have been translated into Polish and published. At the opening he cut the ribbon to the Shrine room. After everyone was seated Nityabandhu led a short meditation followed by an introduction. Bhante followed this with a short talk on 'Sanghaloka' the name Nityabandhu had given the centre. This was followed by the dedication ceremony led in Polish by Nityabandhu.

The opening ceremony concluded with a fanfare from a trumpeteer. This was inspired by the golden trumpet that resounds, every hour, from the municipal tower above Krakow's central square, originally signalling the approach of enemy forces. This was followed by light refreshments in the reception area.

October:
In October Bhante spent 12 days at Padmaloka, leading study for the Men Mitra Convenors, on his 1975 lecture 'Enlightenment as Experience - and as Non-Experience. He also performed a Kalyana Mitra ceremony for Nityabandhu in the shrine room. Nityabandhu's Kalyana Mitra's are Satyaraja and Paramabandhu.

November:
On Sunday the 9th of November Bhante took part in the 30th anniversary celebrations of the London Buddhist Centre. In the morning he cut the ribbon, marking the sunday opening of Friends Organic. The afternoon started in the main shrine room of the LBC where Maitreyabandhu publicly interviewed Bhante on his recollections of the early days of the LBC (this interview was filmed by clear vision). After this Bhante proceeded to unveil the "magnificent" painting by Aloka in the new basement shrine room.

This painting is a triptych depicting the Buddha Shakyamuni with his two chief disciples in the central panel, flanked by the Bodhisattvas and the Arahants in the left and right hand panels respectively. Bhante spoke briefly about this painting.

A few days later Amitasuri came to interview Bhante at Madhyamoloka on the importance of the FWBO's land at Bodhgaya. He spoke about his own experience of Bodghaya, why he wanted the FWBO/TBMSG to purchase some land there and the use that he thought this land should be put to. This was significant given that Bodhgaya is the location of the next International Order Convention.

During the above period Bhante continued to see individuals virtually every day both at Madhyamaloka and wherever he travelled. He also worked on the 'Precious Garland Seminar' with Samacitta and completed study on the Parayana Vagga of the Sutta-Nipata with a local Men's chapter. The Precious Garland is due to be released by Windhorse in 2009.

December:
For the rest of November and December Bhante will be staying at Madhyamaloka and does not intend to do any travelling. He will, however, continue to meet people individually, do editing work on the 'Precious Garland Seminar' and, weather permitting, go for his daily walk in the large Madhyamaloka garden.

The next planned visit will be to the European Chairs Assembly at Taraloka in January, where he will give a talk and a question and answer session.

In 2009 he'll be making a tour of a number of FWBO Centres to launch 'The Essential Sangharakshita' - a handsome 750-page compendium of his writings now available for advance orders from Windhorse Publications. FWBO News hopes to carry a review of this very soon.

Dharmamati

Windhorse Publications releases 2009 catalogue

Windhorse Publications, the FWBO’s main publisher, have released their 2009 catalogue – and very handsome it is!

There's lots on Buddhist practice, for instance Paramananda’s pocket guide to meditation focusing on ‘The Body’ – the third book in Windhorse’s best-selling series, which includes ‘The Heart’ and ‘the Breath’, both by Vessantara.

There’s a new edition of Transforming Self and World, Sangharakshita’s guide to the Sutra of Golden Light, aand new edition of the Dhammapada.

Windhorse don’t simply publish books – there’s a growing collection of multi-media introductions to meditation.

To be released are ‘Life with Full Attention’, an 8-week course on mindfulness by Maitreyabandhu; which will accompany the FWBO’s first International Urban Retreat in June 2009, and Nagapriya’s second book ‘Visions of Mahayana Buddhism’, which looks set to be as popular as his ‘Exploring Karma and Rebirth’.

Sangharakshita’s ‘Living Ethically – Advice from Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland’, also due for release during 2009, will join his existing books ‘Living with Awareness and ‘Living with Kindness’.

The catalogue is available on-line or to download from Windhorse’s very handsome new blog, which you'll find at windhorsepublications.blogspot.com.

They are also taking advance orders for ‘The Essential Sangharakshita’, just published by Wisdom. This eagerly awaited selection of Sangharakshita’s writings, edited by Vidyadevi, is available for pre-order now through Windhorse Publications for the bargain price of £16.99.

They say, "Due for release in January 2009, The Essential Sangharakshita is the culmination of over fifty years of one man's study, practice, and personal experience of Buddhism".

And we say, "Enjoy!"

Razor-Wire Dharma: in prison in America

Priyamitra, an Order Member from Spokane, Washington, USA, has written to FWBO News to say –

“One of the prisoners I've had the pleasure of practicing with for a number of years has just had a book published.

“Calvin Malone practiced for more than a dozen years with the "Gateless Sangha", a Buddhist practice group at Airway Heights Corrections Center, the largest prison in the Washington penitentiary system. Razor-Wire Dharma recounts Calvin's life in prison, his turning to the Buddha-Dharma, and ways that his life, and the lives of those around him, have changed through his going for refuge to the Three Jewels.

“Each chapter tells of an event common to life in prison life; each illustrates how his practice has been challenged and grown through living out the Buddha's teaching. These are very personal tales he tells, full of real suffering, real people, and real transformation.

“Until this past June Calvin was a cornerstone of the Gateless Sangha. He was then transferred to another prison, initially leaving the Sangha somewhat at a loss - over the years he had encouraged, guided, coaxed, and supported a huge number of inmates as they struggled to find some peace in the hell-realm that prison can seem.

“Prison is a fearful place. Shakyamuni's exclamation that 'Friendship is the whole of the spiritual life' rings true in Razor-Wire Dharma. Calvin learned the power of friendship from his teachers, one of whom was Aryadaka – another Order Member, who died five years ago. My entry into prison Dharma teaching was similarly through a friendship with Aryadaka.

“Both Calvin and Aryadaka have gone; I'm left to practice with the Gateless Sangha in their absence, and every week I practice with them I experience this friendship with my razor-wire Dharma brothers. As the Gateless Sangha continues without Calvin, its members are finding that they are able to pass on to new-comers the guidance and friendship that they received from him”.

Razor-Wire Dharma has just been released by Wisdom Publications.

New Book from Breathworks - Living Well with Pain and Illness

The FWBO’s ‘Breathworks’ project is delighted to announce the publication of their first book, ‘Living Well With Pain and Illness’, written by Breathworks’ co-founder Vidyamala, herself a long-term sufferer of chronic pain. They say -

“The book, subtitled ‘The mindful way to free yourself from suffering’, gives a detailed summary of the principles and practice of the Breathworks programme.

"It is intended for anyone looking for new ways to live with pain and illness or other long-term difficulties. The main focus of the book is physical pain, but the mindfulness techniques are relevant to illness of any sort. They will help with managing energy and fatigue; also improve quality of life. The techniques are also relevant to mental and emotional suffering, such as stress, anxiety and depression.

“The book starts with Vidyamala's own story of living with pain. It looks at the nature of pain and describes how we can find a new relationship with it using mindfulness. It explores mindfulness and how it can bring wholeness, even if your body is injured or ill. The book then goes on to practical guidance on how to come home to your body through breath awareness and mindful movement, introduces three formal meditation practices with useful tips, and looks at how you can take mindfulness into your daily life.

“The book has been written in part in response to requests from people unable to attend a Breathworks course. It was also written with a strong sense of how Vidyamala felt when she first faced the loneliness of disability and chronic pain with few skills to help, in the hope that some of the lessons learned can help others find an easier way through their own journey with pain and illness.

Highly recommended!

Reviews and recommendations for the book are already arriving – a selection are printed below:

“The cultivation of mindfulness can make a profound difference in how we relate to pain and whether even chronic pain conditions need to turn into endless suffering and misery. This has been known over the past 2600 years, and is now being supported by studies in both medicine and neuroscience. In this book, Vidyamala makes the practice of befriending your experience through mindfulness, however unpleasant or pleasant it may be, both commonsensical and compelling. I admire her tremendously. This is a beautiful and very important book. It could save your life -- and give it back to you.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D.,Professor of Medicine Emeritus, Umass Medical School and author of Full Catastrophe Living and Coming to our Senses

"The book is a moving and compelling invitation to bring a radically new way of working with the fact of our pain. It is a book of enormous tenderness and honesty, offering wise guidance on how we can live with greater ease by turning towards what we most fear about our pain and suffering."
Prof Mark Williams, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Dept of Psychiatry, University of Oxford

"Vidyamala Burch has practiced mindfulness for many years, as well as applying the practice to the relief of physical suffering, both her own and that of other people. She has now embodied the fruits of her extensive experience in a very readable and useful book. I hope that Living Well with Pain and Illness will have a wide circulation, in a world where, despite all our progress, there is still so much suffering, some of it unnecessary."
Urgyen Sangharakshita

"This is one of the most generous and empathic books I have read. Nobody with an open mind could fail to learn from it. Readers with and without pain will recognise eloquent descriptions of the traps we fall into when we struggle to avoid what we don't want in our lives."
Dr Amanda Williams, Reader in Clinical Health Psychology, University College London

There's also a review online from the Irish Times.

Sangharakshita's news

It has been quite some time since news of Sangharakshita has appeared in Shabda. However we have now received a report from Dharmamati, his secretary, and are pleased to reproduce it here -

"Sangharakshita has been very active in recent months, visiting centres both here and abroad, seeing individuals nearly every day, continuing working on 'Precious Garland Seminar' with Samacitta and taking regular study with a small local men's chapter.

Bhante's health:
Bhante has been in quite good health over the last couple of months. His eyesight has even improved a little and he has started to be able to read large print publications and smallerprint with the aid of an illuminated magnifying glass and he has even been able to draft a few letters. This said, however, his eyesight is still limited and most things have to be read to him.

June:
The last report concluded with Bhante attending the Guhyaloka reunion at Padmaloka. At the end of this month he was invited to a conference organised by The Network of Buddhist Organisations (UK) and the Institute of Oriental Philosophy-UK. the conference was called The British Buddhist Landscape - Transplantation and Growth. He was one of the two keynote speakers for the conference, the other being Stephen Bachelor.

The FWBO had quite a strong presence at the conference, not only with speakers, but with artworks contributed to an exhibition of Buddhist art from Britain. Bhante's talk was entitled 'Looking back and forward a little, reminiscences and reflections. In it he recollected his association with British Buddhism especially his time with the Buddhist society in the early 1940s in London. He also gave some reflections about the future. (for more about the conference see the report on FWBO News.

July:
July was quite a full month with visits to Sheffield, Berlin and leading study for the Men Mitra Convenors at Padmaloka. In both Sheffield and Berlin Bhante gave a Q&A session for Order members and a public talk.

In Sheffield Bhante gave a talk on something that he has rarely talked about in public, 'Rebirth'. This was a personal talk that included reflections on dreams, visions and experiences from his life.

In Berlin the public talk was on the 'Six distinctive emphases of the FWBO' According to the local sangha this was a very timely talk in helping establish what the FWBO has to offer in Berlin; a talk covering some of the same ground was given in Birmingham and is available here from FreeBuddhistAudio. During the Men Mitra Convenors meeting at Padmaloka Bhante led ten study sessions over a period of 5 days on 'The Path of Regular and Path of Irregular Steps'.

August:
During August Bhante spent most of the month at Madhyamaloka. Towards the end of the month Bhante celebrated his 83rd Birthday. A special event was organised by Siddhisambhava with invited guests from Madhyamaloka community, Uddiyana trustees and those involved in the recent fundraising appeal for Bhante's support. Happily to say the goal was exceeded due to the generosity of many individual Order members.

Two days after this Bhante left for Spain where he attended an Order retreat. The venue was Tushita retreat centre run by the FPMT in the hills behind Barcelona. During this event Bhante gave a q&A session for Order Members. From there he travelled to Valencia where he stayed in the men's community. During his stay in Valencia Bhante gave a public talk at the Valencia Buddhist Centre. the theme this time was Padmasambhava, his talk included the five poisons and the five spiritual faculties. This event was attended by over 150 people.

The next event was an historic one, the public launch of the Spanish translation of 'A Survey of Buddhism'. The event took place in a lecture room at a University.

Most recently, Bhante has been to Krakow, Poland where he opened Sanghaloka, a new FWBO centre and our first in Poland.

New edition of FWBO Puja Book now available

Windhorse Publications, for many years the FWBO's principle publisher, have just released their new and updated edition of the FWBO Puja book. Among other things the translation of the Heart Sutra has been revised and the typeface made easier to read for shrine-room use. Also, for the first time, it is available in paperback.

Copies may be ordered via your local FWBO Centre or directly from Windhorse – both hardback or paperback . In Australia and New Zealand, contact Windhorse Books Australia.

Their website also carries extracts from the book, notably the Introduction, where Dhammadinna has beautifully written -

"Imagine a world without colour, beauty, poetry, myth, celebration, or ritual. Such a world would be a very dull, drab, dead world indeed. Such experiences are essential to human life; they cultivate our emotions, refine our senses, and enrich our imaginations. Poetry, symbol, myth, and ritual carry us – as Shelley suggests in his Defence of Poetry – 'to regions of light and fire, where the winged faculty of calculation dare not ever soar'. We cannot live in the realm of rational thought alone. To feel fully and vibrantly alive, we must feel in touch with all the different aspects and levels of our being.

"Buddhism is a spiritual tradition, and as such speaks to us in our wholeness. Its various practices can help us to bring into being a harmony of body, speech, and mind. Throughout its history, therefore, many forms of ceremony and ritual have been developed. These range from the simplest recitation of a few verses to the most complex andd lengthy rituals".

Highly recommended. Those interested in an introduction to the Puja as practiced in the FWBO will find several relevant talks at FreeBuddhistAudio.

Audio books by Sangharakshita now available

Six of Sangharakshita’s books, and one by Vessantara, are now available as audio books, for free download.



Subhadra, their creator, says "The recordings are offered as a free resource for the visually impaired, in the hope they will find them useful and inspiring. They are available for free download and distribution, provided they are not sold in any way". You can access them at his website Buddhist Audio Books.

Subhadra was born in 1952 in London, and ordained into the WBO in 1981. He now lives in Cambridge,England and works for Windhorse Evolution - as you can see from the photograph opposite!

New reading lists available from Windhorse Publications

Windhorse Publications have for many years been the main publisher of FWBO books, at least in English, with some 140 books currently on offer. With so many to choose from, where to start...?

Happily, they have just released four new reading lists - one each for those seeking an introduction to Buddhism, those wanting to go deeper, those interested in meditation, and those thinking of taking up the FWBO Mitra Study course (which can be found on the new website www.fwbomitracourse.com).

FWBO News hopes to bring you more news of their Autumn publications soon - starting with the new edition of the FWBO Puja Book.
Enjoy...

The Buddha at Bedtime...

'Buddha at Bedtime' is a new book written by Nagaraja, a member of the Western Buddhist Order living in Glasgow, Scotland. It's sub-titled "Tales of Love and Wisdom for You to Read with Your Child to Enchant, Enlighten, and Inspire".

Nagaraja goes on to say "Growing up in the modern world, our children have to cope with an ever-increasing amount of stress, which can have a negative impact on their development. The ancient wisdom of Buddhism, with its emphasis on peace, mindfulness and compassion, is the ideal basis for helping any child to face these challenges with inner confidence and calm. Building on the age-old art of storytelling, this beautiful book re-tells 20 ancient Buddhist tales in a way that is thoroughly fun and accessible to children.

"Featuring superb, full-page illustrations the stories will transport children into an imaginary world of enlightenment and discovery where they will meet delightful characters and discover an easy-to-understand Buddhist message, which will help them think about how they can apply values such as patience, perseverance, honesty and generosity to their own lives. Designed to either be read aloud by parents or by children on their own, these compelling narratives focus the mind and provide a soothing transition into sleep."

This is Nagaraja's first book - he's probably better-known to FWBO News' readers for his long-standing appearances on Terry Wogan's 'Pause for Thought' slots on BBC Radio Two.