About the Pure Land Series
The Pure Land Series unites inspirational speakers and like-minded individuals to share their aspirations for a world rooted in compassion, creativity, and spirituality. Launched in 2016 by the Pure Land Foundation in collaboration with China Exchange, this innovative series of talks and events is designed to foster more thoughtful emotional responses to the mental health challenges of our time.
Curated by Bruno Wang, a philanthropist, arts patron, and producer, the Pure Land Series draws from the worlds of art, music, meditation, and mindfulness to promote social inclusion, emotional well-being, and enhanced mental health.
Addressing the Mental Health Crisis
The Pure Land Series was initiated in October 2016 by Academy Award-winning actress, producer, author, and children’s well-being advocate Goldie Hawn, founder of The Goldie Hawn Foundation. Her foundation aims to equip children with the social and emotional skills they need to lead smarter, healthier, happier, and more productive lives. In collaboration with leading neuroscientists, educators, psychologists, and researchers, the foundation developed MindUP, an evidence-based curriculum designed for students from kindergarten through grade 12.
At China Exchange, Goldie Hawn shared her personal journey toward mindfulness, blending spirituality with science. Reflecting on her own childhood experiences of trauma and anxiety, she recounted how her first encounter with meditation allowed her to rediscover her happy childhood memories. This journey led her to explore neuroscience and eventually develop a four-pillar approach: applying neurobiology, integrating brain breaks, practicing mindfulness, and fostering an understanding of one’s place in the world. Her approach emphasizes developing empathy in children, particularly as a response to rising rates of anxiety and depression.
In March 2017, the Pure Land Series hosted an expert panel to address the urgent issue of men’s mental health. In the UK, one in four men suffers from mental health issues, and male suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 45. In 2015, 75% of all suicides in the UK were male, yet men often struggle to talk about their mental health.
The panel, moderated by Sean Fletcher of Good Morning Britain, featured Paul Farmer CBE (CEO of Mind), Dr. Steve Young (US Embassy), Joel Beckman (General Manager of the Campaign Against Living Miserably, CALM), and mental health campaigner Jon Salmon. Salmon, who lost his father to suicide during his teenage years, shared his personal experience, advocating that open dialogue can reduce stigma and save lives. Dr. Steve Young emphasized the anxiety surrounding mental health treatment, noting that psychiatry has increasingly focused on medication, potentially discouraging people from seeking help.
The Transformative Power of Music
A recurring theme in the Pure Land Series is the transformative power of the arts, particularly music. Renowned opera singer Joyce DiDonato, Matt Peacock (founding director of Streetwise Opera), and Anis Barnat (co-founder of El Sistema Greece) shared their insights into how music can transcend boundaries and foster social change.
Their stories ranged from helping young refugees journey towards reintegration into society in Greece, to supporting the homeless in Britain by reconnecting them with their inner selves, and even instilling dignity in incarcerated individuals at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York. The series underscored music’s ability to offer hope in times of profound despair, reaffirming its power to transform lives across national and cultural divides.
The Pure Land Series also featured the esteemed composer and conductor Dr. Nick Strimple from the University of Southern California. Dr. Strimple explored the critical role music played for those most impacted by the Holocaust during World War II. Accompanied by vocalists from the acclaimed London Voices, his presentation was enriched with moving excerpts of works composed and performed by prisoners during that harrowing period of history.
Coping with Grief
Grief is a complex and deeply personal experience that requires immense courage to confront. In one of the Pure Land Series' sessions, psychotherapist Julia Samuel MBE led a discussion on how we navigate grief and bereavement. Joining her was Victoria Milligan, who tragically lost her husband, Nick, and youngest daughter, Emily, in a boating accident in Cornwall in 2013, while also suffering life-altering injuries herself. Milligan shared her powerful story, offering insights into parenting and the emotional journey of supporting her three surviving children through their grief.
Advocacy for Improved Mental Wellness
Nearly a decade after the launch of The Pure Land Series, the Pure Land Foundation continues to uphold its principle of personal transformation for meaningful societal change. Today, the Pure Land Foundation is primarily focused on addressing the global mental health crisis, leaning towards digital advocacy. Through secular principles inspired by Buddhism, the foundation seeks to promote emotional and mental well-being.
The Pure Land Foundation is now developing a platform to connect global audiences with transformative teachings and ideas, rooted in Buddhist-inspired principles. Using educational and visually engaging content, the Pure Land Foundation aims to address pressing mental health issues and foster spiritual, mental, and emotional wellness.
The Pure Land Series videos are available on Youtube.
Visit the Pure Land Foundation’s website here.
Explore Bruno Wang Productions impactful social productions here.
Learn more about Bruno Wang here.
