Michael Harding

This is part one of a two part reflection on the fundamental preliminary teaching in Tibetan Buddhism - The precious of human life. The second preliminary is that all actions have consequences. These two ideas together are the foundational ground of all teachings. And they make total sense in terms of the Christian remembrance of all souls in November. So I put the two together this week, and I've also made a plea for subscribers. If you get these podcasts on platforms where they are free, and you can afford to subscribe please go to Patreon.com/ Michael `Harding and make a subscription which will help the podcast continue and will also help those who can't afford to pay. You are supporting me, and you are supporting people who want to listen for free by your subscription. So thank you for that and enjoy the podcast.

There's a spider that makes an appearance at the beginning of this, and it led me to think about non-violence, and by the end of the meditation I was back with Yeshua, and I'm particular that dark night when he was approached by Nicodemus, an affluent chap who had a few questions for the Rabbi. But in essence it's another meditation on being in the present moment and how religious practises, whether they be Christian or Buddhist or something else, have a propensity to generate happiness. I hope you like this small song in praise of religious faith on this the Feast of All Saints. 

The end of October is a midway point between the Autumn equinox and mid Winter. It's the beginning of our Celtic winter time. From now until St Brigid's day I wish you a journey of peace and joy and happiness. That you may find it all in the icons of your faith, the imprints of your loved ones that linger in your heart. There is no more wonderful time of year that this coming month of twilight and remembrance. I hope you enjoy 

Why I so appreciate my patrons. Well it's because you give me more than I give you. You give me the chance to share the joy. And this week I'm telling the long story about my pathway to that joy. So I hope you like, and en-joy!

This was an important podcast and I was very pleased with it and dropped it last week, late on Friday night after doing a public event in Nenagh Arts Centre. But it seems I pressed a wrong button and dropped the previous podcast. So you've got the same podcast last Friday as went out the previous Friday. Someone of course brought it to my attention and I am grateful for that. (I'm not great on the technical side of things.) ........................so now.........here's the real podcast from last Friday. Hope you enjoy. Blessings. Michael.

My sore tooth and a story about the general and the purification of you tubeMy sore tooth, the purification of the television, and how I nearly decapitated my teacher are all jumbled up here in an over excited author on the eve of the book launch. Hope you enjoy this meditation which is ultimately about actions and consequences, or karma as they say in Cavan, and hope you find a copy of the book next week in your bookshop.

 I know it's a strange chain of thoughts but such are the ways of my mind. I drift from fun to a place of peace all the time, as simple as a berry falling into the pool. Because everything is the one thing. It's all gravity, or the love of electrons for what they are attached to. In this episode I talk at the latter end about the cosmos being like the murmuration of starlings. It's an idea I got from a monk who lived in the 3rd century. I forget his name but that too is ok. My new book is coming out on October 10. Stay with the podcast to keep up to date on events. Thanks for your support.

 I use some columns here to discuss what bits of craft I use to write. It's all about story and story is all about one sentence after another. So here I delve into the sentences, and the images, and it may all sound a bit mad, but then that's the storytellers craft. Whether you're into writing or reading or none of those, I still. hope you like it and enjoy the way I reveal how a column gets written every week for The Irish Times. Thanks for being here.