Prologue I am ashamed to have to begin this book with a confession. A revelation so embarrassing I’d much rather not be making it. Living with the Dalai Lama, surrounded by monks at Namgyal Monastery, and constantly encountering the most revered meditation masters in Tibetan Buddhism, one would assume that among my many admirable qualities I am an accomplished meditator....
Latest Blog Posts
Suffer from mental fleas when you meditate? Four points to encourage you from The Dalai Lama’s Cat.
In my book, The Power of Meow, the Dalai Lama’s Cat begins with an embarrassing confession: “Living with the Dalai Lama, surrounded by monks at Namgyal Monastery, and constantly encountering the most revered meditation masters in Tibetan Buddhism, one would assume that among my many admirable qualities I am an accomplished meditator. Alas, dear reader, I am not! I may be...
Pets as partners on our spiritual journey – Buddhist wisdom
Buddhism is well-known as a tradition of inner transformation. But great practitioners down the ages have also emphasized that freeing ourselves from suffering depends on others. Progress in our inner development goes hand and hand with our outward behaviour. It is no coincidence that of the six perfections taught by Buddha, we practise the first three – generosity, ethics and...
Clive James and how death is the greatest meditation
I have always been a big fan of Clive James’s work (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_James) and was saddened to hear some time ago that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. True to form, Clive has not allowed this diagnoses to stop his ongoing and amusing flow of insights, and in yesterday’s Sunday Times (UK) there was a major article about how his...
David Michie reads the Prologue of ‘The Power of Meow’
Feel like a quick taster of The Dalai Lama’s Cat and The Power of Meow? Please click below for my 4 minute reading of the Prologue. If you’d like to make sure you’re among the first to get your paws on the book, I highly recommend that you pre-order from your local bookstore, or through amazon or another online...
How pets offer us the gift of mindfulness
My office desk overlooks a street on which people in the neighbourhood walk their dogs every day. In the past ten years I’ve noticed a trend that saddens me. Instead of taking their dogs for a walk as they used to, these days many people are more likely to be hunched over their phones while holding the dog’s lead. Sure...
Read the first chapter of ‘Buddhism for Busy People’ here!
The first book I wrote about Buddhism was called Buddhism for Busy People. That was back in 2004, when there weren’t many books providing an introduction to the key concepts in Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhism for Busy People is also a very personal account, relating my own encounter with Buddha’s teachings (the Dharma), why they resonated and how they began to...
The amazing thing most people never discover about themselves
I am often struck by what I think is one of life’s greatest paradoxes: even though our entire experience of reality depends on our mind, most people have no idea what mind actually is. Everything we perceive, think and feel arises only with mind’s participation. That being the case, wouldn’t it be useful to have a good working knowledge of...
Who was your pet in a previous lifetime? Tibetan Buddhist wisdom
Like most people who spend time around cats, the superior attitude of some of my feline friends has often made me wonder who they were in a previous lifetime. Princess Wussik, the inspiration for The Dalai Lama’s Cat, frequently reminded us where we stood in the overall scheme of things. Delighted to find a new flavour of food that met...
How to be with your pet during the death process: Tibetan Buddhist practices
Dear Blog Readers: I first published the blog below over two years ago. It immediately became the best read blog I had ever written. I realised there is a hunger for information and practical advice about the death process as it applies to pets, from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective. In a very direct way, this blog led me to write...
Does meditating slow ageing? What science says.
Many factors that affect the ageing process. But a growing body of scientific research shows how the very gentle practice of meditation can have a powerful impact. A few highlights: Biological age 12 years less than chronological age One of the earliest studies was conducted by Dr Robert Keith Wallace, whose findings were published in the International Journal of Neuroscience...
Are Buddhists non-theists or atheists – and what’s the difference?
Buddhism is a non-theistic tradition, meaning that it does not involve a belief in God. The focus of Buddhism is on the nature of mind. What concerns Buddhists is an understanding of how consciousness works, not only in theory but more importantly in practise. Our goal is to take charge of our own mental continuum, both for our own benefit...
