There was quite a stir when it was reported that Pope Francis had told a young boy that animals have souls which go to heaven. The story grabbed the headlines because it was the opposite of the previous Papal position. Within 24 hours the story had been repeated so often that it was an assumed...
In the past I have blogged about the death process according to Tibetan Buddhism. I have been very encouraged by the number of readers showing an interest in what I believe is such an important subject. This blog is about the Tibetan Buddhist approach to after-death bardo states and rebirth. For the sake of brevity,...
Happy New Year! You and I, dear reader, are among the top 0.0000001% of the world’s population. How can I make such an extraordinary pronouncement? The population to which I refer is that of all sentient beings – not just humans. To be born as one of only 7 billion humans on a...
If you live in USA or Canada, you are eligible to enter the Giveaway of 5 copies of my new book being published on 6 January 2015. Prizewinners will be announced on January 16th. If you want to be guaranteed of a copy, you can pre-order it now from all the usual online booksellers....
At this time of year, many of us step back from our usual routine, and take time to reconnect with family and friends from our past. We also, quite naturally, contemplate the year/s ahead. Whether you are a formal goal-setter, or prefer to reflect on your purpose in a less structured way, I hope you...
In the West, there are two mainstream models to describe happens when we die. On the one hand, the Christian tradition teaches that each of us has a soul which separates from the body at death and goes to heaven or hell for eternity. On the other, the materialistic model suggests that matter is...
In a past blog I looked at the value of contemplating death while we’re still very much alive. This blog focuses on the death process itself as presented by Tibetan Buddhism. Western medicine defines death as what happens when our heart stops beating and we stop breathing. In Buddhism, death is described as a sequence...
With the publication of ‘Mindfulness is Better than Chocolate’ in USA and Canada planned for 27 January 2015, my US publishers are offering 5 free copies via a raffle. Entering the raffle is free of charge, and should take you no more than about half a minute . If the page takes a...
I find it depressing to watch small children tossing aside a half-opened Christmas present in the hope of finding a more instantly gratifying one in the pile beneath it. Or observing an office manager remove a festive hamper from reception with a frown that seems to say ‘Not another delivery of shortbread and Chardonnay!’ Every...
Meditation has so many physical benefits that even Homer Simpson would be keen to benefit from them, if only he could get off the sofa. I’ve already blogged about some of these (http://davidmichie.com/what-are-the-main-physical-benefits-of-meditation/). But why does meditation affect you physically? How is it that, by attaching the seat of your pants to the seat of...
