Michael Harding

I was thinking that if you're going to deepen your insights into Buddhist philosophy, you might need more than me. So I took a book, which is special and singular and crucial for me in my path towards Buddhist wisdom. It's got a title with a lot of syllables and authored by a person with a strange name for the Western ear. Nonetheless, this is like a figure similar to Saint Augustine or Thomas Aquinas though his thought is more concise and he uses less pages to compose his thoughts. Shanti-deva is the man in question and the name of the book is The Bodhicaryavatara, or in English, A guide to the bodhisattva way of life. You can get it on kindle, or amazon or in hardback online. I think it's a key text in Tibetan Buddhism. I think it's something you can dip into occasionally for many years with great benefit. And so we must look at this notion of the bodhisattva; what is that. Well it's a person who is dedicated to developing Bodhichitta. That's about the simplest way to say it. And what is Bodhichitta; it's a very simple matter, which I have really enjoyed reflecting on in this episode.

Now that's a lot of big words. The first one means something like awakened heart. The second is a persons name, a great philosopher who wrote a mighty book about compassion and mind training. But here is the thing; I'm opening this pathway of Buddhist wisdom as a kind of scaffolding that wraps itself around Christian faith. And that's something that might be described as urgent work, considering the chaos rising in our times. Blessings and be not afraid.

Last week I was reflecting on the Prayer for the Dedication of Merit. it's a pathway into the vast and wonderful world of Buddha experience. But here is another path, or link. it's the link between how Buddha wisdom is woven into the fabric of faith in Christ. This is not to say the two are the same. Not at all. But yet how mysterious it is that every pathway leads to the same space of inner peace. All the different fingers point to the same moon.

It's a tricky subject; we say we're sending you vibes, sending you love, sending you best wishes. Praying for you. thinking about you. And so I wanted to pinpoint what I think is a key idea and a key prayer in the Buddhist Tradition which for me is the door into a Buddhist Pathway. One single prayer that opens up so many aspects of Buddhist practise. The trouble is that it's a complicated enough thing to reflect on, so forgive me if I'm just talking around what is a big mystery; the mysterious of how we find happiness by praying for others.

Gathering Grace in old age. Going to sleep in the corner. Her soul lifted into paradise. This is not mere folklore. it's theological poetry. The children grown and gone. friends departed. the world moving on without us. Mary transforms this isolation into solitude. that fertile ground where God speaks most clearly.

Episode for August 2nd.It's like Skellig in a way. It's a rugged cliff on the edge of the Atlantic, and a great refuge of serenity and peace. Join me now as I look out on the Atlantic and ask myself the question, what is the meaning of a Retreat. You can notice by my voice that I was slightly under the influence of a cold, but even that didn't interfere with the powerful effect of just being there..

It's like Skellig in a way. It's a rugged cliff on the edge of the Atlantic, and a great refuge of serenity and peace. Join me now as I look out on the Atlantic and ask myself the question, what is the meaning of a Retreat. You can notice by my voice that I was slightly under the influence of a cold, but even that didn't interfere with the powerful effect of just being there..

I'm just back from Dzogen Beara, the Tibetan Buddhist Centre in west Cork. An oasis of serenity in this mad world. So let me begin with a prayer. And then in an hour or so I'll be dropping the weekly podcast. But this is a shared prayer. Join me. Maybe it's a new idea we could develop.

Amazing to think that long ago in your childhood moments of joy and bliss that you were in fact not alone but that God was rattling your bones with ecstasy of his presence. Amazing to think that such moments are still available in memory, as portals into the timeless love of God.

This week I talk about a lonesome mood that mantles our old age. And how we cross the bridge of tears alone at the end of life. It's a sombre meditation. But fuelled by the sense of love that exists in old age. Listen in quietude and find in the dark clouds the flickering of light. So....sharing three meditations in this episode. Two of them focus on love between elderly couples. The final one is about the lonesome path towards death. That final one is a solitary journey no matter how much we are loved. It's a bridge we cross alone, leaving loved ones behind. But maybe that final bridge is a journey into something beautiful, a relationship of so much love that we can't comprehend it on this side of the bridge.

You know it was so lovely this morning at 7am that I sat down to do the podcast with the intention of just talking about the Garden outside my window. But of course like always I ended up talking about how the invisible is made visible, and how the Garden is a love story. I hope you enjoy.

Such a radical idea! Yes. And in every religious tradition it comes up as the swift path to enlightenment. Let's have a look at it.

A short poem like meditation I did at the weekend. IT's a kind of dream landscape. Hope you like it. More of this coming at the weekend.

So I got some really good feedback on the past three weeks so I thought I'd continue on the same subject for another week or so. Here I'm taking about two great dudes from the time of the early church. A guy called Origin, and a guy called John Chrysostom. What these early theologians say about things like the Trinity is a key to getting inside the Christian path of faith and a lot of people don't really discover them. So here is some of my humble take on all that; just remember I'm no scholar. I'm just trying to express faith as I experience it. And at the end of the day, I offer you the riches of the religious path not because of some substantial truth that I have the keys to, but simply because in my experience it's a great psychotherapy, and a super good pathway for a healthy mind. If you come up against some difficult ideas, just don't give up or stumble. Listen slowly and savour the idea and it will sink into your heart. Be well.

I'm thinking of using the following title for the podcast. Let me know what you think. Faith Woven: Threads of Wisdom, a weekly podcast where writer Michael harding shares his personal journey through faith, drawing from the rich tapestries of Christian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Each episode weaves together timeless reflections, sacred stories, and insights from his own writings to inspire listeners to explore faith within their own spiritual paths. With warmth and curiosity, [Michael delves into the universal truths found in these traditions—whether it’s the contemplative depth of Orthodoxy, the communal heart of Catholicism, or the meditative clarity of Tibetan Buddhism. This podcast isn’t about conversion; it’s about connection, inviting you to reflect on your beliefs through the lens of diverse wisdom. From ancient liturgies to modern mindfulness, Faith Woven offers a space to pause, ponder, and grow. Perfect for spiritual seekers, avid readers, and those curious about the intersections of faith, this podcast blends storytelling, scripture, and personal anecdotes to illuminate the beauty of belief. Tune in weekly to discover how faith, in all its forms, can light the way to a deeper, more meaningful life.

So someone wanted me to talk about the Holy Trinity. And someone wanted me to talk about the Agnostic. But strange as it may seem these two can be linked as complimentary. So here is a very unusual meditation, be prepared to imagine yourself in a room with a candle and we will contemplate all the mysteries.

I promised two extra podcasts this week so here is the final one. yes I'm two days late, I meant to get it dropped by Sunday last, but no matter. it's here. My final take on Pentacost. Lots to talk about here; my granny, and love, and how we are all brothers and sisters. Sometimes I forget the nuances of love in every christian feast day and then I talk about it and realise that the dynamic of faith in life is not just good for mental health but maybe very necessary for keeping sane and happy in a world of so much anger. Take care. Be blessed. And we'll talk next week end again.

The cosmos is just here now I this moment. That's it. The entire 14billion years is in the click of your fingers. And the end is the beginning and the beginning is the ending. And it happens in every second of time. the entire thing from beginning to end happens now. And always now. And so if we take the Christian story we begin to see how it works as a meditation. We fall into a state of contemplation. It's not about understanding anything and certainly not God. Because there is no god, there is no understanding possible, and there is only this present moment here and now and one very useful handle on it is to tell ourselves the remarkable story of the man who became god because the god became man.

This is my final song about the ancient and magical feast of Ascension. Try it out.

Was listening to Bono on the radio this morning speaking eloquently about his father, himself as a father, and the Father in heaven. And here is my take on the path; from illness to bliss, and using conventional practices to get find the way. You know when I'm sharing these podcasts I'm not trying to say anything intelligent. I'm just sharing who I am. Cos there is this unnameable secret in us all, this yearning for the awesome mystery at the heart of the world and we're all just trying to get there. So sharing this is like what a story teller should be doing, if this is the story; and this IS the story.