Fate, God, Or Self Determination?

21 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Two Headed CoinOnce upon a time, there was a general who was leading his army into battle against an enemy ten times the size of his own.

Along the way to the battle field, the troops stopped by a small temple to pray for victory.

The general held up a coin and told his troops, “I am going to implore the gods to help us crush our enemy. If this coin lands with the heads on top, we’ll win. If it’s tails, we’ll lose. Our fate is in the hands of the gods. Let’s pray wholeheartedly.”

After a short prayer, the general tossed the coin high into the air. It landed with the heads on top. The troops were overjoyed and went into the battle in high spirits.

Just as the coin predicted, the smaller army won the battle.

The soldiers were exalted, “It’s good to have the gods on our side! No one can change what they have determined.”

“Really?” asked the general, and showed them the coin … there was a head on both sides.

Another Sunset Anyone?

20 Jan 2012 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

What is it with me and sunsets?

I just can’t get enough of them, I’d have one every day if I had my way.

Anyway, this time lapse sequence was taken from the office window this afternoon … click on the image to play the video …

Click to view the timelapse video

I can hear MidniteRainbow’s squeals of delight from here.

Problems, Problems

19 Jan 2012 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

BuddhaA man once came to see the Buddha to get help with his problems. After the man had told the Buddha one of his problems and asked for help, the Buddha replied: “I cannot help you get rid of that problem.”

The man was surprised that the Buddha could not help him in this regard, but he told the Buddha about another problem; he thought to himself that the Buddha should at least be able to help him with that problem. But the Buddha told him “I cannot help you with that problem either.”

The man started to get impatient. He said: “How can it be that you are the perfectly Enlightened Buddha, when you can’t even help people get rid of their problems?” The Buddha answered: “You will always have 83 problems in your life. Sometimes a problem will go, but then another problem will come. I cannot help you with that.”

The baffled man asked the Buddha: “But, what can you help me with, then?” The Buddha replied: “I can help you get rid of your 84th problem.” The man asked: “But what is my 84th problem?” The Buddha replied: “That you want to get rid of your 83 problems.”

We all have problems of one nature or another. Buddhism will not remove those problems, but it will help you come to terms with, and solve them by giving you wisdom and allowing you to see those problems in a different light.

Buddhist Nature

18 Jan 2012 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

ScorpionOne morning, after he had finished his practice, an old man opened his eyes to see a scorpion floating helplessly in the water. As the scorpion was washed closer to the tree, the old man quickly stretched himself out on one of the long roots that branched out into the river and reached out to rescue the drowning creature.

As soon as he touched it, the scorpion stung him. Instinctively the man withdrew his hand. A minute later, after he had regained his balance, he stretched himself out again on the roots to save the scorpion. This time the scorpion stung him so badly with its poisonous tail that his hand became swollen and bloody and his face contorted with pain.

At that moment, a passer-by saw the old man stretched out on the roots struggling with the scorpion and shouted: “Hey, stupid old man, what’s wrong with you? Only a fool would risk his life for the sake of an ugly, evil creature. Don’t you know you could kill yourself trying to save that ungrateful scorpion?”

The old man turned his head. Looking into the stranger’s eyes he said calmly, “My friend, just because it is the scorpion’s nature to sting, that does not change my nature to save.”

Spider Goats

17 Jan 2012 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Synthetic Biology - Pick 'n MixGenetic engineering has been around for some time, but Horizon tonight showed that our abilities in synthetic biology have gone much further and we are even entering the realms of the amateur geneticist. From goats, genetically engineered to produce spider silk in their milk, to the ‘glow in the dark’ bacteria manufactured in a local US community centre, and even the first computer generated life-form, the potential for man to ‘play god’ has never been more real.

It is now possible to build ‘intelligent’ molecules via computer software. Molecules that are programmed to carry out specific tasks, opening up the possibility to introduce ‘magic bullets’ that will only target specific cells, such as cancers, from within our own bodies.

The science is amazing, both simple and complex at the same time, treating the building blocks of life, our very own DNA, a bit like a box of Lego. The applications are limitless, as broad and varied our imaginations can stretch, but with this power comes a huge responsibility. The whole science is being run in a similar manner to Open Source software, subject to peer review and overseen by organisations such as BioBricks.org.

It is both fascinating and a little scary. I intend to find out more about it, and maybe even create my own luminescent bacteria in my kitchen. As with all scientific advances, they can be used for good, or bad, but what is always needed is more than a little WCC.

Stargazing

16 Jan 2012 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

The Great Orion NebulaI love all things astronomical, so I was glued to Stargazing Live tonight with Professor Brian Cox and Dara O’Briain. It’s the second series, and tonight was a perfect star gazing night, cold, clear and moonless. I do feel it is slightly sad that they tend to dumb-down the science, but it’s in a good cause if it entices a few youngsters into the hobby, or even enthuses them enough to want to become a professional astronomer.

After it finished, I rushed out with my own telescope, to have a look around the sky. Venus and Jupiter had already moved past my viewing window, although they were both clearly visible earlier in the evening. However, the constellation of Orion, The Hunter, was almost exactly due south, over the darkest skies out towards Brownsea Island, so I decided to focus on it and take a peek at the Great Orion Nebula.

I’ve seen it before, that little patch in the centre of Orion’s sword, but tonight was so clear, and the sky so dark, that it was wondrous to behold. The gas clouds were clearly visible, and it was easy to pick out the dozens of individual stars that merge together with the gas clouds to form the ‘smudge’ you can see with the naked eye.

It is amazing to think, that the light we see from stars, the twinkle that we so easily take for granted, left those stars hundreds, thousands, even millions of years ago. When we realise the vast expanse of our own universe and the incomprehensible numbers of other universes, it really puts our own planet and lives into true perspective. We really are just a tiny speck in the vast expanse of space, and an almost insignificant part of the whole.

A Little Bit Of Everything

15 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

This weekend could not really have been much more varied, a bit of this, a bit of that, and it really has just flown by. The weather has been reasonably kind, considering we are in the middle of January, but it could have been a little warmer.

Sub-zero Swanage

Practice comes first, but then I put in a fair bit of effort cycling against the chill wind. My body and legs were fine, but my ears and my fingers hated every minute. At least it stayed dry, and having my seasonal mop of hair helped keep my head warm, but the bits that were exposed to the wind took the full brunt.

Then it was a case of playing catch-up. Staying up till 4:30 this morning, to watch New England beat the Denver Broncos, 45-10, meant a rather late start. The washing and ironing still needed to get done, so it was a case of gritting my teeth and getting on with it. Not the most fun, but the results of my determined efforts are a wardrobe full of clean, ironed shirts, and drawers full of nice fresh clothes.

If you are anything like me, putting things off always results in a nagging feeling at the back of my mind. So having everything sorted out, being able to relax for the rest of the week, is a pleasure in itself. A small victory, I agree, but better than having the guilt hanging over me. Making the most of these small wins makes life that little bit more satisfying.

It’s All A Matter Of Viewpoint

14 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: ,

Blind Men and an ElephantWe all see things in very different ways, mainly because we tend to be restricted by our own viewpoint.

The Buddha used a parable about six blind men and an elephant to explain how the differing views are come by. Each man has a different idea of what the elephant is, each being able to touch a different part of the animal.

This poem, by John Godfrey Saxe, sums up the scene and explains the moral behind the tale …

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approach’d the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
“God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!”

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, -“Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me ’tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!”

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a snake!”

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
“What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain,” quoth he,
“‘Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!”

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: “E’en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!”

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Then, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a rope!”

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

MORAL.

So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

John Godfrey Saxe ( 1816-1887)

Just Stunning

13 Jan 2012 2 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Nothing to say tonight, other than there was the most beautiful sunset, which I have tried to capture, hand held on my smartphone.

This is specially for my blogging buddy MidniteRainbow and all those who are equally entranced by sunrise and sunset …

January Sunset

The bright dot in the photo is not lens flare or dust, it is the Evening Star, Venus. When nature is this beautiful, life cannot be all bad, can it?

Another Turn Of The Wheel

12 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: ,

StarsSadly, a friend’s mother passed away earlier this week after a long battle against illness. For her, gone are the ties that bind us to this physical world. She is now at one with the stars, the universe, and knows no limits.

After a very short time, she will be back, in a different physical form, wiser for her experience during her past lives, and ready to start another rotation of her Wheel of Life.

While those who are left behind mourn her passing, we should remember to rejoice that she has broken free of the shackles of her worldly body, and to celebrate the achievements of her past life.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

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