Keep Calm And Grow

20 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Keep CalmA complete lack of exertion or stress may seem desirable, but in fact it results in boredom and stagnation. It is essential that we keep making continuous efforts amid challenging circumstances, pushing forward with dynamic creativity and breaking through all obstacles. That is the way to develop new strength and achieve fresh growth, whether it be in the case of an individual or an organisation.

When we make a real effort to complete a task, involving a certain degree of adversity, we should remember that the mental exercise involved is actually doing us good. Remaining calm, refusing to be riled by circumstances is further proof of our growing self-awareness.

Determination, The Key

19 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

DeterminationWhen life is feeling like swimming in treacle, the only key to success is to draw on your own determination. Sometimes things don’t go the way you wish and that can be for a number of reasons. But if you can remain calm, suppress your frustrations and stay focused, things will change.

Like taking the lid off a particularly tenacious jar of jam, it’s all about getting a proper grip on the problem, and once the battle is joined, keeping the pressure on in a dogged manner. Of course the struggle may go on for some time, but there can only be one outcome if you refuse to quit, and that is victory.

And don’t forget the wonderful feeling of success when the lid finally turns. That comes with all manner of problems, and is the reward for all your effort and determination.

And The Lesson Today Is …

18 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Today's LessonWhen I sit down to write my blog, I try to relate the circumstances surrounding a particular lesson I have learned that day. Quite often the post has been rattling around in my head and it is my job to just put it into some kind of format for general consumption.

However, the lesson for today is that there is not necessarily a lesson to be learned. Of course the day has been filled with the micro challenges of work, family, relationships, just the stuff of life, but there hasn’t been a focus on anything particular.

If anything has come out of today, it has been the realisation that some of the lessons of the past have actually been learned and the effect of that really does make a difference when I meet the situation again. And that has to be a good sign, another step along the path.

Creating A Life

17 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Rainbow ColoursThere is no one lonelier or more unhappy than a person who does not know the pure joy of creating a life for himself or herself. To be human is not merely to stand erect and manifest intelligence or knowledge. To be human in the full sense of the word is to lead a creative life.

The struggle to create new life from within is a truly wonderful thing. There is found the brilliant wisdom that guides and directs the workings of reason; the light of insight that penetrates the farthest reaches of the universe; the undaunted will to see justice done that meets and challenges all the assaults of evil; the spirit of unbounded care that embraces all who suffer. When these are fused with that energy of compassion that pours forth from the deepest sources of cosmic life, an ecstatic rhythm arises to colour the lives of all people.

Daisaku Ikeda

From Buddhism Day By Day

Individual Responsibility

16 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

The Royal CoupleAmongst the photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visiting the idyllic Solomon Islands, the royal couple’s legal team are proceeding with an action, in the French courts, against the photographer who took the photos of Kate, sunbathing topless.

With reports that these photos have now also been published in Ireland, I started to wonder where the blame for this type of personal invasion really lies. Is it with the photographer, who stands to earn a huge amount of money selling the images? Does it lie with the publishers, who pay them for the pictures, knowing all too well that they will sell many, many more copies of their paper? Or does it lie with us, the people who willingly pay for the chance to see some fuzzy titillating images?

I suspect that all three would find it difficult to defend themselves in a court of law. But without any demand for the final product, would the paper pay the huge sums demanded by the photographer? If there were no financial gain to be had, would the photographer go to all the trouble to snoop on the Royal couple?

In the week that the Liverpool fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster finally received justice, it is very relevant to note that it is still not possible to buy a copy of the Sun newspaper in Liverpool. The damning headline in that paper, on the day after Hillsborough, so outraged the people of the city, that it has never recovered from the shame.

If only we could, collectively, put that level of pressure on publishers, or better still on society as a whole, the moral fibre might be improved. Now I realise that morals are a very personal measure of our own behaviour, but stooping to the lowest common denominator cannot be in the interest of any of us.

Whilst not trying to be a modern version of Mary Whitehouse, I do think that if we all took a little more notice of our own individual responsibility in these matters, the world would be a far better place to live.

As an interesting footnote, it appears that the photographer is, in fact, a woman.

What A Pain

15 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Hengistbury Head - Click to view

The beautiful sunshine, despite a brisk westerly breeze, made my bike ride over to Hengistbury Head, near Christchurch, a real treat. There were lots of people who had also decided to make the most of the weather, so making progress along the promenade to Bournemouth was never easy.

Having the breeze at my back made the cycling easy, something I was to rue later in the day, and maybe it contributed to me riding further than I had planned to do. But it was very rewarding to find myself at the tip of the peninsula, surrounded by beautiful nature.

With the obligatory panoramic photos in the can it was time to set off on the journey home. Initially I made good progress, albeit having to weave my way through throngs of people as well as having to dodge the quaint little land train.

But as I reached to promenade, I felt the full force of the breeze that had helped me on the outward journey. Whether it was the result of the wet summer, leaving me with a lot less miles in my legs, or that I hadn’t taken enough to drink, we will never know.

Suffice to say that as I reached to rise up to the pier at Bournemouth, I started to get cramp in the top of my left thigh. Now I have never had cramp before, ever, so it was a rather nasty surprise, and I tried to ride through the pain, it just seemed to get tighter. A brief rest on a bench at Alum Chine, sitting in the sunshine and stretching my legs out, seemed to help, but the respite was only short lived.

The nasty little rise out of Sandbanks proved to be a bit of a killer, and by the time I reached to summit both my thighs were locked solid. I stopped, but couldn’t bend either leg enough to get off the bike. So I stood and waited for the pain to subside, much to the bemusement of a lady who was passing.

Finally I was able to trundle down the hill into Lilliput, but turning into Whitecliff park the pain returned. I found my self a bench and again waited for the cramp to abate again. Finally it eased a little, but not before I wondered whether I was going to be able to make it back home.

I set my pace by chanting. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo gives a good rhythm and it also took my mind away from the pain in my legs. I also kept a vision of me reaching home and entering the front door in my minds eye, and I found that this helped me to concentrate on my goal.

Well I’m back home and after having showered, eaten dinner and drunk plenty of water, and had a little rest, I’m feeling fine. I can tell that I’ve still got a bit of strain in my legs, but if the weather is good tomorrow, I think I’ll go out and stretch my legs again.

My chanting always helps me sort out the challenges in life, but I never cease to be amazed at just how versatile it can be. I can’t promise that the same method will work for you, but it might be worth giving it a try next time a challenge gives you a bit of pain or anguish.

One By One, By One, By One

14 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Little Ducks In A RowThe little challenges that life presents now and again can be solved if we use wisdom, courage and compassion. Usually they appear one after another, but occasionally a coach load turn up all at once, and then what do we do?

First thing I do is chant. Chanting allows me to sort them into order of priority, determine which need to be solved quickly, before they cause still more challenges. Then having my running order, I chant some more to visualise the solutions to each one in turn.

Of course there are no guarantees, but this works for me. Work, family, health, money, you name it, we get challenges in every walk of life. If you can stay focussed, prioritise, and meet each challenge one by one, not only will you succeed, you will learn with each and every one.

Pace Yourself

13 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

The Tortoise & The HareAfter watching Team Sky and the Great Britain cycling teams showing the rest of the teams how to win stages and races, it lead me think about how they make it all look so simple. Ok, they have a really amazing set of riders, but they also have a brilliant tactician at the helm.

Dave Brailsford became the team principle at Sky two years ago, after taking British cycling to heights never dreamt of a few years before. By all accounts, he is a driven, focussed and demanding man, but he is also highly principled and has spoken out vehemently against doping, which has been rife in the port for years.

His team of professional riders are perfectly prepared for each and every stage, with Brailsford’s backroom staff leaving nothing to chance in terms of everything from food to equipment, training to recognisance of the route for that day.

One of his most powerful tactics during races has been to allow the squad to pace themselves, perfectly demonstrated by Bradley Wiggins’ gold medal ride in the men’s Olympic road time trial. Wiggins kept an almost perfectly even pace over the entire 27.3 mile course.

What wins on the road, also wins in life, knowing the route, the highs and the lows of the road to come, and setting a steady, constant and unwavering pace. Taking your time to plan ahead, being constant and steady in your quest for a goal, and working as a team will give you the best chance of success in anything you do.

Remember the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. The Hare raced off into the distance, at the start of the race. The Tortoise set off at a slower, but steady pace. In the event, the Hare went too fast and had to stop to rest. By the time he was ready to continue, the Tortoise had caught and passed him, and went on to win the race.

So take a leaf out of Dave Brailsford’s and the Tortoise’s training manual. Be prepared, do the right things, be steady and be a winner. Trying to rush things through, to force the pace, is a recipe for disaster, so slow things down, take your time and be there at the end.

Jones – Well Past A Joke

12 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Terry Jones - HatefulSo called pastor Terry Jones of the Dove Outreach Centre in Florida, better know as the fundamentalist Christian who planned to burn copies of the Quran in 2010, has been connected with an American made film aimed at insulting the Prophet Muhammad.

The violent reaction to the film has resulted in the death of U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens and three others in Libya after a trailer was posted in Arabic on YouTube. The film was being promoted by an extreme anti-Muslim Egyptian Christian campaigner in the United States, according to Sam Bacile, who wrote and directed it.

Bacile also claims that the film’s $5m was funded by monies given by over 100 Jewish donors. Although apologetic about the American who died as a result of the outrage, he blamed lax embassy security and the perpetrators of the violence.

So when is someone going to put a stop to these hateful people, who are inflaming already sensitive relations. Whilst I applaud the right to free speech, that freedom comes with a responsibility. If these people cannot control their religious bigotry, they should not be given the privilege to voice their views.

British, American and other nations young men and women are risking, and losing, their lives in places like Afghanistan, in the hope that they can bring a stable situation to these troubled countries. The results of their peace-keeping, policing missions will be hugely damaged by such inflammatory stunts, and the US legislature should put a stop to them.

Perseverance Wins

11 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Andy Murray - US Open WinnerCongratulations to Andy Murray, for winning the first Grand Slam title of his career. His thrilling US Open victory over Novak Djokovic, which had me glued to the TV until nearly 3:00am this morning, is the first British Grand Slam winner since Fred Perry in 1936.

I am ashamed to say, that as with Tim Henman, Greg Rusedski and other previous British hopefuls, I was fearful that a title win would never come. It seemed that when the chips were really down, he just didn’t have the character to push home any advantage.

So sitting there this morning, I was delighted when after taking the first two sets, then losing the next two, he found that inner strength to play some of his best tennis and defeat Djokovic in the final set. The match took just short of 5 hours to complete, a testament to the stamina and fitness of both players.

Murray thanked his new coach and mentor, Ivan Lendl, and said that his experience and presence had helped him to this first title win. Of course Murray has practiced and practiced to reach this level of achievement. He has had the determination to continue in the face of defeats and is now reaping the rewards of that dedication.

His goal was a Grand Slam title, my goal is enlightenment, very different on the face of it, but the path to both entails practice, focus, determination and courage to continue in the face of adversity. Andy has reached his goal, for me the quest continues.

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