What If ???

10 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

What IfSometimes, we find ourselves in situations, or potential situations, were we are a little unsure of what the outcome may be. Our minds race, we mull over the possibilities, the what ifs, the maybes, and it can be all too easy to form ideas in our minds as to how things will pan out.

That’s fine, and perfectly normal, as long as we don’t let these expectations run away with us. Having a preconceived idea is one thing, but pinning our hopes on that idea is a recipe for disaster. Things rarely, if ever, go exactly as we imagine.

So the trick is to keep a level head, let events unfold as they will, and be tolerant of the inevitable differences between what we expect, or would like, and what actually comes to pass.

But as someone once said ‘Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it’. Conversely it has also been said that ‘That thing you wished for, the thing you never got, might have been the most fortunate moment you could ever imagine’. So muse way, daydream to your hearts content, but remember that at the end of the day, the truth of the situation will become clear soon enough.

Party Time !!!

09 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

TriceratopsYoung Zachary is not so young today, in fact he’s just turned three, so it was all round to Charlotte and Rob’s for cake this afternoon. But what do you give a three year old for his birthday? Well, Zach is a dinosaur nut, his favourite being the Triceratops.

In the event, Zach actually chose his own presents, which were then wrapped and secreted away until the day arrived. So when he opened the parcels, a Triceratops model, a bucket of miniature dinosaurs and a book about dinosaurs, he was absolutely delighted.

The combination of perfect presents, doting grandparents, a gaggle (if that’s the correct collective noun) of cousins, a few friends and a lovely yummy birthday cake seemed to hit the spot and there were a lot of fun and frolics had by all.

In all, I think the age span of the party-goers was about 60 years. So many phases of the Wheel of Life represented. Birthdays are a regular reminder, I have one every year, just to be sure, of how time flows inexorably on. Before we know it, Zach will be all grown up and having children of his own, and so the wheel turns again.

That might be jumping the gun a little, but when you think that Triceratops became extinct around 65 million years ago, although he’s still getting invited to birthday parties, our lives are just a blink of the eye in comparison.

What An Awesome Day !!!

08 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Rare As Hen's TeethIt’s 7:30am and the Famous Four are standing on Hackbridge railway station waiting for the train to take them to St. Pancras. Getting tickets for the Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby, or Murderball as it is also known, is very exciting and although we are laden down with cameras, picnic goodies and the like, we are raring to go.

The newly refurbished St. Pancras is a really beautiful Victorian station, now restored to its former glory and heaving with like-minded Paralympic visitors as the train trundles to a halt. We are surrounded by Games Makers, volunteer guides, who are all keen to help us find The Javelin, which will speed us on to Stratford station and the Olympic Park.

The Olympic ParkThe weather is amazing, cloudless blue skies and beautiful morning sunshine that promises to warm away the chill from the air. We join the throngs of visitors queuing to get into the park, but the electronic scanners make swift work of checking bags and belongings and within minutes we are strolling towards the main stadium.

I, like many others, was worried that the UK Olympic authorities were going to make a bit of a dog’s breakfast of organising the games. I could not have been more wrong. The park and all the stadia are simply breath-taking and the Games Makers are everywhere, to make sure that your visit goes smoothly.

The first Wheelchair Rugby match of the day, Great Britain v Belgium, starts at 09:30, in the Basketball Arena, a long walk from the entrance. We take a quick break at McDonalds on the way, but are seated in good time to watch the match. Not quite as violent as we had expected, but amazing for the skill of the players as they fly around the court in their bespoke wheelchairs.

Wheelchair Rugby

Great Britain beat Belgium in a close fought contest, but sadly this is only one of the playoff matches for the 5th to 8th places. No medals on offer for the warriors in this game. With the best part of an hour to wait till the next game, we head off out into the sunshine and find a shady spot in Park Live East, opposite the huge TV screen.

The Basketball ArenaWe manage to make a serious dent in the picnic supplies before heading back to the air-conditioned comfort of the arena. It’s barely midday, but the temperature is soaring into the high twenties, so the chill of the arena comes as a welcome change. We settle down to watch Sweden take on, and beat, France. The level of on field violence is matched only by the fanatical support of the hundreds of yellow and blue clad Swedish supporters.

The OrbitThe games fly by and soon we are back out in the scorching sunshine. This time Steve is on a mission to get to the Olympic Megastore before the spectators emerge from the main stadium. But our timings are off, and as we make our way, we are engulfed by the outpouring of 80,000 or so athletics fans. Retail plans are quickly shelved.

Steve’s dismay is only compounded by a group decision to walk around the park and take in as many of the sites as possible before anyone wilts under the blazing sun. We follow the City Mill River, with its shady bridges, between the main stadium and The Orbit viewing platform. The whole riverbank is covered in wild flowers, laid out to represent the old plan of the demolished buildings.

Royal Barge GlorianaDoubling back, we pass the Royal Barge Gloriana, moored up in the Great British Garden. Such a beautiful craft and in a beautiful setting, apart from the piles of pallets stacked behind her. Bumble takes an age trying to get just the right shot, but the throngs of visitors walking past make it impossible.

Then it’s back to the rugby, USA v Canada, and this one really is a battle. Canada race into a 7 point first quarter lead, and look to be cruising, but The States make a couple of tactical changes and start to claw back the deficit. In the final few minutes they draw level and look to be heading for victory, but Canada pull out all the stops, and with seconds to go to the final whistle, take a one point lead that wins them a place in the final.

The day was rounded of in fine style when we were treated to some stunning sunset views from the train. Bumble tried once again to capture them, but the amateur art scratched onto the windows and the trackside scenery conspired to make her fail. The rest of the evening was spent consuming a very welcome Chinese meal and watching some of the highlights on TV, before we all retired exhausted from the days activities.

It was an amazing day, a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch the Olympics in our own country. Now it’s over to Brazil to emulate the huge success of these games. Makes you feel proud to be British.

One Mad Dash

07 Sep 2012 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Paralympic GamesJust a short post tonight as I am making the mad dash to Bristol, to meet up with Bumble, eat dinner, and then we’re straight off to London ready to go to the Paralympic Games tomorrow.

To be perfectly honest, I’ve hardly watched any of the action live, as the adverts on C4HD drive me, and many others by all accounts, up the wall. But I am looking forward to seeing some tomorrow, and they are promising good weather for it too.

I’ll do my best to post some photos from the Olympic Park, if I can get access to my blog, but failing that, I’ll post some up when I’m back home next week.

Have a great weekend folks, I’m off to play with the traffic on the M4.

Be The Light

06 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

A Little Ray Of LightHaving a sedentary job, sitting in front of a PC monitor all day, has not been good for my continuing back problem. Being a hod carrier probably wouldn’t be much better, though it might mean that I might have been a bit fitter and not had the problem in the first place.

Any way, this pain seems to be at its worst when, either I have been standing for a while and then sit down, or when I’ve been sitting and stand up. Either way, the transition is jolly painful I can tell you and it’s really getting to me.

Maybe that is why, when my beloved Bumble called me tonight, I did a pretty good job of draining every drop of life-energy out of her, leaving her in a rather flat and depressed state. Just what a girl is looking for in the perfect life partner, or not.

And now I feel like a proper heel and would like to ring her and tell her so, but she’ll be sleeping and that would only make matters worse. So what have we learned tonight? That being a grumpy git is, on the whole, not very conducive to making others feel happy? So from now on, no matter how painful my back, I will try to be the light of her life, rather than the doom in her gloom.

Hindsight is a perfect science, but looking a the situation from another’s viewpoint is a good way to pre-empt a foolish or selfish action. I have a horrible feeling that this lesson has been learned before, but it does also go to show that the path to enlightenment is not always straight or level, and maybe the bumps actually teach us more.

Have Faith In Your Message

05 Sep 2012 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Have Faith In Your MessageSometimes it feels as though nobody is listening to us. No matter how important our message may be, it is falling on deaf ears, or so it seems. So maybe we speak a little louder, make our words a little more pronounced, like we are speaking to a child, nothing happens.

Actually, we may be right, maybe our message really isn’t getting across, but speaking louder, even shouting, still won’t make people listen. So what is really going on here? Well, the problem is that we are transmitting on the wrong frequency, or using the wrong type of media, or language.

Of course I am being metaphorical, we all speak within a frequency range between about 60 and 7000Hz, varying slightly person to person. But unless someone is ready to hear something in particular, they may not respond to you at all.

We have all had the experience of being in a noisy room, at a party or on a busy street where all conversation is a jumble, until someone calls out our name. We hear it, we can pick it out from all the background chatter and clatter, we are programmed to do exactly that, almost from birth.

So if you want to get a message across, say the name of the person with whom you wish to converse. Then, when they have stopped saying whatever they were saying, or doing whatever they were doing, they will be ready, and most likely willing, to listen to what you have to say.

If, having got their attention, you can deliver the message in a positive and friendly manner, there is even more chance that they will take in the content of the message. If you can actually make those contents helpful to the recipient, you really have got it cracked.

A Painful Lesson

04 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

A Painful LessonProbably as a result of all the hedge cutting this weekend, my back is giving me trouble again. It’s been a tough day, trying to catch up with the lost days from last week, and having the pain didn’t help much.

Tonight, Bumble rang to see how I was, and was keen to help me resolve my back problem. She has a deal of experience in dealing with disability, so she does know what helps and what doesn’t.

I had taken a couple of paracetamol, rubbed some Voltarol gel on the small of my back and gone to bed, as lying down seemed to help ease the pain. But I think the combination of the discomfort and the tiring day in the office had conspired to put me in a pretty low life-state.

I was less than grateful for the advice, which is shameful. After she put the phone down I felt really bad about things. I needed to sort myself out, maybe even actually take some of the advice on board.

So I got up, went for a short walk around the quay and had a hot shower when I got back home. Then I chanted, and my life-state seemed to rise with every repetition of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

I would like to think that my blog helps others by giving out a positive message, but I also think it is important to be honest. So tonight I have to be honest and say that this evening, when Bumble rang, was a definite step backwards.

The only consolation is, that after a deal of soul-searching and chanting, I was able to look at things from a more positive viewpoint. I am sorry to disappoint the people who read my blog regularly, but I am heartened that another challenge has been met, and another important lesson learned.

Back To The Path

03 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

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

The Right WayReading back through my last few posts, I fear that the Buddhist content seems to have fallen a little by the wayside. So today, albeit back at work, has been a good excuse to bring my practice back to the forefront.

As always, the two hour drive from Bristol gives me ample time to chant, and this morning, chant I did, most of the way. It really does sharpen me up for the day ahead, but it also allows me to take stock of the weekend and the events thereof.

My life has changed quite a bit since Bumble and I got together, not just geographically, though of course that has been apparent, but also spending quite a bit less time at home, the structure of my practice has also changed. I would like to feel for the better, though some may disagree.

It’s quite funny that my being a Buddhist could probably be put down as the most influential reason why B and I ever met. Her Mum is also a Nichiren Buddhist and without that, she may never have taken an interest, and life would not have changed in the manner it has.

So it is beholding to me to ensure that I maintain my practice, improve my Buddha nature and continue my quest for self improvement, not only for my own benefit, but also for Bumble, who saw, and still sees it, as a very important part of our relationship.

Pacing Ourselves, Or Not

02 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Privet HedgeAfter the full on day yesterday, the start this morning was a little more sedate, although we still had big plans for the privet hedge, so breakfast was soon over. Bumble is trying to pace herself, trying to cram less into the day and give herself more time to just be.

We had promised ourselves, that we would only do an hour of trimming the hedge, but we made such a good start, that I was determined to get right to the top of the garden before we called it a day.

The cutting went really well. I ended up in the lane next to the cottage, standing on the top of a set of step ladders, so I could reach the hedge. Bumble stayed in the garden, so we were able to attack the job on two fronts and still chat.

Apart from a few interruptions, stopping to let cars down the lane, and Bumble going to get some industrial strength loppers from the chaps next door, we went at it for a lot longer than planned. But the end of the trimming was not the end of the job.

We managed to talk a neighbour, Tim, into letting us dump the clippings in his field, which saved a lot of time, but there was still a huge pile of them to get moved. At first, Bumble tried moving them in the green wheelie bin, but that proved rather unwieldy, so then we stuffed as much as we could into a huge hessian sack and moved it on the wheelbarrow.

That too proved difficult. The sack was far too big and too high to balance on the barrow, so while I wheeled the barrow, Bumble tried to hold the sack in place. But the path through the field is rather narrow, surrounded on both sides by fruit trees and other stuff, and I had the misfortune to get whacked round the ear by a small, but rather firm apple at one point.

Bumble appeared to see the funny side more easily than I, but I did reap my revenge at her mirth, by putting the empty sack over her head once the clippings had reached their destination.

With most of the grunt work done, I retired to watch the Belgian Grand Prix while B pottered around the garden until her friend Carly, a fellow Occupational Terrorist, came to visit. Carly did at least provide an interruption to the proceedings, so a little pacing was achieved.

When Carly left, around dinner time, I planted some new seedlings, donated by the chaps next door, who are shortly off to live in Malta, while Bumble set about making dinner. Even so, by the time we were fed and watered and had showered, we were both pretty well pooped.

So another fruitful, in more ways than one, kind of day. Lots done, with a degree of moderation built in to boot. By ten we were both tucked up in bed and out for the count. Pacing yourself is sometimes easier said than done, but with both parties giving their all in the quest for a shorter hedge, I think we managed it pretty well.

Meer Kats And More

01 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Meerkat Mayhem @ Bristol ZooSeptember is here and so, today at least, was the sunshine. After an early start, a quick breakfast, a couple of hours hedge cutting and a whizz round the shops, we found ourselves in Bristol Zoo as planned.

The last time I was here, I was wearing short trousers and National Health glasses. Yes, you’ve guessed it, it was a long, long time ago. But I am pleased to be able to relate, that the place has improved in leaps and bounds in that time.

The animals are housed in much larger, more stimulating enclosures, many of which you are able to stroll around. Not the lions, obviously, but the Ring-tailed Limas, the Fruit Bats, even the Penguins, although they are not so prone to flying.

We were so lucky, Sam was able to take us behind the scenes. We got to feed Praying Mantis, Catfish, Rays, all up close and very personal, it was brilliant. We also saw the breeding area for insects, fish, scorpions and all manner of other creepy crawlies in Bug World.

It must be getting on for fifty years since I visited, but I can guarantee that it won’t be anywhere near that before I go again. Charlotte, Rob and the lads have got annual passes, so next time I hope I can share the excitement with them too.

Next Newer Entries