Admitting Defeat?

18 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Ventolin - Admitting Defeat?Another trip to Dr Paine tonight involved more soul searching than medical examination. The long battle against the dreaded cough seems to have been won, I haven’t had a coughing fit in more than a week now, but the wheezing that appeared, after the hack had gone, has come back with a vengeance in the last few days.

Life has been a bit stressful in the last few days, so it was really a matter of opening up and telling the Doc all about it. She was very sympathetic and understanding. She completely understood how the stress and the asthma, for that is what it is, are connected. Even the fact that my inhaler was running low contributed to the feeling of mini-panic when my lungs got tight.

So between us, we decided that I may well need the Ventolin for some time to come, and that a repeat prescription was the way forward. I am really rather disappointed. Not in the fact that I can order a new ‘puffer’ whenever I need one, but in the fact that I have had to finally admit that I suffer from asthma.

Maybe I’ve been in denial for all these years? My first, and by far most serious attack was way back in the early nineties, but I had convinced myself that it had been a one off, even when I had a less serious repeat every now and then.

Even now, I’m not giving in. I shall get out in the fresh air, do some lung bursting exercise on the bike, stretch out those bronchioles and see where that leaves Mr Asthma. Looking at it from a Buddhist perspective, I can see that it’s the sort sharp shock that I need to make those causes to lead to the effect I so want to see.

Crisis Management

17 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

Challenges AheadWith the economy failing to show any signs of improvement, there is the ever present possibility of changes in our circumstances. Companies are constantly looking to cut costs, increase profits for their shareholders, and staff are often the unwitting victims of such changes. The result of all this may cause us to feel like we are heading for a personal crisis.

But there really is hope in such situations. The Chinese spell the word crisis with two characters. The first character means danger, the second, opportunity. So we can all look upon a crisis in two ways if we so choose.

Obviously, any crisis can be a source of danger. The very word conjures up a sense of foreboding, a situation that is out of control. But with that danger comes the opportunity to make something better with the energy that comes to us all when put in a dangerous position.

The natural rise in adrenalin when we face danger, the classic fight or flight reaction, gives us superhuman levels of energy. We have all heard of stories of incidents where someone has lifted a car off a trapped friend or family member or run incredibly fast to rescue a child from danger. It’s a natural reaction, it’s nothing superhuman at all.

Many of us need a short sharp shock to bring us out of a state of lethargy, something that sparks us into life and gives us the impetus to make huge positive changes to our lives. My own interest in Nichiren Buddhism was sparked by a sudden change in family situation, so I know that good things can come from a painful event.

If you find you are facing a crisis, take heart, remember that opportunity comes along as well as the danger, good fortune comes to those who seek it.

Just A Tinge

16 Feb 2013 2 Comments

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

Sadness On The Path To HappinessLife is a constant stream of changes, some small, others not so small. The manner in which we deal with these changes determines whether we are content with the final outcome, and Nichiren Buddhism is there to help ensure that all goes well.

I know that my Buddhist practice has changed the way I interact with everything and everyone in my own personal Universe.

The change is difficult to explain, and even more difficult to prove over the short term to others within that Universe. Those difficulties are still further compounded by the fact that no matter how radical the change, nothing can change the past. Like karma, my past was formed from the past causes I made. What I can do, is to try to make better causes now, and in the future. What I can not do, is influence the past.

That limitation is, I have to say, a very real sadness on this journey towards a happier and more enlightened future.

It’s All About Perspectives

15 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

UmbrellasThere was once an old lady who cried all the time. Her elder daughter was married to an umbrella merchant while the younger daughter was the wife of a noodle vendor. On sunny days, she worried, “Oh no! The weather is so nice and sunny. No one is going to buy any umbrellas. What will happen if the shop has to be closed?” These worries made her sad. She just could not help but cry.

When it rained, she would cry for the younger daughter. She thought, “Oh no! My younger daughter is married to a noodle vendor. You cannot dry noodles without the sun. Now there will be no noodles to sell. What should we do?” As a result, the old lady lived in sorrow everyday. Whether sunny or rainy, she grieved for one of her daughters. Her neighbours could not console her and jokingly called her “the crying lady.”

One day, she met a monk. He was very curious as to why she was always crying. She explained the problem to him. The monk smiled kindly and said, “Madam! You need not worry. I will show you a way to happiness, and you will need to grieve no more.”

The crying lady was very excited. She immediately asked the monk to show her what to do. The master replied, “It is very simple. You just need to change your perspective. On sunny days, do not think of your elder daughter not being able to sell umbrellas but the younger daughter being able to dry her noodles. With such good strong sunlight, she must be able to make plenty of noodles and her business must be very good. When it rains, think about the umbrella store of the elder daughter. With the rain, everyone must be buying umbrellas. She will sell a lot of umbrellas and her store will prosper.”

The old lady saw the light. She followed the monk’s instruction. After a while, she did not cry anymore; instead, she was smiling everyday. From that day on she was known as “the smiling lady.”

What Is Love?

14 Feb 2013 3 Comments

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

Two HeartsLoving, and being loved is really great isn’t it? There is little to compare with the feeling one gets from being part of a loving relationship, but there are two types of love, unconditional and conditional. Unconditional love is about giving without limits, about being happy for the happiness of others. Conditional love, on the other hand, can be painful for both parties. Elements of jealousy, or the need to be loved in order to love, can lead the way to a painful end of the relationship.

Buddhism defines love as an action. It is that force that motivates people to become better, to improve themselves in order to reach eternity and happiness. Love brings out the best in people, as when they love, the target is not themselves but the beloved one. This wish to serve the other is a reflection of an innate knowledge that everyone is connected through the same principle, and therefore, it is an illusion to believe that one can achieve true happiness while those around haven’t attained it . So, love is the action that makes people forego their own ego and concentrate their efforts on the other in a search for fulfilment.

Personally, I have been criticised for suggesting that, if my partner would be happier with someone else, that I would not stand in their path. That feeling, I believe, shows that I love them unconditionally and, arguably, more than someone who wants to control or confine them. It does not mean that I want them to go, just that I want them to be happy, and that my happiness is found through their happiness.

Achieving unconditional love is hard. So many people feel that they need to be loved to be happy. In fact, the most happiness comes from loving another, and the need to be loved is often a sign of insecurity. Loving unconditionally requires a totally unselfish attitude to the other. Being happy when they are happy, being happy for them when they succeed, rather than feeling jealous of their success. Keeping those negative feelings in check requires constant effort, but the happiness gained from so doing is unbounded.

So take a look at your motives next time you tell that special someone that you love them. Will you still love them if that love is not reciprocated? Are you happy for them when they find pleasure in something that is of no interest to you? Would you sacrifice the relationship if that added to their happiness? If the answer to any of those questions is no, then you are not loving unconditionally.

It is not the end of things if you are not, there is always time to change. Loving everyone, in the broadest sense of the word, is a very rewarding way to lead your life. Being concerned for the happiness of someone who clearly has no time for you is tough. Going the extra mile to ensure that the happiness of another at the expense of yourself is not necessarily a natural thing to do, but the rewards for doing so are great indeed.

So next time you say ‘I love you’ to someone, try mentally tagging on ‘no matter what’ to that phrase and see how that makes you feel inside. If you can honestly say that it makes no difference to you saying it, then you have reached the state of unconditional love and that will reward you every time you say it.

More Happiness Anyone?

13 Feb 2013 2 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

More Happiness Anyone?What do we mean by happiness? There may be as many answers to that as there are stars in the night sky, everyone has their own idea of what makes them happy, and equally what doesn’t.

Maybe it is the love of a partner, being part of a family, the pay cheque at the end of the month or that new car you had always promised yourself. Whatever your idea of happiness, we all crave more of it.

We can probably agree that it is all too often a transitory state, punctuated by periods where we are unhappy, or at least a bit glum. So what would you give to have more of this illusive life-state, and how can you go about achieving a happier life?

Well speaking personally, I can almost guarantee happiness from my Buddhist practice. That might sound a little trite or even rather far-fetched, but for me it is true. My practice helps me see life from all angles, the ups and downs, from my view-point and from that of others, and it ‘smoothes’ out the emotional bumps we encounter each and every day.

The idea at the very core of Buddhism is the removal of suffering, and that in itself helps us to be happier. Seeing the beauty in nature, the best facets of another’s personality, the joy in helping others, happiness is there for us all, all of the time and all around us. Living a life that is more concerned with others than ourselves, giving more than we take, and so on, will also bring feelings of happiness. All we have to do is look out for it.

Living in a society that is more concerned about what we own, than who we really are, we all struggle to put those ideas into action. We hear about people earning ridiculous sums, whilst providing little by way of return, and wonder how they can live with the guilt. If society valued the good in people more than the goods of people, the world would be a much fairer, happier place.

Whatever flavour your own happiness comes in, I wish you more of it, now and in the future. And when it arrives, please make sure that you share it around. That way you will find it grows and grows, and that it lasts just that little bit longer.

There’s A Kind Of Hush

12 Feb 2013 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

TranquillityWhen you are waiting for something, an answer, a decision, an outcome, it can be almost like the world is holding its breath.

Sometimes the World of Tranquillity can be a true blessing, a time to recover after a period of intense work for example.

Sometimes it can be be like the dying notes of a moving piece of music or the fading echoes of the most magnificent firework display.

Maybe the biggest difference between the two is whether you wish for Tranquillity or not.

If you do wish for it, Tranquillity can be the most restful of time, if not it can be like the quiet of the grave, peaceful but not something which you might actively desire.

Maintain Your Faith, Become Enlightened

11 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

Nichiren DaishoninThe title and the very purpose of this blog, is to record events that accompany me along my path to enlightenment. Far from being a pipe dream or vague wistful notion, Nichiren Daishonin set out the very simple, practical method for attaining enlightenment, and hence Buddhahood, within this lifetime.

This letter was written to Toki Jonin in the seventh year of Kencho (1255).

“If you wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth and death you have endured since time without beginning and to attain without fail unsurpassed enlightenment in this lifetime, you must perceive the mystic truth that is originally inherent in all living beings. This truth is Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Chanting Myoho-Renge-Kyo will therefore enable you to grasp the mystic truth innate in all life.

The Lotus Sutra is the king of sutras, true and correct in both word and principle. Its words are the ultimate reality, and this reality is the Mystic Law (Myoho). It is called the Mystic Law because it reveals the principle of the mutually inclusive relationship of a single moment of life and all phenomena. That is why this sutra is the wisdom of all Buddhas.

Life at each moment encompasses the body and mind and the self and environment of all sentient beings in the Ten Worlds as well as all insentient beings in the three thousand realms, including plants, sky, earth, and even the minutest particles of dust. Life at each moment permeates the entire realm of phenomena and is revealed in all phenomena. To be awakened to this principle is itself the mutually inclusive relationship of life at each moment and all phenomena. Nevertheless, even though you chant and believe in

Myoho-Renge-Kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but an inferior teaching. “Inferior teaching” means those other than this [Lotus] sutra, which are all expedient and provisional. No expedient or provisional teaching leads directly to enlightenment, and without the direct path to enlightenment you cannot attain Buddhahood, even if you practice lifetime after lifetime for countless kalpas. Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is then impossible. Therefore, when you chant Myoho and recite Renge, you must summon up deep faith that Myoho-Renge-Kyo is your life itself.

You must never think that any of the eighty thousand sacred teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha’s lifetime or any of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three existences are outside yourself. Your practice of the Buddhist teachings will not relieve you of the sufferings of birth and death in the least unless you perceive the true nature of your life. If you seek enlightenment outside yourself, then your performing even ten thousand practices and ten thousand good deeds will be in vain. It is like the case of a poor man who spends night and day counting his neighbour’s wealth but gains not even half a coin.

That is why the T’ien-t’ai school’s commentary states, “Unless one perceives the nature of one’s life, one cannot eradicate one’s grave offenses.” This passage implies that, unless one perceives the nature of one’s life, one’s practice will become an endless, painful austerity. Therefore, such students of Buddhism are condemned as non-Buddhist. Great Concentration and Insight states that, although they study Buddhism, their views are no different from those of non-Buddhists.

Whether you chant the Buddha’s name, recite the sutra, or merely offer flowers and incense, all your virtuous acts will implant benefits and roots of goodness in your life. With this conviction you should strive in faith. The Vimalakirti Sutra states that, when one seeks the Buddhas’ emancipation in the minds of ordinary beings, one finds that ordinary beings are the entities of enlightenment, and that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana. It also states that, if the minds of living beings are impure, their land is also impure, but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds.

It is the same with a Buddha and an ordinary being. When deluded, one is called an ordinary being, but when enlightened, one is called a Buddha. This is similar to a tarnished mirror that will shine like a jewel when polished. A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished. it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phenomena and the true aspect of reality. Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.

What then does Myo signify? It is simply the mysterious nature of our life from moment to moment, which the mind cannot comprehend or words express. When we look into our own mind at any moment, we perceive neither colour nor form to verify that it exists. Yet we still cannot say it does not exist, for many differing thoughts continually occur. The mind cannot be considered either to exist or not to exist. Life is indeed an elusive reality that transcends both the words and concepts of existence and nonexistence. It is neither existence nor nonexistence, yet exhibits the qualities of both.

It is the mystic entity of the Middle Way that is the ultimate reality. Myo is the name given to the mystic nature of life, and Ho, to its manifestations. Renge, which means lotus flower, is used to symbolize the wonder of this Law. If we understand that our life at this moment is Myo, then we will also understand that our life at other moments is the Mystic Law. This realization is the mystic Kyo, or sutra. The Lotus Sutra is the king of sutras, the direct path to enlightenment, for it explains that the entity of our life, which manifests either good or evil at each moment, is in fact the entity of the Mystic Law.

If you chant Myoho-Renge-Kyo with deep faith in this principle, you are certain to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. That is why the sutra states, “After I have passed into extinction, [one] should accept and uphold this sutra. Such a person assuredly and without doubt will attain the Buddha way.” Never doubt in the slightest.

Respectfully.

As the Daishonin said, “Maintain your faith and attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.”

One Coin, Two Sides

10 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Good and Bad, One Coin, Two SidesSo many things in life, although they may seem very different, are actually the opposite sides of the same coin. Good and evil, love and hate, passion and obsession are so close to one another when we look at the causes behind each of them.

Buddhism teaches that our lives are endowed with both good and bad aspects simultaneously. The human mind switches between ten individual conditions, The Ten Worlds, and as we know, each World contains the other nine. The lowest three Worlds are those of Hell, filled with suffering, Hunger, which is dominated by greed, and Animality, characterised by fear of the strong or powerful and contempt of the weak.

The two highest worlds are those of Bodhisattva and Buddhahood, states of mind in which people strive to help others to eliminate their suffering and attain happiness.

Good and bad, happiness and sadness exist together, they cannot be separated and are integral parts of life. In fact it could be said that to try to describe one without the other would be meaningless.

Buddhist practice cannot remove bad things from our life nor the sadness, but it can help us deal with them (Poison into Medicine), and by doing so, help us and those around us promote the good and the happy aspects.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

Clearing Our Karmic Legacy

09 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

Clearing The WayFollowing on from my post about change yesterday, I thought this may help us to make the changes we wish to see in our lives.

The Nichiren Buddhist teaching of changing karma restores the original Buddhist emphasis on the role of present action changing negative karma. Furthermore, the Nichiren Buddhist concept of karma is unique because it focuses on the fundamental cause of negative karmic retribution and provides the concrete means to change that cause, instead of focusing on the ultimately unknowable negative causes accumulated over one’s infinite past.

Nichiren writes: “The Nirvana Sutra teaches the principle of lessening one’s karmic retribution. If one’s heavy karma from the past is not expiated within this lifetime, one must undergo the sufferings of hell in the future, but if one experiences extreme hardship in this life [because of the Lotus Sutra], the sufferings of hell will vanish instantly. And when one dies, one will obtain the blessings of the human and heavenly worlds, as well as those of the three vehicles and the one vehicle” (WND, 199).

In this passage, Nichiren teaches that our karmic retribution can “vanish instantly” rather than us having to undergo many lifetimes of austerities. In addition, he makes it clear that eradicating our karmic retribution is in itself the “blessing of the one vehicle”, the attainment of Buddhahood.

Chanting With a Fighting Spirit

Nichiren Buddhism teaches that the essential way to change karma is to chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo with confidence in all people’s potential for Buddhahood. In The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Nichiren states: “This word ‘belief ‘ is a sharp sword that cuts off fundamental darkness or ignorance… It is through the one word ‘belief ‘ that we are able to purchase the wisdom of the Buddhas of the three existences. That wisdom is Nam myoho renge kyo”.

When we chant Nam myoho renge kyo with the resolve to challenge our fundamental darkness, with confidence in the existence of the sun, we can quickly remove the clouds and reveal the sun. Once the sun of Buddhahood rises in our lives, all of our karmic suffering is reduced to seeming nonexistence. With Nam myoho renge kyo, Nichiren teaches, delusion is transformed into wisdom, unwholesome actions into wholesome actions, and suffering into a source of growth and genuine fulfilment. This transformation of life’s causation from delusion to suffering into wisdom to joy is the meaning of changing karma in Nichiren Buddhism. The key to this fundamental change in the chain of cause and effect within our lives is chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo with confidence, with a fighting spirit, creating powerful winds to blow away the dark clouds of delusion and reveal the sun of Buddhahood.

Never Disparaging and Soka Spirit

The Soka Spirit movement is the SGI-USA’s collective and individual efforts to challenge the distortion of Nichiren Buddhism, as seen in the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood, and encourage both self and others to awaken to life’s true potential.

The method and aim of Soka Spirit are the same as those of Never Disparaging, reconfirming people’s dignity through respecting their innate Buddhahood and helping them challenge their fundamental darkness. Both Soka Spirit and the actions of Never Disparaging aim to establish a humanistic religion by challenging authoritarianism, to establish respect for each person by challenging disrespect for ordinary believers perpetrated by religious authority. While the doctrinal importance of the Lotus Sutra is found in the “Expedient Means” and “Life Span” chapters, its importance in terms of Buddhist practice lies in “Never Disparaging,” the twentieth chapter. Nichiren, therefore, writes: “The heart of the Buddha’s lifetime of teachings is the Lotus Sutra, and the heart of the practice of the Lotus Sutra is found in the ‘Never Disparaging’ chapter. What does Bodhisattva Never Disparaging’s profound respect for people signify? The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behaviour as a human being” (WND, 851-52).

Proclaiming respect for humanity in the abstract is easy, but to show sincere respect for the person confronting you is difficult, especially if the person is hostile. But this is exactly what Bodhisattva Never Disparaging did. In each person he met, he saw the Buddha nature and expressed his utmost respect through his words and behaviour. His practice, at the same time, was a direct challenge to the great authority and power of arrogant monks in an age of religious corruption.

In the end, respect triumphed over disrespect, as did the Buddha nature over the fundamental darkness. Never Disparaging’s negative karma gave way to the joy of living, and the name given to demean this nameless man became a name of honour in Buddhist history.

(excerpt taken from September 2005 Living Buddhism)

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