Exalted Forms Of Existence

31 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

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

Forms Of Renewable EnergyWhen we practice gongyo and chant daimoku before the Gohonzon, the good and evil capacities of our lives begin to function as the exalted form of fundamental existence.

Lives that are full of the pain of Hell, lives that are in the world of Hunger, lives warped by the world of Anger – such lives too begin to move in the direction of creating their own personal happiness and value.

Lives being pulled toward misfortune and unhappiness are redirected and pulled in the opposite direction, toward fortune and happiness, when we make the Mystic Law our base.

Chant daimoku with all your heart, chant whenever you feel downcast, whenever you feel listless or lacking in focus.

Chanting daimoku connects us directly to chi, the Universal energy, the ultimate renewable green energy, so chant and raise your life-state, your life-energy and put your life back on track.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

TTTT – Take Time To Talk

30 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

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

Take Time To TalkA Buddhist scripture states that “the voice does the Buddha’s work.” The voice has the power to convey one’s compassion for another.

No matter how much you care, the sentiment alone will not communicate itself. When your thoughts and feelings are conveyed in words, your voice will have the immense power to move another person’s heart.

Talking things through, in a compassionate and understanding manner, can solve any situation if both parties reciprocate. Of course, a one sided conversation cannot solve anything, but when people open their hearts to one another, we have the power to move mountains.

If there is a situation in your life, something that has perhaps been present for longer than is healthy or constructive for all those concerned, take time to sit and talk. In a state of calm mindfulness, with the willingness to listen to, and understand the point of view of the others concerned, resolution may be reached sooner than any of you dreamed possible.

Choose Happiness

29 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

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

Choose HappinessIt may seem to be a strange thing to say, but our happiness, or otherwise, is actually a choice we make for ourselves. It’s basically tied to the way we view the challenges that life throws at us.

When something happens, something we would rather hadn’t happened, we have a choice to make. Do we throw our hands in the air and go into a mood of depression, or do we face the issue head on?

If we take the former route, only seeing the bad side of things, the issue will seem to get bigger and worse than it actually is. Our depression will make things even worse, and a negative spiral ensues. This is not a good route to a positive outcome, and even if we were to conquer the problem, it would take us longer and require more effort in the long run. How often have you got into a state over something, only to realise, in the fullness of time, that it really wasn’t as bad as you thought?

The other way to approach things, is to remain calm, look for the positives, and there will be some, rather than focussing on the negatives. A calm mind works better than a frantic mind. Focussing on the positives actually raises our life-state, which makes us feel more energetic and more able to do what needs to be done and meet the challenges head on.

Enlightenment has been described as a state in which we are continuously happy. Now that might sound a bit far fetched, but if we make the right choices, consciously and subconsciously, we can maintain a state of happiness.

To attain the ability to control our minds to such a degree that we make the right choices every time is no small matter, which is why the path to enlightenment is long and winding. But I know that I am further down the path each day, and the goal is worth every ounce of effort.

It’s About Time We Gave A Frack

28 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

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

No Fracking - Caroline Lucas ProtestsThe Buddhist teaching of the Oneness of Life and it’s Environment tells us that humanity, the World and the Universe are one.

That is why, if we wish to protect the environment, we must transform and purify the Three Poisons of Greed, Anger and Foolishness.

The principle of Human Revolution focuses on precisely this, inner transformation at the most fundamental level through our practice.

With the Government today announcing that it  will be allowing licences for fracking, in exceptional circumstances, even in the most beautiful parts of the Britain, to release huge quantities of hitherto untapped reserves of fossil fuel in the form of gas, there has never been a more pressing time to promote responsibility in all.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Nature’s Images

27 Jul 2014 1 Comment

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

I’ve been out cycling with the boys all morning, surrounded by the beautiful nature of The New Forest, just wonderful. So here is a snippet of wisdom from Nichiren Daishonin, about letting go of worldly desires, and a couple of images from the ride …

New Forest Panorama

Now, if you wish to attain Buddhahood, you have only to lower the banner of your arrogance, cast aside the staff of your anger, and devote yourself exclusively to the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra. Worldly fame and profit are mere baubles of your present existence, and arrogance and prejudice are ties that will fetter you in a next one.

~ Nichiren Daishonin

The Boys At Avon Beach

Get Thee Hence Dark Passenger

26 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

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

The Scales Don't LieAs you all know by now, I’ve been on this fitness regime since May last year, and it’s been going really well. I’m keeping my weight around 12 stone and I feel terrific, but it’s so easy to get back into bad habits and undo some of the hard work.

Saturday was a perfect example. Being vegan means giving up bacon, but substitute soya bacon for breakfast was going to be a treat, fried, with brown sauce and all. And it’s all too easy to think, ‘well I’ve had this and that, so I might as well go for it’. Really stupid and a big mistake.

Like most challenges in life, it’s far more difficult to stick to the goal than it is to ignore it and let your urges take over. Sadly the scales don’t lie, and I know it wasn’t the bacon butties that caused all the trouble. One way I have stayed on course is by not having temptations in the house. But Scully’s place is full of goodies. Wine, mayonnaise, bread, peanuts, the list is almost endless, and although they are all vegan, they aren’t necessarily all that healthy or slimming.

It’s so much easier, and in some respects more pleasant to put weight on than it is to get it off. But the worst feeling of all is to lose it, and then put it back on when you know that you let your fundamental darkness take control. Double the pain, knowing that there is a chink in your determination, and that it really wasn’t worth all the angst. So get thee hence Dark Passenger. I’m off out cycling round the New Forest tomorrow with the boys, to have a good workout and burn all those stupid calories off again.

On The Theme Of Waiting …

25 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

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

WaitingWaiting is a strange thing.

Waiting for the lights to go green can take ages when you are late for an appointment. Waiting for a sapling to mature takes years. Waiting for your girlfriend to finish in the bathroom can take forever (don’t tell her I said that).

But actually, waiting is often an act of faith, a belief in a desired outcome, and reaching that desired outcome, that’s when it can usually be said that ‘it was worth the wait’.

Others, as you might expect, have described the process far more eloquently than I ever could …

Tout vient à qui sait attendre

‘Ah, all things come to those who wait,’
(I say these words to make me glad),
But something answers soft and sad,
‘They come, but often come too late.’

~ Violet Fane (1843-1905)

The Waiting

Oh baby don’t it feel like heaven right now
Don’t it feel like something from a dream
Yeah I’ve never known nothing quite like this
Don’t it feel like tonight might never be again
We know better than to try and pretend
Baby no one could’a ever told me ’bout this
I said yeah yeah

The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part

Well yeah i might have chased a couple women around
All it ever got me was down
Then there were those that made me feel good
But never as good as I’m feeling right now
Baby you’re the only one that’s ever known how
To make me wanna live like I wanna live now
I said yeah yeah

The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part

Oh don’t let it kill you baby, don’t let it get to you
Don’t let it kill you baby, don’t let it get to you
I’ll be your bleedin’ heart, I’ll be your cryin’ fool
Don’t let this go too far
Don’t let it get to you

~ Tom Petty – 1981

Interestingly, Tom Petty had this to say about the song …

“That was a song that took a long time to write. Roger McGuinn swears he told me the line – about the waiting being the hardest part – but I think I got the idea from something Janis Joplin said on television. I had the chorus very quickly, but I had a very difficult time piecing together the rest of the song. It’s about waiting for your dreams and not knowing if they will come true. I’ve always felt it was an optimistic song.”

So what ever you are waiting for, make causes, remain determined, and you will reach your goal one day.

Worth The Wait

24 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

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

Life's Ups and DownsLife is a rollercoaster at the best of times, so the ups and downs shouldn’t be a surprise.

But just like a real rollercoaster, they can still make you scream at times.

When I am looking for answers, or need to know the path I need to take, I chant, as you might suspect.

Often the answers come quite quickly, but sometimes things are complicated, or when another person is involved, the answers sometimes take longer.

The important thing to remember, is that only you can provide the answers to your own questions, no one else can decide for you.

Only your heart holds the key to unlock the path you must take, only Nam Myoho Renge Kyo can turn that key and you can be sure it will be worth the wait.

There’s A Kind Of Hush …

23 Jul 2014 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

There's A Kind Of HushAs you know, I’ve just had the perfect long weekend. Albeit that it’s a couple of days ago now, but the memories are still sinking in. In the past, I might be rueing having to come back to work, but the period I had without work has rather put a stop to that, and it’s also because I now have the ability to pour a mental calm over everything.

You know the calm I mean, at least I hope you do, when slowly everything starts to come together, to fit into place and there’s a soft and easy feel about things. At work, at home, in my practice, in fact in life, I have definitely turned some magical corner and tranquillity is the result.

Not that tranquillity itself is necessarily always a good thing. It can make us lazy, complacent, stop setting goals for ourselves or making the causes for the effects we want to see. But the tranquillity that accompanies the calmness of a balanced situation is very magical indeed.

Sometimes we have to go through a rough ride to reach the place we want to be. During the ride it’s tough, tranquillity is a million miles away and sometimes appears to be receding fast. But if you stick with it, learn from the pain and make the necessary causes, you will reap the benefits of the effects when they arrive.

So stick with it. If you have confidence in your goals, remain determined and resolute in your quest, and have the courage to withstand the pain, you too will see the benefits. It’s marvellous.

Tuneday

22 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

TranquillityOfficially, today was Tuesday, but in computer speak it was actually Monday++. With the extra day off, the weekend just meant that the pile of work waiting for me when I got into the office this morning was 50% bigger than a normal Monday, and you know how I feel about them. So it was all hands on deck and the day passed without a break, ironically at break-neck speed.

So by the time five o’clock arrived I was in need of some peace and quiet. Fortunately, the stream behind the office is exactly the right place to find such an environment, so before diving into the car and setting off for MQ, I took several long minutes to just stand and chant in the evening sunshine, watch the quiet waters flow past, and let my mind find its equilibrium as the trials and tribulations of the day drifted away with the shining lazy current.

If we are to deal with the challenges of everyday life, it is important to take a deep breath, inhale the quieter side of life, and release the stress that builds up inside. Next time you find yourself feeling agitated, stressed out, or getting submerged beneath the everyday strains that life puts upon us, find a quiet spot, take time to stand still, breathe and just let the stress drift away.

Far from being a waste of time, they may be the most important minutes of your day.

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