Life is a journey full of choices, for which we have to make decisions, and for which in turn, we are all accountable. Wouldn’t it be marvellous if there was a What-If machine, which you could use to play out each possible choice, see which one worked out best, and then make that your decision? Sadly there isn’t, nor will there ever be. So it is left up to us to make the best decision at the time, and then live with the consequences.
Of course, many of the decisions we make are of little consequence, tea or coffee, red or white wine, vote or abstain etc. none or these will, in all probability, change your life. But there are some decisions that, whichever way you decide, change the course of your life irrevocably. Not only that, but whatever you decide, you will never, ever know how things would have turned out had you made the opposite choice.
When I find myself faced with such a conundrum I chant, and chant and chant, until the possible outcomes are clear in my head, as well as all the reasons for why I might make each of the choices available, that I have identified all the pros and cons, I make the choice, and it is made with wisdom, courage and compassion. Once it’s made, there should be no going back. There is nothing worse than flip-flopping between decisions. It does no good, and can do a lot of harm, so stick to your guns.
Now I bet you are all wondering what this momentous decision is that I have to make. Well, thankfully, it’s not me having to make it, though it is one of the biggest of all life changing situations. I doubt that the person making the decision will even read this post, but if they do, I hope that reading it will help them come to terms with what they decide.
I don’t know about you, but all this talk of world wide economic strife is starting to get me really worried. We know all about the stringent cuts that the government are pushing through here in the UK. The problem is that we all know we have to do something to reduce our deficit, but there seems to be a growing sense of, that’s fine, just as long as it’s not me that has to reduce my own standard of living.
When we are open and engaged, we experience the greater self. When we are closed off, we are exhibiting our lesser self. The lesser self is a deluded condition, whilst our greater self is synonymous with our Buddha nature.
With the news full of 
It 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.
I guess that as someone with a good job, one that I really enjoy, I am one of the luckier people in today’s beleaguered society. Of course there are days when I would rather be spending time with my family, out walking by the sea, or enjoying the sights and sounds of the New Forest. But having work to do is, in itself a joy.
Nichiren states:
As we are all well aware, today is the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attack on the World Trade Centre towers in New York. At the time of the attack, I was working for an American company and vividly remember the shock and outrage at the devastation and loss caused on that fateful day.
I’ve been watching the Last Night of the Proms since I was a little lad, and it’s a wonderful and enduring spectacle. With the people watching around the world I imagine the audience must run into the tens of millions. Of course it’s a very British event, but seeing so many people united, by the pure joy of the evening, lifts the heart.
The 10th anniversary of 9/11 is filling the media with stories of the day, accounts from relatives of the victims and the like. As you might suspect, most of the stories see the tragedy from the western viewpoint, and maybe rightly so, but, as always, I like to see things from every perspective.
The Search For Enlightenment 
Recents Comments