Croissants and Canal Boats

24 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

The Canal In The SkySunday morning, and the SAS arrive. No not that Army lot with their blacked-out faces and rubber dinghies, but Sue and Steve in their black Passat, all ready for a croissant laden breakfast and a canal holiday planning meeting. We’re off to Shropshire in a few days, to take charge of a narrow boat and cruise the Llangollen canal, come hell and high water.

Now Bumble, Sue and Steve are old hands at this sort of thing. To them a lock is a way of changing level along a canal, not two users trying to access the same data or the thing I put my front door key in, as it is in my world. Despite the water being only a few feet deep, I sense I’m out of my depth already.

Actually, I’m really looking forward to the challenge. Not the challenge of learning about locks and boats, knots and navigation and the like. The challenge of getting around a narrow boat with Steve around, who was never designed with narrow boats in mind. He’s a proper, old fashioned, jolly giant, so I’m sure we will get to know each other all too intimately during the seven days afloat.

I have to say, that I have been having a few reservations about the trip. For one, we will be going over the Pontcysyllte aqueduct at Trevor. When Thomas Telford and William Jessop opened the aqueduct a month after the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, it was the tallest canal boat crossing in the world and at 126ft (over 38 metres) high it is still an impressive and buttock clenching structure.

I’m also going to be thrown in at the deep end, figuratively I hope, in terms of being out of my comfort zone, with no experience of canal navigation whatsoever. But as they say (whoever they are), feel the fear and do it anyway. We are hoping for at least a day or two of good weather, though North Wales is better know for its lush green valleys than its sun-soaked beaches, so a fair deal of chanting is required before we cast off.

Naturally, being immersed in the Welsh countryside, blogging may prove to be another challenge. But be assured that I will post as often as connectivity allows, and fill in any missing bits when we return to ‘civilisation’. With a maximum speed of 4mph, it going to be a great excuse to chill out and take things nice and slow.

Time will tell whether the natives, and my fellow crew members take kindly to me chanting from the bow (the pointy end apparently) first thing in the morning. So if you hear a loud splash and the blogging stops abruptly, you’ll know what’s happened. Please tell my kith and kin I loved them all dearly.

Cuddles, Cakes and Choo Choos

23 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Avon Steam RailwayDespite the mixed weather, today has been a really nice mix of family and fun. It all started with a visit to The Chiefs Trading Post in Oldland Common for a birthday breakfast with Charlotte. Sadly she couldn’t bring the boys with her because Jake and Zach are both suffering from the Slap Cheek virus, so it was a fairly quiet affair.

Following copious amounts of Tea Cake and coffee, we took a stroll around the place, which is ostensibly a garden centre, but punctuated with huge numbers of an eclectic mix of statues. We managed to avoid buying anything on a whim, though we did procure a couple of nice plants, including a particularly beautiful pelargonium for Bumble.

Leaving with a plethora of kisses and cuddles, B and I decided to take a diversion through Bitton, with a visit to the Avon Steam Railway. The visit was well worth the trip, and as the rain held off, we were treated to the sight, sounds and smells of a nice tank engine in full steam. That smell is so evocative, bringing back memories of past times spent with my paternal grandfather, down at the shunting yards in Margate.

Memories are such sweet things when they conjure up images of pleasant times past. I always find it strange that the passage of time deprives us of our most recent recollections whilst enhancing and enriching our older memories. Whilst not all memories are of pleasant times, it is wonderful that we can relive times gone by through the simple experience of a long forgotten scent or smell.

Friday Night And All That Jazz

22 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Cool JazzWorking from home can be really productive, no phone calls, no interruptions and a nice environment of peace and quiet. So today I have been camped in Bumble’s kitchen,  accessing my works PC from my laptop and apart from Bob the Builder, who came to install an extractor fan, I hadn’t seen a soul all day.

Don’t tell the lads at work, but I really missed the banter and the company. So even though I got a ton of work done, it’s been a funny day really. I’ve had an eclectic mix of really nice clients and really not so nice clients, but i can say hand on heart, that I treat them all with respect, though it’s not always easy.

So having made it through the working day, I’m looking forward to an evening of Trad Jazz with Bumble and her parents over at their place. It will round off the week nicely and set us all up for another fandabbydozey weekend, including Charlotte’s birthday. I hope you have a great one too.

No Room For Complacency

21 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

DeterminationWhen we work hard at something, be it a task, a goal or personal trait that we wish to change or improve, we get satisfaction when we see results. Making the causes to see effects is not a one off action. Generally we need to keep the pressure on until the goal is met.

It is easy to let the feelings of euphoria, when we reach a target or goal, get the better of us. We may feel that the effort needed to complete a task can now be eased. This may be true in certain circumstances, where a material goal has been met, but that is not the case where we are striving to maintain an objective, such as compassion or courage.

Being compassionate in one instance, being courageous in a certain circumstance does not make us suddenly compassionate or courageous. We must continue to monitor ourselves, to be mindful, self-aware and to continue the effort that brought us to this point. Reaching a goal can be difficult, but maintaining that status can be just as difficult.

So next time you find yourself bathing in a self-congratulatory glow of satisfaction, take stock. It is the determination to continue the effort, to stop ourselves from back-sliding and to maintain the newly found goal that keeps us on the path to enlightenment and to greater happiness.

True Freedom

20 Jun 2012 2 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

True Freedom

Being able to allow ourselves or another to be free enough to reach full potential takes courage. But to take any other path would be to stifle that potential and act in a cowardly and selfish manner.

Nichiren writes: “Myoho-renge-kyo is the Buddha nature of all living beings…. The Buddha nature that all these beings possess is called by the name Myoho-renge-kyo” (wnd, 131). Regarding how to manifest one’s innate Buddha nature, Nichiren explains: “When we revere Myoho-renge-kyo inherent in our own life as the object of devotion, the Buddha nature within us is summoned forth and manifested by our chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This is what is meant by ‘Buddha.’ To illustrate, when a caged bird sings, birds who are flying in the sky are thereby summoned and gather around, and when the birds flying in the sky gather around, the bird in the cage strives to get out. When with our mouths we chant the Mystic Law, our Buddha nature, being summoned, will invariably emerge” (wnd, 887).

In Nichiren’s metaphor, our innate Buddha nature, whose name is Nam myoho renge kyo, is a bird trapped in the cage of ignorance. In other words, our deluded minds create this cage that imprisons our Buddha nature. But when we chant Nam myoho renge kyo to the Gohonzon, which expresses Nichiren’s enlightened life and the potential of all people, our dormant Buddha nature becomes activated.

The singing of the caged bird is our chanting, and the birds flying in the sky are the Buddha nature in our environment, particularly as it is expressed in the Gohonzon. Through our chanting, the Buddha nature within our lives and the Buddha nature inherent in the universe begin their dynamic interaction.

For Nichiren’s metaphor to work, however, it is necessary for the caged bird to recognize the birds in the sky as being its own kind. In other words, when we pray to the Gohonzon, rather than thinking of it as an external power or deity, we must think of it as the mirror image of our own Buddha nature. If the caged bird thinks of itself as an elephant, it is unlikely to give the slightest thought to flying.

Nichiren Buddhism clarifies that the teaching of the Buddha nature is a teaching of faith and practice. All people have it, but not many can believe in it. Furthermore, some of those who believe in their Buddha nature may not practice to manifest it, erroneously thinking-I’m already a Buddha, so I don’t have to do anything. One’s faith in the Buddha nature must be expressed in one’s actions to manifest it.

Those who see the universal Buddha nature of oneself and others, and work to awaken it in all people are already Buddhas, for such actions belong to none other than a Buddha. As we cultivate our inherent Buddha nature through our conviction and actions to manifest it no matter our circumstances, we begin to see it and experience it. In our everyday lives, seeing may be believing. But in the world of Buddhism, believing in the Buddha nature is the first step toward seeing it.

(from Living Buddhism – February 2005)

Wayne’s World

19 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

SmileApart from being delighted that England squeaked past Ukraine, the Euro 2012 co-hosts, tonight, I was very pleased to see that Wayne Rooney had a pretty good game. Young Wayne has been a bit of a loose cannon in the past, but tonight he got the winner and kept his cool, despite having only recently returned from a rather long lay-off due to injury.

I’m not suggesting that Rooney’s more relaxed demeanour has anything to do with Buddhist practice, but I have to say that mine has been hugely influenced by my own faith. Being calm and collected, particularly under pressure is not only rather important, but also hugely satisfying.

The old saying about keeping your head when all about you are losing theirs is absolutely true. If you allow circumstances to get the better of you, lose your temper or focus, you will almost certainly regret it later. But staying in control not only makes a good outcome more likely, but will also leave you feeling confident.

So next time you get into a confrontation, or find yourself under pressure, take a few seconds to become more self-aware and check any natural tendencies to get angry or emotional. It takes practice, but the effort will pay benefits time after time after time.

Marvellous Monday

18 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

TranquillityHands up all those who never thought they’d see a post of mine saying that … but today has been pretty awesome too. Ok, so I’ve just had a perfect weekend, but this is Monday after all. But it has been a really great day, simply because there is a new 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 seem to have turned some magical corner and tranquillity is the result.

No that tranquillity itself is necessarily a good thing. It can make us lazy, complacent, stop setting ourselves goals or making the causes for the effects we want to see. But the tranquillity that accompanies the calmness of a balanced situation is 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. Today has been one of those days for me.

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

A Fine Father’s Day

17 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Lady Boys of BangkokToday has been pretty perfect. It started with a family breakfast at the Porto Lounge in Fishponds. Apart from my son Stas, everyone was there. Charlotte and Rob, Hannah and Jay and all four grandsons, tucked up round a nice long table and seemingly taking over half the cafe, just brilliant.

The lads were all well behaved. Jake taking photos of everyone with his camera, Zach colouring in a picture B had found for him, Oliver doing the rounds of people’s laps and Stanley helping his granddad by eating the marshmallows off the top of my latte. So lovely to all be together, and not before time, actually we couldn’t remember the last Father’s day we spent time together, but the next time will be soon.

A quick trip over to pick up B’s mum and then back to Frenchay to see Ivor and deliver his card. Again, he was in good spirits and we had a nice time telling him about the breakfast and the choral evening. It’s always hard to leave him, but I think he was getting tired, so he was already dozing as we left.

While B took her mum home I mowed the lawn, then we tackled the rose arch together. Although roses are pretty and have a wonderful scent, those thorns are little devils. I have the war wounds to prove it. A quick shower, change and back out again to see The Lady Boys of Bangkok.

I’m not going to excuse myself by saying that they are a Buddhist act, even though they are. I was a bit sceptical when B told me that she had got tickets, but I was wrong, they were absolutely amazing. It was difficult to remember that all these gorgeous women on stage were actually all men, you would never have guessed.

So another brilliant day, fun and family in perfect harmony. On days like today it’s important to remember those who don’t happen to be so fortunate. But it is also important to realise that the causes we have made brought these effects about too.

Super Sonic Saturday

16 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Bristol CathedralWhat a great day! After a rather lazy, though well deserved late start, we took a trip in Fishponds to get a Father’s Day card for Ivor, who’s back in hospital again. Although the problem is well known, it can’t be fun for him to keep shuttling back and fro between Frenchay and the nursing home.

We were being picked up by Lisa and Vee in the early evening, so by the time we got back from the hospital we were a bit tight for time. Not that we rushed the visit. While B went off to talk to the nurses, I read Ivor a story about Women’s intuition.

It was all about how, as men, we try all the obvious technical routes to getting things working, like the car that won’t start. Check the plugs, points, carburettor etc. to no avail. Then the lady of the house notices that the number plate is loose and when it’s tightened, the car inexplicably starts, for no apparent reason.

Ivor and I laughed and laughed, and I know it made us both feel better in the circumstances. So a quick bite to eat, a shower and into our glad rags just in time as L and V turned up bang on time. The rain that had been threatening all day finally arrived as we set off for Bristol Cathedral.

So what, you might ask, were we doing in Bristol Cathedral on a Saturday night in mid June? Well we were there to listen to Handel’s choral piece, Israel in Egypt, all about Moses and the exodus of the Israelites, performed by the Bristol Choral Society.

It was the last performance by B’s friend Tina’s mum, retiring after over 30 years as a member. And it was stirring stuff. The choir were fantastic, the acoustics amazing, and the cathedral itself is an awesome building.

So a really enjoyable evening, in a very fitting setting. Albeit that the subject of the piece isn’t exactly in line with Buddhist practice, it was clear that the singing had a very similar effect to Buddhist chanting. The very sound lifts the heart, and when sung so beautifully, it goes to show that we should member that there’s a lot in common between religions.

Funtime Friday

15 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Road ClosedWith the new release of the software going live on Wednesday, we were feeling confident that things were pretty sorted as we go near to the weekend. Ha, what do we know? These sneaky little bugs have a canny knack of being able to hide until the most in-opportunistic moment.

As reports started coming in of some rather crucial problems, Dan the Man got stuck in finding the issue and the rest of us went into test mode. But with so many variables, it’s never easy to pinpoint the exact cause of some of these things.

By 5:30 it was getting clear that this wasn’t going to be an open and shut case, so I was told to go and make my way through the Friday evening traffic. It is difficult to gauge how long the trip to Bristle will take, but things were going pretty well until the SatNav announced that the A36 was closed for the next 20 miles!

The nice lady in my phone did a sterling job of working out a detour, via Devizes and Chippenham, so in the event, I wasn’t much later than usual. Bumble was at the cottage with a lovely meal waiting, and having scoffed the lot, we settled down to watch the England v Sweden game.

It all started rather well with England going ahead, but then, just like the journey, things went a bit pear shaped. At 2-1 down, I was fearing the worst, but I shouldn’t have worried, as England went on to win 3-2. And these little blips in proceedings served to prove a good point.

There is absolutely no point in crying over spilt milk, especially before it has been spilt. Anticipating problems, maybe imagining the worst, serves no practical purpose. In fact, if you can stay positive, as I managed to do by chanting my way round the detour, you arrive in a buoyant mood and everything works out just fine for all concerned. That may not have always been my way, so another good lesson learned.

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