Dream On

06 May 2014 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Wishes Do Come TrueThere are some things in life that are worth the suffering involved in attaining them. Your dreams are included, if not top, of that list.

It has been said that the things that come easily are never worth as much as those that take time and effort. Think back to your own achievements, I’m sure you will see that the things that bring the most pride and enjoyment are the ones that took the most effort to come to fruition.

So let’s examine just what qualities we will need in order to succeed.

In the first place it may well take a great deal of Courage. The Courage to persist under difficult conditions, to make difficult decisions. Often we have to make sacrifices to achieve the greater goal and that also takes Courage. Sometimes we might be tempted to give in, when the pain seems to be too great. The Courage to go on, to reach that goal, will repay us many times over when we succeed.

To ensure that you are making the right decisions along the way will take Wisdom. Maybe we make mistakes and Wisdom is exhibited in the way we learn from those mistakes. At other times the Wisdom is apparent in the way we take the hardest option for the right reason.

Finally we need to have Compassion. There will be times when we have to live through short term pain for long term gain, and Compassion for ourselves and for the others involved will make the process so much easier for everyone to bear.

I don’t need to cite any examples, we have all got life experiences that illuminate the process very clearly. I wish you all the Wisdom, Courage and Compassion to aim for, and attain your own dreams. Remember it can all be made easier by following the Buddhist principle of Kyo Chi Gyo I, it is the recipe for success.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

Writing Nice Letters To Ourselves?

02 May 2014 Leave a comment

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

Creating Our Own DestinyThe law of cause and effect, action and reaction, applies to everything in life and forms the basis of our Karma.

The results of all the causes we have made in this, and previous lives, is precisely why we are where we are today.

The more good causes we create, generally speaking, the more good effects we see, and the happier we are with our lives.

Dora, in the book The Buddha, Geoff and Me, explains that Karma is a bit like letters we write to ourselves. Many of those letters were written so long ago, that we have forgotten all about them.

The nice letters are lovely surprises when they arrive. Nasty ones come as a bit of a shock, they may annoy us and we might even write another nasty one in response. Of course, in time, those responses get delivered too, so the cycle can repeat itself, time after time.

That is, of course, until you understand the way the process works. Once you realise that you create the causes, you can create causes for nice, or good effects, rather than going round and round forever.

I cannot imagine a more important lesson to learn, to know that your Karma, and hence your future, is determined by you? It is the most empowering feeling, to take control of your life and to have your destiny in your own hands.

Good News, But When Will They Listen?

29 Apr 2014 Leave a comment

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

Good News, But When Will They Listen?The breaking news this morning, that half the people diagnosed with cancer will live at least another decade is good news indeed. But we are still missing the point when it comes to cancer.

It is great that treatment therapy for cancer is improving and is welcome news, but surely we should be ploughing money into finding a way to stop cancer forming in the first place, that way the treatments would not be needed.

Hang on a minute, isn’t that why we aren’t doing it? If all the cancers stop, the whole cancer industry stops, hundreds, thousands of people would have to find another way to earn their living. Do you think that might be why?

In fact, we already know how to stop cancer developing, science has isolated, and proven, that the ingestion of animal protein is the cause. The message is slowly getting out there, and whilst I am pleased that cancer sufferers can look forward to extended lives, these ‘good news’ messages only serve to prolong the error of our ways.

The Wrong End Of The Stick

24 Apr 2014 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

CaspulesNICE, the NHS drugs watchdog, is set to refuse to provide the £90,000 Trastuzumab Emtansine breast cancer treatment to patients on the grounds of cost. As many of you will know, my daughter had breast cancer, had treatment, and has now been tested clear, so I have a vested interest in such issues.

How much is life worth? How much would you pay to spend a year, a month, a week or a day extra with your loved ones? Life is priceless, but the greed of the pharmaceutical industry knows no bounds. They are beholding to their shareholders and are driven purely by the profits they can make from people who find themselves stuck between a rock and a very hard place.

The really annoying part of all this, is that the cancer industry, those who make a living from researching, isolating, diagnosing, and treating cancer cases, have really got the wrong end of the stick in my opinion.

Rather than trying to find cures or treatments for cancer, which like the common cold, has thousands of variants, they should be concentrating on finding the cause. But finding the cause doesn’t make you rich, and once it’s found, what will you do with the rest of your life?

We know that cancer is caused by any number of things, but we also know that it stops developing in the absence of animal protein in the diet. So why are we all still so keen to fund research and treatment when we know how to stop cancer in its tracks?

Money, that’s why. Like the meat and dairy industries, the cancer industry would collapse overnight, with the loss of thousands of jobs, if the truth were widely known. Not exactly a disaster if we look a the bigger picture though. A world without cancer would be a better world, and all the money saved, could be used to fund more worthy schemes.

So let’s stop looking the wrong way down the microscope, let’s grasp the right and of the stick, and give the Big C the heave-ho once and for all.

For more information, take a look here …

Take The Opportunities

20 Apr 2014 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

RaindropsI was really looking forward to getting out on the bike again today, the weatherman had been promising sunshine over the whole holiday.

So you can imagine my disappointment when the weather caused a rethink.

High winds and heavy rain are never the best for a trip out over some of the highest points around here, but there’s always tomorrow.

Every day we have highs and lows, wins and losses, good things happen, bad things happen, every single day.

Problems are an everyday reality, they are part of life and ignoring them will never make them go away.

So focus on what’s good, what’s going right, enjoy that brief spell of sunshine on an otherwise rainy day. Smile, laugh when you can, and always focus on the positives. Make the most of every minute, you will never have the opportunity to use that minute again, so don’t waste it.

Make causes today, to make tomorrow better and never give in to the inevitable resistance that you feel when you are nearing your goal.

Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, never fear the truth, use the Wisdom, Courage and Compassion, we all possess, to help others to be positive, it will increase your own life-energy as you encourage them to increase theirs.

Embrace The Change

14 Apr 2014 Leave a comment

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

Embrace The ChangeThere are several changes afoot in the office, and a few people are finding that a way of life they have known for many, many years is coming to a rather abrupt end.

Now change can be a painful process, it can cause those who have allowed themselves to settle into a rut, and let’s be honest, it’s easy to do, to suddenly find that life has turned upside down and inside out.

Change is good. Change is the norm. Nothing lasts forever, no matter how much you wish it would. So embrace the change, look for the positives, rather than focussing on the negatives, and make your causes to promote a positive future.

Some of us are clearly doing just that. Steve is off to New Zealand with his family at the end of the month. Gordo is planning to do a bit of travelling, and I am busy getting my teaching qualifications so I can go to the Far East and teach English to the students with a Brummie accent.

At the end of the day, it’s about seeing things in a different way. Making the most of the situation rather than being consumed by the loss of a comfortable and convenient way of doing things.

All you need to do, is to see the glass half full rather than half empty. List all the things you could now be doing, rather than those you won’t be doing any more. Take responsibility for your own future and make the causes that will point you on an upward course. You know you can do it.

On The Fiddle?

28 Mar 2014 1 Comment

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

On The Fiddle?In case you were wondering, my CELTA course is going rather well, all things considered. Apart from the fact that I am really enjoying the whole experience, it’s a bit like Chinese water torture, the lesson preparation and assignments just keep coming.

Last night was a little milestone on our collective path, half way through the sixteen weeks of study and a brand new gaggle of victims, or more properly, teaching practice students. A lovely group of people, all very keen to learn and very willing to be subjected to our formative teaching skills.

As well as being a new set of faces, these students are still taking their first steps in learning English, as opposed to our previous charges, who were really quite fluent. So the challenges, on both sides of the classroom, were slightly different. There was more emphasis on keeping things simpler and checking that individual students understood what was being taught.

The evening went really well. We were teaching them new vocabulary in the context of music, and they worked really hard. The highlight of the evening, for me, was talking to the oldest student, an 83 year old Middle Eastern gentleman, who was keen to tell me that he has been playing the violin since he was 7. He had the callouses on his fingers to prove it.

It’s so interesting, meeting new people. People who have incredible stories to tell. None of this would have happened had I not made the causes. Karma is a wonderful thing.

Localised Disturbance

04 Mar 2014 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

RipplesWhen we start changing things through our practice, our life-state, our life-energy, we must expect to encounter a reaction.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction and these can be rather unexpected in nature.

So as we try to improve ourselves, we change the way we react with the world and sometimes the world, or more often the people within it, aren’t quite ready for that change and it can make for some rather uncomfortable situations.

The main thing to remember is, that if you change, your environment must change too. They fit each other perfectly, just like dropping a piece of putty into water. No matter what shape you make the piece of putty, the water will always adapt to fit around it, it has no choice, it is a law of nature.

Even though the ride might get a little bumpy at times, you should see those reactions as confirmation that the changes you are working towards are really happening, and you should remain resolute in working towards your goals.

Just remember to add a little wisdom, courage and compassion into the mix too, that always helps to smooth the ripples you are causing in your own little part of the universal pond.

Greener Grass?

21 Feb 2014 2 Comments

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

Greener Grass?Do not become depressed or downhearted. Do not dwell on every tiny setback in the course of pursuing your chosen path. To do so would be foolish.

Victory or defeat is determined by what we make of our own lives.

What is enviable about the pretentious rich? What is so great about conceited celebrities? What is admirable about political leaders who gained their positions of power by treating others with disdain and contempt?

There is no need to go seeking greener fields. Dig right where you are, for there lies a seam of untold riches. Our Karma fits us like a glove, and no matter what the situation we are trying to change, we are always in exactly the right place to make the causes that will, given time, effect that change.

Breaking The Chains That Bind Us

21 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Breaking The Chains That Bind UsOur actions in previous lives are all engraved upon, and contained within, this lifetime. The causes for our present suffering, our joy, happiness or misery, all lie with our own past actions. But Nichiren Buddhism enables us to fundamentally transform our destiny.

When we truly base ourselves on the Buddhist view of eternal life, we realise the first thing that must change is how we live in the present. In Nichiren Buddhism, change arises from the very depths of our being, brought about by our daily Practice.

When we practice with vigour, strong, pure vitality wells forth in abundance. The chains of our destiny are broken, and our original identity, the fresh and robust world of Buddhahood, shines forth. Far from being set in stone, our destiny truly is in our own hands, through our everyday thoughts, words and deeds.

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