Back To Earth – No Bump

06 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Back To Earth - No BumpMeanwhile, back in Ringwood, the real world continues to turn. Having thoroughly enjoyed the Jubilee weekend, all four days of it, work was a pleasant and satisfying alternative today, rather surprisingly.

Of course, there was the usual mountain of email to be processed, but because I had been forced to take a long hard look at myself the other day, there was a greater feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment as the pile got gradually smaller and smaller.

The short sharp shock we sometimes need to wake us from our slumbers can be painful, but the resulting state of wakefulness is very invigorating and is ample reward for the bruised ego and dented pride.

Would you Adam & Eve It?

23 May 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

CrutchesThe traffic this morning was terrible, long queues for no apparent reason, right round the LV roundabout, and chanting wasn’t helping at all. Then we came across the cause, a lady had broken down on one of the few single carriageway sections. She was standing next to her stricken Focus, trying not to catch the eye of the furious motorists as they drove past. My heart went out to her. Being on her own, what was she supposed to do, and after all, nobody died or got eaten by bears. A little more compassion please folks.

With Bumble away, and the mobile signal being a bit flaky over there, we didn’t have our usual morning chat on the way to work. It’s a bit sad I know, but I do miss her when we don’t get to talk. So I was delighted when she called. She was walking down to the ferry and going off to Bryher for the day. Although they weren’t enjoying the glorious sunshine we had in Ringwood, it was warm and the air was soft. As we spoke, she kept stopping to take photos of wild flowers and views across the beach, and I was worried that she might pull off a repeat of the missed ferry on Monday.

Her call at lunchtime alleviated all those fears, she was on the island and enjoying the scenery in perfect isolation. Not another person in sight. So when we spoke just before 6:00 I was expecting more superlatives as she described the adventures of the day. Sadly that was not to be. Just after we spoke, she had put her foot into an unseen rabbit hole and has badly sprained her ankle.

Fortunately, the folks of the Scilly Isles have far more compassion than those in the traffic jam earlier today. It seems that she has been helped in every conceivable way, mainly by complete strangers, and is back with Josie and hobbling around with the aid or a pair of walking sticks. The crutches are coming over on the morning ferry, so that might give her a little more mobility.

Being a bloke, I instantly needed to fix things as soon as I heard about the accident. Of course that isn’t possible, or even needed, but it didn’t stop me feeling helpless. When we spoke on Skype tonight she sensed my mood. It’s no fun for me, being in such a position, but it won’t help Bumble, me being down, so I have chanted and got myself into a better place. The morning will bring a fresh medical report, I just hope that her injury doesn’t spoil her already curtailed holiday too much.

Mixed Emotions

22 May 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Mixed EmotionsWhat a weird day, a proper rollercoaster of emotions. Being treated like an idiot is not the most fun, even though I may deserve it after the events of last week. Knowing that Bumble has safely arrived in the silly Scilly Isles made me feel better, having had a terrible night, waking up every half hour and wondering whether she was still safe, sleeping in the Yaris, in the middle of the ferry car park.

As we have discussed before, we can learn from the challenges of each and every day. The more taxing the day, the greater the opportunity we have to learn, but don’t expect it to be easy. Maintaining a pleasant demeanour whilst trying not to think evil thoughts was pretty tough, but I’m sure the protagonists have enhanced their karma, in one way or another.

Having had a good chant, a lovely video call to Bumble on Skype, and plenty of time to think about the day, I’m in a much better place now. Trying to reach enlightenment can be very challenging, though nobody ever said that perfection came easy. I’ve still got a long way to go, but days like today make the journey much more interesting.

Still Swimming

17 May 2012 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Jack Russell with a stickThis little software issue is taxing the best brains in our partner company, it looks like a really simple problem, but it’s more tenacious than a Jack Russell with a stick.

So another full on day in Newbury and determination is the key to solving it. I am driving up there again in the morning, determined and full of life-energy from all the on-road chanting I’m doing en-route.

It is a well known Buddhist saying that our problems are not the real problem, it is the way we perceive them that is the problem.

Don’t have problems, have a series of challenges. Challenges are just problems that we are confident that we can overcome. Our problems come and go, nothing lasts forever, so view them with an open mind, look on them as challenges and remember, you are turning poison into medicine.

Even places that have been shrouded in darkness for billions of years can be illuminated by a simple lit candle. Even a stone from the bottom of the deepest river can be used to produce fire.

Our present sufferings, no matter how dark, have certainly not existed for billions of years, nor will they linger forever.

The sun will definitely rise, in fact its ascent has already begun. With determination, we can all overcome our problems, so look on them as challenges and enjoy the victory when it arrives.

Swimming Against The Tide

16 May 2012 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Newbury Clock HouseWell that was not a day I care to remember. It started with a ‘dressing down’ from the boss, partly for something that was non of my own doing but mostly for something I hadn’t done. That was closely followed by a number of painful email and telephone conversations, fire-fighting issues over which I have little or no control, caused by malfunctions which are beyond my control.

As a result of the admonishment, albeit given in good humour, I found myself on the M3/A38, heading towards Newbury, to a meeting with our software partners, to sort out a very nutty little problem, or should I say challenge? Fortunately, this gave me plenty of time to exercise my lungs by chanting at the top of my voice, which made the world a sunnier place all of a sudden.

It also gave me time to contemplate the causes for the situation and to come to the conclusion that I am more than a little responsible. So with a resolution to the software issue close at hand, and with the sun beaming down in the West, it was in a much better life-state and hence better mood, that I made my way back to MQ this evening.

Being responsible for, and accepting the effects of our actions is sometimes rather tough. But the alternative means that we are not in control of our lives or the things that happen to us. A good lesson for me, it can also be a good lesson for you too. When things go a little awry, take a good look at what is causing the issues and resolve to make the causes to put those things right.

The M Word

23 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Time After TimeUrgh !!! Monday morning, five o’clock, and the alarm on my mobile is insisting that it’s time to get up, pack, and set off back to Ringwood. I’m not going to say it again, but each time is just a little more painful than the last.

The rain only made the drive less pleasant, not that it’s a difficult trip, but it’s nice to see the countryside when it’s bathed in early morning sunshine rather than the drizzle that followed me all the way to Hampshire.

The day went well, eased along by the mirth and banter in the office. Having a couple of hours to chant always helps too, particularly when, I have to admit, I had been rather lax in that department this weekend.

Lots of issues and tasks later, I was feeling like I had put in a good shift. A couple of useful and rather friendly customer phone calls also helped the day fly by. So by the time I got back home, for the first time in nearly four days, there were the usual chores to be done as well as sorting out my evening meal.

So now I’m back in the groove, fed, watered and sorted, well sort of. So I’m going to do Gongyo, raise my life-state and then get a good night’s sleep, ready to start all over again tomorrow. At least the trip to the office will only take thirty minutes in the morning, I hope.

All Bugged Up

19 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Chant Yourself BetterThe morning had started so well, that pesky virus that the boss had brought into the office had appeared to have been defeated and I was feeling great. My morning auto chant had been followed by a short phone call to Bumble and all was right with the world.

But as the day wore on I started feeling sniffy and my throat was getting sore again, curse you pesky virus. It was clear that the infection had just taken the morning off but was now back with a vengeance, just in time for my annual appraisal.

So the boss and I coughed and sniffed our way through, what turned out to be a rather positive, dissection of my last twelve month’s of effort. It looks as though my bonus will fall well short of that of the bankers, so short in fact, that it will be non-existent, but times are tight.

By the time it came to wend our way home, I was feeling hot and cold, had a runny nose and just felt like going straight to bed, so I did. But by nine, I was wide awake and needed to take the fight to these invaders. So I put on some warm clothing, had a hot drink, and settled down in front of my Gohonzon.

Who knows what the neighbours thought, because I’m usually quite quiet when I chant, but tonight I let rip and kept it going and going. With my hands pressed together against my chest, I could feel the vibrations coming from my solar plexus and that’s always a good sign.

After forty minutes of chanting, my nose had stopped running, my temperature felt normal and most surprising, my sore throat has gone. Now I’m not claiming any mythical healing powers for chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, but my life-energy was definitely on the up.

All I know is, that chanting works for me. Whether I’m feeling down, or stressed, or in this case, a bit sick, it works. It’s actually a pretty good work out if you do it with some gusto, a bit like a gentle jog or a bike ride, nothing too strenuous. But it allows me to focus on my self-awareness and to let whatever is ailing me drift off into the background.

So next time to get the sniffles, forget the Night Nurse, the Beecham’s or the paracetamol, give yourself a huge dose of extra strength NMRK and feel better instantly.

Walking The Walk

12 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Walking The WalkWhether it was the early night and the extra couple of hours sleep that made me a bit dopey, or whether it was the difficult topic of conversation I was having on my Bluetooth headset I don’t really know. But I wasn’t very proud of the way I dealt with the situation when a chap didn’t stop at the road traffic calming ‘chicane’, forcing me to mount the kerb to avoid hitting him in his bright green Honda Civic.

It’s easy to sit here, in the quiet of my living room, and pontificate about staying calm and dealing with challenges in a nice controlled manner. Being able to deal with real life situations is so different from the theory, but it does give you a really good measure of how well you are doing on your journey to enlightenment.

I did manage to stay fairly calm, helped possibly by the fact that I didn’t find any damage to the car when I stopped to take a quick look. The traffic down to Canford Bottom roundabout was slow and that gave me a few moments to compose myself further. I then chanted my head off all the way to Ringwood, so by the time I got into the office I was chilled and in the right life-state to tackle the usual pile of emails waiting in my inbox.

So when you read some of the topics on my blog, and think ‘I could never be like that’ or ‘I would like to give that a try, but I just can’t see it working for me’ remember that I’m only human and that even though I do practice what I preach, it doesn’t always work all the time. Still I was quite proud that I managed to ‘get it together’ though chanting and mindfulness. Learning, through a little slip, is valuable and just goes to prove that we do need challenges to make us stronger.

Super Sunny Smiles

23 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Sunny DayWhat a beautiful day!!! I know we have a water shortage here in Dorset, as do many areas of the UK, but it’s difficult to wish for rain on such a glorious summer-like day. The sun is streaming down, warming the shoots of Spring and putting a smile on everyone’s face.

Just to make things even better, our company results were released today, showing we have turned a decent profit, even in these austere times, and it’s my last day at work for a whole week. Marvellous!!!

Sunshine, good news and holidays are great at raising your life-state. It’s very difficult to be in hell-state when the world looks so warm and inviting. In a similar way, when we are chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, we feel the warmth of our faith and that also gives the world around us a sunny disposition.

On this wonderful sunny day it’s impossible to feel depressed, and my practice simply serves to make a good day even better.

More Monday Mayhem

19 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Monday MayhemBy now you might be getting the idea that I really don’t like Mondays. It’s always minor mayhem in the office, lots of emails to answer, tons of orders to process, but it’s always been like that. I can deal with the work, as I’ve said before, it’s far better than no work, so I live with it.

What really makes it harder is having to leave Bumble back in Bristol. After having a fun weekend together, it’s no fun driving down the A36 at 6:00 in the morning, particularly when the car is telling me it’s -2°C outside. But needs must and I get to the office just before 8:30, despite having to follow a monster agricultural contraption for miles.

The day flies by, helped along by an unexpected call from B, just checking that I’m not in some ditch somewhere. Lunchtime comes and goes and still the email mountain sits looking at me, but slowly and surely I work my way through it, the process punctuated by a number of customer phone calls. I leave around 5:20, with the boss still hard at it.

I’m tired, and the flat can be a bit quiet, but then the phone rings. It’s B, and we have a nice chat about the day and the events of the weekend. The evening is taken up with the mundane things in life, washing, cleaning, all the things that get neglected whilst I’m in Bristol. Another chat with B, as she snuggles down for the night, then a quick call to my mom to make sure she’s ok, and Monday’s done. Tomorrow will be a lot easier, but I must stop wishing my Mondays away, I’m off to chant, that’ll fix it.

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