Those of you who know me personally will be aware that I am on a bit of a quest to lose some excess weight and get my poor old body back into shape. The same people will also know that I can get a bit addicted to challenges like this, with charts and spread sheets and training plans, the full Monty.
I find it easier to focus on a goal when I know the details of exactly what is required to achieve it, so I decided to do a little maths to work out where I am along this path to a slimmer me.
There are roughly 6618 kcal in each kg of body fat. Assuming that all the weight I want to lose is body fat, that’s another 106,500 kcals I have to burn, over and above that my body uses just to function.
Now I am currently burning around 35 kcal per kilometre, whilst cycling, which means that I will have to cycle another 2960 kilometres (at least) to reach my goal. That’s Land’s End to John O’Groats and back or there about, which is enough to focus anyone’s mind on the task.
So where’s the Buddhism in all this? Well it’s about self-improvement and self-awareness, it needs determination and a degree of courage, tempered by a great deal of acquired wisdom, so as not to injure or make myself ill in the process.
It’s also about the level of focus needed. Being aware, every waking minute of every day, of the effects of all your actions, be that eating, walking, drinking, sitting, cycling, you name it. For every cause, there is an effect, so when the desired effect is known, it is all about making more causes to foster that effect than those that deter the effect from happening.
So far so good, and interesting how well Nam Myoho Renge Kyo fits my breathing pattern when I’m head down, pressing on.
When times are easy and things go our way, it is easy to stick to the plan. It is when things go wrong, problems arise, or we are distracted from our Practice that we need to summon up our inner strength.
When life is beginning to feel a bit like swimming in treacle, the only key to success is to draw on your own determination. Sometimes things don’t go the way you wish and that can be for a number of reasons. But if you can remain calm, suppress your frustrations and stay focused, things will change.
If you ride a bicycle on UK roads, you’ll know how lovely it can be to find yourself on a stretch of nice smooth new tarmac. The lumps and bumps of our older repaired roads really can rattle your bones, so the new surface is a real treat.
Recently, we talked about the fact that we only lose when we decide we have lost. Having the courage, patience and determination to press on, even when all the signs are telling you to stop, to give in, to cut and run, can allow amazing unexpected results to occur.
Being a success or good at something isn’t just about talent, it’s about having the desire, in your heart, to make it happen. Ichinen is a Japanese word meaning determination (amongst other things). If you have a strong Ichinen, you are far more likely to reach your goal. You still have to put in the effort and in fact, the more talent you have, the more effort is needed, because your end result might be far more exacting than a less talented person.
Self awareness, the realisation of who, or what you really are, comes to some people with age, but for me, it came at a point in life where I was at my all time low. Seeing my true reflection in the mirror was a long and painful process, there’s no joy in realising that you are someone you don’t really like, but it lead me to the turning point that has allowed me to change for the better.
As you meet various trials and difficulties, thus polishing all the many facets of the jewel which is life, you will learn to walk that supreme pathway of humanity.
The Search For Enlightenment 
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