Just Another Day … Almost

19 Nov 2014 1 Comment

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

Just Another Birthday Birthdays are funny things aren’t they When you are little, they are the best thing next to Christmas, you count down the days and they take ages to arrive.

Then you become a teenager and your life changes almost overnight. Shortly after, one day you are a child, the next you are an adult, and so it goes on.

Certain birthdays are real milestones in life. 18, 21, 30, 40, 50, 65, the list goes on. However, 60 isn’t on any list that I subscribe to, so today was really just another day, albeit a very nice one. The last twelve months have been life changing for me, my strengthening faith in Nichiren Buddhism being one of the most important aspects of that.

But now it’s nearly over, and tomorrow will literally be just another day. So it is only left for me to thank all my family and friends for the presents, the cards and the nice greetings on Facebook and the like. I am grateful that I have chalked up another year. When you see the news, every day there are many, many people who don’t. So I should really be most thankful for my good fortune, life in all it’s glory, should never be taken for granted.

Happiness Of The Heart

14 Sep 2014 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Happiness Of The HeartHappiness is a matter of the heart. This is not mere spiritualism. Our hearts are precious vessels endowed with the treasure of Buddhahood.

When we strive earnestly in faith and practice to reveal our Buddhahood, we can walk along the sure and steady path to happiness and attain a state of complete fulfilment and satisfaction.

Nichiren writes: “Fortune comes from one’s heart and makes one worthy of respect.”

Ironic Or What?

07 Aug 2014 2 Comments

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

The Barn Of FollyIt’s a fairly well known fact that 90% of the wealth of the UK is in the hands of 10% of the population, which is a shocking state of affairs in my opinion.

Of course it’s fairly easy to be shocked when you aren’t one of the 10%, but it got me wondering whether I would be any more benevolent if I were.

You may remember the fable about the rich farmer who, having grown his crops, decided that he needed to store it somewhere safe, so that the peasants of the area couldn’t get their thieving hands on any of it. So he set about building a huge barn, and made it secure so it kept out the riff-raff.

It must have taken him quite a while to build it, but finally it was finished, and he was happy that his crops would now be safe. Of course, there was far more than he would ever need himself, but he locked it all away and hoarded it for his old age. Ironically, the night the barn was finished, he died in his sleep.

So the adage that ‘you can’t take it with you’ is anything but new. So I suppose the lesson from the story is, if you have enough of anything, money, food, whatever, you are fortunate. If you have more than enough, you are more than fortunate, and you might consider sharing some of it with others less fortunate, particularly in these austere times.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

12 Jun 2014 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Looks Can Be DeceivingA wise man once said, “There are people who are happy just drinking water. On the other hand, there are some who sink into sorrow and despair while surrounded by pure luxury.”

Whether a person is happy or not cannot be judged solely by their appearance.

When you take time to look back on your life, sometimes you realise that the toughest times were the most fulfilling and happiest moments.

Precious Vessels

14 Dec 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Precious VesselsHappiness is a matter of the heart. This is not mere spiritualism. Our hearts are precious vessels endowed with the treasure of Buddhahood.

When we strive earnestly in faith and practice and reveal our Buddhahood, we can walk along the sure and steady path to happiness and attain a state of complete fulfilment and satisfaction.

Nichiren writes: “Fortune comes from one’s heart and makes one worthy of respect.”

Isn’t It Ironic?

25 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

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

The Barn Of FollyIt’s a fairly well known fact that 90% of the wealth of the UK is in the hands of 10% of the population, which is a shocking state of affairs in my opinion.

Of course it’s fairly easy to be shocked when you aren’t one of the 10%, but it got me wondering whether I would be any more benevolent if I were.

You may remember the fable about the rich farmer who, having grown his crops, decided that he needed to store it somewhere safe, so that the peasants of the area couldn’t get their thieving hands on any of it. So he set about building a huge barn, and made it secure so it kept out the riff-raff.

It must have taken quite a while to build it, but finally it was finished, and he was happy that his crops would now be safe. Of course, there was far more than he could ever need himself, but he locked it all away and hoarded it for his old age. Ironically, the night the barn was finished, he died in his sleep.

So the adage that ‘you can’t take it with you’ is anything but new. So I suppose the lesson from the story is, if you have enough of anything, money, food, whatever, you are fortunate. If you have more than enough, you are more than fortunate, and you might consider sharing some of it with others less fortunate, particularly in these austere times.

Simply Caring

19 Sep 2013 1 Comment

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

Caring HandsIn this world of ours, where it sometimes seems like looking out for anyone but ourselves is frowned upon, here is a lesson from Daisaku Ikeda as to the reasons why we should care …

The misfortune of others is our misfortune. Our happiness is the happiness of others. To see ourselves in others, and feel an inner oneness and sense of unity with them, represents a fundamental revolution in the way we view and live our lives.

Therefore, discriminating against another person is the same as discriminating against oneself. When we hurt another, we are hurting ourselves. And when we respect others, we respect and elevate our own lives as well.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Is Tonight Your Lucky Night?

03 Aug 2013 1 Comment

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

Intrinsic ValueThey are estimating that tonight’s UK National Lottery draw will have a rollover jackpot of £5.9M. What would you do with that kind of money? Buy a fancy car, a posh house, a nice yacht maybe even a helicopter or plane ?

It’s a pipedream for so many people, which is where all the money comes from, from the tickets that people buy. For many, it is, in effect, their only realistic route to such riches. Or is it?

Buying their lottery tickets once, twice, or even three times a week, is their little bit of fantasy, their chance to win big. There is nothing wrong with such dreams, somebody has to win, sometime. But I wonder whether it masks, to some degree, their responsibility for their own lives, futures and fortunes?

Of course, the idea behind the lotteries, scratch cards and the rest of the paraphernalia is to raise money for projects, worthy causes and charity work that is so needed in these austere times. All well and good, it’s a bit of harmless fun, a couple of quid a week to buy the chance to live the high life.

I’ll never win it, I know that for a fact. The very first UK National Lottery was drawn on my 40th birthday, not as a celebration of that auspicious event, it just happened that way. For the first few weeks I went along with the wave of enthusiasm, the same as everyone else. When it became clear that there was more chance of being struck by lightning than picking six correct numbers, I stopped.

Now I’m not preaching against the evils of gambling, for that is what it is. I don’t want to stop people having a little slice of fun, if that is how they want to achieve that. But we are all responsible, all in charge and in control of our own fortunes, not those fat cats at Lottery HQ. So have your fun, get excited as the balls rattle around inside Arthur or Lancelot, but never forget, your life is your responsibility, take charge of it with both hands, summon up boundless determination and make it happen.

Crisis Management

17 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

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

Challenges AheadWith the economy failing to show any signs of improvement, there is the ever present possibility of changes in our circumstances. Companies are constantly looking to cut costs, increase profits for their shareholders, and staff are often the unwitting victims of such changes. The result of all this may cause us to feel like we are heading for a personal crisis.

But there really is hope in such situations. The Chinese spell the word crisis with two characters. The first character means danger, the second, opportunity. So we can all look upon a crisis in two ways if we so choose.

Obviously, any crisis can be a source of danger. The very word conjures up a sense of foreboding, a situation that is out of control. But with that danger comes the opportunity to make something better with the energy that comes to us all when put in a dangerous position.

The natural rise in adrenalin when we face danger, the classic fight or flight reaction, gives us superhuman levels of energy. We have all heard of stories of incidents where someone has lifted a car off a trapped friend or family member or run incredibly fast to rescue a child from danger. It’s a natural reaction, it’s nothing superhuman at all.

Many of us need a short sharp shock to bring us out of a state of lethargy, something that sparks us into life and gives us the impetus to make huge positive changes to our lives. My own interest in Nichiren Buddhism was sparked by a sudden change in family situation, so I know that good things can come from a painful event.

If you find you are facing a crisis, take heart, remember that opportunity comes along as well as the danger, good fortune comes to those who seek it.

Heartfelt Happiness

12 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Heartfelt HappinessHappiness is a matter of the heart. This is not mere spiritualism. Our hearts are precious vessels endowed with the treasure of Buddhahood.

When we strive earnestly in faith and practice and reveal our Buddhahood, we can walk along the sure and steady path to happiness and attain a state of complete fulfilment and satisfaction.

Nichiren writes: “Fortune comes from one’s heart and makes one worthy of respect.”

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