Get It Sorted

24 May 2013 2 Comments

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

Rubik's CubeSorting out our life can be a bit like solving a Rubik’s cube, each aspect is like one of the faces, separate but all connected. We work to get one face, let’s say Blue sorted out. On it’s own that task is pretty easy and we complete it quite quickly. So we move on to to the Red face, again it’s pretty easy, in isolation, so we get it sorted and we feel a satisfaction in that. But then we turn the cube back to the Blue side, and it’s all messed up again, because it is connected to the Red side.

Life is just like that. Every aspect of life is connected, to our family, our friends, our work. Just like Rubik’s cube, unless you know the rules for arranging the sides, it can be pretty impossible. The only way to get our lives sorted, is to learn the rules governing how they fit together. I say rules, but there’s nothing written down anywhere that will teach you. So it’s often a case of trial and error, to some degree. Hopefully our parents teach us the ground rules, but every situation is different, so it’s necessary to modify or adapt the rules so they fit.

There are two big differences between life and Rubik’s cube. The first is that unlike the cube, life is no game, obviously, and second, life is nowhere as simple as getting six coloured faces sorted out. So whether you are playing with a Rubik’s cube, or trying to sort your life out, I wish you good fortune. Wisdom, courage and compassion in huge and equal measure will go a long way in many respects. From my point of view, the news is mixed. I’m getting better, but still learning to do both.

Fix Your Anchor

20 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Fix Your AnchorDo you ever find yourself getting into a state over a situation that is mainly in your own head? If your world is not anchored by your faith and is dependant on factors outside your control, your imagination can run riot. Our Fundamental Darkness, or My Evil Friend, is a devious character and will use everything to get it’s way. Your imagination is one of it’s most powerful weapons.

This is how I was until I found Nichiren Buddhism, and it is a very precarious state in which to live. Each day can be up, or down, at the whim of something or someone else, and that’s no way to go through life, particularly if that something or someone cannot be relied upon. Everything, everyone changes over time, so basing your happiness on them is bound to fail, sooner or later.

Taking back control of your life is simple, it is a state of mind, a determination to re-centre, re-focus your life. That certainly doesn’t mean that you have to rid yourself of the something or someone, and it doesn’t mean that your relationship with them is any less important. It’s just that your life centres around something infinitely stable, and that can make all the difference in the world.

My anchor, my honzon is my practice, and I’m a better, calmer, more contented person for that. I am happier for that, and at the end of the day, isn’t that what we all seek from life, a little more happiness?

And Relax

18 Mar 2013 2 Comments

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

And RelaxYou all know the saga about the round of redundancies at my place of work. It’s been a very trying time for all concerned. It’s not the easiest economic climate to find work at the moment, particularly when you are a gentleman of a certain age, as I am.

So you can imagine my relief when the phone rang at lunchtime and it was the boss calling to tell me that I had been successful in my application for the role of the Internal IT Helpdesk Technician.

Alright, it’s not the most influential role in the world, it ‘s not even the most influential role in the department, but it’s a role, a paid role, and it gives me back a little control over my destiny.

Interestingly, it is all down to cause and effect. During the redundancy discussions, I asked for the job spec and whether I might apply. Once my application had been accepted, I had to go through the interview stage, a little nerve wracking, but I made it.

So the fact that I am not now leaving on March 26th, that my continuous service will be maintained, as will my pension and share options, is down to me. Down to me making the causes in order to see the effects I am now seeing.

Having taken all the credit, the chanting clearly helped, as did all the very welcome support from my family and friends, who never stopped believing in me, or at least never let on if they did.

Thank you all, we did it !!!

Cistern Overload

05 Jan 2013 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Cistern OverloadWhat a start to the day. First thing I get woken by a torrent of text messages telling me the company website has gone AWOL and needs restarting, again. Fortunately, Super Dan has written a magic little application to automate the restart procedure, sadly I had the wrong URL to get into it. Super Guy came to the rescue and did the necessary.

Having had half an hour to get the sleep out of my eyes I popped to the loo before loading up the washing machine for the weeks laundry. As the machine started I became aware of the sound of running water. Not unusual in the circumstances, but it sounded wrong. Tracing the source of the sound, I was horrified to find that part of the cistern had broken in the en-suite, flooding the wall, curtains, roller-blind and carpets.

I managed to subdue the geyser of freezing water using a few pieces of cooking foil and made a hasty call to the plumber. He said he would be round shortly, so having mopped up as best I could, I decided to make sure that my Sky box was set up to record the FA Cup football later in the day.

Now normally it would take a couple of seconds to access the EPG and set the programs to record, but not today. For some inexplicable reason the box had decided to reset itself to default settings, and it took me quite a while to sort everything out. Surely things could only get better from here on in?

The news from Dave the plumber was not the best. He was going to have to get the spare part needed to fix the problem, so although he was able to isolate the loo, allowing me to turn the water back on, it’s going to be Tuesday or Wednesday before it’s fixed properly. Still, it will take that long, at least, before the carpets are able to dry out fully.

Fortunately the rest of the day was far more enjoyable. A trip to Westbourne, including a bimble round the Mind, Body, Spirit shop and the discovery of a very tasty fig and hazelnut bread in M&S lifted to spirits, no pun intended. Then a walk along the beach, after a much needed coffee at Branksome Chine, before heading home to catch a great movie, made the horrors of the morning pale into insignificance.

Always good to look on the bright side of life. Where have I heard that before?

A Special Day

19 Nov 2012 2 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

The Wheel Of Life Keeps TurningIt’s no great secret, but today was my birthday. 21 again, for the umpteenth time, making me officially 58, although I certainly don’t feel it, whatever that might mean. Time sneaks by, almost unnoticed and suddenly another year has passed.

Growing old gracefully is a gentle art. Growing old disgracefully, on the other hand, takes real commitment. So, many is the time that I have stated what I believe to be a fact. That a man grows old, though never quite manages to grow up. Sorry ladies, but some of us are eternal children, and long may it be so.

Anyway, apart from having to attend the institution I like to call work, it has been a very special day. I have been inundated with cards, calls, texts and messages of felicitation on all manner of social network. It is a wonderful feeling to know that I am so connected to my family and friends, and I thank you all for your kind words and loving messages.

In reciprocation, aside from the offering of cakes, which disappeared in double quick time, I will strive with all my might, to make it to the same date next year in one piece.

A Little Light

26 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

A Little LightSometimes situations seem so painful, and we have so little control, that there is a real chance of losing hope. In the past, before I found Nichiren Buddhism, I might have struggled to cope with the pain and anguish that Charlotte has been suffering this past week.

Being at arms length, unable to make any real difference to the situation, and having to rely on reports from Rob, Hannah and Karen to try to stay connected to what was happening is tough. I’m pretty hopeless at letting things lie at the best of times, but something like this is really difficult.

So I am pleased to be able to say that there is a light at the end of this long tunnel. Charlotte has been discharged from hospital and is on her way home. The staff must be confident that she is stable enough to leave, though none of us are under any misapprehension that there is still a long way to go before she is healed.

At least she will be back in familiar surroundings and will have her boys around her. Jake is old enough to understand what has been going on, and that he must be careful. Oliver is probably still too little to be much trouble. But Zach, who is a little bulldozer at times, will have to be ‘educated’ about being gentle with his mummy.

I am really happy to have some good news, and would like to thank all the good people who have sent messages of support for Charlotte and the rest of the family. You know who you are, and we are privileged to be surrounded by such lovely caring folk.

Namaste ~ Anupadin

Sunshine And Fresh Air

13 Oct 2012 4 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Sun, Sea and SandThere is nothing better than getting out in the fresh air and sunshine. Today has been really beautiful, a striking contrast from most of the days this week, so a few hours down by the sea has done me a world of good. It’s all too easy to get depressed about the things that aren’t going quite the way we would like them to.

Sailing ship off Bournemouth BeachSo getting out into the sunshine, instead of sitting in front of the PC, seemed like a very good idea. Walking along the prom from Branksome Chine to Sandbanks and back, taking in the sights and sounds of the seaside was just what I needed today. Having Steve and young Riley for company just made the trip all the better.

It’s funny, because The Dark Passenger was doing his best to persuade me to give it a miss. Just shows how wrong he can be sometimes.

Good Friends

30 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Good FriendsWhat Buddhism terms ‘good friends’, are sincere, honest people without a trace of deceit, who guide others toward the correct path, toward good. It also refers to people who lend their assistance or support to us so that we can practice Buddhism with full assurance.

If you become close to a person who makes you feel “that person is always glowing and animated” or “When I’m with that person I feel strong and secure,” then your faith will naturally deepen, and you will develop bountiful wisdom. In carrying out this Buddhist practice, encountering good friends is the key to obtaining Buddhahood.

– Daisaku Ikeda

Pacing Ourselves, Or Not

02 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Privet HedgeAfter the full on day yesterday, the start this morning was a little more sedate, although we still had big plans for the privet hedge, so breakfast was soon over. Bumble is trying to pace herself, trying to cram less into the day and give herself more time to just be.

We had promised ourselves, that we would only do an hour of trimming the hedge, but we made such a good start, that I was determined to get right to the top of the garden before we called it a day.

The cutting went really well. I ended up in the lane next to the cottage, standing on the top of a set of step ladders, so I could reach the hedge. Bumble stayed in the garden, so we were able to attack the job on two fronts and still chat.

Apart from a few interruptions, stopping to let cars down the lane, and Bumble going to get some industrial strength loppers from the chaps next door, we went at it for a lot longer than planned. But the end of the trimming was not the end of the job.

We managed to talk a neighbour, Tim, into letting us dump the clippings in his field, which saved a lot of time, but there was still a huge pile of them to get moved. At first, Bumble tried moving them in the green wheelie bin, but that proved rather unwieldy, so then we stuffed as much as we could into a huge hessian sack and moved it on the wheelbarrow.

That too proved difficult. The sack was far too big and too high to balance on the barrow, so while I wheeled the barrow, Bumble tried to hold the sack in place. But the path through the field is rather narrow, surrounded on both sides by fruit trees and other stuff, and I had the misfortune to get whacked round the ear by a small, but rather firm apple at one point.

Bumble appeared to see the funny side more easily than I, but I did reap my revenge at her mirth, by putting the empty sack over her head once the clippings had reached their destination.

With most of the grunt work done, I retired to watch the Belgian Grand Prix while B pottered around the garden until her friend Carly, a fellow Occupational Terrorist, came to visit. Carly did at least provide an interruption to the proceedings, so a little pacing was achieved.

When Carly left, around dinner time, I planted some new seedlings, donated by the chaps next door, who are shortly off to live in Malta, while Bumble set about making dinner. Even so, by the time we were fed and watered and had showered, we were both pretty well pooped.

So another fruitful, in more ways than one, kind of day. Lots done, with a degree of moderation built in to boot. By ten we were both tucked up in bed and out for the count. Pacing yourself is sometimes easier said than done, but with both parties giving their all in the quest for a shorter hedge, I think we managed it pretty well.

Recuperation

19 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

RecuperationOverindulgence, in whatever form, often leads to a period of recuperation, and so it was today. The evenings jollifications with Phil and Nick yesterday led to Bumble being laid low for most of the day. Not that she went bonkers, or anything like, but it appears that her constitution was compromised and she spent the day recovering.

In fact, the whole day could be described as lethargic. Having breakfast with our guests, followed by a visit from Steve and Sue, meant that any ideas of a slow and lazy start had to be canned.

Burning the candle at both ends leads to burned fingers and a very short candle, which leaves one feeling a bit battered and bruised and not a little tired. We did get a fair few of the to-do list items sorted, but we both had power-naps in the afternoon, when we really should have been out in the fresh air and sunshine.

We also left it too late to get together with Charlotte and Hannah yesterday, the legacy of trying to fit too much into the time available. So once again plans were scrapped, and although it was a very enjoyable day, we were both left a bit too tired to make the most of it.

Still, nobody died or was eaten by bears, so we can take the lessons learned and make sure that we space our activities out a little better in future. Much more chanting and a little more resting required me thinks. These old bones are in fine fettle considering, but they just can’t take the strain at times.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

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