Best Laid Plans

18 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Best Laid PlansAs with all things in the universe, the normal order is that of chaos, and so it was that our Friday night plans to go over to friends for dinner were turned upside down and inside out. Not that the evening wasn’t a real pleasure, it was, but nothing like that which had been envisaged.

Having preconceived ideas about things can be a source of much disappointment. Expectations, as discussed previously, are simply one set of outcomes , seen from your own point of view. These must be shelved, otherwise the enjoyment of events can be completely overshadowed.

When things change, be flexible, allow yourself to see the positives and supress the negatives. Nothing in life is set in stone, so go with the flow, chanting along the way when necessary, and make the most of each and every possibility.

Family And Friends Make Life Fun

17 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Greystones CottageHip hip hoorah, it’s Friday, and we all know what that means! The weekend is upon us once more and the social secretary has been hard at work organising another busy weekend.

With three meals planned with family and friends, as well as a visit from Charlotte, Hannah and all the lads tomorrow afternoon, there will be precious little time for chores …

Being surrounded by family and friends is a very fortunate situation in which to find oneself. Even with both of my brothers living abroad, I still get to see most of the rest of the family on a fairly regular basis.

Both Charlotte and Hannah live within a few minutes of Greystones, so I also spend a lot more time with them and their boys, which is brilliant. Children grow up fast, not seeing them for a few months meant that I missed out on so much. Not any more.

Social connections are a huge factor in the happiness of the individual, so get out there and make those connections. I’m working on the principle that a change is as good as a rest, so I should be full of beans by the time Monday morning comes round. I hope you all have a good one too.

And Life Continues

21 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Wheel of LifeThis is the first day after Ivor’s passing, and it is taking a while for us to comprehend that although he is no longer with us in body, his spirit lives on, and that life in general continues.

It is so reassuring to know that he is at one with the universe and that after resting, he will be back to start his next life. Each lifetime is a journey, an opportunity for us to learn from the challenges it sets us, and to be a better person the next time around.

Ivor was much loved by his family and all those who came into contact with him. It is fascinating to ponder the ways in which he will use the lessons he learned during his next life. Whatever they may be, I am sure that he will make the most of them, becoming an even more loveable character when the Wheel of Life turns once more for him.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

You Have My Support

10 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Apple TreeAt the back of our office, there is a small grass area surrounded by a wilderness of brambles and wild flowers. Last year, someone planted a very small apple tree which has a short piece of aluminium tubing next to it as a support.

Over the winter, and indeed into much of the spring, the tree was doing a very good impression of a dead twig. No leaves, no signs of life at all. But with the slowly rising temperatures, and all the rain, it has sprouted and is growing nicely.

The aluminium stake is only there to help the tree survive the worst of the weather, the wind and storms. It does not help the tree to grow, it is so loosely tied to the developing sapling that it does not influence it in any way, it just stands there and offers support when the tree needs it.

That is how we should be when we offer support to someone. We are not there to influence them or to change the way they are growing, just to provide additional strength when times get tough. We must show compassion when they go through growing pains, have wisdom to help them overcome their issues and use our courage when they lean on us.

Being their support brings it’s own challenges. We have to accept the path the the person we are supporting decides to take, whether it would be our choice or not. We must listen to what the person is saying, but not try to influence them or provide conflicting view points. We also have to have the strength to resist the forces that would otherwise cause us both to falter.

That is the role of a support. It’s not an easy role, but it does bring it’s own rewards. In time, like the tree, the person may in fact become stronger than us and no longer want or need our support. But the joy in seeing them grow and become strong is reward enough for the task undertaken.

Friday Night And All That Jazz

22 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Cool JazzWorking from home can be really productive, no phone calls, no interruptions and a nice environment of peace and quiet. So today I have been camped in Bumble’s kitchen,  accessing my works PC from my laptop and apart from Bob the Builder, who came to install an extractor fan, I hadn’t seen a soul all day.

Don’t tell the lads at work, but I really missed the banter and the company. So even though I got a ton of work done, it’s been a funny day really. I’ve had an eclectic mix of really nice clients and really not so nice clients, but i can say hand on heart, that I treat them all with respect, though it’s not always easy.

So having made it through the working day, I’m looking forward to an evening of Trad Jazz with Bumble and her parents over at their place. It will round off the week nicely and set us all up for another fandabbydozey weekend, including Charlotte’s birthday. I hope you have a great one too.

Forever Friends

09 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

BambooDetermined people of conviction, who stand alone, who pursue their chosen path. Not only are such people good and trustworthy friends themselves, but will also make genuine friends of others.

The bamboo groves of the autumn are gorgeous. Each bamboo tree stands independently, growing straight and tall towards the sky. Yet in the ground, way out of sight, their roots are interwoven and interconnected.

In the same way, true friendship is not a relationship based upon dependence, but one of individual independence. It is the enduring bond that connects self-reliant individuals, comrades who share the same commitment, on a spiritual plane.

Pure Talent

06 May 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Click here to see more of Liz's workSunday is supposed to be the day of rest, but in true Greystones tradition, it was a mixture of work and play. After a slightly later start than yesterday we got on with a few little jobs, little in stature, but as always, bigger in reality, all taking longer than expected.

The highlight of the morning was a visit from B’s friend Liz. She’s a hugely talented lady, an artist and a professional violinist. The sort of person who oozes creativity and who is in the fortunate position to be able to live in a beautiful part of the country, whilst making her living doing things she truly loves.

The highlight of the afternoon was choosing the plants for the hanging baskets for the front of the Cottage. There are so many beautiful plants, but so little room to pack them in, so some difficult choices had to be made. Having decided that we would plump for a pinky purple colour scheme, it narrowed the field down a fair bit.

Having found a selection of tall and short, upright and trailing plants, it was great fun mixing the compost and getting down and dirty in the greenhouse. We had a little battle with the planting. B wanted to go all random, but I wanted them to match. So we came to a compromise of a matching pair of random baskets.

We gave them a good dousing and apart from actually hanging them on the wall they are ready to look beautiful for the whole summer. It’s lovely ‘creating’ a feature out of plants and flowers. Even a klutz like me can make a beautiful display when you have nature’s perfection to work with. When they are fixed in place and looking lovely, I’ll post some pictures so you can enjoy them too.

Be Careful What You Wish For

26 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Be Careful What You Wish ForSo many of us wish for things we would like, or wish to be things we aren’t. Short people wish they were taller, plump people wish they were thin, people with straight hair wish it was curly, people with curly hair wish it was straight.

Of course we are all ‘trained’ to want things from an early age, it’s a product of the consumerist society, and we are all urged to be dissatisfied with what we have, in favour of what the ad men can tempt us into buying.

But surely this way of going about things is a recipe for a certain degree of unhappiness. There are bound to be things we cannot have, maybe because it’s a physical impossibility, being taller when you are short, curly haired when your own is straight. So maybe there is a better way to look at things.

How about concentrating on the good aspects of our lives? You only have to take a few moments to think about it, and you will find that there are dozens, if not hundreds of things you are happy to have.

Maybe it’s your partner, family and friends. Maybe it’s good health, a decent job or even just having enough. So rather than thinking about the things you would like to have, take time to celebrate the things you already have, that are so precious to you, and things you would not like to live without.

And remember, you should always be careful about what you wish for. As a wise man once said, ‘Don’t wish for the stars, after all, where would to keep them all?’

Another POV

05 Feb 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Ask the FamilySometimes it is really easy to get bogged down in our own little world, and find ourselves blinkered by our own thoughts, feelings and opinions, simply because we fail to see things from another person’s point of view.

Years ago, there was a TV quiz show called Ask the Family, hosted by the wonderful Robert Robinson. It was a great series, based on two families, usually Mother, Father and two children, answering general knowledge questions. Good wholesome entertainment and traditional family viewing.

I really liked the round where they would show an image of something really familiar, but from a strange angle. The trick was to identify the object by using your mind’s eye to fill in the missing bits of the image.

Being able to see the world from the others person’s point of view is a bit like that. Using our imagination to put ourselves in their position gives us a better idea of what they are experiencing and hence allows us to make wiser, more compassionate decisions about how we should react to them and their situation.

Next time you find yourself wondering about how to relate to someone’s issues, take a moment to try to see things from their side of the table. It isn’t always easy, but it is always worth that bit of effort, and you will find that you can be of more help, more supportive and more understanding for making the effort. It can be very rewarding for you, and is usually gratefully received.

Grabbing A Bargain?

26 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Selling OutNearly everyone I know has been rushing out to the Boxing Day sales today, determined to grab that ‘must have’ bargain. But is it a ‘must have’, is it even a ‘bargain’, is it, really?

All over Christmas, at every commercial break, we get bombarded with ‘Bargain Offers’ for buy now, pay later ‘Must Haves’ … Rubbish.

Happiness stems from who you are, and not from what you own. That nice new iPad2 or iPhone 4s that you have been showing off, will very soon be yesterdays toy, and the next big ‘must have’ thing will come along to take its place.

Look around you, see how much you really have, family, friends and all manner of comforts in life. You don’t need that ‘must have’ gizmo, and if it really were such a ‘bargain’, why would the company be selling it at that price? Because they are just ripping you off by a little less than before.

Retail therapy is only therapy for the companies selling the goods. Tell me, honestly, that you have never been out, bought a ‘bargain’, and regretted it, maybe even before you got home. Think before you spend that hard earned cash, think even harder before you pay with your credit card or take a loan. Do you really need it?

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries