Shorter Days

03 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Lighting The WayCycling to and from work is doing me a power of good, though I am beginning to wonder just how much longer I can do it before the ever darker mornings force me to change my route, or invest in some serious lights.

This morning, although sunrise was officially 5 minutes before I set off, it was still quite gloomy and there was also a light sea mist, so it was blinking lights front and rear, all the way to the office.

Whilst the current lights do a very fine job of signalling my presence to other cyclists and road users, the front light won’t provide sufficient illumination to ride safely up the Castleman Trailway, the beautiful tunnel of trees that takes me from Creekmore, all the way to the top of Gravel Hill.

Even the cycle path alongside the A31 has its fair share of interesting challenges. Tree roots, raised manhole covers, lumps, bumps and wonky kerbs all serve to keep the riders attention, even though it is a great deal safer than jousting with the traffic. In daylight, they are inconsequential, but in the deepening gloom, they could present a problem.

So do I succumb to the shortening days, put the bike away until next spring, or make the necessary purchase to allow me to continue? The Dark Passenger, my fundamental darkness, is telling me that it will soon be much colder, wetter, that the car would be so much more comfortable. He’s right, of course he is, but I am determined to stay fit and not reverse any of my hard-earned weight loss, so where’s that Wiggle website?

One Step At A Time

02 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

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

Nichiren DaishoninIn Nichiren Buddhism, attaining enlightenment is not about embarking on some inconceivably long journey to become a resplendent, all knowing Buddha, it is about accomplishing a transformation in the depths of one’s being, little by little.

In other words, it is not a matter of practicing in order to scale the highest summit of enlightenment at some point in the distant future. Rather it is a constant, moment to moment, inner struggle between revealing our innate Dharma nature or allowing ourselves to be ruled by our fundamental darkness and delusion.

I know which path I would prefer to take, and I’m walking slowly along it day by day.

W.C.C … It’s Not Cricket You Know

22 Jul 2013 2 Comments

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

Cricket_BallHave you ever had a problem or situation that has been rumbling around for a while, but you can’t drum up the enthusiasm to fix? I know you have, we all have. Maybe enthusiasm is not the right word, maybe energy, or confidence is a better one.

Perhaps you should have made a phone call, written a letter, or gone to see someone, but you know they aren’t going to be too pleased to hear from you when you do.

When I say you know, it’s probably more accurate to say you imagine, you suppose, see what I mean? We all build up little scenarios in our heads, and the more often we think about the problem, the more convinced we become, that our imagined outcome is what will actually happen. Our fundamental darkness will also do its best to confirm our worst fears.

This is where we need a bit of W.C.C … Wisdom, Courage and Compassion.

We need the Wisdom to see that what we imagine is the version of events from our point of view, and may be way off. We also need to accept that any problem that is left to fester, will only get worse and never go away by itself.

We need a deal of Courage to put ourselves into a situation that may be awkward, embarrassing or painful (hopefully not physically). Picking up that phone, or ringing that door bell, when we are unsure of the reception, takes guts. But remember that the alternative may be even worse.

Now we need a huge dollop of Compassion. The fact that we have put off doing something about this issue probably means that we feel that we are in the wrong, in some way. So we need to steel ourselves for a potential tirade, whilst remaining calm and sympathetic. We need to understand the problem from the other persons point of view. That will take a dialogue of some nature, and maintaining a compassionate nature may help defuse the situation. We need to bite our tongue when we may feel like giving a little back. I don’t mean a complete capitulation, more a flexible approach to understanding their side of things.

I imagine that each and every person who reads this has an issue, be it large or small, that falls into this category. Only you know what it is, so gird your loins, take a deep breath, and get it sorted today. You’ll feel a lot better when you do, believe me, I know from experience.

A Determined Effort

16 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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

Crunching The NumbersApart from being a dedicated Nichiren Buddhist, I have a science and maths background, and I love to know how and why things work. So I’ve been doing the maths behind my weight loss, and the numbers are almost unbelievable.

In the past three months, or to be more precise, 80 days, I have lost 12.5kg, or 1 stone 13.56  pound in old money. Now the accepted calorific value of each pound of body fat is 3500 calories, so by multiplying the number of pounds lost, assuming I have lost fat and not bone or muscle, we arrive at a staggering 98000 calories. Dividing the total by the number of days gives us an average of just over 1225 each day, every day, amazing.

Whilst the numbers are pretty staggering, it just shows why it is so difficult for people to lose weight. When you consider that running up stairs burns 30.7 calories per minute, to burn off that number of calories would entail doing that exercise continuously for over 2 days 3 hours. Burning them off on an exercise bike, peddling at a moderate pace (around 10.8 calories per minute), would take over 6 days 8 hours.

The only way I have managed to make this work for me, is by using the hunger pangs and the nagging temptations from my Dark Passenger, to build my determination. I have learned to enjoy the hunger pangs, which sounds a little masochistic. But if I am feeling hungry, my body is burning reserves, which means I am losing weight. This method works for me. Maybe I’m strange? But if you want to do it for yourself, and most people I speak to say that they would like to lose a little, you have to find a way to increase your determination to the point that it overcomes the stream of daily temptations to over eat.

You might have noticed that, apart from eating sensibly, I’ve been doing a lot of cycling too. Since May 1st, I have ridden over 500km and burned upwards of 18,000kcal, during which, I have climbed over 1km altitude wise. I still have a little way to go, but one of the great joys of this determined effort is the feeling of satisfaction each time I visit the scales.

Determination

07 Jul 2013 2 Comments

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

DeterminedDetermination grows out of adversity. To accomplish an easy or pleasant task does not require determination, it is the difficult or unpleasant task that most definitely does.

Dreams don’t come true on their own. Determination is required to achieve the things we set out to accomplish and to keep things going in the face of discouragement.

The essential purpose of Buddhism is to make people happy. True happiness is the result of consistent effort and constant growth as a human being.

Remind yourself every day, why you are pursuing your goal. Self doubt and negative thoughts are the making of your fundamental darkness. Confront your inner demons and tell them that you are going to overcome them. Take heart and strength from your Practice, chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo will raise your life-energy and help you focus on the task in hand. Remember, nobody ever felt satisfaction from giving up on their dreams.

And keep this in mind when times get tough …

When your determination increases, everything else begins to move in the direction you desire. The moment you resolve to be victorious, every nerve and fibre in your being immediately orient themselves toward your success.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

Have Patience

11 Jun 2013 3 Comments

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

Have PatienceIt is said that patience is a virtue, and indeed that is a fact.

Having patience with someone, something, or with a situation can make the difference between causing, or solving problems.

When you are just about to run out of patience you should take a deep breath and carry on trying to be understanding.

Sometimes when our patience runs out, it is because we don’t have the full picture. Having a partial understanding of a situation leads us all to try to fill in the missing parts from our imagination. Our fundamental darkness will relish the chance to invent the details for us.

As anyone who has been to the dentist, and I guess that’s pretty much all of us, the waiting room, the fear of what might be in store, is often far worse than the reality when we finally sit in the chair.

So it is with most situations in life. So stop imagining, take that deep breath, and find a little more patience. It will be worth it in the end as we turn yet more poison into medicine

2207 Seymour Avenue

08 May 2013 Leave a comment

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

2207 Seymour AvenueWith details of the release of the three kidnapped women in Cleveland, Ohio still emerging, I was interested to hear an interview with one of the kidnappers neighbours this morning. Ariel Castro, one of the three brothers who have been arrested for the crimes, was a school bus driver and just a regular guy, according to people who knew him (or thought they did).

The neighbour, understandably shocked by the incident, said that he was questioning himself, because he had not seen the dark side of the man he had known for a year or more.

Of course, this is an extreme example of the fundamental darkness of an individual, but we all have a dark side, it is just that some of us supress it better than others. So should we really be shocked when occasionally we are exposed to the evil in others? Even Adolf Hitler loved Eva Braun, there is good and bad in us all.

I am as delighted as anyone that this story has a happy ending, of sorts, but none of us should be in any doubt that there are plenty of other stories out there, just waiting to be told.

Evil, or what we call evil, has its part in the very core of our make-up. Self-improvement, or human revolution as it is called in Buddhist circles, is the only way that it can be suppressed to the point of extinction.

Have A Heart

07 Feb 2013 2 Comments

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

Have A HeartIn his writings, regarding Buddhist practice, Nichiren repeatedly emphasized the importance of the heart.

While teaching that faith and courage are the powers and functions of the heart that enable us to open the world of Buddhahood in our lives, he also cautioned us against the heart’s negative functions, such as disbelief and cowardice, which close us off to our potential for Buddhahood.

So when we say that we chant with all our heart, we must ensure that we are indeed doing so. Our fundamental darkness lives deep in our hearts and minds, and will, if left unchecked, promote disbelief and cowardice, under the disguise of self protection in some instances.

Confront your fears, examine the thoughts that your Dark Passenger will bring. Be determined to resolve the issues and with a focused mind and a strong heart, chant to increase your faith and courage, ever onward towards enlightenment.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Ultimate Respect

06 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

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

The Lotus SutraThe Lotus Sutra, which explains that all people can attain Buddhahood and that all people are Buddhas, embodies a spirit of supreme respect for human beings.

By contrast, those teachings and ideas that seek to turn people into objects to be exploited, embody ultimate disrespect for human beings.

Such disrespect is an expression of fundamental darkness. On the level of the individual, practising the Lotus Sutra means confronting the fundamental darkness in one’s own life.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

So Very True

28 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Hit the nail on the headWith my current struggle with The Dark Passenger continuing, this quotation from Daisaku Ikeda hit the proverbial nail squarely on the head …

In Nichiren Buddhism, attaining enlightenment is not about embarking on some inconceivably long journey to become a resplendent, godlike Buddha; it is about accomplishing a transformation in the depths of one’s being.

In other words, it is not a matter of practicing in order to scale the highest summit of enlightenment at some point in the distant future. Rather, it is a constant, moment-to-moment, inner struggle between revealing our innate Dharma nature, or allowing ourselves to be ruled by our fundamental darkness and delusion.

– Daisaku Ikeda

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