Your Happiness Is Within You

Your Happiness Is Within YouAnother blissfully happy weekend is nearly over, but let’s not get complacent.

Being happy is not something that we can take for granted, problems can derail our happiness at any time.

But we can take steps to ensure that we are aware of the causes and take steps to resolve and correct the effects.

Sensei summed it up perfectly …

Buddhism teaches that we are each responsible for our own happiness or unhappiness. Our vitality—the amount of energy or “life-force” we have—is in fact the single most important factor in determining whether or not we are happy.

True happiness is to be found within, in the state of our hearts. It does not exist on the far side of some distant mountains. It is within you, yourself. However much you try, you can never run away from yourself. And if you are weak, suffering will follow you wherever you go.

You will never find happiness if you don’t challenge your weaknesses and change yourself from within.

So if you are happy with life at present, be mindful of where that happiness comes from. If you are unhappy, challenge the causes of that unhappiness and make the changes you need to make.

So What If? …

Cancer Cells DividingSo what if there was a way to stop you, your children, your family, your friends from developing cancer? What if, having already been diagnosed with cancer, there was a way to stop the tumour from developing further?

What if you knew that both of these have been known since the 80’s, but nothing has been done about it? Wouldn’t you want to know more, so you could use the information?

Well the answers to these and many, many other questions are in the book The China Study and I would urge everyone to read it. I write this having read about how the diet also prevents and reverses coronary heart disease, but the revelations just keep coming. Reading the book made me sad, happy, angry and above all, determined to help more people find out the truth about what they are eating, and what it is doing to them.

There is an old saying, ‘you are what you eat’ and nothing could be closer to the truth. Sadly the saying, ‘you are what you think you are eating’ does not come close to the same truth. We are all told that fat is bad for us, that we should limit the amount we eat. Nobody ever told me, or you I imagine, that it’s not just fat that can harm us, but the animal protein that often accompanies it, in steaks, burgers, chicken, bacon, the list goes on and on.

The book covers many, many studies, experiments and surveys carried out all around the world. One of them, however, makes you really sit up and listen. Experiments on rats, carried out in India had found that animals exposed to a potent carcinogen aflatoxin, a mould found on peanuts, developed liver cancer in the same way humans exposed to the same chemical do.

So what, I hear you say, but there’s an amazing twist. The rats were split into two groups. Half were fed on a diet containing 20% protein, the other half 5% protein. The first group all developed liver cancer, but of the second group NOT ONE developed cancer. When allied to a survey undertaken in the Philippines, where aflatoxin is common, which found that the children of the wealthiest families were far more prone to liver cancer for exactly the same reason, because they consumed more protein, because their families could afford meat.

So again, I urge you to at least investigate this for yourself. There are many reasons for becoming a vegan, but I cannot think of a single one that can be more important than protecting yourself, and those you love, from a potentially life threatening illness like cancer.

Happiness Comes From Within

Happiness Is Within YouI have to say that I haven’t been quite this happy for quite a long time. Being happy is not something that we can take for granted, problems can derail our happiness at any time. But we can take steps to ensure that we are aware of the causes and take steps to resolve and correct the effects.

Sensei summed it up perfectly …

Buddhism teaches that we are each responsible for our own happiness or unhappiness. Our vitality—the amount of energy or “life-force” we have—is in fact the single most important factor in determining whether or not we are happy.

True happiness is to be found within, in the state of our hearts. It does not exist on the far side of some distant mountains. It is within you, yourself. However much you try, you can never run away from yourself. And if you are weak, suffering will follow you wherever you go.

You will never find happiness if you don’t challenge your weaknesses and change yourself from within.

So if you are happy with life at present, be mindful of where that happiness comes from. If you are unhappy, challenge the causes of that unhappiness and make the changes you need to make.

Debugging Life

Debugging LifeThere seems to be a nasty bug going round, both at work and at college, so I was looking around to see how Buddhism concerns itself with illness and healing that illness. I found these wise and thought provoking words …

Buddhism teaches that illness is one of the four sufferings which cannot be completely avoided in life, whether directly or through the experiences of close family or friends.

Buddhism takes a holistic approach to the treatment of sickness, stressing both the importance of finding the best and most appropriate medical treatment and care, and also that using our Buddhist practice will enable us to summon the energy and courage needed to fight our illness.

Often facing illness can lead us to deepen our understanding and appreciation of the profound principles of Buddhism, and we find that it is possible to create something valuable out of the experience.

As Nichiren wrote:

“Life is the most precious of all treasures. Even one extra day of life is worth more than ten million ryo of gold.”

Namaste ~ Anupadin

Good News, But When Will They Listen?

Good News, But When Will They Listen?The breaking news this morning, that half the people diagnosed with cancer will live at least another decade is good news indeed. But we are still missing the point when it comes to cancer.

It is great that treatment therapy for cancer is improving and is welcome news, but surely we should be ploughing money into finding a way to stop cancer forming in the first place, that way the treatments would not be needed.

Hang on a minute, isn’t that why we aren’t doing it? If all the cancers stop, the whole cancer industry stops, hundreds, thousands of people would have to find another way to earn their living. Do you think that might be why?

In fact, we already know how to stop cancer developing, science has isolated, and proven, that the ingestion of animal protein is the cause. The message is slowly getting out there, and whilst I am pleased that cancer sufferers can look forward to extended lives, these ‘good news’ messages only serve to prolong the error of our ways.

What If? … Now It’s Mainstream News

Cancer Cells DividingFinally, the facts are being told. News of the connection between animal protein and an increased risk of cancer is all over the news and media channels tonight.

What if there was a way to stop you, your children, your family, your friends from developing cancer? What if, having already been diagnosed with cancer, there was a way to stop the tumour from developing further?

What if you knew that both of these have been known since the 80’s, but nothing has been done about it? Would you want to know more, so you could use the information?

Well the answers to these and many, many other questions are in the book The China Study and I would urge everyone to read it. I wrote about this last year, having read about how the diet also prevents and reverses coronary heart disease, but the revelations just keep coming.

I have to admit that I stumbled across the book via Freelee and DurianRiders excellent Facebook and YouTube channels whilst trying to find a sustainable diet to help me continue my weight loss program. But I could never have imagined that I would ever find such a life changing source of information.

Reading the book makes me sad, happy, angry and above all, determined to help more people find out the truth about what they are eating, and what it is doing to them.

There is an old saying, ‘you are what you eat’ and nothing could be closer to the truth. Sadly the saying, ‘you are what you think you are eating’ does not come close to the same truth. We are all told that fat is bad for us, that we should limit the amount we eat. Nobody ever told me, or you I imagine, that it’s not just fat that can harm us, but the animal protein that often accompanies it, in steaks, burgers, chicken, bacon, the list goes on and on.

The book covers many, many studies, experiments and surveys carried out all around the world. One of them, however, makes you really sit up and listen. Experiments on rats, carried out in India had found that animals exposed to a potent carcinogen aflatoxin, a mould found on peanuts, developed liver cancer in the same way humans exposed to the same chemical do.

So what, I hear you say, but there’s an amazing twist. The rats were split into two groups. Half were fed on a diet containing 20% protein, the other half 5% protein. The first group all developed liver cancer, but of the second group NOT ONE developed cancer. When allied to a survey undertaken in the Philippines, where aflatoxin is common, which found that the children of the wealthiest families were far more prone to liver cancer for exactly the same reason, because they consumed more protein, because their families could afford meat.

So again, I urge you to at least investigate this for yourself. There are many reasons for becoming a vegan, but I cannot think of a single one that can be more important than protecting yourself, and those you love, from a potentially life threatening illness like cancer.

I realise that this is rather off topic for a blog about Buddhism, but using Wisdom, Courage and Compassion is encouraged in my faith, and I feel I am employing all three in this post.

What If? …

Cancer Cells DividingWhat if there was a way to stop you, your children, your family, your friends from developing cancer? What if, having already been diagnosed with cancer, there was a way to stop the tumour from developing further?

What if you knew that both of these have been known since the 80’s, but nothing has been done about it? Would you want to know more, so you could use the information?

Well the answers to these and many, many other questions are in the book The China Study and I would urge everyone to read it. I wrote about this last weekend, having read about how the diet also prevents and reverses coronary heart disease, but the revelations just keep coming.

I have to admit that I stumbled across the book via Freelee and DurianRiders excellent Facebook and YouTube channels whilst trying to find a sustainable diet to help me continue my weight loss program. But I could never have imagined that I would ever find such a life changing source of information.

Reading the book makes me sad, happy, angry and above all, determined to help more people find out the truth about what they are eating, and what it is doing to them.

There is an old saying, ‘you are what you eat’ and nothing could be closer to the truth. Sadly the saying, ‘you are what you think you are eating’ does not come close to the same truth. We are all told that fat is bad for us, that we should limit the amount we eat. Nobody ever told me, or you I imagine, that it’s not just fat that can harm us, but the animal protein that often accompanies it, in steaks, burgers, chicken, bacon, the list goes on and on.

The book covers many, many studies, experiments and surveys carried out all around the world. One of them, however, makes you really sit up and listen. Experiments on rats, carried out in India had found that animals exposed to a potent carcinogen aflatoxin, a mould found on peanuts, developed liver cancer in the same way humans exposed to the same chemical do.

So what, I hear you say, but there’s an amazing twist. The rats were split into two groups. Half were fed on a diet containing 20% protein, the other half 5% protein. The first group all developed liver cancer, but of the second group NOT ONE developed cancer. When allied to a survey undertaken in the Philippines, where aflatoxin is common, which found that the children of the wealthiest families were far more prone to liver cancer for exactly the same reason, because they consumed more protein, because their families could afford meat.

So again, I urge you to at least investigate this for yourself. There are many reasons for becoming a vegan, but I cannot think of a single one that can be more important than protecting yourself, and those you love, from a potentially life threatening illness like cancer.

I realise that this is rather off topic for a blog about Buddhism, but using Wisdom, Courage and Compassion is encouraged in my faith, and I feel I am employing all three in this post.

A Crying Shame

The China StudyI have to admit to having shed a few tears this afternoon, whilst reading how the epidemic levels of heart disease caused by our western diet, can be easily and effectively reversed by simple changes in that diet.

Why tears? Well it was heart disease that took my father from us all too soon, and because maybe, just maybe, knowing then what I know now, might have saved him. The evidence has been around for decades, but it has been buried by the food companies, under a deluge of marketing ‘science’, simply to protect their obscene profits.

When you add cancer, diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease to the list of conditions being caused by what we eat and amazingly, amongst other things, the Casein protein in milk, it makes you wonder what the hell you have been taught all this time.

So what was this book I was reading, what scientific basis has it to make these outlandish claims? Written by the renowned Dr T. Colin Campbell and his son, The China Study has a simple title, coined from the research project that revealed some of the shocking truths.

For more than forty years, Dr T. Colin Campbell has been at the forefront of nutrition research. His legacy, The China Study, is the most comprehensive study of health and nutrition ever conducted. Dr Campbell is Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University. His son, a 1999 graduate of Cornell University, Thomas Campbell is currently pursuing a career in medicine.

The China Study itself was the culmination of a twenty year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. It details a monumental survey of diet and death rates from cancer in more than 2,400 Chinese counties and the equally monumental efforts to explore its significance and implications for nutrition and health.

Now we are all taught to take things like this with a pinch of salt, although following a great deal of research into my HCRV diet, I avoid salt whenever I can. I just feel that when I come across something so potentially life-changing, like Nichiren Buddhism, it is my duty to try to inform others, or at least bring it to their attention.

I know that some of you will not go on to explore the information in the book, preferring to fall back on the accepted ‘truths’ we have all been taught. But if a single person reads the book, and having done so, alters their diet, or that of their children and that change averts the onset of any preventable disease, I will be satisfied that I did my bit.

Keeping On Keeping On

Check out this super eco-friendly coffin“It isn’t the cough that carries you off, it’s the coffin they carry you off in” so says the quaint old saying, but right at this moment I would like to argue that the cough should have a little more acknowledgement in the ditty.

Not that my current ailment is really that serious, but it is the constant nagging wheeze and occasional uncontrollable hacking cough that is wearing me down. Fortunately, way beyond time, I took some very wise advice and visited the doctor a couple of weeks ago. Although the cough has changed from a deep chesty hack, it still isn’t defeated.

With nights of broken sleep, not to mention days of coughing and spluttering my way around the office, I’m feeling a bit depleted energy-wise. Being unable to physically chant is also making a huge difference, the life-energy that long and loud chanting brings is being sadly missed.

So I apologise to the folks who follow TSFE if I have been a little less provocative, incisive, educational or thought provoking of late. I have another appointment with Dr Paine (how apt) on Monday evening, so I’m hoping she will have some magic potion for me, that will clear this up once and for all.

In the meantime, your kind thoughts and chanting is very gratefully received.

Namaste

On The Up – A Little

Healing Chakras - click here for the full size imageHaving successfully navigated the doctors appointment yesterday, with the simple prognosis of a chest infection, I was looking around to see how Buddhism concerns itself with illness and healing of that illness. Those nice people at the SGI had this to say …

Buddhism teaches that illness is one of the four sufferings which cannot be completely avoided in life, whether directly or through the experiences of close family or friends.

Buddhism takes a holistic approach to the treatment of sickness, stressing both the importance of finding the best and most appropriate medical treatment and care, and also that using our Buddhist practice will enable us to summon the energy and courage needed to fight our illness.

Often facing illness can lead us to deepen our understanding and appreciation of the profound principles of Buddhism, and we find that it is possible to create something valuable out of the experience.

As Nichiren wrote:

“Life is the most precious of all treasures. Even one extra day of life is worth more than ten million ryo of gold.”

So the healing process can itself be a good case of turning poison into medicine, and the combination of chanting and modern medicine seems to be doing the trick.

Namaste ~ Anupadin

Previous Older Entries

%d bloggers like this: