Your Happiness Is Within You

07 Dec 2014 1 Comment

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

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? …

26 Nov 2014 1 Comment

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

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.

It’s So Easy To Let It Slide

25 Oct 2014 Leave a comment

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

Fundamental DarknessChallenges we set ourselves can be easy, or they can be hard. Generally speaking, the challenges that are worth setting, take us well out of our comfort zone. So what is the secret of success in such a situation?

Well speaking from my own experience, it is all about confidence and determination. My weight loss ‘regime’, if you can call it that, was set in motion through a determination to get into shape, both physically and in terms of my own self image. Now there is a further challenge, to stay that way for good.

It’s easy to put off till tomorrow, that which you should start today, and to give in today, promising that you will put things right tomorrow. Feelings like that are normal. It is our Fundamental Darkness talking us into wrong thoughts and deeds. The only weapon we have against it, and we all have those thoughts, is our determination to succeed. By imagining that our Dark Passenger,  as I prefer to call it, is actually something outside ourselves, we can mentally argue our case and, through determination, change our actions.

Success is sweet, failure is bitter and the only difference between the two is determination. Any goal, no matter how large or how small, is only unattainable if you lack the determination to go on.

No cause is lost until you decide that it is lost. So ignore, or better still defeat your Fundamental Darkness, have confidence in yourself, be determined, and never, ever give up. In that way, you will always be a winner, will achieve your goals, and be forever tasting that sweet taste of success.

A Pain In The Purbecks

28 Sep 2014 Leave a comment

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

In The SaddleFour of us set off from Wimborne this morning on a fifty mile bimble around Dorset.

Now cycling in a group is fun, we work for each other and try, where possible, to warn the others about the frequent and numerous potholes along the way.

If you ride a bike on UK roads, you’ll know how lovely it can be to find yourself on a stretch of nice smooth new tarmac. The lumps and bumps of our older repaired roads really can rattle your bones, so the new surface is a real treat.

Life is like that too. It’s the lumps and bumps of everyday life that make you realise just how comfortable the smooth untroubled times are. But without the rough times, we would never recognise the comparison and enjoy the easier times all the more.

We all know that as we move through life, it is impossible to stay on the smooth untroubled path. The bumpy times are a simple fact, just as they are out on the road. So when they come along, just be determined, hold on tight, keep pedalling and look forward to the smoother times ahead.

Here’s a record of how we did today … Click Here

Go On, Go For It !!!

10 Sep 2014 2 Comments

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

Go On, Go For It !!!As I whizz around on my bike, in the lovely Dorset countryside, it seems easy for me to forget that I am in my late fifties.

I don’t feel any older than I did forty years ago, in fact, my stamina is far better now than it was then.

I know that I have been fortunate enough to avoid serious illness, but maybe all this exercise is the cause of that.

Daisaku Ikeda, in his daily encouragement, sees things slightly differently, but the principles are very much the same …

In the twinkling of an eye we grow old. Our physical strength wanes and we begin to suffer various aches and pains.

We practice Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism so that instead of sinking into feelings of sadness, loneliness and regret, we can greet old age with an inner richness and maturity as round and complete as a ripe, golden fruit of autumn.

Faith exists so that we can welcome, smiling and without regrets, an old age that is like a breath-taking sunset whose dazzling rays colour heaven and earth in majestic hues.

So if, like a few of my friends, you are thinking ‘I should really be doing more to stay fit, to look after this aging body, but I just don’t have time … maybe tomorrow’ don’t put it off another day. It’s not all about Buddhist Practice, though I do chant, in time to my breathing, as I cycle my way to wherever.

Here in the UK, we are enjoying a welcome extension to the summer, but it won’t last. So get your bike out, get your running shoes on, get into those speedos (ok, maybe not), but whatever you decide to do, get out in the fresh air, stretch those legs, fill those lungs and make the causes for a longer, fitter, happier life.

P.S.
If you haven’t done any exercise for a while, maybe you should go and talk to your doctor before going nuts and doing some lasting damage. A little wisdom goes a long way.

Our Vegan Friends

16 Aug 2014 Leave a comment

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

Bamboo

We spent a very pleasant couple of hours in the company of some of our veggie / vegan friends today.

So nice to be around like minded people, all individuals, but connected by their beliefs.

Determined 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.

Happiness Comes From Within

04 Aug 2014 Leave a comment

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

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.

Nature’s Images

27 Jul 2014 1 Comment

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

I’ve been out cycling with the boys all morning, surrounded by the beautiful nature of The New Forest, just wonderful. So here is a snippet of wisdom from Nichiren Daishonin, about letting go of worldly desires, and a couple of images from the ride …

New Forest Panorama

Now, if you wish to attain Buddhahood, you have only to lower the banner of your arrogance, cast aside the staff of your anger, and devote yourself exclusively to the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra. Worldly fame and profit are mere baubles of your present existence, and arrogance and prejudice are ties that will fetter you in a next one.

~ Nichiren Daishonin

The Boys At Avon Beach

Get Thee Hence Dark Passenger

26 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

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

The Scales Don't LieAs you all know by now, I’ve been on this fitness regime since May last year, and it’s been going really well. I’m keeping my weight around 12 stone and I feel terrific, but it’s so easy to get back into bad habits and undo some of the hard work.

Saturday was a perfect example. Being vegan means giving up bacon, but substitute soya bacon for breakfast was going to be a treat, fried, with brown sauce and all. And it’s all too easy to think, ‘well I’ve had this and that, so I might as well go for it’. Really stupid and a big mistake.

Like most challenges in life, it’s far more difficult to stick to the goal than it is to ignore it and let your urges take over. Sadly the scales don’t lie, and I know it wasn’t the bacon butties that caused all the trouble. One way I have stayed on course is by not having temptations in the house. But Scully’s place is full of goodies. Wine, mayonnaise, bread, peanuts, the list is almost endless, and although they are all vegan, they aren’t necessarily all that healthy or slimming.

It’s so much easier, and in some respects more pleasant to put weight on than it is to get it off. But the worst feeling of all is to lose it, and then put it back on when you know that you let your fundamental darkness take control. Double the pain, knowing that there is a chink in your determination, and that it really wasn’t worth all the angst. So get thee hence Dark Passenger. I’m off out cycling round the New Forest tomorrow with the boys, to have a good workout and burn all those stupid calories off again.

Funky Friday

18 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Zoukinis InteriorIsn’t it the best feeling, when you wake up on a Friday morning and realise that it’s the first day of your long weekend.

To say we have a lazy start to the day would be vastly understating things, but by mid-afternoon we were parked up and on our way through the Westbourne arcade to the very lovely  Zoukini’s restaurant.

Now being vegan, you might expect that finding yummy things to eat would prove to be a bit of a problem, but you would be completely wrong. With all the dietary scare stories we have heard recently, the horse meat scandal, growth hormone usage in cattle and poultry, not to mention all the inhumane conditions in which animals are habitually kept, it’s no wonder that people are turning to vegetarian or vegan options for their food.

As the vegan movement grows, the food companies, both established and emerging, are offering more and more suitable alternatives. They aren’t doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, or to openly promote the veggie/vegan way of life, but they know that there is good money to be made as numbers of customers increase.

Toff 'n Chips @ ZoukinisZoukini’s offers a wide range of vegetarian and vegan dishes, and one of our favourites is Toff ‘n Chips, a very clever and convincing fish and chips alternative. The menu describes it thus … ‘Battered fillet of organic tofu packed with a samphire & watercress pesto served with chips, homemade minted mushy peas & vegan tartare sauce’ … and I can highly recommend it.

With our attention being brought almost daily to the way we eat, healthy alternatives are appearing everywhere. So if you find yourself looking for a classy tasty and healthy meal in the Westbourne area, pop into Zoukinis and check out Toff ‘n Chips, you won’t be disappointed.

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