A Nice Warm Feeling

28 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Heaven And HellA man was offered the chance to visit Heaven and Hell. Upon entering Hell he was greeted by the sight of an infinitely long room filled with tables laden with the finest of foods, meat, fruit, wine and all manner of delicacies. But around the tables sat groups of starving people, crying out in their hunger. He realised that each person was holding a spoon, but the spoons were so long that they were unable to feed themselves.

He then went to Heaven and was surprised to see exactly the same scene. The same room was filled with the same tables, covered with the same food. But this time, around the tables sat groups of well fed, happy people. They too were holding spoons, the same length as those poor souls in Hell. The difference was that these people were feeding each other and so could eat as much as their hearts desired.

Here on Earth, that might just be the difference between our own personal Heaven or Hell. Helping others, in Buddhism, also helps us indirectly, through the accumulation of positive karma. But whether you are Buddhist or not, helping others is the best way to make life better for everyone, one that can give us all a wonderfully warm feeling.

That Warm Feeling

23 May 2013 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Heaven And HellA man was offered the chance to visit Heaven and Hell. Upon entering Hell he was greeted by the sight of an infinitely long room filled with tables laden with the finest of foods, meat, fruit, wine and all manner of delicacies. But around the tables sat groups of starving people, crying out in their hunger. He realised that each person was holding a spoon, but the spoons were so long that they were unable to feed themselves.

He then went to Heaven and was surprised to see exactly the same scene. The same room was filled with the same tables, covered with the same food. But this time, around the tables sat groups of well fed, happy people. They too were holding spoons, the same length as those poor souls in Hell. The difference was that these people were feeding each other and so could eat as much as their hearts desired.

Here on Earth, that might just be the difference between our own personal Heaven or Hell. Helping others, in Buddhism, also helps us, indirectly, through the accumulation of positive karma. But whether you are Buddhist or not, helping others is the best way to make life so much happier and better for everyone, and compassion to our fellow man can give us all a wonderfully warm feeling.

Heaven And Hell

17 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Heaven And HellA man was offered the chance to visit Heaven and Hell. Upon entering Hell he was greeted by the sight of an infinitely long room filled with tables laden with the finest of foods, meat, fruit, wine and all manner of delicacies. But around the tables sat groups of starving people, crying out in their hunger. He realised that each person was holding a spoon, but the spoons were so long that they were unable to feed themselves.

He then went to Heaven and was surprised to see exactly the same scene. The same room was filled with the same tables, covered with the same food. But this time, around the tables sat groups of well fed, happy people. They too were holding spoons, the same length as those poor souls in Hell. The difference was that these people were feeding each other and so could eat as much as their hearts desired.

Here on Earth, that might just be the difference between our own personal Heaven or Hell. Helping others, in Buddhism, also helps us, indirectly, through the accumulation of positive karma. But whether you are Buddhist or not, helping others is the best way to make life better for everyone, and in this festive season, can give us all a wonderfully warm feeling.

A Sad Exit

08 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Bradley WigginsToday’s stage of the Tour de France ended with a rather sweet and sour outcome. Mark Cavendish of HTC won the stage with a trademark storming finish, but British champion Bradley Wiggins sadly crashed out with a broken collar bone.

As a fanatical armchair pro-cycling fan, I feel very sorry for Wiggins, knowing that he has put in a huge amount training in preparation for this years Tour. Professional cyclists are a breed apart when it comes to sportsmen. The dedication needed to compete, day after day, at the highest level is unstinting and for such effort to come to an end in such a manner is a tragedy.

Wiggins was looking calm, collected and at his very best for the start of this years Tour. Having had a very public dressing down last year, he had pulled out all the stops to get himself in peak condition, and the determination was showing, with him well placed after the first few days.

Not only is it a painful way to leave the race, it also leaves his Sky teammates looking for a natural successor to lead the team.

We all know the feeling of disappointment of striving with all our heart to attain our goals, only to fall (in Bradley’s case, quite literally) short of the desired outcome.

Very sorry to see you go Wiggo, stay positive and make a full and speedy recovery. You have known the Heaven of winning, now you must deal with the Hell of dropping out. Treat those two imposters just the same, as Kipling wrote, and come back even stronger.

Ninety Minutes Of Heaven And Hell

22 May 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Heaven or Hell?Ok, football, or soccer as the Americans call it, may not be your cup of tea, but today’s last day of the English Premier League was the perfect example of the way that each of the Ten Worlds contain all the others.

Watching the mood, or life-state, of the Birmingham, Blackpool, Wigan and Wolves fans this afternoon, it was easy to see the way they went from Heaven to Hell and back again, time after time as the games unfolded and their respective teams either faced, or escaped the ignominy of relegation to the Championship.

Bill Shankley once said that ‘some things are a matter of life and death, but football is more important than that’ and I’m sure that all those fans would agree with him today.

We all know that isn’t the case. With so many people in the world living in poverty, war zones and injustice, football pales into insignificance. But that just shows us that everyone has their own ideas of what is Heaven and Hell.

The interesting thing was that it was further proof of the Principles of Buddhism, Principles that were formulated thousands of years before the Premier League was even dreamed of.

World Cup Woes

02 Dec 2010 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Three LionsSo many English football fans will have been plunged into a World of Hell this afternoon. The story was so important that it made the lead on the BBC’s Ten O’clock News.

The disclosure the Russia will host the 2018 World Cup has been a huge disappointment to those involved with the bid and those who have never seen a World Cup on English soil.

The word was that England had a fair chance of winning, something that may have become an obsession, a dream, and possibly a Honzon.

Basing your happiness on an outcome, over which you have little or no control, is like building your house on shifting sand. A recipe for disaster you might say.

I am old enough, just, to remember the last World Cup we hosted. In fact I watched England triumph over Germany whilst at Cub camp, and I shall never forget it.

But at a the time of financial crisis, there must be more important issues to deal with. The protection of the old, the sick and needy surely has to come first. With the onset of huge cutbacks in public spending, they are on the front line even more than ever.

I would like to congratulate Russia and Qatar on winning the chance to host their first World Cup, I’m sure they will embrace the opportunity and turn the biggest sporting event in the world into a brilliant spectacle.

For us, the English football fans, it is a shame, but we have to take a deep breath and get on with life whilst realigning our priorities.

Heaven and Hell

12 Nov 2010 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

The two Worlds of Heaven and Hell are two sides of the same coin.

Yesterday I was in Heaven, safe in the arms of the woman I love, today we are 100 miles apart and Hell is very much in evidence.The Lotus Sutra

It seems to me that the higher the highs, the lower the lows, like someone on a bungee.

Now I am getting a little poetic, because since practicing Nichiren Buddhism, life is a lot more even, emotionally, but the effects are still there, running just below the surface.

Having more, if not yet full control over my emotions is amazing. I can see things more clearly and those black moments are very few and far between.

Ichinen Sanzen, 3000 Worlds in one moment, means we can go from any emotion, to any other in an instant. Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and study have allowed me to control those mood swings and if I could ‘give’ any gift to others, it would be that control.

Take time to left practice into your life, your routine, your heart and you will never look back believe me.