That Friday Feeling

27 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

TGIFWell it’s taken a whole week to get here, but finally Friday has arrived again. I know what you are saying, you were going to fill every minute, of every day, with sixty seconds of gainful employment, and I have. But doing that doesn’t stop me being pleased that, arguably, the best day of the week has put in a much appreciated appearance at last.

The weather looks like it’s going to be pants over the weekend, but that can’t stop us having fun if we are determined to make the most of our days off. Every weekend starts for me with a drive to Bristol, as you have probably realised by now, but even that has it’s plus points. Beautiful countryside and fabulous views of some amazing buildings, to name just two.

With a full agenda already pencilled in for both Saturday and Sunday, tonight is going to be a bit of R & R round at Charlotte and Rob’s, with the added promise of a Domino’s stuffed crust Hot ‘n Spicy pizza thrown in for good measure. So please don’t go telling B, she’ll give me hell.

It was a funny old week up to Wednesday, but having realised that I was wishing the days away, put me in a good place to boost my life-energies through chanting and that raised my life-state. Being in one of the higher worlds really does put a sunny outlook on everything and everyone, so I hope you managed to join me, and that you too are going to have a really great weekend.

Sash Windows, Stuff And Supper

21 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Indian SupperSaturday morning and the sun was shining. The sash window restoration man arrived rather too promptly, but was good enough to sit in his van until we had finished breakfast. The friend of a friend, he has just started out on his own, so we were keen to give him some business if it all sounded plausible.

To be honest it didn’t start too well. The first thing he showed us was a cream plastic insert, used to allow the windows to be removed for painting. As B is allergic to plastic, ethically speaking, he was on a sticky wicket from the off. But he was a very nice chap and he’s going to quote to renovate the worst of the windows, so we’ll reserve judgement.

When he left, the sun was still shining intermittently, but the rain clouds were building, just as the weather people had predicted. So getting the ‘stuff’ out of the sun lounge and into the garage, and vice versa, took on an added importance. It’s never much fun trying to rearrange things when you and they have taken a good soaking.

Actually things turned out rather well. The rain, what there was if it, wasn’t too heavy and nor was the majority of the ‘stuff’, so good progress was made in both locations. The Yaris was parked in the driveway, ready to receive the charity shop donations. We had already delivered several boxes of books to the Amnesty International bookshop on the Gloucester Road, but there was much more ‘rationalisation’ to be done.

To be honest, it was a lot more fun than I had expected, and B was a bit more willing to part with some of the less important treasure than I had feared. The day flew by, both places gradually took on an air of organised pandemonium, and the Yaris filled with unwanted goodies.

Sadly the process took longer than anticipated, so there was no time to deliver said donations. We were both fairly pooped by the time we decided to call it a day, so when I made a tentative suggestion that we take our evening repast at the local Indian restaurant, it was accepted with much enthusiasm.

We walked round to the Raj Mahal, managing to dodge the early evening showers and had a very tasty selection of their excellent fare. Indian food has, in the past, not agreed with B’s constitution on the whole, but whatever had caused the problem in the past obviously wasn’t present this time, so by 10:30, both full to bursting, we retired for a well earned, and dyspeptic free night.

All Bugged Up

19 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Chant Yourself BetterThe morning had started so well, that pesky virus that the boss had brought into the office had appeared to have been defeated and I was feeling great. My morning auto chant had been followed by a short phone call to Bumble and all was right with the world.

But as the day wore on I started feeling sniffy and my throat was getting sore again, curse you pesky virus. It was clear that the infection had just taken the morning off but was now back with a vengeance, just in time for my annual appraisal.

So the boss and I coughed and sniffed our way through, what turned out to be a rather positive, dissection of my last twelve month’s of effort. It looks as though my bonus will fall well short of that of the bankers, so short in fact, that it will be non-existent, but times are tight.

By the time it came to wend our way home, I was feeling hot and cold, had a runny nose and just felt like going straight to bed, so I did. But by nine, I was wide awake and needed to take the fight to these invaders. So I put on some warm clothing, had a hot drink, and settled down in front of my Gohonzon.

Who knows what the neighbours thought, because I’m usually quite quiet when I chant, but tonight I let rip and kept it going and going. With my hands pressed together against my chest, I could feel the vibrations coming from my solar plexus and that’s always a good sign.

After forty minutes of chanting, my nose had stopped running, my temperature felt normal and most surprising, my sore throat has gone. Now I’m not claiming any mythical healing powers for chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, but my life-energy was definitely on the up.

All I know is, that chanting works for me. Whether I’m feeling down, or stressed, or in this case, a bit sick, it works. It’s actually a pretty good work out if you do it with some gusto, a bit like a gentle jog or a bike ride, nothing too strenuous. But it allows me to focus on my self-awareness and to let whatever is ailing me drift off into the background.

So next time to get the sniffles, forget the Night Nurse, the Beecham’s or the paracetamol, give yourself a huge dose of extra strength NMRK and feel better instantly.

Energy To Burn

15 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Nam-Myoho-Renge-KyoLife is punctuated by a series of  problems and challenges, but what is the real difference between them? Generally speaking we call situations we can deal with, challenges, and those we fear we cannot deal with, problems. But actually, the difference is in our own heads and depends more on our life-state at the time the situation arises.

If we are in a higher life-state, we look upon the situation as a challenge. We concentrate our energies to resolving the situation and pride ourselves that we rose to the challenge. If, on the other hand, we are depressed and in a lower life-state, we tend to get further depressed by the situation, our life-energies are reduced and the problem, as we now call it, becomes insurmountable.

So the question is, how do we keep our life-energy, and hence our life-state, as high as possible in order to enable us to confront situations with confidence. That’s where chanting comes in. When I chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, I can feel my life-energy increasing.

The more I chant, the louder I chant, the higher my life-state rises, so when situations arise, as they always will, I am in a better position to deal with them. It works for me, and it works for millions of people across the world, so why not give it a go and see whether it will work for you, I’m sure it will.

An Alternative View

14 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

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

An Alternative ViewAs you might expect, my Gohonzon has it’s own special place in my apartment and although that isn’t the only place I chant, it doesn’t come with me when I travel around. Although chanting isn’t always done alone, being in a strange place, as in new to me,  requires me to seek out a little secluded spot to practice.

Last night, through all the thunder and lightning, B and I headed off to her aunt’s house in a little village just outside Totnes in Devon. We arrived late and the place was as dark as could be, no street lights and no moon because of the clouds, so I didn’t get to see the view until this morning.

To say that it was breath-taking would be an understatement. Beautiful rolling countryside as far as the eye could see, and all bathed in beautiful sunshine. I was trying to be a little quiet and so had delayed my morning practice until I could slip quietly away. After breakfast, B and her aunt went out into the garden to inspect the plethora of unusual plants growing there, and seeing the opportunity, I made my getaway.

The South facing picture window in our bedroom was the perfect vista to substitute for my absent Gohonzon, so while the ladies were outside, I stood and looked at the view and chanted. They say that variety is the spice of life, and I can concur with that view. Chanting in new and interesting places is fun, energy-giving and powerful, and as usual, I felt my life-energies rising as I chanted. So much so, that I am even tempted to start a new section of the blog, dedicated to photos of my experiences.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Accept Challenges, Stay Calm And Overcome

10 Apr 2012 1 Comment

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

Quiet CalmThe challenges we meet in life are often seen as the negative side of our existence. We alone can decide how we deal with them, either we can accept them, tackle them head on, or we can shy away from them and hope they go away. Anyone who has tried the second path will know that it virtually never works, so accepting challenges has to be the right way to go.

Accepting our challenges is not, initially, the most natural thing to do. It might seem easier to run away, to bury our heads, or just ignore the issues, but no good will ever come of taking that path. Taking responsibility and meeting challenges head on can be really hard. That doesn’t mean it has to be difficult, but it does mean we have to dig deep, stay strong and never ever give in.

So how should we approach the process? For me, it means looking at the challenge from all sides, and that involves keeping a calm mind and thinking clearly about all the aspects involved. Chanting allows me to calm my mind, to focus and to concentrate. This is the state of mindfulness and gives me control over my thoughts, words and deeds. For others it may be beneficial to meditate or to write down a list of all the facets of the challenge.

The whole process can be thrown into turmoil by our fundamental darkness, that little voice in our heads, that tells us the challenge is too hard, that we cannot overcome it and that giving up is the easy path. We must listen to that voice because it is part of us, but we must then rationalise the alternatives and be determined to take the right path, not the easiest path.

When you overcome a challenge, the feelings of elation are immense. When we give into a challenge, the feelings of defeat are equally immense, but terribly damaging. Gaining your first win will be the hardest. Once you know the winning feeling, you will never again want to feel defeat again.

So try different coping strategies, be that chanting, meditation, list building or whatever works for you. Be sure that overcoming challenges will make you a stronger and more confident person and that each win will make the next challenge easier to overcome. In time, you will lose the fear of challenges, and although you may not actually look forward to the next one, you will be more prepared to meet it and overcome it when it arrives.

No Rush

24 Mar 2012 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Lazy DayToday was the first day of our holiday, and we had such plans. Some guy from a well known double glazing company was due to arrive about 10:00 so we were planning to get up and eat breakfast in good time. In the event, he called to say that he had a family emergency and couldn’t make it. B thought it was sad and felt sorry for him, I was a little less than convinced.

Anyway, whether it was true, or whether he saw how beautiful the weather was and decided to head for the coast, was immaterial, we had nothing planned for the rest of the morning. So we went back to bed, and talked and talked and talked. Living apart gives us both space, but there is always so much to discuss when we are together.

We also slept, even though we had both slept well last night. I’ve spoken before about recharging the batteries, and today was just such a day. In the end, we got up about 4:00pm, a very lazy day. J & H popped in for a cup of tea and a chat, we did a bit of shopping and went over to see B’s mum, but that was about it.

We have a ton of things to do this week, DIY, paperwork, all sorts, but it couldn’t have been finished today or tomorrow, and taking some time to relax has put us in a good place to begin in earnest on Monday.

Doom And Gloom

15 Mar 2012 1 Comment

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

My Fundamental DarknessWhen life’s road gets a little bumpy, it’s easy to let it get you down, and that can have a series of knock-on effects. When the (whatever the opposite of ) rose-coloured spectacles go on, when all glasses are suddenly half empty, it a sure sign that you are in, or heading straight for, Hell state.

Hell state isn’t all fire and brimstone, as Christianity might suggest, it’s where your negativity takes over, where your Fundamental Darkness holds sway. In my case, my Dark Passenger has been rather too vocal over the last couple of days, making up ridiculous scenarios and basically forging my own little hell.

The side-effect of that can be that I tend to take others there with me. I’m less rational, more irritable, less approachable than usual. That’s not a very nice way to be, but it’s even less nice for those around me. If you’ve been on the receiving end, over the last few days, I am very sorry. I’m going to take steps to put things right.

So it’s time to take myself off somewhere quiet, a secluded spot where I can be alone, somewhere I can chant my head off !!! Just writing this is making me feel better already, because I know that chanting will definitely do the trick. It always does. So I’ll see you later. I’ll be the one with the smile on my face.

Core Strength

01 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

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

Inner StrengthWe are very similar, in many ways, to steel reinforced concrete, in that much of our strength comes from within. The pillars of motorway bridges are immensely strong because, apart from the toughness of the concrete itself, they have a rigid steel structure embedded within them.

In the same way, we have an inner strength, an emotional structure that allows us to handle the rigours of daily life. The strength of that structure is different in each one of us, indeed it can change depending on the strain that life is exerting at any given point in time. But the important thing to understand, is that we can increase it through some very simple practices.

Generally speaking, we are stronger, mentally, when we see problems as challenges, and stronger still when we feel we can overcome those challenges and come out the other side unscathed. So how do we improve our resilience to the bumps and knocks that life delivers?

Well in my own case, I find that chanting raises my life-state and allows me to tackle challenges more positively. By chanting about a particular issue, I find that I see the details more clearly and hence have more ideas regarding the possible solutions to solve it.

Of course, other people have their own way to deal with challenges. Some meditate, some pray to their God for guidance or divine intervention, some in fact are so grounded that they seem to have a built in ability to cope.

However you go about it, the most important thing to remember is that confidence and determination are key factors in winning the battle. Sitting and cogitating the fluff in your navel, getting depressed, or feeling that the challenge is just far too great to tackle, will undoubtedly result in failure, so don’t do it.

One really good tip, whatever you are facing, is to try to break down the task at hand into bite sized pieces. As Geoff says to Ed, in The Buddha, Geoff and Me, ‘How do you eat an elephant?’ … ‘One bite at a time’. So take it bit by bit, deal with each day as it arrives, and remember to stay strong and above all positive. If you believe you will win, then you are already half way there.

Perfect Peace?

23 Feb 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

TranquillitySometimes the World of Tranquillity can be a true blessing, a lull after a period of intense effort.

At other times it can be be like the dying notes of a moving piece of music, the echoes of the most magnificent firework display.

Maybe the biggest difference between the two is whether you wished for Tranquillity or not.

If you do wish for it, Tranquillity can be the most restful of time, if not it can be as quiet as the grave, peaceful but not something which you might actively desire.

If you find yourself becalmed in a world of Tranquillity, chanting will raise your life-state and get the energies flowing again.

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