When Reality Bites

09 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

When Reality BitesAfter a wonderfully restful, not to say enjoyable week away, it was time to return to the coal face and get back to reality. But with fully recharged batteries, the usual Monday morning drive wasn’t so bad after all. The weather was kind, the traffic was light and the chanting along the way, more than effective.

Getting back behind my PC was not the trial it might have been, the team had done a good job of minding the shop, and the usual pile of emails was not as high as it might have been. I was straight out of holiday mood and had my business head on.

Routine, at work, in life in general and as my practice gives me a solid structure with which to take on the challenges that life presents. Whether that is something as trivial as getting over the first day back at work after a holiday, or some of the more important problems, my practice helps turn the poison into medicine.

All Shapes And Sizes

03 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Challenges Come In All Shapes And Sizes - Wrenbury lifting bridgeChallenges come in all shapes and sizes as we all know. However, few can come much bigger, physically, than the Wrenbury lifting bridge. A lifting bridge is, as you might imagine, a bridge that can be raised to allow the narrowboat to pass underneath. Unlike any other lifting bridge we encountered, this one had a fairly main road crossing it, and had to be controlled by hydraulics, rather than by winding.

As the newbie to cruising canals amongst our group, it was just another piece of canal hardware that needed to be learned, but no one else had seen this type of machinery either. So when I was despatched to open the bridge as we came into Wrenbury, I took a windlass and set off to crank away as usual.

However, there was a shock in store. No winding gear, no instructions at all, apparently, just a motley collection of battleship grey boxes next to the bridge. Finally I found the control panel. The instructions might as well have been in Egyptian hieroglyphics and the buttons to operate the hydraulics were hidden under a Perspex cover that had been lovingly polished with wire wool, making it almost opaque.

Then I realised that I needed the British Waterways key to activate the panel, and that was on the boat key ring, in the ignition, back on the boat, a hundred yards back up the canal. It also transpired that the barrier that blocked the open side of the canal, while the bridge was up, needed to be closed manually before anything else would function. A proper contender for a test on the Krypton Factor if ever there was one.

Fortunately, Steve, who had been in the shower when I left the boat, had now joined me on the towpath, so while he man-handled the barrier, I ran back to the boat to get the key. Together we got things sorted, the bridge opened, the ignition key was returned to the boat, and the challenge was met.

At the time, I was a little flustered by the whole episode. Not only did I feel that I had let my shipmates down a little by my incompetence, but I had also held up the traffic longer than was comfortable. But on reflection, and having talked through the debacle with the gang, I felt better about the situation.

When we meet new situations, we need to use a combination of wisdom, courage and compassion, in varying degrees. I would like to think, and the guys seemed to agree, that given the circumstances, I did ok. At least when we need to raise the bridge again on our way back, we will be better equipped to make a better job of it.

So another challenge met, another lesson learned, more poison turned into medicine and another step taken on the path to enlightenment.

Funtime Friday

15 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Road ClosedWith the new release of the software going live on Wednesday, we were feeling confident that things were pretty sorted as we go near to the weekend. Ha, what do we know? These sneaky little bugs have a canny knack of being able to hide until the most in-opportunistic moment.

As reports started coming in of some rather crucial problems, Dan the Man got stuck in finding the issue and the rest of us went into test mode. But with so many variables, it’s never easy to pinpoint the exact cause of some of these things.

By 5:30 it was getting clear that this wasn’t going to be an open and shut case, so I was told to go and make my way through the Friday evening traffic. It is difficult to gauge how long the trip to Bristle will take, but things were going pretty well until the SatNav announced that the A36 was closed for the next 20 miles!

The nice lady in my phone did a sterling job of working out a detour, via Devizes and Chippenham, so in the event, I wasn’t much later than usual. Bumble was at the cottage with a lovely meal waiting, and having scoffed the lot, we settled down to watch the England v Sweden game.

It all started rather well with England going ahead, but then, just like the journey, things went a bit pear shaped. At 2-1 down, I was fearing the worst, but I shouldn’t have worried, as England went on to win 3-2. And these little blips in proceedings served to prove a good point.

There is absolutely no point in crying over spilt milk, especially before it has been spilt. Anticipating problems, maybe imagining the worst, serves no practical purpose. In fact, if you can stay positive, as I managed to do by chanting my way round the detour, you arrive in a buoyant mood and everything works out just fine for all concerned. That may not have always been my way, so another good lesson learned.

Take It In Both Hands

13 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

CourageWhen we find ourselves in a difficult situation, there are two choices, chicken out, turn and run, or take our courage in both hands and face the challenge. The central Buddhist principles of Wisdom, Courage and Compassion lead us to take the latter option.

So tonight, faced with a difficult situation not of my own making, I decided to face it, to turn the poison into medicine. To be fair, I had been told not to get involved, but knowing that the others involved were a little less experienced than me, I ignored the advice.

And the courage paid off. The problem was at least reduced, if not completely solved. I have no idea what the final outcome will be, but at least I feel that I gave my all and that I didn’t walk away. Tomorrow we can take a more measured look at the cause, and at how we can solve the problem once and for all.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Full Of Beans

28 May 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Runner BeansWith Bumble back in the cottage, it became very clear that she was in no fit state to do things for herself. Not that you could ever tell her that, she is a persistent little B, and stubbornly insisted that she do this, carry that, the list went on and on. But actually, if her ankle is to get better sooner rather than later, she has to rest it and try not to put weight on it.

So it was, that after a lazy, restful start to the day, we headed off to the supermarket to stock up the fridge and cupboards. It is strange to see the reactions of other people to someone being helped around the shop, whilst tapping away with a walking stick. I guess people with disabilities or debilitating illnesses get this all the time, but it’s not something I would ever like to have to get used to.

Having bought ice cream, we had to make a bit of a dash to see B’s parents, but fortunately they survived the journey and were enjoyed by all. Then we were treated to a slide show of Bumble’s photos from the Isles of Scilly. Some beautiful views, amazing flora and sights of the seashore and boats. Even a photo of the hole that delivered the sprained ankle, now that shows composure under pressure.

The day was ended with the ceremonial planting of the runner beans around the carefully erected bamboo cane tepee. Hopefully the sandy soil will be improved by an inaugural layer of home made compost that had been carefully ‘mined’ from the base of the composter. When you know what goes into the top, it’s a small miracle that what comes out of the bottom is such good fertilizer. A real life example of turning poison into medicine.

I Don’t Like Mondays !!!

12 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

I don't like Mondays !!!Having had a lovely relaxing Sunday, today has been like having a bucket of icy cold water thrown over me. Over A hundred emails waiting in my inbox, a small, but important misunderstanding and various other challenges have meant that I feel like nothing really got done today.

Of course, it’s always busiest on a Monday, with all the weekend issues to deal with, but today has felt like skiing uphill. Good job I chanted most of the way back from Bristol to Ringwood, poison into medicine and all that good stuff. Remembering back to how it used to be before Nichiren made me feel a whole lot better.

And now the day is over, and everything is back to normal again. Nobody died or got eaten by bears, and best of all, my inbox will be almost empty in the morning. So it’s just a case of thinking happy thoughts and letting the waves of anguish fade gently away against the solid foundations of calm and reason.

So just to put it all into perspective, I know from personal experience, that it is a lot better to have too much work to do, than have none at all. A little gratitude for the good things in life makes the bad things melt away, but it’s easy to say that now.

Just Look Around

08 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Just Look AroundWe all have an inbuilt ability to feel sorry for ourselves. Sometimes it seems we have problem after problem, and think the world is against us. But we can all take a step back and look at our situation compared to others, and the chances are that there are many other people in much worse circumstances.

In Buddhist terms, the effects in our lives are the result of causes we make along our way, it’s called Karma. Whilst it is difficult sometimes, to reconcile ourselves with the fact that we have, in some way caused our own problems, it is important to remember that we are not being punished.

So when you have had enough of your troubles, and are ready to throw in the towel, just take time to look around and realise that there is always someone worse off somewhere. Be grateful for what you have, and concentrate on making causes for the effects you need to improve the situation. To do anything else is to lack wisdom, courage and compassion towards yourself, and that doesn’t help anyone, least of all you.

Making Full Use Of Problems

16 Feb 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: ,

Lotus_DSWe should all welcome, if not exactly seek out problems, to test our practice.

Sometimes it is easy to see the benefits, sometimes it’s not and lately I have found it particularly difficult.

I think I have been guilty of swinging the lead, in practice terms, on my week off, and the results speak for themselves.

I’m back home now and have been chanting all the way to the office each day to get myself back into the right life-state.

Another POV

05 Feb 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Ask the FamilySometimes it is really easy to get bogged down in our own little world, and find ourselves blinkered by our own thoughts, feelings and opinions, simply because we fail to see things from another person’s point of view.

Years ago, there was a TV quiz show called Ask the Family, hosted by the wonderful Robert Robinson. It was a great series, based on two families, usually Mother, Father and two children, answering general knowledge questions. Good wholesome entertainment and traditional family viewing.

I really liked the round where they would show an image of something really familiar, but from a strange angle. The trick was to identify the object by using your mind’s eye to fill in the missing bits of the image.

Being able to see the world from the others person’s point of view is a bit like that. Using our imagination to put ourselves in their position gives us a better idea of what they are experiencing and hence allows us to make wiser, more compassionate decisions about how we should react to them and their situation.

Next time you find yourself wondering about how to relate to someone’s issues, take a moment to try to see things from their side of the table. It isn’t always easy, but it is always worth that bit of effort, and you will find that you can be of more help, more supportive and more understanding for making the effort. It can be very rewarding for you, and is usually gratefully received.

Accepting Those Challenges

30 Jan 2012 4 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

The Roller Coaster Of LifeWhoever said that life was supposed to be a bowl of cherries? Our journey from birth to death, whichever lap we happen to be on at any one time, is a series of lows and highs, the rough and the smooth, the not-so-happy and the happy, the bad and the good.

So by assuming that, even though things may be going along smoothly just now, we should prepare ourselves for the next pot hole, the unexpected hairpin or that most untimely puncture that will most certainly come along, to make that journey even more satisfying. Being prepared, as all boy scouts know, is the trick to reducing the effect that these unforeseen circumstances will have on our progress.

We have often talked about turning poison into medicine, using the difficulties in life as our way of making ourselves stronger, and seeing obstacles as challenges rather than problems. The old adage of ‘what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger’ is exactly right, if we approach these things in the right manner. Being doggedly determined not to be beaten, to meet the challenges head on and win through, come hell or high water, is a great start and a great way to move on.

Imagine how disappointed we would all be, if the latest ride at Alton Towers was a perfectly straight, perfectly level piece of track, that started slowly, trundled along at walking pace, and gradually slowed to a genteel halt five minutes later. Who in their right mind would queue for something so predictable, so comfortable, so boring? Nobody I know.

The most popular rides, the ones that have the longest queues, and the ones that we want to get back on, time after time, are the ones that scare us witless, the ones that actually make us wonder if we will live to tell the tale. And that is how life can be if we prepare ourselves for the turns, the plunges, the unexpected. The greatest books, films and life stories are all about facing almost impossible adversity, battling against the odds, getting the odd knock along the way, but coming out as the victor in the end.

So face up to the rigours of life, meet those challenges head on, stay strong, be brave and make your life the subject of the greatest story Hollywood has ever told.

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