Cohesive Thinking

10 Oct 2014 3 Comments

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

Cohesive ThinkingIt’s amazing how we and the rest of the Universe are so closely connected. The shoots of progress are suddenly showing through a fog of uncertainty, and I find myself running dozens of ‘what if’ scenarios through my head.

And as if to focus my own thoughts on just what situations might be possible, I stumble across this Thought For Today from Sensei …

“When we plant the seeds of self-doubt, only noxious weeds sprout. When we limit ourselves with low expectations, the growth of the tree of happiness immediately ceases.

The power of growth, of improvement, the power to overcome all stagnation and break through every obstacle and transform a barren wasteland into a verdant field—that unstoppable power of hope resides right there in your own heart.

It will well up from the rich earth of your innermost being when you face the future without doubt or fear: “I can do more. I can grow. I can become a bigger and better human being”—life and faith are a never-ending struggle to grow.”

This is my last day before I set of with Jacqui for a week afloat. The posts may be delayed due to the lack of connectivity, but rest assured, they will be worth the wait once they arrive.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Joined Up Thinking

17 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Universal Energy FlowIt’s amazing how we and the rest of the Universe are so closely connected. The shoots of progress are suddenly showing through a fog of uncertainty, and I find myself running dozens of ‘what if’ scenarios through my head.

And as if to focus my own thoughts on just what this situation might make possible, I stumble across this Thought For Today from Sensei …

“When we plant the seeds of self-doubt, only noxious weeds sprout. When we limit ourselves with low expectations, the growth of the tree of happiness immediately ceases.

The power of growth, of improvement, the power to overcome all stagnation and break through every obstacle and transform a barren wasteland into a verdant field—that unstoppable power of hope resides right there in your own heart.

It will well up from the rich earth of your innermost being when you face the future without doubt or fear: “I can do more. I can grow. I can become a bigger and better human being”—life and faith are a never-ending struggle to grow.”

Having secured my very first, albeit part time, teaching position today, I am in a world of happiness and ever growing possibilities.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Challenge Or Opportunity?

26 Nov 2013 4 Comments

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

IndonesiaWith my recently announced redundancy still five months away, time is not yet of the essence to find alternative employment.

But as we all know, times are tight, jobs few on the ground, and times flies when things of this nature are concerned.

Not, I have to say, that I am unduly concerned at present, but I have been having a look around.

Having put in a 40 year shift in IT, I’m not at all sure I want to continue in the same vein, so I’ve decided to have an open mind and see what opportunities present themselves.

Interestingly, during a recent night out in Poole to watch Jack Dee in concert, a friend asked whether I had thought about teaching English as a foreign language, know as TEFL in the profession. I had to admit that I hadn’t.

I’ve never been drawn to teaching. In the past I would never have had the patience to teach anyone anything. But with age and, maybe more so Buddhism, I have a great deal more calmness and patience. So I have been looking at the process needed to get qualified.

On the face of it, it all looks rather straightforward. There is an international qualification required, a TEFL certificate from an academy accredited by the World TEFL Accrediting Commission (WTEFLAC).

The course takes a minimum of 120 hours, of which 20 hours are face to face tutorials and practice. The cost is not too crazy, and the opportunities appear quite realistic, in places as close as Paris or as far away as China and Indonesia.

Whether or not the notion takes hold, the whimsies turn into reality or the possibilities become fact is in my hands. At the moment I have to say that it all sounds rather exciting, and I’m certainly going to take some time to investigate further.

So, far from being the end of the world, this redundancy might be the start of a whole new adventure. We all need a short, sharp, shock at times, just to ease us out of the comfortable rut we have made for ourselves. The shock has been administered, so time will tell.

Seeing The Positive Side

11 Sep 2013 4 Comments

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

Seeing The Positive SideWe all get them, those times when life just seems to get on top of us, we feel like we are drowning or being crushed by the pressure, we scream inside, but we know nobody can hear.

For those times, here are a few observations that may help you see things from a different, and more positive, point of view …

New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings ~ Lao Tzu

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass … it’s about learning to dance in the rain ~ Anon

Good things come to those who wait … greater things come to those who will do absolutely everything to make it happen ~ Anon

Forget all the reasons why something won’t work and believe in the one reason that it will ~ Anon

Life is like photography … You need the negatives to develop ~ Anon

Don’t worry about failures … worry about the possibilities you miss when you don’t even give something a chance ~ Anon

We learn lessons from everyone who passes through our lives … some lessons are painful, some are painless … but, all are priceless ~ Anon

Nobody ever planned to be broke, fat, lazy, lonely, or stupid … those things are what happen when you don’t have a plan, make one now ~ Anon

Remember, there are millions of people out there who are more than happy with much less than you have ~ Anon

The biggest failure you can have in life is making the mistake of never trying at all ~ Anon

Life has two rules: #1 Never quit … #2 Always apply rule #1 ~ Anon

The mere act of writing this has reminded me of how positivity can come from negativity if we choose to let it happen. Take all your negative emotions, look at the situation from a different perspective and use all that energy to make a positive change.

Young At Heart

05 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

YouthWe all strive to remain as young as possible, as long as possible, though aging disgracefully is something I am concentrating on too at times.

Youth has so many positives. The opportunity, the enthusiasm, the endless potential. Here are a few thoughts about youth in general, from people who can express themselves far better than I.

I hope you enjoy them …

Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind.
it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees
it is a matter of will, a quality of imagination, a vigour of the emotions
it is the freshness of the deep springs of life. Samuel Ullman (poet)

— + —

That we take pains to protect weapons while we expose children –
the future of the race – to peril is impermissible.
To ignore this absurdity will spell defeat for humanity.
We must not live to destroy.
We have the spiritual power to create peace and happiness. Daisaku Ikeda

— + —

Let me be more mother than the mother herself
in my love and defence of the child who is not flesh of my flesh.
Help me to make one of my children my most perfect poem
and leave within him or her my most melodious melody
from that day when my lips no longer sing. Gabriela Mistral (teacher)

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Connected

20 Feb 2013 1 Comment

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

A Universe Of PossibilitiesIt’s amazing how we and the rest of the Universe are so closely connected. Sitting at home, still working, but being allowed to ‘take stock’ of my current predicament, I’m running dozens of ‘what if’ scenarios through my head.

Then, to focus my own thoughts on just what this situation might make possible, I stumble across this Thought For Today from Sensei …

“When we plant the seeds of self-doubt, only noxious weeds sprout. When we limit ourselves with low expectations, the growth of the tree of happiness immediately ceases.

The power of growth, of improvement, the power to overcome all stagnation and break through every obstacle and transform a barren wasteland into a verdant field—that unstoppable power of hope resides right there in your own heart.

It will well up from the rich earth of your innermost being when you face the future without doubt or fear: “I can do more. I can grow. I can become a bigger and better human being”—life and faith are a never-ending struggle to grow.”

So, when you couple that to the fact that the Canal and River Trust are advertising their vacancies, maybe taking stock is just what I needed, and that the connections are strong.