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.

I’m Saying Nothing

02 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Keeping QuietThere are times when, unwittingly, we become involved in other people’s problems, whether we want to be, or not. At times like this, Wisdom, Courage and Compassion are needed, but in a slightly different way than when we have our own problems. We may often need the Wisdom to step back and look at it in a dispassionate way.

We will certainly need the Compassion to determine our feelings, from that detached viewpoint, and the Courage to offer help if required, knowing that our offer may well be rejected. Just try being there with an open heart and a calm mind. There will be people on the periphery who feel the need to state their opinions, whether that helps the situation or not. These opinions may well be founded on sound principles and deeply held beliefs, but they are not generally of any help, they are just their own opinions.

If you find yourself in such a situation, you must be prepared to wait to be asked for your help. Staying detached, objective and silent, may in fact be all the help you can offer at that time. But remember that time is a great healer, often the best healing medium we have, so be prepared to extend your Wisdom, Courage and Compassion over the long term.

Be Grateful For What You Have

13 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

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

Be GratefulWe all have the 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 be honest enough to see that there are other people in much worse circumstances.

In Buddhist terms, the effects in our lives are caused by the 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 Courage and Wisdom and that doesn’t help anyone, least of all yourself.

W.C.C … It’s Not Cricket You Know

22 Jul 2013 2 Comments

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

Cricket_BallHave you ever had a problem or situation that has been rumbling around for a while, but you can’t drum up the enthusiasm to fix? I know you have, we all have. Maybe enthusiasm is not the right word, maybe energy, or confidence is a better one.

Perhaps you should have made a phone call, written a letter, or gone to see someone, but you know they aren’t going to be too pleased to hear from you when you do.

When I say you know, it’s probably more accurate to say you imagine, you suppose, see what I mean? We all build up little scenarios in our heads, and the more often we think about the problem, the more convinced we become, that our imagined outcome is what will actually happen. Our fundamental darkness will also do its best to confirm our worst fears.

This is where we need a bit of W.C.C … Wisdom, Courage and Compassion.

We need the Wisdom to see that what we imagine is the version of events from our point of view, and may be way off. We also need to accept that any problem that is left to fester, will only get worse and never go away by itself.

We need a deal of Courage to put ourselves into a situation that may be awkward, embarrassing or painful (hopefully not physically). Picking up that phone, or ringing that door bell, when we are unsure of the reception, takes guts. But remember that the alternative may be even worse.

Now we need a huge dollop of Compassion. The fact that we have put off doing something about this issue probably means that we feel that we are in the wrong, in some way. So we need to steel ourselves for a potential tirade, whilst remaining calm and sympathetic. We need to understand the problem from the other persons point of view. That will take a dialogue of some nature, and maintaining a compassionate nature may help defuse the situation. We need to bite our tongue when we may feel like giving a little back. I don’t mean a complete capitulation, more a flexible approach to understanding their side of things.

I imagine that each and every person who reads this has an issue, be it large or small, that falls into this category. Only you know what it is, so gird your loins, take a deep breath, and get it sorted today. You’ll feel a lot better when you do, believe me, I know from experience.

Determination

07 Jul 2013 2 Comments

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

DeterminedDetermination grows out of adversity. To accomplish an easy or pleasant task does not require determination, it is the difficult or unpleasant task that most definitely does.

Dreams don’t come true on their own. Determination is required to achieve the things we set out to accomplish and to keep things going in the face of discouragement.

The essential purpose of Buddhism is to make people happy. True happiness is the result of consistent effort and constant growth as a human being.

Remind yourself every day, why you are pursuing your goal. Self doubt and negative thoughts are the making of your fundamental darkness. Confront your inner demons and tell them that you are going to overcome them. Take heart and strength from your Practice, chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo will raise your life-energy and help you focus on the task in hand. Remember, nobody ever felt satisfaction from giving up on their dreams.

And keep this in mind when times get tough …

When your determination increases, everything else begins to move in the direction you desire. The moment you resolve to be victorious, every nerve and fibre in your being immediately orient themselves toward your success.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

Scream If You Want To Go Faster

22 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

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.

What Is It About Gherkins?

15 Jun 2013 1 Comment

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

What Is It About Those Gherkins?When life is beginning to feel a bit like swimming in treacle, the only key to success is to draw on your own determination. Sometimes things don’t go the way you wish and that can be for a number of reasons. But if you can remain calm, suppress your frustrations and stay focused, things will change.

Like taking the lid off a particularly tenacious jar of gherkins, it’s all about getting a proper grip on the problem, and once battle is joined, keeping the pressure on in a dogged manner. Of course the struggle may go on for some time, but there can only be one outcome if you refuse to quit, and that is victory.

And don’t forget that wonderful feeling of success when the lid finally turns. That comes with all manner of problems, and is the reward for all your effort and determination.

But what is it with those gherkins? They always seem to present a challenge, don’t they?

The Law Of Cause And Effect

12 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Causing RipplesWe all have the 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 be honest enough to see that there are other people in much worse circumstances.

In Buddhist terms, the effects in our lives are caused by the 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. It is simply the law of cause and effect playing out.

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 Courage and Wisdom and that doesn’t help anyone, least of all yourself.

Have Patience

11 Jun 2013 3 Comments

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

Have PatienceIt is said that patience is a virtue, and indeed that is a fact.

Having patience with someone, something, or with a situation can make the difference between causing, or solving problems.

When you are just about to run out of patience you should take a deep breath and carry on trying to be understanding.

Sometimes when our patience runs out, it is because we don’t have the full picture. Having a partial understanding of a situation leads us all to try to fill in the missing parts from our imagination. Our fundamental darkness will relish the chance to invent the details for us.

As anyone who has been to the dentist, and I guess that’s pretty much all of us, the waiting room, the fear of what might be in store, is often far worse than the reality when we finally sit in the chair.

So it is with most situations in life. So stop imagining, take that deep breath, and find a little more patience. It will be worth it in the end as we turn yet more poison into medicine

The Lumps And Bumps

25 May 2013 2 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Lumps and BumpsIf you ride a bicycle 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 are a couple of photos from my ride today …

MuddefordBranksome Chine Beach

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