Feelings Of Guilt

24 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Work's EmailToday was the first day of my holiday, restful and relaxing, but tinged with feelings of guilt. Why would that be you may ask. Well all day, my smartphone has been pinging in response to incoming emails landing in my work’s inbox.

Ok, so I’m not doing anything wrong, my holiday was booked weeks ago and I left the office in a manageable state. But being in charge of the company website, dealing on a daily basis with client enquiries and responding to any issues, I am used to being involved and the feelings of responsibility don’t just evaporate.

So when I got a text this afternoon, telling me that the website was down, it left me wondering what was wrong. Of course, the boys in the office had it all under control and there was no need for concern. But it’s my ‘baby’ and I needed to know that the issue was being addressed.

I’m happy to say that I managed to overcome the guilty feelings, to the extent that I had a lovely afternoon lying on a lounger, in the sunshine, listening to a really good audio book. In my defence, I am happy to admit that I have ‘popped’ into my mailbox a few times during the day, so even though I’m on holiday, work is out of sight, but not out of mind.

Happy Families

13 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Happy FamiliesWhat a brilliant day! The beautiful drive to Bristol, first thing in the morning, with amazing views made green and pleasant by the recent rains was quick and easy.

The day had a definite football theme to it. Following breakfast we went off to Longwell Green community centre for Jake’s football training. A little kick around with Zach was fun and Jake was proud to have scored three goals in his practice game.

Charlotte has started the second phase of her chemotherapy, and is looking very tired. Her hubby Rob, also looked pretty drawn, but he is a real star in the way he is keeping everything together. It’s really difficult to see your child looking tired and poorly, even knowing that the reason behind it is all for a very good cause. But it was wonderful to meet my new grandson, Oliver, and to see the how his birth has kept her positive and given a reason to dig deep and carry on.

Hannah and Stanley came round and it was fun to watch the way the boys interact together. They seem to understand each other, even though the little two aren’t even two yet. After lunch, Hannah took Zach for the afternoon, and Rob, Jake and I went off to pick up Barry to go the watch Bristol Rovers, so that Charlotte could have a restful afternoon.

It was my first visit to the Memorial ground, and although the result wasn’t what the Rovers fans had hoped for, it was a nice way to spend the afternoon. Following a few slices of pizza and a final kiss and cuddle with Charlotte and the boys, it was time to wend my way back to Poole, the end of a great day of happy families.

The Gift Of Freedom

12 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

The Gift Of FreedomYesterday we spoke of responsibility, individual responsibility, and how taking responsibility for your actions is a major part of moving your life forward towards your chosen goals. But responsibility is a gift, whether you realise it or not, and having responsibility for the actions you take is very precious.

Think about the millions of people around the world who dream of having such a gift. These people live under conditions where their lives are controlled by the regimes governing their countries. Because they have no control, they never know the gift of responsibility.

Even though there are often comments about our ‘Nanny State’, we live in one of the most liberal, most accepting countries in the world. With that freedom comes the responsibility to act in a manner that show wisdom, courage and compassion, failure to do so risks us all losing that most precious gift.

Individual Responsibility

11 Aug 2011 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Individual ResponsibilityIt all comes down to you. I hope you will not rely on others, or wait for them to do something.

Try to develop such a strong sense of responsibility that you can stand up to the fiercest opposition and come out of the other side, confident in your ability to win.

Please confront reality, look it squarely in the face, and with wisdom, courage and compassion, challenge everything that lies ahead of you.

Miracle Day

28 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

TorchwoodI’ve been watching the new series of Torchwood, Miracle Day in which the human race suddenly becomes immortal, receiving the ‘gift’ of eternal life. Now, of course this is only the latest outpouring from the fertile mind of Russell T Davies, but it does give us food for thought from a Buddhist perspective.

For millennia, Buddhists have believed in reincarnation, a form of eternal life albeit from the viewpoint of our karma. We believe that every thought, word and deed, from each lifetime, creates causes for the effects we may experience in this lifetime.

Eternal life is a pretty scary thought, growing ever older, our bodies and minds slowly deteriorating, but without the prospect of the release of death. It would be the same as having a day that goes on and on, without a night, or the chance to refresh our bodies and minds with sleep.

Death in Buddhism is the equivalent of that refreshing sleep, except that instead of being between days, it is between lifetimes. Not that Buddhists look forward to death, they simply accept it as a part of the Wheel of Life, and necessary in the process of reincarnation.

There is a sobering thought however. As karma follows us from one lifetime to the next, creating effects as we go through our lives, it leaves us with the realisation that we have an eternal responsibility. Every thought, word and deed has been, and will be, forever stored in our karmic bank balance, to be cashed in at some point, when the circumstances are right.

So if you want to know what causes you made in the past, look at the effects you are seeing now. And if you want to see the effects the future holds, look at the causes you are making now.

Eternal responsibility is both a gift and a burden. Think about how your actions today, will affect your life tomorrow, or the next day, or at some time in the future, and use your wisdom, courage and compassion to make the right causes for the effects you would wish to see.

A Whole New Can Of Words

07 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Good RiddanceHaving said how important reading is in the growth of the spirit yesterday, I was appalled to learn further details of the disgraceful actions of The News Of The World today. As citizens of the UK, we all rely on honest reporting to learn of the news from both home and abroad, though I have to say that it’s been many, many years since I read, let alone bought a tabloid rag.

Fortunately, with the rise of electronic media such as Facebook, Twitter and online sites like the BBC website, we have little or no need to read the drivel printed by Murdoch’s media empire. It is however important that his proposed takeover of BSkyB is, at the very least, put on hold while investigations into this phone hacking are properly concluded.

We all rely on our MPs and those in positions of power to be honest and to carry out their duties in a responsible manner. The news that journalists have been paying huge sums to the police, to gain confidential information, is very unsettling. Watching tonight’s Question Time brought these issues into sharp focus and I for one thought Hugh Grant talked a lot of sense in exposing the shortcomings of previous phone hacking investigations.

Nichiren Buddhism does not shackle us with sets of rules or lists of do’s and don’ts, but it does hold us to be accountable for each and every thought, action and deed. How much better would our society be if everyone was in such a position, and acted in a manner for which they were happy to be accountable.

It’s way past time that we all called for more accountability from those who seek to govern or act on our behalf. The very action of taking such positions should demand that these people act in a responsible way, with thought being given to the greater good, and not the greater reward for the individual in power. Clean up or clear out, we have had enough of the selfish, money grabbing leeches in society, it’s time we lived our lives for each other and not purely for ourselves.

Be True To Yourself

02 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

LoveDaily life can seem all too drab and unexciting. Living itself can sometimes seem a strain, and a few of us unrealistically expect what joy we feel to last forever.

But when we fall in love, life seems filled with drama and excitement. We feel like the leading character in a film or a novel.

Sadly, if you get lost in love, just because you are bored or distracted, and consequently stray from the path you should be following, then love is nothing more than escapism.

Whilst you must always be true to yourself, remember that you must also be responsible for each and every action.

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