Just A Tinge

16 Feb 2013 2 Comments

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

Sadness On The Path To HappinessLife is a constant stream of changes, some small, others not so small. The manner in which we deal with these changes determines whether we are content with the final outcome, and Nichiren Buddhism is there to help ensure that all goes well.

I know that my Buddhist practice has changed the way I interact with everything and everyone in my own personal Universe.

The change is difficult to explain, and even more difficult to prove over the short term to others within that Universe. Those difficulties are still further compounded by the fact that no matter how radical the change, nothing can change the past. Like karma, my past was formed from the past causes I made. What I can do, is to try to make better causes now, and in the future. What I can not do, is influence the past.

That limitation is, I have to say, a very real sadness on this journey towards a happier and more enlightened future.

It’s All About Perspectives

15 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

UmbrellasThere was once an old lady who cried all the time. Her elder daughter was married to an umbrella merchant while the younger daughter was the wife of a noodle vendor. On sunny days, she worried, “Oh no! The weather is so nice and sunny. No one is going to buy any umbrellas. What will happen if the shop has to be closed?” These worries made her sad. She just could not help but cry.

When it rained, she would cry for the younger daughter. She thought, “Oh no! My younger daughter is married to a noodle vendor. You cannot dry noodles without the sun. Now there will be no noodles to sell. What should we do?” As a result, the old lady lived in sorrow everyday. Whether sunny or rainy, she grieved for one of her daughters. Her neighbours could not console her and jokingly called her “the crying lady.”

One day, she met a monk. He was very curious as to why she was always crying. She explained the problem to him. The monk smiled kindly and said, “Madam! You need not worry. I will show you a way to happiness, and you will need to grieve no more.”

The crying lady was very excited. She immediately asked the monk to show her what to do. The master replied, “It is very simple. You just need to change your perspective. On sunny days, do not think of your elder daughter not being able to sell umbrellas but the younger daughter being able to dry her noodles. With such good strong sunlight, she must be able to make plenty of noodles and her business must be very good. When it rains, think about the umbrella store of the elder daughter. With the rain, everyone must be buying umbrellas. She will sell a lot of umbrellas and her store will prosper.”

The old lady saw the light. She followed the monk’s instruction. After a while, she did not cry anymore; instead, she was smiling everyday. From that day on she was known as “the smiling lady.”

The Fragility Of Life

27 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

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

Thoughts For The VictimsReading reports of the tragic fire in Brazil my thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims. Initial investigations are reporting that over two hundred clubbers have been killed following a fire that was started by fireworks set off by a band.

Apart from the obvious thoughts of it being a needless loss of life, two other things crossed my mind. The first being that although we live in a world typically cossetted in reams of health and safety measures, life is still very fragile and should never be taken for granted.

The second though is for the person, or people, who set off the fireworks. I cannot imagine, in my wildest dreams, that there was any intent to cause a fire, but regardless of that, the responsibility for two hundred deaths lies squarely at the foot of the instigators.

I wonder how many times we make a poor decision, nip out into traffic, run that amber light, take an un-necessary risk, and get away with it? Imagine, if you can, how we might feel, if as a result of that risk, we caused an incident in which someone, maybe a child, was killed.

So as we think of the victims and those mourning the loss of their loved ones, killed in the most harrowing of ways, let us also take a moment to put ourselves in the place of the people who, albeit inadvertently, caused the deaths, for they will have to live with the responsibility of their actions until the end of time.

Death Rocks

25 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

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

Wilko JohnsonThe sad news that Wilko Johnson, rock legend and member of iconic bands such as Dr Feelgood and Ian Drury and the Blockheads, has terminal pancreatic cancer, was tempered slightly by the news that the star describes himself as suddenly feeling ‘vividly alive’ when he was told the news by cancer specialists.

In a refreshingly open interview on Radio 4’s Front Row, he explains that following the diagnosis, he visited a specialist who told him he had nine or ten months to live, maybe a year if he underwent a course of chemotherapy.

Declining the chemo, Wilko immediately embarked on what might be the ultimate farewell tour. As he says, he won’t be singing ‘My Way’ for the next five years. He also explained that although the news was a shock, he has not cried about it, as he had often done over the loss of his wife through cancer, eight years ago.

I would like to think that I too would have the resilience and courage, given my belief in reincarnation and karma, to make the very best of each and every remaining minute. I guess the proof of that particular pudding will be something I get to test at some point, though I’m in no hurry.

It seems that the trend for people to need a sharp shock before they make those life-changing decisions is understandable, Wilko’s comment that we all need something like this to ‘knock a bit of sense into our heads’ seems to confirm that.

One comment really did hit home, particularly after my recent reticence to take my own ailments, minor though they appear to be to the doctor. Wilko said of his condition, “I noticed the symptoms a few months ago – there was this lump in my stomach. I treated it by ignoring it and hoping it would go away.”

Now there is a lesson for us all in that.

2012 Is Over, Here Comes 2013

31 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

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

Happy New Year - 2013I have to report, that for the majority of people I know, with the exception of a couple of high points, 2012 has been a year of sadness, and one that most will be happy to see gone.

But as we know, the challenges in life are there to help us become stronger. And those of us who have met those challenges and grown as a result, are still here to greet the New Year.

Happy New Year everyone. I pray that 2013 will be a healthy, fortunate, positive and above all peaceful one for everyone.

Nothing To Be Sneezed At

30 Nov 2012 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Sniff, Cough, SniffSo here we are again, the weekend is upon us and there is a spring in the step of people as they leave the office for a couple of days of well earned relaxation. Some are talking of shopping expeditions, others have Christmas trees to decorate, so much excitement.

Sadly, many people, myself included, are still trying to fight off this nasty little cough and cold combination that has been doing the rounds. Not for me, the crowds of shoppers, the festooned arcades of consumerist delights.

With luck, I should be able to spend a good fifty percent of the next couple of days in bed. Plans to visit the Girls in Bristol have again been scuppered, I have no wish to spread this dreaded lurgy amongst my daughters or their families.

If it’s really cold, as they are promising it may be, I might even stay in bed to chant. I’m not sure what Nichiren would have made of horizontal daimoku, but I can’t imagine him being too worried, he was never too concerned with rules.

We Never Know

28 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

We-Never-KnowSome situations just get stuck, they just refuse to offer a resolution, be that through indecision, lack of control or reluctance to move on.

Having the patience, with a person or situation, to see things through to their conclusion takes Wisdom, Courage and Compassion:

  • The Wisdom to see that the desired path is both achievable and the correct outcome.
  • The Courage to stick to your path, despite setbacks or obstacles.
  • The Compassion to see things from another’s viewpoint, whether it agrees with yours or not.

There’s just one big problem with being patient, and that is that you never know what the outcome will be until it’s happened. Time will tell.

Dealing With Life

20 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

The Ups and Downs Of LifeMany things happen in life. There are joyous days and times of suffering. Sometimes unpleasant things occur. But that’s what makes life so interesting. The dramas we encounter that are part and parcel of being human.

If we experienced no change or drama in our lives, if nothing unexpected ever happened, we would merely be like automatons, our lives unbearably monotonous and dull.

Therefore, it is important to develop a strong self so that you can enact the drama of your life with confidence and poise in the face of whatever challenges you may encounter.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Agony

25 Oct 2012 6 Comments

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

Charlotte and OliverCharlotte is not having a good time with this surgery at all. She is in a lot of pain, has tubes coming out of her, so can’t even get into a comfortable position, and is on a ward with other women who are also suffering post operative discomfort in various forms.

She is being given morphine to help her cope with the pain, but she has never been good with anaesthetics, they make her feel sick. So you can imagine that she is feeling very low, doesn’t want to see or talk to anyone because she doesn’t want to upset them.

All I can do, being stuck here in Poole, is to be there if she texts or calls, to concentrate my practice on chanting and praying for a good outcome to all this and to help Charlotte and the rest of the family stay positive. Several people have been in to see her, and that might help cheer her a little, but the sooner she is home and on the mend, the better.

Every Child

24 Oct 2012 2 Comments

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

Every Child Is PreciousWith my thoughts being dominated by Charlotte, and her slow and painful recovery from the latest surgery, whilst remembering that she is but one of my three children, I was reminded of this explanation, by Daisaku Ikeda, of a relevant parable from the Lotus Sutra.

Every child is precious. The Lotus Sutra tells the parable of the three kinds of medicinal herbs and two kinds of trees. There are many different kinds of plants; their shape, size and nature come in myriad varieties. Some plants grow fast while others take time to mature. In this parable, however, the heavens rain upon all the plants equally, nurturing their growth. And the plants blossom and bear fruits according to their own unique character.

This parable symbolizes the Buddha’s vast compassion to nurture all living beings despite their differences. All children are different; each possesses his or her wonderful unique quality. We must pour upon all children our great love and compassion so that each child can blossom, true to his or her unique quality.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

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