The story of my path to Buddhahood through the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin
20 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Buddhism Tags: Connections, Family, Happiness, Relationships, Sadness
Relationship problems are opportunities to grow and mature. Such problems can be character building if you don’t let them defeat you.
That’s why it’s important not to isolate yourself. No one can exist apart from others. Remaining aloof from others cultivates selfishness, which accomplishes nothing.
~ Daisaku Ikeda
15 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Buddhism Tags: Buddhist Practice, Daisaku Ikeda, Happiness, Joy, Lotus Sutra, Mystic Law, Sadness
What is true joy in life? This is a difficult question to answer, and one that has occupied the time of a great many thinkers and philosophers.
Joy is transitory and can quickly give way to suffering. Joy is often short and suffering often long.
Also, what passes for joy in society is superficial. It cannot compare with the joy derived from the Mystic Law. The key therefore, lies in cultivating a state of mind where we can declare without reservation, that life itself is a joy.
This is the purpose of our Buddhist practice.
~ Daisaku Ikeda
11 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Buddhism Tags: Answers, Pain, Questions, Sadness, Self Awareness, Self Improvement, Wisdom Courage and Compassion
Going back over your mistakes, asking yourself painful questions and giving honest answers is a difficult, but enlightening experience.
We’ve all made mistakes in life, some more serious than others, but talking them through, trying to explain why you made this decision at that point in time, makes you re-examine your own values.
Our history is set in stone, we cannot go back and make those decisions anew. But we can try to make amends, apologise for any hurt we have caused, and, above all, be honest with ourselves and others.
The changes in myself, that I see and feel, the way I view life, and my responsibility for events affecting me and people around me, have come about through my Practice and my study of Nichiren Buddhism.
As I have said before, once you see things in a different light, you cannot undo that change. Nor would I want to, because even though I know I will make other mistakes in the future, I know that those mistakes will be made despite honourable intentions, and with a great deal more Wisdom, Courage and Compassion.
The one thing I really must try very hard to improve is how I hear the answers that others give to the questions I ask. I have been guilty of having selective hearing over the last few months and of trying to dissuade others from taking the path that is right for them.
That guilt has caused a great deal of pain to all parties concerned, and for that I am truly sorry. Sadly, I now realise that trying to impose my feelings upon situations beyond my control was never going to work. I hope that I can take the lessons learned into any similar future situations.
10 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Buddhism Tags: Chanting, Family, Happiness, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, Relationships, Sadness
Feelings change as we reflect on the causes for those feelings. Acting in haste, motivated by anger, disappointment or desperation will result in the causes of unwanted effects.
When you encounter a wall, you should tell yourself, “Since there is a wall here, a wide, open expanse must lie on the other side.”
Rather than becoming discouraged, know that encountering a wall is proof of the progress that you have made so far.
So here we are, encountering a wall, and striving with all our hearts to find a way to get to the other side.
08 Oct 2012 2 Comments
in Buddhism Tags: Challenges, Chanting, Happiness, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, Relationships, Sadness, Self Awareness, Self Determination, Self Improvement
You may have gathered that the last few days and weeks have been a little challenging for me. It’s been a little difficult at work, though I’m happy to say that we seem to have worked through that.
But that hasn’t really been the most difficult issue. My relationship with Bridget, a relationship that had really seemed to be going so well, has struck the rocks in a major fashion, and has gone down with all hands.
It’s nobody’s fault, and although it is, and has been rather painful, in an odd sort of way, it feels strangely right that we go our separate ways. It may be that this is not the end of the story, but only time will tell. I really hope that her roller coaster ride evens out a little and that she will find happiness very soon.
So here I am, Anupadin, the one who tries to expound a daily gem of enlightening wisdom, having to call on my practice and my progress to make sense of it all. I have chanted about the past, the present and the future, but as you might expect, it’s going to be a work in progress for some time.
06 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
in Buddhism Tags: Happiness, path to enlightenment, Sadness, Self Awareness, Self Improvement
Having a sedentary job, sitting in front of a PC monitor all day, has not been good for my continuing back problem. Being a hod carrier probably wouldn’t be much better, though it might mean that I might have been a bit fitter and not had the problem in the first place.
Any way, this pain seems to be at its worst when, either I have been standing for a while and then sit down, or when I’ve been sitting and stand up. Either way, the transition is jolly painful I can tell you and it’s really getting to me.
Maybe that is why, when my beloved Bumble called me tonight, I did a pretty good job of draining every drop of life-energy out of her, leaving her in a rather flat and depressed state. Just what a girl is looking for in the perfect life partner, or not.
And now I feel like a proper heel and would like to ring her and tell her so, but she’ll be sleeping and that would only make matters worse. So what have we learned tonight? That being a grumpy git is, on the whole, not very conducive to making others feel happy? So from now on, no matter how painful my back, I will try to be the light of her life, rather than the doom in her gloom.
Hindsight is a perfect science, but looking a the situation from another’s viewpoint is a good way to pre-empt a foolish or selfish action. I have a horrible feeling that this lesson has been learned before, but it does also go to show that the path to enlightenment is not always straight or level, and maybe the bumps actually teach us more.
29 Aug 2012 2 Comments
in Buddhism Tags: Death, Family, Happiness, Sadness
Today was Auntie Pat’s funeral at Westerleigh Crematorium. The family gathered in the pleasant, if a little damp surroundings, to say a fond farewell. Not being of any particular religious persuasion, her service was quite a happy affair.
After singing the hymn All Things Bright And Beautiful, we listened to her son Paul read an uplifting eulogy and then we all joined in for a rendition of Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life, certainly a first for me at any funeral.
Although the reason for the gathering was very sad, the nature of the service, and the gathering at The Folly Inn afterwards, could not have been described as sombre. Just, as everyone commented, how Auntie Pat would have wanted it to be.
28 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Buddhism Tags: Compassion, Family, Happiness, Lessons, Manners, Manners and Etiquette, Sadness, Wheelchair Athlete
Being up in Bristol a lot of the time now, gives me the chance to spend much more time with my grandsons, which is brilliant. This evening we went over to see Hannah and then on to see Charlotte, as it was my last chance to see either of them before their 5th and 10th wedding anniversaries respectively, this Friday.
Although I had seen Stanley, Jake and Zach fairly recently, they are all young enough to change almost day by day, so it was brilliant to catch up with their development. Stanley, currently an only child to Hannah and Jay, has always been a little character, with his own mind and attitude.
But he’s been going to pre-school for a while now and it was quite noticeable that his social skills are improving in leaps and bounds. He was much more outgoing than he was even a couple of weeks ago, and had Bumble and me playing hide and seek all round the house.
He’s also just had a new Spiderman bicycle, which he was proud to show off, riding around the lounge and kitchen diner. He a lovely little chap, and is all the more fun now he is talking with, and relating to other people so much more.
Round at Charlotte’s, Oliver, our one year old grandson, had already gone off to bed, but Jake and Zach were in fine form. Jake showed us his collection of McDonald’s Olympic Toys, one of which was a wheelchair athlete, which is great to see. Zach had a dinosaur toy with an opening mouth, which was good fun.
Sadly, the evening ended with Zach and I having a tearful, on his part, stand-off. He had given me his dinosaur whilst he played with Jake, but when he came over to take it back I asked him to say ‘please’. He refused, whereupon I refused to give him the toy. I cuddled him, whilst stopping him from taking the dinosaur, and asked him in a quiet voice, simply to say ‘please’ and that I would then let him have it.
In the end, the dinosaur was put onto a shelf, Zach went off to bed in tears and I felt terrible. Whilst I believe that manners and etiquette are important, I would never have put the two of us in the situation, had I know the outcome. Children must be taught the rights and wrongs of life, but I will be interested to see Zach’s attitude to his grumpy grandfather when I see him next.
14 Aug 2012 4 Comments
in Buddhism Tags: Death, Eternal Life, Family, Reincarnation, Sadness, Wheel of Life
Bumble called me tonight on my way home to tell me that she had just visited her Auntie Pat in hospital.
Pat, the wife of Ivor’s brother Walt, had a stroke around the same time as Ivor was taken into Frenchay hospital. An hour or so later, B rang me again to say that Pat had passed away.
Believing in reincarnation and the Wheel of Life, I am happy that Pat has been relieved of her suffering and confident that she has re-joined the Universe. But I do feel very sad for Walt, who has lost both his wife and his brother, and Bumble, who has lost her father and her aunt, all in the space of three weeks.
They, and the rest of the family, have been in my prayers this evening, and I ask all of you to think of them if you find a free moment.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
12 Aug 2012 Leave a comment
in Buddhism Tags: Chanting, Death, Family, Funeral, Memorial Woodlands, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, Reincarnation, Sadness
This morning was anything other than fine. Thunderstorms overnight had woken a couple of us and the rain was still falling as we sat and ate breakfast. With Josie living and working on St. Martin’s in the Scilly Isles, she was unable to come back for Ivor’s funeral, so we had planned to got over to Jill’s and then go to the Memorial Woodlands together.
Graveyards, even one as beautiful as the Memorial Woodlands, are never the most cheery of places, even in the sunshine. But we were all rather heartened when, as we made our way there, the sun started to break through.
By the time we had reached the graveside the sunshine was glorious. We moved a bench next to Ivor’s grave and Jill, Josie and Bumble sat in quiet contemplation while Matt and I stood quietly by. It made for a very mixed set of emotions, the sad nature of the location with the beauty of the surroundings.
After a while, Josie and Matt went off for a quiet walk around the woodland, Jill got back in the car and B stayed seated on the bench. Jill and I chanted, and I think that it made us all feel a little better. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is such a powerful chant, and although it can’t solve everything, it always makes the situation better.
By the time we reached the Lamb and Flag on Cribbs Causeway, the sadness had lifted somewhat, so by the time we had finished our lunch we were in a lighter mood. Remembering the loss of a loved one is difficult, maybe particularly so when it is so recent, but I think Jill’s belief regarding reincarnation helps her stay positive and that in turn helped the girls deal with their sorrow a little.
The Search For Enlightenment 
Recents Comments