On Thinking Straight

03 Aug 2014 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

Right ThinkingOne of the many aims of Nichiren Buddhism is to smooth out the emotional highs and lows in life. through right thinking. However, one of the most difficult things to do, personally speaking, is to remain in a constant life-state when confronted by the highs and lows of life.

A Buddhist quotation says that “The Wise Man is neither elated by success nor deflated by failure”. That is not to say that you cannot be happy when you succeed, or sad when you fail, it’s about the intensity of those feelings and trying to stay nearer the mid-point.

We all find it tough at times, but I find the more I practice. the better I get at achieving equilibrium.

Get Thee Hence Dark Passenger

26 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

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

The Scales Don't LieAs you all know by now, I’ve been on this fitness regime since May last year, and it’s been going really well. I’m keeping my weight around 12 stone and I feel terrific, but it’s so easy to get back into bad habits and undo some of the hard work.

Saturday was a perfect example. Being vegan means giving up bacon, but substitute soya bacon for breakfast was going to be a treat, fried, with brown sauce and all. And it’s all too easy to think, ‘well I’ve had this and that, so I might as well go for it’. Really stupid and a big mistake.

Like most challenges in life, it’s far more difficult to stick to the goal than it is to ignore it and let your urges take over. Sadly the scales don’t lie, and I know it wasn’t the bacon butties that caused all the trouble. One way I have stayed on course is by not having temptations in the house. But Scully’s place is full of goodies. Wine, mayonnaise, bread, peanuts, the list is almost endless, and although they are all vegan, they aren’t necessarily all that healthy or slimming.

It’s so much easier, and in some respects more pleasant to put weight on than it is to get it off. But the worst feeling of all is to lose it, and then put it back on when you know that you let your fundamental darkness take control. Double the pain, knowing that there is a chink in your determination, and that it really wasn’t worth all the angst. So get thee hence Dark Passenger. I’m off out cycling round the New Forest tomorrow with the boys, to have a good workout and burn all those stupid calories off again.

There’s A Kind Of Hush …

23 Jul 2014 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

There's A Kind Of HushAs you know, I’ve just had the perfect long weekend. Albeit that it’s a couple of days ago now, but the memories are still sinking in. In the past, I might be rueing having to come back to work, but the period I had without work has rather put a stop to that, and it’s also because I now have the ability to pour a mental calm over everything.

You know the calm I mean, at least I hope you do, when slowly everything starts to come together, to fit into place and there’s a soft and easy feel about things. At work, at home, in my practice, in fact in life, I have definitely turned some magical corner and tranquillity is the result.

Not that tranquillity itself is necessarily always a good thing. It can make us lazy, complacent, stop setting goals for ourselves or making the causes for the effects we want to see. But the tranquillity that accompanies the calmness of a balanced situation is very magical indeed.

Sometimes we have to go through a rough ride to reach the place we want to be. During the ride it’s tough, tranquillity is a million miles away and sometimes appears to be receding fast. But if you stick with it, learn from the pain and make the necessary causes, you will reap the benefits of the effects when they arrive.

So stick with it. If you have confidence in your goals, remain determined and resolute in your quest, and have the courage to withstand the pain, you too will see the benefits. It’s marvellous.

Wiping The Slate Clean

11 Jul 2014 2 Comments

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

An Exciting New Path

A new job, a new career or a new relationship, all call for a bit of a spring clean of our mental attitude and emotional baggage from previous experiences.

Sometimes we need to wipe the slate clean, take a deep breath, and start anew.

Having new goals, new horizons and renewed vigour is just the ticket.

I know that some people fear change, are loath to relinquish all the effort put into a particular path, even if that path may be taking them in the wrong direction. I am not one of those people, I embrace change, but you may have trouble letting go of the past.

Setting sail on a new adventure, try to make it your intention to make the most of each and every day, and when change does arrive, enjoy the excitement of being reborn into a new and exciting experience.

And Breathe

04 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

And BreatheHaving the patience, with a person or situation, to see things through to a 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 all viewpoints, whether they agree with yours or not.

One big problem with being patient, is that you never know what the outcome will be until it’s happened. In the meantime, simply remember to breathe

How many times must I struggle with this challenge? Only time will tell.

Giving It Everything

30 Jun 2014 Leave a comment

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

Cycling HeavenFor all I know, Daisaku Ikeda may well be a keen cyclist, but whatever his interest, these thoughts sum up exactly why we push ourselves till it hurts on an all too frequent basis …

People shouldn’t hesitate to exert their all, in a way true to themselves. How can you possibly ever know how far or fast you can go if you’ve never run all-out? To give up before you’ve even tried is actually arrogance – an affront to the wondrous power of life within you and disrespectful to yourself.

There may be times when others seem enviable. But others are others, and you are you. Rather than comparing your joys and sorrows to those of others, you should aim to surpass your limits in the situation you are in right now. Those who can do this are the true victors in life.

Now who’s up for a 75km ride tonight, that’ll put me on just over 1000km for the month of June.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Transform Thyself

03 Jun 2014 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

TransformationThe human being is not, as some people seem to believe, a simple frail wretch at the mercy of fate.

Shakyamuni insisted that to transform oneself now is to change the future on a vast scale.

The Western impression that Buddhism is all about meditation is alien to the spirit of Shakyamuni.

The goal of Nichiren Buddhism is neither to escape from reality nor to tread a path of passive acceptance. It is to live strongly, proactively, in such a way as to refine one’s own life and reform society through a constant exchange between the outside world and the individual’s inner world.

The transformation, of self and society, will come about through the process of Human Revolution. Not the waving of placards, although that sometimes happens, but the deep seated change of the ideals and morals of society, all around the world.

Life’s Ups & Downs

21 Mar 2014 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

The Turning Point

01 Mar 2014 2 Comments

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

Mirror, Mirror On The WallSelf awareness, the realisation of who, or what you really are, comes to some people with age, but for me, it came at a point in life where I was at my all time low. Seeing my true reflection in the mirror was a long and painful process, there’s no joy in realising that you are someone you don’t really like, but it lead me to the turning point that has allowed me to change for the better.

It is said ‘that we hate in others, what we refuse to see in ourselves’ and I suddenly understood what that meant. Things that annoy us about other people, are sometimes the very things in us that annoy others. Being honest enough with ourselves, to admit our failings or less attractive traits, can be the start of a process of self improvement.

In Nichiren Buddhism we refer to that process as Human Revolution, the nurturing and growth of self improvement through the acquisition of wisdom, courage and compassion. It is achieved, over time, through a determined adherence to our practice and continued learning.

So next time, before you go criticising others, take a long, hard and honest look in that mirror, and have the courage to see the faults you are so desperate to hide from yourself. It will be a painful process, but you will emerge on the other side, like a butterfly emerging from the chrysalis, a better and more beautiful being for doing it.

Transformation

20 Feb 2014 8 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

The Lotus FlowerThe human being is not, as some people seem to believe, a frail wretch at the mercy of fate.

Shakyamuni insisted that to change oneself now is to change the future on a vast scale.

The Western impression that Buddhism is all about meditation is alien to the spirit of Shakyamuni.

The goal of Nichiren Buddhism is neither to escape from reality nor to tread a path of passive acceptance. It is to live strongly, proactively, in such a way as to refine one’s own life and reform society through a constant exchange between the outside world and the individual’s inner world.

The transformation, of self and society, will come about through the process of Human Revolution. Not the waving of placards, although that sometimes happens, but the deep seated change of the ideals and morals of society, all around the world.

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