It’s The Shortest Day

21 Dec 2014 1 Comment

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

The Shortest DayToday is the shortest day of the year, here in the UK, and strangely some may say, it’s my favourite day of the year. Why, I can hear you asking, isn’t the longest day of the year more favoured, all those lovely hours of daylight, and often sunshine too. Well it’s because today marks the nadir of the year in terms of daylight. From now on we get an extra minute or so more light each day, and that’s something to look forward to.

Daisaku Ikeda has some very wise words for these long dark days, and offers a welcome ray of hope …

“Even if today may seem to be a time of total darkness, it will not last forever. The dawn will surely come if you advance, ever forward, without being defeated.

The day will definitely come when you can look back fondly and declare, “I am savouring this happiness because I struggled back then.” It is those who know the bitterness of winter that can savour the true joy of spring.”

~ Daisaku Ikeda

The Shortest Day – Woo Hoo !!!

21 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

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

The Shortest DayToday is the shortest day of the year, here in the UK, and strangely some may say, it’s my favourite day of the year. Why, I can hear you asking, isn’t the longest day of the year more favoured, all those lovely hours of daylight, and often sunshine too. Well it’s because today marks the nadir of the year in terms of daylight. From now on we get an extra minute or so more light each day, and that’s something to look forward to.

Daisaku Ikeda has some very wise words for these long dark days, and offers a welcome ray of hope …

“Even if today may seem to be a time of total darkness, it will not last forever. The dawn will surely come if you advance, ever forward, without being defeated.

The day will definitely come when you can look back fondly and declare, “I am savouring this happiness because I struggled back then.” It is those who know the bitterness of winter that can savour the true joy of spring.”

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Every Cloud

20 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

SunriseIt has been pretty cold for the last week, yesterday I even had frost on the car first thing, and the days are so short. The mornings are dark, the evenings are even darker, and it feels natural to get home after a long day at work, and curl up like a bear in his cave.

This morning wasn’t so cold, though the car was still covered in a fine dew. There was no breeze and because the children have finished school for the holiday, it felt like I was the only one not to be still tucked up in bed. But as with most things in life, and particularly in Buddhist life, every cloud has a silver lining. Every drop of poison can be turned into a drop of medicine and so it was this morning.

Driving down the Blandford road, the headlights of the oncoming cars and trucks were so bright against the velvet blackness of the early morning. The traffic was slow and I was wondering whether I was going to get to the office on time. Then very suddenly every thought changed, and my worry turned to wonder.

As the first rays of the sun peeped over the horizon they created a majestic and awe-inspiring sunrise, illuminating a beautifully sculptured high bank of clouds. It was amazing, the colours were stunning, and the whole spectacle changed second by second. It was so huge, completely filling the sky, it was impossible to take in the whole. It transformed my journey and in fact my whole day. Of course, the sun comes up every day, but some days it does it in much more wondrous ways than others.