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

Wonderful Nature

25 May 2014 Leave a comment

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

New Forest Pony and FoalThe weather finally relented today, and the grand tour was on once again. I set off towards Christchurch about 7:00 this morning and although there was a chill in the air, the fluffy white clouds were few and far between in a beautiful blue sky.

The trip up to Ringwood is very familiar, from all the times I’ve ridden the route to work. There was quite a lot of standing water on the roads, but the traffic was light so it was easy to ride around the puddles left by the rain of the last couple of days.

Just before reaching Ringwood town centre, I took the right turn for Crow and headed off towards Burley. The back roads in The Forest are wonderful. Narrow, winding, lined with ancient woodland, and round every corner, the possibility of seeing some of the ponies that roam the woods.

As Spring comes to an end, the mares are busy looking after their foals. They are wonderful little works of nature, perfectly formed with legs that seem to be being steered by committee. Their mothers all seemed to be set on getting their fill of the fresh grass, but the foals had better things to do prancing around like nutcases.

The ride went rather well, though the increasing breeze did make it a bit tough towards the end. Still a little determination coupled with a bag of Nákd Cocoa Delights got me over the finish line. My legs are reminding me that I’ve ridden further today than ever before, but I’m sure they’ll be fine in the morning.

Nature’s Perfection

19 May 2014 2 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Nature's PerfectionWith glorious English weather arriving over the last few days, yesterday seemed like a good time to get out in the sunshine and make the most of the wonderful sights of the Dorset coast. Those of us who live in the UK know all too well, that it pays to make hay while the sun shines.

Nature's PerfectionStarting at the top of Branksome Chine we made our way through the amazing woodland that surrounds the stream as it makes its way slowly down to the ever popular Branksome beach. Not only does the walk through the Chine do you good, but it also saves trying to find a parking space down by the sea.

Nature's PerfectionBeing surrounded by fresh leaves and shoots, along with the sounds and smells that bombard the senses, leave you stunned by how wonderful nature is. The Chine winds gently down to the sea, so you hardly notice the slope, but the stream reminds you as it tumbles over a series of waterfalls, all very magical.

A beautiful day, beautiful weather, beautiful sights and wonderful experiences and all within thirty minutes of home. Some people might say I am lucky to live where I do, but actually it is a combination of the causes I have made in life. Isn’t karma grand?

Click on the images to see them full size.

On The Up And Up

18 Apr 2014 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

The view from Rollington Hill - Click to viewWhat a perfect day it’s been for cycling around The Purbecks. Beautiful cloudless skies, gorgeous sunshine and a welcome cooling breeze, who could ask for more?Usually I tend to stick to the lanes and back roads, but not today.

Today was mainly off road and if we weren’t going downhill, we were climbing, Dorset is anything but flat. My accomplices on this picturesque mission were Mike and BJ, two fellow vegans and Mike’s mate, Mike, all keen cyclists.

Now the highest point on our route was the best part of 200 meters above sea level, 200 metres above the Sandbanks chain ferry where we all met up at 8:30. By 9:00 we hadn’t even covered the first mile of our quest, delayed by the first of four punctures we were to suffer en-rout.

As is the nature of things, the best views are situated at the summit of hills or mountains. To enjoy those views, one has to climb to the summit and our case, that meant cycling up some really interesting little inclines.

Anything that requires effort also requires determination in order to achieve it. Some of the paths we followed today were an excellent test of anyone’s determination. They had sneaky habit of disguising the apparent summit around a corner, and rounding the corner one was all too often confronted by a further climb.

The trick I employ, in such circumstances, is to focus on the next few metres ahead. Looking up at the remaining climb only serves two purposes, the first is to dishearten me, by revealing the extent of the effort remaining, the second is to distract me from the finer details of the path immediately ahead, important when it is strewn with loose rocks and gravel.

In fact, it’s very much like achieving anything in life. Your efforts require a determination in order to bear fruit, you have to be focussed on the next element of your goal rather than be distracted by the enormity of your task. With determination you can achieve anything, you just need to take it one step, or in the case of today, one pedal stroke at a time.

Happiness, What Is Happiness?

08 Apr 2014 1 Comment

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

Happiness, What Is Happiness?What do we mean by happiness? There may be as many answers to that as there are stars in the night sky, everyone has their own idea of what makes them happy, and equally what doesn’t.

Maybe it is the love of a partner, being part of a family, the pay cheque at the end of the month or that new car you had always promised yourself. Whatever your idea of happiness, we all crave more of it.

We can probably agree that it is all too often a transitory state, punctuated by periods where we are unhappy, or at least a bit glum. So what would you give to have more of this illusive life-state, and how can you go about achieving a happier life?

Well speaking personally, I can almost guarantee happiness from my Buddhist practice. That might sound a little trite or even rather far-fetched, but for me it is true. My practice helps me see life from all angles, the ups and downs, from my view-point and from that of others, and it ‘smoothes’ out the emotional bumps we encounter each and every day.

The idea at the very core of Buddhism is the removal of suffering, and that in itself helps us to be happier. Seeing the beauty in nature, the best facets of another’s personality, the joy in helping others, happiness is there for us all, all of the time and all around us. Living a life that is more concerned with others than ourselves, giving more than we take, and so on, will also bring feelings of happiness. All we have to do is look out for it.

Living in a society that is more concerned about what we own, than who we really are, we all struggle to put those ideas into action. We hear about people earning ridiculous sums, whilst providing little by way of return, and wonder how they can live with the guilt. If society valued the good in people more than the goods of people, the world would be a much fairer, happier place.

Whatever flavour your own happiness comes in, I wish you more of it, now and in the future. And when it arrives, please make sure that you share it around. That way you will find it grows and grows, and that it lasts just that little bit longer.

Finally, We’re On The Way Back

23 Dec 2013 Leave a comment

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

The Shortest DayLast Saturday was 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

Getting A Wiggle On

16 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

The Wiggle MTB EventToday has been fantastic, the sun shone, the sky was blue and although it wasn’t exactly tropical, the conditions for going over to Swanage for the Wiggle MTB event were pretty much perfect. The ground had dried up considerably from the mud-fest of last week, so I even managed to do my favourite circuit whilst staying a bit cleaner.

Getting to the event, held at the Herston camp site in Washpond Lane, Swanage it was great to see that most of the attendees had also turned up on their bikes. I met a few of them on the trip over from Old Harry and from the look of their trick bikes, they were also keen off-roaders.

Some of the best known bike manufacturers had turned up with their 2014 range. Aluminium and carbon frames, traditional 26” and the emerging 29” wheels and amazing suspension set-ups were in evidence, all very enticing. Of course, they were there to encourage sales, but at £2000 to £3500 for the top of the range, I wasn’t buying.

I got my bike in an end of year sale, half price and around a tenth of the cost of these all singing, all dancing models. It’s not made by one of the top manufacturers, it’s certainly not the lightest of bikes and it won’t get the admiring glances of the top models, but it performs well, or at least well enough for my level of riding.

The thing is, as with any bicycle, no matter how much it costs, how awesome it may appear, you still have to pedal it. The lighter it is, the easier that might be, but having lost over 20kgs of bodyweight, I think the odd gram here and there would make little extra difference to any of my rides, even my own personal bests.

Free GiftsSo even though it was tempting to accept the generous offers of test rides, I politely declined. I didn’t see the point in risking making myself dissatisfied with my own bike. I was very pleased with the free gifts that the lady from Wiggle gave me. A nice new water bottle and a pair of handlebar grips, that perfectly match the colour of my frame.

Thank you Wiggle, I enjoyed the event, it was nice to see the collection of beautiful bikes, and the gifts will come in very handy. Sorry I didn’t buy anything, but common sense prevailed.

Mud Everywhere

10 Nov 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , , ,

Atop the Purbeck, before the worst of the mudThe morning was bright and crisp, the torrential rain of the last few days had been blown away, but even the wind had abated.

Perfect for a trip over the Purbecks. By eleven I was on the chain ferry with a friend and we were on our way to an appointment with Old Harry.

Apart from a few puddles, the roads were dry and the beautiful sunshine had brought out dozens of cyclists, all togged up against the single figure temperature. The bite in the little breeze there was reminded us that autumn is well and truly here.

Passing the Banks Arms, we took a left, up the interestingly rough uphill track towards the coastal path. There were a lot of people walking, their kids, their dogs, just themselves and everyone was trying to skirt the huge muddy puddles left by the recent rains.

It was about this time I wished I had invested in a set of mudguards. Even staying back from my friend’s back wheel didn’t stop the mud flying around my ears. MTB knobblies are particularly adept at digging through soft mud, and flinging it up at the hapless rider.

The ride up the spine of the Purbecks was just awesome. The stunning views of Swanage Bay on our left was matched by the sight of Poole and Bournemouth bathed in autumn sunshine, over to the right. It’s a good job there’s very little to run into up there, neither of us were really watching where we were going.

That became evident when I suddenly realised that we had ridden straight past the turning off down the Heritage Trail into Swanage. We made a scenic detour down the side of the hill and picked up the trail just before the steep descent of the chalk section.

Having negotiated the chalk got to the dirt path that leads down into the farmyard. Normally the surface is firm and dry, not today. It’s also a bridle path and it was clear that quite a few horses had churned it up … more mud.

The road from Swanage to Corfe Castle was dry, initially, but then as we got into the undulations the troughs were wet, the peaks dry, so we had a series of bespatterings as we went along. Getting to the castle, we stopped for a drink of water and got a few funny looks. It was only later that I found that I had bits of mud stuck all over my face, ears, hair, you name it, I had it covered.

By the time we got back to the ferry I think a lot of it had dried and fallen off, but I still found lumps of mud, I say mud, but there were a few cows along the way, so who knows, in some very interesting places later in the shower.

All in all, a brilliant day. Lots of fun, lots of chat, beautiful scenery, nature at its best. All that’s needed now is a nice soft brush and a hosepipe to get the remaining mud off my pride and joy … my bike I meant … behave!!!

Glorious First Of June

01 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Branksome ChineWith the glorious English summer finally arriving over the last few days, it seemed like a good time to get out in the sunshine and make the most of all the wonderful sights of the magical Dorset coast. Those of us who live in the UK know all too well, that making hay while the sun shines says it all.

Branksome ChineStarting at the top of Branksome Chine we made our way through the amazing woodland that surrounds the stream as it makes its way slowly down to the ever popular Branksome beach. Not only does the walk through the Chine do you good, but it also saves on the parking fees.

Branksome BeachBeing surrounded by the beautiful fresh leaves and shoots, along with the sounds and smells that bombard the senses, leave you stunned by how wonderful nature is. The Chine winds so gently down to the sea, you hardly notice the slope, but the stream reminds you now and again as it tumbles over a series of waterfalls, all very magical.

Old Harry RocksAfter a relaxing pit stop, it was on to Studland, via the chain ferry from Sandbanks. All rather Victorian but exciting as it was my first crossing. The ferry takes minutes to get to across, so soon we were heading off to the Bankes Arms pub, where we left the car and walked over the headland to Old Harry Rocks.

A beautiful day, beautiful weather, new sights and experiences and all within thirty minutes of home. Some people might say I am lucky to live where I do, but actually it is a combination of the causes I have made in life. Isn’t karma grand?

Click on the photos to see them full size.

Utopia In My Back Yard

26 May 2013 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Hamworthy SunsetThe beautiful weather continues, and combined with the Bank holiday, it’s brought all the tourists down to Dorset this weekend. Hamworthy Park was heaving in the sunshine today, families having picnics on the grass, children making sandcastles on the beach and paddling in the sea, and everyone having fun.

Seeing all these people, and the shouting and laughter, is a big contrast from the quiet of Moriconium Quay. I seem to spend a lot of time on my own, and although I’m fine with that, I do find it very different from when I go into town or out when there are a lot of people about.

It’s been so warm here today, and although I’ve had the doors and windows open, it was too hot in the lounge this evening. So as the sun was setting, and the temperature dropping, I decided to go out for a stroll, in an attempt to cool down a little. There were still a few people about. A bunch of guys out for an evening bike ride and a couple walking their dog, but it was much quieter than it had been earlier.

By the time I got to the park I was almost alone, the hoards had gone and because there was little or no wind, the waves were lapping gently on the deserted beach. Looking out towards Studland, there was a beautiful crescent moon rising into a soft sunset. The contrast between the backlit jetty and the peach coloured sky was stunning.

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