A World Of Tranquillity

02 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags:

ZzzzzzzThe past couple of weeks have been tough for all of us, mentally. Nobody has been sleeping properly and eventually it caught up with me.

We’ve all been worrying about Charlotte, and were all relieved when we learned that she can still carry her baby. I’ve been working hard on the web project, with tight deadlines. That situation has eased slightly, though by no means finished.

The combination of the two must have had more effect on me than I had realised and the slight easing in the situation let me see that.

When I got home this evening, my life-energy was low, I was so tired I was feeling ill. I had to chant, and although I felt better afterwards, I decided to have a nap.

Three an a half hours later I woke to the sound of the phone ringing.

So a good lesson, my Buddhist Practice is brilliant, it helps me handle life’s situations, but it can’t replace good old fashioned sleep.

Just Like Riding A Bicycle

27 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: ,

Just Like Riding A BicycleDo you remember the day you mastered the art of riding a bicycle? Of course you do. For me, it was the culmination of a rather lengthy, and very frustrating process, and but for the perseverance  of my father, I might never have learned at all.

I just couldn’t seem to get it. It looked so simple, but the harder I tried, the worse I got. Then suddenly it clicked, I had it nailed, and from that day on I have been able to ride a bike.

Ok, so it’s no huge revelation, but I think learning about Buddhism is a bit like learning to ride a bike.

As you learn, about The Oneness of Self and the Universe, about Karma, about Life-Energy or The Ten Worlds, you also learn to see yourself, life and the Universe in a different way. And just in the way that having learned to ride a bicycle, you never unlearn the skill, once you learn to see the world through different eyes, you never unlearn that either.

Deep in my heart, I know that I am different for having Buddhism at the centre of my life. Some people have noticed that change, others ask what has changed and how I know that it’s a real change, not just a fad, or ‘a phase I’m going through’.

Well as I say, once you see the world differently, you just can’t unsee it that way. It’s a wonderful change, and I’m very confident, not to say delighted, that it’s a permanent change.

Painfully Sharp Focus

23 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: ,

Poison Into MedicineEven though we have been aware that Charlotte has breast cancer for more than a week, the details of the type of cancer and the stage that it has reached, were a nasty jolt today.

Hope springs eternal, but can be dashed by a few words from a specialist. The difference between hoping something and knowing something is quite profound. Finding out that what we now know was worse than we had hoped was painful.

But the laws of the Universe demand that even when something is essentially bad, there must be an equal and opposite good, to balance the equation. Having experienced the bad, I immediately saw the good, in the bravery and stoicism of Charlotte herself.

There is at least one more consultation before Charlotte embarks on the process of healing and recuperation, so there will certainly be other twists along the way.

I will try to bring out my bodhisattva nature to help me to help Charlotte through the ups and downs that she will experience, through the power of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Hopefully we can turn this evil poison into medicine together.

Focus On The Positives

21 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Sunshine On A Rainy DayEvery day we have highs and lows, wins and losses, good things happen, bad things happen, every single day.

Problems are an everyday reality, they are part of life and ignoring them will never make them go away.

So focus on what’s good, what’s going right, enjoy that brief spell of sunshine on an otherwise rainy day.

Smile, laugh when you can, and always focus on the positives.

Make the most of every minute, you will never have the opportunity to use that minute again, so don’t waste it.

Make causes today, to make tomorrow better and never give in to the inevitable resistance that you feel when you are nearing your goal.

Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, never fear the truth, use the Wisdom , Courage and Compassion, we all possess, to help others to be positive, it will increase your own life-energy as you encourage them to increase theirs.

Back To Basics

14 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

L PlatesEvery now and then it is a good thing to brush up on the basics. That applies to pretty much everything in life, be it academic, occupational, sporting or more especially spiritual.

Let’s imagine that the Government decided to bring in some form of driving test for experienced drivers. Now I have been driving since the 6th of March 1973, nearly 38 years, since petrol was 50p a gallon, not a litre, and gallon, so I consider myself to be pretty experienced.

I fear however, that were I asked to take a driving test tomorrow, I would fail. Not because I am a bad driver, but because I have picked up bad habits over the years, habits that would be frowned upon in a test environment.

So what, I hear you ask, has this got to do with The Ten Worlds or the World of Learning. Well, having been a Buddhist for roughly a third of the time I have been driving, I have picked up bad habits there too. Well not bad habits exactly, but the lessons I learned in the early years have been reinforced by lessons learned more recently, reinforced, but also made slightly out of focus.

So I am joining a Buddhist study group, I am planning to study for the SGI exams and generally sharpen up my Buddhist act once more. Like a golfer who practices each and every day, alone on the driving range, faults creep in without the golfer being aware of them. So it is with my Practice, and I want to take a one-to-one with a teacher who can straighten out my Bodhisattva nature, and put me squarely on the fairway to Enlightenment.

Besides, the World of Learning is a wonderful place, so rather than filling me with any form of dread, it fills me with an excitement and a yearning to learn all I can about Buddhism, and Nichiren Buddhism in particular.

Sun, Sea And Surf

12 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags:

Bournemouth SurfIt is the contrasts in life that make for magical moments.

So it was today, the contrast between the horrible wet weather of Friday and the beautiful warm sunshine of today. The contrast between the pressured concentration of work for so many hours in the week, to the relaxed, enjoyable leisure time of today.

The morning started with warm sunshine and perfect blue skies. It was a day to forget all the stresses of life, get out of the apartment, and become immersed in the beauty of nature.

A walk down through Branksome Chine, dodging the mud and puddles left after the inclement weather of the last few days, bombarded the senses with a mixture of vivid colours of the early shoots of spring and the earthy scent of leave mould.

Once out of the chine, a leisurely stroll along the promenade was followed by a light lunch of stone baked pizza marinara and fresh espresso coffee, in great company.

By the time lunch was over, the wind had picked up and the white horses were pounding Bournemouth beach. There were a handful of hardy souls, clad in full-body wet suits, windsurfing to and fro along the shoreline. Backlit by a slowly setting sun, they made for a spectacular finale to a few very enjoyable hours.

Radiators And Drains

28 Jan 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: ,

DrainsYou might be thinking this is going to be a plumbing 101 lesson from the title, but it’s far more useful than that.

There are two types of people in this world, and no not those who say ‘There are two types of people’ and those who don’t. The two types are those who are Radiators and those who are Drains.

A Radiator is the kind of person who leaves you feeling more energetic and enthused, after you meet or speak to them, than before. They radiate positive energy and are happy to share their life-energies with others. They appear to have a permanent smile on their faces, as though they know something others do not. In fact they do, they know that the secret path to a happy life is to pass on their happiness to others.

Drains are the complete opposite. They have the unfortunate knack of being able to take energy and enthusiasm from other people, leaving them feeling unhappy and flat. When you meet one, and there are plenty around, the conversation is hard work, they are negative about things when you ask about how they are. In fact, you probably walk away wishing you hadn’t met them in the first place.

Our life-state can dictate whether we are a Radiator or a Drain if we let it, but concentrating on the positive side of life can change all that. When we are in Heaven we tend to Radiate energy to other people, when we are in Hell we Drain energy from others.

So think of all the good things in your life, walk around with a smile and a cheerful disposition, be a Radiator and see how people react positively towards you.

We all know a Drain when we meet one, and if you don’t, then it’s you.

A Jolly Good Day

27 Jan 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags:

SweatYou know the feeling when you’ve put in a really good shift, at work, in the garden or maybe at some kind of sport, and you end the day nicely exhausted.

Well that’s how today has been. The team focusing on pushing the project past the finishing line and all going in exactly the same direction.

Don’t believe it’s all been sweetness and light today, there have been Heavens and Hells. But that is life, The Ten Worlds all in one, the trick is dealing with them. My Practice has given me the tools to cope, and it’s a brilliant feeling.

So I’m off for a nice hot shower and a good night sleep, ready for the morning and doing it all over again.

Proof Of The Pudding

26 Jan 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: ,

Do You Really Care?Caring for someone is very different to caring about them.

Caring for someone entails making every effort to giving them the love and support they need, when they need it, not just when they need it most.

Caring about them means very little when it’s not backed up by actions, Saying you are thinking about someone, without showing them in the things you actually do, is of very little use to anyone.

So next time you tell someone you care, take a moment to think about what sort of care it really is.

Downs And Ups

23 Jan 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: ,

Snakes & LaddersContinuing the theme of games from a few days ago, I was thinking about the ups and downs of life.

It struck me that our moods, or life-states within the Ten Worlds, mirror the board game Snakes and Ladders. I remember to this day, playing the game with my family and the disappointment of landing on the snake on the 99th square.

In life, there you are happily plodding along when you find yourself being whisked up a ladder to a higher life-state by something you find agreeable or exciting.

You may well stay at that higher life-state, again plodding along blissfully unaware that the next step may scoot you down a snake, maybe even back to square one (which may well be where the saying comes from) when a disappointment, or sadness comes your way.

The trick to winning the game, and indeed to being happy in life, is to aim for the ladders and try to avoid the snakes, to state the rather obvious.

Easier said than done, but if by taking step ladders and short snakes, by seeing events in a composed manner, you can even out the variation in your life-state. And the best way I have found to achieve that is through my learning and Practice.

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