Still Holding Our Breath

29 Sep 2011 1 Comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Charlotte and OliverThe initial tests Charlotte has had have come back with very good results, but they want to do more to find out why she feels a bit wobbly now and then. In my mind, it’s hardly surprising seeing as she in in the middle of a course of aggressive chemotherapy and is looking after three little boys at the same time.

Having said that, it is important that they do the tests properly and in-depth, and whilst Charlotte is pining to be back with her family, it’s worth having the patience to let them do that.

I’m confident that she is in the right place to get the test and treatment that she needs, but until we get the full picture, I am chanting for a positive outcome and we are all still holding our breath.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Poor Charlotte

28 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Poor CharlotteA very quick post tonight.

Just when we were hoping that things were getting back on track, Charlotte has been admitted to the Bristol Royal Infirmary oncology unit for a series of tests.

I shall be chanting for her, Rob and the boys and doing all I can to help. Your daimoku will be gratefully received. More news when I have some.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

A Force For Good

26 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

SGI UKThe SGI is a gathering of ordinary people. We struggle to ensure that people are not despised or exploited by those more powerful. To help all people become strong and wise, we are developing a network of peace and culture and putting great emphasis on education.

By nature, SGI people are strong, wise, cheerful and warm. Faith in Nichiren Buddhism has the power to bring out these qualities. The result of our faith is not to turn people into sheep, it is to make them wise, strong and confident.

Wisdom is not using knowledge to cause suffering to others, it is using enlightened insight to improve everyone’s life, including our own.

2011 is the 50th anniversary of SGI Europe.

No Answers

25 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Rugby World CupWhat a strange weekend. A eclectic mix of work, sport, walking, sleeping and lots of chanting. I’m not sure that getting up in the middle of the night to watch the Rugby World Cup is having a beneficial effect on me, especially when Scotland managed to lose to Argentina in the last few minutes of their match this morning. Not the end of the world (cup), for them or for England or Argentina, but not the result I have hoped for.

The walk on the heather in the New Forest was great, and that at least solved a few questions, but there are still more requiring answers. Usually, chanting seems to bring situations into clear focus, but not this weekend. Each answer seems to have brought more questions, and each chanting session has brought more doubt.

The answer is, of course, to press on with even more determination. My practice is not the problem, my progress is not the problem either, so I will press on. The problem is my impatience with getting answers. Modern life is all about getting everything now, not later, instant access, not waiting, and realising that, is I guess, another part of the answer.

Tomorrow is the start of another working week, so an early night, followed by an early start will get me off and running. My search for enlightenment goes on, and sometimes, just standing still, rather than regressing, can be seen as progress.

Honesty – The Best Policy

24 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

HonestyWhen you find yourself in a situation where you have to decide what happens next, you must be completely honest, with everyone concerned, including yourself. When that decision is possibly not what others expect or want, you must be compassionate when you announce it.

Of course you can hurt others if when your decision is contrary to theirs, but you will hurt them more by delaying or by going along with them, just to go with the flow. Eventually, your feelings will show and the result will only be more angst for all.

So when you feel that you have to make a decision that will be difficult for others to accept, make it quickly, announce it gently but firmly, and reduce the pain, to you and those affected, to the minimum.

Preconceptions

23 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: ,

King MidasSometimes, we find ourselves in situations, or potential situations, were we are a little unsure of what the outcome may be. Our minds race, we mull over the possibilities, the what ifs, the maybes, and it can be all too easy to form ideas in our minds as to how things will pan out.

That’s fine, and perfectly normal, as long as we don’t let these expectations run away with us. Having a preconceived idea is one thing, but pinning our hopes on that idea is a recipe for disaster. Things rarely, if ever go exactly as we imagine.

So the trick is to keep a level head, let events unfold as they will, and be tolerant, or the inevitable differences between what we expect, or would like, and what actually comes to pass.

As someone once said ‘Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it’. Conversely it has also been said that ‘That thing you wished for, the thing you never got, might have been the most fortunate moment you could ever imagine’. So muse way, daydream to your hearts content, but remember that, at the end of the day, the reality of the situation will become clear soon enough.

Spread The Word

22 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: ,

Spread The WordMy own experiences with Nichiren Buddhism have shown me how powerfully it can change your life. Whether that is simply making you a happier person or helping you see situations from a different perspective, that may help you solve your problems in a better way. As with all good things, you want to tell people about it, so they can share the benefits.

So the greatest feeling, for me, is when someone actually comes straight out and asks. At that point, it’s important to offer as much, or as little as they request. Force feeding them will kill that spark as surely as piling logs onto a smouldering ember. So be enthusiastic, but be reserved as well. Let them set the pace, be there for them to ask for more, and just see what happens.

Giving people a gift is a great feeling, that shining smile you see when they open it and are delighted by what they find. Giving people the way to find Nichiren Buddhism is just like that, only a million times better.

Make That Change

21 Sep 2011 2 Comments

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , , ,

All ChangeWhen your life isn’t going the way you want it to, change it! We are all in control of our own lives, though at times that may seem a little hard to believe. We are all where we are today, doing what we are doing and being what we are being, because of the choices we have made along the way.

Karma is a perfectly imperfect science. Perfect because, as with everything in the universe, every effect has a cause, every cause has an effect. Imperfect because, with karma, the effect will only appear when the situation is right, so it’s rather difficult to predict. But that doesn’t detract from the truth, that everything we think, say or do has some form of effect, on us or others.

So if you are in a rut, if you are unhappy with your lot, if it feels as though the world has a personal grudge against you, change it. Sitting there feeling sorry for yourself will not help, sitting there blaming everything from the economy, your partner, your boss, all the way to the dog, will not help. Fix your mind on the changes you want to see in your life, decide the best route to achieving those changes, then make causes to bring that change about. Don’t wait, set about it with determination, there has never been a better time to make that change.

Share The Wealth

20 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , ,

Barn Of FollyAs a devotee of BBC Radio 4, I usually listen to Thought for the Day just before I get out of the car and get myself into the office, and today was no different. This morning was delivered by the writer Rhidian Brook and concerned the distribution of wealth. You can listen to it yourself here.

It’s a fairly well known fact that 90% of the wealth of the UK is in the hands of 10% of the population, which is a shocking state of affairs in my opinion. Of course it’s easy to be shocked when you aren’t one of the 10%, and it got me wondering whether I would be any more benevolent if I were.

Brook also relates the fable about the rich farmer who, having grown his crops, decided that he needed to store it somewhere safe, so that the peasants of the area couldn’t get their thieving hands on any of it. So he set about building a huge barn, and made it secure so it kept out the riff-raff. It must have taken quite a while to build it, but finally it was finished, and he was happy that his crops would now be safe.

Of course, there was far more than he could ever need himself, but he locked it all away and hoarded it for his old age. Ironically, the night the barn was finished, he died in his sleep. So the adage that ‘you can’t take it with you’ is anything but new. So I suppose the lesson from the story is, if you have enough of anything, money, food, whatever, you are fortunate. If you have more than enough, you are more than fortunate, and you might consider sharing some of it with others less fortunate.

You Decide

18 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Anupadin in Buddhism Tags: , , ,

Fork In The RoadLife is a journey full of choices, for which we have to make decisions, and for which in turn, we are all accountable. Wouldn’t it be marvellous if there was a What-If machine, which you could use to play out each possible choice, see which one worked out best, and then make that your decision? Sadly there isn’t, nor will there ever be. So it is left up to us to make the best decision at the time, and then live with the consequences.

Of course, many of the decisions we make are of little consequence, tea or coffee, red or white wine, vote or abstain etc. none or these will, in all probability, change your life. But there are some decisions that, whichever way you decide, change the course of your life irrevocably. Not only that, but whatever you decide, you will never, ever know how things would have turned out had you made the opposite choice.

When I find myself faced with such a conundrum I chant, and chant and chant, until the possible outcomes are clear in my head, as well as all the reasons for why I might make each of the choices available, that I have identified all the pros and cons, I make the choice, and it is made with wisdom, courage and compassion. Once it’s made, there should be no going back. There is nothing worse than flip-flopping between decisions. It does no good, and can do a lot of harm, so stick to your guns.

Now I bet you are all wondering what this momentous decision is that I have to make. Well, thankfully, it’s not me having to make it, though it is one of the biggest of all life changing situations. I doubt that the person making the decision will even read this post, but if they do, I hope that reading it will help them come to terms with what they decide.

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