Done and Dusted

All over again for another year .. phew .. !!

Have to say that it wasn't as bad as the previous year though that had a lot to do with not doing the mum/sister/neice visit until after Xmas and then only for a couple of days. That said, how long can you play Millionaire and Coronation Street Games for god's sake .. it's like having your soul sucked !!

Interesting Xmas for deaths too .. the legend James Brown .. sad, Saddam Hussein .. not a good guy by any stretch but an eye for an eye ... don't think so .... and of course, we mustn't forget Charlie Drake .. bless him :)

Soon be time to make those new years resolutions or Determinations as we Buddhists call them ... more on that another day.

I did come across a bit by Daisaku Ikeda the other day which I thought was a great motivator so I think I'll get a frame and do a nice version but here it is for now .... will post more stuff later:

Our innermost determination can move the universe. Because cause and effect are simultaneous, all results are encompassed in our present resolve. Determination is not just words. True determination contains earnest prayer and brims with concentrated energy. It gives rise to wholehearted action and leads without fail to splendid victory.

Escape from Sado

Wahay ... I've made a decision this year not to do the Xmas visiting thing and am now going over on the 27th for a couple of days so hopefully all will be a bit calmer by then !! Which means a couple of peaceful TV days and my own choice of Xmas dinner .. not a big fan of th etraditional one so I've gone for parmesan encrusted sea bass ,colcannon and veg with a rich choccy pud for afters mmmmmm

Soon be time to sort a few new years determinations out and have a few in mind. Find a piece from Ikeda's early diaries and might adapt it to my own use a bit .. so something like ...:

1. Study Buddhism and increase the strength of my chanting
2. Cut down on expenses and work harderr to earn more
3. Live productively
4. Look after my health (not too bad at that generally anyway)
5. effort/patience/confidence/conviction/faith

So that's it at the moment .. bit of a mix of Ikeda and me and maybe will alter it but a good base to start from.

Party night tonight after going to the Mayfair last night which , as always. was excellent and always incredible to see the eating machine that is Andy ... no idea how he does it ... he's like the Duracell rabbitt when there's food in front of him !!

My own personal Sado

Damp and foggy today and have to say that reflects my mood somewhat.

Xmas is looming along with the trip to the relatives. Hopefully this year my 13 year old neice won't be the brat from hell that she was last year !! And to top everything off, the trains are now on strike on Xmas eve so I will have to go a day early and be there an extra day .. oh joy !!!

But I guess there isn't much I can do apart from suffer it as gracefully as I can do. I know, as a Buddhist, I should use it as a challenge to break through but each year it just makes me feel more and more like locking myself away in a darkened room with a packet of razor blades and the collected works of Leonard Cohen.

But .. I guess there is an upside .. I do usually feel a lot more alive once I;ve got back to Nottingham and make promises to do more in the new year (though that often fades) ... Anyway ... I'll be going well armed this year with books, portable DVD player and MP3 player so at least I should be able to blot out some of their usual TV .. which will be something along the lines of Coronation st, emmerdale, Xmas Millionaire, queens speech etc etc .. something akin to having your soul sucked out !!!

Anyway .... now I have to go early, I'm all over the place with things to do .. and I really want to do loads of chanting before I go so best get on with it ... hopefully might blog from my sisters ... if I haven't slipped into a coma !!!

...... and Bheki Mseleku

Well .. it's been a busy week work wise and have a meeting this afternoon (oops that's been put back to Monday now too .. just had a phone call !) and one on Monday which I hope will lead to more work. Also had a couple of Buddhist meetings and one (possibly a second today) home visits too .. aren't I a good little Buddhist lol. Really REALLY didn't want to do a home visit but did one on Monday and much to my surprise, I actually enjoyed it so more on the way I guess.

Typed up some notes from the Study last Friday and have posted them below if anyone is interested.

Went to the Bonington theatre in Arnold again last night for the jazz. There had been some doubt, due to health, as to whether Bheki Mseleku would be playing but thankfully he did. Having said that, if he hadn't turned up, I wouldn't have been dissapointed to hear 2 sets by the John Donaldson trio who were superb. BUT .. it has to be said that the Bheki Mseleku quintet were a class above most things I've seen .. it really was like seeing a living legend .. a live Thelonious Monk/Bill Evans ... absolutely excellent .. no other words for it really !

Hopefully should have a photo or two of the gig to post shortly.

And here's the study notes as promised >>>

Study Notes – From December 1st 2006


The purpose of study is not an intellectual pursuit but for bringing us back to chant to the Gohonzon to raise our life state. Study also leads to perseverance .. as Nichiren says “To accept is easy; to continue is difficult. But Buddhahood lies in continuing faith”.

Whatever situation we find ourselves in, chant with the determination that ‘I Will Win’

We don’t all see the world in the same way, but see it through whatever life state we have. By chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, we see the world through our Buddhahood.

There is no such thing as individual types of Karma .. eg money karma, relationship karma. If we strengthen our faith and our practise, ALL karma changes.

A Buddha has no fear and trusts 100% in their Buddhahood. We can face all our difficulties and still be happy.

Daimoku, Difficulties and the effort to overcome difficulties are the way of attaining Buddhahood.

Human Revolution doesn’t mean simply to suffer. We sometimes say things like ‘I really did my human revolution at work the other day’ when what we really mean is that we suffered because of something/someone. This is NOT Human Revolution. Human revolution means to transform and change through the suffering and move our lives forward.

When we change, the world also changes. Everything starts with Inner Transformation – changing our hearts and our minds.

Life state is the key – Raise it by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.

3 week catch up

Well .. it's been a while so once again .. a bit of a catch up ... So what's happened .. well .. as usual nothing too exciting .. well more or less anyway !

Work wise things have picked up reasonably significantly which is good .. so just need to make sure that I don't rest back on my laurels which is always tempting.

Have been to two meetings at Taplow Court, our Buddhist centre as I'm now a vice district leader ... Technically shouldn't have gone to the second one as it was for chapter and HQ leaders but as I had to hang around a few hours for a lift back, I managed to blag my way into it which was good, though the lectures were pretty much the same at both but very inspiring anyway. I've posted relevant bits of notes I took at the end.

Also, on the second one, I received my Omamori gohonzon which is a mini one used for taking on home visits etc which I did one tonight .. my first .. ta da .... :-)

Jazz has been a bit iffy the last few weeks though as I really didn't enjoy the Works and missed Inner Noise as I was ill .. back to normal this week hopefully though. Had an e-mail from a Jazz Musician too Renato D'aiello .. turns out he's just started chanting too ... and might want me to re-design his web site .. cool.

mmm Think that's it .. sure we've managed at least one Mayfair meal in the last few weeks and I'm sure it was good .. just can't remember so it must have been a good night :-)

Notes from the meetings follow:

2007 designated the Year of Victory and Advance

A strong morning gongyo signals the start of a strong day

Seek the mentor/disciple relationship in our own way. This relationship created the initial cause for the formation of SGI and the progress to where we are today (Makaguchi/Toda/Ikeda). Each of us has this very same spirit within us.

Only inner transformation of ordinary people can transform the world.


Shakabuku is a practise to respect others life potential. When we respect others, respect responds back. Shakabuku means overcoming our small ego to talk to others about Buddhism.

'Year of Victory and Advance'
Advance means to do our Human Revolution and break through our fundamental darkness
Vistory is the important concept of win or lose.

Peace will be established only by study, dialogue and action

Courage brings forth our true compassion – We strengthen our courage by chanting in front of the Gohonzon

There is no separation between helping ourselves and helping others.

Realising the ‘power’ of our own lives is the way to transform the lives of others too.

At its essence, each day we seek to deepen our understanding of our Buddhahood and challenge ourselves to help others reveal their own Buddhahood.

By practising this Buddhism, we change our own lives and thereby change society.

Real happiness is not the absence of problems but the absolute conviction that any problem can be resolved.


To accept is easy – to continue is difficult but Buddhahood lies in the continuing.

Daimoku is very powerful – we need to understand and trust how powerful it is in our lives.

A joyful practise (ie not begrudging) will enable us to break through obstacles, but true joy can’t be generated intellectually. True joy lies in our own Human Revolution to reveal our Buddhahood and to see the Buddhahood in others.















Ikeda New Century Hall - Taplow Court