Nice Quote and new book

Feeling pretty tired today .. think probably because I went swimming yesterday for the first time in about 3 weeks .. need to get back into that. 'Orrible weather too and I've been struggling to get out of bed in the morning .. in fact .. I've just watched Neighbours and I'm going to have a lie down for half hour before working again .. had hoped to pop out but looking outside .. no way !!


















There's a new book due out I believe July which looks promising .. it's a book of experiences of members of SGI throughout the world .. should be a useful addition to the Buddhist library anyway ... CLICK HERE for more information and pre order if you want.

Finally ... was looking round for some guidance on teh smaller and greater self and found this .. really good:

The essence of Buddhism lies in developing oneself through one’s own determination and tenacious effort - not by depending on anyone or anything else. We need to have the spirit to stand on our own initiative without relying on anyone. We don’t need others’ sympathy or sentimentality. We have to stand up and advance, even if there is no one to encourage us. We resolutely and cheerfully take responsibility to change ourselves, our surroundings, society and the land where we live. That is the principle of ichinen sanzen, or three thousand realms in a single moment of life. What Buddhism teaches is not abstract theory; it is not a weak-kneed way of life of constantly clinging to something for support. At the same time, neither is it to be confused with the egoism to arrogantly suppose, ‘I alone am correct and respect worthy.’ To believe in the great life force within oneself is at once to believe in the great life force existing within all people. Buddhism teaches that we should treasure the lives of others just as highly as we treasure our own.

Daisaku Ikeda in: Wisdom Of The Lotus Sutra 27

Nice Line

Flicking through the Guardian Review section today and came across a poem by Derek Walcott which had a line in which I thought was excellent and kind of relates to 'taking action' or more specifically what happens when you don't !!!


Time creeps over the patient who are too long patient,

Re Determining

Been a strange week since coming back from Taplow ... have felt tired and lethargic and un enthusiastic. Maybe it was lack of sleep or maybe negativity.

Anyway .. seems to be waning now and have been thinking about new determinations from the Course. The theme of the course seemed to be about expanding our vision for our happinness and that of others so based on that, I've made new determinations .. though of course money/relationship ones still stand :)

New Determinations are:

1. To live with the spirit of Nichiren and Ikeda but in my own unique way
   
2. To establish a 'Golden Vision' based on respect for myself and for others
   
3. To elevate the life condition of myself and others to enable them to reveal their full life potential.

More from Taplow Weekend

Challenging day today .. still finding it difficult getting going again after the HQ course and definitely got a few money challenges but they'll work out I'm sure .. just need to keep chipping away at them.



I've typed up notes from the course .. edited down here really to make sense for none Buddhists too hopefully .. so here goes.

Yas Hiriyama

The purpose of Study in this Buddhism is not an intellectual pursuit but to enable us to feel the life and spirit of Nichiren Daishonin and our own Buddhahood.

Everything depends on how we view life – as suffering or as a rhythm of life lived with joy.

This is a powerful yet simple practise and is ideally suited to these negative times.

Nichiren Lived as the Lotus Sutra described which is why he was able to establish Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for us.

The important thing in Nichiren Buddhism is ACTION – we must USE the practise in our lives.

The concept of the universe is ourselves and ourselves are the universe.

There is no separation between ourselves and others but we keep our own uniqueness

We cultivate and create our own Buddhahood

The Mystic Law is both within and outside us. Important to chant for both.

Nichiren revealed the powers of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo in his life by victories over his fundamental darkness

Not seeing Buddhahood in others is fundamental darkness and is a continuous battle

The ultimate purpose of this practise is happiness

“Before seeking happiness outside yourself, determine to establish a life state like the Ocean, then you can enjoy life. It’s all about life state”


Fundamental darkness means not believing in yourself, limiting yourself. Win by establishing a strong life state by chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Continue this battle every day.

The Master Disciple relationship is the way to find our greater self.

Chant to have the same spirit as Nichiren Daishonin.


Susanne Pritchard

We are involved in a huge change for mankind. It is easy to become focussed on a small way of seeing things (ie ourselves .. Dick Causton always encouraged people to have an expansive (golden) vision. When people struggle, it’s usually because they have lost their sense of a larger vision.

Use current difficulties as a stepping stone towards our ‘golden vision’

When people struggle, it’s usually because they have lost their sense of the larger vision and have become wrapped up in their own difficulties. The closer we look at our difficulties, the more out of focus our larger vision becomes.


Honin Myo – Starting from now .. if we fail, we start again.

Ikeda said (paraphrased)

“What is the key to victory ?

1. Make a great determination
   
2. Determination Wavers


3. Re determine


4. Determination wavers


5. Re Determine
   
   
   

The secret is always to finish on an odd number “

We should elevate our life state so that we can draw out the same heart and spirit as Nichiren.

The Gohonzon is a certificate of guarantee, signed by Nichiren, that we will reach the same state if we chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Kosen Rufu is the elevation of the life condition of all humanity. Nichiren left the Gohonzon as a tool to draw out this life condition.

We should focus on the big vision ..if we focus on our ‘failures’ we close our lives in.

Chant to see our Buddhahood every day and not our weaknesses

Shakabuku is to encourage others to see the greatness in their own lives.


We should attempt to raise our life state each day and not drag others down to ours when we are in lower state.

Daisaku Ikedas ability as a mentor is that he has never stopped being a disciple of Josei Toda

Summary:

1. Establish a brilliant vision which encompasses your own life and that of the rest of humanity



2. Establish a practise of shakabuku spirit for yourself and others



3. Remind yourself as many times as you need to to achieve your goals this year and in thefuture.
   
   

Taplow Course this weekend

Just back from our HQ Buddhist course at Taplow this last weekend and what a great course it was. I think the only negative was lack of sleep as I woke at 5.30am and 4.30am respectively which was annoying but didn't feel too bad .. had hoped to catch up this morning but woke at 8.30 so not the lie in I expected.

The weather forecast for Maidenhead was pretty crap so I wasn't expecting the great weather that we had which is always helpful.

Everything seemed to run pretty smoothly and some great lecture from Yas Hirayama, Suzanne Pritchard, Robert Harrap and Robert Samuels .. my favourite probably being Yas's who constantly inspires me with his lectures, but Suzanne's ran a close second which I was pleased about as I'd heard one of hers before and it didn't do much for me so I was pleased with this one.
Group meetings weren't great for my group but I did get a good one to one (and a quite attractive one at that ;-) .. and it was also someone who was actually using the practise in her life rather than just theorising about it.

Strangest day was the last day when the guy who helps out in the kitchen didn't turn up leaving the chef in the lurch so I helped out by chopping veg for an hour or so which I quite enjoyed, though it did mean missing morning gongyo. However, the benefit I git was that I got to do it with one or two others leading gongyo in front of the big gohonzon at Taplow which I really enjoyed.

All in all a really good and inspiring meeting and if I got one thing I had to pick from the course it's the determination to reveal the kind of life state of Nichiren Daishonin and Daisaku Ikeda in my own life .... and in my own way.

More soon but must do some work now ... Oh .. and I saw the papers today .. Neighbours going to channel 5 .. shame but at least I can still watch it !!!

Busy few days

No more bizarro dreams to report I'm afraid .. been too busy to dream. Must have been my determination to get rid of my debts by the end of the year but I seem to be really busy right now .... which is good. Also the course this weekend at Taplow seems to be taking up a lot of my time .. was up till midnight last night trying to get the booklet that Lucy is doing for the course to format properly .. nightmare .. but we got close enough in the end ... I think !!!

So just a tidy up day today really and hopefully a quiet night in and an early night as the next few nights will be spent in a shared room and I bet with snorers !! Still .. should be a good course and I'll hopefully post a lot about it here after the weekend.

I had a dream/money woes

Ok .. so I know I need to do gongyo and I'm putting it off, but having woken at 4am I can't get my brain motivated at the moment. I suspect my early morning was partly the sound of shagging foxes outside and my sudden realisation of how much debt I have right now (so if anyone has got a few hundred they don't want, there's a paypal button in the right hand column :-) .... I've looked at various solutions, some better than others but all with catches and it looks like the only way to get out of it is to work more and earn more (yeah and I know ... chant more !).

A strange thing happened to me the other night .. I had a dream, something I don't often do, or at least can't remember, but this one was pretty vivid and not unpleasant. In fact .. I was in a soft porn episode of Neighbours (maybe they'll do that to increase thir rating). .. I've probably forgotten some of it but it was Christmas in Ramsay Street (except Ramsay Street was in Nottingham !) and I was chatting to Dylan Timmins who was moaning and moaning about Sky who had dumped him .. I seem to remember not being overly sympathetic. The next thing I remember is that Sky and Harold were getting drunk then Sky was in the town centre in some kind of tutu thing drunk and dancing. Then two gay guys came along and she started dancing with them and one went off in a huff and she then started to give the remaining one a blow job ! .. As if this wasn't weird enough, while she was doing this I was giving her oral .. EXCEPT .. she had some big trousers on ... I mean how weird is that .. The only thing I can figure is that I'd watched a documentary on Jennifer Lopez and was mightily impressed by her ass lol

Anyway .. I watched Neighbours the other day and I wasn't in it :)

Ok .. enough bizarro world and must do gongyo now !!

3 Meetings one depression and an inspiration

Catch up time again ... I must be the laziest blogger .. EVER !

So what's been happening .. well, last week was pretty good on the whole .. had couple of nice days ta the cricket where the weather was good though it was bleeding freezing on teh last day but at least Notts won convincingly .. a good start to the season so hopefully will go straight back up. However, on a sad sporting note, my old home town team Boston United dropped (not unexpectedly) out of the football league.

Thursday night was Jazz night and a great set from Renato D'aiello who had a great young drummer with him .. very promising and no real hangover on Friday amazingly enough !

Friday night, I was supposed to be going out for a drink but that got cancelled though I wasn't too bothered as Friday night is CSI night, but though I watched them, I didn't really get into them at all and on Saturday morning I realised why !

When I woke on Saturday, I felt truly awful and depressed and couldn't motivate myself to do anything .. just dragging myself round the flat .. I did manage to do gongyo but very very half heartedly and also walked into town to get some air but just sat in the square feeling very isolated and pointless and that continued through the evening too. To make matters worse, I checked my bank account inteh morning which had just about been hanging on and discovered that a cheque for £200 which I'd put in over 2 weeks ago had gone unpaid and also my current overdraft agreement had expired leaving me in debt. So in one fould swoop, I lost about £500 though I should get the cheque re-done and can sort the overdraft out hopefully but could well have done without it !!

On Sunday, I felt if anything even worse and 'what's the point' .. sometimes life really does feel like too much of a struggle to be bothered. I would have stayed in bed all day I think but I'd promised to go to Chesterfield in the afternoon to chant with someone and he was going to the Kosen Rufu meeting at Charmain's in the morning so I eventually dragged myslef out of bed (and I mean Dragged !!) and got down there before the end. I went to Chesterfield in the afternoon and had a chat and a chant then came home on the bus (with some annoying 'gel haired braying idiots' (description courtesy KP) who found it amusing to play with the sliding doors ALL the way home and bellowed each time they closed. Imagine cavemen coming into this era .. it was that kind of level.

To end the day I had yet another Buddhist meeting at Charmains which was to do with the course, so all in all, I was actually forced to do a fair bit of chanting that I definitely wouldn't have done and I have to say that by the evening, while I wouldn't say I was Mr Happy, my depression had at least started to lift .. unfortunately my bad back hasn't but I should be able to sort that by sitting better and not slouching at my PC !!

And so to today .. BankHoliday Monday ... Not planning to do much today which is probably why I'm writing this though I do have a few tidy up things to do before going to the Mayfair yet again for a meal so that will be good, though I'm afraid a cheap wine is in the offing today as I need to watch my cash at least until things get sorted.

Another piece of good food news is that apparently Yo Sushi are opening in Nottingham .. yay .. sashimi ;-)

I watched an Ikeda DVD this morning and picked up one really good bit of inspiration on it where Ikeda is talking about what Toda used to say to him so I'm paraphrasing here but you get the drift.

He often used to say "You can do it ! If you think you can't and give up, you won't acheive anything!" The important thing is to take action yourself and not leave it to others. ....... "Faith is not just going through the motions. You need to put your heart into it and pray to the Gohonzob with everything you've got. Never forget that basic point.

So, with that in mind, I'm re-evamping my determination to be by the end of the year to have cleared all my debts and earn a regular decent income and also to be in a realtionship by the end of the year. One thing which cropped up in my chanting is that I've been chanting to find a girlfriend (or at my age I guess it should be a womanfriend !), but that's kind of turned round now and Ilm chanting for them to find me :-)

And on that note I'm off to do some chanting, some course admin and do the washing up that's been sitting there for days !!