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Daimoku Chanted So Far at 20:00 Saturday >> 3 Hours
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I've been thinking about doing something like this for a while and the weather forecast for the weekend has encouraged me to do it.
I've basically decided to chant more or less half hour on and half hour off today or probably the weekend ... You can see the total so far at the bottom of the post.
Why ? Well ... I did once do a four hour chant and really felt it moved my life forward and I wanted to do that again. Last night I watched a thing on alternative rock and it talked a lot about Kurt Cobain and how he had so much potential but his inner demons ended up with him committing suicide. All this took me back to when I started .. long story but bottom line is after having been given a magazine ages ago i read about Cobain being a Buddhist (after he killed himself) and dug the magazine out and decided to give the practise a go and here I still am chanting away. Anyway .. watching it made me realise that though I have been chanting, I've not REALLY used the practise to move my life on that much .. a bit yes but not really as much as I should have. Also reading the Gosho study today about 'mastering our minds rather than our minds mastering us', I realise that is exactly my problem .. even on work days, I start off with the best of intentions and then get lazy and distracted and lose my focus.
So .. that's the reason and I'd better do other things now as I've got 15 mins before the next half hour starts. Oh .. and I'm thinking about doing a sponsored chant for a charity but more of that when I've decided more details.
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Daimoku Chanted So Far at 20:00 Saturday >> 3 Hours
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Buddha Next Door
Thought I'd just plug this new book on the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin.
It's not an introductory book as such but contains a hundred or so experiences from people who practise which is a great idea as there are a wide variety of ways in which people have used the practise in their lives.
If you click on the book, it will take you straight through to the relevant page on Amazon.co.uk
It's not an introductory book as such but contains a hundred or so experiences from people who practise which is a great idea as there are a wide variety of ways in which people have used the practise in their lives.
If you click on the book, it will take you straight through to the relevant page on Amazon.co.uk
WOT no Neighbours !!!!!
Bloody Wimbledon .. grrrr no Neighbours for two weeks !!!
So for the meantime here's a clip of Alan Fletcher (aka Karl Kennedy from Neighbours) singing Sweet Home Alabama ... don't give up the day job Karl :)
So for the meantime here's a clip of Alan Fletcher (aka Karl Kennedy from Neighbours) singing Sweet Home Alabama ... don't give up the day job Karl :)
Bloody Dick Dastardly
Got me today ... Woke up with intentions of doing lots of work but despite sitting at my PC most of the day (avoiding the half decent weather too !), I've got sod all done .. though I did do gongyo in the morning at least ... !!! .. Going to cook some food now quickly then head to a meeting .. despite feeling too lazy to go !!
But I did kind of make the badge !
Kevin Costner was right shock !!!
I mean .. Waterworld .. the most expensive flop ever seemed to come true this weekend ... all that rain and all during a cricket match .. bahhhh. Finally managed to get the game started on day three at lunch time which meant an inevitable draw though Notts made a good go of it getting Derbyshire out for 108 in the first innings then declaring on 302 to try to bowl Derbyshire out in two sessions which looked very do able .. Sadly, with Sidebottom away, once Shreck and (Fat Legend) Ealham had bowled, we had little to offer and needed 7 more wickets after tea which was probably unlikely but possible .. but then the rain came again, and came and came and that was that .. God I hate this country sometimes !
And that's about it to report I think .. seems to be one of those Buddhist-less meeting weeks so I guess that must mean there's about 6 coming up all together .. seems to go that way.
Anyway ... decided on new focusses for my practise .. much based on Robert Harrap's recent lecture.
They are:
And that's about it to report I think .. seems to be one of those Buddhist-less meeting weeks so I guess that must mean there's about 6 coming up all together .. seems to go that way.
Anyway ... decided on new focusses for my practise .. much based on Robert Harrap's recent lecture.
They are:
- To reveal my Buddha Nature
- To live through my 'greater self' and not to restrict myself through my 'smaller self'
- To defeat my own negativity (my own personal Dick Dastardly !)
- To create value during each day
Blue Knees
Years and years ago in my stricter vegetarian days I was told by someone that vegetarian food would turn my knees blue .. well that hasn't happened and I suspect if he's drinking anything like the quantity of alcohol he was, that he probably can't see his knees any more !
Which leads me nicely in to my visit to a vegetarian cafe/restaurant last night in Nottingham Cafe Nomad. The main appeal I think was that we could take our own wine .. a definite plus. The cafe itself is nicely done and relaxing with a morrocan kind of style and the owners seems quite friendly. Prices are reasonable too.
BUT .. have to say that I was dissapointed with my meal. I orderd the veggie tagine which I presumed would be quite flavoursome but it was so bland that the salad was a lot tastier !! Big shame too as it was nicely cooked .. veggies just right and the cous cous was nicely flavoured with coriander. We joked before hand about taking a bottle of chilli sauce and I wished I had ! For desert I had yoghurt honey and nuts but even there I had expected greek yoghurt and it was more standard plain yoghurt.
That said, both of the people I went with who are meat eaters really enjoyed theirs and I had a taste of the stuffed marrow in a cheese and pernod sauce and it was a lot better than mine so maybe I just got unlucky .. and I so nearly had Moussaka instead ... I wish I had !!!
Anyway .. I'm craving scampi and chips tonight .. something tasty and unhealthy and I think my next meal out will be back at the tried and trusted good ol Mayfair .. yummmmm
Oh .. and a new blog by Peter .. another Buddhist > http://newbuddha.wordpress.com
Which leads me nicely in to my visit to a vegetarian cafe/restaurant last night in Nottingham Cafe Nomad. The main appeal I think was that we could take our own wine .. a definite plus. The cafe itself is nicely done and relaxing with a morrocan kind of style and the owners seems quite friendly. Prices are reasonable too.
BUT .. have to say that I was dissapointed with my meal. I orderd the veggie tagine which I presumed would be quite flavoursome but it was so bland that the salad was a lot tastier !! Big shame too as it was nicely cooked .. veggies just right and the cous cous was nicely flavoured with coriander. We joked before hand about taking a bottle of chilli sauce and I wished I had ! For desert I had yoghurt honey and nuts but even there I had expected greek yoghurt and it was more standard plain yoghurt.
That said, both of the people I went with who are meat eaters really enjoyed theirs and I had a taste of the stuffed marrow in a cheese and pernod sauce and it was a lot better than mine so maybe I just got unlucky .. and I so nearly had Moussaka instead ... I wish I had !!!
Anyway .. I'm craving scampi and chips tonight .. something tasty and unhealthy and I think my next meal out will be back at the tried and trusted good ol Mayfair .. yummmmm
Oh .. and a new blog by Peter .. another Buddhist > http://newbuddha.wordpress.com
Now and Zen
Noooooo don't worry .. I'm not following the Jack Kerouac route and starting to Ohmmmmmmm ... It's just that after my old cheapo mp3 player that looked like it had been designed by a Czechloslovakian Cartoonist died, I spotted a nice looking ZEN mp3 player which was under £30 with a gig of memory ... got good reviews too so why not eh .. I did buy it mainly to listen to Buddhist lectures but there's an easy to use ripping tool too .. so I've just copied my last Zoe Rahman CD onto it and it sounds great so as long as it doesn't break I'm well happy with it :)
Ok .. on with some work now .. beenfidling about with my new toy too much !!
Ok .. on with some work now .. beenfidling about with my new toy too much !!
Dick Dastardly will be Defeated
Ok .. bit of an odd title but all relates to the Buddhist Study last night which was given by Robert Harrap, national Mens Division leader of SGI-UK. Have to say .. one of the best I've heard. Unfortunately I was unable to make notes as I was doing the reading but it was recorded so hopefully I'll get a copy and will be able to go into more detail later.
I think what made it so good is that Robert was aware that there were at least 2 people there who knew virtually noting about this Buddhism and managed to combine an in depth study with a large introductory elemnt which was great .. we all need reminding about what the practise is for, no matter how long we've practised.
One thing that he said before the meeting which was simple but equally quite profound is that happinness is always just a second away .. which I guess means that by using the practise, we can change our problems into happinness by taking them on and winning .. easier said than done I know but it's a choice we have .. to suffer or to break through !
But onto the Dick Dastardly bit, this stems from when he was talking about the devil of the 6th heaven which is pretty much a mythological figure from the time of Nichiren Daishonin (1200s) who Robert portrayed as a Dick Dastardly like character who tries to prevent us from progressing by sowing doubts in our minds. Of course, this figure is actually ourselves and our own negativity .. the part of us that doesn't believe that we can change things and win in our lives. He's also portrayed on the Gohonzon (no not Dick dastardly) as one of the negative functions in life that we have to challenge to win.
I really liked that analogy as it helps to remind me when I'm feeling negative/lazy etc that it's Dick Dastardly that's stopping me from moving on, so I just need to chant to push him out of the way .. cartoon buddhism .. is that a good thing :-). Unfortunately for Robert, I refused to do a section of the reading in my Dick Dastardly voice (I do Muttly better :-)
I think what made it so good is that Robert was aware that there were at least 2 people there who knew virtually noting about this Buddhism and managed to combine an in depth study with a large introductory elemnt which was great .. we all need reminding about what the practise is for, no matter how long we've practised.
One thing that he said before the meeting which was simple but equally quite profound is that happinness is always just a second away .. which I guess means that by using the practise, we can change our problems into happinness by taking them on and winning .. easier said than done I know but it's a choice we have .. to suffer or to break through !
But onto the Dick Dastardly bit, this stems from when he was talking about the devil of the 6th heaven which is pretty much a mythological figure from the time of Nichiren Daishonin (1200s) who Robert portrayed as a Dick Dastardly like character who tries to prevent us from progressing by sowing doubts in our minds. Of course, this figure is actually ourselves and our own negativity .. the part of us that doesn't believe that we can change things and win in our lives. He's also portrayed on the Gohonzon (no not Dick dastardly) as one of the negative functions in life that we have to challenge to win.
I really liked that analogy as it helps to remind me when I'm feeling negative/lazy etc that it's Dick Dastardly that's stopping me from moving on, so I just need to chant to push him out of the way .. cartoon buddhism .. is that a good thing :-). Unfortunately for Robert, I refused to do a section of the reading in my Dick Dastardly voice (I do Muttly better :-)
Go Honzon
Finally, the sun is out and Summer seems to be here again ... for how long ?
Had another visit to Taplow on Sunday which involved an early start .. had to be up at 5.30am ouch !! One of teh guys in our district was receiving Gohonzon (the scroll we chant to) so a few of us went down to support him.
We got there in plenty of time and had a bit of a walk around the grounds before and after the ceremony. Unfortunately I've got a new mobile and can't seem to get images off it which is really annoying .. also think I've lost the lead. Me and technology don't really go that well together despite being a web designer !!
And last night, we headed over to Chesterfield for his enshrinement which was quite nice as he lives half way between Nottingham and Sheffield so there were several there from Sheffield too.
Couple of Pics below
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