Hi Everybody,
Had a great great time away in the sun. Just back. Picking up the blog trail with a little piece on Buddhism and belief.
' The essential starting point for anyone seeking to understand a little more about Buddhism is that it doesn't have a god at its centre. It is atheistic or humanistic. That is to say it doesn't have at its heart, or anywhere else for that matter, the all-seeing, all-powerful, creator-god figure that sits at the heart of all the other major world religions, particularly those with which we are most familiar in western societies, Christianity and Judaism, Islam and Hinduism.
That is very easy to say and very easy to comprehend on an intellectual level, but in my experience it is much more difficult to grasp on a sort of daily, practical, down-to-earth level, because the implications are so profound and far-reaching.
Thus ther eis no divine hierarchy in Buddhism. It is this characteristic above all that gives Buddhism its wholly distinctive character. Instead of there being a set of dogma and beliefs handed down to mankind in various ways by a divine presence or divine being, Buddhism is firmly rooted from first to last in ordinary humanity. Moreover, since it is not attached to any definition of divinity, Buddhism doesn't have any boundaries. It doesn't have for example the boundaries that have been the source of so much conflict down the centuries that divide the Islamic defintion of divinity from the Judaic, or the Judaic from the Christian or the Christian from the Hindu. It is wholly inclusive. No one and indeed no thing is excluded. It is wholly inclusive.
So it is a colossal humanist vision that reaches out to embrace every man's relationship with himself, man with his fellow human beings, and man with his universal environment. Buddhism in effect draws three concentric circles round our lies. Ourselves at the centre. Then othe rpeople, society as a whole, a truly global society. Then the outer ring of the universal environment. So Buddhism is immensely forward looking, immensely modern you might say, in that it has always argued that all three are intimately connected in every way, and for us to live a truly full and fulfilling life we need to learn how to be creatively connected to all three. '
That's it for today.
Pleased to be back.
Look forward to seeing you again next episode.
William
PS The Case for Buddhism is available in paperback from Amazon and as a download from Kindle.
Thursday, 14 July 2016
Thursday, 23 June 2016
my buddhist blog number 137
Hi Everybody,
Just time for one more episode before I'm off to the sun sand and blue sea!
A brief piece that seems to me to be particularly relevant to today's society.
' We have become accustomed in the West to seeking our solutions not so much in individual change but through political manoeuvring or through the promises of science and technology. But it's quite clear that both have severe limitations when it comes to achieving profound social change. Inevitably societies are made up of individuals, and in essence, Buddhism is about transforming society in the only way that profound social change can be sustained, from the bottom up, by transforming individual lives. It talks indeed of human revolution, individual by individual. We could certainly argue I think that rarely in human history has there been a greater need for a philosophy of society based upon individual responsibility, and profound respect for the welfare of others.
Both describe what Buddhism is about. '
Thats it!
See you when I get back.
Best wishes,
William
Just time for one more episode before I'm off to the sun sand and blue sea!
A brief piece that seems to me to be particularly relevant to today's society.
' We have become accustomed in the West to seeking our solutions not so much in individual change but through political manoeuvring or through the promises of science and technology. But it's quite clear that both have severe limitations when it comes to achieving profound social change. Inevitably societies are made up of individuals, and in essence, Buddhism is about transforming society in the only way that profound social change can be sustained, from the bottom up, by transforming individual lives. It talks indeed of human revolution, individual by individual. We could certainly argue I think that rarely in human history has there been a greater need for a philosophy of society based upon individual responsibility, and profound respect for the welfare of others.
Both describe what Buddhism is about. '
Thats it!
See you when I get back.
Best wishes,
William
Wednesday, 22 June 2016
my buddhist blog number 136
Hi Everybody,
Just about to escape to Antibes in the south of France with Sarah for a couple of weeks of sun and sea and windsurfing, but I thought it would be good to get in an episode before I go. So here goes.
The Case for Buddhism page 9.
'...without wishing to push the analogy too far Buddhism might be said to provide a significant bridge between s living spiritual philosophy and the ever-increasing lines of books in the self-help section of your local bookshop, with their various forms of instant advice on how we might get better at the game of life, because Buddhism in a sense has a foot in both camps. It has the bedrock of a profound and all-embracing philosophy that touches upon every aspect of human life, and which has truly stood the test of time. But it is also just as genuinely about self-help and about self-belief. The very heart of Buddhism is about our learning how to handle the daily business of living more confidently and more bouyantly.
As Daisaku Ikeda, one of the greatest living authorities on Buddhism has expressed it, ' Buddhism is a movement emphasising self-education.'
That is to say Buddhism is about learning how to accept total responsibility for all the determinations and all the causes that we make as we go about our daily lives. '
Best wishes.
Hopefully see you next time.
William
PS The Case for Buddhism is available as a paperback from Amazon and as a download from Kindle.
Just about to escape to Antibes in the south of France with Sarah for a couple of weeks of sun and sea and windsurfing, but I thought it would be good to get in an episode before I go. So here goes.
The Case for Buddhism page 9.
'...without wishing to push the analogy too far Buddhism might be said to provide a significant bridge between s living spiritual philosophy and the ever-increasing lines of books in the self-help section of your local bookshop, with their various forms of instant advice on how we might get better at the game of life, because Buddhism in a sense has a foot in both camps. It has the bedrock of a profound and all-embracing philosophy that touches upon every aspect of human life, and which has truly stood the test of time. But it is also just as genuinely about self-help and about self-belief. The very heart of Buddhism is about our learning how to handle the daily business of living more confidently and more bouyantly.
As Daisaku Ikeda, one of the greatest living authorities on Buddhism has expressed it, ' Buddhism is a movement emphasising self-education.'
That is to say Buddhism is about learning how to accept total responsibility for all the determinations and all the causes that we make as we go about our daily lives. '
Best wishes.
Hopefully see you next time.
William
PS The Case for Buddhism is available as a paperback from Amazon and as a download from Kindle.
Monday, 6 June 2016
my buddhist blog number 135
Hi Everybody,
On this brilliant summers day in London. Literally azure blue skies from horizon to horizon. So i'm sitting in the garden in the slanting rays of the hot evening sun, listening to a blackbird singing its heart out at the top of a nearby tree. One of the ancillary purposes of writing The Case for Buddhism was to clear away some of the many stereotypes that obscure the western view of what Buddhism is about.
One of the many such stereotypes for example, that obscures the general perception of Buddhism in the west is that it is very much about giving things up, or, at the very least, about introducng a kind of spare asceticism into our lives, in pursuit of spirituality. The plain fact is that Buddhism is very much focused on increasing the richness of our experience of our lives, and in the here and now, rather than inn some heavenly hereafter. In the process it talks to us a great deal; about what we mean by happiness or well-being. In fact it is alone among the major world religions in proposing the extraordinary idea that happiness isn't a matter of chance or accident as we commonly believe, something that comes to us if we just happen to be particularly lucky or fortunate, but essentially a matter of choice. Indeed Buddhism goes further and argues that we can all without exception, learn how to make that choice. The learning process, it declares, is neither particularly difficult, nor exclusive, nor, most important of all, it is not dependant upon our external life circumstances. Again that is a truly life-changing idea, and one that is clearly worth discussing at any time, since what we all want, one way or another, is a greater measure of this stuff called well-being in our lives!
But it is, I would suggest, an idea of particular relevance at this time we happen to be living through. Why do I say that? Because for the very first time in its history, science too seems to have become keenly interested in the idea of happiness and how it might be achieved. So, it could be argued, we are privileged to live in very unusual times when very considerable and genuinely scientific energy is focused on understanding precisely what it is that makes people feel good about their lives and their relationships, in all kinds of circumstances, not just in wealthy or well-heeled or fortunate ones.
Some knowledgeable observers even sugges that we might be looking at the beginning of a whole new science, a science of happiness indeed. Perhaps. But at the very least we are being offered a wholly new way of looking at so many things about our motivation and behaviour that Buddhism has been talking to us about for many many years. That is one of the central themes of this book.'
Enough for today.
Thanks for reading.
See you next time.
William
PS The Case for Buddhism is available in English and Spanish! on Amazon or as a download on Kindle.
On this brilliant summers day in London. Literally azure blue skies from horizon to horizon. So i'm sitting in the garden in the slanting rays of the hot evening sun, listening to a blackbird singing its heart out at the top of a nearby tree. One of the ancillary purposes of writing The Case for Buddhism was to clear away some of the many stereotypes that obscure the western view of what Buddhism is about.
One of the many such stereotypes for example, that obscures the general perception of Buddhism in the west is that it is very much about giving things up, or, at the very least, about introducng a kind of spare asceticism into our lives, in pursuit of spirituality. The plain fact is that Buddhism is very much focused on increasing the richness of our experience of our lives, and in the here and now, rather than inn some heavenly hereafter. In the process it talks to us a great deal; about what we mean by happiness or well-being. In fact it is alone among the major world religions in proposing the extraordinary idea that happiness isn't a matter of chance or accident as we commonly believe, something that comes to us if we just happen to be particularly lucky or fortunate, but essentially a matter of choice. Indeed Buddhism goes further and argues that we can all without exception, learn how to make that choice. The learning process, it declares, is neither particularly difficult, nor exclusive, nor, most important of all, it is not dependant upon our external life circumstances. Again that is a truly life-changing idea, and one that is clearly worth discussing at any time, since what we all want, one way or another, is a greater measure of this stuff called well-being in our lives!
But it is, I would suggest, an idea of particular relevance at this time we happen to be living through. Why do I say that? Because for the very first time in its history, science too seems to have become keenly interested in the idea of happiness and how it might be achieved. So, it could be argued, we are privileged to live in very unusual times when very considerable and genuinely scientific energy is focused on understanding precisely what it is that makes people feel good about their lives and their relationships, in all kinds of circumstances, not just in wealthy or well-heeled or fortunate ones.
Some knowledgeable observers even sugges that we might be looking at the beginning of a whole new science, a science of happiness indeed. Perhaps. But at the very least we are being offered a wholly new way of looking at so many things about our motivation and behaviour that Buddhism has been talking to us about for many many years. That is one of the central themes of this book.'
Enough for today.
Thanks for reading.
See you next time.
William
PS The Case for Buddhism is available in English and Spanish! on Amazon or as a download on Kindle.
Monday, 30 May 2016
my buddhist blog number 134
Hi Everybody,
Many people have written to me over the past year to tell me that The Case for Buddhism is the book they most readily give to people they are seeking to inform about Nichiren Buddhism or, hopefully, introduce to the practice. That's immensely encouraging, because as I think I mentioned in the introduction, somewhere, it was specifically written to be given to the most sceptical and the most disinterested, hopefully to spark their interest in what a Nichiren Buddhist practice has to offer anyone trying to make the most of their life in today's busy, crowded, time-slicing, media-addicted society. So
what I've decided to do is to go back to the beginning of the book and sort of cherry pick my way through it, covering some of the bits that I think are most effective in conveying difficult stuff, or most perceptive.
' So a major part of the purpose of the journey this book takes us on is to clear away many of the vague and totally unhelpful stereotypes that exist in the West and replacing them with a much clearer sharper understanding of what Buddhism is about. I believe strongly that Buddhist values and principles can enhance any life, lived anywhere, in any circumstances, whehter or not that person has the slightest interest in taking up a Buddhist practice. So this is certainly a serious committed personal account of Buddhism, but only in the sense that Buddhism is about ordinary daily life. It is not in any way about a remote, inaccessible and other worldy philosophy. Not at all.
It's about the problems and the challenges and questions that we all encounter every day. What should I do in this difficult situation? How should I best handle this relationship or that problem.? And it's about some of the deeper issues we're all concerned with , even if they rarely actually surface in conversations in families or among colleagues at work, because they are too deeply buried in our lives. Concerns we all share such as the fundamental desire for a stronger and more consistent sense of well-being amidst the unexpected and challenging turbulence of our lives; the crucial and deeply-felt need we have for a genuine sense of connectedness and engagement with other people, and a concern for their well-being too; and the intimate realtionship that we now know exists between a resilient sens eof hope and optimism and a fit and healthy and fulfilling life. and how do we maintain that spirit of optimism amidst the hurly burly of daily life. As one psychologist expressed it to me in conversation,
' Cheerfulness matters. Hope and optimism really matter. They make a huge difference to the quality of our daily lives. They are not just a sort of optional salad dressin gon the surface of life!'
So put simply, this particular case for Buddhism is basically about learning in a wholly practical way, how to build a stronger and more resilient sense of well-being, for oneself and others, no matter what the circumstances we find ourselves in.'
Nuff said for today!
See you next time. Thanks for reading.
Best wishes,
William
PS The Case for Buddhism is available from Amazon of as a downlaod on Kindle, in English or Spanish!!
Many people have written to me over the past year to tell me that The Case for Buddhism is the book they most readily give to people they are seeking to inform about Nichiren Buddhism or, hopefully, introduce to the practice. That's immensely encouraging, because as I think I mentioned in the introduction, somewhere, it was specifically written to be given to the most sceptical and the most disinterested, hopefully to spark their interest in what a Nichiren Buddhist practice has to offer anyone trying to make the most of their life in today's busy, crowded, time-slicing, media-addicted society. So
what I've decided to do is to go back to the beginning of the book and sort of cherry pick my way through it, covering some of the bits that I think are most effective in conveying difficult stuff, or most perceptive.
' So a major part of the purpose of the journey this book takes us on is to clear away many of the vague and totally unhelpful stereotypes that exist in the West and replacing them with a much clearer sharper understanding of what Buddhism is about. I believe strongly that Buddhist values and principles can enhance any life, lived anywhere, in any circumstances, whehter or not that person has the slightest interest in taking up a Buddhist practice. So this is certainly a serious committed personal account of Buddhism, but only in the sense that Buddhism is about ordinary daily life. It is not in any way about a remote, inaccessible and other worldy philosophy. Not at all.
It's about the problems and the challenges and questions that we all encounter every day. What should I do in this difficult situation? How should I best handle this relationship or that problem.? And it's about some of the deeper issues we're all concerned with , even if they rarely actually surface in conversations in families or among colleagues at work, because they are too deeply buried in our lives. Concerns we all share such as the fundamental desire for a stronger and more consistent sense of well-being amidst the unexpected and challenging turbulence of our lives; the crucial and deeply-felt need we have for a genuine sense of connectedness and engagement with other people, and a concern for their well-being too; and the intimate realtionship that we now know exists between a resilient sens eof hope and optimism and a fit and healthy and fulfilling life. and how do we maintain that spirit of optimism amidst the hurly burly of daily life. As one psychologist expressed it to me in conversation,
' Cheerfulness matters. Hope and optimism really matter. They make a huge difference to the quality of our daily lives. They are not just a sort of optional salad dressin gon the surface of life!'
So put simply, this particular case for Buddhism is basically about learning in a wholly practical way, how to build a stronger and more resilient sense of well-being, for oneself and others, no matter what the circumstances we find ourselves in.'
Nuff said for today!
See you next time. Thanks for reading.
Best wishes,
William
PS The Case for Buddhism is available from Amazon of as a downlaod on Kindle, in English or Spanish!!
Monday, 16 May 2016
my buddhist blog number 133
Hi Everybody,
I was in the park this morning running with Gatsby at not much after 7.30 and it was just heavenly. The stillness. The light. The bright promise of the day to come. And Gatsby who knows the run as well as I do now, bounding off between the trees. There is so much to be grateful for in an English summer morning. Not least a Buddhist practice that makes one aware of the transforming power of the gratitude.
I think this is thelast post for this book, unless I retrace my steps and pick out some of my favourite passages. Meanwhile, we're rounding off the passage about the practice in front of the Gohonzon.
' What the practice in front of the gohonzon does require is real application and effort, and the commitment to persevere, to give it our best shot if you will. Of course there are ups and downs. You stride forward one months and stand still the next. But the stark reality of course is that people only continue with this practice because of the benefits that appear in their lives. That has to be the acid test, and the implications are profound. We are not talking about a heaven of whatever form in some hereafter, coming for the way one lives this little life. Buddhism, as we have said so often is daily life.
this life in the here and now. The benefits have to be felt in the home and in the workplace, in how one feels about life today, and tomorrow and the day after.
There is no test more exacting, more strenuous, more meaningful...than daily life. '
THE END.
Its been such an interesting journey for me. It may seem a strange thing to say, but going through the book again so slowly and carefully has taught me so much. I hope that there has been at least something of that for you as well.
Can't tell you how grateful I am to anyone who has hung in there and made it to this point. A truckload of gratitude.
With my best wishes,
William
PS A case for Buddhism is available as a paperback on Amazon and as a download on Kindle.
I was in the park this morning running with Gatsby at not much after 7.30 and it was just heavenly. The stillness. The light. The bright promise of the day to come. And Gatsby who knows the run as well as I do now, bounding off between the trees. There is so much to be grateful for in an English summer morning. Not least a Buddhist practice that makes one aware of the transforming power of the gratitude.
I think this is thelast post for this book, unless I retrace my steps and pick out some of my favourite passages. Meanwhile, we're rounding off the passage about the practice in front of the Gohonzon.
' What the practice in front of the gohonzon does require is real application and effort, and the commitment to persevere, to give it our best shot if you will. Of course there are ups and downs. You stride forward one months and stand still the next. But the stark reality of course is that people only continue with this practice because of the benefits that appear in their lives. That has to be the acid test, and the implications are profound. We are not talking about a heaven of whatever form in some hereafter, coming for the way one lives this little life. Buddhism, as we have said so often is daily life.
this life in the here and now. The benefits have to be felt in the home and in the workplace, in how one feels about life today, and tomorrow and the day after.
There is no test more exacting, more strenuous, more meaningful...than daily life. '
THE END.
Its been such an interesting journey for me. It may seem a strange thing to say, but going through the book again so slowly and carefully has taught me so much. I hope that there has been at least something of that for you as well.
Can't tell you how grateful I am to anyone who has hung in there and made it to this point. A truckload of gratitude.
With my best wishes,
William
PS A case for Buddhism is available as a paperback on Amazon and as a download on Kindle.
Monday, 9 May 2016
my Buddhist blog number 132
Hi Everybody,
Brilliant sunny day. All's right with the world. Had a brilliant intro to Buddhism meeting here last night.
Some really interesting discussions with people who hadn't encountered Buddhism before about the kinds of things that can change fundamentally how we feel about our lives. Anyway here we are very close to the end of this book, talking about the meaning of the Gohonzon.
' The characters on the Gohonzon are there to make clear that there isn't a life state or a condition that a human being can experience that would in some way prevent that journey towards our greater self. Everythign but everything can be transformed.
That is the scale of the promise.
And that really is the Gohonzon's basic purpose. It is something physical to focus on. It is that practical. Something to keep our wandering mind on the task in hand, namely chanting. Nichiren has given us this picture of what it is we are seeking to achieve. It is nothing more than that. Nor, it's important to remember nothing less. It is sometimes described as a mirror that reflects back at us our true nature. And just as we cannot see our face without a mirrored surface to reflect it back to us, so Nichiren argues, we cannot really perceive our Buddhahood without the ' mirror' of the Gohonzon to reflect its image.
Does it really happen? Yes, undoubtedly, and for many thousands, millions indeed, of ordinary people.
Can we clearly say why? I do not believe so. '
Lets leave it there. On the cliff edge so to speak.
Back next week with the last episode in this series.
Thank you for reading thus far.
all my best wishes,
William
PS The Case for Buddhism is available on Amazon as a paperback and on Kindle as a download.
Brilliant sunny day. All's right with the world. Had a brilliant intro to Buddhism meeting here last night.
Some really interesting discussions with people who hadn't encountered Buddhism before about the kinds of things that can change fundamentally how we feel about our lives. Anyway here we are very close to the end of this book, talking about the meaning of the Gohonzon.
' The characters on the Gohonzon are there to make clear that there isn't a life state or a condition that a human being can experience that would in some way prevent that journey towards our greater self. Everythign but everything can be transformed.
That is the scale of the promise.
And that really is the Gohonzon's basic purpose. It is something physical to focus on. It is that practical. Something to keep our wandering mind on the task in hand, namely chanting. Nichiren has given us this picture of what it is we are seeking to achieve. It is nothing more than that. Nor, it's important to remember nothing less. It is sometimes described as a mirror that reflects back at us our true nature. And just as we cannot see our face without a mirrored surface to reflect it back to us, so Nichiren argues, we cannot really perceive our Buddhahood without the ' mirror' of the Gohonzon to reflect its image.
Does it really happen? Yes, undoubtedly, and for many thousands, millions indeed, of ordinary people.
Can we clearly say why? I do not believe so. '
Lets leave it there. On the cliff edge so to speak.
Back next week with the last episode in this series.
Thank you for reading thus far.
all my best wishes,
William
PS The Case for Buddhism is available on Amazon as a paperback and on Kindle as a download.
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