I have had long hair since 1990 until 2007 which most of the times was halfway down my back. I have only recently kept it short because of the activities around the Falklands 25 celebrations.
In a recent survey Stockholm was voted the best city in the world to live in. I think Robert who came to visit this weekend would concur, we had a very nice time and even though it was one of those grey and rainy days Stockholm was still a delight to walk around.
My friend Walter is one of the bravest men I know. Despite suffering horrific injuries during the Vietnam war and living with the physical and emotional scars that this has left him with he has over the years tried to stay positive.
One of benifits of this is that he sends me jokes all the time.
Thanks Walter for making many a dull day interesting.
It's not been a good week as I caught a heavy cold at the weekend and ended up missing Sunday at the keikan. I also had to take Monday off from work. I guess I should have stayed home on Tuesday but I struggled into work and also on Wednesday. However it all caught up with me on Thursday so I stayed home again. Susie on the other hand has been very busy at home and done a superb job of working out our butsadan. She has totally transformed it!
A spiritual weekend out at the kaikan (center) on a summer course. Only down side it was almost all in Swedish (surprise surprise!) so a lot of the stuff said went straight over my head. A very interesting lecture was given by the head of the Danish movement Jan Möller on the following gosho...
Happiness in This World
THERE is no true happiness for human beings other than chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The sutra reads, “. . . where living beings enjoy themselves at ease.” How could this passage mean anything but the boundless joy of the Law? Surely you are included among the “living beings.” “Where” means Jambudvipa, and Japan lies within Jambudvipa. Could “enjoy themselves at ease” mean anything but that both our bodies and minds, lives and environments, are entities of three thousand realms in a single moment of life and Buddhas of limitless joy? There is no true happiness other than upholding faith in the Lotus Sutra. This is what is meant by “peace and security in their present existence and good circumstances in future existences.” Though worldly troubles may arise, never let them disturb you. No one can avoid problems, not even sages or worthies.
Drink sake only at home with your wife, and chant Nammyohorengekyo. Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life, and continue chanting Nammyohorengekyo. no matter what happens. How could this be anything other than the boundless joy of the Law? Strengthen your power of faith more than ever.
With my deep respect,Nichiren
The twenty-seventh day of the sixth month in the second year of Kenji (1276), cyclical sign hinoe-ne
Reply to Shijo Kingo
Background
In the third month of 1275, about one year before this letter was written, Nichiren Daishonin warned Shijo Kingo, his loyal samurai follower who was an early convert, that as a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra he must be prepared to meet further difficulties and hardships.
In the present work, the Daishonin explains the nature of true happiness. It lies, he says, in chanting Nammyohorengekyo. Suffering is unavoidable, he adds, encouraging Shijo Kingo to “regard both suffering and joy as facts of life, and continue chanting Nam
It was great to be among so many members, over 200 turned up from all over Sweden, and I had a chance to chat to a few strangers. I heard a rumour that this might be the last time we meet in Saltjobaden as it's just getting too small. We may have to hire somewhere next time and to be honest its about time we used a more central location as getting out there is quite a chore. I cycled so I had no problems getting there though I did leave early on Saturday to avoid the rain that was threatening.
I didn't go on Sunday as I have a cold. Something that is also keeping me home today
Added two new blogs and put them in a new page element. I will update these blogs with entries as one is for my biking while the other is for the Falklands.
Looks like we will be moving into a new office (I use the word "we" in a lose context as who knows if I will be on contract at the same time)
Contracts were signed the other day.
Looks to be a nice location down by the water. Will be an ok bike ride.
We dont have a date yet but I am assuming it will have to be sometime after we have released the code to GLI in November so will be in the next few months
They moved my server and for a second time this has caused a disk crash. I am sick of having to rebuild by site on a new disk everytime this happens so I give up on trying to maintain one myself. Besides I really wasn't making the best use of it. Let's hope I can make a decent blog here.
Well I must admit this is a nice bog site as it's the first one I have used recently where I can actually post from work. So I guess this is my new home.