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.
Some funny religous jokes
Thursday 27 September 2007
Wednesday 26 September 2007
Have to laugh
Recently I have been sent some vidoes so rather than post them I thought I would find some links for you on YouTube
Friday 7 September 2007
Susie's been busy...
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!
Monday 3 September 2007
Buddhist Weekend
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
This can also be found online here
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
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
This can also be found online here
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
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