Category: Buddhism & Philosophy

Letting It Go To Be Happier…

Life is a fleeting thing. In my younger days, I foolishly joined an MLM company and used to attend local conferences where successful directors would give speeches. No offence intended to those who are participants of MLM companies and especially those who are doing well; it simply wasn’t for me. But my philosophy of life includes that there’s always something to be learned in any environment. As such, I remember the words of the one of the speakers, “Life is a flicker. And in the snap of a moment, it’s over…”

It is true that in the grand scheme of things, we’re only in this life for a very brief moment in existence. Sometimes life can FEEL long. And from an outside perspective, you’ll hear people say, “they had a good, long life” but as it relates to the nature of the universe, we’re here for but a mere spec of time. It makes you think about the importance of how one chooses to use that time and how they behave themselves around others.

In my previous career, I walked the line between light and darkness. I got to help a lot of people and prevent a lot of bad within my small corner of the world. But I was exposed and would see both sides of the equation. Sometimes I would be forced to see some pretty dark and disturbing things, which I still carry with me to this day. But I always had the benefit of going home at the end of the day and knowing I was happy and safe within my little haven and that I was doing my part to reduce suffering in the world.

When I say I’ve seen some dark things, it doesn’t even have to be something horribly traumatic. I’ve seen the folly of people who turn on each other for some of the most trivial things. Spouses, friends, brothers and family…. There is a slice of society that doesn’t care what bonds or relationships exist when they feel an entitlement to their cause. And sometimes it’s justified. I’m not here to judge. I wasn’t THERE to judge. But the suffering that results from these encounters is long-lasting. It’s gone a long way towards showing me that some people just want to watch the world burn.

This brings me to my own life. Despite my personal beliefs, I can concede that no one TRULY knows what happens when we leave this life. In that light, I’ve always fought hard to maintain and preserve myself while trying to live as happy a life as possible. When one stops to consider that goal, it’s a really simple one. Living a happy life is easy. Manage your affairs responsibly and pay attention, live in the moment and work on doing the things that make you happy versus what everyone else expects you to do and you’ll be pretty happy. I make it sound pretty easy and in truth, it is. But I understand that some obstacles can get in the way and make happiness difficult to achieve.

And I say “pretty” happy because there will always be things that will be out of one’s control. For example, I don’t think I need to explain that life would be simpler if I didn’t have Type-1 Diabetes. That being said, I also wouldn’t be the person I am today if I had never been diagnosed as such. Maybe I wouldn’t have the drive, ambition and focus on health and martial arts that I do, if I’d grown up without the challenges that Diabetes has thrown at me. This is where you’d hear me say that all things happen for a reason.

It would be contrary to Buddhist belief that suggesting that some levels of suffering in life are necessary in order to grow and evolve. And this may be so. Saying that all things happen for a reason would indicate that possibility. After all, if some form of suffering you’re going through is happening for a reason, doesn’t that mean it’s an essential aspect of life? It’s one of the more important philosophical conflicts I’ve always had with myself. And I’m pretty certain I’ll carry it with me into my next life, since there’s no clear answer.

If there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that you should never intentionally do something that will cause suffering in others. I’ve also experienced this phenomenon first hand in recent years, where certain individuals have taken action that would have altered my life in a seriously detrimental way. Now that the smoke has cleared, I’ve often considered speaking with these people and confronting them, if only to learn what their motivations were and why they did the things they did. But ultimately, what further growth will that provide me? It likely won’t do anything but re-open old wounds and cause more suffering. I choose to be better than that. I choose to be happy. ☯️

It’s All in The Words…

One of the more difficult things about writing, especially on specific topics, is finding reputable sources that ACTUALLY exist. Or even worse, finding quotes that were actually spoken by the person in question. Most of the time, having a photo with words superimposed into it is enough to have people believe that the party in question actually said what’s written. It can make it hard to discern truth from fiction.

The above photo is a good example. Although those words would certainly be spoken by Confucius if he he were around to respond to all the memes and quotes on the internet, I’m reasonably sure that he never uttered them in life. But yet, when I Googled “Confucius” in order to him up, this was the first thing that popped up. Let that sink in for a moment…. World-famous Chines philosopher who was considered one of the wisest sages of this time, and the first piece of information that pops up on a search is “I never said all that shit.” Nice.

I’m a bit cranky this morning, so I’m keeping this short. But if you happen to be searching for information on the internet, make certain to fact-check your sources. My blog is reasonably harmless and loaded with disclaimers that I’m not a doctor or health professional, but even I make sure that I’m only quoting from verified sources AND I provide said sources so that readers can judge for themselves. We may have the world’s information at our fingertips, but that information isn’t always accurate. Tread lightly…☯️

Anger Isn’t JUST For The Sith…

The title is a Star Wars reference, for my followers who don’t find themselves quite as immersed as I am in science fiction and reading. To frame the reference, the Sith are the antagonists of the Star Wars series. They are the polar opposites (in most respects) to the Jedi and typically use intense emotion and anger as a means of amplifying their powers. The series focuses on the Jedi being the good guys and how anger is a bad thing…. Although I agree that HATE is a bad thing, as is also premised in the series, anger has its place and can even be a useful tool when applied in the proper context.

Let’s start by examining what anger truly is…. Simply defined, it means having strong, intense feelings of annoyance or hostility towards a person or thing that can often result in a violent or negatively-emotional response. This can be caused by something emotionally significant or perhaps something as simple as being cut off in traffic. That aspect that many people tend to lose sight of, is that a feeling of anger isn’t always necessarily related to the immediate instance that we believe prompted the emotion and may be a symptom of something bigger and/or previous. The immediate moment may simply be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. But I digress…

Anger is an emotion. An normal emotion that everyone experiences throughout the course of their lives. If you’ve ever heard someone say, “I don’t get angry” they’re either lying to you or themselves. Maybe they feel anger but simply have coping mechanisms that allow them to keep from externalizing it. That may be a good thing. It can also be a recipe for disaster, depending on one’s specific ability to handle their anger.

Anger can be a great motivator, especially in fitness circles or in making and accomplishing one’s goals. If you use your anger as a source of fuel, it can help push you beyond what you might have done, otherwise. A good example I can provide is when one is using a punching bag. There’s no arguing the fact that you’ll punch harder and longer on the bag if you’re absolutely fuming about something. This is kind of the scenario I’m referring to.

The other side of the coin is dealing with a level of anger that can result in a violent result. This is something that must avoided, fo the obvious reasons. The punching bag is another great example as it can be a fantastic outlet for venting that angry energy. Meditation can work for some, but i know people who hit that “point of no return” and simply lack the means to control their anger. And that’s an important aspect to discern; the difference between controlling and finding an outlet for one’s anger or trying to suppress it or ignore it. The former can be constructive and healthy. The latter eventually becomes a problem. ☯️

Just A Little Something…

Once in a while, I like to throw out a little something that isn’t long-winded and requires a whole bunch of researching and discussion. I can pretty wordy at the best of times (I can hear the grinding of everyone’s eyes rolling at once), so it’s nice to just take a day to let one’s head cool and post something simple. In that light, I found this image online a few nights ago and it resonated with me. So I thought I’d share it. Enjoy!

I can’t remember where I found the image; I’m certain if you Google Morgan Harper Nichols, you’ll find it. She’s a musician and writer and the words in this quote resonate with me on a particular level. One of my biggest pet-peeves with life, is when someone says, “It could be worse…”. If I use my Diabetes as an example, I’ve frequently had people comment that it could be worse as I could have something immediately terminal.

Although this thought is accurate, it COULD be worse, it doesn’t mean that my particular condition isn’t BAD and that my journey isn’t made all the more difficult as a result. This is where empathy comes in. We don’t always know or understand how another person will deal with the situation they’re in. After all, a splinter in your finger may be trifling in nature. But I can guarantee that to a small child, it can be the worst pain of their life. It’s all about perspective. Not strength. Food for thought… ☯️

And Then, A Bird Crapped On My Window…

I’m a firm believer in karma and its effect on the world in general. That being said, I don’t know if this was karma in action, but it’s sure worth a laugh. This story comes from last week, when I was having lunch at work. My office sits on the fifth floor of one of the taller buildings in Regina, and it overlooks the eastern side of the city. It’s a nice view, albeit hotter than Hades during the early hours of the morning when the Sun blasts its rays directly into my space.

Anyway, I was sitting in my office enjoying a quiet lunch and doing some light reading. I get an hour for lunch but I rarely sit for more than thirty minutes. I’m quirky like that. Actually, I just have a hard time sitting still so I usually don’t take the full hour. The point is that on this particular day, I was reading a chapter and munching away when a loud thump against my window snapped me out of it. I looked up to see a pigeon sitting on the window sill, shaking its head. I laughed a bit, realizing the poor bastard must have flown across from the parkade and dove into my window.

Actual photo of the pigeon in question

I was busy laughing and decided to snap the photo you see above. Apparently, my little avian friend took offence to my laughter and photographing his misfortune. He slowly turned his backside against my window and proceeded to eject a thin stream of pigeon crap onto my window. All the while, maintaining eye contact with me… I kid you not. My laughter stopped abruptly as I saw it happen, which was followed by the pigeon turning himself fully towards my window and affording me a final glance before drifting off into the skies.

My office windows aren’t clean on the best of days (summer has just kicked in and window cleaning on the office buildings is only just beginning) but this liquid hell just added to the rustic “unclean” look of my windows. So the important questions is this: was it coincidence? Or did this bird dispense some smelly, karmic justice against me for laughing at its misfortune? You be the judge. I just thought it was funny how it all went down. What can I say? It can’t all be deep and metaphysical! Sometimes, you just gotta take the laugh when you can get it. ☯

Always An Uphill Battle, Until You Reach The Top…

The daily struggles of life can often catch up with you and it doesn’t take much or very long for it to become overwhelming. Sometimes, we don’t even recognize that there’s a problem until someone is “helpful” enough to point it out. I put the word “helpful” in quotations, because we don’t always want the help or advice that’s provided or feel that it’s warranted. When it’s in your personal life, it can come in the form of unsolicited advice. If it’s in your professional life, it may sometimes come in the form of an obligation as it isn’t exactly ideal to ignore the requests of one’s employer.

But regardless of where the advice or requests are coming from, your day and in fact even your week can quickly get away from you. Time flies, not only when you’re having fun but when you remain consistent and steadfast in what you do. I’m reminded of yesterday, and how I was so immersed in the project I was working on at my job that I was a half hour late into the end of my day before I realized what time it was. I messaged my wife and explained I would be coming home shortly and that I had lost track of time. The bigger joke is that I could have easily kept working without skipping a beat. Tempus fugit, and all that…

I recently described the daily grind of life to someone, and I found the thought came to me, well… without thinking! I explained that life is a little bit like trying to roll a boulder uphill. You already know the boulder is heavy. You already know it’ll be hard. You’re also acutely aware that if you give up and let go, you’ll be crushed under the weight of that boulder; in other words, everything that life will spill on top of you if you let your guard down.

Life in its generalities is very much the same way. We know it can be hard and we know it forces us to carry a weight on our bodies and souls. Such is life. It was never meant to be easy. Without difficulty and challenge, we would finds ourselves unable to grow and prosper. Humanity would never progress in its evolution. But if you give up and let go, there’s a very real chance that life will dump a whole bunch of consequences on you that one typically won’t want to deal with.

All that being said, when one is pushing their boulder up the hill, it’s important to recognize that the only way to reach the top is to remain consistent. It won’t happen by simply giving the boulder one solid shove and hope it reaches the apex. Only through steady and consistent pushing and rolling will you manage to get the boulder to the top. Once on the top, you may find yourself surprised by the fact that it only takes minimal effort to support the boulder and keep it in place.

If we apply this concept to life, you may struggle and have difficulties. But only by staying consistent and steadfast will you overcome your struggles and reach your desired outcome. Once there, you’ll find it’s much easier to sustain and maintain the standard of life you’ve created for yourself. As long as you don’t take the fact that the boulder is at the top for granted, you won’t risk having it roll back down, likely crushing you as it passes. Such as it is, with life.

Last but not least, never forget that the boulder will be easier to push to the top of the hill if someone is helping you do it. Much like sharing the weight of the boulder, the problems of life become easier when faced with someone by your side. As the proverb says, “A problem shared is a problem halved.” And best of all, once you get your boulder to the top, having someone to share the burden means you can even let your guard down, once in a while. And rest from the rigours of life. ☯️

New World, Same Complaints…

Maybe I’m beginning to get cynical in my old age. Maybe the weight of constantly hearing people complain about different things that are either petty, old news or should be put on the back burner while the world deals with more important issues such as, oh, I don’t know…. Getting some level of normalcy back in place and work on increasing people’s vaccination and reopening society! But people in general have a tendency to focus their attention on some of the right things, granted at the wrong times.

The world has changed significantly since the first reference to COVID-19 struck my ears. Ironically, I received my first news on the subject from the most unlikely source: my mother. My wife and I don’t have cable television and hold no subscriptions to any publications, per say. So we’re reasonably cut off from mainstream media, short of whatever trickles we get through Facebook or the city website.

In a phone conversation with my mother in late March of 2020, she commented by saying, “Oh, those poor people in China with that awful virus…. And I’ve heard that it’s reached Canada as some people have brought it over through their travels…”. At the time, I thought along the same lines as many others likely have; that it was something isolated, far away and wouldn’t affect my household and I, in any significant way. I was wrong. Boy, was I wrong!

Self-isolation, quarantines and working from home became commonplace. Online shopping for everything from home appliances to commodities and even one’s groceries became the new standard and for a while there, the world came to a standstill and you could hear the silence of nature, even in a city the size of mine. There was some positive to it, from my perspective. The reduced noise and air pollution was nice. And since I’ve always been of the opinion that people should distance themselves from one another while in public, for varying reasons, so I’ve been a big fan of the 6-foot rule.

For a while, a long while, it seemed as though people’s complaints surrounded the pertinent issues. The wearing of masks, sanitizing their hands, not being permitted inside certain locations WITHOUT a mask, the buyout of hand sanitizer and toilet paper…. you know, things that pertained to the pandemic. But as time has passed and the pandemic is showing some signs of potentially lessening, if not coming to an end, people are starting to come out of the woodwork to complain about matters that, as I said earlier, should wait until the world is back to normal or focused on once the important things are dealt with, first.

In most cases, I’m somewhat biased, since my preferred method of “live and let live” has very little room left in today’s day-to-day dynamic, mixed with the immediate access to the world’s information, social media and everyone having a protected opinion and getting offended by everyone and everything. In fact, this is why I won’t even explain what precise situations have me on my rant, this morning. I’m going to satisfy myself with a rant and then go back to “live and let live.”

But as the world starts clawing it’s way back to what the next generation will come to consider “normal,” a few thoughts for your to consider, dear reader. Life moves forward. This is a universal rule, one which applies quite aptly in this instance. There’s no going back and we are meant to LEARN fro past mistakes, not focus on them and make them the focal point of society and force obligations that belonged to those who came before us. It’s important not to forget past mistakes. After all, those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. But as we walk into the dawn of a new world, one in which we overcame the current pandemic, let’s remember to take the opportunity to focus on the future. Good for thought. ☯️

Just For Laughs…

I’m nothing if not able to laugh at myself… I think that laughter is the best ingredient for a happy life. SO much so, that sometimes I make my wife question my sanity while reading and/or watching comedy to the point where I have tears coming down while she looks at me wondering what the hell she got herself into… IT’S TOO LATE NOW, HONEY!!!

As a good example, did you hear the one about me getting a coffee at my local Tim Horton’s and trying to sip it while on the way back to the office, forgetting I was wearing a fuckin’ mask? Yeah… That wasn’t COMPLETELY embarrassing to pull off while walking along a busy Regina street… Or the day when I was filling my water bottle at the fountain and when I leaned in to check if the bottle was full, I managed to spray water all over my crotch… Luckily, I was the only one in the office. Nothing like a wet crotch to convince your coworkers that you’re incontinent. But I digress…

Once in a while I manage to find something related to my faith that makes me grin and laugh. Unlike a lot of other people, I can see the comedy in some of those things and enjoy sharing them. Knowing its funny MAKES it funny. Anyway, without further ado… Here’s a funny Buddhist meme I found online:

This makes me laugh, because my son Nathan has said, “Come at me, bro” on a few occasions. So this serves two purposes: making me laugh and reminding me of my son. Both are ultimately important in my life, so I hope you enjoy it, as well. A pleasant laugh on “hump day.” ☯

Simplicity Is The True Spice Of Life

I was recently blessed with reading a post by one of my brother bloggers that goes into the topic of critical thinking versus creative thinking. There’s a lot to be said and described on this topic, but one of the important aspects that I took from that interaction was the importance of keeping things simple. This applies to all areas of life and can mean the difference between suffering and relative peace. Allow me to explain.

Critical thinking is an important aspect of life. Without it, we would likely not have a lot of the innovations and technology that modern society enjoy so freely. The ability to recognize, analyze and evaluate any given problem is how progress happens. We’re not quite “The Jetsons” yet, but we’re getting there. A hilarious side note on the Jetsons… I read a meme online that said that the Jetsons are set in the year 2062 and that George Jetson is about 41 years old, which means that somewhere in the world, he’s currently being conceived. That made me giggle a bit, especially since we’re nowhere near to living in the skies with flying cars. But I digress…

There are two basic perspectives to life and almost everyone without exception falls under one of these categories. I’m talking the scientific perspective and the non-scientific perspective. Even with science as a guide through navigating life, it’s important to recognize that the world is more than just what our six senses perceive and that at some point, if you go far enough backwards in the grand scheme of things, science fails to provide an answer. Perhaps it will, someday. But not all things can be compartmentalized and analyzed and there’s something to be said for running on faith.

Let’s take the Big Bang, as an example. No, I don’t mean the television sitcom, I mean the actual event that the title is based on. We know that at some point, billions and billions of years ago, an explosive release of energy resulted in the massive expansion of space that we recognize as our universe. So here’s the interesting question: what came before that? If one were to take the religious approach, then one would be inclined to believe that in the beginning, there was nothing until God said, “Let there be light!”

If one takes the scientific approach, we find ourselves at a loss. Some speculate that our universe is a piece of another, pre-existing universe and that something cataclysmic caused our universe to basically be tossed out and begin to expand on its own. There are a number of theories but I think we can agree that until proven, theory remains speculative. So, which perspective is the correct one? Is it so impossible to think that at some point, far enough back, a single individual or entity is responsible for all that we know? I don’t want to go off on a tangent and start getting into chaos theory, but if the flapping of a butterfly’s wings can cause tsunamis on the other side of the world, then…

Our self-awareness leads us to the belief that we’re at the top of the pyramid of life on our respective little blue marble, but the truth remains that we don’t know what’s out there. Or where it all came from. or even what’s to come, despite plenty of speculation on that, as well. One of my guilty pleasures is watching those YouTube simulations that show the progression of the universe until its end. How accurate those are will remain to be seen, just not by us in all likelihood. But I’m crawling FAR to the wayside of where I was going with this. Let’s see if I can get myself back on track…

When we talk about simplicity, we need to recognize that interaction is part of the human condition, and that we sometimes have to alter, improve or improvise how we perform those interactions. If I were to use employment as an example, when was the last time that you wrote a cover letter and JUST used plain language? When we want to make a certain impression, we have a tendency to “fancy” things up. I’m talking about something like describing oneself as a “master of the custodial arts” instead of just saying “janitor” or “cleaner.” Sure, it sounds fancier but it potentially leaves one open to misunderstanding and misinterpretation.

There is room in this world for both critical and creative thinking. In fact, in most instances they can used interchangeably. The key is keeping an open mind. Keeping things simple in all areas of life helps to guarantee that we reduce the amount of suffering in our own lives and frequently even in the lives of others. And it also ensures better communication in the overall grand scheme of things. Keep it simple. After all, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Food for thought… ☯