Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Thich Nhat Hanh: On Homosexuality

Thich Nhat Hanh: On Homosexuality


Thich Nhat Hanh, the noted Zen monk, poet, teacher who is the inspiration behind Deer Park Monastery and the Plum Village tradition, shares these words about the Buddhadharma’s view of “homosexuality” in the latest book, ANSWERS FROM THE HEART.
excerpt from Thay’s new book Answers from the Heart

Q. What is the Buddhist view of homosexuality?

A. The spirit of Buddhism is inclusiveness. Looking deeply into the nature of a cloud, we see the cosmos. A flower is a flower, but if we look deeply into it, we see the cosmos. Everything has a place. The base-the foundation of everything-is the same. When you look at the ocean, you see different kinds of waves, many sizes and shapes, but all the waves have water as their foundation and substance. If you are born gay or lesbian, your ground of being in the same as mine. We are different, but we share the same ground of being. The Protestant theologian Paul Tillich said that God is the ground of being. You should be yourself. If God has created me as a rose, then I should accept myself as a rose. If you are a lesbian, then be a lesbian. Looking deeply into your nature, you will see yourself as you truly are. You will be able to touch the ground of your being and find peace. 
If you’re a victim of discrimination, then your way to emancipation is not simply by crying out against injustice. Injustice cannot be repaired by recognition alone, but by your capacity to touch the ground of your being. Discrimination, intolerance, and suppression stem from lack of knowledge and lack of understanding. If you’re capable of touching the ground of your being, you can be released from the suffering that has been created in you through discrimination and oppression.

Someone who discriminates against you, because of your race or the color of your skin or your sexual orientation, is ignorant. He doesn’t know his own ground of being. He doesn’t realize that we all share the same ground of being; that is why he can discriminate against you.
Someone who discriminates against others and causes them to suffer is someone who is not happy with himself. Once you’ve touched the depth and the nature of your ground of being, you’ll be equipped with the kind of understanding that can give rise to compassion and tolerance, and you will be capable of forgiving even those who discriminate against you. Don’t believe that relief or justice will come through society alone. True emancipation lies in your capacity to look deeply.
When you suffer because of discrimination, there’s always an urge to speak out. But even if you spend a thousand years speaking out, your suffering won’t be relieved. Only through deep understanding and liberation from ignorance can you be liberated from your suffering. 

When you break through to the truth, compassion springs up like a stream of water. With that compassion, you can embrace even the people who have persecuted you. When you’re motivated by desire to help those who are victims of ignorance, only then are you free from your suffering and feelings of violation. Don’t wait for things to change around you. You have to practice liberating yourself. Then you will be equipped with the power of compassion and understanding, the only kind of power that can help transform an environment full of injustice and discrimination. You have to become such a person-one who can embody tolerance, understanding, and compassion. You transform yourself into an instrument for social change and change in the collective consciousness of mankind.

Thich Nhat Hanh, Answers from the Heart: Practical Responses To Life’s Burning Questions (Berkeley: Parallax Press, 2009), 119-122.

Via Sangha Virtual - Thich Nhat Hanh - Brasil

Qual é a visão budista sobre a homossexualidade?

Pergunta: Qual é a visão budista sobre a homossexualidade?

Thich Nhat Hanh: O espírito do Budismo é a inclusividade. Olhando profundamente a natureza de uma nuvem, vemos o cosmos. Uma flor é uma flor, mas se olharmos profundamente para ela, veremos o cosmos. Tudo tem um lugar. A base, o fundamento de tudo, é o mesmo. Quando você olha para o oceano, você vê diferentes tipos de ondas, muitos tamanhos e formas, mas todas as ondas têm a água como seu fundamento e substância.

Se você nasceu gay ou lésbica, o fundamento do ser é o mesmo que o meu. Nós somos diferentes, mas compartilhamos o mesmo fundamento do ser. O teólogo protestante Paul Tillich disse que Deus é o fundamento do ser. Você deve ser você mesmo. Se Deus me criou como uma rosa, então eu deveria me aceitar como uma rosa. Se você é lésbica, então, seja lésbica. Olhando profundamente em sua natureza, você vai ver-se como você realmente é. Você será capaz de tocar o solo do seu ser e encontrar a paz.

Alguém que discrimina contra vocês, por causa de sua raça ou a cor de sua pele ou sua orientação sexual, é ignorante. Ele não conhece o seu próprio fundamento do ser. Ele não percebe que todos partilham a mesma base do ser, é por isso que ele pode discriminá-lo. Alguém que discrimina os outros e faz com que eles sofram é alguém que não está feliz consigo mesmo. Uma vez que você tocou a profundidade e a natureza do seu fundamento do ser, você vai ser equipado com o tipo de entendimento que pode dar origem a compaixão e tolerância, e você será capaz de perdoar até mesmo aqueles que o discriminam. Não acredite que o alívio ou a justiça virá através de sociedade por si só. Verdadeira emancipação reside na sua capacidade de olhar profundamente. Quando você sofre por causa da discriminação, há sempre uma vontade de falar. Mas mesmo se você passar mil anos falando, o seu sofrimento não será aliviado. Somente através da compreensão profunda e libertação da ignorância você pode ser libertado de seu sofrimento.

Às vezes, aqueles nos discriminam agem em nome de Deus, da verdade. Podemos pertencer ao terceiro mundo, ou podemos pertencer a uma raça em particular, podemos ser pessoas de cor, podemos ser gays ou lésbicas, e nós temos sido discriminados por milhares de anos. Então como nos libertar do sofrimento de sermos vítimas de discriminação e opressão? No cristianismo, é dito que Deus criou tudo, inclusive o homem, e não há uma distinção entre o criador e a criatura. A criatura é algo criado por Deus. Quando eu olho para uma rosa, uma tulipa, ou um crisântemo, eu sei, eu vejo, eu penso, que esta flor é uma criação de Deus. Porque eu tenho praticado como um budista, eu sei que entre o criador e a criatura, deve haver algum tipo de ligação, caso contrário, a criação não seria possível. Assim, o crisântemo pode dizer que Deus é uma flor, e eu concordo, porque deve haver o elemento "flor" em Deus, para que a flor possa se tornar realidade. Assim, a flor tem o direito de dizer que Deus é uma flor.

A pessoa branca tem o direito de dizer que Deus é branco, e o negro também tem o direito de dizer que Deus é negro. Na verdade, se você for para a África, vai ver que a Virgem Maria é negra. Se você não fizer a estátua da Virgem Maria negra, não inspira as pessoas. Porque para os negros, "black is beautiful", de modo que uma pessoa negra tem o direito de dizer que Deus é preto, e na verdade eu também acredito que Deus seja negro, mas Deus não é só preto, Deus também é branco, Deus é também uma flor. Assim, quando uma lésbica pensa em seu relacionamento com Deus, se ela pratica profundamente, ela pode descobrir que Deus é também uma lésbica. Caso contrário, como você poderia estar lá? Deus é uma lésbica e Deus é gay também. Deus não é menos. Deus é lésbica, mas também gay, negro, branco, crisântemo. É porque você não entende isso, que discrimina.

Quando você discriminar o negro ou o branco, ou a flor, ou a lésbica, você discrimina contra Deus, que é a bondade fundamental em você. Você cria o sofrimento ao seu redor, e você cria o sofrimento dentro de si mesmo, e é a ilusão, a ignorância, que é a base de sua ação, a sua atitude de discriminação. 

Via Armário X: O Budismo e a homossexualidade

O Budismo e a homossexualidade

por Marco Antonio García

Nos últimos anos o Budismo virou a religião da moda nos paises ocidentais. São diversas revistas e livros falando sobre os benefícios da meditação, yoga e outras praticas budistas. Mas o que o budismo pensa a cerca da homossexualidade? Como nós homossexuais somos vistos por esta religião milenar? Estas e outras perguntas fundamentais para se entender o budismo foram respondidas pela Associação Brasil Soka Gakkai Internacional (http://www.bsgi.org.br/) e pela Lama Chagdud Khadro, diretora da Escola Nyingma do Budismo Vajrayana – Chagdud Gonpa (http://www.odsal-ling.org/), exclusivamente para o Armário X. 

Via Salon: “Anti-Christian religious bigotry” is apparently what conservatives are now calling LGBTQ rights

 
"Anti-Christian religious bigotry" is apparently what conservatives are now calling LGBTQ rights 
NOM President Brian Brown (Credit: Wikipedia)
 
In lamenting the demise of Arizona’s anti-LGBTQ discrimination bill and recent victories to secure other basic protections for LGBTQ individuals, National Organization for Marriage President Brian Brown encouraged his fellow bigots to try to change the frame on these debates by accusing LGBTQ rights advocates of pushing “anti-Christian bigotry”:
So, when [LGBTQ people and their allies] bring up discrimination, we need to turn it on its head and say, this is about anti-religious, specifically in some cases, anti-Christian religious bigotry, and there’s no place for this in this country. The discrimination is there, but right now what’s happening is the discrimination is coming from those that want to punish, repress and marginalize individuals and organizations that stand up for their religious beliefs.
Referencing a New Mexico photographer who refused to shoot a gay couple’s commitment ceremony (the Supreme Court refused on Monday to hear her case, probably because of anti-Christian bigotry), Brown said, “Whether it’s being forced to photograph a ceremony that you don’t agree with, forced to create a same-sex marriage wedding cake that you don’t agree with, whatever it is, that’s a very different thing than saying this is somehow Jim Crow all over again. In fact, it’s the reverse.”
But not every person of faith shares Brown’s bigoted paranoia.

Kansas state Rep. Louis Ruiz, a practicing Catholic, is the sponsor of a LGBTQ rights protection bill in his state. A month after his colleagues floated a proposal to enshrine anti-LGBTQ discrimination into state law, Ruiz introduced a counter measure, asking his colleagues, “What’s our message when we have these type of discriminatory bills that come out at either the federal or the state level? We’re defeating our own purpose as a country that wants to be inclusive. To me, this is a no-brainer.”
 
Ruiz said at the time that he believes his own faith is well protected, and wants to see those protections extended to others: “If you look at the bills that people are trying to pass that would permanently enshrine open discrimination against gay and lesbian Kansans, can you think of a better reason why we should introduce something [like this LGBTQ anti-discrimination bill]?”
Katie McDonough is an assistant editor for Salon, focusing on lifestyle. Follow her on Twitter @kmcdonovgh or email her at kmcdonough@salon.com.

Via JMG: LBJ's Daughters: Our Father Would Likely Have Supported Same-Sex Marriage



Katie Couric interviewed Luci Baines Johnson and Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, the daughters of late President Lyndon B. Johnson, and asked them about their father's civil rights legacy in the light of the current battle for same-sex marriage.
“I think my father felt very strongly that when there was bigotry anywhere, prejudice anywhere, all of us lose out,” Johnson said. “Because it's just one more expression of hate.” For her part, Robb said she didn’t know what her father would say, because same-sex marriage was not an issue when he was in public life. “It's hard to project what Daddy would have thought about that because that wasn't an issue that had come upon the stage at that time,” Robb said. “But I know he really wanted everybody to be able to live up to the best that God gave them.” Both Robb and Johnson said they personally believe gay marriage should be allowed. “I certainly think that, if God made you a homosexual, that you should have love and affection with somebody,” Robb said. “And I would not want to deny anybody that opportunity to be happy.”
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, which some historians consider to be the crowning achievement of the LBJ administration. Watch the interview below.

(Via Towleroad)


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Anti-Gay Group Targets Mozilla


Back in December, Faith Driven Consumer used the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index to create a list of pro-gay companies for Christians to boycott during their holiday shopping. Today the group issued a press release which demands that Mozilla respond to three questions.
According to pro-gay advocates, it’s theoretically acceptable for companies like Mozilla to hire Christians as long as they are never permitted to assume leadership roles. The same people who claim to support equal treatment for everyone want to deny access to employment opportunities based on personal convictions – in effect a new “glass ceiling” for a faith-driven worldview. Faith Driven Consumer reached out to Mozilla to clarify what their policy is toward faith-driven employees, asking them to respond to three specific questions:

1. Will faith-driven employees be discriminated against and forced into the closet for their personal views on marriage? 2. Is there a “pro gay marriage” litmus test for working at Mozilla? 3. Will the next CEO be required to openly express support for gay marriage as a condition for being hired? While we wait to hear back, let’s make sure they HEAR from YOU.
Last last month as the controversy was at its peak, Mozilla posted a statement affirming its corporate support of marriage equality. That statement also addresses the questions posed today by Faith Driven Consumer.
Mozilla’s mission is to make the Web more open so that humanity is stronger, more inclusive and more just. This is why BOTH Mozilla Corporation and Mozilla Foundation support equality for all, including marriage equality for LGBT couples. No matter who you are or who you love, everyone deserves the same rights and to be treated equally.

We realize that not everyone in our community or who uses our products will agree with this. But we have always maintained that as long as you are willing to respect others, and come together for our larger mission, you are welcome. Mozilla’s community is made up of people who have very diverse personal beliefs working on a common cause, which is a free and open internet. That is a very rare and special thing.

Mozilla has always worked to be a welcoming community, committed to inclusiveness and equality for all people. One voice will not limit opportunity for anyone. That was true yesterday and will be true tomorrow.
Faith Driven Consumer doesn't need to "wait to hear back" from Mozilla as anybody with a computer can learn their position. But that doesn't fuel the outrage machine, does it? The hypocrisy of boycotting companies for supporting marriage equality and then making this kind of demand is truly mind-numbing.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

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Nick Drake - Pink Moon


Via Daily Dharma


All Politics are Local | April 8, 2014

Why do I consider it so crucial to balance the outer aspects of nonviolence and compassion with the inner support of contemplative practice? Because in the end, all politics are local, and we cannot love life and humanity if we do not love each other, one on one.  
 
—Lama Surya Das, "Why Sit?"