Friday, December 5, 2014

Flower of the Day: 12/05/14

"The first layer of the veil of illusion is forgetting life’s purpose. Being aware of our purpose connects us to the source and enables us to remember the truth. Being enveloped by the veil of illusion, we feel separate and isolated, and a by-product of this isolation is anguish. This anguish is a great poison, which often finds its way in through a sadness that seemingly comes out of nowhere. This opens the door to bad habits, which in turn opens the door to evil."

Sri Prem Baba

Innate Dignity | December 5, 2014

My own practice of loving kindness has opened me to the power of compassion and to the fact that all beings want to be happy. Everybody wants to have their innate dignity recognized and to recognize the innate dignity of others.

- Sharon Salzberg, "Why I Support Fast Food Workers"


Thursday, December 4, 2014

Via Lizzy the Lezzy / FB:


Flower of the Day: 12/04/14

"Children must be free, and at the same time, they need firm boundaries and care. But these boundaries must be born from a loving heart that truly sees the child. They must be born out of respect, and not from the adult’s wounded child."

Sri Prem Baba

Via Daily Dharma


Creating Compassion | December 4, 2014

The idea of creating compassion for our environment, for something that we take for granted daily—something that, as a human race, we are just absolutely destroying, for the most part without a care—I think that connecting compassion to that is really, really powerful.

- Emily Burke, "Meditating in Public"


Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Via JMG: Labor Department Issues Final Rule On LGBT Anti-Discrimination Measures


Via press release:
A new rule prohibiting discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation and gender identity in the federal contracting workforce is being announced today by the U.S. Department of Labor. The rule implements Executive Order 13672, which was signed by President Obama on July 21.

"Americans believe in fairness and opportunity. No one should live in fear of being fired or passed over or discriminated against at work simply because of who they are or who they love," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. "Laws prohibiting workplace discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation and gender identity are long overdue, and we're taking a big step forward today to fix that."

EO 13672 tasked the department with updating the rules implementing EO 11246 to add gender identity and sexual orientation to the classes it protects. While 18 states, the District of Columbia and many businesses, large and small, already offer workplace protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees, July's executive order was the first federal action to ensure LGBT workplace equality in the private sector.
The press release notes that today's action becomes effective 120 days after being formally entered into the Federal Register and will apply to all "new and modified" civilian contracts with the federal government from that date forward.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Steven Petrow / FB:

Bye bye Anita Bryant. And for those of you too young to know who she was and what she did, Google her homophobic antics.

LINK: http://eqfl.org/marriagevictory

Equality Florida #marriageequality #AnitaBryant #progress

 
Bye bye Anita Bryant. And for those of you too young to know who she was and what she did, Google her homophobic antics.

LINK: http://eqfl.org/marriagevictory

Equality Florida ‪#‎marriageequality‬ ‪#‎AnitaBryant‬ ‪#‎progress‬

Via Being Liberal / FB:


Via JMG: BREAKING: DC Bans "Ex-Gay" Torture


Via press release from the National Center for Lesbian Rights:
Today, the District of Columbia Council unanimously approved a bill that will protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth from the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy. When signed into law, Washington, D.C. will become the third jurisdiction—behind California and New Jersey—to pass legislation protecting LGBT youth from practices that are known to cause severe depression and even suicide. “Today, the DC Council sent a powerful message to LGBT youth and their families that they are accepted, supported, and loved,” said Samantha Ames, NCLR staff attorney and coordinator of the #BornPerfect campaign at the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). “The Council has used its authority to protect our most vulnerable youth from dangerous and discredited pseudoscience that tells them who they are is wrong, and reaffirmed the consensus of every major medical and mental health organization that all children are born perfect, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The Liberty Counsel fought those bills in both states, taking their fight against California's bill all the way to the Supreme Court, who smacked them down for the final time in June.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

What Is Your Strongest Chakra?

The


One of those FB thingys gave me this 

The Crown Chakra
 
You got The Crown Chakra! Crown chakra is all about understanding wisdom and various other things.
Gland: Pineal Gland
Associated Stones: Crystal Quartz, Moonstone, Selenite, Pearl, Amethyst, Lepidolite, Calcite, White or Clear Stones and Crystals.
Effects: Seeing the overall picture, Connection to the universe, Oneness, Spiritual Awareness, Consciousness and Enlightenment.

Flower of the Day: 12/03/14

"Living in presence means walking through life without a map, following only the commands of the heart and being guided by the Holy Spirit. Presence itself guides you. Being present, it’s impossible to run away from yourself. In fact, you only find yourself and recognize your gifts and talents in presence, because it is the manifestation of spontaneity. Through presence, you become a pure channel of the divine will."

Sri Prem Baba

Via Daily Dharma


Dharma and the Law | December 3, 2014

In the simplest—and probably the most common—terms, the present state of the American judicial process runs counter to the tenets of Buddhism. It is predicated on an adversarial system that places people in mutually exclusive positions: victim and perpetrator, prosecution and defense, forces of good and forces of evil.


- Mary Talbot, "No Justice, No Peace"


Uma frase do Dalai Lama para nós recitarmos todas as manhãs



“Toda manhã, pense quando você acorda: Eu estou vivo, Eu tenho uma preciosa vida humana, Eu não vou desperdiçá-la. Eu vou usar todas as minhas energias para me desenvolver, Para expandir o meu coração para os outros, Para alcançar a iluminação para o benefício de todos os seres. Eu não vou ficar com raiva, Ou pensar mal de outros. Vou beneficiar os outros, tanto quanto eu posso.”
- Dalai Lama.

http://www.budavirtual.com.br/uma-frase-dalai-lama-para-nos-recitarmos-todas-manhas/

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

SHO DOCS: The Last One Trailer


Bright Light Bright Light & The Pink Singers - Everything I Ever Wanted (for World AIDS Day)


JMG TRAILER: Stained Glass Windows

 Stained Glass Rainbows explores the most controversial subject facing America today: the collision between the LGBT community and the Christian church. Can gays be Christian? Is homosexuality a sin? Is there a gay gene? Is there such a thing as an ex-gay? Both families and churches are being torn apart over these divisive issues. Stained Glass Rainbows brings together the voices of the left, the right, the middle, and helps bridge the gulf through its dialogue. From gay pride parades to anti-gay protests, Stained Glass Rainbows confronts the controversy of faith through the hearts and minds of people on both sides of this uncivil war.






Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Armed Democrats - Meme Bucket / FB:


Via Urban Cusp / FB:


From a privte list: The following was told by Krishnamurti

"You may remember the story of how the devil and his friend were walking down the street, when they saw ahead of them a man swoop down and pick up something from the ground, look at it, and put it away in his pocket.

The friend said to the devil, "What did that man pick up?"


"He picked up a piece of Truth," said the devil.


"That is very bad business for you, then," said his friend.


"Oh, not at all," the devil replied. "I am going to let him organize it."