Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Via Daily Dharma


Smiles in Context | January 6, 2015

Positive psychology has been criticized for overemphasizing the potential of individuals to transcend their circumstances. But not every life context affords the same opportunities for flourishing. The promise 'smile, think positive thoughts, and you will be happy and healthy' underestimates the importance of social context for psychological well-being and health.

- James Coyne, "Self-Help for the Affluent"


Monday, January 5, 2015

Daily Kos Cartoon: Oregon woman gives birth to Hindu baby

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/01/01/1354650/-Cartoon-Oregon-woman-gives-birth-to-Hindu-baby?detail=email#

Via Divine / FB: The Filthiest Coin Alive


Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 05/01/2015

“A Indiferença é um mecanismo de defesa, uma forma passiva de raiva. Ela é como uma capa que te impermeabiliza - uma anestesia que te entorpece para você não sentir. Esse entorpecimento se não é a própria maldade, é a origem dela. Porque se você não se permite sentir, não é possível fazer empatia com o outro. E o princípio da compaixão é justamente você experimentar calçar o sapato do outro, e sentir o que ele está vivendo. Mas, essa capacidade de sentir te torna vulnerável e frágil porque você entra em contato com as suas próprias dores. Então você tenta fugir através da indiferença.”
“La indiferencia es un mecanismo de defensa, una forma pasiva de rabia. Ella es como una capa que te impermeabiliza - una anestesia que te entorpece para que no sientas. Este entorpecimiento si no es la propia maldad, es su origen. Porque si no te permites sentir, no es posible hacer empatía con el otro. Y el principio de la compasión es justamente que experimentes calzar los zapatos del otro, y sentir lo que él está viviendo. Pero esta capacidad de sentir te vuelve vulnerable y frágil porque entras en contacto con tus propios dolores. Entonces intentas huir a través de la indiferencia.”

“Indifference is a defense mechanism, a passive form of anger. It’s like a layer that makes you waterproof, or an anesthetic that numbs you so you don’t feel anything. If this numbing is not evil itself, it is the origin of it. If you don’t allow yourself to feel anything, then it’s impossible for you to empathize with others. The principle of compassion specifically requires that you put yourself in the other’s shoes and feel what he or she is going through. But this capacity to feel makes you vulnerable and fragile because you come into contact with your own pain, so you respond trying to use indifference as an escape.”

Via Just a Baha'i: Homosexuality and the Baha’i Community: a conversation

Recently I was told that writing for a Baha’i gay audience was an oxymoron, and when I pointed out that I found this comment offensive the response was that the problem was with me and the writer went so far as to state that I needed to take this up with the House of Justice, as if his statement automatically reflected their views. My point here is that so often when in discussion with Baha’is on the topic of homosexuality, at some point a Baha’i tells me I am disagreeing with the House of Justice or the Baha’i Teachings as a way of trying to silence me. To start this discussion I’d like to focus first on homosexuality as a form of identity.

It seems to me that some Baha’is pretend that gay Baha’is don’t exist or don’t have a voice, viewpoint or audience. I’m an artist and a Baha’i, and while I might not have any sort of Baha’i audience, I certainly have a Baha’i artistic voice, which is informed by my experiences and beliefs. This is what I mean by a gay Baha’i voice. What do you think?

Of course there’s a huge difference between no one in my Baha’i community being interested in what sort of art I’m making and a gay Baha’i having to keep their sexuality a secret in order to be treated with dignity and equality.


Via Daily Dharma


Awareness Unmoved | January 5, 2015

Beautiful thoughts and ugly thoughts, all arise and cease in awareness, and yet awareness remains unmoved.

- Kittisaro, "Tangled in Thought"


Sunday, January 4, 2015

Via God Bless the President of the United States / FB:


Via The Master Shift / FB:


Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 04/01/2015

“Espiritualidade é sinônimo de união. Se existe separação; se existe barreira ou julgamento, não podemos chamar de espiritualidade. A espiritualidade considera tudo como sagrado, porque tudo tem seu papel dentro do jogo. Tudo aquilo que faz parte da vida humana é natural, caso contrário não faria parte. Determinadas frequências de energia estão distorcidas, mas isso também faz parte do jogo. E se negamos essas distorções acabamos dando mais força para elas. A chave é manter o coração puro, pois só um coração puro pode transitar no inferno sem se contaminar.”
Acesse ao satsang completo: http://www.sriprembaba.org/pt-br/satsang/221014

“Espiritualidad es sinónimo de unión. Si existe separación, si existe barrera o juicio, no podemos llamarlo espiritualidad. La espiritualidad considera todo como sagrado, porque todo tiene su papel dentro del juego. Todo aquello que es parte de la vida humana es natural, de lo contrario no sería parte. Ciertas frecuencias de energía están distorsionadas, pero esto también es parte del juego. Y si negamos estas distorsiones terminamos dándoles más fuerza a ellas. La llave es mantener el corazón puro, porque sólo un corazón puro puede transitar el infierno sin contaminarse.”

“Spirituality is synonymous with union. If separation, barriers or judgments exist, there is no spirituality. In spirituality everything is considered sacred, because everything has its own role in the game of life. Everything that’s part of human life is natural; otherwise, it wouldn’t be part of it. Certain energy frequencies are distorted, but this is also part of the game. If we negate these distortions, we end up giving more power to them. The key is to keep your heart pure, as only a pure heart can go through hell without getting contaminated.”

Via Daily Dharma


Why Wisdom? | January 4, 2015

Perfection of Wisdom continuously generates, offers, dedicates, and contributes the immeasurable meritorious energy of selfless thought and action. Why? To bring about the awakening of all lives into the bliss of Buddhahood.

- The Buddha, "Mother of the Buddhas"


Saturday, January 3, 2015

Via JMG: Today On Truth Revolt


 
DeGeneres doesn't actually have any children, but hey, people are being mean to Sarah Palin.

UPDATE: They've quietly changed the headline and text of the story, but have posted no notice of correction.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

JMG Headline Of The Day


Details.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: On Highsexuality


Dr. Marcie Bianco writes at Mic.com:
Does getting high make you a little gay? If so, you may just be a "highsexual." The term, ensconced in Urban Dictionary since 2009, made its way onto two Reddit forums in recent weeks as a way to describe the alleged phenomenon of participating in sex with someone of the same gender or having same-sex fantasies when getting incredibly high. But while perhaps not common parlance, these two threads — "Can LSD make you temporarily gay?" and "Weed makes me temporarily gay. Anyone else?" — are example of a phenomenon that's been around for awhile. It seems straight guys have wondered about "highsexuality" for a few years, given the plethora of online evidence. Are drugs the key to sexual fluidity in men? Responses in both Reddit threads exhibited an awareness of "highsexuality," as well as the fact that getting high makes you horny and just might lead to a more unconventional sexual encounter. But they also were encouraging in their acceptance of sexual fluidity.
Hit the link for examples from the Reddit threads.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via Out & Proud Veterans of America / FB:


Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 03/01/2015

“Para evoluirmos enquanto humanidade precisamos aperfeiçoar nossa capacidade de nos relacionar, ou seja, precisamos aprender a nos relacionar com o outro sem machucar. Esse é o nosso maior desafio. Nesse “outro” está inclusa a natureza, a nossa casa. Precisamos aprender a conviver em harmonia, preservando, não destruindo. Destruir é muito fácil. Cortar o tronco de uma árvore é simples, mas não é possível colocá-lo de volta. Estamos agora colhendo os frutos do que plantamos, ou melhor, do que não plantamos (destruímos). Estamos sendo convidados a rever nossas ações, nossos hábitos e condicionamentos, pois a forma como vivemos até agora não tem funcionado.”

“Para evolucionar como humanidad necesitamos perfeccionar nuestra capacidad de relacionarnos, es decir, precisamos aprender a relacionarnos con el otro sin lastimar. Este es nuestro mayor desafío. En este "otro" está incluida la naturaleza, nuestra casa. Precisamos aprender a convivir en armonía, preservando, no destruyendo. Destruir es muy fácil. Cortar el tronco de un árbol es simple, pero no es posible colocarlo de vuelta. Ahora estamos cosechando los frutos de lo que plantamos, o mejor dicho, de lo que no plantamos (destruimos). Estamos siendo invitados a revisar nuestras acciones, nuestros hábitos y condicionamientos, pues la forma como vivimos hasta ahora no viene funcionando.”

“In order for humanity to evolve, we need to improve our capacity to relate to others. We need to learn how to relate to others without hurting anyone. This is our greatest challenge. This ‘other’ also includes nature, which is our home. We need to learn to live with one another in harmony, by preserving and not destroying. It is very easy to destroy something: it’s simple to cut a tree trunk, but impossible to put it back together. We are now harvesting the fruit of what we planted - or rather of what we did not plant, but destroyed. We are being invited to reflect on our actions, our habits and conditioning, because the way we’ve been living until now hasn’t been working.”

Via Daily Dharma


Help Buddhism Evolve | January 3, 2015

Buddhist practice is a wonderful, very important expression of people's interest in something that goes beyond their own self-interest. It is a profound practice, a lineage practice. We actually have the capacity, and, in a sense, each of us has the responsibility—whether we know it or not or like it or not—to understand it. Study it. Practice it. Make it available to others. And in that way, this lineage can continue to be sustained and evolve and develop and be helpful.

- Myogen Steve Stücky, "To the Last Moment"


Friday, January 2, 2015

Via For Harriet / FB: Nina knew


Get "You've Got to Learn" by Nina Simone


Via Lizzy the Lezzy / FB:


Via Daily Dharma


Our Ability to Forgive | January 2, 2015

Our ability to forgive allows us to make space for our ability to meet suffering—our suffering as well as the suffering of others—with a kind heart.

- Gina Sharpe, "The Power of Forgiveness"