Thursday, January 22, 2015

Via Daily Dharma


Giving Up Transcendent Teachings | January 22, 2015

Is Buddhism harmed by giving up claims that its teachings transcend human time and space? I think not. In fact, I would claim that such a view is more in accord with foundational buddhadharma than its alternative.

- Rita Gross, "The Truth About Truth"

Via Revolution News / FB:


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Via JMG: IRELAND: Government Releases Wording Of Referendum On Same-Sex Marriage


The Irish government today published the text of the national referendum on same-sex marriage, which will be held in May. Voters will be asked if they agree or disagree with this: "Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex." More from RTE News:
Fianna Fáil Justice Spokesperson Niall Collins said his party was happy to support the referendum and welcomed the wording, saying it was clear and concise. The Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Marriage Equality have said the publication was "historic". GLEN Chair Kieran Rose said: "Today we move a step closer to full inclusion in our Constitution for lesbian and gay couples." ICCL Director Mr Mark Kelly added: "The proposed amendment would update the Constitution to say that any two people can marry, regardless of their sex." Marriage Equality Chair Grainne Healy said: "We look forward to a positive campaign for the referendum, which focuses on the value of marriage to everyone in Irish society and explains why marriage matters to lesbian and gay couples."
While polls indicate strong support for the referendum's passage, activists are urging caution. Via the Irish Times:
Campaigners on both sides cite the 2012 children’s referendum as proof that polls can be a poor guide. In that case, the polls at one stage showed 80 per cent in favour but, despite a poorly funded No campaign whose most prominent faces were a former MEP (Kathy Sinnott) and a newspaper columnist (John Waters), the Yes vote on polling day was only 58 per cent. I think this will be a very tight referendum,” says Brian Sheehan of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (Glen). “I think Irish people rightly take constitutional change very seriously. We know that from every other referendum. Despite the strong support in the polls, we know we’ll need every single possible vote on the day in order to win the referendum.” On this, both sides agree. “I’ll put it this way,” says the columnist David Quinn, who heads the Iona Institute, a Catholic advocacy group that opposes same- sex marriage. “It’s beatable with a really good campaign but on the other hand it could also pass by 20 or 30 points.”
RELATED: Last week Northern Ireland saw its first same-sex marriage lawsuit.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: LBT's Get First SOTU Mention




Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: CHILE: Civil Unions Near Final Hurdle



Last night Chile's Chamber of Deputies overwhelmingly approved a civil unions bill with a vote of 86-23.  Two weeks ago the Chilean Senate approved the bill with a 28-6 vote after which anti-gay protesters had to be forcibly ejected from the gallery. The bill must now return to the Senate for another vote as the Deputies last night approved an amendment regarding parental rights. The bill also appears to legalize the recognition of foreign same-sex marriages, unless Google Translate is deceiving me. Readers?

UPDATE: JMG reader Douglas clarifies: "The bill does appear to recognize foreign marriages, but it is not clear at what level they will be recognized; it sounds like such marriages will only be given the same status as Civil Unions in Chile (with whatever restrictions might apply)."
 

Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: NOM Busted Again For Fake Photo


 
JMG reader Gary points out the above photoshop fakery seen yesterday on NOM's Facebook page. You may recall that NOM has been busted for faking massive crowds in the past, perhaps most notably when they used an image from an Obama rally in St. Louis in a post which implied that tens of thousands attended an anti-gay rally in New Hampshire. As we all know, NOM's hate marches on the Supreme Court have been hilarious failures.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Gay Couples Tribute - It gets better!



Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 21/01/2015


“A jornada rumo à morada sagrada pode ser descrita como um trânsito do falso para o real, da falsa ideia de quem somos para aquilo que somos de fato. Porém, esse trânsito não é fácil, pois é preciso abrir mão dessa falsa identidade, o que, para o ego, é o mesmo que morrer.”
Acesse o Satsang completo: bit.ly/1Cf8hRR

“El camino hacia la morada sagrada puede ser descripto como un tránsito de lo falso hacia lo real, de la falsa idea de quienes somos hacia aquello que somos realmente. Sin embargo, este tránsito no es fácil, ya que es necesario renunciar a esta falsa identidad, lo que, para el ego, es lo mismo que morir.”

“The journey back to the sacred dwelling place can be described as a transition from the false to the real. We move from the false idea of who we are to that which we truly are. This transition is not easy, but it is necessary to let go of this false identity, which, for the ego, is death itself.”


The Economy of Salvation | January 21, 2015

Vital to Buddhist doctrine is the conviction that all people, regardless of social position, are capable of becoming enlightened, of becoming buddhas. Poverty and the stress it entails, however, can be real barriers to spiritual development. The Buddha recognized that becoming free of worries about our material welfare enables us to develop our potentials.

- Alex Caring-Lobel, "The Economy of Salvation"

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Via JMG: TONIGHT: Married Florida Couple To Attend State Of The Union Address



 
Via Equality Florida:
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) has invited newlyweds Todd and Jeff Delmay to accompany her to Washington, D.C. for President Obama’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday, January 20. Residents of Hollywood, Florida, Todd and Jeff were the second couple in Florida to marry on January 5th when Judge Sarah Zabel lifted her stay on same-sex marriage; the first in Broward County to be married. They were plaintiffs, along with Equality Florida Institute and five other same-sex couples, in Pareto v. Ruvin, which successfully challenged Florida’s ban on marriage equality.
It will be a teasplosion. Whee!

RELATED: The Delmays were represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Equality Florida Foundation in their winning lawsuit against Miami-Dade County.  NCLR head Kate Kendell: "The true heroes in the march to win the freedom to marry have been the couples, who sacrificed  their privacy and risked ridicule in standing up to demand that we live up to our ideals of equality and justice for all. It is fitting that our clients—and truly all same-sex couples—will be acknowledged and honored with this invitation of a lifetime. We all share in this thrilling moment. Once again, history is made."


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Bret Baier: Why I Pulled Out Of Legatus



 
"I pulled out of the speech at Fox’s request - because of the controversy surrounding some of these articles and editorials that have been published in the Legatus magazine. I am a lifelong mass attending Catholic - I’m a lector at my parish. I consider myself to be in line with my Church on most things. This isn’t about me.. but, describing homosexuality as a ‘disorder’ and talking about ways to ‘cure’ people from it – does not seem to line up with the loving, accepting Church that I know. Nor does it match up with how Pope Francis has talked about the issue recently. I couldn’t speak because of that - I don’t wish the group any harm, but after Gary Sinise pulled out.. as a newsman, Fox agreed that I could not be surrounded by that controversy… as much as I would have loved to have talked about my book, my faith, and my son’s battle with congenital heart disease. That is the truth." - Fox News anchor Bret Baier, from an email published today by Porno Pete, who is ever so pissed at Fox. (Via Good As You)
 
Reposted from  Joe Jervis

Anderson Coopers takes on the 'gay agenda'


Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 20/01/2015

“A principal distração dessa jornada é a ideia da vítima, ou seja, a ilusão de que existe algum culpado pelo seu sofrimento que não seja você mesmo. Independentemente das falhas reais do outro, o melhor que você pode fazer é olhar para os seus próprios defeitos; é identificar a sua responsabilidade no conflito. Caso contrário, você fica preso num infinito jogo de acusações e desperdiça a vida olhando para o erro do outro.”
 
“La principal distracción de este camino es la idea de la víctima, es decir, la ilusión de que existe algún culpable por tu sufrimiento que no seas tú mismo. Independientemente de las fallas reales del otro, lo mejor que puedes hacer es mirar hacia tus propios defectos; es identificar tu responsabilidad en el conflicto. De lo contrario, te quedas atrapado en un infinito juego de acusaciones y desperdicias la vida mirando el error del otro.”

“The main distraction on this journey is the idea of the victim. There exists the illusion that there is someone to blame for our own suffering rather than us. Regardless of the other’s real faults, the best we can do is to look at our own defects and identify our own responsibility in the conflict. If we do not look at ourselves, we remain imprisoned in this endless game of accusations, wasting away our lives looking at others’ faults.”

Via Daily Dharma


The Joy of No Sex | January 20, 2015

The Buddha taught that sexual activity is part and parcel of craving (kama-tanha, the craving for sensuality), described in the second noble truth as the cause of suffering, a source of clinging and attachment (upadana, or attachment to sensual pleasure), a hindrance to meditation and a fetter or obstruction to liberation. More obstructive than the object of desire itself is the mental activity we generate around it—the constant thinking and planning and anticipation about how we get the goods. When sex is involved, kama-tanha is a given. When sex is not involved, it can be easier to see how kama-tanha takes over.

- Mary Talbot, "The Joy of No Sex"

Monday, January 19, 2015

Florida Legalizes Driving While Gay: Jan 19 MNW


Martin Luther King - I Have A Dream Speech - August 28, 1963


Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 19/01/2015

“O desejo é um saco sem fundo - você nunca está satisfeito, e sempre quer mais. Não importa se o desejo esteja direcionado a práticas espirituais - isso é gula, é voracidade. E a gula está a serviço de amortecer o seu sistema para você não sentir. Quando a voracidade é direcionada para o mundo material, você tenta preencher o vazio comprando, falando ou comendo demais. E quando é direcionada a espiritualidade, você não para de buscar novas práticas que te ajudarão a se livrar do sofrimento. Mas, essa atitude é justamente o que te impede de encontrar o seu lugar, de relaxar, e de receber a graça divina.”
“El deseo es un barril sin fondo - nunca estás satisfecho y siempre quieres más. No importa si el deseo está direccionado hacia prácticas espirituales - eso es gula, es voracidad. Y la gula está al servicio de adormecer tu sistema para que no sientas. Cuando la voracidad se direcciona hacia el mundo material, intentas llenar el vacío comprando, hablando o comiendo demasiado. Y cuando se direcciona hacia la espiritualidad, no paras de buscar nuevas prácticas que te ayudarán a librarte del sufrimiento. Pero esta actitud es precisamente lo que te impide encontrar tu lugar, relajarte, y recibir la gracia divina.”

“Desire is a bottomless pit: we are never satisfied and are always left wanting more. Regardless of whether these desires are aimed towards spiritual practices, they still involve gluttony and greed. This gluttony is at the service of numbing our systems so that we are unable to feel. When greed is aimed towards the material world, we attempt to fill the inner void by buying things, speaking or eating compulsively. When this voracity is directed towards spirituality, we endlessly seek new practices that will help relieve our suffering. However, it is precisely this approach that prevents us from finding our place in the world, relaxing, and receiving divine grace.”

Talk on Peace and Compassion at the Baha'i Lotus Temple // January 17th 2015


New Delhi, India, 16 January 2015 - This morning His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave a talk on Peace and Compassion and attended a prayer gathering at the Baha'i House of Worship in Baharpur, commonly known as the Lotus Temple. The Baha'i Faith was founded by Bahá'u'lláh more than a century ago in Iran teaching the oneness of God, the oneness of the human family, and the oneness of religion.
The Lotus Temple, venue for His Holiness the Dalai Lama's talk in New Delhi, India on January 16, 2015.
His Holiness was warmly received by Ms. Nazneen Rowhani, the General Secretary of Baha'i Faith in India and Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar, Secretary of the National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH).

Ms. Rowhani introduced His Holiness to an audience that included students from 14 different schools in Delhi, diplomats, school principals, and other guests as the light that beckons unity of all spiritual traditions.

"I usually don't like formality,” His Holiness began, “because we are all the same mentally, emotionally and physically. All of us have problems, physical and mental. No one is without problems. However, education enables us to view our problems from a wider perspective so we can deal with them.”

Looking at the many school children in the audience, His Holiness said,
"You are very important to humanity’s future. You are the generation of the twenty-first century. In you lies the hope of creating a better future for the world. It will fall to you to solve the problems created by my generation in the twentieth century."

His Holiness explained that the immense violence of the twentieth century arose largely due to short-sighted, narrow-minded thinking, when people only considered the narrow interests of their own group rather than those of humanity as a whole. He urged the younger generation:

“Concern yourselves more with the needs of others, with the needs of all humanity, and you'll have peace of mind. Selfishness creates a distance between us and other people, leading to suspicion and mistrust, ultimately resulting in loneliness. Think of others' well-being and you’ll be happy.

"Young brothers and sisters, think more broad-mindedly. Warm-heartedness and compassion are conducive to our physical and mental well-being, while anger, hatred, and fear are not. This is why some scientists today talk about warm-heartedness ensuring a 'healthy mind and a healthy body'.

"Because the existing education system is oriented towards materialistic goals we need to pay special attention to inner values such as tolerance, forgiveness, love and compassion. If we are to present these in a way that appeals to everyone we need to cultivate secular ethics. This is an approach followed in India for more than a thousand years, but which remains relevant today. India’s deep-seated tradition of ahimsa or non-violence is reflected in this age-old respect for all religious traditions and even the views of those who have no faith.”

Among questions from the audience His Holiness was asked how to cope with the threat of terrorism. He responded that many of the problems we face today are symptoms of our past mistakes. Resorting to the use of force, however decisive it may seem to be in the short run, is out of date, because violence only leads to more violence. Instead, whenever we face problems amongst ourselves, we should solve them through dialogue not force.
 
Hindu, Moslem, Buddhist, Christian and Baha'i prayers were recited in a number of languages including English, Hindi, Arabic and Sanskrit during a gathering His Holiness attended in the actual Lotus Temple after his talk.

Via Daily Dharma: MLK's Beloved Community | January 19, 2015




MLK's Beloved Community | January 19, 2015

We are caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality. . . . Strangely enough I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the way the world is made.

- Martin Luther King Jr., "A Sangha by Another Name"