Sunday, January 31, 2016

Via Daily Dharma: Painful Truths

As a teacher, one of the things that I find out about students relatively early on is whether they are interested in the real thing—do they really want the truth, or do they actually just want to feel better? Because the process of finding the truth may not be a process by which we feel increasingly better and better. 

—Adyashanti, "Bliss is a By-Product"
 

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del día / Flower of the day 30/01/2016

“O Eu real pode se manifestar somente no momento presente. Por isso, a essência da prática espiritual é a ampliação da percepção através da auto-observação e da totalidade na ação. O seu corpo é o instrumento para essa prática cuja base é a atenção plena; é estar completamente presente a cada singular instante e atitude. Portanto, ao perceber-se tragado por sentimentos negativos, traga a atenção para o momento e lembre-se de ocupar o seu corpo.”

“El Yo real puede manifestarse solamente en el momento presente. Por eso, la esencia de la práctica espiritual es la ampliación de la percepción a través de la auto-observación y de la totalidad en la acción. Tu cuerpo es el instrumento para esta práctica cuya base es la atención plena, es estar completamente presente a cada singular instante y actitud. Por lo tanto, al percibirte tragado por sentimientos negativos, trae tu atención al momento y recuérdate de ocupar tu cuerpo.”

"The true self can only manifest in the present moment. Therefore, the essence of spiritual practices is to expand our perception through self-observation and wholeness in action. Your body is the instrument for this practice, whose foundation is mindfulness. The basis is to be fully present in every single moment and action. If you realize that you are being brought down by negative feelings, bring your attention to the present moment and remember to occupy your body.”

Via Daily Dharma: Buddhist Faith

As a factor of the Buddhist path, faith (saddha) does not mean blind belief but a willingness to accept on trust certain propositions that we cannot, at our present stage of development, personally verify for ourselves. 

—Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, "The Role of Faith"
 

Friday, January 29, 2016

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del día / Flower of the day 29/01/2016

“Precisamos ir além de qualquer vestígio de discriminação; de qualquer resquício de separação, por mais sutil que seja. Precisamos aprender a olhar para dentro e não para fora, compreendendo que cada grupo de almas tem seu papel no processo evolutivo da humanidade. Esse é o trabalho que tenho proposto: a cura das feridas ancestrais e a harmonização com as nossas raízes, o que representa um resgate de nós mesmos, porque somos Um - uma só família. Mas temos fechado nossos olhos para alguns de nossos familiares.”

“Necesitamos ir más allá de cualquier vestigio de discriminación, de cualquier resquicio de separación, por más sutil que sea. Necesitamos aprender a mirar hacia adentro y no hacia afuera, comprendiendo que cada grupo de almas tiene su papel en el proceso evolutivo de la humanidad. Este es el trabajo que he propuesto: la cura de las heridas ancestrales y la armonización con nuestras raíces, lo que representa un rescate de nosotros mismos, porque somos Uno – una sola familia. Pero hemos cerrado nuestros ojos para algunos de nuestros familiares.”

"We need to go beyond any vestige of discrimination and any trace of separation, however subtle it may be. We must learn to look inward rather than outward, understanding that each group of souls plays a role in the evolutionary process of humanity. The work I propose involves healing our ancestral wounds and harmonizing with our roots. This in turn means rescuing our selves, because ultimately, we are one and the same. We are one family, but in one way or another we have turned out backs on some of our family members.”

Via Daily Dharma: The Limits of Niceness

The second lesson of karma is that just as you’re the primary architect of your own happiness and suffering, other people are the primary architects of theirs. If you really want them to be happy, you don’t just treat them nicely. You also want them to learn how to create the causes for happiness. 

—Thanissaro Bhikkhu, "Head & Heart Together"
 

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Via Equality House / FB:


Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del día / Flower of the day 27/01/2016

“A lei do karma determina que toda a ação tem uma reação. O karma individual está entrelaçado ao karma coletivo, ou seja, as crises e conflitos que vemos hoje no mundo são produto das nossas crises e conflitos internos. Momentos como esse que estamos vivendo trazem lições para todos nós. Mas não podemos esquecer de outra lei soberana: o livre arbítrio. Foi através de nossas escolhas que chegamos e é através das nossas escolhas que poderemos evoluir.”

“La ley del karma determina que toda acción tiene una reacción. El karma individual está entrelazado al karma colectivo, es decir, las crisis y conflictos que vemos hoy en el mundo son producto de nuestras crisis y conflictos internos. Momentos como este que estamos viviendo, traen lecciones para todos nosotros. Pero no podemos olvidarnos de otra ley soberana: el libre albedrío. Fue a través de nuestras elecciones que llegamos y es a través de nuestras elecciones que podremos evolucionar.”

"The law of karma states that every action has a reaction. Since the individual karma is intertwined with the collective karma, the crises and conflicts we see in the world today are the product of our internal crises and conflicts. Times such as these bring lessons for all of us. And we cannot forget another sovereign law: free will. It was through our choices that we got here and it is through our choices that we can evolve.”

Via Dialy Dharma: Unmarked by Drama

Our true nature is like the infinite sky, unmarked by whatever drama temporarily appears in its vast space.  

—Kittisaro, "Tangled in Thought"
 

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

NSFW: The Last Thing on My Mind (Official Video)

Why music videos need more nude men

In their latest video, Welsh band the Joy Formidable attack the industry’s obsession with objectifying women. Here, singer Ritzy Bryan explains why she wants more bulges and erections and fewer taboos

make the jump here to  read the full article






Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del día / Flower of the day 26/01/2016

“Durante o processo de purificação e transformação do eu inferior, ocorre a desconstrução daquilo que você acredita ser a sua identidade. Esse processo não é nada fácil, mesmo que isso seja fonte de grande sofrimento; mesmo que essa desconstrução represente a derrubada das paredes de uma prisão e o fim de uma grande escuridão. Isso ocorre porque essa prisão ainda é a sua referência de identidade, e ao perder essa referência, você teme desaparecer.”

“Durante el proceso de purificación y transformación del yo inferior, ocurre la desconstrucción de aquello que crees que es tu identidad. Este proceso no es nada fácil, aunque eso sea fuente de gran sufrimiento, mismo que esa desconstrucción represente el derrumbe de las paredes de una prisión y el fin de una gran oscuridad. Esto ocurre porque esa prisión aún es tu referencia de identidad, y al perder esa referencia, temes desaparecer.”

"During the process of purifying and transforming the lower self, what we believe to be our identity gets deconstructed. This process is not easy, even if this false identity has been a huge source of suffering for us. Even though this deconstruction actually represents the crumbling of our prison walls, putting an end to a great darkness, it is still a challenging process. This is because the prison walls still give us a sense of identity,

Via DailyDharma: The Body’s Right Mind

The Right Mind is the mind that does not remain in one place. It is the mind that stretches throughout the entire body and self. 

—Takuan Soho, "The Right Mind and the Confused Mind"
 

Monday, January 25, 2016

Via JMG: CANADA: Edmonton Oilers Become First NHL Team To Use “Pride Tape” On Their Hockey Sticks

ptape

From the National Hockey League:
The Edmonton Oilers became the first NHL team to use Pride Tape, a multicolored tape to promote inclusiveness in sports. The Oilers used the tape Sunday during their annual Skills Competition at Rexall Place. “Many view professional hockey players as role models and our team felt this was a great initiative to let every person know they’re welcome in the game of hockey,” defenseman Andrew Ference told the Oilers website. “We’re all proud to play for a team and city that supports diversity and human rights.”
Wells and Calder Bateman Communications are working together on a Kickstarter campaign to raise enough funds to produce 10,000 rolls of the tape. As of Sunday, they have raised more than $40,000 of their $54,000 campaign goal. On the Kickstarter page, Pride Tape is described as a badge of support from the teammates, coaches, parents and pros to young LGBTQ players. It shows every player that they belong on the ice, that everyone is on the same team and your help is needed to make it a reality.

tape4Pridetape

Via FB:

Diversity in the modern world is more than just skin color - It’s gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, social background, and - most important of it, in my opinion – is diversity of thought. If you have genuine diversity of thought among people making TV & film, then you won’t accidentally shut out any of the groups I just mentioned.

— Idris Elba (via celebritiesofcolor)

Via Daily Dharma: Step Away from Selfishness

The practice of focusing on the welfare of others undermines the usual emphasis on oneself, thereby opening the possibility for progress toward diminishing the self’s inflated status, the primary impediment blocking the realization of the emptiness of all phenomena. 

—Kadampa Geshe Langri Thangpa, "Breaking the Habit of Selfishness"
 

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Via Daily Dharma: Doing Nothing

What do we do with our fear and anger and frustration? We do absolutely nothing with it. To do something with it would run the risk of adding to the fear and rage that are already in the world. 

—Christopher Titmuss, "Rising to the Challenge: A Step Toward Peace"

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Via Daily Dharma: It Takes Time to Retrain the Mind

Frequently we discover that our minds do not rest in radiant contentment for the entire meditation session. Why not? Because we have been training for years in desiring, reaching, grasping, getting, and then wanting more, and then, of course, more—all reinforcing the underlying feeling that this moment is not enough. 

—Gaylon Ferguson, "Fruitless Labor"
 

Friday, January 22, 2016

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del día / Flower of the day - 22/01/2016

“A mente envolve o raciocínio, a lógica, a inteligência, a criatividade... Porém, esses atributos da mente precisam estar a serviço do Ser. Para isso, se faz necessário disciplina e constante renovação de votos, porque a mente tornou-se condicionada por fatores sociais, culturais e morais. Muitas vezes você não tem a menor noção do por que sente apego ou aversão por determinadas coisas, porque acha uma coisa feia ou bonita, porque sente atração ou rejeição por alguém. A mente condicionada julga, classifica e discrimina de acordo com um repertório que você não sabe de onde vem.”
 
“La mente envuelve al razonamiento, la lógica, la inteligencia, la creatividad... Sin embargo, estos atributos de la mente necesitan estar al servicio del Ser. Para ello, es necesario disciplina y constante renovación de votos, porque la mente se ha se ha vuelto condicionada por factores sociales, culturales y morales. Muchas veces no tienes la menor idea de porqué sientes apego o aversión por ciertas cosas, porqué algo te parece feo o bonito, porqué sientes atracción o rechazo por alguien. La mente condicionada juzga, clasifica y discrimina de acuerdo con un repertorio que no sabes de dónde viene.”

"The mind involves reasoning, logic, intelligence and creativity, and these attributes of the mind must be at the service of the Being. We need much discipline and a constant renewal of vows to channel these attributes appropriately. The mind has become conditioned by many social, cultural and moral factors, and we often don’t have a clue as to why we feel an attachment or an aversion towards certain things. We don't know why we think something is ugly or beautiful, or why we feel attracted to or repulsed by someone. The conditioned mind judges, classifies and discriminates according to a catalog whose origin we are often entirely unaware of.”

Via Daily Dharma: Clinging to Emptiness

Good and Wise Friends, do not listen to me explain emptiness, and then become attached to emptiness. Above all, do not cling to emptiness. If you meditate with a vacant mind, you will become fixated on a blank emptiness. 

—Huineng, "Prajna"