Via Daily Dharma / May 6, 2016: Retaining Clarity in Anger

Retaining critical intelligence is essential. If others dislike hearing the results of critical intelligence and become angry themselves, that is their issue. We should not suppress our own insight, expressed rationally and without rancor, because others become upset and don’t want to hear unpleasant information.

—Rita M. Gross, "The Man-made Obstacle"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 05/05/2016

“A arte é uma forma de oração. De uma forma geral, a arte tem o potencial de nos apontar caminhos, porque ela trabalha com o hemisfério direito do cérebro. A arte evoca a intuição que é a voz do silêncio, a forma como o universo se comunica conosco. A intuição também pode ser um agente alquímico que possibilita transformar o veneno em néctar, mas isso dependerá da intenção e da consciência envolvida no processo. Cabe ao artista aprender a ouvir sua intuição e se permitir ser guiado por ela.”

“El arte es una forma de oración. En general, el arte tiene el potencial de señalarnos caminos, porque trabaja con el hemisferio derecho del cerebro. El arte evoca la intuición que es la voz del silencio, la forma en que el universo se comunica con nosotros. La intuición también puede ser un agente alquímico que permite transformar el veneno en néctar, pero esto dependerá de la intención y de la conciencia involucrada en el proceso. Corresponde al artista aprender a escuchar su intuición y dejarse guiar por ella.”

“Art is a form of prayer. It has the potential to show us the way on our path, because art is produced through the brain’s right hemisphere. Art evokes intuition, which is the voice of silence. This is how the Universe communicates with us. Intuition can also be an alchemical agent that transforms poison into nectar, but this depends on the intention and consciousness that were involved in the process. It’s up to the artist to learn how to listen to her own intuition and to allow herself to be guided by it.”

Via Daily Dharma / May 5, 2016: The Freedom of Being Peace

Peace is something that doesn’t move forward, doesn’t move back, doesn’t stay in place. It’s peace in that it’s free from going forward, free from moving back, free from staying in place.

—Ajahn Chah, "The Last Gift"

Via The Urban Farm & Garden / FB:

Via Bernie Sanders is my HERO / FB:

Stephen Fry - Dealing with Prejudice

Via JMG: NEW YORK CITY: President Obama Poised To Declare Stonewall Inn A National Monument To LGBT Rights

May 4, 2016 LGBT History, LGBT News

From the Washington Post:

President Obama is poised to declare the first-ever national monument recognizing the struggle for gay rights, singling out a sliver of green space and part of the surrounding Greenwich Village neighborhood as the birthplace of America’s modern gay liberation movement.

While most national monuments have highlighted iconic wild landscapes or historic sites from centuries ago, this reflects the country’s diversity of terrain and peoples in a different vein: It would be the first national monument anchored by a dive bar and surrounded by a warren of narrow streets that long has been regarded the historic center of gay cultural life in New York City.

Federal officials, including Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), will hold a listening session on May 9 to solicit feedback on the proposal. Barring a last-minute complication — city officials are still investigating the history of the land title — Obama is prepared to designate the area part of the National Park Service as soon as next month, which commemorates gay pride.

As always you can make the jump here to JMG to read this and other great feeds...

Via Ram Dass:

May 4, 2016

As I have gone from identity with ego to identity with soul or witness, I have found a space and a way in relation to the mystery of the universe that allows me to be with the suffering that lives on this plane, mine and others, in a way that doesn’t overwhelm me. I’m not overwhelmed by my impotence to take it all away and I don’t have to look away from it, and I deal with it as it arises.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 04/05/2016

“Nós seres humanos perdemos a nossa naturalidade e nos tornamos artificiais. Isso ocorreu porque, em algum momento, perdemos a confiança na vida e o medo se instalou no sistema. O medo desenvolveu a máscara e a máscara não permite que sejamos nós mesmos. A máscara é um fingir ser; e nós fingimos com o objetivo de sermos amados. A máscara serve para forçarmos o outro a nos amar. Mas, como amor forçado não é amor, isso apenas gera mais ódio. Essa é a essência do que conhecemos por sofrimento.”

“Nosotros seres humanos perdimosnuestranaturalidad y nos volvimosartificiales. Esto ocurrió porque, en algún momento, perdimos la confianza en la vida y el miedo se instaló en el sistema. El miedo desarrolló la máscara y la máscara no permite que seamos nosotros mismos. La máscara es un fingir ser; y fingimos con el objetivo de ser amados. La máscara sirve para forzar al otro a amarnos. Pero como amor forzado no es amor, eso solo genera más odio. Esta es la esencia de lo que conocemos como sufrimiento.”

“Part of the human experience involves losing our naturalness and becoming more ‘artificial’. At a certain point in our development, we lose trust in life, and fear is programmed into our systems. Out of fear, the mask is developed and this mask does not allow us to be ourselves. The mask is a pretense that we put on with the goal of being loved. Thus, the mask is used to force the other to love us. Since forced love is not real love, this only creates more hatred. This is the root of what we call suffering.

Via Daily Dharma / May 4, 2016: Every Moment Is Absolute

Every moment in life is absolute in itself. That’s all there is. There is nothing other than this present moment; there is no past, there is no future; there is nothing but this. So when we don’t pay attention to each little this, we miss the whole thing.

—Charlotte Joko Beck, "Attention Means Attention"

Watchtower's Anti-Gay Indoctrination Cartoon - Cedars' vlog no. 117

Make the jump here to the "Jehovah's Witnesses use this creepy anti-gay cartoon to indoctrinate children" Video

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 03/05/2016

"A criança nasce amando e confiando; ela nasce espontânea e natural. Mas, logo ela começa a aprender a sentir medo, ciúme, inveja e ódio, assim como também aprende a usar máscaras para agradar os outros, para poder ser aceita e amada. Então, aos poucos, ela vai se distanciando da sua essência até que chega um momento em que ocorre uma cisão interna: ela se esquece completamente de quem ela é e passa a acreditar ser a máscara."

“El niño nace amando y confiando; nace espontáneo y natural. Pero luego aprende a sentir miedo, celos, envidia y odio, así como también aprende a usar máscaras para agradar a los otros, para poder ser aceptado y amado. Entonces, de a poco, se va distanciando de su esencia hasta que llega un momento en el que sucede una división interna: se olvida completamente de quién es y pasa a creer que es la máscara.”

“Children are born loving and trusting the world. They are born with the ability to be spontaneous and natural. But they soon learn how to feel fear, jealousy, envy and hatred, as well as how to use masks to please others so that they will be accepted and loved. Bit by bit, children get further and further away from their essence, until there comes a moment where an internal split occurs. The child completely forgets who they are, and starts to believe that they actually are their masks.”

Via Daily Dharma / May 3, 2016: The Path Transforms Us

Since the instant of your birth,
You are being transformed.
It is your path.
It is making you.

—Douglas Penick, "Becoming Buddha"

Via Ram Dass

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 02/05/2016

“A identificação com processos mentais gera rigidez no corpo físico; ela cria bloqueios na circulação da energia a ponto de alterar o metabolismo e a química do corpo, o que pode causar doenças.O corpo humano tem suas limitações, isso é verdade. Mas o que temos observado é que, de uma forma geral, o ser humano pouco sofre pelas limitações reais do corpo -ele sofre por conta da identificação com a mente que por sua vez influencia o corpo. Às vezes o pneu do carro fura e você troca o pneu; isso é mecânico e faz parte da natureza do aparelho mas, de uma forma geral, o ser humano sofre porque imagina um problema. E é essa imaginação, esse conteúdo mental, que cria o bloqueio no fluxo da energia.”

“La identificación con procesos mentales genera rigidez en el cuerpo físico; crea bloqueos en la circulación de la energía al punto de alterar el metabolismo y la química del cuerpo, lo que puede causar enfermedades. El cuerpo humano tiene sus limitaciones, esto es verdad. Pero lo que hemos observado es que, en general, el ser humano sufre poco por las limitaciones reales del cuerpo – sufre a causa de la identificación con la mente que a su vez influye en el cuerpo. A veces, el neumático del auto se pincha y cambias el neumático; esto es mecánico y es parte de la naturaleza del aparato, pero, en general, el ser humano sufre porque imagina un problema. Y es esta imaginación, este contenido mental, lo que crea una obstrucción en el flujo de la energía."

“Being identified with mental processes generates a rigidity in the physical body. This blocks the circulation of energy to the point of altering the body’s metabolism and chemistry, which can lead to illnesses. It’s true that the human body has its physical limitations, but people tend to suffer more due to their identification with the mind and its influences on the body than they do because of the body’s actual physical limitations. Sometimes we may get a flat tire and need to change it, but that's just a practicality inherent to driving cars. Human beings suffer unnecessarily with such situations, magnifying the problem with their imagination. It is this mental fixation that creates energetic blockages in our bodies.”

Via Daily Dharma / May 2, 2016: Accepting Desire

Can you accept your desires graciously? When you sit on the cushion and see one desire after another and feel how consuming each is—if you remain on your cushion, then you are graciously accepting them.

—Tim Burkett, "Brief Teachings"

Via Ram Dass

May 1, 2016

The predicament with loving is the power of the addiction of the practice of loving somebody; of getting so caught in the relationship that you can’t ever arrive at the essence of dwelling in love.

When you say “I’m in love with you,” what you’re really saying is that you are the key stimulus that is opening me to the place in myself where I am love, which I can’t get to except through you. Can you hear that one?

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 01/05/2016

"Tenho te inspirado a servir, pois compreendo que o serviço é a forma mais rápida de transformar o sofrimento em alegria. Através dele, você se sente ocupando seu lugar no mundo. E somente quando encontra seu lugar no mundo, você pode sentir alegria ao levantar pela manhã. Mas, para que o serviço tenha esse poder de iluminar sua vida, ele precisa ser verdadeiro, ou seja, ele precisa ser desinteressado."

“Vengo inspirándote a servir, porque comprendo que el servicio es la forma más rápida de transformar el sufrimiento en alegría. A través de él, te sientes ocupando tu lugar en el mundo. Y solo cuando encuentras tu lugar en el mundo, puedes sentir alegría al levantarte por la mañana. Pero para que el servicio tenga este poder de iluminar tu vida, debe ser verdadero, es decir, debe ser desinteresado.”

“I encourage people to serve, for I understand that service is the fastest way to transform suffering into joy. Through service, we feel that we have found our place in the world, which brings us the joy of waking up in the morning. In order for service to have the power to illuminate our lives, the service needs to be authentic: it must be selfless service.”

Via Daily Dharma / May 1, 2016: Practice Is Circular

A circle is both a forward movement, a step on the path, and a constant return to the place of origin.

—Emily Strasser, "Beneath the Eyes of the Buddha"