Monday, June 30, 2014
Via JMG: Empire State Pride
From its Facebook page:
"To celebrate this year's NYC Pride Week, the Empire State Building's
lights will cast a rainbow across New York City over the next three
nights."
Reposted from Joe Jervis
Via JMG: Civil Rights & LGBT Groups Denounce Hobby Lobby Ruling By Supreme Court
The Center For Inquiry
Today the Court made clear it does not view Americans’ access to medically necessary health care as a compelling government interest, and announced loud and clear that the religious preferences of employers take preference over the health needs of workers. In making its decision, the Supreme Court also made a determination that will cause significant confusion in church-state litigation for years to come. The majority held that small, closely held, for-profit private corporations have standing to sue under RFRA – in other words, that such corporations have the religious beliefs of their owners, and the same right to free exercise as their owners. “The potential effects of this decision are absolutely chilling, setting a precedent that is sure to reverberate far beyond the issue of contraceptive coverage,” said Ronald A. Lindsay, President and CEO of the Center for Inquiry. “This is not a decision that advances religious freedom – it is a decision that enshrines religious privilege over and above employee well-being,” added Lindsay. “This decision defies common sense, lacks compassion, and has the potential to harm us all.”Human Rights Campaign
“Religious groups have a long-established first amendment ability to operate according to their own beliefs,” said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “Instead of protecting religious liberty, this ruling gives license for businesses to use their personal beliefs as a reason to deny people access to basic, yet crucial medical services.” HRC remains hopeful that the Court’s limitation in this case will be extended to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. We will remain vigilant in the event business owners attempt to use this decision to justify other forms of discrimination, including against LGBT people. In the immediate aftermath, some members of the LGBT community will feel the effects of this decision; countless lesbian and bisexual women as well as some transgender men rely on contraception. HRC will continue to work closely with our partners in the women’s and reproductive health movements, as well as other LGBT groups, as this issue continues to be debated.National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
This is a dangerous precedent from the Court -- which could leave women in limbo for their basic health care. Under the ruling, some corporations will be treated like religious institutions and these so-called 'religious corporations' will not have to pay for health care that they disagree with. So what happens if a woman needs birth control and their employers won't pay? What happens if a trans woman needs hormones and their bosses won't pay? What happens if a couple needs fertility treatments and the 'religious corporation' they work for won't pay? Yet again, another barrier put in the way of vital and affordable health care.NARAL Pro-Choice America
Today's decision from five male justices is a direct attack on women and our fundamental rights. This ruling goes out of its way to declare that discrimination against women isn't discrimination. Allowing bosses this much control over the health-care decisions of their employees is a slippery slope with no end. Every American could potentially be affected by this far-reaching and shocking decision that allows bosses to reach beyond the boardroom and into their employees' bedrooms. The majority claims that its ruling is limited, but that logic doesn't hold up. Today it's birth control; tomorrow it could be any personal medical decision, from starting a family to getting life-saving vaccinations or blood transfusions. Ninety-nine percent of women use birth control at some point in our lives, and none of those stories made it into the arguments. It's outrageous that these five male justices chose to single out birth control for special discrimination. NARAL’s message has always been clear: bosses who want control over their employees' personal medical decisions are offensive, out of touch, and out of bounds, and so is this ruling. We call upon Congress to right this wrong, and we will work tirelessly with our allies and member activists to make sure that the people who would stand between a woman and her doctor are held accountable.Lambda Legal
Today’s majority ruling disregards decades of case law that drew a protective line between free religious expression and religious dominance of others. It is a radically dangerous decision that invites more misguided actions contrary to essential protections for employees, customers and the public. It is imperative that the U.S. Congress amend the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act to withdraw the blessing the Court mistakenly has given these companies to impose their beliefs on working women. Today’s ruling is about the ACA and women’s reproductive health and rights, but some may mistake this narrow ruling as a wide open door for religious liberty exemptions from other statutes that protect employees and the public. Today’s opinion says doing so would be incorrect. However, recent mistreatment of LGBT people in employment and other commercial settings still makes this extremely troubling. A business owner’s religious objection to a worker’s same-sex spouse or a customer’s LGBT identity is not acceptable grounds for discrimination. It is more important than ever that states and Congress enact strong, clear nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people.National Center for Lesbian Rights
The majority’s holding that closely held corporations can claim religious liberty protections designed for individuals—and can rely on those protections to avoid complying with generally applicable laws—is a dangerous and radical departure from existing law that creates far more questions than it answers and shows a callous disregard for the health care needs of women workers. Thankfully, however, the majority recognized that even under its sweeping new rule, corporations cannot rely on claims of religious liberty to evade non-discrimination laws. That limitation is extremely important and means that employers cannot exploit today’s decision to justify non-compliance with laws that prohibit discrimination against LGBT people and other vulnerable groups, but we will need to be vigilant to make sure that principle is respected and enforced.
Labels: abortion rights, birth control, Hobby Lobby, HRC, Lambda Legal, LGBT rights, NGLTF, religion, SCOTUS
JMG HomoQuotable - Elton John
Birthday Daily Dharma:
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Recognizing Awareness | June 30, 2014
Awareness is always present. We cannot function without it, but we can function without recognizing it.
—Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, “The Good Shepherd”
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Birthday Flower of the Day: 06/30/14
“When
a pattern is very persistent, it is necessary to dive deeper in order
to understand its roots. We must understand the feelings that sustain
the negative repetition. The main tool used for this is amplifying our
perception. This is one of the ways to remove the veil of forgetfulness
that covers up our true nature. Bit by bit, we de-identify from the ego,
which is the idea that ‘I control’ and ‘I do,’ and we open the doors to the remembrance of who we are.”
Sri Prem Baba
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Tomorrow is my Birthday, and I have huge plans!
Tomorrow begins my dedicated 365 day march towards my
60th birthday. In anticipation for the
hordes of visitors that will come to Ouro Preto in June of 2015 to celebrate
this huge event, I will announce soon my plans for a 2.5 billion dollar (not in
real) stadium, a bullet train line from
the new airport to OP. I promise, promise, promise that there will be no,
absolutely no corruption, and no money will be taken from education or health
care.
Amanhã
começa a minha dedicada marcha de 365 dias rumo ao meu 60 º aniversário. Em
antecipação para os grupos de visitantes que virão para OP no mês de junho de
2015 para celebrar este grande evento, eu vou anunciar em breve os meus planos
para a construção de um estádio de 2,5 bilhões (em dólar, não real) e de uma
linha de trem-bala do novo aeroporto em Cachoeira do Campo para Ouro Preto. Eu
prometo, prometo, prometo que não haverá nenhum, absolutamente nenhuma corrupção,
e nenhum dinheiro será desviado da educação, da saúde ou de outros serviços
básicos da população.
Flower of the Day: 06/29/14
“It
is important for us to take concrete actions towards helping to
de-pollute our waters, especially through the awareness of where our
trash goes. This is one of the main issues in the world today. However,
what’s even more important is being aware of our relationship to the
feminine. How is your relationship with your mother? De-polluting starts
from the inside out by detoxifying our hatred. So, see how you are
relating to women in general. Ask yourself if you are already able to
give of yourself, to be a friend and to give thanks. See if you are able
to root for the other’s happiness, or if instead you still act out of
envy, jealousy and competition.”
Sri Prem Baba
Via Daily Dharma
We Need to Act | June 29, 2014
Meditation does not matter that much if
it has no effect on the rest of our life. Likewise, we could be filled
with empty words that do not lead to any change whatsoever in our life
or our relationship with others. We need to act on our understanding and
our awareness.
—Judy Lief, “Is Meditation Enough?”
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Flower of the Day: 06/28/14
“Some
people believe that they need to use effort to quiet down their minds,
but this effort will only further agitate the mind. It is not necessary
to do anything other than increase one’s perception by being whole in
action and fully present. Then, when the thoughts come, they will simply
pop like bubbles in the air. If one is able to develop presence, then
the situation or place one finds oneself in doesn’t matter: nothing will
shake one’s serenity.”
Sri Prem Baba
Via Daily Dharma
Understand Your Mind | June 28, 2014
Just understand your mind; how it
works, how attachment and desire arise, how ignorance arises, and where
emotions come from. It is sufficient to know the nature of all that;
that alone can bring you happiness and peace. Thus, your life can change
completely; everything turns upside down. What you once interpreted as
horrible can become beautiful.
—Lama Yeshe, “Your Mind is Your Religion”
Friday, June 27, 2014
Via Daily Dharma
Back to the Fundamentals | June 26, 2014
People are looking for liberation from
their fears, worries, and anxieties; that is, for freedom from the bonds
of birth, old age, sickness, and death. Even in our times—where mankind
has developed this amazing modern civilization with scientific
wonders—people still continue to lead their lives trying to figure out
solutions to these fundamental matters.
—Harada Sekkei Roshi, "Zen Basics"
Flower of the Day: 06/27/14
“The
ABC of Spirituality work of healing the personality and purifying the
lower self is vital, but it is still not the most important phase in the
evolutionary process. The most important part begins when you make
progress in this initial phase of purification and are able to integrate
some imprints from the past. Only by progressing in your purification
can you honestly surrender yourself to the Supreme. At that point you
are no longer bargaining, giving only to receive. Instead, you are now
ready to place every molecule of your body at service of the divine
will.
Sri Prem Baba
Via Daily Dharma
Leave Room for Mystery | June 27, 2014
Faith must ripen through uncertainty
and doubt. It must open us to something larger than our concepts, for
these arise from within the limits of the self. Faith must, in the end,
leave room for mystery.
—Andrew Cooper, “The Transcendent Imperative”
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Rice: LGBT rights among the most challenging global human rights issues
AP
Susan Rice
WASHINGTON — With anti-gay laws taking root in nearly 80 countries, White House National Security Adviser Susan Rice on Tuesday cast the protection of gays from global discrimination, abuse and even death as one of the most challenging international human rights issue facing the United States.
Rice told a White House forum of gay rights advocates that President Barack Obama has directed that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote the rights of LGBT men and women around the world.
She urged religious, human rights and HIV health care advocates to form a united front to halt global discrimination against the LGBT community.
“To achieve lasting global change, we need everyone’s shoulder at the wheel,” she said. “With more voices to enrich and amplify the message — the message that gay rights are straight-up human rights — we can open more minds.”
Make the jump here to read the full article
Via Daily Dharma
Make the Most of It | June 24, 2014
If you think of the number of people in
the world, what percentage of them really devote any substantial amount
of time to spiritual practice? What percentage of them are even
inclined to do so? And the fact that we are willing and interested in
this kind of an approach to life is very rare. And so we are encouraged
to make the most of it.
—Ken McLeod, "37 Practices of the Bodhisattva, Verse 1"
Flower of the Day: 06/24/14
“Our
planet is going through a 'dark night.' Some people are already able to
receive rays of light from the central sun, which is the divine self,
but others are going mad. Some people are killing themselves because
they are unable to bear coming in touch with their own shadow. They
don’t know that this experience is only a transition and a passage.
Spiritual knowledge is the blessing that allows one to make this
crossing with tranquility.”
Sri Prem Baba
Via Daily Dharma
Ethics from the Heart | June 25, 2014
For the Zen Buddhist, an ethical
precept is a question to be held up to the light of circumstance, an
inquiry rather than an answer. And the nature of this inquiry is not so
much the dubious enterprise of trying to figure out the right thing to
do as it is an offering of an unaided heart. After all, it’s from this
heart of ours that the precepts themselves once arose. At the threshold
of choice, the Zen Buddhist trusts this ancient heart above all other
authority.
—Lin Jensen, "An Ear to the Ground"
Flower of the Day: 06/25/14
“Gratitude
is a powerful virtue of the soul. When one is able to materialize
gratitude through an expression of thanks, this gratitude becomes
medicine for the one receiving it. Oftentimes, the simple action of
giving thanks to someone is enough to take that person out of the pits.”
Sri Prem Baba
Monday, June 23, 2014
Via Daily Dharma
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Keep It Simple | June 23, 2014
Underneath all the drama, the restlessness, the hopes and fears, behind the narratives we weave about ourselves, and even before we’ve thought of ourselves as ourselves, lies a simple, unadorned awareness. It’s not even a thing—just an event that happens, a little burst of knowing, deep in the center of it all.
—Andrew Olendzki, “Keep It Simple”
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Flower of the Day: 06/23/14
"At some point in your journey, you will come face-to-face with your shadow. It is important for you to know that this is only one aspect of your personality, as your shadow is not who you truly are. You are not the lower self, it is only one part of yourself that needs to be understood and integrated. To do so, you must have steadiness and determination, but also a lot of compassion and patience, since these aspects of yourself are also there to teach you something. Everything is sacred: everything is part of the divine play."
Sri Prem Baba
Via Flower of the Day: 06/21/14
"Cultivating
silence, observing oneself, and being whole in action form the
foundation upon which the building of consciousness can be raised. If
you dedicate yourself to these practices, you will inevitably begin to
smell the fragrance of pure love. The seeds of silence will naturally
start to sprout, and love will begin to be revealed. Love is the nectar
of life. It opens the doors to peace and prosperity."
Sri Prem Baba
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Via Daily Dharma
Watch Fear | June 22, 2014
Fear demands to be felt, and it can be
felt most readily in the body, as a powerful sensation. The experience
may be uncomfortable, but as you watch fear manifest in the body, the
truth of the Buddha's words is revealed: It does arise because of
conditions. It is not a wall of emotion, but a constantly changing
process. And it finally ends. It has its say and departs.
—David Guy, “Trying to Speak: A Personal History of Stage Fright”
Friday, June 20, 2014
Via JMG: Sec. John Kerry Celebrates LGBT Pride, Tells Embattled Foreign Gays That "You Have A Partner In The United States"
Via press release from the White House.
Reposted from Joe Jervis
The Department of State joins the world in celebrating LGBT Pride Month and reaffirms its commitment to the promotion and protection of the human rights of LGBT persons around the globe. In the United States, we have made marked progress in tearing down the unjust and unfair barriers that have prevented the full realization of the human rights of LGBT persons. We know there is more to do, but here, the arc of history is bending towards justice.This would have been unimaginable not so long ago.
I was proud to join my colleagues at our Embassy in London last August to announce that, going forward, same-sex spouses who applied for visas would have their applications considered in the same manner as those of opposite-sex spouses. And just this week, President Obama announced his intention to sign an Executive Order banning federal contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
In many places around the world, however, trends are running in the opposite direction. LGBT individuals and their allies are harassed, arrested, and even killed because of who they are and the work they do. Governments are enacting laws that discriminate against LGBT individuals and their allies and restrict their fundamental human rights. The United States strongly condemns these discriminatory acts and legislation and is working every day, both here in Washington and at our embassies and consulates around the world, to ensure that all persons can exercise their human rights, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
We raise the human rights of LGBT persons both publicly and privately, and we support civil society organizations who are working on the frontlines to ensure equality and dignity for all. Through the Global Equality Fund – a partnership supported by 14 like-minded governments, foundations, corporations and non-profit organizations – the Department of State has allocated more than $9 million for both emergency and long term LGBT-related programming in more than 50 countries worldwide.
This important work, done in conjunction with allies from civil society, faith communities, the private sector and other governments, is central to our foreign policy. So, to the activists, allies, and LGBT individuals on the front lines combating discrimination, you have a partner in the United States. I stand with you and I wish you safe and happy 2014 Pride celebrations.
Labels: foreign relations, gay Pride, John Kerry, LGBT rights, Obama administration, State Department
Via JMG: HomoQuotable - John Paulk
Via Daily Dharma
The Luminous Gap | June 20, 2014
At the moment, because of ignorance of
our real nature, we experience everything as the confused manifestations
of samsara. The sense of self creates a feeling of solidity, like the
apparent solidity of the clouds veiling the face of the sun, but at
certain moments a gap is opened up, through which we may receive a
glimpse of the light of reality.
—Francesca Freemantle, "The Luminous Gap in Bardo"
Via Flower of the Day: 06/20/14
"Your
heart rejoices when you feel that you are being guided, when you
realize that you are not alone and that you are not a leaf being strewn
in the wind. When you perceive that there is an intelligence that
connects everything, and you are a part of this play, then you feel like
you belong: like you are a flower in the Creator's garden. There is no
sadness anymore. But to reach this state of contentment, one has to
learn how to listen to the voice of intuition and to pay attention to
synchronicities. There is always a message for you behind any mysterious
‘coincidence.’ Synchronicity is the language the universe uses to show
you the next steps of your journey."
Sri Prem Baba
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Via JMG: Presbyterian Church USA Votes To Allow Pastors To Perform Same-Sex Marriages
The top legislative body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has taken major steps toward recognizing gay marriage. The General Assembly voted Thursday in favor of redefining Christian marriage in the church constitution as the union of "two people" instead of "a man and a woman." The redefinition will take effect only if most of the 172 regional Presbyteries approve it in voting over the next year. The Presbyterian delegates in Detroit also voted to immediately allow pastors to preside at gay weddings in states that recognize same-sex marriage.More from GLAAD.
“The Church affirmed all its faithful members today. This vote is an answer to many prayers for the Church to recognize love between committed same-sex couples,” said Alex McNeill, Executive Director of More Light Presbyterians, a national network of Presbyterians working for the full inclusion of the LGBT community within the church. “We will keep praying that the majority of our 172 presbyteries will confirm that all loving couples can turn to their churches when they are ready to be married.” The General Assembly of PC (USA) is taking place this week from June 14 – 21 in Detroit, Michigan. At the last General Assembly two years ago, marriage equality was not upheld, though a policy had been amended around that time to allow gay and lesbian Presbyterians to be ordained as clergy.UPDATE: The Human Rights Campaign reacts.
"This is a giant step forward for the PCUSA Church and for people of faith everywhere. Presbyterian LGBT couples are now one step closer to being able to get married in the church of their choice,” said Sharon Groves, Director of HRC's Religion and Faith Program. “Perhaps even more significantly, young people and their families can go into a Presbyterian church and know that their denomination has not turned a blind eye to them but has instead taken a giant step toward becoming a more loving and more welcoming place for all people to worship. We at HRC congratulate the Presbyterian Church (USA) on a job well done and thank the good people at More Light Presbyterian, The Covenant Network, So We May Freely Serve and Presbyterian Welcome for their years of dedication that got us to this point.”UPDATE II: The anti-gay Institute On Religion & Democracy is ever so pissed about this.
By overturning natural marriage the PCUSA is only accelerating its already fast-paced demise. It will become even smaller, whiter and older. Only declining denominations reject historic Christian standards and in nearly every case that rejection reinforces the decline. Who respects a church that only echoes the secular world? Many faithful have already quit the PCUSA and many more now will. But some faithful will remain. May the Holy Spirit bless their witness and lay the groundwork for the PCUSA's return some day to the teachings of the global church.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Via Good News Network
A 64 year-old man in Istanbul decided to brighten the neighborhood
by painting rainbow colors on some wide, gray, crumbling stairs. When
municipal officials sent workers after nightfall to hurriedly repaint
the steps gray, a quiet revolution
started on Twitter. Not only did volunteers come out to repaint those
stairs that Huseyin Cetinel had spent hundreds of dollars on, they
painted other stairs and walkways in cities around Turkey, posting
photos on social media. A Pandora's Box of color had unwittingly been
opened.
VIDEO at Good News Network: http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/civics/brightly-painted-stairway-in-turkey-starts-color-revolution-against-drab-gray.html
Photo credit: Gürol Demirutku
VIDEO at Good News Network: http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/civics/brightly-painted-stairway-in-turkey-starts-color-revolution-against-drab-gray.html
Photo credit: Gürol Demirutku
Via Daily Dharma
Why Meditate on Skeletons? | June 17, 2014
In urging his followers to meditate on
skeletons and bloody remains, the Buddha was advocating consciousness,
not disdain for the body. When we are aware of all the intricate
processes and parts that make up our bodies, we are less likely to
identify the overall image as 'me.' Disdain for our bodies is, in fact,
born not of detachment but of identification.
—Hannah Tennant-Moore, "Not Our Bodies, Not Ourselves"
Monday, June 16, 2014
Via Flower of the Day
"It's
a great challenge to speak about the truth, since it is an experience,
and it is always difficult to translate an experience into words. How
can we transform the experience of love into words? How do we explain
joy, ecstasy and compassion? Words are too small to express the
greatness of the truth, but they can be used as a bridge to reach this
experience. Words can help you transition from the state of the mind to
the state of ‘no-mind.’ As your questions are answered, the mind starts
to calm down and become free of anxiety. The mind then becomes receptive
to being flooded with the awareness that comes with the experience of
the truth."
Sri Prem Baba
Via Tricycle:
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June 16, 2014
| New at Tricycle: Restoring Zen's female lineage, learning to listen
deeply, and kicking off the Fourth Annual Tricycle | BuddhaFest Online
Film Festival. |
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 | MAGAZINE: ROUSED FROM A DREAM | ||||
| The importance of lineage in Zen Buddhism cannot be overstated. Yet the transmission of Zen has been documented through an exclusively male lineage chart—until now. Journalist Mary Fowles reports on restoring Zen’s female lineage and embodying a new story for Zen, "a story that includes women." | |||||
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Via Daily Dharma
End This Suffering, Too | June 16, 2014
Buddhism is, of course, a tradition
that strives to end suffering, but concern with the suffering that is
caused by gender stereotypes, constrictive narratives, and
discriminatory customs is relatively new, at least in its public
discourse. How women’s lives have been marginalized from the Buddhist
narrative is still being discovered, acknowledged, and remedied.
—Mary Fowles, “Roused from a Dream”
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Via Daily Dharma
Spiritual Hunger | June 14, 2014
The spiritual journey involves stepping into unknown territory with a hunger to know what is true.
—Aura Glaser, “Into the Demon’s Mouth”
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