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Via Dhamma Wheel // Undertaking the Commitment to Abstain from Harming Living Beings

 

RIGHT LIVING Undertaking the Commitment to Abstain from Harming Living Beings

Harming living beings is unhealthy. Refraining from harming living beings is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning the harming of living beings, one abstains from harming living beings; with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kindly, one abides with compassion toward all living beings. (MN 41) One practices thus: "Others may harm living beings, but I will abstain from the harming of living beings." (MN 8) A person reflects thus: "I am one who wishes to live, who does not wish to die. If someone were to take my life, that would not be pleasing and agreeable to me. Now if I were to take the life of another, that would not be pleasing and agreeable to the other either. How can I inflict upon another what is displeasing and disagreeable to me?" Having reflected thus, one abstains from the destruction of life, exhorts others to abstain from it, and speaks in praise of abstinence from it. (SN 55.7)

Reflection

This is one way of stating the Golden Rule found the world over: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It requires that we consider the feelings of another to be as important as our own. Once this insight is well understood, it becomes a matter of following your own nature rather than following a rule. You become incapable of cruelty or selfish exploitation.

Daily Practice

The practice of non-harming (Sanskrit: ahimsa) consists first and foremost of caring for others to the extent that we cannot consciously want to harm them. But notice that this teaching goes farther, also encouraging us to speak openly about the value of abstaining from causing harm. The challenge is to do this with a mind of lovingkindness. How can we condemn the causing of harm without wishing harm to those who cause it?

Tomorrow: Maintaining Arisen Healthy States
One week from today: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings

Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media
#DhammaWheel

Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Via Daily Dharma: New Beginnings

 

That’s what this time of year is—it is the world going back to one, and reminding us that we too can do the same. It’s a chance for us to let everything go, and begin again—and not just on January 1st, but on any given day, in any given moment.

—Taylor Plimpton, “Starting Over, Again”

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VIA White Crane Institute // SIMON WIESENTHAL

 

This Day in Gay History

December 31 Born Simon Wiesenthal 1908 - SIMON WIESENTHAL was born on this date in the small Ukrainian town of Buczacz (d: 2005). Trained as an architectural engineer, Wiesenthal survived the Nazi concentration camps losing over eighty members of his extended family and dedicated the rest of his life to seeking justice for all those who died by bringing Nazi war criminals to justice. He was later celebrated as a "Nazi-hunter" and portrayed by Laurence Olivier in "The Boys from Brazil," but for many years, as Cold War governments had forgotten about Nazi atrocities, Wiesenthal was a veritable prophet in the wilderness, tirelessly working in the memory of all those who had died.  He wrote a number of bestselling books including "Murders Among Us," "Justice, Not Vengeance," and "The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness." Through his efforts countless Nazi criminals stood trial.  Without Wiesenthal's activity and vision, there would not have been war crimes hearings about Rwanda, Bosnia, or a permanent War Crimes tribunal in the Hague. For the sake of this Gay Wisdom listserve, we would point out that Wiesenthal spoke for all those who had lost their lives and was an early outspoken activist for the thousands of homosexuals who died in the holocaust, pointing out that they had all been buried together in mass graves and should all be acknowledged. Wiesenthal died of natural causes in 2005 at the age 96. Recent events remind us that we are still not out of the woods with respect to facsist politics and that we must all remain as vigilant as Wiesenthal. |8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8| Gay Wisdom for Daily Living from White Crane Institute "With the increasing commodification of gay news, views, and culture by powerful corporate interests, having a strong independent voice in our community is all the more important. White Crane is one of the last brave standouts in this bland new world... a triumph over the looming mediocrity of the mainstream Gay world." - Mark Thompson Exploring Gay Wisdom & Culture since 1989! www.whitecraneinstitute.org |8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|

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Via Dhamma Wheel // Reflecting Upon Bodily Action

 

RIGHT ACTION Reflecting Upon Bodily Action

However the seed is planted, in that way the fruit is gathered. Good things come from doing good deeds; bad things come from doing bad deeds. (SN 11.10) What is the purpose of a mirror? For the purpose of reflection. So too bodily action is to be done with repeated reflection. (MN 61) When you are doing an action with the body, reflect on that same bodily action thus: "Does this action I am doing with the body lead to my own affliction?" If, on reflection, you know that it does, then stop doing it; if you know that it does not, then continue. (MN 61)

Reflection

Here we have a plain appeal for continuous mindfulness of the body. It is not a practice only for the meditation hall or focused only on breathing but is a habit of conscious living, of conscious awareness of how the body is disposed and moves. When doing something, know that you are doing it. Do one thing at a time. You might say, "Anything worth doing is worth doing deliberately."

Daily Practice

Every single thing we do can be done with greater awareness. We are so accustomed to allowing our behavior to be guided by unconscious habit so the mind can be wrapped up in something else. But this deprives us of the opportunity to guide our actions ethically. As you become consciously aware of what you do unconsciously, notice that you can intervene when necessary and tell yourself to stop any action that is unethical.

Tomorrow: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings
One week from today: Reflecting upon Verbal Action

Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media
#DhammaWheel

Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Via Daily Dharma: Revealing Your Heart

 

No one faces your past for you or makes your choices for you. It is not always easy—but if what we really want is deep understanding, we have to go there, into our own struggle. No one can reveal my heart to myself but myself.

—Sallie Jiko Tisdale, “Alone on the Bodhisattva Path”

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Via White Crane Institute // PAUL BOWLES

 

This Day in Gay History

December 30 Born Paul Bowles 1910 - PAUL BOWLES, American composer and author, born (d. 1999); Gay American expatriate composer, writer, and translator Paul Bowles liked to examine sexuality from a dispassionate perspective for its psychological suggestiveness. Such is the case in his most explicitly homosexual story, "Pages from Cold Point" (1947), in which a boy tries to seduce his father. Bowles's literary reputation rests on his novels, but until he was thirty-five he showed more interest in musical composition and poetry. Aaron Copland was a mentor, and in France, he intrigued Gertrude Stein, though she thought he was no poet. But Bowles was gifted in a number of fields, and increasingly he spread his skills over several: music for plays and films, short stories, autobiography, travel writing, and translations. Pages from Cold Point marked a turning point in Bowles's life. In 1938, he had married Jane Auer, and in 1947, they went to live in Tangier. Jane Bowles had published Two Serious Ladies, and explored Gay relationships in both her life and in her fiction. Paul Bowles explored the psychological dimensions of relationships less directly, and many readers prefer to interpret his ground-breaking novel The Sheltering Sky (1949) in existentialist terms, even though it deals centrally with the extraordinary dynamic of his relationship with Jane -- a dynamic to which the homosexuality of both is relevant. With the arrival of the Bowleses, the Tangier cult developed rapidly. American writers and artists of the Beat Generation -- William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, and others -- visited and socialized; the ambience of Tangier, as well as its toleration of experiments in drug use and sexual expression proved liberating and stimulating. Jane Bowles, always on the edge of sexual scandal, died in 1973. Paul Bowles, though he continued to attract interesting figures and, in his discreet way, a cult following, was very stable, and continued to produce a stream of projects, both written and musical. Bowles and Daniel Halpern started the Tangier literary magazine Antaeus which was to feature many new authors, such as Lee Prosser, as well as more established authors such as Lawrence Ferlinghetti and his own work, such as "Afternoon with Antaeus", some fragments of an unfinished novel by his wife Jane along with excerpts from "The Summer House", and works by Daniel Halpern and others. Antaeus was published until 1994. Bowles made a cameo appearance at the beginning and end of Bernardo Bertolucci's film version of The Sheltering Sky in 1990. Bowles' music was mostly forgotten until the 1990s, when a new generation of American musicians and singers became interested in this work again. These charming, witty pieces are a treasure to be savored by art song enthusiasts. In 1995, Paul Bowles made a rare and final return to New York for a special Paul Bowles Festival celebrating his music at Lincoln Center under the conductorship of Jonathan Sheffer with the Eos Orchestra and later a symposium and interview held at the New School for Social Research. Bowles was interviewed by Paul Theroux in 1994, documented in the last chapter of Theroux's travel book, The Pillars of Hercules. In 1998, Bowles' wit and intellect remained as sharp as ever. He continued to welcome whoever turned up at his door into his apartment near the old American consulate in Tangier. However, on the advice of his doctors and friends, he began to limit interviews. One of his final reminiscences about his literary life occurred during an interview with Stephen Morison, Jr., a frequent visitor and friend who was teaching at the American School of Tangier at the time. The interview was conducted on July 8, 1998 and appeared in the July/August 1999 issue of Poets & Writers Magazine. His final formal interview took place on June 6, 1999; it was conducted by Irene Herrmann, the executrix of the Paul Bowles Music Estate, focused on his musical career, and was published in September 2003. Bowles died of heart failure at the Italian Hospital in Tangier on November 18, 1999 at the age of 88. He had been ill for some time with respiratory problems. His ashes were buried in Lakemont, New York, next to the graves of his parents and grandparents.

|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8| Gay Wisdom for Daily Living from White Crane Institute "With the increasing commodification of gay news, views, and culture by powerful corporate interests, having a strong independent voice in our community is all the more important. White Crane is one of the last brave standouts in this bland new world... a triumph over the looming mediocrity of the mainstream Gay world." - Mark Thompson Exploring Gay Wisdom & Culture since 1989! www.whitecraneinstitute.org |8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|

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Via Lions Roar // The Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu: Best of Spiritual Friends; Another New Year; A Dedication to bell hooks

The Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu — The Best of Spiritual Friends

Archbishop Desmond Tutu passed away Sunday at the age of 90. He and His Holiness the Dalai Lama shared a dear friendship rooted in joy and purpose. Here, we get an inside look at this one-of-a-kind spiritual friendship. Read also: “The Dalai Lama shares condolences in response to death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu”

Via Daily Dharma: What Is Right Livelihood?

 

Right livelihood involves mindfulness of our place in the whole, and thus becomes the foundation for intelligent social activism and ecological responsibility.

—Krishnan Venkatesh, “Why Right Livelihood Isn’t Just About Your Day Job”

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation // Words of Wisdom - December 29, 2021 💌

 
 

When the transformation has occurred and you’re not busy being anybody, then the only thing that’s coming through is God. Then, just like a river or a tree, you are a perfect statement of the dharma, of the flow. And then you are never out of the flow of the universe again.... The game has been designed so that what you are at this moment is perfection itself. You merely have to give up your models in order to recognize yourself. It’s as simple as that. Honor it, love it. Don’t judge it. Don’t judge it, just allow it. Give it space, give it all space. Give the universe space. - Ram Dass


Today's Words of Wisdom quote comes from episode 181 of the Here & Now Podcast with Ram Dass, you can listen to the full episode here.

Via Dhamma Wheel // Refraining from False Speech

 

RIGHT SPEECH Refraining from False Speech False speech is unhealthy. Refraining from false speech is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning false speech, one dwells refraining from false speech, a truth-speaker, one to be relied on, trustworthy, dependable, not a deceiver of the world. One does not in full awareness speak falsehood for one’s own ends or for another’s ends or for some trifling worldly end. (DN 1) One practices thus: "Others may speak falsely, but I shall abstain from false speech." (MN 8) Such speech as you know to be untrue, incorrect, and unbeneficial but which is welcome and agreeable to others—do not utter such speech. (MN 58)

Reflection This teaching is pointing out the unhealthy effects of flattery and other kinds of hollow speech. Why speak something you know is untrue? Presumably in this case to make someone else feel good or to like you more. This is a short-term strategy that will only cause more harm than good in the longer term. Right speech is about understanding the more subtle aspects of cause and effect in the realm of human communication. Daily Practice The most direct way to practice right speech is to undertake a serious commitment to always speak the truth. From the Buddhist perspective, this has more to do with deeper health than with what you eat or how much exercise you get. Notice that this practice is not about judging other people for their wrong speech but is focused on your own dedication to abstaining from false speech and consistently telling the truth. Tomorrow: Reflecting upon Bodily Action One week from today: Refraining from Malicious Speech Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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A wise man once said, "Before you travel, secure your Buddha!"

 

Um homem sábio disse uma vez, "Antes de viajar, proteja o seu Buda!"

 

Via LGBTQ Nation Daily Brief

 

7 everyday people who proudly fought for LGBTQ folks in 2021

Out celebrities often get all the attention, but these lesser-known folks fought to make life better for the #LGBTQ community.

 

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The Columbia Anthology of Gay Literature

1936 -

BRYNE R.S. FONE, American scholar and writer, born; It would be impossible to compile a complete survey of Gay male literature; the very looseness of the definition of "Gay" (not to mention the wealth of possible material) would overwhelm the project. Despite that, Byrne R.S. Fone fashioned a useful, intelligent, and amazingly functional volume that traces Gay male themes from classical antiquity to the present day.

Drawing on a variety of traditions and cultures -- from ancient Greece to modern Egypt, from the Hebrew Bible to the Russian revolutionary Sergei Esenin -- Fone reviews and reprints not only significant texts, but also supplies readable, intelligent introductions that illuminate the subject in the Columbia Anthology of Gay Literature (ISBN: 0231096712).

Most of the material, apart from a short section on Latin American and Cuban writing, is steeped in a Western European tradition; the book nevertheless conjures a good case for a Gay sensibility--or rather a series of sensibilities--that amazes, alarms, and endures. Fone is also the author of A Road to Stonewall: Male Homosexuality and Homophobia in English and American Literature, 1750-1969 and Masculine Landscapes: Walt Whitman and the Historical Text.

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Gay Wisdom for Daily Living from White Crane Institute

"With the increasing commodification of gay news, views, and culture by powerful corporate interests, having a strong independent voice in our community is all the more important. White Crane is one of the last brave standouts in this bland new world... a triumph over the looming mediocrity of the mainstream Gay world." - Mark Thompson

Exploring Gay Wisdom & Culture since 1989!
www.whitecraneinstitute.org

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Via Daily Dharma: Piercing Awareness

 

To investigate is to contemplate with a silent mind. It’s to illuminate that which is cloudy or confused—to explore and to discover what we have not yet noticed or understood. This kind of deep inquiry provides us with the tools to free the mind from suffering and the pitfalls of an unexamined life.

—Narayan Helen Liebenson, “Practicing Questioning”

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Via Dhamma Wheel // Cultivating Lovingkindness

 

RIGHT INTENTION Cultivating Lovingkindness

Whatever you intend, whatever you plan, and whatever you have a tendency toward, that will become the basis on which your mind is established. (SN 12.40) Develop meditation on lovingkindness, for when you develop meditation on lovingkindness, all ill will will be abandoned. (MN 62)   The characteristic of lovingkindness is promoting welfare. (Vm 9.93)

Reflection

One of the great insights of Buddhist practice is that who you are at any given moment is not set in stone, is not a matter of chance, and is not shaped by others. In every mind moment you are shaping who you will become in the next moment. Understanding this is profoundly empowering, for it gives you an opportunity to decide for yourself that you will be a better person in the future by being a better person now.

Daily Practice

Kindness can become an ongoing practice, a habit of mind and heart that tries at every opportunity to wish the best for others. It is not a matter of liking people as much as wishing them well and caring for their well-being. Practice targeting random people you encounter throughout the day and wishing them well. Notice the subtle effect this has on your own mind, squeezing out any annoyance or resentment you might otherwise feel.

Tomorrow: Refraining from False Speech
One week from today: Cultivating Compassion

Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media
#DhammaWheel

Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Via Daily Dharma: Not Good, Not Bad

 

Suppose you’re trying to work, you’re really busy, and the phone rings. We resent the ringing, because we’re trying to work. But the problem isn’t the phone ringing. It’s just ringing. It’s not good or bad.

—Charlotte Joko Beck, “When You Are in Harmony”

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Via Dhamma Wheel // Understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering

 

RIGHT VIEW
Understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering

When people have met with suffering and become victims of suffering, they come to me and ask me about the noble truth of suffering. Being asked, I explain to them the noble truth of suffering. (MN 77) What is suffering? (MN 9) Aging is suffering: "old age, brokenness of teeth, greyness of hair, wrinkling of skin, decline of life, weakness of faculties." (MN 9)

Reflection

The wheel has turned one full revolution now, as we looked at each of the path factors four times over the course of a month. We now return to the beginning and go through another cycle over the course of the next 28 days. The noble truth of suffering is not something we "get" once and for all and then move on. It is something to investigate again and again from multiple different angles as our perspective on it changes.

Daily Practice

We hardly need help understanding the truth of aging, since it is everywhere so  apparent. As our experience with the practice progresses, we learn to observe the signs of aging with greater objectivity and less self-reference. This is just what happens to a body when it ages. It is not that we are being personally persecuted by time. Work on developing the perspective that aging is something to observe rather than to fear.

Tomorrow: Cultivating Lovingkindness
One week from today: Understanding the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering

Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media
#DhammaWheel

Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.