A personal blog by a graying (mostly Anglo with light African-American roots) gay left leaning liberal progressive married college-educated Buddhist Baha'i BBC/NPR-listening Professor Emeritus now following the Dharma in Minas Gerais, Brasil.
RIGHT VIEW Understanding the Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering
And what is the way leading
to the cessation of suffering? It is just this noble eightfold path:
that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right
living, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. (MN 9)
One who has perfected their ethical behavior sees no danger from any
side, just as a king who has vanquished his enemies sees no danger from
any side. One experiences in oneself the blameless happiness that comes
from maintaining noble ethical behavior. (DN 2)
Reflection
From the
Buddhist point of view, our own toxic internal states are our greatest
threat. The hostility, cruelty, and hatred we are capable of act as a
poison corroding our hearts from within, just as the craving,
attachment, and grasping tendencies within us obscure our ability to see
clearly and do what is best for us. The way to end suffering is to walk
a path that relies on upright ethical conduct as a shield against these
threats.
Daily Practice
It is just as
important to acknowledge our victories over our harmful inner tendencies
as it is to be aware of our failures. It is okay to feel good about
doing good. Allow yourself to feel the power of a commitment to honesty
or a dedication to justice or a refusal to participate in harmful
behavior. It is natural to feel happiness when behaving ethically, and
you are encouraged to relish the healthy states that come from positive
actions.
Tomorrow: Cultivating Equanimity One week from today: Understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering
Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel
Most
of us spend an entire lifetime chasing thoughts and emotions like a
dog, never finding complete satisfaction. Yet, with a slight but radical
shift of attention, we turn toward the stone thrower—awareness itself.
Phakchok Rinpoche and Erric Solomon, “Creating a Confident Mind”
LAMMAS DAY
‒ In English-speaking countries, August 1 is Lammas Day ("loaf-mass
day"), the festival of the first wheat harvest of the year. In Wiccan
traditions, the name Lammas is used for one of the sabbats, The festival
is also known as Lughnasadh, a feast to commemorate the
funeral games (Tailtean Games) of Tailtiu, foster-mother of the Irish
sun-god Lugh. Lammas is a cross-quarter occurring ¼ of a year after
Beltane. Lughnasadh was one of the four main festivals of the medieval
Irish calendar: Imbolc at the beginning of February, Beltane on the first of May, Lughnasadh in August and Samhain in November.
The early Celtic
calendar was based on the lunar, solar, and vegetative cycles, so the
actual calendar date in ancient times may have varied. Lughnasadh marked
the beginning of the harvest season, the ripening of first fruits, and
was traditionally a time of community gatherings, market festivals,
horse races and reunions with distant family and friends. Among the
Irish it was a favored time for handfastings ‒ trial marriages that
would generally last a year and a day, with the option of ending the
contract before the new year, or later formalizing it as a more
permanent marriage.
In Christian
tradition on this day it was customary to bring to church a loaf made
from the new crop. In many parts of England, tenants were bound to
present freshly harvested wheat to their landlords on or before the
first day of August. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, where it is referred
to regularly, it is called "the feast of first fruits".
Now is a great
time of year to work on honing your own talents. Learn a new craft, or
get better at an old one. Put on a play, write a story or poem, take up a
musical instrument, start getting crafty, or sing a song. Whatever you
choose to do, this is the right season for rebirth and renewal, so set
August 1 as the day to share your new skill with your friends and
family.
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Gay Wisdom for Daily Living from White Crane Institute
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