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.
Marks the first known published use of term “homosexuality” by Károly Mária Kertbeny, a German-Hungarian advocate, in a letter to Karl Ulrichs. The neologism “heterosexuality” came later. The word homosexual is a Greek and Latin hybrid. The prefix homo is not from the Latin homo "man" but from the Greek homos,
which means "the same," thus giving the word homosexual its definition
of "same sex relationship." Homosexual is not as widely accepted because
it emphasizes the word as just a sexuality but not as a cultural and
social attitude which gay and lesbians have and it has the overtones of
pathology derived from its original usage to define it in medical
terminology. Gay generally refers to male
homosexuality, but may be used in a broader sense to refer to all LGBT
people. In the context of sexuality, Lesbian refers only to female homosexuality. The word Lesbian
is derived from the name of the Greek island Lesbos, where the poet
Sappho wrote about her emotional relationships with young women.
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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
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:
right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right living,
right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. (MN 9)
One perfects their ethical behavior by abandoning false speech. (DN 2)
Reflection
The traditional
path toward the cessation of suffering works on many fronts
simultaneously, integrating healthy modes of living with practices for
mental development and the slow but steady growth of understanding. In
this passage the importance of telling the truth is emphasized as a
crucial form of ethical behavior. Developing the wisdom of right view is
built on a foundation of truthfulness.
Daily Practice
Practice
telling the truth. Refrain from stretching it, bending it, obscuring it,
avoiding it, shading it, and all the other ways we have learned to
handle the truth that are other than entirely straightforward. You may
notice that this is actually quite difficult, since we regularly speak
falsely in little ways. Try being absolutely scrupulous about saying
what is accurate and not intended to mislead anyone in any way.
Tomorrow: Cultivating Equanimity One week from today: Understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering
Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel
Awakening
to your own joy can be as simple as taking delight in a gorgeous
blooming flower, hearing the sound of your beloved’s voice, or noticing
the way your favorite song soothes your heart.
Author
John Peacock discusses why for too many, Buddhist practice is a retreat
into a quietism that ignores the pressing social and political
realities of our time. Political discussion, in the author’s view, must
find its way into the Dharma Hall and be made integral to our everyday
practice.