Love Wins In Washington State

Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:

	Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	Let me tell you about the middle path. Dressing in rough and dirty garments, letting your hair grow matted, abstaining from eating any meat or fish, does not cleanse the one who is deluded. Mortifying the flesh through excessive hardship does not lead to a triumph over the senses. All self-inflicted suffering is useless as long as the feeling of self is dominant. You should lose your involvement with yourself and then eat and drink naturally, according to the needs of your body. Attachment to your appetites--whether you deprive or indulge them--can lead to slavery, but satisfying the needs of daily life is not wrong. Indeed, to keep a body in good health is a duty, for otherwise the mind will not stay strong and clear. This is the middle path. - Discourse II More Buddhism Quotes >>

Via The Economist / FB:

Daily chart: Attitudes toward gay marriage are changing—and fast. Across most of the West, polls show a majority of public opinion in favour of equality for gays. That said, in 78 countries—mostly in the Muslim world, Africa and other developing states—gay sex is still a crime. Today’s chart maps gay marriage rights around the world http://econ.st/10fAJAY

My buddy Andrew C remided me, "Brasil is not presented accurately. Civil unions provide the same 110 rights as marriage and marriage is completely legal in 3 states if I am not mistaken. And the US is so behind on this...what an embarrassment."

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 19, 2012

The Force of Gratitude

Gratitude is a way of undercutting your ego—that is, it is a way of being Buddhist. It really goes back to interdependence and those basic Buddhist concepts. There is an awareness that we get now and then about what we owe to others, and Shinran feels that that should become the moving force of one’s life. Then the egoism kind of takes care of itself.

- Rev. Dr. Alfred Bloom, "Beyond Religion"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through November 21st, 2012
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 17, 2012

Complete Practice

When people talk about practicing the buddhadharma, I think they sometimes fail to realize that the buddhadharma is a comprehensive religious system. It doesn’t just mean sitting on your meditation cushion and focusing on your breath. Buddhism is a practice for your whole life.

- Charles Prebish, "Pursuing an American Buddhism"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through November 19th, 2012
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma November 16, 2012

Our Fundamental Goodness

I’ve found that pointing people to their fundamental goodness will awaken it. It’s more skillful than pointing to the negative. We are so loyal to our suffering and to seeing ourselves as damaged that it’s very easy to use spiritual practice to reinforce our self-judgment. That doesn’t help people become liberated.

- Jack Kornfield, "The Wise Heart"

Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection through November 18th, 2012
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Via JMG: Catholic Church Gave $2M

Catholic Church Gave $2M To Feed The Homeless Fund Hatred & Fuel Bigotry

NOM Exposed takes note:

Taking up where the Mormons left off in 2008, the Catholic Church – and its affiliate, the Knights of Columbus – have made considerable investments in the marriage fights in Minnesota, Maryland, Washington State and Maine this election cycle – spending nearly $2 million. In addition, a close ally of the Church and past co-conspirator, the National Organization for Marriage, spent more than $5.2 million this cycle. Final campaign figures for Maryland and Maine will be available by the end of the month.

Marriage equality opponents across the four states raised $11.3 million. The Catholic Church’s contributions make up 17 percent of that total figure. When you add in the contributions of Church ally NOM, the reality of the coordinated effort becomes clear: the Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus and NOM are responsible for funding nearly 65 percent of all anti-equality efforts in Minnesota, Maryland, Washington State and Maine.

That's $11.3 million that didn't go to pay molestation settlements.  Time for some more parishes to declare bankruptcy!

Labels: 2012 elections, Catholic Church, hate groups, molestation, NOM, organized crime, religion, Vatican

Reposted from by Joe

VIa JMG:

VIa JMG: Uruguay Considers Marriage

Uruguay, which already has civil unions, began this week considering a move to full marriage equality.

The proposed "marriage equality" law would change Uruguay's nearly-century-old civil code and give married gays and lesbians all the rights and responsibilities of heterosexual married couples, including the possibility of adopting children. It was drafted by gay rights activists in the so-called "Black Sheep Collective" and now has the support of lawmakers in the ruling Broad Front coalition, which decided Wednesday to debate the measure next week in the House of Deputies' constitutional commission. "Today's society is much broader than the heterosexual, and the civil code should reflect this: a marriage institution that applies equally to all," Federico Grana, a member of the collective, told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "This goes well beyond homosexuality — it's a law that gives all the same rights and responsibilities."

Labels: LGBT rights, South America, Uruguay

Reposted from Joe

Via Buddhism on Beliefnet :

Daily Buddhist Wisdom
	From this point on you really know. This is called the pinnacle of Zen, the sovereignty of Zen. It is also called knowledge of what is knowable; it produces all the various states of meditation, and anoints the heads of all spiritual princes. In all fields of form, sound, fragrance, flavor, feeling, and phenomena, you realize complete perfect enlightenment. Inside and outside are in complete communion, without any obstruction at all. - Pai-chang, "The Sphere of the Enlightened" More Buddhism Quotes >>