Touching Gay Story via FB:

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 25, 2013

Rain, the Snow, and Moon

Every day, priests minutely examine the Law And endlessly chant complicated sutras. Before doing that, though, they should learn How to read the love letters sent by the wind and rain,     the snow and moon.

- Ikkyu, "Rain, the Snow, and Moon"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through September 26, 2013
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member

M5S, Omofobia: "Noi non abbiamo paura"

Some context, for those who don't speak Italian: The person speaking during most of the video is named Silvia Giordano, a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. This protest is happening because, right now, same-sex couples living in Italy have no shared rights to property, social security and inheritance. They also can't get married. A rough translation of what Giordano is saying:

"Mr. President (of the House of Deputies), beyond the thousands of excuses and quibbles, we're talking here of matters of the heart, of feelings, of emotions. Because a kiss and a hug have not and will never hurt anyone. In fact, they are part of what contributes most to making us human. We want to make that clear. And so we're going to pull back the veil and to demonstrate that there is truly nothing to be afraid of. And we, Mr. President, are not afraid."

The deputies, members of the M5S party, then hold up signs protesting a political compromise that's restricting the rights of LGBT Italians — while the rest turn to their colleagues and demonstrate just how unscary a kiss is.

The best line, though, comes from the President of the Chamber at the end. He can be heard saying, "Onorevole Nuti, se ha finito di baciare il collega, faccia ritirare quei cartelli," which translates to:
"Honorable Mr. Nuti, if you've finished kissing your colleague, please take down those signs."

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 24, 2013

Knowing Death

As with many deep truths, people tend to look at the death awareness meditations and say, Yes, I know all of that. I know I'm going to die someday. I know I can't take it with me. I know my body will be dust. And as with other things—as with the law of impermanence itself—I would say we know it and we don't know it. We know it in our heads but haven't taken it into our hearts. We haven't let it penetrate the marrow of our bones. If we had, I can't help thinking we would live differently. Our whole lives would be different. The planet would be different as well.

- Larry Rosenberg, "Only the Practice of Dharma Can Help Us at the Time of Death"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through September 25, 2013
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member

Via JMG: NEW MEXICO: Attorney General Slams Putting Marriage To A Public Vote

"Here is where some critics have incorrectly interpreted the legal process. Some have said that I am trying to unilaterally disregard state law by not suing county clerks who have elected to issue same sex marriage licenses. Several District Courts have addressed the issue. Two separate judges essentially ordered two different county clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples. Another judge ruled that the state’s prohibitive statutes are unconstitutional, paving the way for another clerk to start issuing the licenses. I maintain that the best way to resolve this issue is for the NM Supreme Court to decide whether our current law is unconstitutional. Finally, some people, including the governor, say that the issue of whether same sex couples should be afforded the same rights as everyone else in our state must be decided by the voters. I urge the reader to consider the following: The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863; The 19th Amendment (Women’s Suffrage) in 1920; the Civil Rights Act of 1964;---none of which were voted upon by the general electorate." - New Mexico Attorney General Gary King, who is expected to run for governor in 2014.  (Via Zack Ford)

Labels: Gary King, marriage equality, New Mexico

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 23, 2013

Spend Some Time with Yourself

I try to encourage my students to encounter the world within themselves, to try to follow the thread as to why they’re writing as deeply as they can into their subconscious. I tell them before they do any research, they should spend time with themselves, however long it takes: it could be a couple of days, or a couple of years. After that, you actually encounter someone else as someone else. You allow the world to enter and to become part of you, to break whatever cage you’ve been rattling around in. That part is interesting, too: we have to see our own cages.

- Nick Flynn, "Real Enough"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through September 24, 2013
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 22, 2013

Dogen’s Cookbook

When you prepare food, do not see with ordinary eyes and do not think with ordinary mind. Take up a blade of grass and construct a treasure king's land; enter into a particle of dust and turn the great dharma wheel. Do not arouse disdainful mind when you prepare a broth of wild grasses; do not arouse joyful mind when you prepare a fine cream soup. Where there is no discrimination, how can there be distaste? Thus, do not be careless even when you work with poor materials, and sustain your efforts even when you have excellent materials. Never change your attitude according to the materials. If you do, it is like varying your truth when speaking with different people; then you are not a practitioner of the way.

- Zen Master Dogen, “Instructions for the Tenzo”

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through September 23, 2013
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 21, 2013

Wisdom at Work

The desire to know something is wisdom at work. Being mindful is not difficult. But it’s difficult to be continuously aware. For that you need right effort. But it does not require a great deal of energy. It’s relaxed perseverance in reminding yourself to be aware. When you are aware, wisdom unfolds naturally, and there is still more interest.

- Sayadaw U Tejaniya, "The Wise Investigator"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through September 22, 2013
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 19, 2013

A Ladder Up

How our representatives spend our taxes reveals in stark black and white our nation's values and concerns. And how we respond to their decisions reveals, too, our own souls, our own deepest values. These responses show where we stand in relation to our neighbors and to those across the country who share our humanity, who look to us for a ladder up from the pains of poverty, illness, and hunger.

- Bhikkhu Bodhi, "The Attack at Home"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through September 20, 2013
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:

Tricycle Daily Dharma September 17, 2013

The Virtue of Non-Violence

To face—with open hands—armed, shielded, gas-masked riot police is the greatest form of courage. Non-violence is how you expose the violence of the system, and not seeing as “other” those charged with carrying out physical violence is how you communicate with them directly.

- Paul Hawken, "Upsurge"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through September 18, 2013
For full access at any time, become a Tricycle Community Supporting or Sustaining Member