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Tricycle Daily Dharma December 8, 2011

Absolute Freedom?

Traditional Buddhist texts focus on achieving perfect enlightenment and then living in an absolutely free, pure state after that. But there aren't very many beings at this time that we can refer to in that fashion, even the great, respected, or beloved teachers like the Dalai Lama or Venerable Maha Ghosananda, the Gandhi of Cambodia. These contemporary masters say, “I'm still struggling with this or that, or these are things that I still work on in my practice,” rather than speak from that place of absolute freedom. And so in our times, even our elders and masters raise the question of, “How are we learning to live the dharma, to embody it in an ongoing way in our lives and not just focus on the teaching at the archetypal or absolute level?”

- Jack Kornfield,"The Sure Heart's Release"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Activist Elijah With Michele Bachmann

Via UFOP: Debate sobre diversidade reúne a comunidade acadêmica no ICSA

Na noite da terça-feira, 06 de dezembro, cerca de 200 pessoas, entre professores, alunos, técnicos e convidados, reuniram-se no Instituto de Ciências Sociais Aplicadas (ICSA) da Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP) para participação no debate “Sim à diversidade”. O evento teve como principal objetivo a conscientização sobre a luta contra o preconceito, a discriminação e a violência, e o combate à homofobia e ao sexismo.

O debate contou com a presença do psicólogo e mestrando pela Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Leonardo Tolentino, que estuda a relação entre Educa&cce! dil;ão e projetos de combate à homofobia em escolas. Tolentino é um dos fundadores do Grupo Universitário em Defesa da Diversidade Sexual (GUDDS!), Coordenador do Projeto Educação sem Homofobia em Santa Luzia, e Pesquisador do Núcleo de Direitos Humanos e Cidadania LGBT (Nuh/UFMG) e do Núcleo de Psicologia Política (NPP/UFMG).

Em sua fala, Tolentino apresentou elementos da discussão política sobre a homofobia, e diferenciou a violência contra homossexuais que acontece nas ruas, geralmente associada a mortes e violência física, daquela que acontece em instituições e espaços privados. O psicólogo destacou a importância do papel da Universidade na produção de conhecimento e na transformação do espaço: “Como instituição pública, ligada à esfera política, a Universi! dade deve abraçar a missão de trazer para discus! s&atilde ;o o princípio da igualdade, fundamental para a democracia”.

Após a fala inicial de Tolentino, estudantes dos cursos de Serviço Social e Jornalismo tiveram a oportunidade de relatar pesquisas e projetos em torno do tema, e anunciaram o interesse na criação de um coletivo para promover o debate e a conscientização acerca das questões da homossexualidade e da diversidade na UFOP.

Também estavam presentes no ICSA o Pró-Reitor de Administração, André Lana, o Pró-reitor de Assuntos Comunitários e Estudantis, Rafael Magdalena e o Pró-Reitor Adjunto de Graduação, Adilson Pereira dos Santos, que reafirmaram o apoio de suas Pró-Reitorias ao movimento. O evento também contou com o apoio e a colaboração do Diretor do ICSA, José Arthur dos Santos Ferreira, e da Vice-diretora d o Instituto, Juç! ara Brittes, dos representantes dos colegiados do Instituto e de professores dos cursos de Serviço Social, Jornalismo, Administração, Economia, do Departamento de Educação e do Cead.

(Foto: Movimento Batalho pela Diversidade)

Lost Identities, LGBTQI People and the Baha'i Religion by Michael McCarron

The Past is a foreign country: they do things differently there

-L. P. Hartley

The Baha'i religion is a New Religious Movement (NRM) that developed out of Shi'a Islam, it began in the latter part of the 19^th Century, when a man named Mirza Husayn-`Ali, Baha'u'llah, declared that he was the promised one of God, a world redeemer, that would usher in a era of peace and harmony. The Baha'is view Baha'u'llah as the messianic fulfillment not just of Islam but also of Judaism and Christianity, as well as other religious traditions such as Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism. Some of the basic principles of the Baha'is is that of the removal of all prejudice, the view that science and religion must be harmonized or religion is superstition, independent investigation of truth, equality among genders. With these principles one would anticipate that the Baha'i religion would be welcoming to LGBTQI people, however, this is not true. Openly LGBTQI people are either forced into a closet or have their administrative rights removed with some reporting outright excommunication. In the following I examine the LGBTQI issues in the Baha'i religion and why it is viewed so negatively. To understand a position we need to understand the society, culture and time-placeness of an particular cultural issue. The development of these beliefs is tied to the cultural heritage of the Middle East looking at Judaism, then Christianity, then Islam and finally in the modern Baha'i belief system we can gain appreciation for the time-placeness of specific viewpoints on LGBTQI people. Intrinsically aligned with the issue of sexuality is that of gender. The modern western view of binary gender identification is not a cultural universal, there are many genders in many different cultures, there is no one universal gender social construct. Even in Judeo-Christian-Islamicate culture there have been historically 3 gender identities, rather then the contemporary 2 gender identities. 

make the jump here to read the full article 

Gavin Creel "NOISE" An Anthem for Equality

Via JMG: Reasons To Hate PETA, Part 89

Last week when the Senate approved the National Defense Authorization Act, included in that spending bill was an amendment overturning the military ban on sodomy. And since the ban on sodomy was in the same clause that banned fucking animals, the wingnuts are screaming that it's now legal to fuck goats in Obama's military. Yesterday when a reporter for the viciously anti-gay World Net Daily questioned White House press secretary Jay Carney about it, he rightfully laughed the asshat out of the room.

Enter PETA.

“In watching last night's news briefing, we were upset to note that you flippantly addressed the recently approved repeal of the military ban on bestiality,” the group wrote in the letter to Carney. “With respect, this is no laughing matter. Our office has been flooded with calls from Americans who are upset that this ban has been repealed—and for good reason. As we outlined in the attached letter sent yesterday to the secretary of defense, animal abuse does not affect animals only—it is also a matter of public safety, as people who abuse animals very often go on to abuse human beings.”

PETA is demanding that the ban on bestiality be reinstated and apparently they have little concern over whether that move would also reinstate the ban on sodomy. The ban on both remains in the House version of the bill, which is headed for reconciliation with the Senate's version. If PETA makes enough noise, there's a good chance that the sodomy ban will remain. But please don't let the rights of gay American soldiers get in the way of stopping the national epidemic of horse-fucking!

Read PETA's complete press release.

Labels: assholery, batshittery, bestiality, PETA

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: NYT Reports On Clinton Speech

The New York Times reports on yesterday's historic move by the Obama administration, which is says was months in the planning.

Mrs. Clinton anticipated the sensitivity of the issue for some more conservative countries, saying that “the obstacles standing in the way of protecting the human rights” of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people “rest on deeply held personal, political, cultural and religious beliefs.” She argued that gay rights transcended national, political and even culture boundaries, casting them as universal rights like those adopted by 48 nations in the aftermath of World War II in what was called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Mrs. Clinton’s aides so worried about the reaction of some countries at the Human Rights Council that they did not advertise the theme of her remarks before she delivered them. In the end, no representatives from the council’s 47 member nations walked out, and the audience gave her a standing ovation.

Read the full story.

Labels: Hillary Clinton, LGBT rights, Obama administration

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Maddow: Clinton's Speech Was Historic

Make the jump here to the story on Maddow

Labels: Hillary Clinton, LGBT History, Rachel Maddow

posted by Joe

Via JMG: SCOTLAND: Activists Call For Public Opinions On Same-Sex Marriage

Activists from Scotland's Equality Federation are soliciting public opinions on marriage equality. Submissions will be reviewed by the government.

Respondents do not have to be Scottish to express their opinion on the issue; the group can forward views from other countries in the UK and the world, which will then be looked at separately by the government. They say the decision taken by the government will have a important effect on how Scotland is perceived abroad, and overseas views should be taken into account. So far, the group has received around 15,000 messages through their website, but they are keen to boost the volume and diversity of responses in support of equal marriage rights.

You can submit your message here.

Labels: activism, marriage equality, Scotland, UK

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Networks Ignore Obama Announcement

Igor Volsky notes that the major news networks made no mention of yesterday's landmark announcement by the Obama administration.

Labels: journalism, LGBT History, Obama administration

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: CALIFORNIA: Hate Groups Now Pushing FIVE Anti-Gay Ballot Measures

Equality California last night sent out the above alert. It's apparent that hate groups have decided to simply overwhelm the good guys with a high number of attacks. It would likely cost tens of millions of dollars to defend against all five measures. We'll have to see if the other side has the financial backing to push them through.

Labels: 2012 elections, California, education, Equality California, hate groups, LGBT History

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: IOWA: Majority Of GOP Voters Support Same-Sex Marriage Or Civil Unions

JMG reader Matthew points out that buried way down in the latest New York Times poll we learn that 58% of Iowa's "likely GOP caucus goers" support either full marriage equality or civil unions. We'll wait here while the hate groups report that little nugget. Checks watch....

Labels: 2012 elections, GOP, Iowa, LGBT rights

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Changes For SF's Castro Theater?

Roger Ebert just tweeted that San Francisco's magnificent and legendary Castro Theater is changing its focus away from movies. Others on Twitter report that some of the employees have already been let go. (The theater's online calendar still shows a full schedule through the end of December.) The blog that Ebert links to says that the venue will still host the occasional film festival, but that the building will be remodeled into a live music hall. I'll update this post when more is known.

Labels: LGBT History, movies, San Francisco, The Castro

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Rick Perry: I'm Not Ashamed To Admit That I'm A Christian Who Hates Gays

Three days in a row on the same theme. Rick Perry appears to be completely hanging his hat on anti-gay hate. Move over Frothy. Make room Crazy Eyes.

Labels: assholery, bigotry, Christianists, dominionists, GOP, religion, Rick Perry, theocracy

posted by Joe

Via Utne:

The Soul Singer

Krishna Das combines Eastern moods and Western grooves to lift listeners.

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Tricycle Daily Dharma December 6, 2011

Our Life as a Koan

What is our life? And knowing what it is, how are we living it? How can we experience the life that we are living now as an infinite, literally limitless life, as the subtle mind of nirvana? For the irony is that we are all living such a life, we are all living this treasure, and we are also not quite living it either. In other words, our life is no other than the treasury of the true dharma eye and subtle mind of nirvana, and yet we see it as something other than this. We do not see that our life right here, right now, is nirvana. Maybe we think that nirvana is a place where there are no problems, no more delusions. Maybe we think nirvana is something very beautiful, something unattainable. We always think nirvana is something very different from our own life. But we must really understand that it is right here, right now.

- Taizan Maezumi Roshi, "Appreciate Your Life"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

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December 5, 2011

Practice Conscientious Compassion

Each of us has some task, some way to practice conscientious compassion. The question is: How do we find that task? To find it, a specific method can be prescribed. At the outset, practice the usual meditation on compassion, perhaps for 20 or 30 minutes. Then focus your attention on several of the formidable problems that loom before humanity today: futile and self-destructive wars, rampant military spending, global warming, violations of human rights, poverty and global hunger, the exploitation of women, our treatment of animals, the abuse of the environment, or any other concern that comes to mind. Reflect briefly on these problems, one by one, aware of how you respond to them. At some point, you will start to recognize that one of these problems, more than the others, tugs at the strings of your heart. These inner pangs suggest that this is the particular issue to which you should dedicate your time and energy.

- Bhikkhu Bodhi, "The Need of the Hour"
Read the entire article in the Tricycle Wisdom Collection

Mestre Tokuda (Alternativa Saúde)

Via JMG: Bullying Clip Goes Viral

A gay teen's clip about being bullied, which was posted in August, has suddenly gone viral in the last few days. Its author yesterday posted a brief follow-up clip to express thanks for the reaction.

Labels: bullying, LGBT youth, YouTube

Reposted from Joe