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.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Via JMG: Supreme Court Sets The Date To Review Prop 8 And DOMA Cases: November 20th
Breaking news from AFER:
The U.S. Supreme Court has announced that it will consider whether to grant review in AFER’s federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8. The Justices will meet to discuss our case, along with several challenges to the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), at their private Conference scheduled for Tuesday, November 20. The Court is expected to either:AFER adds: "The Court is expected to release an Order List with its decisions on cases it has granted or denied review from its November 20 Conference by Monday, November 26."
- Grant review of our Prop. 8 challenge, at which point AFER’s legal team, led by distinguished attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies, will submit written briefs and present oral arguments by April 2013. A final decision on Prop. 8 and marriage equality is expected by June 2013.
- Deny review, making permanent the landmark federal appeals court ruling that found Prop. 8 UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Marriage equality will be restored in California.
Labels: AFER, DOMA, Proposition 8, Supreme Court
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma October 29, 2012
Loving Attention
When
we are fully present and able to pay attention in a sustained way to
our experience we can begin to see directly, uncolored by our ideas and
concepts. Placing our trust more in loving attention and less in
analyzing the story can allow space for a new way of holding the
question.
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- Narayan Liebenson Grady, "Questioning the Question"
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma October 28, 2012
Unfailing Altruism
The
practitioner’s mind is likened to a mountain that the winds can’t
shake; he’s neither tormented by the difficulties he may come across nor
elated by his successes. But that equanimity is neither apathy nor
indifference. It’s accompanied by inner jubilation, and by an openness
of mind expressed as unfailing altruism.
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- Matthieu Ricard, "One Blood, Two Lineages"
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Via JMG: GALLUP: Gays May Swing The Election
An interesting note from Gallup:
A new Gallup Report finds that 71% of LGBT Americans who are registered voters support President Obama for reelection, while 22% support Governor Mitt Romney. From June to September, non-LGBT registered voters preferred Romney to Obama by one percentage point, 47% to 46%. However, when LGBT voters are added to electorate, Obama moves slightly ahead of Romney (47% to 45%). These findings suggest that the highly Democratic vote of the LGBT population could be enough to swing a very close election toward Obama. The findings are based on more than 120,000 interviews of adults in the US, which represents the largest representative sample of LGBT men and women ever collected.
Labels: 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Gallup
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma October 27, 2012
Great Questioning, Great Awakening
The
most important part of the practice is for the question to remain alive
and for your whole body and mind to become a question. In Zen they say
that you have to ask with the pores of your skin and the marrow of your
bones. A Zen saying points out: Great questioning, great awakening;
little questioning, little awakening; no questioning, no awakening.
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- Martine Batchelor, "What is This?"
Friday, October 26, 2012
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma October 26, 2012
Calm and Radiant Balance
Equanimity
takes interest in whatever is occurring simply because it is occurring.
Equanimity does not include the aversive states of indifference,
boredom, coldness, or hesitation. It is an expression of calm, radiant
balance that takes whatever comes in stride.
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- Shaila Catherine, "Equanimity in Every Bite"
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Via JMG: HomoQuotable - Doug Wright
"I wish my moderate Republican friends would simply be honest. They all say they’re voting for Romney because of his economic policies (tenuous and ill-formed as they are), and that they disagree with him on gay rights. Fine. Then look me in the eye, speak with a level clear voice, and say, 'My taxes and take-home pay mean more than your fundamental civil rights, the sanctity of your marriage, your right to visit an ailing spouse in the hospital, your dignity as a citizen of this country, your healthcare, your right to inherit, the mental welfare and emotional well-being of your youth, and your very personhood.' It’s like voting for George Wallace during the Civil Rights movements, and apologizing for his racism. You’re still complicit. You’re still perpetuating anti-gay legislation and cultural homophobia. You don’t get to walk away clean, because you say you 'disagree' with your candidate on these issues." - Pulitzer and Tony winning playwright Doug Wright, in a message now going viral on Facebook.
UPDATE: I've been unable to find the original posting of this quote, which as I mentioned above has been reposted to many Facebook accounts. Please email me if you find the source and I'll add the link.
UPDATE II: Twitter user DogUnderwater points out that Playbill has posted Wright's message with his permission.
Via Sacramento Buddhist Meditation Group - Dharma Breeze:
“If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.”
― Pema Chödrön
― Pema Chödrön
Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:
Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma October 25, 2012
Only the Truth
The
Buddha didn't talk about Buddhism. He was concerned, simply, with the
truth—the truth of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering—and
that, I'd submit, is a good thing for anybody to learn.
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- Peter Doobinin, "Tough Lovingkindness"
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Via JMG: You People Are "Unhinged" For Believing The Words Of Bay Buchanan
GOProud is super upset that people are taking seriously the words of their own keynote speaker Bay Buchanan, who last week said,
"Governor Romney also believes, consistent with the 10th Amendment,
that it should be left to states to decide whether to grant same-sex
couples certain benefits, such as hospital visitation rights and the
ability to adopt children." I'd post that quote over at Twitchy, but
they've banned me for my detestable habit of repeating verbatim the
words of our enemies. But hey, Twitchy uses Disqus, so feel free to drop some truth over there.
Reposted from Joe
Labels: GOProud, homocons, Mitt Romney, Quislings
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