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.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma January 28, 2013
The Tyranny of Reaction
When
you aren’t run by reactions, you see things more clearly, and there is
usually only one, possibly two courses of action that are actually
viable. Freedom from the tyranny of reaction leads to a way of
experiencing life that leaves you with little else to do but take the
direction that life offers you in each moment.
|
- Ken McLeod, “Freedom and Choice”
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Via Eden Movement/FB: Max Ehrmann, Desiderata: A Poem for a Way of Life
Love, here I come.
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there
may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender, be on good
terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen
to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Be
yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about
love – for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment is it perennial
as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully
surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield
you from misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many
fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than
the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not
it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever
you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations, in
the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its
sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata: A Poem for a Way of Life
Post by Ryan Matthew Stephan
~Rebeccah
Love, here I come.
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love – for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment is it perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you from misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata: A Poem for a Way of Life
Post by Ryan Matthew Stephan
~Rebeccah
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love – for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment is it perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you from misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata: A Poem for a Way of Life
Post by Ryan Matthew Stephan
~Rebeccah
Via 2012 Healing the Planet 2012 / FB:
The darkness of ages cannot shroud
the glowing sun;
The long eons of Samsara (world) never can hide the Mind’s brilliant Light.
-Tilopa, The Song of Mahamudra
~ Traditional Buddhist teaching ~
2012 Healing the Planet 2012
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma January 27, 2013
Deeper into Practice
Many
people are doing shamata meditation. This is a kind of resting
meditation, also called 'calm abiding.' This is good, but in Buddhist
training you must go deeper than this. It is important to go deeper into
emptiness—not nothingness, but into understanding emptiness as the
nature of mind. This is where wisdom and compassion come from.
|
- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, "Trust Through Reason"
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Via JMG: Headline Of The Day
Last week NOM was all over the hate web trumpeting an unsourced poll which claimed that French support for same-sex marriage had "plummeted." Not according to a poll released today.
Reposted from Joe
Via ॐ Blue Buddha Quote Collective / FBP:
"Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage.
The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict."
~ William Ellery Channing
The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict."
~ William Ellery Channing
Subject: If I were Bahá'í !
Subject: If I were Bahá'í !
"If I were Bahá'í!" is Tarek Heggy's newest addition to his series of articles entitled " If I were ...! Google search-engine would provide access to some of the earlier pieces of this series, such as "If I were an Egyptian Copt", "If I were a Saudi Shiite!", "If I were a Syrian Kurd!". The publication of "If I were an Egyptian Nubian!" is eminent. Defending the rights of minorities and religious freedoms represent an essential corner-stone of Tarek Heggy's writings, together with advocating the basic values of modernity : plurality, otherness, women rights, freedom of speech, critical mind, relativity, civil & secular state ....etc. According to Tarek Heggy, the top enemies of such values are totalitarian dogmas such as Marxism, Islamism and any religion when it endeavours to run societies.
---------------------------------------
-------------------
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have informed the world of the systematic plan to eliminate all trace of the Bahá'í Faith and the Bahá'ís from Egypt.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have brought to the attention of all the great personalities and the intellectuals of the world the respect and regard with which their peers in Egypt received 'Abdu'l-Bahá (Son of Bahá'u'lláh) during His visit to this country in the early 20th. Century, and with what filth and disregard today's pretentious personalities and false intellectuals of Egypt smear the fair name of Bahá'í and the Bahá'ís.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the concourse of Justice in the world on the subject of the Al Azhar Establishment and say to its honourable Ulamá: How could you decide today that Bahá'í is not a religion when the Superior Shar'ia Tribunal of Beba/Souhag ruled in 1925 that "Bahá'í is an independent religion."
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the concourse of Justice in the world on the subject of the Al Azhar Establishment which with all the mosques, mesdjids and kettab schools at their disposal in Egypt, have found it necessary to disown the Bahá'í Community of their main centre building to use it for a Qur'ánic school.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the concourse of Justice in the world on the subject of the imprisonment of some 92 Bahá'ís - men and women - aged between 2 and 80 years. They were arrested between midnight and dawn from all over Egypt and transfered to jail in Tanta; then falsely accused of treason, misconduct and espionage, far and wide in the media, for no other reason than because they are Bahá'í.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the concourse of Justice in the world on the frequent arrest of Bahá'ís, men and women, their incarceration in jail for days, weeks or months for interrogation. The courts have never found them guilty of neither crime nor fault, but they were Bahá'í.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the concourse of Art in the west and in the east, to the case of one of the greatest and most admired artists of Egypt, Hussein Bikar, who was arrested in his home and driven to jail with other renowned Bahá'ís for days of interrogation regarding his and their Bahá'í Faith.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the concourse of Art in the west and in the east, and would say to them: Hussein Bikar, one of the greatest and most admired Artists of Egypt had no Identity card at his death at almost 90 years of age. The Egyptian Authorities refused to issue one with "Bahá'í" mentioned in the space for religion.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the world Organizations of Law and Justice and of Human Rights, government and non-government alike, and said to them: Imagine that in Egypt of the 21st. Century, individual Identity cards have to include the binding indication of the religion of the individual?
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the world Organizations of Law and Justice and of Human Rights, government and non-government alike, and said to them: Imagine that in Egypt of the 21st. Century, individual Identity cards must include the binding indication of one of only three religions notwithstanding the individual's wish or faith ?
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the world Organizations of Law and Justice and of Human Rights, government and non-government alike, and said to them: In Egypt of the 21st. Century, the sons and daughters of Bahá'ís are issued individual Identity cards with a dash (--) for religion while their parents are refused identity cards: WHY ? Because the Egyptian State does not recognize Bahá'í marriage!
O people of the world: come and take stock of administrative excellence!
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness all the Ministers of Education of the world and informed them that: The Minister of Education of Egypt has declared that he will refuse admittance of children - yes children! of Bahá'ís to the government schools because the children are Bahá'í!
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have informed the world that the new Egyptian Constitution contains the necessary elements for the elimination of the Bahá'í minority in Egypt.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have informed the world that burning the homes of Bahá'ís takes place with impunity in Egypt.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the world Organizations of Mass Media, of Law and Justice and of Human Rights, government and non-government alike, and informed them that in Egypt, inciting to kill Bahá'ís, through TV and speeches is normal and is done with impunity!
In spite of all this:
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have said to those in authority in Egypt: I am loyal to my country, I love my country, I strive for the success and progress of my country and I consider the children of my neighbours as my children without consideration of religion or creed. How wonderful would Egypt be were you, who are in authority, to follow in this same path.
------------------------------ ------------------------------
(1) http://www.muslimsdebate.com/t arekheggy/ +
(2) http://www.gatestoneinstitute. org/biography/Tarek+Heggy +
(3) http://www.tarek-heggy.com/Eng lish-essays-main.htm +
(4)
https://www.google.com/webhp?h l=en&tab=mw#hl=en&sugexp=les%3 B&gs_rn=1&gs_ri=hp&tok=pvdU8Zi ZJqsBdJbU0LrqdQ&cp=3&gs_id=7z& xhr=t&q=tarek+heggy&es_nrs= true&pf=p&safe=off&tbo=d& output=search&sclient=psy-ab& oq=tar&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2, or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv .41248874,d.d2k&fp=70ef86a6dff 53ff5&biw=1600&bih=773
(5)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie= UTF8&keywords=tarek+heggy&tag= googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=1 7221707590&hvpos=1t1&hvexid&hv netw=g&hvrand=1476966477582350 208&hvpone&hvptwo&hvqmt=e&ref= pd_sl_13fc3yrvzi_e
URL to archives is http://listserv.buffalo.edu/ar chives/tarikh-list.html
"If I were Bahá'í!" is Tarek Heggy's newest addition to his series of articles entitled " If I were ...! Google search-engine would provide access to some of the earlier pieces of this series, such as "If I were an Egyptian Copt", "If I were a Saudi Shiite!", "If I were a Syrian Kurd!". The publication of "If I were an Egyptian Nubian!" is eminent. Defending the rights of minorities and religious freedoms represent an essential corner-stone of Tarek Heggy's writings, together with advocating the basic values of modernity : plurality, otherness, women rights, freedom of speech, critical mind, relativity, civil & secular state ....etc. According to Tarek Heggy, the top enemies of such values are totalitarian dogmas such as Marxism, Islamism and any religion when it endeavours to run societies.
---------------------------------------
If I were Bahá'í ! by : Tarek Heggy.
-------------------
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have informed the world of the systematic plan to eliminate all trace of the Bahá'í Faith and the Bahá'ís from Egypt.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have brought to the attention of all the great personalities and the intellectuals of the world the respect and regard with which their peers in Egypt received 'Abdu'l-Bahá (Son of Bahá'u'lláh) during His visit to this country in the early 20th. Century, and with what filth and disregard today's pretentious personalities and false intellectuals of Egypt smear the fair name of Bahá'í and the Bahá'ís.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the concourse of Justice in the world on the subject of the Al Azhar Establishment and say to its honourable Ulamá: How could you decide today that Bahá'í is not a religion when the Superior Shar'ia Tribunal of Beba/Souhag ruled in 1925 that "Bahá'í is an independent religion."
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the concourse of Justice in the world on the subject of the Al Azhar Establishment which with all the mosques, mesdjids and kettab schools at their disposal in Egypt, have found it necessary to disown the Bahá'í Community of their main centre building to use it for a Qur'ánic school.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the concourse of Justice in the world on the subject of the imprisonment of some 92 Bahá'ís - men and women - aged between 2 and 80 years. They were arrested between midnight and dawn from all over Egypt and transfered to jail in Tanta; then falsely accused of treason, misconduct and espionage, far and wide in the media, for no other reason than because they are Bahá'í.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the concourse of Justice in the world on the frequent arrest of Bahá'ís, men and women, their incarceration in jail for days, weeks or months for interrogation. The courts have never found them guilty of neither crime nor fault, but they were Bahá'í.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the concourse of Art in the west and in the east, to the case of one of the greatest and most admired artists of Egypt, Hussein Bikar, who was arrested in his home and driven to jail with other renowned Bahá'ís for days of interrogation regarding his and their Bahá'í Faith.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the concourse of Art in the west and in the east, and would say to them: Hussein Bikar, one of the greatest and most admired Artists of Egypt had no Identity card at his death at almost 90 years of age. The Egyptian Authorities refused to issue one with "Bahá'í" mentioned in the space for religion.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the world Organizations of Law and Justice and of Human Rights, government and non-government alike, and said to them: Imagine that in Egypt of the 21st. Century, individual Identity cards have to include the binding indication of the religion of the individual?
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the world Organizations of Law and Justice and of Human Rights, government and non-government alike, and said to them: Imagine that in Egypt of the 21st. Century, individual Identity cards must include the binding indication of one of only three religions notwithstanding the individual's wish or faith ?
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the world Organizations of Law and Justice and of Human Rights, government and non-government alike, and said to them: In Egypt of the 21st. Century, the sons and daughters of Bahá'ís are issued individual Identity cards with a dash (--) for religion while their parents are refused identity cards: WHY ? Because the Egyptian State does not recognize Bahá'í marriage!
O people of the world: come and take stock of administrative excellence!
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness all the Ministers of Education of the world and informed them that: The Minister of Education of Egypt has declared that he will refuse admittance of children - yes children! of Bahá'ís to the government schools because the children are Bahá'í!
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have informed the world that the new Egyptian Constitution contains the necessary elements for the elimination of the Bahá'í minority in Egypt.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have informed the world that burning the homes of Bahá'ís takes place with impunity in Egypt.
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have taken for witness the world Organizations of Mass Media, of Law and Justice and of Human Rights, government and non-government alike, and informed them that in Egypt, inciting to kill Bahá'ís, through TV and speeches is normal and is done with impunity!
In spite of all this:
* If I were Bahá'í: I would have said to those in authority in Egypt: I am loyal to my country, I love my country, I strive for the success and progress of my country and I consider the children of my neighbours as my children without consideration of religion or creed. How wonderful would Egypt be were you, who are in authority, to follow in this same path.
------------------------------
For more of Tarek Heggy's writings in English :
(1) http://www.muslimsdebate.com/t
(2) http://www.gatestoneinstitute.
(3) http://www.tarek-heggy.com/Eng
(4)
https://www.google.com/webhp?h
(5)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=
URL to archives is http://listserv.buffalo.edu/ar
Via Tricycle Daily Dharma:
Tricycle Daily Dharma January 26, 2013
Helping Each Other Through
History's
accelerating like technology's accelerated. Can't go back. We can blow
the whole show up. Or we can calm fear, see the world is really
changing, like a dream, & go explore & help each other through.
It's all safe because as Einstein & the Buddhists secretly tipped
everybody off long ago: the whole show is a harmless wave-illusion.
|
- Allen Ginsberg, “‘Letter to the Wall Street Journal,’ 1966”
Friday, January 25, 2013
Via JMG: SCOTUS Asked Not To Rule On DOMA
SCOTUSblog reports on the latest DOMA wrinkle:
The Supreme Court does not have the power to rule on the case the Justices have agreed to review on the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act of 1996, a Harvard law professor argued in a brief filed Thursday evening. The professor, Vicki C. Jackson, also argued against letting the Republican members of the House of Representatives’ leadership defend DOMA’s validity, saying they do not speak for Congress, or even for the House.Chris Geidner has more analysis at Buzzfeed:
If the Court accepts this advice, it probably would miss its chance to rule during the current Term on DOMA’s Section 3, which defines marriage for all federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman. It has been challenged by same-sex couples who are legally married, as they seek the federal benefits at issue. There is not time, in the remaining months of the Term (unless the Court would really rush things), for review of another DOMA case, even though others are pending.
The Court on December 7 agreed to review the constitutionality of Section 3 in the case of United States v. Windsor (docket 12-307). At the same time, however, it added questions about its authority to do so and then invited Professor Jackson to argue two points: One, whether the Obama administration can appeal a case that it won in a lower court (it believes DOMA is unconstitutional, and the lower court ruled that way). And, two, whether the House’s three GOP leaders could satisfy the Constitution’s Article III requirement that they have a legal right to be DOMA’s defenders in court.
In discussing why the House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group — the 3-2 Republican majority of which voted to take up the defense of DOMA after the administration's 2011 decision to stop defending the law — does not have the authority, or standing, to be there, Jackson argued: "It is the Executive Branch, not Congress, that is obligated to "take Care" that laws are enforced. Moreover, any injury that might arise from nondefense of a law would be to the whole Congress, which one House cannot alone assert." The Supreme Court appointed Jackson to argue these positions because, presumably, the justices decided they wanted a view outside of the views presented before lower courts on these questions. By the terms of that appointment, then, it was expected that Jackson would be arguing these views.
Labels: DOMA, Edith Windsor, feds, SCOTUS
Via Gay Poltics Report:
U.S. could fall behind as Latin America races toward LGBT equality
J. Lester Feder details a "striking" advance in LGBT equality across Latin America, where Argentina allows same-sex couples to marry, and Chile has passed an LGBT non-discrimination law. The U.S. Supreme Court justices who will decide two landmark marriage cases this year "will be deciding whether the United States will fall behind as its neighbors establish a new standard of human rights, or whether it will join a revolution that is well underway," Feder writes. ForeignPolicy.com (1/24)
J. Lester Feder details a "striking" advance in LGBT equality across Latin America, where Argentina allows same-sex couples to marry, and Chile has passed an LGBT non-discrimination law. The U.S. Supreme Court justices who will decide two landmark marriage cases this year "will be deciding whether the United States will fall behind as its neighbors establish a new standard of human rights, or whether it will join a revolution that is well underway," Feder writes. ForeignPolicy.com (1/24)
Via Buddhism on Beliefnet:
Daily Buddhist Wisdom | |||
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