Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 31, 2013

Day of the Dead

How do we die as Buddhists in a culture that has developed an abject terror and denial of death—where death has been handed off to the care of professionals and institutions and legislated away from families and communities? How do we die in a culture that is not Buddhist? How do we die with a clear, alert, fearless mind? In fact, we have more possibilities than we may know, but we need to educate ourselves. Most of us are woefully ill-informed about the logistics of dying and caring for the dead in our society—and about how often these logistics can, in fact, be organized in line with our practices and beliefs.

- Mary Talbot, "Dying & Death: A Tricycle Special Section"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through November 1, 2013
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Via JMG: ISRAEL: Civil Unions Bill Introduced

 

Israel's Yesh Atid Party yesterday introduced a civil unions bill that would grant same-sex couples all the rights of marriage. The bill also ends the requirement that straight couples be married in a religious ceremony. The New York Times reports:

American Jewish leaders have strongly urged the adoption of a civil marriage law, fearing that many of their constituents would otherwise be unable to marry in Israel because their family histories do not fulfill the rabbinate’s requirements. The 15-page bill introduced in Parliament on Tuesday was careful not to use the word “marriage,” but would confer on couples in civil unions the same rights and benefits as ones who marry in religious ceremonies. Those eligible for such unions are defined as “two human beings” without regard to gender. It provides a way to dissolve the union, in a parallel to divorce. “We have no argument or clash with the religious establishment, but we do need to provide a civic solution for every person, Jew or non-Jew, gay or straight,” Yair Lapid, Israel’s finance minister and chairman of Yesh Atid, said in a statement.

The bill is opposed by the far-right Jewish Home Party, which presently hold 12 seats in the Knesset and is part of the three-party coalition government that includes Yesh Atid.

Labels: civil unions, Israel, LGBT rights

Reposted from Joe

The Daily Show 10/29/13 The Gayest states in the Union - Alabama & Mississippi with Al Madrigal

Via Wipe Out Homophobia / FB:

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 30, 2013

Forgiving Yourself

To forgive does not necessarily mean to forget. Sometimes to forget is not wise, but to forgive is wise. And it is at times not easy. It can, in fact, be quite challenging. It will come as no surprise that one of the most difficult people to forgive can be yourself. Yet with patience and gentle determination, it can be done.

- Allan Lokos, "Lighten Your Load"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through October 31, 2013
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Via FB:

Your mind is a shrieking gibbering madhouse on wheels barreling pell-mell down the hill utterly out of control and hopeless. No problem. You are not crazier than you were yesterday. It has always been this way and you just never noticed." -- Bhante H. Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English

Somewhere in this process you will come face-to-face with the sudden and shocking realization that you are completely crazy. Your mind is a shrieking gibbering madhouse on wheels barreling pell-mell down the hill utterly out of control and hopeless. No problem. You are not crazier than you were yesterday. It has always been this way and you just never noticed. You are also no crazier than everybody else around you. The only real difference is that you have confronted the situation they have not. [And over time you can develop greater discipline]. "Discipline" is a difficult word for most of us. It conjures up images of somebody standing over you with a stick, telling you that you're wrong. But self-discipline is different. It's the skill of seeing through the hollow shouting of your own impulses and piercing their secret. They have no power over you. It's all a show, a deception. Your urges scream and bluster at you; they cajole; they coax; they threaten; but they really carry no stick at all. You give in out of habit. You give in because you never really bother to look beyond the threat. It is all empty back there. There is only one way to learn this lesson, though. The words on this page won't do it. But look within and watch the stuff coming up-restlessness, anxiety, impatience, pain-just watch it come up and don't get involved. Much to your surprise, it will simply go away. It rises, it passes away. As simple as that. There is another word for self-discipline. It is patience. 

~ Bhante Henepola Gunaratana ~ "Mindfulness in Plain English"

Via justabahai:

On bullying and being different – Shane Koyczan’s spoken-word poetry by justabahai

Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me" Or do they? Watch this 12 minute TED talk where poet Shane Koyczan puts his finger on the pulse of what it's like to be young and different. It contain snippets of "To This Day" his spoken-word poem (which was created as […]

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Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 29, 2013

What is Anger?

Because we imagine anger is never a good thing, it is easy to think we should practice simply not being angry. But that approach is too general and abstract. It’s important for each of us to be precise, to be real, to be personal and honest, to find out exactly what my anger is. To do that we need to ask ourselves lots of questions about its actual nature.

- Nancy Baker, “Precious Energy”

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through October 30, 2013
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Via JMG: ATLANTA: All Out Activists Drive Billboard Trucks Past Coca-Cola Headquarters

 

Via press release:

Today, All Out demonstrated outside Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Coca-Cola is one of the largest Olympic sponsors and has the longest continuous Olympic sponsorship history of any of the sponsors. All Out called upon Coca-Cola to continue their strong tradition of support for the lesbian, gay, bi and trans communities by calling for an end of the anti-gay laws now.
All Out members funded three large trucks pulling huge billboards around the Coca-Cola global headquarters to encourage the company to respond to over 140,000 emails from All Out members asking Coca-Cola to do the right thing and condemn the anti-gay laws. In August, All Out members delivered more than 300,000 signatures to the International Olympic Committee headquarters. Members also urged the International Olympics Committee to speak out against Russia's anti-gay law ahead of the 2014 Winter Games.
Last month the IOC confirmed Principle 6 of the Olympic charter includes protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation, but as long as the anti-gay laws are in place during the Sochi Games the Olympic charter is unenforceable. In September, NBC reported record advertising revenue for the 2014 Games, with more than $800 Million already committed. NBC predicted the total could approach $970 Million before the games. Coca-Cola has been a sponsor of the Olympics since the 1928 Games in Amsterdam.

Photo source.

 

Labels: activism, advertising, All Out, Atlanta, Coca-Cola, LGBT rights, Russia, Sochi Olympics

Reposted from Joe

RuPaul Drives... Cassandra Peterson AKA Elvira

Via JMG: Putin: Gays Are Welcome At Sochi

"We are doing everything, both the organizers and our athletes and fans, so that participants and guests feel comfortable in Sochi, regardless of nationality, race or sexual orientation." - Russian president Vladimir Putin, speaking today to Thomas Bach, the chairman of the International Olympic Committee. Gays are welcome to attend, just don't do anything that might let somebody know that you are gay. Otherwise...

 

Labels: LGBT rights, Russia, Sochi Olympics, Vladimir Putin

Reposted from Joe

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 28, 2013

Sound Meditation

One specific method for practicing mindfulness of body sensations is to focus your attention on sounds. Sounds, like everything else, arise and pass away. Just by listening, you can experience the insight of impermanence, an understanding the Buddha taught as crucial for the development of wisdom.

- Sylvia Boorstein, "Sound Meditation"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through October 29, 2013
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Via BahaiTeachings.org: Baha’i Principles – Human Rights for All

If all of human history had happened today, the concept of human rights for all would’ve been born about two minutes ago.
 
Scholars have determined that no language on earth even contained a word or phrase for the concept of human rights before the year 1400.  In 1789, the first nations to adopt formal definitions of human rights — the United States with its Bill of Rights and France with its Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen – limited those rights to white, property-owning males.  The first truly egalitarian, global human rights document emerged from the United Nations in 1948 – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Now the basis for international law, the UDHR has become, in the 65 years of its existence, the most-translated document in the history of the world.

 

But almost a century before the UN developed and promulgated the UDHR, the Baha’i Faith became the first religion to call for universal human rights.  Baha’u’llah taught that every country must recognize the common global citizenship rights of all its peoples: “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”  Abdu’l-Baha, speaking in Europe and North America in 1911 and 1912, reinforced the Baha’i concept of universal human rights:

Baha’u'llah taught that an equal standard of human rights must be recognized and adopted. In the estimation of God all men are equal; there is no distinction or preferment for any soul in the dominion of His justice and equity. – The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 181.

This early, radical advocacy raised a truly global Baha’i voice for guaranteed rights for all human beings.  In his speeches, addresses and writings Abdu’l-Baha repeatedly pointed out the sheer absurdity of national, racial and gender-based prejudices, which granted rights to some but denied them to others:

…the world of humanity is one race, the surface of the earth one place of residence and these imaginary racial barriers and political boundaries are without right or foundation. Man is degraded in becoming the captive of his own illusions and suppositions. The earth is one earth, and the same atmosphere surrounds it. No difference or preference has been made by God for its human inhabitants; but man has laid the foundation of prejudice, hatred and discord with his fellowman by considering nationalities separate in importance and races different in rights and privileges. - The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 231.

Because of the strong Baha’i emphasis on human rights, the elected institutions of the Baha’i Faith have long made global human rights a high priority.  The Baha’i International Community works closely with the United Nations to extend human rights protections to everyone, including the extremely poor, prisoners of conscience, women and children, the disabled and those who belong to national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities.  In 2010 The Universal House of Justice, the democratically-elected governing body of the Baha’is of the world, issued this statement on gay rights:

With respect to your question concerning the position Baha’is are to take regarding homosexuality and civil rights… Baha’is are enjoined to eliminate from their lives all forms of prejudice and to manifest respect towards all. Therefore, to regard those with a homosexual orientation with prejudice or disdain would be against the spirit of the Faith. Furthermore, a Baha’i is exhorted to be “an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression”, and it would be entirely appropriate for a believer to come to the defense of those whose fundamental rights are being denied or violated.

Make the jump here to read the full article at Baha'i Teachings

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma October 27, 2013

Practice Anytime

It’s definitely the case that we can practice at any given moment. We can always try a little more to be kind, to be compassionate and be careful about what we do and say and so forth.

- Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, "Keeping a Good Heart"

Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through October 28, 2013
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Via JMG: Google Auto-Complete

 

Inspired by a similar campaign about women's rights, the United Nation's human rights office has launched an ad campaign which notes the most common suggestions when Google searches are made on LGBT-related topics. More results are at the link.

Labels: Google, internet, LGBT rights, United Nations

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: KANSAS: Christian Couple Stiffs Gay Waiter, Leave Note Calling Him "Fag"

From WTVM in Kansas:

A 20-year-old waiter provided exemplary service at an Overland Park Italian restaurant, but his anti-gay customers refused to tip him because of his sexual orientation. As word has spread through social media, other customers are coming in to offer words of encouragement and tip the young server extra. The man works at the Carrabba's Italian Grill near 107th Street and Metcalf Avenue. His mother also works as a hostess and she was very upset by what was written on the back of the check earlier this week after he waited on a couple.
"Thank you for your service, it was excellent. That being said, we cannot in good conscience tip you, for your homosexual lifestyle is an affront to GOD. (Homosexual slur) do not share in the wealth of GOD, and you will not share in ours," the customer wrote. "We hope you will see the tip your (homosexual slur) choices made you lose out on, and plan accordingly. It is never too late for GOD's love, but none shall be spared for (homosexual slur). May GOD have mercy on you." The server and his mother declined to answer questions on camera, referring questions to restaurant management.

So they called him a "fag" in the same sentence in which they declared God's love for everybody. (Via Towleroad)

 

Labels: Christian Love, disgusting, Kansas, religion

Reposted from Joe

Via JMG: TAIWAN: Thousands March For Marriage

 

Tens of thousands marched in Taipei's gay pride parade today in support of a marriage equality bill under consideration by the Taiwanese legislature. Via Reuters:

Taiwan's legislature on Friday began a review of a gay marriage bill, which has the support of 53 percent of the public, according to a recent opinion poll, though acceptance of a gay family member remains low. "Chinese families are still very traditional," said Jennifer Lu of the counselling group Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association and one of the hosts on the centre stage. "People still emphasise having an heir and passing on the family name." On a cool autumn day, the 11th annual parade was marked by colourful costumes, plenty of exposed skin, musical performances and vendors lining the route to and from the city hall. Spokeswoman Meico Tsai praised the liberal attitudes that have put Taiwan far ahead of its neighbours in terms of tolerance of gays. "Compared to other Asian countries, we're more open, but we still have a long way to go," she said. Sexual-orientation education is a part of the primary school curriculum and LGBT individuals enjoy legal protection from hiring discrimination and other forms of prejudice. "Korea is much more conservative," said South Korean national Carmen Yoon, a first-time attendee. "I hope Taiwan will legalise gay marriage and we can follow their example."

The marriage bill is sponsored by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party and is before the legislature's judiciary committee. 

Labels: Asia, gay Pride, marriage equality, Taiwan

Reposted from Joe

Via Being Liberal / FB:

Via Just a Bahai Blog:

New post on Just a Bahai Blog

Stephen Fry’s docu – “Out There” being gay by justabahai

Stephen Fry's opening phrase on the question of why do people hate gays, "It's like someone who spends their whole life trying to get rid of red telephones" - why bother? They don't hurt anyone. Watch episode 1 of this brilliant 58 minute documentary aired on the BBC on October 14th 2013 and let me […]

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