Zen
Master Jizo said that ‘not knowing is the most intimate thing.’ Not
knowing means to be open to all eventualities, to not prejudge a person
or situation. If your mind is full of preconceived notions, there is no
room for an unbiased view. It is like when your hands are full of
objects—you cannot pick up anything new. A closed mind causes separation
and suspicion. Like an umbrella, a mind is only useful when it is open.
The first step toward maintaining an open mind is to understand the
nature of mind or self.
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"We will have to change the law. If the Supreme Court has upheld that law, then we will certainly have to take firm steps," Thursday. "Change has to be made fast, and any delay cannot take place." Sibal's comments were echoed by other government officials. Sonia Gandhi, the head of the ruling Congress Party, who is among the most powerful political figures in the country, said Thursday she was disappointed by the Supreme Court's ruling, adding she hopes "Parliament will address the issue and uphold the constitutional guarantee of life and liberty to all citizens of India, including those directly affected by the judgment." The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, fresh off massive wins in state elections last week, refused to comment on the ruling, "react when we see the government's proposal." The BJP is seen as a front-runner ahead of next year's national elections.
If
we’re afraid of who we are, we continually feel frantic about filling
that space, anything to avoid that persistent unease beneath the surface
of our lives. The fearlessness of the warrior comes from stepping again
and again into open space, with body, breath, and heart exposed. It is
the fearlessness that is willing to be intimate with fear.
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We are deeply disappointed at the decision of the Supreme Court in Suresh Kumar Kaushal v. Naz Foundation. The decision by overturning the historic Delhi High Court judgment which recognized that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) persons are full citizens of India, attempts to stem the tide of history. By overturning the Naz Foundation judgment, the Supreme Court has, in one fell stroke again reduced LGBT persons to the status of what the Delhi High Court memorably called 'unapprehended felons'. The judgment of the Supreme Court is a unconscionable blow to the dignity of LGBT persons who as per the Indian Constitution are entitled to equal treatment. It withdraws the protective arm of the constitution from LGBT persons and renders LGBT persons vulnerable to discrimination, violence and harassment. It is a tragedy that this judgment forgets the vision of the founders of the Indian republic which was so eloquently captured by the Delhi High Court. By re-criminalizing LGBT persons the judgment ignores the spirit of inclusiveness which is the heart of the Indian Constitution as articulated by Jawaharlal Nehru. It equally abandons the principle of constitutional morality (ie majorities dont have a charter to discriminate against minorities purely because they are majorities) articulated by Dr. Ambedkar which is the cornerstone of a diverse and plural nation.Read the full statement.
They focused in part on the upcoming Winter Olympics in Russia, which passed a law this summer banning homosexual "propaganda." The law has drawn international condemnation and sparked calls for a boycott, though no nations have threatened to pull their athletes. Navratilova, who lost lucrative endorsements when she came out in 1981, said she doesn't support boycotts of any kind. But she said the IOC is "putting its head in the sand" and criticized FIFA, the world soccer body, for awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. "Nobody's talking about Qatar and the World Cup. You can get a jail term there," she said of consensual gay sex in the Persian Gulf nation. In six other countries, including Saudi Arabia, simply being gay is punishable by death, she said. "Gays and lesbians seem to be the last group it's seen as OK to pick on," she said.Watch video here.
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One
finds in Buddhist tradition a distinction between “words” and
“meaning,” which are often very different from one another, and we would
do well to consider the traditional advice—whether we are looking at
statues or interpreting teachings—to pay attention to symbolic meaning
and not be limited to literal meaning.
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We
try to turn a profit in practice—to get something from it. We try to
get better. We try to get enlightenment. We try to get seen for doing it
right. What are we being stingy with here? Wholehearted surrender to
the present moment or to what is. Think how stingy we are with that.
Think how tightly we hold on. We also imagine that in practicing, what
we will “get” will be ours—which is, of course, the greatest delusion of
all.
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In mid-May, Brazilian courts determined that public offices that oversee marriages cannot reject gay couples, even though Brazil's national congress has passed no law on the matter. Some public offices had already been accepting marriage applications from homosexual couples, while others denied them. An emotional Viviane Soares Lessa de Faria, 38, smiled at her partner and told news site G1 "I've dreamed of marrying her since I met her." Her wife's 29-year-old son was the couple's best man. For Giuseppe Laricchia, 21, marrying his boyfriend was about guaranteeing rights. "We need to have equality compared with heterosexual couples," he said.
The
ancient Chinese used the image of the host to describe the observing,
stable meditator. Many guests visit the host. Some are invited, and they
tend to be kind, charming, and a pleasure to entertain. Others are not
invited: they are drunk, unruly, and eat all the food. Or they stand
around, staring into space.
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A rainbow-flag theme has been selected for the traditional lights along the city's main shopping street, the Via del Corso. The lights run for almost a mile long. The lights were chosen by the local council as a stand against homophobia, following the recent suicide of a gay teenager in the Eternal City. "That is how we came up with the rainbow flag idea," said councilor Imma Battaglia, who also heads up a gay rights campaign group. But that decision has not gone down well with everyone, reports AFP.The company that put up the lights has responded to the furor by saying that the lights are now also dedicated to the memory of Nelson Mandela.
Gauck took the decision to protest human rights violations and the harassment of Russian opposition political figures, Der Spiegel reported Sunday. The magazine said the Russian government was informed of his decision last week. Presidential spokeswoman Ferdos Forudastan confirmed the move to the dpa news agency on Sunday. Gauck's office could not immediately be reached for further confirmation. Forudastan told dpa that there was no set rule saying German presidents had to travel. Former president Horst Koehler did not travel to Vancouver for the Winter Games in 2010. The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) said on its website that Gauck had not been planning to visit to Sochi "according to our knowledge." DOSB director general Michael Vesper told dpa that "(someone) who doesn't travel doesn't automatically boycott something. It's certainly not directed against the German team." Gauck, an outspoken critic of Russia's human-rights record, is yet to visit the country since taking office in March 2012. A planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2012 fell through, apparently for scheduling reasons.The presidency of Germany is largely a ceremonial position. Chancellor Angela Merkel, the actual head of the government, has spoken against any boycott of the Sochi Olympics. (Tipped by JMG reader Str8 Grandmother)
Buddha,
Dharma, and Sangha are three precious jewels in Buddhism, and the most
important of these is Sangha. The Sangha contains the Buddha and the
Dharma. A good teacher is important, but sisters and brothers in the
practice are the main ingredient for success. You cannot achieve
enlightenment by locking yourself in your room. Transformation is
possible only when you are in touch. When you touch the ground, you can
feel the stability of the earth and feel confident.
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