Friday, January 9, 2015
Via Awake in our Mythology: THE GOLDEN RULE
Awake in our Mythology at undefined
THE GOLDEN RULE
The Golden Rule is an ethical statement which is found in many religions and philosophies. It is also called the ethic of reciprocity.
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African Traditional Religions
"One going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts."
Yoruba Proverb (Nigeria)
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Buddhism
"Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful."
Udana-Varga 5,1
"Comparing oneself to others in such terms as "Just as I am so are they, just as they are so am I," he should neither kill nor cause others to kill."
Sutta Nipata 705
"One should seek for others the happiness one desires for himself"
Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama, c. 563 - c. 483 B.C.)
"The Ariyan disciple thus reflects, Here am I, fond of my life, not wanting to die, fond of pleasure and averse from pain. Suppose someone should rob me of my life... it would not be a thing pleasing and delightful to me. If I, in my turn, should rob of his life one fond of his life, not wanting to die, one fond of pleasure and averse from pain, it would not be a thing pleasing or delightful to him. For a state that is not pleasant or delightful to me must also be to him also; and a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another? As a result of such reflection he himself abstains from taking the life of creatures and he encourages others so to abstain, and speaks in praise of so abstaining."
Samyutta Nikaya v.353
"Never do to other persons what would pain thyself."
Panchatantra (Buddhist Mythology c. 200 B.C.)
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Christianity
"All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them; for this is the law and the prophets."
Matthew 7:1
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Leviticus 19.18
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets"
Matthew 22.36-40
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Confucianism
"Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state."
Analects 12:2
"Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence."
Mencius VII.A.4
"Tsekung asked, "Is there one word that can serve as a principle of conduct for life?" Confucius replied, "It is the word shu--reciprocity: Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.""
Analects 15.23
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Hinduism
"This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you."
Mahabharata 5,1517
"One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality. All other activities are due to selfish desire."
Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 113.8
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Islam
"No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself."
40 Hadith of an-Nawawi 13
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Jainism
"In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self."
"A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated."
Sutrakritanga 1.11.33
"One should treat all beings as he himself would be treated."
Agamas Sutrakritanga 1.10.13
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Judaism
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary."
Talmud, Shabbat 3id
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Sikhism
"As thou deemest thyself, so deem others."
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Taoism
"Regard your neighbor's gain as your gain, and your neighbor's loss as your own loss."
Tai Shang Kan Yin P'ien
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Zoroastrianism
"That nature alone is good which refrains from doing another whatsoever is not good for itself."
Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5
"Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do not do unto others."
Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29
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Other
"Do not do unto others what angers you if done to you by others."
Socrates 436-338 BCE
"We should behave toward friends as we would wish friends to behave toward us."
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)
"He sought for others the good he desired for himself. Let him pass."
Egyptian Book of the Dead (1580-1350 B.C.)
"Do not kill or injure your neighbor, for it is not him that you injure, you injure yourself. But do good to him, therefore add to his days of happiness as you add to your own. Do not wrong or hate your neighbor, for it is not him that you wrong, you wrong yourself. But love him, for Moneto loves him also as he loves you."
Shawnees Indians
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Contemplation and Application of the Golden Rule
Maybe, due to our past tendencies, we find ourselves acting cruelly and selfishly despite our intellectual understanding of the goodness and correctness of the Golden Rule. How may we strengthen our intellectual understanding of the Golden Rule and also increase our awareness and moment to moment application of the Golden Rule? Keep the rule in mind, that is, remember it often. Venerate the rule, silently praise it in your heart and mind joyfully. This will increase your attraction to the principle of the Golden Rule. Within your own nature, your attention will cleanse and deepen your understanding of the Golden Rule. Visualise the highest Love and Understanding of the rule as glorious light filling you and vibrating through you, cleansing, healing and blessing your motives, your thoughts, your speech, your actions and your circumstances. If you believe in God and/or positive higher powers then pray for help in this. If you are an athiest then make a rational decision to embody this rule in the best way possible.
"On this path effort never goes to waste, and there is no failure. Even a little effort toward spiritual awareness will protect you from the greatest fear."
Bhagavad Gita
Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 09/01/2015
“There are two types of karma: one that brings you closer to God and
liberates you, and another that distances you from God and imprisons
you. Karma is constructed through thoughts, words and actions.
Therefore, you can choose to cultivate thoughts, words and actions that
contribute to your liberation or ones that imprison you even further.”
Via Daily Dharma
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Compassion Demands Engagement | January 9, 2015
The central guiding principle of Buddhism is compassion and concern for
the world in which we live. It's the idea of interdependence—that our
actions dictate the experience of others. I don't think everybody needs
to run out and join an aid organization and everyone should feel bad
that they're not doing more for people in need. But I would like to see
Buddhists have a braver relationship to engaging with the world—and
also, potentially, a smarter one. We're trained to develop our intellect
and develop our wisdom, and it's not worth very much unless you put it
into practice.
- Ashoka Mukpo, "I Survived Ebola. But the Fight Doesn't End There."  |
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 08/01/2015
“Normalmente as feridas criadas na infância são reeditadas na
adolescência, que é justamente um período no qual temos a chance de
tratá-las. Mas, se não conseguimos fazer isso, elas permanecem na vida
adulta, o que torna a cura muito mais desafiadora. Isso porque o ser
humano tem a tendência de se esquecer; e o tamanho do esquecimento é
proporcional ao tamanho da dor que ele sente - quanto maior a dor, maior
o amortecimento. Alguns se esquecem
completamente da infância e até mesmo da adolescência. E é por isso que
eu tenho insistido tanto no tema da responsabilidade em relação as
nossas crianças: se pudermos diminuir ao máximo o número de episódios
traumáticos na infância, estaremos facilitando o processo de cura
coletivo.”
“Normalmente las
heridas creadas en la infancia son reeditadas en la adolescencia, que
es justamente un período en el cual tenemos la chance de tratarlas. Pero
si no conseguimos hacer eso, ellas permanecen en la vida adulta, lo que
convierte a la cura en un desafío mayor. Esto es porque el ser humano
tiene la tendencia a olvidar, y el tamaño del olvido es proporcional al
tamaño del dolor que siente – cuanto mayor el dolor, mayor el
anestesiamiento. Algunos se olvidan completamente de la infancia e
incluso de la adolescencia. Y es por eso que vengo insistiendo tanto en
el tema de la responsabilidad en relación a nuestros niños: si podemos
disminuir al máximo el número de episodios traumáticos en la infancia,
estaremos facilitando el proceso de cura colectivo.”
“Normally, the wounds created during one’s childhood are recreated in one’s adolescence, which is precisely the time when we have the opportunity to heal them. But if we are unable to do so, they will remain with us throughout our adult life, which makes healing them much more challenging. This is because us human beings have a tendency to forget ourselves. The extent to which we forget our true nature is proportionate to the amount of pain we feel: the greater the pain, the greater the numbing. Some people completely forget about their childhood, and even their adolescence. This is why I insist so much that we must take responsibility in our children’s lives: if we could reduce the number of traumatic events during childhood as much as possible, we would be facilitating the collective healing process.”
“Normally, the wounds created during one’s childhood are recreated in one’s adolescence, which is precisely the time when we have the opportunity to heal them. But if we are unable to do so, they will remain with us throughout our adult life, which makes healing them much more challenging. This is because us human beings have a tendency to forget ourselves. The extent to which we forget our true nature is proportionate to the amount of pain we feel: the greater the pain, the greater the numbing. Some people completely forget about their childhood, and even their adolescence. This is why I insist so much that we must take responsibility in our children’s lives: if we could reduce the number of traumatic events during childhood as much as possible, we would be facilitating the collective healing process.”
Via Daily Dharma
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A Wider Spiritual Vision | January 8, 2015
People of faith should root transformative action in the spiritual
disciplines of prayer, meditation, and contemplation. While
traditionally such practices served as stepping stones to the
realization of a transcendent goal, today we need a wider spiritual
vision that can encompass the divine and the mundane, the transcendent
and the immanent, in an integral whole.
- Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, "Foster Peace, Inside and Out" |
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Via My Migraine Family: My Turn To Come Out
The news of Leelah Alcorn’s suicide has, of course, hit my family hard. And while I wrote a post, erm, a year and a half ago, about being a person of deep faith – in which I only mentioned the name of my religious persuasion in the tags, this is not something I discuss publicly.
In large part, I do not discuss this publicly because I have had an internal struggle in which I was not sure my transgender child had a place in my faith. And if she did not have a place, that meant it no longer had a place for me. And that was an intensely painful struggle for me.I am a Bahá’í. And while you may go ahead and google it, you will find little information of value on the internet concerning transgender folk. And frankly, this post is directed at those who are already aware of the Bahá’í Faith, because it is time for me to claim my right for my family to proudly be a part of the Bahá’í family. I could find quotes from our holy scriptures for people who need that, but frankly, that’s not my job. What I will tell you is what I know the Bahá’í Faith says about being transgender and being a Bahá’í, because while my job is to raise my children to be good little human beings, I also feel a heavy weight to educate as many people about who my transgender daughter (ninja, comic book writer, explorer, inventer, artist, all around awesome human) is and her right to be where everyone is allowed to be. Thus far, we have been incredibly blessed within our own Bahá’í community, but we are a world faith, and we are a united force, not individual units across the world.
This means that a part of me feels that I have to make this space for my daughter throughout the entire Bahá’í world. You know, only 6 million people. Heh.
*And yes, to be clear, my voice is not an official voice, it is a personal voice.* The Bahá’í Faith encourages transgender folks to transition with the support of skilled physicians and therapists (of the individual’s choice, if they are going to transition). Furthermore, the individual is supported in their affirmed gender, and all Bahá’í laws then applying to them as such.
And it is incredibly important to me that my daughter is not shamed or judged by Bahá’ís. It is incredibly important to me that my daughter does not know fear because of Bahá’ís. It is also incredibly important to me that other children, youth and adults do not find themselves in that position because of ignorance and transphobia that is left over from an old tired world. This is not what the Bahá’í Faith is meant for. I want all Bahá’ís to read this. I want all Bahá’ís to understand that my daughter belongs in the Bahá’í Faith like every other child. If you disagree, it’s time for you to go back and fall in love with the spirit of the Bahá’í Faith all over again. Because the Bahá’í Faith is a faith for all humanity. We, as individuals, are not in a position to judge. We are meant to love. If we disagree on that, it’s not my family who doesn’t belong here. We cannot allow the Bahá’í Faith to be a place of bullying.
And if you have a child, and you have questions, please feel free to contact me. I will educate, I will support, and I will encourage. What I am not interested in and will not engage in is debate.
Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 07/01/2015
“O que caracteriza um ser humano é sua capacidade de se doar e de
colocar o amor em movimento através dos seus dons e talentos. A partir
disso evoluímos do estado humano para o estado divino. E quando
transcendemos a consciência humana, nos tornamos canais da perfeição
divina. Quando reconhecemos que por trás da personalidade - do nome, da
história, do corpo e do ego - está nossa verdadeira essência; o
princípio da vida única, encontramos a unidade dentro da multiplicidade.”
“Lo que caracteriza a un ser humano es su capacidad de donarse y de
colocar el amor en movimiento a través de sus dones y talentos. A partir
de esto evolucionamos del estado humano al estado divino. Y cuando
trascendemos la conciencia humana, nos convertimos en canales de la
perfección divina. Cuando reconocemos que por detrás de la personalidad -
del nombre, de la historia, del cuerpo y del ego - está nuestra
verdadera esencia; el principio de la vida única, encontramos la unidad
dentro de la multiplicidad.”
“What makes a human being human is our capacity to give and to put love into motion by using our gifts and talents. This is the basis for the evolution from the human state to the divine state. When we transcend human consciousness, we become channels of divine perfection. When we recognize that behind our personality, our name, our past, our body and ego lies our true essence, the principle of the one and only life, we find unity within the multiplicity.”
“What makes a human being human is our capacity to give and to put love into motion by using our gifts and talents. This is the basis for the evolution from the human state to the divine state. When we transcend human consciousness, we become channels of divine perfection. When we recognize that behind our personality, our name, our past, our body and ego lies our true essence, the principle of the one and only life, we find unity within the multiplicity.”
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 06/01/2015
“As fantasias sexuais funcionam como sinalizadores de aspectos da sua personalidade que ainda não foram integrados e que, às vezes, não têm nada a ver com a sexualidade. Porém, atuar na fantasia pode te colocar em situações complexas e delicadas, e te enredar ainda mais nas teias do karma. O que você pode fazer é procurar compreender o que a fantasia quer te dizer, qual é a mensagem que ela tem pra te dar. É fácil se enganar e achar que você está num lugar onde não está, e as fantasias sexuais te mostram onde você está de verdade, e te ajudam a tomar consciência do que precisa ser transformado dentro de você.”
“Las fantasías sexuales funcionan como indicadores de aspectos de tu
personalidad que aún no están integrados y que, a veces, no tienen nada
que ver con la sexualidad. Sin embargo, actuar en la fantasía te puede
colocar en situaciones complejas y delicadas, y enredarte aún más en las
redes del karma. Lo que puedes hacer es intentar comprender lo que la
fantasía te quiere decir, cuál es el mensaje que ella tiene para darte.
Es fácil engañarse y creer que estás en un lugar donde no estás, y las
fantasías sexuales te muestran dónde estás de verdad, y te ayudan a
tomar conciencia de lo que necesita ser transformado dentro de ti.”
“Sexual fantasies work like signals that point out aspects of your personality that have not yet been integrated and that sometimes have nothing to do with sexuality at all. However, acting on fantasies may put you in complex or delicate situations and entangle you further in the webs of karma. What you can do is to try to understand what the fantasy is trying to tell you and what message it has for you. It is easy to fool yourself and think you are in a place that you are not. Sexual fantasies show you where you really are and help you become more aware of what inside of you needs to be transformed.”
“Sexual fantasies work like signals that point out aspects of your personality that have not yet been integrated and that sometimes have nothing to do with sexuality at all. However, acting on fantasies may put you in complex or delicate situations and entangle you further in the webs of karma. What you can do is to try to understand what the fantasy is trying to tell you and what message it has for you. It is easy to fool yourself and think you are in a place that you are not. Sexual fantasies show you where you really are and help you become more aware of what inside of you needs to be transformed.”
Via Daily Dharma
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Smiles in Context | January 6, 2015
Positive psychology has been criticized for overemphasizing the
potential of individuals to transcend their circumstances. But not every
life context affords the same opportunities for flourishing. The
promise 'smile, think positive thoughts, and you will be happy and
healthy' underestimates the importance of social context for
psychological well-being and health.
- James Coyne, "Self-Help for the Affluent" |
Monday, January 5, 2015
Flor do Dia - Flor del Día - Flower of the Day - 05/01/2015
“A Indiferença é um mecanismo de defesa, uma forma passiva de raiva.
Ela é como uma capa que te impermeabiliza - uma anestesia que te
entorpece para você não sentir. Esse entorpecimento se não é a própria
maldade, é a origem dela. Porque se você não se permite sentir, não é
possível fazer empatia com o outro. E o princípio da compaixão é
justamente você experimentar calçar o sapato do outro, e sentir o que
ele está vivendo. Mas, essa capacidade
de sentir te torna vulnerável e frágil porque você entra em contato com
as suas próprias dores. Então você tenta fugir através da indiferença.”
“La indiferencia es un mecanismo de defensa, una forma pasiva de rabia.
Ella es como una capa que te impermeabiliza - una anestesia que te
entorpece para que no sientas. Este entorpecimiento si no es la propia
maldad, es su origen. Porque si no te permites sentir, no es posible
hacer empatía con el otro. Y el principio de la compasión es justamente
que experimentes calzar los zapatos del otro, y sentir lo que él está
viviendo. Pero esta capacidad de sentir te vuelve vulnerable y frágil
porque entras en contacto con tus propios dolores. Entonces intentas
huir a través de la indiferencia.”
“Indifference is a defense mechanism, a passive form of anger. It’s like a layer that makes you waterproof, or an anesthetic that numbs you so you don’t feel anything. If this numbing is not evil itself, it is the origin of it. If you don’t allow yourself to feel anything, then it’s impossible for you to empathize with others. The principle of compassion specifically requires that you put yourself in the other’s shoes and feel what he or she is going through. But this capacity to feel makes you vulnerable and fragile because you come into contact with your own pain, so you respond trying to use indifference as an escape.”
“Indifference is a defense mechanism, a passive form of anger. It’s like a layer that makes you waterproof, or an anesthetic that numbs you so you don’t feel anything. If this numbing is not evil itself, it is the origin of it. If you don’t allow yourself to feel anything, then it’s impossible for you to empathize with others. The principle of compassion specifically requires that you put yourself in the other’s shoes and feel what he or she is going through. But this capacity to feel makes you vulnerable and fragile because you come into contact with your own pain, so you respond trying to use indifference as an escape.”
Via Just a Baha'i: Homosexuality and the Baha’i Community: a conversation
Recently I was told that
writing for a Baha’i gay audience was an oxymoron, and when I pointed
out that I found this comment offensive the response was that the
problem was with me and the writer went so far as to state that I needed
to take this up with the House of Justice, as if his statement
automatically reflected their views. My point here is that so often when
in discussion with Baha’is on the topic of homosexuality, at some point
a Baha’i tells me I am disagreeing with the House of Justice or the
Baha’i Teachings as a way of trying to silence me. To start this
discussion I’d like to focus first on homosexuality as a form of
identity.
It seems to me that some Baha’is pretend that gay Baha’is don’t exist or don’t have a voice, viewpoint or audience. I’m an artist and a Baha’i, and while I might not have any sort of Baha’i audience, I certainly have a Baha’i artistic voice, which is informed by my experiences and beliefs. This is what I mean by a gay Baha’i voice. What do you think?
Of course there’s a huge difference between no one in my Baha’i community being interested in what sort of art I’m making and a gay Baha’i having to keep their sexuality a secret in order to be treated with dignity and equality.
It seems to me that some Baha’is pretend that gay Baha’is don’t exist or don’t have a voice, viewpoint or audience. I’m an artist and a Baha’i, and while I might not have any sort of Baha’i audience, I certainly have a Baha’i artistic voice, which is informed by my experiences and beliefs. This is what I mean by a gay Baha’i voice. What do you think?
Of course there’s a huge difference between no one in my Baha’i community being interested in what sort of art I’m making and a gay Baha’i having to keep their sexuality a secret in order to be treated with dignity and equality.
Via Daily Dharma
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Awareness Unmoved | January 5, 2015
Beautiful thoughts and ugly thoughts, all arise and cease in awareness, and yet awareness remains unmoved.
- Kittisaro, "Tangled in Thought" |
Sunday, January 4, 2015
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