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.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 16/08/2015
"Quando a mente se aquieta, tudo fica bom. Assim, quando Deus quer, ele
te pega. Mas eu descobri que Deus sempre quer te pegar; ele está sempre
de braços abertos. O que ocorre é que o ser humano ainda não aprendeu a
usar esse instrumento que lhe foi dado, esse grande poder que é a
mente."
Satsang completo -> bit.ly/1TIbdhM
Satsang completo -> bit.ly/1TIbdhM
“Cuando la mente se calma, todo está bien. Así, cuando Dios quiere, él
te agarra. Pero yo descubrí que Dios siempre quiere agarrarte; él está
siempre con los brazos abiertos. Lo que ocurre es que el ser humano aún
no aprendió a utilizar este instrumento que se le dio, este gran poder
que es la mente”
“Once the mind quiets down, all is well, and when God sees fit, God catches a hold of us. I have discovered that God’s arms are always wide open, waiting to catch us. But human beings have not yet learned how to properly use this powerful instrument of the mind, making it still so God may take us…”
“Once the mind quiets down, all is well, and when God sees fit, God catches a hold of us. I have discovered that God’s arms are always wide open, waiting to catch us. But human beings have not yet learned how to properly use this powerful instrument of the mind, making it still so God may take us…”
Today's Daily Dharma: The Fact of Suffering
The Fact of Suffering
The
Four Noble Truths are grounded in the fact of suffering. People might
think that's negative, but it's only the truth. It's our human
condition. So Buddhism has us just look at it nakedly. Look and ask
yourself, 'What is this? What am I?'
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Saturday, August 15, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 15/08/2015
“Ao se perceber sofrendo, identifique com qual parte da sua
personalidade você está identificado. Por exemplo, se estiver
identificado com o ciúme, se pergunte: “Se eu abrir mão disso será que
não sobra nada”? Assim, aos poucos você começa a perceber que existe
alguém em você que quer sentir ciúme. Esse é o carcereiro dessa prisão
de sofrimento. Descubra quem é ele, pois é ele que quer sentir isso -
ele tem prazer nisso. E é esse prazer
negativo que te impede de abrir mão dos padrões destrutivos. Porque
prazer é vida, e o ego teme abrir mão disso, pois ele teme morrer.”
“Al percibirte sufriendo, identifica con cuál parte de tu personalidad
estás identificado. Por ejemplo, si estuvieses identificado con los
celos, pregúntate: “Si yo suelto esto, ¿será que no queda nada?” Así, de
a poco, comienzas a percibir que existe alguien en ti que quiere sentir
celos. Ese es el carcelero de esa prisión de sufrimiento. Descubre
quién es él, porque es él quien quiere sentir eso – él tiene placer en
eso. Y es ese placer negativo lo que te impide soltar los patrones
destructivos. Porque placer es vida, y el ego teme soltar eso, porque
teme morir.”
“When we perceive ourselves to be suffering, we can first observe which part of our personality we are identified with. For example, if we are identified with jealousy, we may ask ourselves, ‘If I let go of this jealousy, will there be nothing left of me?’ Gradually, we can see that there is someone inside of us that wants to feel jealous. This prison guard called jealousy wants us to remain in this jail of suffering. Find out who this guard is, because he is the one wanting to feel this jealousy and get the pleasure out of it. It is this negatively oriented pleasure that prevents us from letting go of destructive patterns. Since pleasure is life, the ego fears giving up this pleasure because it fears that it will die.”
“When we perceive ourselves to be suffering, we can first observe which part of our personality we are identified with. For example, if we are identified with jealousy, we may ask ourselves, ‘If I let go of this jealousy, will there be nothing left of me?’ Gradually, we can see that there is someone inside of us that wants to feel jealous. This prison guard called jealousy wants us to remain in this jail of suffering. Find out who this guard is, because he is the one wanting to feel this jealousy and get the pleasure out of it. It is this negatively oriented pleasure that prevents us from letting go of destructive patterns. Since pleasure is life, the ego fears giving up this pleasure because it fears that it will die.”
Today's Daily Dharma: Abide in Patience
Abide in Patience
Praise
and so on distract me and remove my disillusionment with the cycle of
existence. They stir up jealousy toward gifted people, and anger at
their success. . . . It is wrong to feel anger toward someone, thinking
that person impedes my merit. As there is no austerity equal to
patience, shall I not abide in that?
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Friday, August 14, 2015
Via JMG: Totally Not-Gay Catholic Priest Tells Ex-Gays: Homosexuality Is Like Trying To Eat A Bagel With Your Ear
Gay Star News reports:
A Catholic priest has come up with one of the strangest analogies yet for gay sex, claiming it is like cramming a piece of bagel in your ear. Preacher John Riccardo was speaking at a conference in Michigan on Wednesday, called Welcoming and Accompanying Our Brothers and Sisters with Same-Sex Attraction. It was a Catholic conference in order to help gay and lesbian people stay celibate. He was taking part in a lecture called ‘HIV and Other Health Risks Associated with Men Who Have Sex With Men’, led by HIV researcher Timothy Flanigan. Riccardo said junior high students have asked him why God hates gay people, and he responded that it is because gay sex is unnatural. “If i just rip open a bagel, I take it, and I cram it in my ear. What would you say?” he said he tells them. “That doesn’t go there. It’ll ruin your ear canal.”(Reposted from JMG)
Via WGB: San Francisco Public High School Becomes First-Ever To Offer LGBT History Class
Lyndsey Schlax, the teacher who’ll spearhead the class at the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, told CBS that other private schools around the country have offered similar classes, but this will be the first time one will be offered at a public high school.
According to Schlax, the course will cover the history of gender and sexuality, how they intersect in major media, how different LGBT equality is around the world, and a number of national and international struggles the community still faces. Full story here!
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 13/08/2015
“Estou trabalhando para que haja cura nas relações. Me refiro a uma
mudança do eixo: querer receber menos e dar mais. Porque essa é a chave
para o fim daquilo que é uma das principais causas do sofrimento neste
planeta, a carência afetiva. Não depender de ninguém para ser feliz é
liberdade. Você não fica com alguém porque precisa, mas simplesmente
porque quer. Somente essa liberdade permite a escolha.”
“Estoy trabajando para que haya cura en las relaciones. Me refiero a un cambio de eje: querer recibir menos y dar más. Porque esta es la llave para el fin de aquello que es una de las principales causas de sufrimiento en este planeta, la carencia afectiva. No depender de nadie para ser feliz es libertad. No estás con alguien porque necesitas, sino simplemente por querer. Solamente esta libertad permite la elección.”
“Estoy trabajando para que haya cura en las relaciones. Me refiero a un cambio de eje: querer recibir menos y dar más. Porque esta es la llave para el fin de aquello que es una de las principales causas de sufrimiento en este planeta, la carencia afectiva. No depender de nadie para ser feliz es libertad. No estás con alguien porque necesitas, sino simplemente por querer. Solamente esta libertad permite la elección.”
“I am working to promote a healing within all relationships. This will
require a complete change in axis, in which each partner truly wants to
receive less and to give more. This can put an end to one of the
greatest causes of suffering on the planet: emotional neediness. Not
having to depend on anyone for our own happiness is freedom. In other
words, this means not staying in a certain relationship because you need
to, but simply because you want to. Only by having freedom are we able
to make this choice.”
Today's Daily Dharma: The Wisdom of Anger
The Wisdom of Anger
Anger
is traditionally thought to be close to wisdom. When not projected
outward onto others or inward toward the self, it gives us the necessary
energy and clarity to understand what needs to be done.
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Thursday, August 13, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 13/08/2015
“Quando a moral religiosa é muito forte, alguns casais acabam ficando juntos movidos pelo medo de desagradar à família, o sacerdote ou Deus. Permanecem na relação, fechados, muitas vezes inconscientes do autoengano, esperando a morte chegar para resolver o problema. E quando a moral religiosa não é tão aguda, com o menor sinal de dificuldade alguns se separam e partem para a próxima relação. Esses são sintomas do que chamo de “síndrome de Walt Disney”, a crença de que existe um príncipe (ou princesa) encantado que te fará feliz para sempre.”
“Cuando la moral religiosa es muy fuerte, algunas parejas terminan quedándose juntos movidos por el miedo de desagradar a la familia, al sacerdote o a Dios. Permanecen en la relación cerrados, muchas veces inconscientes del autoengaño, esperando que la muerte llegue para resolver el problema. Y cuando la moral religiosa no es tan aguda, con la menor señal de dificultad algunos se separan y parten hacia la próxima relación. Estos son síntomas a los que llamo “síndrome de Walt Disney”, la creencia de que existe un príncipe (o princesa) encantado que te hará feliz para siempre.”
“When religious morals are very strong, some couples wind up getting together out of the fear of displeasing their families, their clergymen or God. They stay in a relationship while being closed off to one another, oftentimes unaware of their own self-deceit as they are waiting for death to arrive and solve their problem. In other cases, when religious morality is not as acute, upon the slightest sign of difficulty, some couples separate and run off to the next relationship. These are symptoms of what I call the ‘Walt Disney syndrome’: the belief that there exists a prince charming or an enchanted princess with whom you will live happily ever after.”
Today's Daily Dharma: The Best Remedy
The Best Remedy
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Rejoicing [in the well-being of others] is the best remedy for jealousy and envy. Rejoicing does not depend on material or physical actions—it can be done while you are working, eating, or sleeping. It can be done at any time, and it is such a simple way to create good karma.
- Lama Zopa, "Friendvy" |
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Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 12/08/2015
“Quanto mais identificado com a criança ferida, maior a necessidade de
receber amor exclusivo. Por conta disso, o ser humano desenvolve
estratégias para receber esse amor: se é atenção que o outro quer, você
dá somente se ele fizer o que você quer. O outro se transforma num
escravo para atender as suas necessidades e expectativas. Mas, o outro
começa a fazer a mesma coisa com você. Esse é um jogo nefasto no qual um
rouba energia do outro.”
“Cuanto más identificado con el niño herido, mayor la necesidad de
recibir amor exclusivo. A causa de esto, el ser humano desarrolla
estrategias para recibir ese amor: si es atención lo que el otro quiere,
tú se la das solamente si él hace lo que tú quieres. El otro se
transforma en un esclavo para atender tus necesidades y expectativas.
Pero el otro comienza a hacer lo mismo contigo. Este es un juego nefasto
en el cual uno roba la energía del otro.”
“The more identified we are with the wounded child, the greater our need is to receive exclusive love. Because of this, human beings develop strategies to receive this love. Since we are aware of what the other wants, we only give it to them when they do what we want them to first. The other becomes a slave to fulfilling our needs and expectations. Eventually, they begin to do the same thing to us, and this becomes a never-ending game of stealing the other’s energy.”
“The more identified we are with the wounded child, the greater our need is to receive exclusive love. Because of this, human beings develop strategies to receive this love. Since we are aware of what the other wants, we only give it to them when they do what we want them to first. The other becomes a slave to fulfilling our needs and expectations. Eventually, they begin to do the same thing to us, and this becomes a never-ending game of stealing the other’s energy.”
Today's Daily Dharma: Rethinking Inner Peace
Rethinking Inner Peace
I
don’t envision inner peace as the cessation of struggle, arriving at
some sun-washed placeless place from which I can distribute
refreshments. . . . it comes down to taking my human-sized place in the
human race.
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