Wednesday, August 26, 2015
JMG AUSTRALIA: Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard Reverses Position, Now Says She Supports Same-Sex Marriage
After voting against a 2012 same-sex marriage bill while Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard now says she’s changed her mind. Via the Sydney Morning Herald:
“Given the 1970s feminist in me saw much to be concerned with from a gender perspective with traditional marriage, I thought the better approach was not to change the old but to create something new,” she said during The Michael Kirby Lecture at Victoria University. “In my time post-politics, as key countries have moved to embrace same-sex marriage, I have identified that my preferred reform direction was most assuredly not winning hearts and minds.” Ms Gillard said she assumed at the time the Coalition would have eventually allowed a conscience vote on the issue and marriage equality would have became law. “My position would have been overtaken by history, something which would have caused me no heartburn,” she said. “Now, given the discussion of a plebiscite or a referendum, I find myself in a world where these assumptions have been upended.” Ms Gillard called for a conscience vote on the issue soon after the next election, and said she would vote in favour of same-sex marriage if she was still in parliament.Australia’s first female prime minister, Gillard held office from 2010 to 2013. She is a self-described atheist, which is virtually unheard of for a major head of government.
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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 26/08/2015
“Conheça a ti mesmo e conhecerás o universo. Aquilo que não está aqui
não está em lugar algum. Por isso precisamos nos tornar exploradores da
consciência. Essa é uma tarefa bastante desafiadora porque dentro de nós
existem recantos escuros, cheios de dor, sentimentos aterrorizantes e
mortificantes. Mas isso faz parte da vida de um explorador de si mesmo. O
seu trabalho é desenvolver o testemunhar, ou seja, é aprender a observar
o que é transitório sem se identificar. Você observa e deixa passar. E,
aos poucos, você vai conhecendo quem é você de verdade. Você é aquilo
que permanece.”
Ouça o Satsang completo: http://bit.ly/1zxmPQV
Ouça o Satsang completo: http://bit.ly/1zxmPQV
“Conócete a ti mismo y conocerás el universo. Aquello que no está aquí
no está en ningún lugar. Por eso necesitamos volvernos exploradores de
la consciencia. Esta es una tarea bastante desafiante porque dentro de
nosotros existen rincones oscuros, llenos de dolor, sentimientos
aterrorizantes y mortificantes. Pero eso es parte de la vida de un
explorador de sí mismo. Tu trabajo es desarrollar el observador, es
decir, es aprender a observar lo que es transitorio sin identificarte.
Observas y dejas pasar. Y de a poco, vas conociendo quien eres tú en
verdad. Eres aquello que permanece.”
“To understand ourselves is to understand the universe. That which is not here is nowhere. This is why we strive to become explorers of consciousness. This is an extremely challenging task because there are dark corners within us that are full of pain as well as terrifying and mortifying feelings. This is all a part of the life of a self-explorer. Our work is to develop the witness and to learn how to observe what is transitory without becoming identified with it. We just observe and let it all pass. Slowly, we get to know who we truly are, for we are what remains.”
“To understand ourselves is to understand the universe. That which is not here is nowhere. This is why we strive to become explorers of consciousness. This is an extremely challenging task because there are dark corners within us that are full of pain as well as terrifying and mortifying feelings. This is all a part of the life of a self-explorer. Our work is to develop the witness and to learn how to observe what is transitory without becoming identified with it. We just observe and let it all pass. Slowly, we get to know who we truly are, for we are what remains.”
Today's Daily Dharma: The Bottom Line
The Bottom Line
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We
have created our problems, and only we can solve them. That becomes
something of a bottom line for Buddhists. We need to train our minds to
be less attached, less mistaken, less shortsighted, and, most of all,
less self-centered.
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Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 25/08/2015
“Estar no caminho espiritual significa se tornar um explorador da
consciência; é desvendar a de si mesmo. Todo o universo está aqui,
dentro de nós, portanto há muito o que desvendar, e é natural que você
se depare com lugares desconhecidos, que acordam sentimentos que você
não compreende. Aos poucos, na medida da sua vontade de se conhecer,
você recebe a luz da compreensão. Mas esse é um processo que requer
muita paciência e persistência, pois serão muitos os lugares sombrios que você vai atravessar.”
“Estar en el camino espiritual significa volverse un explorador de la
consciencia, es develar la de uno mismo. Todo el universo está aquí,
dentro de nosotros por lo tanto hay mucho que develar y es natural que
te depares con lugares desconocidos que despiertan sentimientos que no
comprendes. De a poco, en la medida de tu voluntad de conocerte, recibes
la luz de la comprensión. Pero este es un proceso que requiere de mucha
paciencia y persistencia, porque serán muchos los lugares sombríos que
vas a atravesar.”
“To be on the spiritual path means to become an explorer of consciousness, to unveil who we are. The whole universe exists here, inside of us, and there is much to unveil. It is natural that we encounter unknown places that awaken feelings we do not understand. Slowly, as our willingness to get to know ourselves increases, we receive the light of comprehension. This is a process that requires a lot of patience and persistence, as there are many shadowy places that we will pass through.”
“To be on the spiritual path means to become an explorer of consciousness, to unveil who we are. The whole universe exists here, inside of us, and there is much to unveil. It is natural that we encounter unknown places that awaken feelings we do not understand. Slowly, as our willingness to get to know ourselves increases, we receive the light of comprehension. This is a process that requires a lot of patience and persistence, as there are many shadowy places that we will pass through.”
Today's Daily Dharma: Pragmatic Buddhism
Pragmatic Buddhism
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I
became enamored of [Buddhism] when I realized its basic tenet began by
saying, essentially, 'Life sucks and then you die, so what’s that all
about?' This was the religion for me. This was a framework I could use
to examine my actual experience. Far from the promise of
pie-in-a-big-sky afterlife, this was about dealing with the fear that
comes when you realize nothing is going to save your ass.
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Monday, August 24, 2015
Via LGBT Worldwide / FB: MORE REPUBLICAN BILLS THAT DO NOTHING BUT PROMOTE SEGREGATION AND HATE
The Republicans recently introduced a bill into the House of Representatives called the First Amendment Defense Act.
In a nutshell, it’s a bill that allows discrimination. Period.
In a nutshell, it’s a bill that allows discrimination. Period.
Go ahead and spin it any way you want. Put an addendum on it. At the
end of the day, it’s still a bill that allows and even encourages
discrimination against same-sex marriage, including such telling phrases
as:
(1) Leading legal scholars concur that conflicts between same-sex marriage and religious liberty are real and should be legislatively addressed…
(a) IN GENERAL.— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Federal Government shall not take any discriminatory action against a person, wholly or partially on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or that sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.
There’s more – if you’re interested, you can read the rest here. But be prepared for a lot of Republican balderdash.
Follow this story and more at Colgay Pride. Become a Fan Today.
https://www.facebook.com/COLGAYPRIDE
(1) Leading legal scholars concur that conflicts between same-sex marriage and religious liberty are real and should be legislatively addressed…
(a) IN GENERAL.— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Federal Government shall not take any discriminatory action against a person, wholly or partially on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or that sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.
There’s more – if you’re interested, you can read the rest here. But be prepared for a lot of Republican balderdash.
Follow this story and more at Colgay Pride. Become a Fan Today.
https://www.facebook.com/COLGAYPRIDE
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 24/08/2015
“Tenho tentado dar passagem para o conhecimento de uma forma simples,
procurando mostrar caminhos para uma espiritualidade prática. Nesse
intento, estou trabalhando para ressignificar o conceito de “iluminação
espiritual”. Tenho dito que estamos aqui única e exclusivamente para
acordar o Amor desinteressado, pois esse Amor desperto é sinônimo de
iluminação espiritual.”
"I have been trying to find a way to convey wisdom simply, building a path of practical spirituality. With this purpose, I am working to reframe the concept of spiritual enlightenment. We are here solely to awaken selfless love, as this awakened love is synonymous with spiritual enlightenment. "
"I have been trying to find a way to convey wisdom simply, building a path of practical spirituality. With this purpose, I am working to reframe the concept of spiritual enlightenment. We are here solely to awaken selfless love, as this awakened love is synonymous with spiritual enlightenment. "
Today's Daily Dharma: Die Happily
Die Happily
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There
are three types of practitioners: practitioners of small capacity, who
die without fear; practitioners of middle capacity, who die without
regrets; and practitioners of the utmost capacity, who die happily.
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Sunday, August 23, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 23/08/2015
“A vida está em constante movimento de expansão e contração. Ora nos
sentimentos conectados, próximos, amorosos, com o coração aberto – ora
nos sentimos desconectados, fechados, distantes, navegando em um mar de
incertezas e medos. Costumo chamar esses momentos de desconexão de
“turbulências” - turbulências que precisamos atravessar, pois fazem
parte do karma. Trata-se de uma colheita de desafios que muitas vezes
são vistos como desagradáveis, mas que,
na realidade, são presentes, pois contém as sementes, as oportunidade de
aprendizado e crescimento que precisamos.”
“La vida está en constante movimiento de expansión y contracción. A
veces nos sentimos conectados, próximos, amorosos, con el corazón
abierto – a veces nos sentimos desconectados, cerrados, distantes,
navegando en un mar de incertidumbres y miedos. Suelo llamar a estos
momentos de desconexión de "turbulencias" - turbulencias que precisamos
atravesar, pues son parte del karma. Se trata de una cosecha de desafíos
que muchas veces son vistos como desagradables, pero que, en realidad,
son regalos, pues contienen las semillas, las oportunidades de
aprendizaje y crecimiento que necesitamos.”
“Life is constantly moving from expansion to contraction. One minute we feel connected, close to others, and loving with our hearts open. The next minute we feel disconnected, closed, and distant while navigating a sea of uncertainty and fear. I have been calling these moments of disconnection ‘turbulence.’ We need to pass through this turbulence as it is part of our karma. We 'harvest' these challenges that are often seen as unpleasant, but in reality are a gift. Challenges are the seeds of opportunities for learning and the growth that we need to go through.”
“Life is constantly moving from expansion to contraction. One minute we feel connected, close to others, and loving with our hearts open. The next minute we feel disconnected, closed, and distant while navigating a sea of uncertainty and fear. I have been calling these moments of disconnection ‘turbulence.’ We need to pass through this turbulence as it is part of our karma. We 'harvest' these challenges that are often seen as unpleasant, but in reality are a gift. Challenges are the seeds of opportunities for learning and the growth that we need to go through.”
Today's Daily Dharma: Prayer Dissolves Hindrances
Prayer Dissolves Hindrances
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The
mind is like a mirror. Although our true nature is the deity, what we
now experience are ordinary mind’s reflections. Enemies, hindrances,
inauspicious moments—all of which appear to be outside of us—are
actually reflections of our own negativities. . . . Prayer helps to
purify the habits of ordinary, small mind and ignorance of our true
nature as the deity.
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Saturday, August 22, 2015
Via WGB: Who You Calling A Queer?
Comprehensive List of LGBTQ+ Term Definitions
Advocate: a person who actively works to end intolerance, educate others, and support social equity for a group
Ally: a straight person who supports queer people
Androgyny: (1) a gender expression that has elements of both masculinity and femininity; (2) occasionally used in place of “intersex” to describe a person with both female and male anatomy
Androsexual/Androphilic: attracted to males, men, and/or masculinity
Asexual: a person who generally does not experience sexual attraction (or very little) to any group of people
Bigender: a person who fluctuates between traditionally “woman” and “man” gender-based behavior and identities, identifying with both genders (and sometimes a third gender)
Binary Gender: a traditional and outdated view of gender, limiting possibilities to “man” and “woman”
Binary Sex: a traditional and outdated view of sex, limiting possibilities to “female” or “male”
Biological sex: the physical anatomy and gendered hormones one is born with, generally described as male, female, or intersex, and often confused with gender
Bisexual: a person who experiences sexual, romantic, physical, and/or spiritual attraction to people of their own gender as well as another gender; often confused for and used in place of “pansexual”
Cisgender: a description for a person whose gender identity, gender expression, and biological sex all align (e.g., man, masculine, and male)
Cis-man: a person who identifies as a man, presents himself masculinely, and has male biological sex, often referred to as simply “man”
Cis-woman: a person who identifies as a woman, presents herself femininely, and has female biological sex, often referred to as simply “woman”
Closeted: a person who is keeping their sexuality or gender identity a secret from many (or any) people, and has yet to “come out of the closet”
Coming Out: the process of revealing your sexuality or gender identity to individuals in your life; often incorrectly thought to be a one-time event, this is a lifelong and sometimes daily process; not to be confused with “outing”
Cross-dressing: wearing clothing that conflicts with the traditional gender expression of your sex and gender identity (e.g., a man wearing a dress) for any one of many reasons, including relaxation, fun, and sexual gratification; often conflated with transsexuality
Drag King: a person who consciously performs “masculinity,” usually in a show or theatre setting, presenting an exaggerated form of masculine expression, often times done by a woman; often confused with “transsexual” or “transvestite”
Drag Queen: a person who consciously performs “femininity,” usually in a show or theatre setting, presenting an exaggerated form of feminine expression, often times done by a man; often confused with “transsexual” or “transvestite”
Dyke: a derogatory slang term used for lesbian women; reclaimed by many lesbian women as a symbol of pride and used as an in-group term
Faggot: a derogatory slang term used for gay men; reclaimed by many gay men as a symbol of pride and used as an in-group term
Female: a person with a specific set of sexual anatomy (e.g., 46,XX phenotype, vagina, ovaries, uterus, breasts, higher levels of estrogen, fine body hair) pursuant to this label
Fluid(ity): generally with another term attached, like gender-fluid or fluid-sexuality, fluid(ity) describes an identity that is a fluctuating mix of the options available (e.g., man and woman, gay and straight); not to be confused with “transitioning”
FTM/MTF: a person who has undergone medical treatments to change their biological sex (Female To Male, or Male To Female), often times to align it with their gender identity; often confused with “trans-man”/”trans-woman”
Gay: a term used to describe a man who is attracted to men, but often used and embraced by women to describe their same-sex relationships as well
Gender Expression: the external display of gender, through a combination of dress, demeanor, social behavior, and other factors, generally measured on a scale of masculinity and femininity
Gender Identity: the internal perception of an individual’s gender, and how they label themselves
Genderless: a person who does not identify with any gender
Genderqueer: (1) a blanket term used to describe people whose gender falls outside of the gender binary; (2) a person who identifies as both a man and a woman, or as neither a man nor a woman; often used in exchange with “transgender”
Gynesexual/Gynephilic: attracted to females, women, and/or femininity
Hermaphrodite: an outdated medical term used to describe someone who is intersex; not used today as it is considered to be medically stigmatizing, and also misleading as it means a person who is 100% male and female, a biological impossibility for humans
Heterosexism: behavior that grants preferential treatment to heterosexual people, reinforces the idea that heterosexuality is somehow better or more “right” than queerness, or ignores/doesn’t address queerness as existing
Heterosexual: a medical definition for a person who is attracted to someone with the other gender (or, literally, biological sex) than they have; often referred to as “straight”
Homophobia: fear, anger, intolerance, resentment, or discomfort with queer people, often focused inwardly as one begins to question their own sexuality
Homosexual: a medical definition for a person who is attracted to someone with the same gender (or, literally, biological sex) they have, this is considered an offensive/stigmatizing term by many members of the queer community; often used incorrectly in place of “lesbian” or “gay”
Hypersex(ual/-ity): a sexual attraction with intensity bordering on insatiability or addiction; recently dismissed as a non-medical condition by the American Psychiatric Association when it was proposed to be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version 5.
Intersex: a person with a set of sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit within the labels of female or male (e.g., 47,XXY phenotype, uterus, and penis)
Male: a person with a specific set of sexual anatomy (e.g., 46,XY phenotype, penis, testis, higher levels of testosterone, coarse body hair, facial hair) pursuant to this label
Outing [someone]: when someone reveals another person’s sexuality or gender identity to an individual or group, often without the person’s consent or approval; not to be confused with “coming out”
Pansexual: a person who experiences sexual, romantic, physical, and/or spiritual attraction for members of all gender identities/expressions
Queer: (1) historically, this was a derogatory slang term used to identify LGBTQ+ people; (2) a term that has been embraced and reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community as a symbol of pride, representing all individuals who fall out of the gender and sexuality “norms”
Questioning: the process of exploring one’s own sexual orientation, investigating influences that may come from their family, religious upbringing, and internal motivations
Same Gender Loving (SGL): a phrase coined by the African American/Black queer communities used as an alternative for “gay” and “lesbian” by people who may see those as terms of the White queer community
Sexual Orientation: the type of sexual, romantic, physical, and/or spiritual attraction one feels for others, often labeled based on the gender relationship between the person and the people they are attracted to; often mistakenly referred to as “sexual preference”
Sexual Preference: (1) generally when this term is used, it is being mistakenly interchanged with “sexual orientation,” creating an illusion that one has a choice (or “preference”) in who they are attracted to; (2) the types of sexual intercourse, stimulation, and gratification one likes to receive and participate in
Skoliosexual: attracted to genderqueer and transsexual people and expressions (people who aren’t identified as cisgender)
Straight: a man or woman who is attracted to people of the other binary gender than themselves; often referred to as “heterosexual”
Third Gender: (1) a person who does not identify with the traditional genders of “man” or “woman,” but identifies with another gender; (2) the gender category available in societies that recognize three or more genders
Transgender: a blanket term used to describe all people who are not cisgender; occasionally used as “transgendered” but the “ed” is misleading, as it implies something happened to the person to make them transgender, which is not the case
Transitioning: a term used to describe the process of moving from one sex/gender to another, sometimes this is done by hormone or surgical treatments
Transsexual: a person whose gender identity is the binary opposite of their biological sex, who may undergo medical treatments to change their biological sex, often times to align it with their gender identity, or they may live their lives as the opposite sex; often confused with “trans-man”/”trans-woman”
Transvestite: a person who dresses as the binary opposite gender expression (“cross-dresses”) for any one of many reasons, including relaxation, fun, and sexual gratification; often called a “cross-dresser,” and often confused with “transsexual”
Trans-man: a person who was assigned a female sex at birth, but identifies as a man; often confused with “transsexual man” or “FTM”
Trans-woman: a person who was assigned a male sex at birth, but identifies as a woman; often confused with “transsexual woman” or “MTF”
Two-Spirit: a term traditionally used by Native American people to recognize individuals who possess qualities or fulfill roles of both gender
Via Lion's Roar: Democracy is Good For Sanghas
Larry Yang. Photo by Stephen Pickard.
Many dharma communities are led by a teacher—usually the founder—who typically occupies a dominant role in organizational governance. If there are several teachers, a teachers’ council may form that holds as much or more power than the organization’s board of directors. But the depth of a dharma teacher’s teaching and spiritual ministering, while at the heart of any meditation community, does not indicate they have the needed skills for organizational development and management. Teachers, often by their community’s own design, disproportionately influence their sangha’s decision-making.
This hierarchical model might work in Asia, but it can feel incongruent in the West given the democratic ideals of North American culture, the values embodied by our separation of church and state, and the checks and balances serving to protect against the confluence of spiritual and governance authority and whatever intentional or unintentional misuse of power that might result. With teachers empowered with governance authority separate from that of the board, the resultant split in decision-making can create dysfunctional conditions for staff and volunteers, who are essentially reporting to two lines of management.
At East Bay Meditation Center (EBMC) in Oakland, California, involvement of our diverse constituencies is critical for the success of our mission: “to provide a welcoming environment for people of color, members of the LGBTQI community, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented communities.” Because no single teacher represents all the diverse groups practicing at EBMC, the teachings are held by many teachers from a range of backgrounds. Likewise, every board of directors has been constituted from the larger community’s diversity. In too many meditation centers, the insufficient governance experience of dharma teachers, especially in multicultural competencies, has been an obstacle in creating inclusive and culturally non-harming sanghas. The mainstream model of “If you build it, they will come” has not worked as it unconsciously imposes dominant cultural values upon marginalized diverse communities.
Likewise, at Insight Community of the Desert (ICD) in Palm Springs, California, building a community that is not teacher-centric but practitioner-centric is a high priority. The teachers are invited by the board and are periodically reviewed by the non-teacher, or “lay” members of the board. Teachers are held accountable for how they offer the teachings, hold the integrity of their behaviors, and deepen their development as teachers; they are valued for their dharma expertise. But teachers are not assumed to hold all the answers to complicated organizational issues. This is the responsibility of the board, its committees, and the sangha as a whole.
Democratic principles, collective leadership, and community empowerment are vital for continuing the dharma in the West—they are key elements in making these ancient teachings relevant for our complex contemporary world.
Make the jump here to read the full and original article
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 22/08/2015
“Espiritualidade significa se mover em direção à porta da Verdade. E ao
chegar diante da porta, você precisa bater – bater, bater e bater, até
que a porta se abra. Esse bater na porta começa com um questionamento;
começa com a tomada de consciência das suas insatisfações e das crenças
que alimentam essas insatisfações. À medida que se conscientiza das suas
crenças, inicia-se um processo de ressignificação e isso transforma completamente sua visão a respeito da vida.”
“Espiritualidad significa moverse en dirección a la puerta de la
Verdad. Y al llegar delante de la puerta, precisas golpear - golpear,
golpear y golpear hasta que la puerta se abra. Este golpear la puerta
comienza con un cuestionamiento; comienza con la toma de conciencia de
tus insatisfacciones y de las creencias que alimentan estas
insatisfacciones. A medida que te concientizas de tus creencias, se
inicia un proceso de resignificación y eso transforma por completo tu
visión respecto de la vida.”
“Spirituality means to move towards the door of the truth. When we arrive in front of the door, we need to knock. We must knock and knock and knock –until the door opens. This ‘knocking’ on the door starts as a questioning. It begins by becoming aware of our dissatisfactions and our beliefs that feed these dissatisfactions. As we become aware of our beliefs, we start a process that gives new meaning to these beliefs, and this completely transforms our view of life.”
“Spirituality means to move towards the door of the truth. When we arrive in front of the door, we need to knock. We must knock and knock and knock –until the door opens. This ‘knocking’ on the door starts as a questioning. It begins by becoming aware of our dissatisfactions and our beliefs that feed these dissatisfactions. As we become aware of our beliefs, we start a process that gives new meaning to these beliefs, and this completely transforms our view of life.”
Today's Daily Dharma: The Upside of Envy
The Upside of Envy
Avoidance
of envy, if it was ever feasible, is a dinosaur gone extinct. The trick
is to steer ourselves toward the emotion’s beneficial side. . . . envy
can bring us closer to what we dearly want to attain, and help us
course-correct, if necessary, to get ourselves back on track.
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