Today's Daily Dharma: Generosity Produces Peace

Generosity Produces Peace

Receiving is a powerful—and intimate—practice, for we are actually inviting another person into ourselves. Rather than focusing on our own practice, or on our own virtue, we can focus on providing an opportunity for someone else to develop generosity. . . . That moment itself is unsullied. For that reason it is said that generosity is the discipline that produces peace.

—Judy Lief, "The Power of Receiving"

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United Future Organization - Tears Of Gratitude

Stephen Colbert’s All-Inclusive Wedding Cake Toppers

Via WGB: Guess Who Grindr Users Want in the Oval Office?

"In partnership with Rock the Vote, Grindr recently conducted a early election poll of its users to find out their presidential preferences.

The results?

• Bernie Sanders edges out Hillary Clinton 38% to 35% among Democrats.
• Donald Trump is topping the poll with 21% support among Republicans. John Kasich and Jeb Bush came next, each with 7%. Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina were both at the 5% level, with others candidates trailing behind.
• 76% of respondents said they vote in both general and presidential elections (for comparison, just 36.4% of eligible voters turned out in the 2014 midterm)
• When asked to name the “biggest issue” facing America today, “the economy, stupid” won the results with 50% support. Other issues were immigration (10.3%), healthcare (9.8%), minority rights (9%), and LGBT rights (3%)." 

After Marriage Equality, Then Comes... That said, LGBTQ matters still remain front and center on Grindr guys’ minds. Asked “After marriage equality, what’s next for the LGBTQ movement in the U.S.?” – 41% singled out “Pushing forward the Equality Act to end legal LGBTQ discrimination.” “Fighting HIV/AIDS” drew 15% of votes; then, “ensuring that states follow the law on marriage and adoption” was selected by 12.4% and after that “strengthening transgender rights” was the choice of 11.5%.

Young with a Point of View. What’s the profile of these electorally savvy Grindr users? They are young or young-ish – 56% told us they were either in the 20-29 or 30-39 age groups. As for political affiliation – more than half of our respondents identified as Democrats (51%); with 19% Independents and 15% Republicans. (H/T - Towleroad via Grindr blog.)

Make the jump here to read the orginal on WGB

Via Gay Christians / FB:

Mercedes Sosa - Gracias a La Vida

Today's Daily Dharma: All is We

All is We

Somewhere this very moment, babies are born, fathers are dying, mothers are grieving. Yet, pervading all is a groundless awareness, delicate and strong at the same time. Everything becomes we, a beating heart with a transparent, radiant smile. And we are awake.

—Judith Simmer-Brown, "Insomnia"

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 26/09/20

“Podemos dizer que iluminação espiritual é sinônimo de pureza de coração. Mas, o que é um coração puro? É um coração sem maldade, pois somente esse coração é capaz de ver a luz que está por trás da sombra do outro e perdoar. O coração puro vê a alma por trás dos corpos. Ele não olha os bons e os maus hábitos dos outros, ele olha a alma por trás disso. O coração puro é capaz de amar de verdade - e o Amor vê a si mesmo.”

“Podemos decir que iluminación espiritual es sinónimo de pureza de corazón. Pero ¿qué es un corazón puro? Es un corazón sin maldad, porque solamente ese corazón es capaz de ver la luz que está por detrás de la sombra del otro y perdonar. El corazón puro ve el alma por detrás de los cuerpos. Él no mira los buenos o malos hábitos de los otros, mira por detrás de eso. El corazón puro es capaz de amar de verdad - y el Amor se ve a sí mismo.”

“Spiritual enlightenment is synonymous with purity of heart. What is a pure heart? It is a heart without malice. Only this kind of heart can see the light behind the other’s shadow and thus be able to forgive. A pure heart doesn’t look at the good or bad habits of the other – it only sees the soul behind all of this. Only a pure heart can love in a true way, for love sees itself in everything.”

Via Buddhist Network / FB:

New Audio Download - Discover Forms of Yoga with Ram Dass

Are you searching for new methods or techniques that you can use to connect with and more fully embody a deeper state of awareness?

When we first begin to recognize that who we are is not limited to time and space, we often wonder how we can effectively investigate our growing curiosity.

In this new audio release, Ram Dass offers a detailed and informative exploration of several traditional forms of yoga that can be applied in our daily lives to facilitate working with, rather than against, our humanity.

In this talk, Ram Dass helps us to discover:

- Methods for escaping the prison of the mind, body and heart
- Practical applications of different Yogic forms in daily life
- How to become the creator, not the victim
- How to learn to let go when things inevitably change

A lengthy question and answer period concludes the discussion, covering a variety of topics including physical pain, the role of choice in our lives, emotions and awareness, obsessions, intuition versus ego, and conscious parenting.

Your download also helps to support the efforts of the Love Serve Remember Foundation to curate more enriching talks from Ram Dass and friends for years to come, making his teachings available for future generations.

Download the talk here.

Purchase the download so you can take it with you on a drive or hike while saving data on your cellular plan. You can also share with a friend.

**There will be a free streaming version available starting October 15th.

We hope you find this talk useful in cultivating more awareness in your day-to-day life.

Namaste,
Love Serve Remember Foundation  

Via FB:

Via Dalai Lama in Australia / FB:

Sri Prem BabaFlor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 25/09/201

Project Everyone - Metas Globais
17.PARCERIAS PARA ATINGIR METAS
“O ser humano tem se deixado levar pelo poderoso encantamento que o faz acreditar ser vítima do sistema e das situações negativas da vida. Mas as soluções que buscamos não serão encontrada enquanto estivermos apontando o dedo para o outro e reclamando de braços cruzados. Precisamos agir e unir forças para criarmos um mundo melhor. Nossa maior força se manifesta quando unimos nossos dons e talentos e os colocamos a serviço do bem maior.”

Project Everyone - Metas Globais
17.ALIANZAS PARA EL LOGRO DE LOS OBJETIVOS
“El ser humano se ha dejado llevar por el poderoso encantamiento que lo hace creer ser víctima del sistema y de las situaciones negativas de la vida. Pero las soluciones que buscamos no serán encontradas mientras estemos apuntando el dedo hacia el otro y reclamando de brazos cruzados. Necesitamos actuar y unir fuerzas para crear un mundo mejor. Nuestra mayor fuerza se manifiesta cuando unimos nuestros dones y talentos y nos colocamos al servicio del bien mayor.”

Project Everyone - Global Goals
17. PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS
"Human beings have been driven by the powerful enchantment that makes us believe we are victims of the system and the negative situations in our lives. However, the solutions we seek will not be found while we are pointing the finger at each other and complaining idly. We need to take action and join forces to create a better world. Our greatest strength is manifested when we unite our gifts and talents and put them at service of the greater good."

Today's Daily Dharma: In Defense of Desire

In Defense of Desire

Clinging—not desire—is where we get stuck, and it’s possible to embrace desire without clinging by infusing it with awareness. Desire, in fact, can be a powerful meditative tool on the path to enlightenment.

—Mark Epstein, "In Defense of Desire"

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Today's Daily Dharma: Practice from Strength

Practice from Strength

You lack nothing. You lack nothing, therefore you practice. Therefore you must realize and manifest this no-lack, this realized life, this awakened life that you are.

—Elihu Genmyo Smith, "No Need to Do Zazen, Therefore Must Do Zazen"

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Via Sri Prem Baba Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 24/09/201

Project Everyone - Metas Globais
16.PAZ E JUSTIÇA
“O segredo da paz é estarmos unidos e felizes, independentemente das nossas diferenças. Porque não é possível globalizar (unificar) a cultura, as etnias e a religião. Tentar fazer isso apenas estimula a violência. Você não pode obrigar o outro a pensar como você. Por isso, a única maneira de vivermos em paz e harmonia é ajudando uns aos outros e respeitando as diferenças.”

Project Everyone - Metas Globais
16. PAZ Y JUSTICIA
“El secreto de la paz es estar unidos y felices, independientemente de nuestras diferencias. Porque no es posible globalizar (unificar) la cultura, las etnias y la religión. Intentar hacer esto, solo estimula la violencia. No puedes obligar al otro a pensar como tú. Por eso, la única manera de que vivamos en paz y armonía es ayudándonos los unos a los otros y respetando las diferencias.”

Project Everyone - Global Goals
16. PEACE AND JUSTICE
"The secret to peace is to be united and happy, regardless of our differences. We cannot globalize or unify culture, ethnicity and religion. Trying to do this only encourages violence. We cannot force the other to think like us. The only way to live in peace and harmony is by helping each other and respecting one another’s differences."

Via FB:

Today's Daily Dharma: Death Is a Part of Living

Death Is a Part of Living

Until you realize the fundamental fact that reality is really in the moment, you’re thinking about long-term goals—'when I do this' and 'when I become that'—so you think, I don’t want to die, because then I won’t be able to do all these things. But if you’re living in the present, death becomes a part of living.

—Jason Lewis, "An Interview with Jason Lewis"

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Via Huffington: Marriage Equality Opponents Need to Admit Actual Reason for Their Loss

It is well beyond time that the lgbt community recognize and call out this ridiculous Kim Davis drama for what it is - merely a sideshow to cover up the fact that the overall case against marriage equality was nothing more than a pitiful delusion. It was a sad pursuit run by people who had more money and influence than common sense; more gall than love; and more ways to get their message out, but absolutely no way to make it more palpable or more flavorable than the bland, watery indigestible stew of discrimination that it was.

In the early days of the fight, marriage equality opponents were on an incredible streak via their ability to get state after state to pass anti-marriage equality laws. They, led mostly by the National Organization for Marriage, were riding high in their glory. It didn't matter that their talking points about "marriage uniting the two halves of humanity" was basic balderdash repeated by one spokesperson (NOM president Brian Brown) who spoke out of the side of his mouth in a monotone worthy of a character from an Ed Wood movie. It didn't matter that their other spokesperson (Maggie Gallagher) practically oozed false sincerity and brazenly lied about her anti-gay animus even when confronted with evidence of it.

And it certainly didn't matter that while they whined about falsely being labeled as bigots, they simultaneously ran ads and commercials implying that gays were attempting to corrupt children, even while entities such as Politifact and one of their own supporters called them out on it.

All that mattered were the wins because, as Gallagher once put it, "winning is fun."

But they were so blinded by their wins, they got just a little too overconfident and weren't prepared when the argument shifted away from public votes and into the courtrooms.

I consistently remain amazed about how they were mortified when the courts stepped in. After all, it was the next step. Isn't that how it's done in this country? Laws are passed and if some feel that the laws are unjust, they challenge them in our courts.

It was when gays challenged marriage equality laws via the courts that the masks of false superiority came off and we began to see the true faces of marriage equality foes. They made so many crucial errors and missteps Allow me to address these errors and missteps (and in doing so, I want to speak directly to Brown, Gallagher, other leaders of the anti-marriage equality camp, and possibly anyone else still upset at our victory):

Make the jump here to read the full article