Today's Daily Dharma: End of the Story

End of the Story

Unless it is clearly seen that the storyline about me perpetuates fear and pain, it will automatically keep on going. Discursive thinking is not separate from what is here, but its release cannot come from prohibition, or practice, or admonition. As long as I am thinking about it I am circumnavigating it. I am not really with it, seeing it unconditionally.

—Toni Packer, "End of the Story"

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The Istanbul Story - Boston Gay Men's Chorus

Via Instinct: The Dalai Lama Approves Same-Sex Marriage, Says Bullying And Homophobia Is What's Wrong

The Dalai Lama has taken Pope Francis' softened approach to modern civil rights for the LGBT community and raised the stakes. Significantly. 

In a sit down interview for Larry King Now, His Holiness says same-sex marriage is fine—it's really bullying and homophobia that is morally wrong. 

When asked about homosexuality in general and gay rights (with a lead in from Russia's current War on Gays), the Dalai Lama responds:

"That's a personal matter. People who have a special tradition, you should follow according to your own tradition. ... But non-believer, that's up to them. Different form of sex? So long as it's safe, okay! And fully agreed, okay! Bullied? Abused? That's what is wrong. That's a violation of human rights."

When asked about same-sex marriage rights, the Dalai Lama replies:

"That's up to the countries' laws. It's okay, I think individual business. If a couple really feels that way, practical, satisfaction ... if both sides fully agree, then okay!"

Make the jump here to  read the full article and get the video

Zeitgeist - The Movie - 2007 (legendado)

Via FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 18/10/2015

“Você já ouviu alguém dizer que Deus mora dentro e muito provavelmente acredita nisso. Porém, no nível mais profundo, você não tem certeza disso e acredita que Deus é um controlador punitivo, um tirano cruel que não hesita em te castigar e te lançar ao sofrimento. A grande maioria das pessoas carrega essa imagem reforçada pelas grandes tradições religiosas que nos ensinam a temer Deus e a andar na linha para não sermos punidos. E mesmo que você não pertença a nenhuma religião, essa crença lhe é transmitida através da figura de autoridade dos pais. E isso inevitavelmente é projetado na sua imagem de Deus.”

“Ya escuchaste a alguien decir que Dios vive dentro y muy probablemente crees en eso. Sin embargo, en un nivel más profundo, no tienes certeza de ello y crees que Dios es un controlador punitivo, un cruel tirano que no duda en castigarte y lanzarte al sufrimiento. La gran mayoría de las personas carga con esta imagen reforzada por las grandes tradiciones religiosas que nos enseñan a temer a Dios y a caminar en línea recta para no ser castigados. E incluso si no perteneces a ninguna religión, esta creencia te es transmitida a través de la figura de autoridad de los padres. Y esto inevitablemente es proyectado en tu imagen de Dios.”

“You have already heard that God lives within, and it’s likely that you believe this to be true. But on a deeper level, you’re not so sure about this and you believe that God is a controlling punisher. You see God as a cruel tyrant that doesn’t hesitate to punish you and cast you into suffering. The vast majority of people carry this image within them, and it is reinforced by the great religious traditions that teach us to fear God and to stay in line so as to avoid punishment. Even if you don’t belong to any religion, this belief is transmitted to you through your parents’ authoritative figure. Eventually, this gets projected onto your own image of God.”

Today's Daily Dharma: What the Buddha Taught

What the Buddha Taught

The Buddha taught that we should practice helping others while cultivating deep concentration, compassion, and wisdom. He further taught that enlightenment is not a mystical, transcendent experience but an ongoing process, calling for intimacy and transparency; and that suffering diminishes when confusion and fear change into openness and strength.

—Joan Halifax, "The Lucky Dark"

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Via LIORA / FB:

Via The Anti-Media:

Today's Daily Dharma: Meditation and Creative Imagination

Meditation and Creative Imagination

As we meditate, we become more aware of the habitual nature of our thoughts. I think of this level as consisting of the mental grooves that our thoughts habitually follow. Meditation helps us break free of these habitual patterns and unleash the original and creative power of thought.

—Martine Batchelor, "Meditation, Mental Habits, and Creative Imagination"

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 16/10/2015

“Alguns compreendem satsang como uma palestra, mas é um equívoco. Satsang é uma experiência - a experiência de estarmos juntos. Nessa experiência, um instante de silêncio pode ser mais eloquente do que todas as palavras. As palavras surgem na forma de conhecimento, instrução e guiança, mas elas não são o mais importante.”

“Algunos entienden satsang como una conferencia, pero es un error. Satsang es una experiencia -la experiencia de estar juntos- . En esta experiencia, un instante de silencio puede ser más elocuente que todas las palabras. Las palabras surgen en forma de conocimiento, instrucción y guía, pero no son lo más importante.”

“Some people understand the word ‘satsang’ to be a talk, but this is not entirely correct. Satsang is the experience of togetherness. In this meeting, an instance of silence can be more eloquent than any spoken word. Words may appear in the form of knowledge, instruction and guidance, but they are not the most important element in this kind of encounter.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Intention Is Everything

Intention Is Everything

As long as our intentions of dharma practice remain untransformed, we only settle for more of the suffering of samsara, for life in the same old cage. Through attention . . . we come to understand that to practice the dharma with a mind that is not imbued with dharma values is to sell the dharma short, and to settle for less than freedom.

—Lama Jampa Thaye, "Parting from the Four Attachments"

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Via The Huffington Post: Federal Report Calls For End To 'Conversion Therapy' For LGBT Youth The practice is "inappropriate and reinforces harmful gender stereotypes."

 

Evan Vucci/ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

WASHINGTON -- The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released a report Thursday calling for an end to the practice of "conversion therapy" for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

Advocates of conversion therapy argue that gay people can change their sexual orientation with help, which often includes religious efforts. The therapy stems from the once accepted -- but now discredited -- belief that homosexuality is a mental disorder that can be cured.

SAMHSA's report concludes that "none of the existing research" supports that premise.
"Directing the child or adolescent to conform to any particular gender expression or identity, or directing parents and guardians to place pressure on the child or adolescent to conform to specific gender expressions and/or identities, is inappropriate and reinforces harmful gender stereotypes," SAMHSA's report says. 

The report follows the White House's criticism of the practice in April, in response to an online petition following the death of 17-year-old transgender youth Leelah Alcorn, who died after her parents forced her to attend conversion therapy. Senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said at the time that the administration "supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors."

On Thursday, she told reporters that the administration was pleased to present SAMHSA's report, which is the first in-depth federal look at conversion therapy.

"It's not our job to tell parents how to raise their children. But it is our responsibility to provide parents with the scientific evidence necessary in order for them to make the best possible decisions when raising their children," Jarrett said. "We do strongly believe that young people should be valued for who they are, no matter what they look like, where they're from, the gender with which they identify or who they love."

In May, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) introduced the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, which would classify conversion therapy as a fraudulent practice that would be illegal under the Federal Trade Commission Act. If passed, Lieu's bill would also ban all advertising that claims the therapy can successfully change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

In a statement Thursday, Lieu said the new report "makes it clear that so-called ‘conversion therapy’ is psychological child abuse -- plain and simple."

SAMHSA recommends a number of steps to end conversion therapy for minors, including reducing discrimination toward LGBT individuals and providing better information and training for behavioral health providers, as well as taking legislative or legal action.

Four states and the District of Columbia have already passed laws banning the practice for minors, and 21 other states have introduced similar legislation, according to the report.

"We recognize that the significant health disparities faced by LGBT youth -- in particular, issues related to suicide, depression, substance abuse and homelessness, among many others -- often relate to experiences of family rejection due to their sexual orientation, their gender identity or their gender expression," said Elliot Kennedy, special expert on LGBT affairs at SAMHSA, on Thursday.

Major health organizations have rejected conversion therapy as well, with many concluding that it can cause significant physical and psychological harm.

Read about The Huffington Post's Gabriel Arana's experience undergoing this "ex-gay therapy" as a teenager, from his article in The American Prospect in April 2012.  

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Make the jump here to read the original and full story

Via Mavaddat Javid: Bahai Faith Discriminates on Homosexuals

There is literally not a single accredited medical institution in North America that regards being gay as cognitively or psychologically aberrant in anyway. What you wrote is a reflection of the current +Bahai Faith dogma, but the Bahá'í belief has no correspondence to reality. Your ignorant claim that "Homosexuality is a behavioral and mental disorder" stands in contradiction to the professional judgment of every accredited medical and psychological institution in North America (including the +American Medical Association (AMA), +American Psychiatric Nurses Association, +American Psychological Association, +American Academy of Pediatrics. They all agree there's no medical, psychological, or social reason to judge same sex relationships immoral or unhealthy.

Today's Daily Dharma: The Act of Apology

The Act of Apology

The act of apology and forgiveness is like a sacrament of human community. It is how we remember who we really are to each other.

—Rosemarie Freeney Harding, "Brief Teachings Fall 2015"

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Via WGB: America, the Hateful (Part Two)

America, the Hateful

By Lawrence Pfeil, Jr.

Part II

The fact that gay and lesbian Americans have won the battle for marriage equality may not bode well for hate crime trends in the future.  According to June’s vocative.com article:

“In the past, marriage equality legislation has been speculatively linked to violence against the LGBT community. When France legalized same-sex marriage in 2013, it was accompanied by a reported 30 percent increase in such attacks. In 2009, a surge in anti-gay hate crimes in California was blamed on controversy surrounding Prop 8, a state ban on same-sex marriage. At the time, a Santa Clara County prosecutor in charge of tracking hate crimes said, ‘My belief from having done this work for many years is that surges in types of hate incidents are linked to the headlines and controversies of the day.’”

With 2015 also being a high water mark for transgender people, there is certainly reason for those in the Community to be apprehensive as well.  On October 7th, Human Rights Campaign reported the murder of 22-year old Keisha Jenkins of Philadelphia, the 20th transgender person killed in America during this record setting year, with three months to go.  As transgender activist Bamby Salcedo put it, “We’re also living a double-edged sword. When there’s increasing visibility, there’s also increasing hate towards our community.”

To believe anti-LGBT violence in America will simply “blow over” or fade with growing acceptance is to live in a fool’s paradise.  One only needs to look at the explosion of new hate groups after the election of President Barack Obama; the systemic violence towards the Black community; or the massacre in Charleston at an AME Bible study to know it isn’t true.  People are addicted to their hate.

Social conservatives, evangelical Christians, as well as others who don’t want to know better are clearly outraged by the seismic shift in LGBT civil rights.  Fueled by media outlets, religious leaders, and political candidates bent on turning back the clock of equality, they’re not going to go away or change anytime soon.  

People like the Tennessee hardware store owner posting and selling “No Gays Allowed” merchandise and government officials imposing their personal beliefs on others by refusing to uphold the Constitution which they have sworn an oath to do, are prime examples of such.  Yes, they are guaranteed their freedom of speech and freedom of religion.  But if the merchandise said “No Blacks Allowed” and marriage licenses were being denied to interracial couples, the hate and discrimination would not be tolerated.

How is it different from anti-gay graffiti, transgender slurs, or gender nonconformity bullying? It’s not, including those against the most vulnerable, children.  Lambda Legal website states, “There is no constitutional right to be a bully…and the kind of behavior that school authorities are expected to control or prevent.”  And yet, many administrators fail to do so adding to the epidemic of “self-inflicted hate crimes,” LGBT adolescent suicide.

These various kinds of actions not only foster fertile ground, but plant the seeds of greater, more widespread, and ultimately violent acts of hate.  As Shannon Minter of the National Center for Lesbian Rights said, “We all have a responsibility to stop this violence.  We all have an obligation to speak up, to do something.”

For decades LGBTs have been urged to step out of the closet and into the Community.  Now it’s time for the Community and its allies to step up and step in when they witness hate and stop it before it can take root and grow into violence.  For America to become beautiful, it must have vigilant gardeners tending to it so life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness can hope to thrive.

Get Involved

State by state laws and advocacy

http://www.hrc.org/topics/hate-crimes

National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs

www.avp.org

If You Could Be Straight, Would You?

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 14/10/2015

“Até hoje nós, enquanto sociedade humana, estivemos interessados em explorar e conquistar a matéria. Isso ocorre porque estamos em um estágio ainda primitivo de evolução. Mas a inteligência criadora já está podendo nos dar provas de que precisamos nos mover em outra direção, caso contrário seremos extintos. Nós precisamos nos mover em direção à consciência amorosa, e para isso precisamos deixar de explorar a matéria e nos tornar exploradores da consciência.”

“Hasta hoy nosotros, como sociedad humana, estuvimos interesados en explorar y conquistar la materia. Esto ocurre porque estamos en un estadio aún primitivo de evolución. Pero la inteligencia creadora ya está pudiendo darnos pruebas de que necesitamos movernos en otra dirección, si no seremos extinguidos. Precisamos movernos en dirección a la consciencia amorosa, y para eso necesitamos dejar de explorar la materia y volvernos exploradores de la consciencia.”

“Up until now, humanity as a whole has been interested in exploring and conquering the material world. This has been so because we are still in a relatively primitive stage of our evolution. However, the Creative Intelligence has already been showing us that it’s time for us to move in another direction; otherwise, we will become extinct. We need to move towards loving consciousness, which means leaving behind our exploration of the world of matter and instead becoming explorers of consciousness.”

day's Daily Dharma: Awareness Arises Naturally

Awareness Arises Naturally

Practice consisting of nothing but fierce desire simply upsets the mind and keeps it from being still. But when one's awareness of the mind is just right, an inner awareness will arise naturally of its own accord.

—Upasika Kee Nanayon, "A Clear Awareness of Nature"

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