Today's Daily Dharma: Glimpsing What's Not There

Glimpsing What's Not There

If we use precision in our attention, we see—even if only for a moment—that no person is embedded in our mind/body process. We can never forget that experience.

—Ayya Khema, "No Satisfaction"

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 13/12/2015

“O ego é o herói da jornada; ele tem uma missão, um trabalho a fazer no mundo. Mas para isso ele precisa estar vazio. Porém, primeiro ele precisa crescer e ficar forte. Ocorre um desenvolvimento pessoal. Você sente que está crescendo e expandindo, mas está em cima de um tapete vermelho. Mas quando está suficientemente grande, o tapete é puxado dos seus pés. Então você começa a encolher, até que se esvazia. E estando vazio, você está pronto para realizar sua missão, que é ser um canal puro do amor.”

“El ego es el héroe del camino, tiene una misión, un trabajo por hacer en el mundo. Pero para esto él necesita estar vacío. Sin embargo, primero necesita crecer y estar fuerte. Ocurre un desarrollo personal. Sientes que estás creciendo y expandiéndote, pero estás arriba de una alfombra roja. Pero cuando está lo suficientemente grande, la alfombra es quitada de tus pies. Entonces comienzas a encogerte, hasta que te vacías. Y estando vacío, estás listo para realizar tu misión, que es ser un canal puro del amor.” 

"The ego is the hero of the day; it has a mission and a job to do in the world. But for this to happen the ego must be empty. First, the ego needs to grow and become strong. Personal development occurs, and you feel that you are growing and expanding while on a red carpet. When the egobecomes large enough, the rug is pulled out from under your feet. Then you begin to shrink, until youbecome empty. Being empty, you are ready to carry out your mission, which is to be a pure channel of love."

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 13/12/2015

“O ego é o herói da jornada; ele tem uma missão, um trabalho a fazer no mundo. Mas para isso ele precisa estar vazio. Porém, primeiro ele precisa crescer e ficar forte. Ocorre um desenvolvimento pessoal. Você sente que está crescendo e expandindo, mas está em cima de um tapete vermelho. Mas quando está suficientemente grande, o tapete é puxado dos seus pés. Então você começa a encolher, até que se esvazia. E estando vazio, você está pronto para realizar sua missão, que é ser um canal puro do amor.”

“El ego es el héroe del camino, tiene una misión, un trabajo por hacer en el mundo. Pero para esto él necesita estar vacío. Sin embargo, primero necesita crecer y estar fuerte. Ocurre un desarrollo personal. Sientes que estás creciendo y expandiéndote, pero estás arriba de una alfombra roja. Pero cuando está lo suficientemente grande, la alfombra es quitada de tus pies. Entonces comienzas a encogerte, hasta que te vacías. Y estando vacío, estás listo para realizar tu misión, que es ser un canal puro del amor.” 

"The ego is the hero of the day; it has a mission and a job to do in the world. But for this to happen the ego must be empty. First, the ego needs to grow and become strong. Personal development occurs, and you feel that you are growing and expanding while on a red carpet. When the egobecomes large enough, the rug is pulled out from under your feet. Then you begin to shrink, until youbecome empty. Being empty, you are ready to carry out your mission, which is to be a pure channel of love."

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 12/12/2015

“O ego é uma falsa ideia sobre quem somos. E é o autoconhecimento que possibilita a integração do ego e o acesso à realidade de quem somos. Portanto é o autoconhecimento que possibilita a autorrealização. Por isso, abençoados sejam os momentos em que nos dedicamos às práticas que nos dão a chance de nos conhecer um pouco melhor. Abençoados sejam os seus esforços.”

“El ego es una falsa idea sobre quienes somos. Y es el autoconocimiento lo que posibilita la integración del ego y el acceso a la realidad de quien somos. Por lo tanto, es el autoconocimiento lo que posibilita la autorrealización. Por eso, benditos sean los momentos en que nos dedicamos a las prácticas que nos dan la oportunidad de conocernos un poco mejor. Benditos sean tus esfuerzos.”

"The ego is a false idea about who we are. Self-awareness enables us to integrate the ego and access the reality of who we are. Thus, self-knowledge allows for self-realization. Blessed are the moments when we dedicate ourselves to practices that give us the chance to know ourselves a little better. Blessed be your efforts."

Today's Daily Dharma: Energized by Wonder

Energized by Wonder

We need to be able to utilize the positive energy of wondering, of wanting to know the truth for ourselves and working to do that, and not get lost in cynicism or endless speculation.

—Sharon Salzberg, "Sitting on the Fence"

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Via JMG: FLORIDA: Gay Festivus Pole Approved

 
It will be a very gay Festivus at the Florida Capitol Building this year:

The Florida Department of Management Services on Thursday approved an application by Deerfield Beach political blogger Chaz Stevens to set up the display to honor the Festivus “holiday,” agency spokeswoman Natalee Singleton said. Stevens’ application for his 2015 “Rainbow gay edition” display — a 6-foot-6-inch pole built of empty beer cans and topped with a disco ball — allows him to put up the pole on Dec. 21 and for it to remain in the Capitol’s first-floor rotunda through Dec. 28. The only other end-of-year display approved for the Capitol is a menorah by the Chabad Lubavitch of the Panhandle-Tallahassee. The menorah is already in place.

A similar request has been filed in Arkansas. “And now…the Airing Of Grievances….”

Make the jump here to read the original and much more on JMG

Via LGBTq Nation: Zachary Quinto shows how LGBTQ discrimination weakens our society

Zachary Quinto

Today is Human Rights Day, and to make the occasion, the United Nation’s Free & Equal campaign worked with actor Zachary Quinto to spread awareness about the real price of LGBTQ discrimination in the workplace. 

A new video narrated by Quinto demonstrates the tremendous toll discrimination takes on society when LGBTQ people don’t receive adequate protections — both at work and in their private lives.
According to the vid, almost two thirds of LGBTQ youth are bullied. A third of them decide to quit school because of it. 

Gay and lesbian teens are four times more likely to consider suicide than straight teenagers.
Trans teenagers are more than ten times more like to attempt killing themselves. 

According to Charles Radcliffe, Head of Global Issues at the UN Human Rights Office, and campaign direction of UN Free & Equal:

“In study after study, rates of poverty, homelessness, depression & suicide are found to be far higher in the LGBT community than among the general population.
“But it’s not only LGBT people who pay the price; we all do. Every trans kid thrown out of home or forced out of school is a loss for society.
“Every gay or lesbian worker denied work or driven to emigrate is a lost opportunity to build a more productive economy.
“Everyone who still thinks the effects LGBTI discrimination has on the economy are small and marginal should think again.”

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 11/12/2015

“Existem momentos da jornada evolutiva nos quais acreditamos estar nos movendo em direção a realidade espiritual, mas estamos presos, estagnados em algum ponto. Mas como saber se, de fato, estamos nos movendo e não nos enganando? Muito simples - olhando para os nossos relacionamentos. Observando se estamos conseguindo manter o coração aberto para o outro; se estamos conseguindo ir além do jogo de acusações; se estamos conseguindo ver a luz que está por trás da sombra do outro e se já estamos podendo escolher desviar dos buracos que até então havíamos caído.”

“Existen momentos en el camino evolutivo en los cuales creemos estar moviéndonos en dirección a la realidad espiritual, pero estamos presos, estancados en algún punto. ¿Pero cómo saber si, de hecho, estamos moviéndonos y no nos estamos engañando? Muy simple, mirando nuestras relaciones. Observando si estamos pudiendo mantener el corazón abierto al otro, si estamos pudiendo ir más allá del juego de acusaciones, si estamos pudiendo ver la luz que está por detrás de la sombra del otro y si ya estamos pudiendo elegir desviarnos de los pozos que hasta ahora veníamos cayendo” 

"There are moments in the evolutionary journey where we believe that we’re moving towards spiritual reality but, in fact, we are stuck on some point. How can we know if we are truly moving towards this reality and are not fooling ourselves? Quite simply, by looking at our relationships. We do so by observing whether we are managing to keep an open heart to one another and being able to go beyond the blame game. If we are able to see the light behind the other’s shadow and consciously choose to deviate from the holes that we had previously fallen into, then we are indeed evolving."

Today's Daily Dharma: Not Someone Else's Path

Not Someone Else's Path

It is essential at the beginning of practice to acknowledge that the path is personal and intimate. It is no good to examine it from a distance as if it were someone else’s. You must walk it for yourself.

—Robert Aitken Roshi, "The Teacher in Everything"

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Via Spirit Rock Meditation Center / FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 10/12/2015

PRABHU AP JAGO
PARMATMA JAGO
MERE SARVE JAGO
SARVATRA JAGO

“Essas palavras em sânscrito têm um tremendo poder. Um poder que dificilmente poderemos descrever utilizando as palavras. Mas eu gostaria que você não acreditasse nisso que estou dizendo - eu gostaria que você se permitisse experienciar isso que eu estou dizendo. Eu lhe convido a viver essa aventura de cantar essas palavras para que possa constatar por si mesmo o poder que elas têm.”

“Estas palabras en sánscrito tienen un tremendo poder. Un poder que difícilmente podremos describir utilizando las palabras. Pero me gustaría que no creas en esto que estoy diciendo, me gustaría que te permitas experimentar esto que estoy diciendo. Te invito a vivir esta aventura de cantar estas palabras para que puedas constatar por ti mismo el poder que ellas tienen.”

"These Sanskrit words have a tremendous power; a power that is almost indescribable. But, I don’t wish for you to believe in what I am saying – I wish that you would allow yourself to experience what I am saying. I invite you to live this adventure of singing these words so that you can see for yourself the power they hold."

Today's Daily Dharma: The Task Is Ours

The Task Is Ours

Now is the time to free ourselves from samsara. Unless we do it in this lifetime, it is not going to happen all by itself. We have to take care of ourselves.

—Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, "Taking Your Future into Your Own Hands"

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The fight for LGBT equality is not over | Hillary Clinton

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 09/12/2015

“Almas que têm um certo grau de consciência desperta, antes de encarnar, podem escolher onde irão nascer e quem serão seus aliados e protetores durante sua jornada. Elas também têm a chance de escolher os desafios que irão enfrentar. Isso ocorre porque a alma sabe que, nesse plano, a chance de adormecer é muito grande. Então ela também escolhe as dificuldades que a ajudarão a acordar quando a consciência estiver prestes a adormecer.”

“Las almas que tienen un cierto grado de consciencia despierta, antes de encarnar, pueden elegir dónde irán a nacer y quienes serán sus aliados y protectores durante su camino. También tienen la oportunidad de elegir los desafíos que irán a enfrentar. Esto ocurre porque el alma sabe que en este plano, la oportunidad de adormecerse es muy grande. Entonces también elige las dificultades que la ayudarán a despertar cuando la consciencia esté por adormecerse” 

"Before incarnating on Earth, the souls that have awakened a certain degree of consciousness can choose where they will be born and who will be their allies and guardians during their journey. They also have the opportunity to choose which challenges they will face. This happens because the soul knows that, in this realm, humans fall asleep all too easily. The soul actually chooses certain difficulties that will help it wake up when its consciousness is about to fall asleep."

Today's Daily Dharma: Groundless and Open

Groundless and Open

If we want to know what enlightenment is like, what awakening is like, we can practice the mind of non-clinging, non-fixation, nonattachment to anything at all. It's the mind of open groundlessness.

—Joseph Goldstein, "One Dharma"

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Via FB:

Today's Daily Dharma: The Enlightened State

The Enlightened State

For me the enlightened state is the realization of the oneness of life. And the proof is in the pudding: Are you functioning that way? Are you helping others?

—Bernie Glassman, "Working in the Cracks"

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Via JMG: NETHERLANDS: Gay Refugees Moved To Separate Housing After Attacks By Fellow Refugees

 

December 7, 2015 LGBT News

Dutch News reports:

Five gay asylum seekers in Amsterdam have been moved to a new location after they were spat on and attacked by other people in their refugee centre, the Parool says on Friday. The five – three from Syria, one from Iran and one from Iraq – have been moved to a house owned by housing corporation Rochdale. Junior justice minister Klaas Dijkhoff said earlier he did not support separate accommodation for gay refugees because it was ‘stigmatising’. A spokesman for the Salvation Army, which is in charge of refugee accommodation in the capital, said the men’s safety could not be guaranteed in their former housing. ‘They often don’t dare to leave their rooms,’ Philip Tijsma from gay rights lobby group COC told the Parool.

When Canada announced that it would accept gay Syrian refugees but not other “solo males,” activists worried that gay men who identify themselves in order to be eligible could face attacks in European refugee centers during the lengthy evaluation period. Unrelated to that, we must give credit to the Salvation Army for working to protect these gay refugees in the Netherlands.

Read the original here and more on JMG

Via Towleroad: Marco Rubio: I’ll Reverse LGBT Executive Orders, Appoint Anti-Equality SCOTUS Justices

GOP presidential hopeful Marco Rubio sat down with David Brody at the Christian Broadcasting Network in an interview published Saturday and told Brody that as president he would reverse Obama’s LGBT executive orders that stop religious business owners from discriminating against gays, appoint conservative SCOTUS justices who don’t believe that gays have the right to marry or that women have rights over their own bodies. He also said any transgender rights laws regarding bathroom usage have got to go.

Make the jump here to read the full article / transcript and more