The Dhammapada, an ancient Buddhist text, says:
“What you are
now is the result of what you were. What you will be tomorrow will be
the result of what you are now. The consequences of an evil mind will
follow you like the cart follows the ox that pulls it. The consequences
of a purified mind will follow you like your own shadow. No one can do
more for you than your own purified mind—no parent, no relative, no
friend, no one. A well-disciplined mind brings happiness.”
http://www.lionsroar.com/why-meditate/
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.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 15/12/2015
“O amor desperto é um fluxo contínuo de compaixão; é quando podemos nos
colocar no lugar do outro e sentir a dor dele; quando reconhecemos o
potencial adormecido no outro e damos força para esse potencial se
manifestar. É uma vontade sincera de ver o outro brilhar; de ver o outro
feliz e satisfeito. É isso que eu chamo de ‘autêntico altruísmo’. A
principal característica do amor desperto é a doação desinteressada.
Assim como a flor espalha seu perfume e
sua beleza gratuitamente; assim como o sol espalha o seu calor e a sua
luz; assim como a chuva molha a terra, e a água mata a sede, a essência
do ser humano ama.”
“El
amor despierto es un flujo continuo de compasión, es cuando podemos
colocarnos en el lugar del otro y sentir su dolor, cuando reconocemos el
potencial dormido en el otro y damos fuerza para que ese potencial se
manifieste. Es unas ganas sinceras de ver al otro brillar, de ver al
otro feliz y satisfecho. Esto es lo que llamo ‘auténtico altruismo’. La
principal característica del amor despierto es la entrega desinteresada.
Así como la flor esparce su perfume y su belleza gratuitamente, así
como el sol esparce su calor y su luz, así como la lluvia moja la
tierra, y el agua mata la sed, la esencia del ser humano ama.”
Libro “Amar y Ser Libre”
"Awakened love is a continuous flow of compassion. From this state, we can put ourselves in someone else's shoes and feel their pain. When love awakens we recognize the dormant potential in each other and give supportfor this potential to manifest. It is a sincere desire to see the other shine, be happy and feel satisfied. This is also called authentic altruism, as the main characteristic of awakened love is selfless giving. Just as a flower spreads its fragrance and beauty freely, the sun emanates its warmth and light, the rain wets the earth, and as water quenches thirst, the essence of human beings is to love."
From the book Love and Be Free
Libro “Amar y Ser Libre”
"Awakened love is a continuous flow of compassion. From this state, we can put ourselves in someone else's shoes and feel their pain. When love awakens we recognize the dormant potential in each other and give supportfor this potential to manifest. It is a sincere desire to see the other shine, be happy and feel satisfied. This is also called authentic altruism, as the main characteristic of awakened love is selfless giving. Just as a flower spreads its fragrance and beauty freely, the sun emanates its warmth and light, the rain wets the earth, and as water quenches thirst, the essence of human beings is to love."
From the book Love and Be Free
Today's Daily Dharma: Watering the Seedlings of Intention
Watering the Seedlings of Intention
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Monday, December 14, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 14/12/2015
“Talvez você não acredite no amor - talvez nunca tenha amado. Talvez
você já tenha sentido uma brisa, algumas notas do perfume do amor, que
pode ter se manifestado em relação a uma pessoa; alguém que acorda em
você um sentimento que não consegue traduzir em palavras, mas que te
eleva, te abre, e te faz sentir e viver coisas que até então você não
acreditava que pudessem existir. Você fica feliz sem razão; confia sem
razão. Você quer ver o bem do outro e
torce por ele, muitas vezes, sem nem mesmo ter motivo para isso. É algo
que desafia a lógica. Você não explica o amor, mas tem notícias de que
algo assim existe. E é isso que dá sentido para a vida humana.”
“Tal vez no creas en el amor, tal vez nunca hayas amado. Tal vez ya
hayas sentido una brisa, algunas notas del perfume del amor, que puede
haberse manifestado en relación a una persona, alguien que despierta en
ti un sentimiento que no logras traducir en palabras, pero que te eleva,
te abre, y te hace sentir y vivir cosas que hasta entonces no creías
que pudieran existir. Estás feliz sin razón, confías sin razón. Quieres
ver el bien en el otro y lo alientas, muchas veces, sin tener motivo
para eso. Es algo que desafía la lógica. No explicas el amor, pero
tienes noticias de que algo así existe. Y es esto lo que da sentido a la
vida humana.”
"You may not believe in love – perhaps you’ve never even truly loved. You may have felt a breeze, or smelled the scent of love’s perfume in relation to a person who awakens in you a feeling that you can’t even put into words. This feeling elevates you, opens you up, and makes you feel and experience things that you couldn’t have imagined. You feel happy without a cause, and trust without a reason. You wish the other well and root for him or her, oftentimes without even having a reason to do so. It defies logic; you can’t explain love, but you know that something like this exists. This is what gives meaning to human life."
"You may not believe in love – perhaps you’ve never even truly loved. You may have felt a breeze, or smelled the scent of love’s perfume in relation to a person who awakens in you a feeling that you can’t even put into words. This feeling elevates you, opens you up, and makes you feel and experience things that you couldn’t have imagined. You feel happy without a cause, and trust without a reason. You wish the other well and root for him or her, oftentimes without even having a reason to do so. It defies logic; you can’t explain love, but you know that something like this exists. This is what gives meaning to human life."
Today's Daily Dharma: A Human Possibility
A Human Possibility
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Sunday, December 13, 2015
Today's Daily Dharma: Glimpsing What's Not There
Glimpsing What's Not There
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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."
"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."
"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."
Saturday, December 12, 2015
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.”
“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
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Friday, December 11, 2015
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….”
Via LGBTq Nation: Zachary Quinto shows how LGBTQ discrimination weakens our society
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."
"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
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Thursday, December 10, 2015
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