Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 07/02/2016

“Paralelamente ao trabalho psicoespiritual, algumas práticas podem te ajudar a chegar à compreensão necessária. Pode ser a repetição de um mantra, uma meditação, mas também um kriya (purificação do corpo) ou um asana (postura de yoga). As práticas externas podem ajudar a transformar aspectos internos. Você pratica fora até que aprende a fazer sirsasana, padmasanae bhastrika dentro de você, na hora que o outro está ali, te desafiando, te provocando. É preciso ter muita firmeza e flexibilidade para lidar com a brutalidade que se manifesta no mundo. Algumas situações pedem muito alongamento e equilíbrio. E, às vezes, temos que ficar de ponta cabeça para dar conta.”

“Paralelamente al trabajo psicoespiritual, algunas prácticas pueden ayudarte a llegar a la comprensión necesaria. Puede ser la repetición de un mantra, una meditación, pero también una kriya (purificación del cuerpo) o un asana(postura de yoga). Las prácticas externas pueden ayudar a transformar aspectos internos. Practicas afuera hasta que aprendes a realizar sirsasana, padmasana y bhastrikadentro tuyo, en el momento en que el otro está allí, desafiándote, provocándote. Es necesario tener mucha firmeza y flexibilidad para lidiar con la brutalidad que se manifiesta en el mundo. Algunas situaciones piden mucha elongación y equilibrio. Y a veces, tenemos que estar cabeza abajo para conseguirlo.”

"In conjunction with our psycho-spiritual work, there are some practices that can help us reach understanding. These practices may include the repetition of a mantra, meditation, or even a kriya (a bodily purification) or an asana practice (yoga postures). External practices can help to transform internal aspects of ourselves. We continue with these external practices until we learn to do sirsasana (headstand), padmasana (lotus pose) and bhastrika (bellows breath) within ourselves at the moments when someone is challenging and provoking us. It takes great steadiness and flexibility to deal with the brutality that manifests in the world. Some situations call for us tostretch out and balance ourselves. Sometimes, we even need to stop and go into a full headstand in order to cope.”

Via Dialy Dharma: Bow by Bow

We offer our whole body and mind to wisdom or to compassion, opening ourselves, in the act of the bow, to that quality letting go of everything else in our life but that quality, bringing it out, making it big, fashioning it day by day, bow by bow.

—Norman Fischer, "Why Do We Bow"

 

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Via Daily Dharma: The Ordinary Self

Holding to an ordinary notion of self, or ego, is the source of all our pain and confusion. The irony is that when we look for this "self" that we're cherishing and protecting, we can't even find it.

—Dzigar Kongtrül Rinpoche, "Searching for Self"

 

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 05/02/2016

Compreenda que é preciso ser honesto, mas também é preciso ser gentil. Parte fundamental do processo de evolução da consciência é extirpar a violência do nosso sistema. Por isso precisamos encontrar maneiras de sermos honestos sem machucar o outro. E mesmo sendo gentil, pode ser que a verdade machuque o outro (porque nem sempre é fácil lidar com ela). Mas, nesse caso, isso não é um problema seu, é um problema do outro.”

“Comprende que es necesario ser honesto, pero también es necesario ser gentil. Parte fundamental del proceso de evolución de la consciencia es extirpar la violencia de nuestro sistema. Por eso necesitamos encontrar maneras de ser honestos sin herir al otro. Incluso siendo gentil, puede ser que la verdad lastime al otro (porque no siempre es fácil lidiar con ella). Pero en ese caso, eso no es un problema tuyo, es un problema del otro.”

"Understand that we must be honest, but we also need to be kind. A key step in the process of the evolution of consciousness is to weed all traces of violence from our systems. We need to find ways to be honest with one another without hurting each other. Even if we are being kind, the truth may hurt others, because it is not always easy to deal with the truth – but that's a challenge the other must work with.”

Via Daily Dharma: Discovering the Gems Within

People who are attached to sutras and a scriptural teaching of words can lack faith in the living, mysterious experience of meditation that leads to a sudden insight. They are . . . attached to the stubborn habit of distinguishing between "true" and "not true." Believing only what is written in holy texts, they are conceptually mesmerized by the treasures of others, instead of digging inside to discover the priceless gems of their own, lying deep within.

—So Sahn, "The Zen of Confidence"

 

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Via Free & Equal / FB:

Did you know that United Nations Postal Administration has been issuing postage stamps since 1951 to celebrate United Nations' goals and achievements? Tomorrow they become the very first postal service to launch a collection of stamps promoting #LGBT equality!

#stampcollecting #philately #humanrights #geekingout

Via Unofficial: philosophy: Why is it that everyone in America can not grasp the concept?

Via Daily Dharma: Gathering Merit

What do I mean by gathering merit? First, it is to be able to cultivate compassion; to have an altruistic motivation and to do things to benefit others. It is to help people in an appropriate way, such as giving advice, and likewise to be generous and disciplined and to develop patience—to develop these kinds of qualities and do things with a pure, sincere wish to help.

—Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche, "Four Simple Tips for Living a Buddhist Life"

 

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 04/02/2016

“Tenho falado sobre a honestidade como o primeiro valor a ser desenvolvido. Porém, sinto que pode haver uma distorção desse ensinamento. A honestidade, como uma manifestação da Verdade maior, deve sempre se manifestar com sabedoria e compaixão. Muitas vezes, a pessoa se sente o cavaleiro da verdade, hasteia uma bandeira, e sai por aí falando tudo que pensa. Aparentemente ela está alinhada com a verdade, mas, ao machucar o outro, ela passa a ser um canal da mentira.”

“He hablado sobre la honestidad como el primer valor a ser desarrollado. Sin embargo, siento que puede haber una distorsión en esa enseñanza. La honestidad, como una manifestación de la Verdad mayor, debe siempre manifestarse con sabiduría y compasión. Muchas veces, la persona se siente caballero de la verdad, iza una bandera y sale por ahí hablando todo lo que piensa. Aparentemente está alineada con la verdad, pero al herir al otro, pasa a ser un canal de la mentira.”

"Honesty is the first value that needs to be developed. However, this teaching can become distorted. Honesty, as a manifestation of the greater truth, should always manifest with wisdom and compassion. Oftentimes, we feel like we are the Knight of the Truth, as we hoist a flag and go around sharing all that we think. It may seem as if we are aligned with the truth, but by hurting others, we actually become a channel of deceitfulness.”

Via Daily Dharma: We Are One Another

The world embraces us at every moment. And you don’t stop at your skin. To write about a tree with absolute objectivity is to write autobiography, and to write your personal story is to write the geography of the planet.

—Jane Hirshfield, "Poetry Flesh, Zen Bones"

 

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Via Jasmine Sky:

I FEEL PEACEFUL ON EVERY LETTER OF WORDS 

!My Buddhas!

Via HimalayaCrafts:

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. - Buddha

Via HimalayaCrafts:

No one can escape death and unhappiness. If people expect only happiness in life, they will be disappointed.
- Buddha

Queensryche - Silent Lucidity

Hush now don't you cry
Wipe away the teardrop from your eye
You're lying safe in bed
It was all a bad dream
Spinning in your head
Your mind tricked you to feel the pain
Of someone close to you leaving the game of life
So here it is, another chance
Wide awake you face the day
Your dream is over, or has it just begun?

There's a place I like to hide
A doorway that I run through in the night
Relax child, you were there
But only didn't realize and you were scared
It's a place where you will learn
To face your fears, retrace the tears
And ride the whims of your mind
Commanding in another world
Suddenly, you hear and see
This magic new dimension

I will be watching over you
I am gonna help you see it through
I will protect you in the night
I am smiling next to you, in silent lucidity

Visualize your dream
Record it in the present tense
Put it into a permanent form
If you persist in your efforts
You can achieve dream control
Dream control
How's that then, better?
Hug me

If you open your mind for me
You won't rely on open eyes to see
The walls you built within
Come tumbling down, and a new world will begin
Living twice at once you learn
You're safe from pain in the dream domain
A soul set free to fly
A round trip journey in your head
Master of illusion, can you realize
Your dream's alive, you can be the guide but

I will be watching over you
I am gonna help you see it through
I will protect you in the night
I am smiling next to you, in silent lucidity.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 02/02/2016

“Tenho te inspirado a reverenciar a Divindade em todos os seus nomes e formas, compreendendo que Deus é Um, mas se manifesta de diferentes maneiras, de acordo com a necessidade de cada grupo. Na verdade, todas essas formas são aspectos da Divindade que nos habita. Elas estão dentro de nós. Hoje, no Brasil, é um dia dedicado a Iemanjá, a Rainha do Mar. É dia de ir até a beira da praia para fazer orações, oferendas e agradecer a Shakti universal, ao sagrado feminino que se manifesta em nós como aceitação, confiança, acolhimento, receptividade, paciência e muitas outras virtudes.”

 

“Te he inspirado a reverenciar la Divinidad en todos sus nombres y formas, comprendiendo que Dios es Uno, pero se manifiesta de diferentes maneras, de acuerdo con la necesidad de cada grupo. En verdad, todas esas formas son aspectos de la Divinidad que nos habita. Están dentro de nosotros. Hoy, en Brasil, es un día dedicado a Iemanjá, la Reina del Mar. Es día de ir hasta la orilla de la playa para hacer oraciones, ofrendas y agradecer a la Shaktiuniversal, al sagrado femenino que se manifiesta en nosotros como aceptación, confianza, acogimiento, receptividad, paciencia y muchas otras virtudes.

"Give reverence to the Divine in all of its names and forms, understanding that God is One, but manifests in different ways according to the needs of each group of people. In fact, all these varying forms are aspects of the Divine that dwell in each of us; they are within us. In Brazil, today is dedicated to Yemanja, the Queen of the Seas. On this day, people go to the beach to make prayers, to give offerings and to thank the Universal Shakti, the sacred feminine that acts through us in the form of acceptance, trust, embrace, receptivity, patience and many other virtues.”

Via Daily Dharma: Setting an Intention

Vows are the forces that weave together the fabric of your life and all of life. Without vows, without purposeful action, life would cease to exist.

—Jan Chozen Bays, "Brief Teachings Spring 2016"

 

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Via JMG: World Net Daily Has The Godless City Sadz

Last week the American Family Association published a ranking of US cities based on the percentage of residents who claim to read the bible at least once a week. Today World Net Daily warns us against cities that have the largest percentage of religious “nones” – people who claim no formal affiliation with any denomination. They write:

If you’re an atheist, then the Pacific Northwest is the place for you. Three of the most godless cities in America are on the West coast, with the Rose City – Portland, Oregon – coming in as the least faithful. According to a survey of 50,000 people conducted by the nonpartisan and nonprofit Public Religion Research Institute’s American Values Atlas, 42 percent of Portland’s residents are “religiously unaffiliated.” Seattle and San Francisco tied at second place (33 percent), with Denver and Phoenix (32 percent and 26 percent) in third and fourth place.

Compared to more devout cities such as Nashville and Charlotte, Portland bills itself as “quirky and different” (the city’s unofficial motto is “Keep Portland Weird”). Daniel Cox, research director at the Public Religion Research Institute, credits this atmosphere as “very attractive to people who may not feel comfortable in other social environments, particularly with a stigma against those who are atheists.”

Studies show one-fifth (22 percent) of the U.S. population has no religious affiliation whatsoever. Numbers are rising. Last year atheists were 15 percent of the population; 10 years ago, numbers stood at 10 percent. In the 1950s, it was 1 percent. In late 2012, it was reported that atheism was the third-largest “faith” in the world after Christianity and Islam.

Make the jump here to read the original at JMG

Via DailyKos: One of Greece's respected religious leaders says homosexuals are created by God and deserve respect

Jan 05, 2016 3:47pm BRST by Walter Einenkel

About a month ago, Greece passed a law recognizing same-sex unions. It is the first step towards the inevitable downfall of civilization—or so we have been told for the past 3000 years (give or take a few hundred years). Predictably, there has been a bit of push back, specifically from the more religious elements in Greek society. More specifically from high ranking Greek Orthodox bishops publicly saying that gay people should be spit on and beaten. 

However, a few days ago Chrysostomos, the Metropolitan of Messinia was quoted in a interview with news site Pappas Post saying that homosexuals are like all humans and should be accorded the same respect.

“Homosexuals, like all humans, are a creation of God and they deserve the same respect and honor, and not violence and rejection. We shouldn’t forget the way Christ responded to the sinful woman, according to the Gospels, which became his word. ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.’”

“That canon should be our guiding principle for the way in which we should handle every person and fellow human, regardless of their otherness or differences. The church doesn’t reject people.”

Bishop Chrysostomos diocese covers most of southern Greece and is one of twelve in the country. Now, Chrysostomos didn’t go so far as to say that homosexuality was an acceptable spiritual way of living but, after the very harsh and dangerous rhetoric being thrown around by other church officials, it is nice to see some dissent in opinion. Even if that dissent shows more a degree of difference than actual ideological progress. Considering that the Greek Orthodox church is the oldest Christian sect in the world, there is something to be said about how similar they are to more modern religious sects like fundamentalism, and how they must swim or sink with the changing times. 

Make the jump here to read the full article

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del día / Flower of the day 1/02/2016

“Quero te convidar a olhar a vida objetivamente. Que você possa olhar para as dificuldades que surgem na vida não como um problema, mas como oportunidades de autoconhecimento e crescimento, sejam elas quais forem. Vá em frente e pergunte: o que é que a vida quer me ensinar? O que eu estou me recusando a compreender?”

“Te quiero invitar a mirar la vida objetivamente. Que puedas mirar a las dificultades que surgen en la vida no como un problema, sino como oportunidades de autoconocimiento y crecimiento, sean cuales fueran. Ve al frente y pregunta: ¿Qué es lo que la vida quiere enseñarme? ¿Qué es lo que me estoy rehusando a comprender?”

"I invite you to look at life objectively. May you be able to look at whatever difficulties arise in life, not as problems, but as opportunities for self-awareness and growth. Go ahead and ask yourself: ‘What is life wanting to teach me? What am I refusing to understand?’ "