Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 17/04/2016

“Estamos trabalhando para acordar a nossa habilidade de criar união. O vício na desunião está tão arraigado que é preciso rever muitas vezes o mesmo conhecimento até que ele possa ser compreendido, ou seja, até que ele se transforme em sabedoria. Se faz necessário aprofundar no conhecimento, mas também na prática. E prática significa mergulhar em si mesmo a fim de encontrar aquilo que joga contra a união e a felicidade, para finalmente ter a coragem de renunciar isso; coragem para entregar as armas e abrir mão da guerra. Mas, para isso, é preciso abrir mão da ideia de que você tem inimigos e de que é uma vítima. É preciso renunciar as crenças,até que aquilo que está além delas possa se manifestar.”

“Estamos trabajando para despertar nuestra habilidad de crear union. El vicio en la desunión está tan arraigado que es necesario revisar muchas veces el mismo conocimiento hasta que pueda ser comprendido, es decir, hasta que se transforme en sabiduría. Se hace necesario profundizar en el conocimiento, pero también en la práctica. Y práctica significa sumergirse en uno mismo para encontrar aquello que juegaen contra de la unión y de la felicidad, para finalmente tener el coraje de renunciar a ello; coraje para entregar las armas y renunciar a la guerra. Pero para eso, es necesario renunciar a la idea de que tienes enemigos y de que eres una víctima. Es necesario renunciar a las creencias, hasta que aquello que está más allá de ellas,se pueda manifestar.”

“We are working in order to awaken our capacity to create union. The addiction to separation is so ingrained that we need to review it over and over again, and continue to observe it so that it may be understood, until it finally transforms into wisdom. It is necessary to deepen our understanding, but it is also necessary to put our knowledge into practice. By practice, I mean to take a look deep within ourselves until we find the part of ourselves that acts contrary to union and happiness, and to finally have the courage to renounce this part of ourselves. We need to have the courage to put down our weapons, and to let go of conflicts. In order to do this, we need to let go of the idea that we have enemies and that we are a victim. It is necessary to renounce our beliefs, until we are able to manifest that which exists beyond separation and beliefs.”

Via Daily Dharma / April 17, 2016: Reacquainting the Mind and Body

Each activity you perform is an opportunity to observe the ways mind and body can work together and how they can sometimes conflict. The mind can spend hours worrying about a simple task that will take the body only minutes to perform. Although the music may be long, the dance itself is short.

—Gary Thorp, "The Dust Beyond the Cushion"

VIa Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 16/04/2016

Às vezes eu chamo o nosso trabalho de “movimento em direção à amizade”, pois compreendo que o maior desafio do ser humano na Terra é criar união. Tudo o que precisamos é nos tornar amigos uns dos outros.”

“A veces llamo nuestro trabajo de "movimiento en dirección a la amistad" porque comprendo que el mayor desafío del ser humano en la Tierra es crearunión. Todo lo que precisamos es volvernos amigos unos de los otros.”

“Sometimes I refer to our work as a 'movement towards friendship’, because I understand that our greatest challenge as human beings here on earth is to create union. This is only possible when we truly become friends with one another.”

Via Daily Dharma / April 16, 2016: Try a New Way of Being

The Buddhists say there are 121 states of consciousness. Of these, only three involve misery or suffering. Most of us spend our time moving back and forth between these three.

—Jenny Offill, "Bits of Poetry That Stick Like Burrs"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 15/04/2016

“A prática constante da auto-observação permite que você identifique padrões de pensamento que se repetem na sua mente, às vezes por horas ou dias; e às vezes por meses ou anos. Esses padrões mentais nascem da sua identificação com o passado e se manifestam na sua vida no presente, causando situações de sofrimento. Mas, ao identificá-los, você tem a chance de fazer a relação de causa e efeito para compreender qual situação do passado está gerando determinada situação negativa no presente.”

“La práctica constante de la auto-observación permite que identifiques patrones de pensamiento que se repiten en tu mente, a veces por horas o días, y a veces por meses o años. Estos patrones mentales nacen de tu identificación con el pasado y se manifiestan en tu vida en el presente, causando situaciones de sufrimiento. Pero al identificarlos, tienes la chance de hacer la relación de causa y efecto para comprender cual situación del pasado está generando determinada situación negativa en el presente.”

“The constant practice of self-observation allows us to identify the thought patterns that are repeating in our minds, which sometimes last hours, days, months or even years. These mental patterns arise from our identification with the past and consequently materialize in our present lives, causing many painful situations. When we are able to identify these patterns, we can seek out their cause and effect relationship to better understand which story from our past is creating a current negative situation in our lives.”

Via Daily Dharma / April 15, 2016: The Energy of Awareness

As I enter into my body, I not only see more clearly the force of my automatic judgments but also become more aware of my seeing and the freedom it brings. There is a kind of emptiness and fluidity in this awareness; that which is seen is transformed, revealing an energetic quality.

—Stuart Smithers, "Losing our Bodies, Losing Our Minds"

Via JMG: John Kasich: Let’s Move On From Gay Marriage [VIDEO]

April 15, 2016 2016 Election, Marriage Equality

Last night John Kasich reaffirmed his earlier statements that same-sex marriage is a settled issue.

“There could be an effort to pass a Constitutional Amendment. I’m not for doing it. I’m for moving on,” the Republican presidential hopeful said Thursday in a town hall airing on MSNBC. “Exactly where it is now, I’m fine with it,” he said when asked if there are any laws that should be changed to address the issue.

In a landmark decision last year, the Supreme Court ruled same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. Many in the once crowded Republican presidential field opposed the ruling, and while Kasich affirmed he believes marriage should remain between a man and woman, he told Matthews that everyone should be “a bit more tolerant.”

The Ohio governor often talks about how he recently attended a friend’s same-sex marriage ceremony. “I don’t think it’s right and the wedding that I went to, they know that I don’t agree with them,” Kasich said. Asked by Matthews what gay couples who love each other should do, Kasich said: “They should love one another. That’s the end of it.”

Make the jump here to read this and more at JMG

Via JMG: TEXAS: Centers For Disease Control Identifies First Case Of Male-To-Male Sexually Transmitted Zika Virus

April 14, 2016 LGBT News, Science

STAT News reports:

Men can contract Zika through unprotected sex with other men who are infected with the virus, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday, a finding that adds to experts’ understanding of how Zika can be transmitted.

The CDC said a case of sexual transmission that occurred in Dallas in January — and was reported in the mainstream media in early February — involved two men. It was only the second reported case of sexual transmission of Zika ever, and the first in which sexual spread was observed between two men.

While gay men who want to avoid Zika infection should take note, the lesson here applies to both men and women: Zika infection can be contracted through unprotected anal sex.

The Dallas case involved a man who had been infected with the virus while traveling in Venezuela. Two days after he returned home, his symptoms developed. A week after his return, his longtime partner, who had not traveled outside the country, became ill.

The investigators tried to rule out the possibility that the second man might have been infected locally by a mosquito. Mosquito traps set up around the couple’s home collected some Culex mosquitoes, but no Aedes moquitoes, the type believed to be the main culprit in spread of Zika virus.

Wired has details about zika infection:

The effects and symptoms of Zika virus can vary widely from person to person. In most people, the virus causes a mild disease lasting between two and seven days, with key symptoms including fever, rash, aches, conjunctivitis and eye pain.

However, in a minority of people, Zika has been found to cause Guillain-Barré syndrome, an auto-immune disease which makes the immune system attack the body’s nerve cells, resulting in weakness of the muscles and even paralysis. The effects typically last between a few weeks and a few months, but are sometimes permanent. Other neurological and autoimmune diseases, including acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, have also been linked to Zika.

The most notorious effect of the virus is its now-confirmed ability to cause foetal abnormalities if a pregnant woman contracts it. Following a study published by The New England Journal of Medicine, Dr Tom Frieden, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that “it is now clear that the virus causes microcephaly.”

(Tipped by JMG reader Michael)

Via Daily Dharma / April 14, 2016: Spiritual Activism

Mahatma Gandhi said that mute prayer was his greatest weapon and that we must ourselves embody the changes we want to see in the world. To me, that means we can work from the inside out to make a better world. I call this spiritual activism.

—Lama Surya Das, "Why Sit?"

More Thoughts On Pie Fights and Politics

Brazilian footballer Gérson

More than a few years ago, a film I dearly love "Moon over Parador" was filmed mostly here in Ouro Preto. It is one of those very silly-everyone-is-in-it over the top films with a message - mostly how the CIA messed up much of Latin America by supporting some very nasty dictatorships. For those of us who have lived and worked in Latin America it is a very poignant parody of the 80’s.

I recently wrote a posting here about the current pie fights and shenanigans in politics  and how I am morphing, spiritually speaking. The political stress here has been giving me not a few nightmares about things that I saw and experienced living under martial law in Guatemala.

Yesterday on our way home from work, M & I stopped off at the farmácia, and with out thinking, stepped into a lively discussion re: the impeachment proceedings going on. One guy in line told me “You know the CIA is behind it.” 

And I thought, with a big sigh, oh no, here we go again... 

Steady as she goes, gringo.

Milton immediately, and very, very calmly began to talk to him… tactfully showing him that he was off by quite a few meters. I finally entered into it, and said, 

"Look, its 2016, not 1980… and unfortunately no one in the States really gives a damn about Brasil… most people I know haven’t even bothered to ask me at all what is going on down here. And most estadounidenses are preoccupied by basketball, ISIS and spring…”

Everyone laughed. And I think it all ended well…

I shared this incident with a colleague and he reminded me of the Lei de Gérson (Gérson's law) which is, and I quote Wikipedia,

In Brazilian culture, Gérson's Law (Portuguese: Lei de Gérson) is an adage which reflects the way Brazilians behave towards themselves, immortalizing concepts such as jeitinho and malandragem. In short, Gérson's Law is taking advantage of every thing and every one and having no concern for ethics. This expression came into use since a TV commercial for the cigarette brand Vila Rica, starring Brazilian footballer Gérson, was aired around 1970. While he is a very well known football player in Brazil and worldwide, Gérson had always been a source for controversy. In the commercial, that particular cigarette brand was portrayed as advantageous for being better and cheaper in comparison to other brands, and at the end of the commercial, Gérson says "I like to get an advantage in everything". Later, the player resented having his image connected to the ad, since all kinds of unethical behaviors were linked to his name with reference to the law. (obrigado Charles for the remind!)

The Vila Rica brand uses the old name for Ouro Preto, btw.

To those of my two deeply beloved and dedicated readers, the Lei de Gérson is a big and very obvious part of Brazilian culture, but to be honest, it applies just about anywhere. But we here have made it a true art form... all the way to the current political scandals happening in Brasília at the moment. Rarely do we want to take responsibility for any of own actions, it is far easier to blame the other… it applies in many of the diverse places I have lived, but I digress.

Yesterday's farmácia incident reminded me as well of living in Guatemala or "Parador" in the 80’s. And how I was often approached by locals in a café or market and was asked something like,

“What do you think of our problem?”

Since it was early 80's Guatemala and we were smack dab in the middle of a very, very violent and often scarry US supported military dictatorship, one never really knew who you were talking to. I soon learned to avert disaster with a,

“You know you don’t really need a foreigner’s opinion about the situation. Guatemalans are clearly able to solve this problem. If you came to my house and told me to move the furniture and paint the room a different color, I’d be offended. This is the same thing.”

I always, I mean always got an offer of a free beer or drink or coffee after this. And I used the  opportunity to  tone up my español around lighter subjects related to art, music or futebol.

So maybe, just maybe its time to dust off that old pre Powerpoint presentation, translate it from español to the world’s most beautiful language aka “português mineiro”… uai!

So I leave you dear ones, with the the Paradorian National Anthem here sung by Sammy Davis Jr. with the over the top ending filmed in our Praça Tiradentes of  "Luar sobre Parador":

Via Ram Dass:

April 13, 2016

Which reality do you dwell in? If you stand anywhere, you’re missing part of the show. Don’t stand anywhere. I have no idea who you are or who I am. Then I am free. The minute I get trapped in a label, I have just imprisoned myself. No matter how well I furnish the prison, it’s still a prison.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 13/04/2016

“Quando, através da auto-observação, conseguimos apenas testemunhar o fluxo compulsivo de pensamentos, podemos interromper o mecanismo de projeção, através do qual reagimos a tudo com base nas nossas experiências do passado. Assim como reagimos aos pensamentos que passam por nós, da mesma maneira reagimos diante das situações da vida. Ao aprofundarmos nessa prática, percebemos que a maioria das nossas ações é, na verdade, o resultado de uma projeção.”

“Cuando a través de la auto-observación conseguimos tan solo atestiguar el flujo compulsivo de pensamientos, podemos interrumpir el mecanismo de proyección, a través del cual reaccionamos a todo con base en nuestras experiencias del pasado. Así como reaccionamos a los pensamientos que pasan por nosotros, de la misma manera reaccionamos delante a situaciones de la vida. Al profundizar en esta práctica, percibimos que la mayoría de nuestras acciones son, en verdad, el resultado de una proyección.” 

“When we are able to simply witness our compulsive flow of thoughts by using self-observation, we can put an end to our projection mechanisms. Our projections cause us to react to everything based upon the past experiences we have had. Just as we react to our own thoughts that pass through us, we also react to the situations we encounter in life. As we deepen in this practice of self-observation, we begin to perceive that the majority of our actions are, in truth, the result of a projection.”

Via Daily Dharma / April 13, 2016: Transforming Obstacles into Objects

Learning to transform obstacles into objects of meditation provides a much needed bridge between the stillness of the concentrated mind and the movement of real life.

—Mark Epstein, "Stopping the Wind"

Via Equality House / FB:

Via Daily Dharma / April 12, 2016: Looking Inward, Holding Forth

Meditation looks inward, poetry holds forth. One is private, the other is out in the world. One enters the moment, the other shares it. But in practice it is never entirely clear which is doing which.

—Gary Snyder, "Just One Breath"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 11/04/2016

“Precisamos focar na educação das crianças. O autoconhecimento precisa tornar-se política pública, ou seja, ele tem que chegar em larga escala para a população. Essa é a única chance que temos de trazer uma nova consciência para esse planeta, caso contrário seguiremos assim: um ou outro desperta do sonho ruim. Porém, para promovermos uma mudança de eixo na consciência planetária, precisaremos trabalhar em larga escala com as crianças. Isso não é trabalho para um homem só - é trabalho para todos nós. A mudança só acontecerá se unirmos nossos dons e talentos em prol dessa meta.”

“We need to focus on our children’s education. Self-knowledge needs to become public policy; it needs to reach a large-scale audience. This is the only way we can bring a new consciousness to the planet. Otherwise, there may only be a small number of people who awaken from this bad dream. In order to create a real shift in the axis of our planet’s consciousness, we need to work on a large scale with the children. This is not one person’s job; rather, this is a task for each one of us. This change can only happen if we unite all our gifts and talents in order to achieve this goal.”

Via Daily Dharma / April 11, 2016: Our Dangerous Romance with Anger

As a culture we swing from being afraid of anger to romanticizing it. I try to see anger for what it is, in myself, and neither fear it nor idealize it.

—Sharon Salzberg, "The Deluding Force"

How Will NC 'Bathroom Law' Be Enforced?

Via Ram Dass:

April 10, 2016

There’s no clinging to that which dies. For who we are, was, is and will be, these are just processes of transformation. Just like it’s hard for a pre-pubescent to understand that a time will come when his baseball cards aren’t that relevant; so the time will come when even our mortal coil is not that relevant.