Via NASA: Happy Earth Day!

Happy #EarthDay! Here's an image of our fragile home in space. Celebrate it with us today: http://go.nasa.gov/1MMI9s6

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 22/04/2016

“Estamos aqui para nos alinharmos com o dharma, o propósito da alma. Esse alinhamento nos leva a manifestar as fragrâncias do Divino que nos habita. O nosso mais profundo Eu se manifesta nesse alinhamento. Alinhar-se com o dharma significa mover-se em direção ao propósito maior, compreendendo que isso envolve também a aceitação do karma – dharma e karma andam juntos. Por isso, se você está sempre brigando com as situações que a vida lhe traz, esse alinhamento não é possível.”

“Estamos aquí para alinearnos con el dharma, el propósito del alma. Esta alineación nos lleva a manifestar las fragancias delo Divino que nos habita. Nuestro más profundo Yo se manifiesta en esta alineación. Alinearse con el dharmasignifica moverse hacia el propósito mayor, comprendiendo que esto también implica la aceptación del karma;dharmay karmavan juntos. Por eso, si siempre estás luchando con las situaciones que la vida te trae, esta alineación no es posible.”

"We are here to align ourselves with our dharma, our soul’s purpose. This alignment allows us to spread the fragranceof the Divine that inhabits us. Our deepest self also manifests through this alignment with our purpose. Aligning ourselves with ourdharma means moving towards a greater purpose, understanding that this also involves accepting our karma. Karma and dharmawalk hand-in-hand. If we are always fighting with the situations that life brings to us, we will not be able to create this alignment in our lives."

Via Daily Dharma / April 22, 2016:

The Zen poem, as I see it, functions much like the koan—it is just a point of departure. The reader is eliminated, the ego drops, and what’s left is just the farmer pointing the way with a radish.

—Seido Ray Ronci, "No Words"

Gay Turtle [ENG]

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 21/04/2016

“Se há repetições negativas acontecendo na sua vida, isso quer dizer que, por trás delas, há um pacto de vingança inconsciente. Existem páginas do livro da sua vida que você ainda não compreendeu. Em outras palavras, você ainda guarda mágoas e ressentimentos e por isso vibra na tônica do medo e do ódio. Mas, através da identificação das causas geradoras dessas frequências de energia negativa no seu sistema, você abre espaço para ressignificar o passado, o que possibilita a transformação no momento presente.” 

“Si hay repeticiones negativas sucediendo en tu vida, eso quiere decir que, detrás de ellas, hay un pacto de venganza inconsciente. Hay páginas del libro de tu vida que todavía no comprendiste. En otras palabras, todavía guardasheridas y resentimientos ypor eso vibras en la tónica del miedo y del odio. Peroa través de la identificación de las causas generadoras de estas frecuencias de energía negativa en tu sistema, abres espaciopara resignificar el pasado, lo que posibilita la transformación en el momento presente.”

“If there are any negative repetitions happening in our lives, then there are certainly unconscious pacts of revenge operating behind the scenes. There are pages of the book of our life that have not yet been understood. In other words, we are still holding onto hurts and resentments that are causing us to continue vibrating in fear and hatred. If we can identify what is generating the negative energy frequencies in our systems, we make room to be able to redefine the past. Consequently, this makes it possible for us to transform the present moment."

Via Daily Dharma / April 21, 2016: Motivation to Awaken

We do have the potential to awaken, but we must do the hard work of distinguishing when we are motivated by greed, hatred, and delusion, and when we are motivated by their opposites—generosity, kindness, and wisdom.

—Lynn Kelly, "First Thought, Worst Thought"

Via Antinous the Gay God / FB:

 

There are two ways to live your life:

One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle.
Remember that Antinous works his miracles through dreams and visions. That is his specialty, according to the Obelisk of Antinous which now stands in a park in Rome .... Bust of Antinous from Patras ... National Archaeological museum in Athens ...

Há duas maneiras de viver a sua vida :
Um é como se nada é um milagre.
O outro é como se tudo é um milagre.
Lembre-se que Antinous trabalha seus milagres através de sonhos e visões. Essa é a sua especialidade, de acordo com o Obelisco de Antinous que agora está em um parque em Roma .... Busto de Antinous de Patras ... Museu Nacional de Arqueologia , em Atenas.

Hay dos maneras de vivir tu vida :
Una es como si nada es un milagro.
La otra es como si todo es un milagro .
Recuerde que Antinoo trabaja sus milagros a través de sueños y visiones. Esa es su especialidad, de acuerdo con el Obelisco de Antinoo , que ahora se encuentra en un parque en Roma .... Busto de Antinoo de Patras ... Museo Arqueológico Nacional de Atenas.

Via Ram Dass:

April 20, 2016

How do you know that what you are doing is from a level of evolving consciousness and not just an ego trip? Until the final moment before enlightenment, I can guarantee that everything is an ego trip. Even spiritual practices are all ego trips. They’re all ego trips because it’s you being somebody thinking you’re doing something. That’s an ego trip.

Via Daily Dharma / April 20, 2016: Innocent Consciousness

The work of Zen is to reach the ground of being, to perceive the true nature of the self, which, as it turns our, is a phantom. This is also the work of poetry, at least for me: to erode the membrane between self and the world, so that a newly innocent consciousness can emerge, one that sees what it sees without commentary, analysis, or judgment.

—Chase Twichell, "Second Innocence: With Basho at Sesshin"

Via Lion's Roar: Sayadaw U Pandita, influential Burmese meditation master, dead at 94

The modern Vipassana meditation teacher Sayadaw U Pandita has died, at the age of 94.

A highly influential Theravada teacher, U Pandita was, at the time of his death, the abbot of Paṇḍitārāma Meditation Center in Yangon, Myanmar, which he founded in 1991. He had himself been trained by the famed Mahasi Sayadaw, and took over the Mahasi Meditation Center after Mahasi’s death in 1982.

U Pandita’s influence in the West was strong with students and teachers alike, due in part to his time teaching at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts in 1984. (Read IMS teacher Sharon Salzberg’s account of training with U Pandita.) The talks he gave there were later collected in the book In This Very Life: Liberation Teachings of the Buddha. He also authored several other writings, including the book The State of Mind Called Beautiful.

Make the jump here to read the full article and more at  Lions Roar

also see:

How to Practice Vipassana Insight Meditation by Sayadaw U Pandita

Via JustaBahai: Jake Sasseville’s dilemma

I have just read Jake's blog “Baha’i Curious? Religion & Sexuality” who wrote: “Aside from my parents, the Baha’i Faith has cultivated and shaped who I’ve become in my life, and it is the most consistent community to which I’ve belonged. That’s why it’s so heart-breaking that I’m considering leaving the Baha’i Faith.” “Many Baha’is […]

Read more of this post

Via Sri Prem BabaFlor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 19/04/2016

“Somos levados a acreditar que sucesso significa realizar-se na matéria. Somos bem sucedidos quando produzimos uma bela obra de arte, desenvolvemos um sofisticado projeto, ocupamos um cargo importante ou quando ganhamos uma alta quantia de dinheiro. Eu não condeno esse tipo de conquista; isso faz parte da vida, mas o verdadeiro sucesso é quando tomamos consciência daquilo que nos aprisiona; quando tomamos consciência da nossa insanidade. Ao perceber a nossa insanidade, começamos a nos tornar sãos. Ao perceber o que está inconsciente, expandimos a consciência e podemos perceber o que está além da matéria - o espírito.”

“Somos llevados a creer queéxito significa realizarseen la materia. Somosexitosos cuando producimos una bella obra de arte, desarrollamos un proyecto sofisticado, ocupamos un cargo importante o cuando ganamos una alta cantidad de dinero. No condeno a este tipo de conquista; esto es parte de la vida, pero el verdadero éxito es cuando tomamos consciencia de aquello que nos aprisiona; cuando tomamos consciencia de nuestra locura. Al percibir nuestra locura, comenzamos a volvernossanos. Al percibir lo que está inconsciente, expandimos la conciencia y podemos percibir lo que está más allá de la materia - el espíritu.”

“We are led to believe that success means manifesting something in the material world. We think we are successful if we create a beautiful piece of art, develop a sophisticated project, have an important position, or if we earn a lot of money. I do not condemn this kind of achievement; it is part of life. However, true success is when we become conscious of what imprisons us and aware of our own insanity. When we are able to identify our insanity, we move towards sanity. As we develop our capacity perceive the unconscious, we begin to expand our consciousness so that we can perceive what lies beyond the material world: our spirit.”

Via Daily Dharma / April 19, 2016: The Happiest Mind

The Buddha discovered that the happiest mind is the nonattached one. This happiness is of a radically different order than what we’re used to.

—Cynthia Thatcher, "What’s So Great About Now?"

Via Thich Nhat Hanh - Pema Chödrön - Dalai Lama / FB:

Spike Lee's "Wake Up" | Bernie Sanders

Via JMG: Ted Cruz Dodges Question From Gay Republican During Good Morning America Town Hall [VIDEO]

ABC News reports:

Sen. Ted Cruz today invoked the protections included in the Constitution when a gay man asked the Republican presidential candidate about his work protecting the rights of gay voters. Responding to a question from Todd Calogne, a married gay man who is a registered Republican and owner of a pizza parlor in New York City, Cruz said the Constitution protects the rights of all citizens equally.

“When it comes to religious liberty, religious liberty is something that protects all of us; it applies to Christians, it applies to Jews, it applies to Muslims, it applies to atheists,” Cruz said during a “Good Morning America” town hall at ABC News’ Times Square studios. “That freedom ultimately protects each and every one of us.”

When asked further about the Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage nationally and what would happen to gay people who are already married, Cruz said marriage laws should be settled on the state level rather than the federal level.

As you’ll see, panel member Robin Roberts points out that Cruz didn’t actually answer the question.

Via Huffington Post Queer Voices: Every LGBTQ+ Person Should Read This

Dearest Queer Person,

Chances are you don’t even know that you are holy, or royal or magic, but you are. You are part of an adoptive family going back through every generation of human existence.

Long before you were born, our people were inventing incredible things. Gifted minds like the inventor of the computer Alan Turing and aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont live on in you. 

The imprint that bold and brilliant individuals like Lynn Conway and Martine Rothblatt (both transgender women alive today) made on modern technology is impossible deny as present-day engineers carry their torch in the creation of robots and microprocessors. More recently speaking, one of the co-founders of Facebook publicly acknowledged his identity as a gay man, as did the current CEO of Apple.

We were so often gods and goddesses over the centuries, like Hermaphrodite (the child of Hermes and Aphrodite), and Athena and Zeus, both of whom had same-sex lovers. In Japan it was said that the male couple Shinu No Hafuri and Ama No Hafuri, “introduced” homosexuality to the world. The ability to change one’s gender or to claim an identity that encompasses two genders is common amongst Hindu deities. The being said to have created the Dahomey (a kingdom in the area now known as Benin) was reportedly formed when a twin brother and sister (the sun and the moon) combined into one being who might now identify as “intersex.” Likewise, the aboriginal Australian rainbow serpent-gods Ungud and Angamunggi possess many characteristics that mirror present-day definitions of transgender identity. 

Our ability to transcend gender binaries and cross gender boundaries was seen as a special gift. We were honored with special cultural roles, often becoming shamans, healers and leaders in societies around the globe. The Native Americans of the Santa Barbara region called us “jewels.” Our records from the Europeans who wrote of their encounters with Two-Spirit people indicates that same-sex sexual activity or non-gender binary identities were part of the culture of eighty-eight different Native American tribes, including the Apache, Aztec, Cheyenne, Crow, Maya and Navajo. Without written records we can’t know the rest, but we know we were a part of most if not all peoples in the Americas.

Your ancestors were royalty like Queen Christina of Sweden, who not only refused to marry a man (thereby giving up her claim to the throne), but adopted a male name and set out on horseback to explore Europe alone. Her tutor once said the queen was “not at all like a female.” Your heritage also includes the ruler Nzinga of the Ndongo and Matamna Kingdoms (now known as Angola), who was perceived to be biologically female but dressed as male, kept a harem of young men dressed in traditionally-female attire and was addressed as “King.” Emperors like Elagalabus are part of your cultural lineage, too. He held marriage ceremonies to both male-identified and female-identified spouses, and was known to proposition men while he was heavily made-up with cosmetics. Caliphs of Cordoba including Hisham II, Abd-ar-Rahman III and Al-Hakam II kept male harems (sometimes in addition to female harems, sometimes in place of them). Emperor Ai of Han Dynasty China was the one whose life gives us the phrase “the passions of the cut sleeve,” because when he was asleep with his beloved, Dong Xian, and awoke to leave, he cut off the sleeve of his robe rather than wake his lover.

You are descended from individuals whose mark on the arts is impossible to ignore. These influential creators include composers like Tchaikovsky, painters like Leonardo da Vinci and actors like Greta Garbo. Your forebears painted the Sistine Chapel, recorded the first blues song and won countless Oscars. They were poets, and dancers and photographers. Queer people have contributed so much to the arts that there’s an entire guided tour dedicated just to these artists at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

You have the blood of great warriors, like the Amazons, those female-bodied people who took on roles of protection and had scarce time or interest between their brave acts to cater to the needs of men. And your heart beats as bravely as the men of the Sacred Band of Thebes, a group of 150 male-male couples who, in the 4th century B.C.E., were known to be especially powerful fighters because each man fought as though he was fighting for the life of his lover (which he was). But your heritage also includes peacemakers, like Bayard Rustin, a non-violent gay architect of the Black civil rights movement in the U.S.

We redefined words like bear, butch, otter, queen and femme, and created new terms like drag queen, twink and genderqueer. But just because the words like homosexual, bisexual, transgender, intersex and asexual, have been created in the relatively recent past doesn’t mean they are anything new. Before we started using today’s terms, we were Winkte to the Ogala, A-go-kwe to the Chippewa, Ko’thlama to the Zuni, Machi to the Mapuchi, Tsecats to the Manghabei, Omasenge to the Ambo and Achnutschik to the Konyaga across the continents. While none of these terms identically mirror their more modern counterparts, all refer to some aspect of, or identity related to, same-gender love, same-sex sex or crossing genders.

You are normal. You are not a creation of the modern age. Your identity is not a “trend” or a “fad.” Almost every country has a recorded history of people whose identities and behaviors bear close resemblance to what we’d today call bisexuality, homosexuality, transgender identity, intersexuality, asexuality and more. Remember: the way Western culture today has constructed gender and sexuality is not the way it’s always been. Many cultures from Papua New Guinea to Peru accepted male-male sex as a part of ritual or routine; some of these societies believed that the transmission of semen from one man to another would make the recipient stronger. In the past, we often didn’t need certain words for the same-sex attracted, those of non-binary gender and others who did not conform to cultural expectations of their biological sex or perceived gender because they were not as unusual as we might today assume they were.

Being so unique and powerful has sometimes made others afraid of us. They arrested and tortured and murdered us. We are still executed by governments and individuals today in societies where we were once accepted us as important and equal members of society. They now tell us “homosexuality is un-African” and “there are no homosexuals in Iran.” You, and we, know that these defensive comments are not true—but they still hurt. So, when others gave us names like queer and dyke, we reclaimed them. When they said we were recruiting children, we said “I’m here to recruit you!” When they put pink and black triangles on our uniforms in the concentration camps, we made them pride symbols.

Those who challenge our unapologetic presence in today’s cultures, who try to deprive us of our rights, who make us targets of violence, remain ignorant of the fact that they, not us, are the historical anomaly. For much of recorded history, persecuting individuals who transgressed their culture’s norms of gender and sexuality was frowned upon at worst and unheard of at best. Today, the people who continue to harass us attempt to justify their cruel campaigns by claiming that they are defending “traditional” values. But nothing could be further from the truth. 

But now you know they are wrong. Just imagine the world without that first computer or the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, or a huge part of the music you’ve ever heard from classical Appalachian Spring to classic YMCA (I mean, we’ve held titles from the “Mother of Blues” to the “King of Latin Pop!”). How much less colorful would the world be without us? I’m grateful that you’re here to help carry on our traditions. 

So, happy LGBT History Month! I hope to celebrate with you here at Quist. This list of LGBTQ history online resources is a good place to start in exploring more specifics about this heritage.

Lesbianamente*,
 
Sarah Prager

*Actually a term as a way someone signed a letter for a lesbian organization in Mexico decades ago!

This piece was inspired in part by facts and sentiments from Another Mother Tongue by Judy Grahn (published 1984). Ritualized Homosexuality in Melanesia edited by Gilbert H. Herdt (published 1993) is also referenced. Many of the referenced facts are cited so many places it has become common knowledge. Christianne Gadd contributed significantly to this piece. This post originally appeared in The Advocate.

Read the original and much much more at Huffington Queer Post here

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 18/04/2016

“Nós somos consciência. Mas quando a consciência toma a forma humana através do ego, nossa tendência é nos identificarmos com a forma. A consciência é percepção pura mas, estando em um corpo, nossa percepção é distorcida pelo ego e acabamos nos identificando com uma interpretação da realidade. Passamos a acreditar que somos a forma. A identificação é tão profunda que acabamos deixando de perceber. Isto é o que chamo de ignorância: uma percepção distorcida da realidade.”

“Nosotros somos consciencia. Pero cuando la consciencia toma la forma humana a través del ego, tendemos a identificarnos con la forma. La conciencia es percepción pura pero, al estar en un cuerpo, nuestra percepción es distorsionada por el ego y terminamos identificándonos con una interpretación de la realidad. Pasamos a creer que somos la forma. La identificación es tan profunda que dejamos de percibir. Esto es lo que llamo ignorancia: una percepción distorsionada de la
realidad.

“We are consciousness. But when consciousness takes a human form through the ego, our tendency is to become identified with the form. Consciousness is pure perception, but while we are in a bodily form, our perception is distorted by the ego and we become identified with our own interpretation of reality. We believe that we are this form. This identification is so deep that we end up being unable to perceive the true reality. This is what I call ignorance: our distorted perception of reality.”

Via Daily Dharma / April 18, 2016: Thoughts Are Idiosyncratic Visitors

When you stop to examine your thoughts you start to see that they have a life of their own, they come and go, generally in a random, idiosyncratic way. Recognizing the constancy of our endless thinking process is said to be one of the important early steps we take on the meditation path.

—Bob Sharples, "Do the Thoughts Ever Stop"