Via JMG: NEW YORK CITY: President Obama Poised To Declare Stonewall Inn A National Monument To LGBT Rights

May 4, 2016 LGBT History, LGBT News

From the Washington Post:

President Obama is poised to declare the first-ever national monument recognizing the struggle for gay rights, singling out a sliver of green space and part of the surrounding Greenwich Village neighborhood as the birthplace of America’s modern gay liberation movement.

While most national monuments have highlighted iconic wild landscapes or historic sites from centuries ago, this reflects the country’s diversity of terrain and peoples in a different vein: It would be the first national monument anchored by a dive bar and surrounded by a warren of narrow streets that long has been regarded the historic center of gay cultural life in New York City.

Federal officials, including Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), will hold a listening session on May 9 to solicit feedback on the proposal. Barring a last-minute complication — city officials are still investigating the history of the land title — Obama is prepared to designate the area part of the National Park Service as soon as next month, which commemorates gay pride.

As always you can make the jump here to JMG to read this and other great feeds...

Via Ram Dass:

May 4, 2016

As I have gone from identity with ego to identity with soul or witness, I have found a space and a way in relation to the mystery of the universe that allows me to be with the suffering that lives on this plane, mine and others, in a way that doesn’t overwhelm me. I’m not overwhelmed by my impotence to take it all away and I don’t have to look away from it, and I deal with it as it arises.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 04/05/2016

“Nós seres humanos perdemos a nossa naturalidade e nos tornamos artificiais. Isso ocorreu porque, em algum momento, perdemos a confiança na vida e o medo se instalou no sistema. O medo desenvolveu a máscara e a máscara não permite que sejamos nós mesmos. A máscara é um fingir ser; e nós fingimos com o objetivo de sermos amados. A máscara serve para forçarmos o outro a nos amar. Mas, como amor forçado não é amor, isso apenas gera mais ódio. Essa é a essência do que conhecemos por sofrimento.”

“Nosotros seres humanos perdimosnuestranaturalidad y nos volvimosartificiales. Esto ocurrió porque, en algún momento, perdimos la confianza en la vida y el miedo se instaló en el sistema. El miedo desarrolló la máscara y la máscara no permite que seamos nosotros mismos. La máscara es un fingir ser; y fingimos con el objetivo de ser amados. La máscara sirve para forzar al otro a amarnos. Pero como amor forzado no es amor, eso solo genera más odio. Esta es la esencia de lo que conocemos como sufrimiento.”

“Part of the human experience involves losing our naturalness and becoming more ‘artificial’. At a certain point in our development, we lose trust in life, and fear is programmed into our systems. Out of fear, the mask is developed and this mask does not allow us to be ourselves. The mask is a pretense that we put on with the goal of being loved. Thus, the mask is used to force the other to love us. Since forced love is not real love, this only creates more hatred. This is the root of what we call suffering.

Via Daily Dharma / May 4, 2016: Every Moment Is Absolute

Every moment in life is absolute in itself. That’s all there is. There is nothing other than this present moment; there is no past, there is no future; there is nothing but this. So when we don’t pay attention to each little this, we miss the whole thing.

—Charlotte Joko Beck, "Attention Means Attention"

Watchtower's Anti-Gay Indoctrination Cartoon - Cedars' vlog no. 117

Make the jump here to the "Jehovah's Witnesses use this creepy anti-gay cartoon to indoctrinate children" Video

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 03/05/2016

"A criança nasce amando e confiando; ela nasce espontânea e natural. Mas, logo ela começa a aprender a sentir medo, ciúme, inveja e ódio, assim como também aprende a usar máscaras para agradar os outros, para poder ser aceita e amada. Então, aos poucos, ela vai se distanciando da sua essência até que chega um momento em que ocorre uma cisão interna: ela se esquece completamente de quem ela é e passa a acreditar ser a máscara."

“El niño nace amando y confiando; nace espontáneo y natural. Pero luego aprende a sentir miedo, celos, envidia y odio, así como también aprende a usar máscaras para agradar a los otros, para poder ser aceptado y amado. Entonces, de a poco, se va distanciando de su esencia hasta que llega un momento en el que sucede una división interna: se olvida completamente de quién es y pasa a creer que es la máscara.”

“Children are born loving and trusting the world. They are born with the ability to be spontaneous and natural. But they soon learn how to feel fear, jealousy, envy and hatred, as well as how to use masks to please others so that they will be accepted and loved. Bit by bit, children get further and further away from their essence, until there comes a moment where an internal split occurs. The child completely forgets who they are, and starts to believe that they actually are their masks.”

Via Daily Dharma / May 3, 2016: The Path Transforms Us

Since the instant of your birth,
You are being transformed.
It is your path.
It is making you.

—Douglas Penick, "Becoming Buddha"

Via Ram Dass

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 02/05/2016

“A identificação com processos mentais gera rigidez no corpo físico; ela cria bloqueios na circulação da energia a ponto de alterar o metabolismo e a química do corpo, o que pode causar doenças.O corpo humano tem suas limitações, isso é verdade. Mas o que temos observado é que, de uma forma geral, o ser humano pouco sofre pelas limitações reais do corpo -ele sofre por conta da identificação com a mente que por sua vez influencia o corpo. Às vezes o pneu do carro fura e você troca o pneu; isso é mecânico e faz parte da natureza do aparelho mas, de uma forma geral, o ser humano sofre porque imagina um problema. E é essa imaginação, esse conteúdo mental, que cria o bloqueio no fluxo da energia.”

“La identificación con procesos mentales genera rigidez en el cuerpo físico; crea bloqueos en la circulación de la energía al punto de alterar el metabolismo y la química del cuerpo, lo que puede causar enfermedades. El cuerpo humano tiene sus limitaciones, esto es verdad. Pero lo que hemos observado es que, en general, el ser humano sufre poco por las limitaciones reales del cuerpo – sufre a causa de la identificación con la mente que a su vez influye en el cuerpo. A veces, el neumático del auto se pincha y cambias el neumático; esto es mecánico y es parte de la naturaleza del aparato, pero, en general, el ser humano sufre porque imagina un problema. Y es esta imaginación, este contenido mental, lo que crea una obstrucción en el flujo de la energía."

“Being identified with mental processes generates a rigidity in the physical body. This blocks the circulation of energy to the point of altering the body’s metabolism and chemistry, which can lead to illnesses. It’s true that the human body has its physical limitations, but people tend to suffer more due to their identification with the mind and its influences on the body than they do because of the body’s actual physical limitations. Sometimes we may get a flat tire and need to change it, but that's just a practicality inherent to driving cars. Human beings suffer unnecessarily with such situations, magnifying the problem with their imagination. It is this mental fixation that creates energetic blockages in our bodies.”

Via Daily Dharma / May 2, 2016: Accepting Desire

Can you accept your desires graciously? When you sit on the cushion and see one desire after another and feel how consuming each is—if you remain on your cushion, then you are graciously accepting them.

—Tim Burkett, "Brief Teachings"

Via Ram Dass

May 1, 2016

The predicament with loving is the power of the addiction of the practice of loving somebody; of getting so caught in the relationship that you can’t ever arrive at the essence of dwelling in love.

When you say “I’m in love with you,” what you’re really saying is that you are the key stimulus that is opening me to the place in myself where I am love, which I can’t get to except through you. Can you hear that one?

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 01/05/2016

"Tenho te inspirado a servir, pois compreendo que o serviço é a forma mais rápida de transformar o sofrimento em alegria. Através dele, você se sente ocupando seu lugar no mundo. E somente quando encontra seu lugar no mundo, você pode sentir alegria ao levantar pela manhã. Mas, para que o serviço tenha esse poder de iluminar sua vida, ele precisa ser verdadeiro, ou seja, ele precisa ser desinteressado."

“Vengo inspirándote a servir, porque comprendo que el servicio es la forma más rápida de transformar el sufrimiento en alegría. A través de él, te sientes ocupando tu lugar en el mundo. Y solo cuando encuentras tu lugar en el mundo, puedes sentir alegría al levantarte por la mañana. Pero para que el servicio tenga este poder de iluminar tu vida, debe ser verdadero, es decir, debe ser desinteresado.”

“I encourage people to serve, for I understand that service is the fastest way to transform suffering into joy. Through service, we feel that we have found our place in the world, which brings us the joy of waking up in the morning. In order for service to have the power to illuminate our lives, the service needs to be authentic: it must be selfless service.”

Via Daily Dharma / May 1, 2016: Practice Is Circular

A circle is both a forward movement, a step on the path, and a constant return to the place of origin.

—Emily Strasser, "Beneath the Eyes of the Buddha"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 29/04/2016

“Amar requer uma grande coragem, a coragem de ser humilde. Somente com muita coragem você pode ser humilde. Todo orgulhoso é um grande covarde, pois o orgulho é uma armadura que serve para impedir a revelação. Para amar, você terá que se tornar extremamente suscetível. Terá que lidar com uma profunda fragilidade, terá que expor seus pontos mais vulneráveis.”
Sri Prem Baba
Do livro “Amar e Ser Livre”

“Amar requiere de un gran coraje, el coraje de ser humilde. Solamente con mucho coraje puedes ser humilde. Todo orgulloso es un gran cobarde, pues el orgullo es una armadura que sirve para impedir la revelación. Para amar, tendrás que volverte extremadamente susceptible. Tendrás que lidiar con una profunda fragilidad, tendrás que exponer tus puntos más vulnerables.”
Del libro “Amar y Ser Libre”

“Being able to love requires great courage – the courage to be humble. Only with a lot ofcourage can we be truly humble. Pride is nothing but cowardice, because pride is merely an armor that serves to prevent us from revealing ourselves. In order to love, we must become extremely vulnerable. We need to deal with a profoundsense of fragility, and expose our most vulnerable points.”
From Love and Be Free

Via Daily Dharma / April 29, 2016: Where Do Thoughts Come From?

On the deepest level, even the thoughts that arise in our head during meditation are cocreated with the society in which we live. When we think any thought, it is a reflection of our cultural heritage, our education, and our socialization.

—Ethan Nichtern, "Awake with Others"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 28/04/2016

“Para um explorador da consciência realmente disposto a se conhecer, o medo é uma ferramenta de autoconhecimento. O medo tem sempre algo a ensinar. Por isso, quando ele bater na sua porta, procure colocar-se presente, mesmo se estiver tremendo da cabeça aos pés. A partir daí, observe: Quem em você está se sentindo ameaçado? Quem em você vê a vida como um perigo? Você verá que existe um eu encantado com uma história de terror que você acredita ser a sua vida. Você acredita ser esse eu amedrontado, mas ele é apenas um personagem que você criou para se defender; ele é um produto das crenças instaladas no seu sistema a partir de eventos traumáticos do passado. E devido à identificação com o passado você fantasia o futuro – um futuro que não existe.”

“Para un explorador de la consciencia realmente dispuesto a conocerse, el miedo es una herramienta de autoconocimiento. El miedo tiene siempre algo que enseñarte. Por eso, cuando golpee tu puerta, busca colocarte presente, incluso si estuvieras temblando de la cabeza a los pies. A partir de ahí, observa: ¿Quién en ti está sintiéndose amenazado? ¿Quién en ti ve la vida como un peligro? Verás que existe un yo encantado con una historia de terror que crees que es tu vida. Crees ser ese yo amedrentado, pero es apenas un personaje que creaste para defenderte, es un producto de las creencias instaladas en tu sistema a partir de eventos traumáticos del pasado. Y debido a la identificación con el pasado, fantasías con el futuro, un futuro que no existe.”

“For an explorer of consciousness who istrulycommitted to knowing oneself, fear is just a tool forself-awareness. Fear always has something to teach us. For this reason, when fear knocks on our door, we should aim to return to the present moment, even if we have been completely shaken from head to toe. From this place of presence, we can observe and ask ourselves, ‘Who in me feels threatened? Who in me views life as dangerous?’Then, we can begin to see that there is a particular psychological self that is mesmerized by this horror story that we believe our lives to be. We believe that we are this terrified self, but it is merely a character we have created as a self-defense. It is a product of the beliefs that were programmed into our systems due to traumatic events from thepast. This identification with the past is what causes us to fantasize about the future; a future that doesn’t even exist.”

Via FB:

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble... At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.
When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'

'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.. 'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.

Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up. 'The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked.

'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?'

'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.'

'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog.

'There should be a bowl by the pump.'

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree..

'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked.

'This is Heaven,' he answered.

'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said. 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.'

'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.'

'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.

Via Daily Dharma / April 28, 2016: Learn Your Thought Patterns

As we become more familiar with our thoughts in meditation, we will see how repetitive our thoughts are. We often think very similar things over and over again and it is actually rare to have what I would call a creative, original thought.

—Martine Batchelor, "Meditation, Mental Habits, and Creative Imagination"

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