Via Daily Dharma / May 9, 2016: Practice Is Not Painless

We all get sick, lose people we love, and each of us will die. Our practice is not to try to get rid of this pain, which would be impossible. Rather, it is to avoid constricting around our pain, or blaming ourselves or others for it, or lashing out when we feel attacked.

—Donald Rothberg, "Present Moment, Urgent Moment"

Via Ram Dass:

May 8, 2016

If we accept that the ends of our actions often prove unknowable, we’re also freer to be focused on the process of our work as it’s happening. We can be attentive to situations as they occur. What lies before us is it. Helping is right here. Not having to know so badly, not wandering off looking, we’re more able to be present, freer simply to be.

We needn’t be troubled or worn down, then, by paradox and ambiguity. The mystery of helping can be our ally, our teacher, an environment for wonder and discovery. If we enter into it openly, our actions fall into perspective, a larger pattern we can trust. At rest in the Witness, meanwhile, we greet the outcome of our action with equanimity.

Here is a final shift in perspective which can help release us from burnout: We do what we can.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 08/05/2016

“O portal materno nos revela os mistérios da existência. Conforme vamos integrando os aspectos relacionados à mãe na esfera pessoal, naturalmente evoluímos para experienciar a realidade maior do poder feminino, a Mãe Universal, que nos liberta de todos os apegos à Terra. O portal materno nos revela o caminho a percorrer na encarnação.”

"It is through the portal of the Mother that the mysteries of existence are revealed. As we integrate the aspects related to the mother in our personal sphere, we naturally evolve towards being able to experience the greater reality of feminine power: the Universal Mother. She frees us from all attachments to Earth. The maternal portal shows us which path to follow in life. "

Via Daily Dharma / May 8, 2016: Love Is All Around

Most of us just haven’t learned to pay much attention to the countless moments of love, kindness, and care that surround us each day: a child at the store reaching for her mother’s hand, an elderly stranger at the park who smiles upon a young family, a grocery clerk who beams at you as she hands you your change.

—John Makransky, "Love Is All Around"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 07/05/2016

“A equanimidade mental é uma das qualidades que possibilita irmos mais fundo no processo de autodesenvolvimento. E esse processo inclui, necessariamente, transformar o sofrimento em alegria. Ao mesmo tempo em que você trabalha na sua esfera pessoal, aprendendo a lidar com as frustrações e com as tristezas geradas pelos choques de desamor, e purificando seu sistema, você funciona como uma usina de transformação do sofrimento coletivo. A equanimidade mental te ajuda a se manter firme durante esse processo, ao mesmo tempo em que é fortalecida por ele.” 

“La ecuanimidad mental es una de las cualidades que nos posibilita ir más profundo en el proceso de auto-desarrollo. Y este proceso incluye, necesariamente, transformar el sufrimiento en alegría. Al mismo tiempo que trabajas en tu esfera personal, aprendiendo a lidiar con las frustraciones y con las tristezas generadas por los choques de desamor, y purificando tu sistema, funcionas como una usina de transformación del sufrimiento colectivo. La ecuanimidad mental te ayuda a mantenerte firme durante este proceso, al mismo tiempo en que es fortalecida por él.”

“Mental equanimity is one of the qualities that allows us to go deeper into the process of self-development. This process fundamentally includes the transformation of suffering into joy. As we work within the personal sphere, we learn how to deal with the frustration and sadness created by our traumas due to a lack of love. Simultaneously while we are purifying our systems, we operate like a factory that is transforming the collective suffering as well. During this process, mental equanimity helps us to remain firm and strengthens us.”

Via Daily Dharma / May 7, 2016: Healing Resides in the Heart

The healing power of the spirit naturally follows the path of the spirit. It abides not in the stone of fine buildings, nor in the gold of images, nor in the silk from which robes are fashioned, nor even in the paper of holy writ, but it abides in the ineffable substance of the mind and the heart of man.

—The Dalai Lama, "Brief Teachings"

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Via Lions Roar: Taking Refuge in the Triple Gem

 

 

Photo by Freddie Marriage.

A personal meditation practice is the foundation of Buddhism, but do we need more? Essentially we make the journey alone, but many people find that committing themselves to the three jewels—Buddha, dharma, and sangha—helps take them further. These three make up the lineage, philosophy, and community of Buddhism, and their purpose is to deepen and expand our practice.

 

When we embark on the meditative journey, we may enter through many different gateways. We may begin to practice meditation as a way of finding a little more calm in the midst of a chaotic life, to find respite from our turbulent mind. We may begin to meditate to find a way to meet adversities with greater understanding and balance. We may be drawn to meditation through experiences of joy—glimpses of stillness, intimacy, and connectedness—that inspire us to question whether such moments could be more than just accidental encounters. Both sorrow and joy can bring us to a point where we acknowledge the urgency of finding ways to be more at peace with ourselves, to be kinder, and to be more present in all the moments of our life.

Practicing with sincerity, persevering through the peaks and valleys that are part of every spiritual path, we begin to discover that practice does indeed bear fruit. A steady mind begins to be more accessible, we are less prone to be reactive or judgmental, and greater sensitivity and mindfulness allow us to feel more connected to the present moment and to our surroundings. Our capacity to be delighted by life’s beauty is awakened, as is our ability to meet hardship without being overwhelmed.
But this is not the end of the journey. Rather, the journey has now truly begun.

As our practice deepens, our eyes open to possibilities beyond composure and balance. We open up to the possibility of an unshakeable liberation, a timeless wisdom, and being intimately part of a wider community of people who treasure compassion and integrity. We may be inspired to bind ourselves more deeply to the path and to those around us.

At this point, we may begin to ask ourselves not only what meditation practice is but what it means to live a meditative life. To help us accomplish this, we look beyond our personal practice and seek the support of what are known in Buddhism  as the three jewels. These are the Buddha, or other living embodiment of enlightenment; the dharma, the philosophy and teachings of Buddhism; and the sangha, the community of realized beings and of our fellow practitioners. As so many others have before us, we may decide to take refuge in the three jewels as a way of continuing to open to the deeper possibilities we have glimpsed. This is an important step on the journey and one we will repeat many times over. So what does it mean to take refuge and what do the three jewels really mean?

Taking Refuge

I take refuge in the Buddha
I take refuge in the dharma
I take refuge in the sangha

In monasteries around the world these three lines are chanted daily, and many meditation retreats here in the West begin with a recitation of this formula. We might see these as quasi-religious sentiments or statements of belief that seem irrelevant to our own life and spiritual practice. But the great power of taking refuge is that it opens our eyes to the whole of the teaching, not just the parts we find convenient. Taking refuge can also help us find the capacity to meet hardship compassionately—and with steadiness—rather than with flight and denial. But before that can happen, we need to come to understand what we commit to when we make these statements. Taking refuge in the three jewels (also known as the triple gem or the three treasures) is a commitment born of reflection and investigation.

“Taking refuge,” a good translation of the original Pali, literally refers to the act of returning to a place of sanctuary or shelter to find safety, peace, and protection: a child finds refuge in the arms of a loving parent; we find shelter from a storm beneath the branches of a tree; we return home to a caring relationship for sanctuary and peace.

Taking refuge in the three jewels is an inner journey, coming home to what is true. It is a profound act of devotion and inner commitment to a clear mind, an open heart, and a way of engaging with life that is pervaded with integrity, respect, and compassion. If our commitment is profound, we give ourselves unreservedly to a life of wakefulness, to bringing all that is truthful and healing into every aspect of our life. If our devotion is wholehearted, we align our thoughts, words, and acts with the teachings that lead to liberation.

Make the jump to read the rest of the article and more at Lion's Roar

Via Shambhala Online: Queer Dharma

“The aspiration is that the queer community can be an example to the greater society as humans who treat other humans well.”  — Acharya Eve Rosenthal

Make the jump here to read more

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia / Flor del dia / Flower of the Day – 06/05/2016

“O nosso desafio na Terra é transformar o sofrimento em alegria. E independentemente de onde estivermos na jornada, nos movemos do eu para o nós, ou seja, nos movemos da esfera pessoal para a esfera transpessoal. Esse processo inicia quando aprendemos a lidar com aspectos relativos à nossa história pessoal, integrando partes de nós mesmos que ficaram esquecidas. Essa integração passa por uma harmonização com a família e por uma harmonização com o passado pessoal. E, na medida em que vamos evoluindo nesse processo, que é um trabalho de cura e autotransformação, a nossa intuição vai se abrindo e vamos deixando de trabalhar na esfera pessoal para trabalhar na esfera coletiva.”

“Nuestro desafío en la Tierra es transformar el sufrimiento en alegría. E independientemente del punto del camino en el que estamos, nos movemos del yo hacia el nosotros, es decir, nos movemos de la esfera personal hacia la esfera transpersonal. Este proceso se inicia cuando aprendemos a lidiar con aspectos relacionados a nuestra historia personal, integrando partes de nosotros mismos que quedaron olvidadas. Esta integración pasa por una armonización con la familia y por una armonización con el pasado personal. Y a medida que vamos evolucionando en este proceso, que es un trabajo de cura y auto-transformación, nuestra intuición se va abriendo y vamos dejando de trabajar en la esfera personal para trabajar en la esfera colectiva.”

“Our challenge here on Earth is to transform suffering into joy. Regardless of what stage we are at in our journey, we move from the focus on ‘me’ towards focusing on ‘us’: we move from the personal sphere to the transpersonal sphere. This process begins when we learn how to deal with aspects related to our personal story, integrating the parts of ourselves that remained buried and forgotten. During this integration, we become more in harmony with our families and our personal histories. As we evolve in this process of self transformation and healing, our intuition continues to grow, and we graduate from working in our personal sphere to working within the collective sphere."

Via Daily Dharma / May 6, 2016: Retaining Clarity in Anger

Retaining critical intelligence is essential. If others dislike hearing the results of critical intelligence and become angry themselves, that is their issue. We should not suppress our own insight, expressed rationally and without rancor, because others become upset and don’t want to hear unpleasant information.

—Rita M. Gross, "The Man-made Obstacle"

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

“A arte é uma forma de oração. De uma forma geral, a arte tem o potencial de nos apontar caminhos, porque ela trabalha com o hemisfério direito do cérebro. A arte evoca a intuição que é a voz do silêncio, a forma como o universo se comunica conosco. A intuição também pode ser um agente alquímico que possibilita transformar o veneno em néctar, mas isso dependerá da intenção e da consciência envolvida no processo. Cabe ao artista aprender a ouvir sua intuição e se permitir ser guiado por ela.”

“El arte es una forma de oración. En general, el arte tiene el potencial de señalarnos caminos, porque trabaja con el hemisferio derecho del cerebro. El arte evoca la intuición que es la voz del silencio, la forma en que el universo se comunica con nosotros. La intuición también puede ser un agente alquímico que permite transformar el veneno en néctar, pero esto dependerá de la intención y de la conciencia involucrada en el proceso. Corresponde al artista aprender a escuchar su intuición y dejarse guiar por ella.”

“Art is a form of prayer. It has the potential to show us the way on our path, because art is produced through the brain’s right hemisphere. Art evokes intuition, which is the voice of silence. This is how the Universe communicates with us. Intuition can also be an alchemical agent that transforms poison into nectar, but this depends on the intention and consciousness that were involved in the process. It’s up to the artist to learn how to listen to her own intuition and to allow herself to be guided by it.”

Via Daily Dharma / May 5, 2016: The Freedom of Being Peace

Peace is something that doesn’t move forward, doesn’t move back, doesn’t stay in place. It’s peace in that it’s free from going forward, free from moving back, free from staying in place.

—Ajahn Chah, "The Last Gift"

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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.

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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.