A personal blog by a graying (mostly Anglo with light African-American roots) gay left leaning liberal progressive married college-educated Buddhist Baha'i BBC/NPR-listening Professor Emeritus now following the Dharma in Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Via Ram Dass:
June 29, 2016
The cosmic humor is that if you desire to move mountains and you continue to purify yourself, ultimately you will arrive at the place where you are able to move mountains. But in order to arrive at this position of power you will have had to give up being he-who-wanted-to-move-
Via Daily Dharma / June 29, 2016: Don't Let Insights Drag You Down
If
you get excited, it ruins everything. You don’t see things clear
through. You stop there and don’t go any further. For this reason, when
you train the mind or contemplate the mind to the point of gaining clear
realizations every now and then, regard them as simply things to
observe.
—Upasika Kee Nanayon, "A Glob of Tar"
—Upasika Kee Nanayon, "A Glob of Tar"
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Via Occupy Democrats / FB:
Read more here: http://n.pr/28XsHIQ
Image by Occupy Democrats, LIKE our page for more!
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 28/06/2016
“Se você ainda não consegue perdoar aqueles que te fizeram mal, não se
culpe. Ainda não chegou o momento. O perdão é uma flor que nasce de
sementes compreensão. Quando eu lhe digo para procurar identificar as
suas contradições; quando digo para se mover em direção à transcendência
das mágoas e dos ressentimentos ou para esvaziar o seu coração da
discórdia, eu estou lhe dando direções, apontando caminhos. E esses caminhos te levam ao plantio das sementes da compreensão. Mas quando elas irão florescer não é possível determinar.”
“Si aún no consigues perdonar a aquellos que te hicieron mal, no te
culpes. Aún no llegó el momento. El perdón es una flor que nace de las
semillas de la comprensión. Cuando te digo busca identificar tus
contradicciones, cuando digo que te muevas en dirección a la
trascendencia de las heridas y de los resentimientos o vaciar tu corazón
de discordia, te estoy dando direcciones, apuntando caminos. Y esos
caminos te llevan a la plantación de las semillas de la comprensión.
Pero no es posible determinar cuándo ellasvan a florecer.”
“If you are still not able to forgive those that hurt you, don’t feel guilty. The moment has not yet arrived. Forgiveness is a flower that is born from seeds of comprehension. When I tell you to try to identify your contradictions, when I say to move towards the direction of transcendence of your wounds and resentments or to empty your heart of disharmony, I am giving directions, and showing you the way. These paths allow you to plant the seeds of comprehension, but when these seeds will flower, it is not possible to predict.”
“If you are still not able to forgive those that hurt you, don’t feel guilty. The moment has not yet arrived. Forgiveness is a flower that is born from seeds of comprehension. When I tell you to try to identify your contradictions, when I say to move towards the direction of transcendence of your wounds and resentments or to empty your heart of disharmony, I am giving directions, and showing you the way. These paths allow you to plant the seeds of comprehension, but when these seeds will flower, it is not possible to predict.”
Via Daily Dharma / June 28, 2016: Enlightened Devotion
Devotion (saddha)
that develops from a deep understanding of the dharma and a heartfelt
appreciation of the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha is not blind
faith but rather a key factor in the “balance of faculties” necessary
for final liberation.
—Asoka Bandarage, "Visiting the Four Sacred Sites"
—Asoka Bandarage, "Visiting the Four Sacred Sites"
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Via Ram Dass
June 26, 2016
If I don’t meet you in this form, I’ll meet you in another.
- Neem Karoli Baba
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 26/06/2016
“São poucos os seres humanos que sabem da existência da alma. Muitos
acreditam que ela existe, mas poucos são os que sabem. Ainda menor é o
número de pessoas que sabe que a alma tem um propósito. E é essa
inconsciência a respeito da alma e do seu propósito que nos torna seres
‘desalmados’, sem valores espirituais desenvolvidos e que agem
mecanicamente, guiados por impulsos físicos.”
“Son pocos los seres humanos que saben de la existencia del alma. Muchos creen que existe, pero pocos son los que saben. Aun menor es el número de personas que sabe que el alma tiene un propósito. Y es esa inconsciencia al respecto del alma y de su propósito que nos vuelve seres ‘desalmados’, sin valores espirituales desarrollados y que actúan mecánicamente, guiados por impulsos físicos.”
“Son pocos los seres humanos que saben de la existencia del alma. Muchos creen que existe, pero pocos son los que saben. Aun menor es el número de personas que sabe que el alma tiene un propósito. Y es esa inconsciencia al respecto del alma y de su propósito que nos vuelve seres ‘desalmados’, sin valores espirituales desarrollados y que actúan mecánicamente, guiados por impulsos físicos.”
“Few human beings know of the soul’s existence. Many believe that it
exists, but few have a direct experience of it. Even less people
understand that the soul has a purpose. This unawareness of our souls’
purpose makes us become soul-less. We live without developed spiritual
values which in turn makes us act mechanically, guided by our physical
impulses.”
Via Daily Dharma / June 26, 2016: Having the Courage to Forgive
It
takes great effort and resolution to endure pain and hardship. It
requires tremendous confidence to bear insult and disgrace without a
hint of retaliation or self-doubt.
—Master Hsing Yun, "Don't Get Mad, Get Even"
—Master Hsing Yun, "Don't Get Mad, Get Even"
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 25/06/2016
“A ambição gera inquietação. Ela não permite que você relaxe. Você se
torna uma pessoa ansiosa, pois está sempre preocupada em como conquistar
mais, como dar o próximo passo, como escalar novos degraus. Por trás da
ambição existe um eu idealizado que precisa conquistar muitas coisas
para ter segurança e sentir-se protegido. Ele vive em função de proteger
a própria mentira, que é a sua autoimagem.”
“La ambición genera inquietud. No permite que te relajes. Te conviertes en una persona ansiosa, porque siempre estás preocupadaen cómo conquistar más, cómo dar el siguiente paso, cómo escalar nuevos peldaños. Por detrás de la ambición existe un yo idealizado que necesita conquistar muchas cosas para tener seguridad y sentirse protegido. Vive en función de proteger la propia mentira, que es tu autoimagen.”
“La ambición genera inquietud. No permite que te relajes. Te conviertes en una persona ansiosa, porque siempre estás preocupadaen cómo conquistar más, cómo dar el siguiente paso, cómo escalar nuevos peldaños. Por detrás de la ambición existe un yo idealizado que necesita conquistar muchas cosas para tener seguridad y sentirse protegido. Vive en función de proteger la propia mentira, que es tu autoimagen.”
“Ambition creates restlessness. It doesn’t allow us to relax. We become
anxious,always concerned about how to get more, how to make the next
move, how to get further up the ladder. Behind ambition, there is an
idealized self that needs to conquer many things in order to feel secure
and protected. The idealized self’s function isto protect its own lie
which is it’s own self-image.”
Via Daily Dharma / June 25, 2016: The Expansive Self of the Bodhisattva
For
us as bodhisattvas, all aspects of life, including the fate of humanity
itself, live within us. It is with this in mind that we work to
discover and manifest the most vital and alive posture that we can take
in living out our life.
—Kosho Uchiyama, "What Is a Bodhisattva?" |
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / June 23, 2016: Multiplicity of the Self
We want to say a person is like this, or a person is like that. But that can’t tell the whole story.
—Tracy Franz, "Authentic Self"
—Tracy Franz, "Authentic Self"
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Via Ram Dass
June 22, 2016
I would like to play the part of someone who has worked on my consciousness sufficiently so that if things get tough, in terms of environment, social structures, oppression, minority groups, whatever the thing is – I would like to be able to be in the scene without getting caught in my own reactivity to it, without getting so caught in my own fear that I become part of the problem instead of part of the solution.
Via Daily Dharma / June 22, 2016: The Beauty of Life All Around Us
Sitting still is a way of falling in love with the world and everything in it.
—Pico Iyer, "Dropping Distraction"
—Pico Iyer, "Dropping Distraction"
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 21/06/2016
“Nós estamos aqui buscando a verdade; estamos batendo na porta dela.
Mas, às vezes, quando a porta se abre, nos assustamos. Certa vez, uma
buscadora que dizia querer encontrar a verdade (e por isso era muito
dedicada às suas práticas espirituais diárias) um dia descobriu que o
marido a estava traindo. Então ela entrou em desespero e me disse:
‘quanto mais eu rezo, mais assombração me aparece! Eu estava buscando a
verdade do Ser e isso é o que eu
encontro?’ Existem graus de verdade, mas a verdade é uma só. E
comprometer-se com a verdade significa comprometer-se com todos os seus
aspectos. Então, ela que se achava tão desapegada, teve que entrar em
contato com o ciúme e a possessividade que ainda carregava.”
“Nosotros estamos aquí buscando la verdad; estamos golpeando su puerta.
Pero, a veces, cuando la puerta se abre, nos asustamos. Una vez, una
buscadora que decía que quería encontrar la verdad (y por eso era muy
dedicada a sus prácticas espirituales diarias) un día descubrió que su
marido la estaba engañando. Entonces entró en desesperación y me dijo:
‘¡cuánto más rezo, más fantasmas me aparecen! ¿Yo estaba buscando la
verdad del Ser y esto es lo que encuentro?’ Existen grados de verdad,
pero la verdad es una sola. Y comprometerse con la verdad significa
comprometerse con todos sus aspectos. Entonces, ella que se creía tan
desapegada, tuvo que entrar en contacto con los celos y la posesividad
que todavía cargaba.”
“We are here seeking for truth and knocking on truth’s door. However, sometimes when the door opens, we get frightened. Once there was a disciple of mine, who said she wanted to find truth and as suchwas very dedicated to her daily spiritual practice. One day she discovered that her husband was cheating on her. She fell into despair and said to me, ‘the more I pray, the darker the shadow becomes! I was searching for the truth of my being and this is what I find?’ There are degrees of truth but there is only one truth. To be committed with the truth means to be committed to be willing to see the truth in all of its aspects. So, even though she thought she was free from her attachments, she had to get in touch with the jealousy and possessiveness she still carried within.”
“We are here seeking for truth and knocking on truth’s door. However, sometimes when the door opens, we get frightened. Once there was a disciple of mine, who said she wanted to find truth and as suchwas very dedicated to her daily spiritual practice. One day she discovered that her husband was cheating on her. She fell into despair and said to me, ‘the more I pray, the darker the shadow becomes! I was searching for the truth of my being and this is what I find?’ There are degrees of truth but there is only one truth. To be committed with the truth means to be committed to be willing to see the truth in all of its aspects. So, even though she thought she was free from her attachments, she had to get in touch with the jealousy and possessiveness she still carried within.”
Via Daily Dharma / June 21, 2016: The True Meaning of Renunciation
The
ground of renunciation is realizing that we already have exactly what
we need, that what we have already is good. Every moment of time has
enormous energy in it, and we could connect with that.
—Pema Chödrön, "Renunciation"
—Pema Chödrön, "Renunciation"
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / June 18, 2016: The Roots of Meditation
All
it takes to evoke the relaxation response—the gateway to all forms of
meditation—is to focus exclusively on a repetitive stimulus or movement
to break the stream of ordinary thought.
—James Kingsland, "Siddhartha, the Scientist"
—James Kingsland, "Siddhartha, the Scientist"
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