Via Daily Dharma / July 12, 2016: The Wisdom of the Diamond Vehicle

In the Vajrayana, we see that our difficulties with relative reality stem from our attitudes and beliefs, rather than from relativity itself. We are called to see each arising of our day not as a threat, but as an opportunity—a chance to open our arms, lay down our weapons, and surrender to this exact moment of our life.

—Reginald Ray, "The Vajrayana Journey Is an Experience of Love, Power, and Freedom"

Via Daily Dharma / July 11, 2016: The Heart of Compassion

The sangha is the treasure of our greatest yearning, for it provides all of us with a sense of belonging as well as a safe haven; a foundation from which to grow and develop; a way to commit to excellence in practice; and above all, a connection to the heart of compassion.

—Myokei Caine-Barrett, "Our Common Thread"

Via Ram Dass

July 10, 2016 There is a larger frame to the painting than the one that bounds our life's events.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 10/07/2016

“Durante um estágio da jornada, você acredita que o mundo te deve coisas, mas quando amadurece, você descobre que isso é somente mais um aspecto da ilusão. O mundo não lhe deve nada, você é que se coloca nos lugares que criam essa ideia - você está onde se coloca. Mas, chega um momento em que você reconhece o poder das suas escolhas e compreende que, na verdade, é você que deve algo para o mundo. Você reconhece que constrói o seu destino através de pensamentos, palavras e ações e, nesse momento, você se arrepende.”

“Durante un estadio del camino, crees que el mundo te debe cosas, pero cuando maduras, descubres que eso es solamente un aspecto más de la ilusión. El mundo no te debe nada, eres tú quien se coloca en esos lugares que crean esa idea – estás donde te colocas. Pero llega un momento en que reconoces el poder de tus elecciones y comprendes que, en verdad, eres tú quien le debe algo al mundo. Reconoces que construyes tu destino a través de pensamientos, palabras y acciones y en ese momento, te arrepientes.”

“During a certain a stage of the journey, we believe that the world owes us something, but as we mature, we discover that this is just another aspect of illusion. The world doesn’t owe us anything. We put ourselves into the situations that create this idea. We are exactly where we put ourselves. However, there comes a time when we recognize the power of our choices and we understand that in truth, we owe something to the world. We recognize that we have built our destiny through our thoughts, words and deeds and in this moment we repent.”

Via Daily Dharma / July 10, 2016: Let Love Guide You

Compassion goes about finding the work that can be done. Love can’t help but stay present. —Krista Tippett, "Brief Teachings Summer 2016"

Elton John - A Good Heart

Via Towleroad: Zachary Quinto Disappointed by George Takei’s Reaction to Gay Sulu

Out Star Trek Beyond actor Zachary Quinto, who portrays Spock in the reboot of the classic sci-fi franchise, said that as a member of the LGBT community, he’s “disappointed” by George Takei’s response to the fact that the character of Mr. Sulu has been revealed to be gay.

After news emerged yesterday of the character’s development in that direction, George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu in the original series, called it a “really unfortunate” turn of events.

Takei told The Hollywood Reporter that he had tried to convince Pegg and director Justin Lin that it was a bad idea.

Make the jump here to read the full article and more

Color (feat. Jay Armstrong Johnson) by Todrick Hall

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 09/07/2016

“Todo ser humano é movido pela busca da felicidade. Buscamos a felicidade em todos os lugares. Com certeza você já ouviu dizer que a felicidade se encontra dentro de si mesmo. Felicidade é o que somos. Felicidade é a a nossa realidade maior e quando você experimenta essa realidade, todos os desejos desaparecem e você experiencia silêncio. Você se percebe como o sol doador de vida. Todas as perguntas cessam e você tem acesso a respostas para perguntas que nem mesmo fez.”

“Todo ser humano es motivado por la búsqueda de felicidad. Buscamos la felicidad en todos los lugares. Seguramente ya has oído decir que la felicidad se encuentra dentro de ti. Felicidad es lo que somos. Felicidad es nuestra realidad mayor y cuando experimentas esa realidad, todos los deseos desaparecen y experimentas silencio. Te percibes como el sol dador de vida. Todas las preguntas cesan y tienes acceso a respuestas de preguntas que ni te has hecho.”

“Every human being is motivated by the search for happiness. We seek happiness everywhere. Certainly, we have already heard that happiness is something we find within. Happiness is who we are. Happiness is our greater reality and when we experiment with this reality, all our desires disappear and we experience silence. We see ourselves as the life giving sun. All questions cease and we have access to answers to unasked questions.”

Via Daily Dharma / July 9, 2016: Parting Words

I won’t die.
I won’t go anywhere.
I’ll be here.
But don’t ask me anything.
I won’t answer.

—Maezumi Roshi, "Remembering Maezumi Roshi"

Via HOLLYWOOD BABYLON / FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 08/07/2016

“Se estamos realmente querendo um mundo melhor; se realmente estamos comprometidos com uma mudança; se queremos, de fato, interromper os ciclos viciosos de sofrimento, precisamos conhecer o funcionamento da mente e do ego. Porque só haverá mudança lá fora se houver mudança dentro. Só haverá uma mudança na sociedade se houver uma mudança na nossa consciência.”

“Si realmente estamos queriendo un mundo mejor; si realmente estamos comprometidos con un cambio; si queremos, en verdad, interrumpirloscírculos viciosos de sufrimiento, necesitamos conocer el funcionamiento de la mente y del ego. Porque solo habrá cambio allá afuera si hay un cambio adentro. Solo habrá un cambio en la sociedad si hay un cambio en nuestra conciencia.”

“If we really want a better world and we are really committed to a change; if we want, in fact, to break the vicious cycles of suffering, we need to understand the function of the mind and the ego. We will only have external change when we have changed within. We will only have a change in society once we have had a change in our consciousness.”

Via Daily Dharma / July 8, 2016: Don't Try Hard, Try Soft

There’s no switch that turns on enlightenment. You move toward it with your effort. It’s an effort that might be unrecognizable to those who think “effort” means trying hard. You have to try soft—to be curious and open to whatever it is that results.

—Nancy Thompson, "Being Held by the Dharma"

Make it so!

Via O Tempo: Violência Homofóbica no País ganha Destaque no Exterior

Via FB:

Via JMG: Ohio Bakery: No BIRTHDAY Cakes For Gay Couples

July 7, 2016 Business, Civil Rights, LGBT News

From Toledo’s ABC affiliate:

It certainly wasn’t the text message Candice Lowe was expecting to get on her honeymoon. She says it came from the owner of Take the Cake Bakery in Toledo, canceling the order for her wife’s birthday cake.
Lowe says, “after she saw my Facebook page, she found out that I was in a same-sex marriage and she could not do my cake.”
“She did all of their effort to get a cake and gets a text message and has to tell me her surprise, it kind of ruined our day,” Amanda Lowe said of her wife.
“It wasn’t a wedding cake, it was just a birthday cake,” Candice said. “A birthday cake has nothing to do with your sexual preference.”

According to the local media, the owner of the bakery initially expressed interest in telling her side of the story, but she has since refused to comment. As usual in these situations, negative comments are pouring onto the bakery’s Facebook page.

More from The Inquisitor:

According to Equality Ohio, Toledo is one of 15 Ohio municipalities with an ordinance to prevent discrimination against LGBT couples and individuals. However, Cee Lowe has not discussed whether she is considering a lawsuit.

In an interview with 13 ABC, Lowe said she was simply disappointed that her order was canceled due to her sexual preference. She was also disturbed because Take the Cake owner LaGresha Fizer-Brown apparently “stalked” her Facebook page to gain that information.

Dan Savage reacts:

It’s not just our weddings they object to. It’s our existence. Refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding says, “I don’t think you people should be able to celebrate or solemnize your relationships because same-sex marriage is a sin.”

Refusing to bake a birthday cake for a lesbian says, “I don’t think your birth is something to celebrate because the world would be better off if you didn’t exist.”
Welcome to America — where bigoted bakers do background checks to avoid selling cakes to lesbians (because Jesus) but we don’t require merchants at gun shows to do background checks to avoid selling weapons of war to crazed terrorists, abusive spouses, and the mentally ill (because freedom).

Candice Lowe screen-capped the text message and posted it to her Facebook page.

Via Frontiers Media: One Billion People Worldwide Live with Marriage Equality

One Billion People Worldwide Live with Marriage Equality

14% of the world's population now live in countries with marriage equality laws

By Dominic Preston

New research has revealed that for the first time ever, more than a billion people live in countries with marriage equality laws. 

The analysis comes from Melbourne-based LGBT activist Tony Pitman, and reveals that the world crossed the billion-mark just a few weeks ago.

“The turning point came a few weeks ago when Colombia and then several Mexican states all achieved marriage equality within a few days.That pushed us up over a billion for the first time in history,” said Pitman. “When you think that the first ever same-sex marriages took place in the Netherlands in 2001, that means we’ve gone from zero to a billion in just 15 years. That’s an extraordinary rate of social progress. We’re witnessing an historic shift on a truly global scale.”

The U.S. is the most populous country to boast marriage equality, with 328 million citizens. It’s then followed by Brazil, with 206 million, and France, with 67 million. 

The U.K. comes next, though doesn’t quite boast full equality yet, as gay marriage is still illegal in Northern Ireland. Mexico also only has equality across some states, though President Enrique Peña Nieto has made it clear that he intends to legalize it across the country.

With a global population of roughly 7.3 billion, it means that just under 14% of people live with marriage equality — which could rise this year if Australia joins the other billion of us.

Read the original and more here