Via Ram Dass

July 27, 2016

In the Quaker tradition, the intuitive voice is called “The still, small voice within,” because the sensing and thinking mind are always blaring, and they have something to say about everything. To hear that little voice is a very delicate tuning, and that’s part of what meditation is about, learning about and how to read tracks that resonate with that place inside. And so you listen the best you can, and then you act from the best the deepest place that you can hear.

Via JMG: Democrats Ratify Most Pro-LGBT Platform In History

July 26, 2016 2016 Election, Civil Rights, LGBT News

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade:

Democrats ratified a party platform late Monday called the most LGBT-inclusive in history and a unifying document after a bitter primary. As convention chair Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) presided, delegates at the Democratic National Convention approved the platform by voice vote. Although loud “nays” were heard, the overwhelming “yays” in favor of the platform carried the day.

The 55-page document has a specific LGBT plank titled “Guaranteeing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights” and includes LGBT references in planks throughout the document.

The LGBT plank endorses LGBT comprehensive non-discrimination legislation (although it doesn’t explicitly address the Equality Act by name), condemns violence against transgender people, endorses the U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of same-sex marriage and repudiates state laws seeking to undermine LGBT rights.
“Democrats applaud last year’s decision by the Supreme Court that recognized that LGBT people — like other Americans — have the right to marry the person they love,” the platform says. “But there is still much work to be done. LGBT kids continue to be bullied at school, restaurants can refuse to serve transgender people, and same-sex couples are at risk of being evicted from their homes. That is unacceptable and must change.”

See the full platform here.

Via Daily Dharma / July 26, 2016: Religion and Truth

The relationship of religion to truth is like that of a menu to a meal. The menu describes the meal as best it can. It points to something beyond itself. As long as we use the menu as a guide we do it honor. When we mistake the menu for the meal, we do it and ourselves a grave injustice.

—Rabbi Rami Shapiro, "Buddhism Meets Hasidism"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor día- Flower of the day - 25/07/2016

“Muitos sofrem por não saberem quais são seus dons e talentos. E muitos já sabem mas, mesmo assim, sentem-se vazios e isolados; ainda não encontram uma razão para acordar de manhã. O que realmente propicia o sentimento de completude é a consciência do propósito da alma. Tendo essa consciência, você utiliza seus dons e talentos para fazer o que precisa ser feito. Quando você reconhece o seu propósito, suas habilidades se multiplicam e transformam para que você possa realizar a meta da sua alma.” 

“Muchos sufren por no saber cuáles son sus dones y talentos. Y muchos ya lo saben, pero igualmente se sienten vacíos y aislados, aún no encuentran una razón para despertar a la mañana. Lo que realmente propicia el sentimiento de plenitud es la consciencia del propósito del alma. Teniendo esa consciencia, utilizas tus dones y talentos para hacer lo que necesita ser hecho. Cuando reconoces tu propósito, tus habilidades se multiplican y se transforman para que puedas realizar la meta de tu alma.”

“Many suffer because they don’t know what their gifts and talents are. There are many that already recognize their gifts and talents yet still feel empty and isolated. They have not yet found the purpose for which they wake up in the morning. What really allows for the feeling of fulfillment is the awareness of our soul’s purpose. When we have this awareness, we use our gifts and talents to do what needs to be done. When we recognize our purpose, our capabilities multiply and transform in order for us to fulfill our soul’s objective.”

Via Daily Dharma / July 25, 2016: Remember the Basics

In my room, the world is beyond my understanding; But when I walk I see that it consists of three or four hills and a cloud.

—Wallace Stevens, "Remembering How to Walk"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor día- Flower of the day - 24/07/2016

“A reclamação é um sintoma que nasce da ingratidão. E a ingratidão atrai muitos desequilíbrios e infortúnios para a nossa vida, incluindo doenças. Mas nem sempre é possível constatar que determinada doença está relacionada à ingratidão. O seu trabalho enquanto explorador da consciência é identificar o que está por trás dos sintomas, pois eles são portais para o inconsciente.” 

“Reclamar es un síntoma que nace de la ingratitud. Y la ingratitud atrae muchos desequilibrios e infortunios para nuestra vida, incluyendo enfermedades. Pero no siempre es posible constatar que determinada enfermedad está relacionada a la ingratitud. Tu trabajo como explorador de la conciencia es identificar lo que está por detrás de los síntomas, pues estos son portales para el inconsciente.”

“Complaining is a symptom born from ingratitude. The lack of gratitude attracts many imbalances and misfortunes to our lives, including illnesses. However, it is not always possible to see that a particular disease is related to ingratitude. Our work, as explorers of consciousness, is to identify what is behind these symptoms, because they are portals to the unconscious.”

Via Ram Dass

July 24, 2016

The ultimate act of service is to acknowledge and honor the integrity of another being as they, like us, pass through the beauty and the pain of a human birth.

Via Daily Dharma / July 24, 2016: Humble Awareness, Mindful Engagement

When we are awakened to simplicity and humility and aware of the suffering engendered by greed, hatred, and ignorance, our consciousness is restructured. We become mindful about ourselves and others, and naturally try to restructure society.

—Hozan Alan Senauke, "An Inconvenient Buddhist"

Via Daily Dharma / July 22, 2016: Wise Laughter

Wisdom sees the joke in everything. Wisdom is never upset. When you see the truth, it’s easy to laugh. You can be going through something really difficult, but when you really understand, you can laugh.

—Sayadaw U Tejaniya, "The Wise Investigator"

Via Sri Prem Baba / Flor do dia - Flor día- Flower of the day - 23/07/2016

“Um mestre autêntico é uma presença, e essa presença acorda a presença em você. Por mais importantes e significativas que sejam as palavras, elas não são o mais importante. O mais importante é a presença; um olhar que pode te transformar. O Mestre é uma porta de acesso aos reinos superiores. Tudo o que a entidade humana em desenvolvimento pode fazer é chegar até essa porta. E quando a graça do mestre te toca, significa que a sua emancipação está próxima.”

 

“Un maestro autentico es una presencia, y esta presencia despierta la presencia en ti. Por más importantes y significativas que sean las palabras, ellasno son lo más importante. Lo más importante es la presencia; una mirada que te puede transformar. El Maestro es una puerta de acceso a los reinos superiores. Todo lo que la entidad humana en evolución puede hacer es llegar hasta esa puerta. Y cuando la gracia del maestro te toca, significa que tu emancipación está próxima.”

“An authentic master is presence, and his presence awakens the presence in us. Even though his words carry significance and are meaningful, they are not the most important aspect of his work. The deeper aspect of his work is his presence. Just one look is enough to transform us. The spiritual master is a doorway to access the higher realms. Everything the human entity in evolution does is to arrive at this doorway. When the grace of the master touches you, it means that your emancipation is close at hand.”

Via Daily Dharma / July 23, 2016: Meditation, An End in Itself

The only way one really gets any of the most important benefits of meditation practice is by giving up on the notion that there are any benefits to meditation practice.
  — Brad Warner, "Goalless Practice"

Via FB:

 

"In a time of destruction, create something: a poem, a parade, a community, a school, a vow, a moral principle; one peaceful moment."

—MaxineHong Kingston

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor día- Flower of the day - 21/07/2016

“Tenho dito que o primeiro passo para a sanidade é a consciência da insanidad. E nossa insanidade se manifesta de diversas formas: quando consumimos sem nenhuma necessidade, apenas movidos pelo vício e pela inconsciência coletiva; quando produzimos lixo e mais lixo sem pensar nas consequências disso; quando promovemos a matança animal através dos nossos hábitos alimentares; quando colocamos mais e mais crianças neste mundo sem ao menos questionar porque estamos fazendo isso; quando agimos em interesse próprio, mesmo que essa atitude prejudique muitas outras pessoas.Isso é insano.”

“Dije que el primer paso para la sanidad es la conciencia de la insania. Y nuestra insania se manifiesta de diversas formas: cuando consumimos sin ninguna necesidad,apenas impulsados por el vicio y por la inconsciencia colectiva; cuando producimos basura y más basura sin pensar en las consecuencias de ello; cuando promovemos la matanza animal a través de nuestros hábitos alimenticios; cuando traemos más y más niños a este mundo sin siquiera cuestionar por qué lo estamos haciendo; cuando actuamosen interés propio, aunque esta actitud perjudique a muchas otras personas. Eso es insano.”

“The first step towards sanity is becoming aware of our insanity. Our insanity manifests in different forms, for example when we consume unnecessarily, moved only by our addiction and the unconscious collective. Insanity is producing more and more waste without thinking of its consequences. It is also when we promote animal slaughter through our eating habits or when we put even more children in this world without at least questioning why we are having them. When we act only out of our own self-interest even if this attitude is harmful to others, this is insanity.

Via Daily Dharma / July 21, 2016: Cultivate Right Speech

Whenever we find fault with others, whether through anger, contemptuousness, self-righteousness, or gossip, it is often based in fear. We may not be aware of our fears, but when we look deeply, we may discover the fear of rejection, loss of control, of unworthiness, or the fear of disconnection.

—Ezra Bayda, "Gossip"

Via LGBT INCLUSIVE / FB:

Via FB:

 

If you have self-hatred, it will define the quality of your love - or lack of love - and it will ultimately manifest in your love for another. You may protest upon hearing this teaching that although you struggle with self-hatred, your love for your spouse is mostly pure, and that certainly your love of your children is pure. I do not doubt the truth of your protestations, but experience has shown me that in the end there is only one love. Love is by its very nature unity, and if you have feelings of self-loathing, those feelings inevitably become part of your relationship with the loved one. 

http://ow.ly/zncux

Via Ram Dass

July 20, 2016

Love is abundant because you are love. As you become love, you get to the point where you walk down the street and someone comes, and it is the most beautiful thing that you have ever seen. You look and look and appreciate and love, your eyes meet, you both recognize the love, and you don’t have to do anything about it.

It’s nothing special to be in love, it’s very ordinary. How alien that is in this culture, to think that being in love with the Universe is ordinary.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor día- Flower of the day - 20/07/2016

“Você se move em direção da liberdade através do amor e da compreensão.Essas são virtudes da alma que desabrocham aos poucos. Para ajudar nesse processo você, ego consciente, precisa querer. Você precisa conscientemente dar alguns passos nessa direção. E o primeiro passo é tomar consciência e olhar de frente para as suas insatisfações, angústias e repetições negativas. Porque só é possível mudar aquilo que você reconhece que existe.”

“Te mueves en dirección a la libertad a través del amor y de la comprensión. Estas son virtudes del alma queflorecenpoco a poco. Para ayudarte en este proceso tú, ego consciente, debes querer. Debes dar conscientemente algunos pasos en esta dirección. Y el primer paso es tomar conciencia y mirar de frente tus insatisfacciones, angustias y repeticiones negativas. Porque sólo es posible cambiar aquello que reconoces que existe.”

“We move in the direction of freedom through love and understanding. These are virtues of the soul that blossom gradually. In order to facilitate this process, we, as the conscious ego, must truly want freedom. We need to consciously take steps in the direction of love and understanding. The first step is to become aware of our dissatisfactions and face them, as well as our anxieties and negative repetitions. It is only possible to change that which we recognize needs to shift.”

Via Daily Dharma / July 20, 2016: Unlimited Buddha-mind

Our hearts and minds change from moment to moment, just as clouds shift in the evening sky as the sun goes down. Who are we to think we have grasped the true nature of our souls? The Buddha-mind within us will not be constrained by the limits of language.

—Abbess Fushimi, "Shedding Light"