Via Daily Dharma / August 2, 2016: Alternative Meditation

No matter who you are, you can’t sit still all the time. And some people just find it virtually impossible to stay seated and mindful with the levels of pain and agitation and anger they feel. But they can walk with it.

—Jon Kabat-Zinn, "Walking: Meditation on the Move"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 1/08/2016

“Nossa ideia de 'eu' é muito limitada. Ela nasce da relação entre o pensamento e a forma. Nós acreditamos ser um corpo, um nome, uma história, e nossos pensamentos são criados a partir dessa crença. Nós acreditamos ser algo que precisa ser traduzido em palavras e ter um determinado valor. Dessa ideia limitada de 'eu', nasce a ideia de 'meu' - 'eu' e 'meu' formam nossa referência de identidade. E é essa identificação com a forma que nos impede de perceber a profundidade da vida.”

“Nuestra idea de' yo' es muy limitada. Nace de la relación entre el pensamiento y la forma. Creemos ser un cuerpo, un nombre, una historia, y nuestros pensamientos son creados a partir de esta creencia. Creemos ser algo que necesita ser traducido en palabras y tener un determinado valor. De esta idea limitada de' yo', nace la idea de 'mío' - 'yo' y 'mío' forman nuestra referencia de identidad. Y es esta identificación con la forma que nos impide percibir la profundidad de la vida.”

“Our idea of self is very limited. It is born out of our relationship from thought to form. We believe we are a body, a name, a certain story, and our thoughts are created from these beliefs. We think we are something that can be translated into words and that has a specific value. From this limited idea of ‘me’, the idea of ‘mine’ is born. ‘Me’ and ‘mine’ form our reference points to our identity. This identification with form is what prevents us from experiencing the profoundness of life.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 1, 2016: Sky Mind, Cloud Thoughts

We cannot push the clouds away, but we can allow the clouds of thought to gradually dissolve until finally all the clouds have vanished. Ultimate realization occurs when there is no trace of the cloud layers whatsoever.

—Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, "As the Clouds Vanish"

Via Daily Dharma / July 31, 2016: Balance and Acceptance

Equanimity is not insensitivity, indifference, or apathy. It is simply nonpreferential. Under its influence, one does not push aside the things one dislikes or grasp at the things one prefers. The mind rests in an attitude of balance and acceptance of things as they are.

—Sayadaw U Pandita, "A Perfect Balance"

Via Daily Dharma / July 29, 2016: On Equanimity

Equanimity takes interest in whatever is occurring simply because it is occurring. Equanimity does not include aversive states of indifference, boredom, coldness, or hesitation. It is an expression of calm, radiant balance that takes whatever comes in stride.

—Shaila Catherine, "Equanimity in Every Bite"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor día- Flower of the day - 28/07/2016

“Se você já está podendo ser honesto a ponto de admitir suas mentiras, significa que o processo de transformação e cura que te tira do círculo vicioso do sofrimento já iniciou. Esse é o início da transcendência. E estando nesse estágio, você não suporta ficar na mentira por muito tempo. Muitas vezes, você não consegue dormir porque já viu que, em algum momento, você terá que dar um salto. Existe um buraco no meio do seu caminho e você precisa ter coragem de pular. Então, o que tira o seu sono é o medo.”

“Si ya estas pudiendo ser honesto al punto de admitir tus mentiras, significa que el proceso de transformación y cura que te saca del círculo vicioso del sufrimiento ya se inició. Ese es el inicio de la transcendencia. Y estando en este estadio, no soportas quedarte en la mentira por mucho tiempo. Muchas veces, no consigues dormir porque ya viste que en algún momento tendrás que dar un salto. Existe un agujero en el medio de tu camino y necesitas tener coraje para saltar. Entonces lo que te quita el sueño es el miedo.”

“If we are able to be honest enough to admitour lies, the process of transformation and healing that will allow us to exit the vicious cycle of suffering has already begun. This is the beginning of transcendence. While we are in this stage, we can no longer tolerate lying for very long. Many times, we can’t even sleep because we have already seen that, at one point, we will have to jump. We know that there is a pothole on our path and we will have to have the courage to jump. So, what robs us of our sleep is fear.”

Via Daily Dharma / July 28, 2016: Embodied Practice

In meditating with the body as our guide, we come to feel that, perhaps for the first time in our lives, we are in the presence of a being, our own body, that is wise, loving, flawlessly reliable, and, strange to say, worthy of our deepest devotion.

—Reggie Ray, "Touching Enlightenment"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor día- Flower of the day - 27/07/2016

“Algumas pessoas correm atrás da riqueza para fugir da pobreza. Chegam a construir impérios, mas não podem desfrutar de nada pois são atormentadas pelo medo da perda. Esse tipo de riqueza, em algum momento, precisará cair, pois somente assim a pessoa poderá olhar de frente para o medo da escassez. Esta é uma lei psíquica: tudo que é construído a partir da máscara um dia deverá cair; todas as capas temporárias criadas para fugir de alguma coisa, um dia serão rasgadas.”

“Algunas personas corren atrás de la riqueza para huir de la pobreza. Llegan a construir imperios, pero no pueden disfrutar de nada porque son atormentadas por el miedo de la pérdida. Ese tipo de riqueza, en algún momento, necesitará caer, porque solamente así la persona podrá mirar de frente al miedo a la escasez. Esta es una ley psíquica: todo lo que es construido a partir de la máscara un día deberá caer, todas las capas temporales creadas para huir de alguna cosa, un día serán rasgadas.”

“Some people run after wealth to escape the feeling of poverty. Some even build empires, but don’t get to enjoy any of it because they are tormented by their fear to lose it all. At some point, this kind of wealth will have to fall because it is only when it falls away that a person will have to face their fear of scarcity. This is a psychic law. Everything that is built from a mask or a pretense will have to, one day, fall. All the temporary layers built out of trying to hide from something will be torn to shreds.”

Via Daily Dharma / July 27, 2016: Peace Naturally Arises

When we turn diligence into an intellectual process, we end up feeling exhausted by the intensity of the obligation. But if we respond the way the eyelid responds to a dry eye, then the work of peace naturally arises out of our innate wisdom and compassion.

—Bonnie Myotai Treace, "Rising to the Challenge: Filling the Well with Snow"

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.”