Via Daily Dharma / August 5, 2016: Study Deepens Faith

Faith is a quality that grows as you question, explore, and really put teachings into practice. The more you study, the less dogmatic you get.

—Sharon Salzberg, "Then & Now"

Via Science and Metaphysics / FB:

Via Daily Dharma / August 4, 2016: Overcoming Hatred

Hatred is worse than anger. Anger, irritation, is not that bad. But it will definitely become hatred if you don’t take care of it.

—Ngawang Gelek Demo Rinpoche, "What to Do When the Anger Gets Hot"

Via Ram Dass

August 3, 2016

This is the path of love. The path of the heart. Like all paths, it is fraught with pitfalls and traps, and most of our emotions are either in the service of our minds or our frightening things that overwhelm us and make us afraid so we protect ourselves from them.

So we come through life a little bit like hungry ghosts. We are beings that have huge needs for love, but seemingly it’s like we have some kind of amoeba that doesn’t allow us to digest our food. So, though we get love, it goes through us and then we need love all over again. This conception is so deep within all of us that we’ve built an entire reality around it, and we think that’s the way it is; that everybody needs love and that if you don’t get it you are deprived, and that the more of it the better, and you need it every day from everything. In that sense it’s like an achievement; you see people that are achievers. The minute they achieve something it becomes irrelevant, and their awareness turns to the next achievement because they are addicted to the practice, not to the goal.

Via Daily Dharma / August 3, 2016: On Art-making

When you sit down, all that you’re exposed to is your own mind, there is nothing else... Just to remain in that space and to let things arise and fade without having to grasp at them makes one realize that everything is already here, that no higher teaching is needed or to be grasped at.

—Robert Beer, "Art Making the Artist"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 02/08/2016

“O ódio é um mecanismo de defesa que se manifesta como destrutividade, tanto em relação ao outro como a si mesmo. Mas a destrutividade só se mantém porque existe uma ligação entre a energia sexual e o sofrimento, ou seja, existe um certo prazer envolvido nesse processo. Em algum momento da sua biografia, você teve que usar a sua energia vital, que é a mesma energia sexual, para anestesiar a dor, e isso estabeleceu uma conexão entre o prazer e o sofrimento. Por trás do ódio sempre existe dor. E por trás da dor está o verdadeiro Eu.”

“El odio es un mecanismo de defensa que se manifiesta como destructividad, tanto hacia el otro como hacia ti mismo. Pero la destructividad solo se mantiene porque existe una unión entre la energía sexual y el sufrimiento, es decir, hay cierto placer involucrado en este proceso. En algún momento de tu biografía, tuviste que utilizar tu energía vital, que es la misma energía sexual, para anestesiar el dolor, y esto estableció una conexión entre el placer y el sufrimiento. Por detrás del odio siempre hay dolor. Y por detrás del dolor está el verdadero Yo.”

“Hatred is a self defense mechanism that manifests as destruction both to ourselves as well as to the other. Destructivity continues because there exists a connection between our sexual energy and suffering. There is a certain pleasure that is involved in this process. At one point in our personal story, we had to use our vital energy, our sexual energy, to numb the pain. In doing so, a connection was made between pleasure and suffering. Behind hatred, there is always pain. Beyond this pain is the true self.”

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.”