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Via Lion's Roas: I’m interested in going to a Buddhist center in my city for the first time. Any advice?

by Lion's Roar Staff| August 17, 2016

Illustration by Nolan Pelletier.

It sounds like you’re a little nervous and unsure what to expect. That’s okay—Buddhists talk about the value of “not-knowing,” after all. But we do have some tips.

First: do some googling to see what your options are. And you’ll find a helpful directory of Buddhist centers right in the back of Lion’s Roar magazine or Buddhadharma. Visit centers’ websites and social media to get a sense of the tradition and teachings they represent. Which ones reflect what’s drawn you to Buddhism? Look for special beginner-friendly and drop-in events.

Here are some things to keep in mind for your visit to a center:

1. You’re under no obligation to do anything you don’t want to—and you’re free to leave if you don’t like the feel of the place.
2. That said, Buddhist practice is often about letting go, so try your best to have a spirit of playful experimentation. Bowing or chanting may be outside of your experience, but you’re there to try something new. Don’t worry about getting things wrong, because that’s expected.
3. Centers often rely on generosity to function. You are free to make a donation but not obligated.
4. Different communities have different feels—some are mostly silent, some are talkier, and so on. Keep looking and soon you’ll find one where you feel at home.

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Via LGBTQ Nation / FB: Trump’s new campaign chiefs have a long and sordid anti-gay past

In this Aug. 10, 2016, photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a coal mining roundtable at Fitzgerald Peterbilt in Glade Spring, Va. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Donald Trump seems to have discovered some change you can believe in, and has just shuffled around the leadership of his campaign (again). Out goes Paul Manafort, who may or may not have been illegally accepting money from foreign powers, and in comes Breitbart News chairman Steve Bannon and conservative pollster Kellyanne Conway.

Wait, who?

Well, you’ll be delighted (and no doubt shocked) to learn that Trump’s new best friends have a long history of homophobia. Surprise!

Bannon, for example, went nuts over Target’s inclusive bathroom policy, accusing the store of “trying to exclude people who are decent, hard-working people who don’t want their four-year-old daughter to have to go into a bathroom with a guy with a beard in a dress.” Good one!

Conway called homosexuality “corrupting” and said that people “don’t want their kids looking at a cartoon with a bunch of lesbian mothers.” She did a bunch of polling for the National Organization for Marriage, which unbelievably still exists. (In fact, just last week, NOM sent out a fundraising email in which they inadvertently called their own members “pathetic.” Truer words were never spoken!)

Conway also spoke at the Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit, and said that opposing homosexuality is not “right versus left, but right versus wrong.”

Trump likes to pretend that he’s a friend to the gays, but a quick look over at the company he keeps proves that’s simply not true. And of course, running mate Mike Pence is even worse.

Under Bannon’s leadership, Breitbart has run headlines like “The Trouble with Trannies” and pushed a conspiracy theory that Matthew Shepard’s murder wasn’t a hate crime. The site has also claimed that being gay is a mental illness.

Read the original and much more here

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 23/08/2016

“O ego humano encontra-se adoecido, completamente obcecado pelo poder. O egoísmo chegou no seu grau máximo. E para que possamos nos curar dessa doença, precisamos primeiro reconhecê-la através dos seus sintomas (ansiedade, angústia, tristeza, depressão, desconexão...). Porém, não basta somente tratar os sintomas, precisamos tratar e eliminar a causa, a raiz dessa doença. No mais profundo, a raiz do egoísmo humano está na desconexão com a sua verdadeira identidade e com realidade espiritual da vida.” 

“El ego humano se encuentra enfermo, completamente obsesionado con el poder. El egoísmo ha alcanzado su grado máximo. Y para que podamos curarnos de esta enfermedad, primero necesitamos reconocerla a través de sus síntomas (ansiedad, angustia, tristeza, depresión, desconexión...). Pero no basta solamente con tratar los síntomas, necesitamos tratar y eliminar la causa, la raíz de esta enfermedad. En lo más profundo, la raíz del egoísmo humano está en la desconexión con su verdadera identidad y con la realidad espiritual de la vida.” 

“The human ego is sick, completely obsessed with power. Selfishness has increased to its maximum degree. In order for us to heal ourselves from this disease, we first need to recognize its symptoms such as, anxiety, anguish, sadness, depression and disconnection. However, it is not enough to only treat the symptoms. We need to treat and eliminate the cause, and address the roots of this illness. At the deepest level, the roots of human selfishness lie in the disconnection from our true identity and the spiritual reality of life.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 23, 2016: Our Temporary Niche

As human beings we agonize about death, and about our lack of freedom. We have the greatest difficulty in acknowledging our impermanence and our dependence. Once we truly accept our temporary niche in the interdependence of all things, then, as the Buddha taught, we can be free of dukkha.

—Robert Aitken, "The Rectification of Names"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 22/08/2016

“Para ancorar a presença é preciso fechar as contas com o passado, o que significa poder olhar para trás e agradecer à cada pessoa que passou na sua vida. Onde existe ingratidão existe acusação; onde existe acusação, existe um coração fechado. Em outras palavras, existe uma ferida a ser tratada. Pois é essa ferida que te mantém preso ao passado. Com isso, eu lhe convido a fazer uma reflexão: se, nesse momento, a vida lhe convidasse a deixar o corpo, você estaria pronto? Se a resposta é não, procure identificar porquê. O que você estaria deixando para trás inacabado? Quais são as contas abertas que você estaria deixando? Somente quando puder fechar essas contas do passado, você poderá viver plenamente o presente.” 

“Para anclar la presencia es necesario cerrar las cuentas con el pasado, lo que significa poder mirar hacia atrás y agradecer a cada persona que pasó por tu vida. Donde hay ingratitud hay acusación; donde hay acusación, hay un corazón cerrado. En otras palabras, existe una herida a tratarse. Pues esesta herida la que te mantiene atado al pasado. Con eso, yo te invito a hacer una reflexión: si, en ese momento, la vida te invitara a dejar el cuerpo, ¿estarías listo? Si la respuesta es no, trata de identificar por qué. ¿Qué estarías dejando atrás sin terminar? ¿Cuáles son las cuentas abiertas que estarías dejando? Solamente cuando puedas cerrar estas cuentas del pasado, podrás vivir plenamente el presente.” 

“In order to anchor presence, it is necessary to close the open accounts from our past. We need to be able to look back and thank each and every person from our past. Where there is ingratitude, there exists an accusation. Where there are accusations, there is also a closed heart. In other words, there is a wound that needs to be treated. It is this wound that keeps us stuck in the past. With this knowledge, I invite you to do a reflection exercise: if, in this exact moment, life were to invite you to leave your body, would you be ready? If your answer is no, try to identify why this is. What would you be leaving behind that is still unfinished? What are the open accounts that would be left unfinished? Only when we are able to close these accounts of the past will we be able to live fully in the present.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 22, 2016: Giving Up Fear

A quick summation of Buddhist logic: the source of my anxiety is not the succession of objects to which it attaches itself but that volatile heap of memory and habit I have come to call “myself.” Give it up and you give up your fear; cling to it, and fear will haunt you always.

—Lawrence Shainberg, "Ambivalent Zen"

Via The Broomstick Goddesses / FB:

Via Peace, Love, and Everything Else / FB:

Via Ram Dass

August 17, 2016

Because when you push against somebody (even the subtlest model in your head they should be different than they are), it awakens in them at a very in unconscious level, pushing back. A resistance, a subtle paranoia. And I have noticed in my human relationships that as I want less and less of each individual, there is much less paranoia of them at a deep level, and they are much more available immediately.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 21/08/2016

“Quando desenvolve a habilidade da auto-observação e da atenção plena, a sua memória desperta e você começa a lembrar de situações e imagens; você abre os porões do inconsciente e inicia uma limpeza. Limpar os porões significa liberar sentimentos guardados, fechar contas abertas (mágoas e ressentimentos) e se harmonizar com o passado, para finalmente poder sustentar a presença. Pois o que te tira da presença é o passado.” 

“Cuando desarrollas la habilidad de la auto-observación y de la atención plena, tu memoria despierta y comienzas a recordar situaciones e imágenes; abres los sótanos del inconsciente y comienzas una limpieza. Limpiar los sótanos significa liberar sentimientos guardados, cerrar cuentas abiertas (heridas y resentimientos) y armonizarse con el pasado, para finalmente poder sustentar la presencia. Porque lo que te saca de la presencia es el pasado.” 

“When we develop the abilities for self-observation and mindfulness, our memories awaken and we begin to remember situations and images from our past. We open the dungeons of our unconscious and begin a deep cleansing. We cleanse these areas of darkness by liberating our suppressed feelings, closing our open accounts of hurts and resentments, and by coming into harmony with our past. We do all of this so that we may finally be able to sustain presence. It is the past that robs us of our presence.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 21, 2016: The God of Silent Music

Zen and Catholicism meet deep inside me . . . There is nothing to contradict and nothing to harmonize. They don’t say the same thing, because they don’t say anything. They don’t address the one God expressed in different languages, because the only God there is, is the God of silent music.

—Thomas Moore, "Zen Catholic"

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 20/08/2016

“Algumas pessoas tentam fugir dos relacionamentos com a desculpa de precisarem se dedicar à espiritualidade. Elas acreditam que, ao se mudarem para uma comunidade espiritual, terão seus problemas resolvidos. Mas, a realidade é que, onde quer que estejam (quer seja trabalhando no escritório de uma grande empresa ou rezando em um templo), elas precisarão encarar seus fantasmas internos, o que significa lidar com seus medos e sentimentos negados. Não importa onde estejam, será necessário aprender a se relacionar de forma saudável, pois o fantasma não é o outro, é você mesmo.”

“Algunas personas intentan huir de las relaciones con la excusa de que necesitan dedicarse a la espiritualidad. Creen que al mudarse a una comunidad espiritual, tendrán sus problemas resueltos. Pero la realidad es que, dondequiera que estén (ya sea trabajando en la oficina de una gran empresa o rezando en un templo), tendrán que encarar sus fantasmas internos, lo que significa lidiar con sus miedos y sentimientos negados. No importa donde estén, será necesario aprender a relacionarse de forma saludable, porque el fantasma no es el otro, eres tú mismo.”

“Some people avoid being in relationships with the excuse of needing to dedicate themselves to spirituality. They believe that by moving to a spiritual community, their problems will be resolved. The reality is that, no matter where we are, whether working in the office of a big company, or praying in a temple, we will have to face our inner ghosts. We have to deal with our fears and denied feelings. Regardless of where we are, we have to learn how to relate in a healthy way, because the other is not the ghost: we are the ghost.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 20, 2016: The Buddha’s Mindfulness

Mindfulness supports the moment-to-moment intention to not cause harm, to be kind, and to renounce those thoughts and actions that lead to heedlessness. Without wise intention and wise understanding, mindfulness is aimless, and therefore not the Buddha’s mindfulness.

—Phillip Moffitt, "The Mindfulness of the Buddha"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 19/08/2016

“Tudo está aqui - aquilo que não está aqui, não está em lugar algum. O corpo é um portal interdimensional através do qual acessamos diferentes universos. Cada singular pontinho de acupuntura abre novos caminhos de acesso a novas dimensões. Às vezes, é possível aliviar uma perturbação mental apenas pressionando um desses pontos. Tudo que se manifesta no corpo físico tem origem no corpo sutil. Essa é uma relação que merece ser estudada.” 

“Todo está aquí – aquello que no está aquí, no está en ninguna parte. El cuerpoes un portal inter-dimensional a través del cual accedemos a diferentes universos. Cada singular puntito de acupuntura abre nuevos caminos de acceso a nuevas dimensiones. A veces es posible aliviar un trastorno mental con sólo presionar uno de estos puntos. Todo lo que se manifiesta en el cuerpo físico se origina en el cuerpo sutil. Esta es una relación que merece ser estudiada.”

“Everything is here - what is not here is nowhere. The body is an inter-dimensional portal through which we access different universes. Every single acupuncture point opens up new paths to access new dimensions. Sometimes it is possible to alleviate a mental disorder just by pressing one of these points. Everything that manifests in the physical body originates in the subtle body. This is a relationship that needs to be studied more.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 19, 2016: Asking a Different Question

When Jesus cries out to his Father, Why have you forsaken me? he has come to an edge. Is he going to curse or embrace? At a certain point the question becomes not: Why did this happen? but: How do I work with it?

—Lynn Crawford, "Broken Gold"

Via Sri Prem Baba Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 18/08/2016

“Errar é humano. Reconhecer os seus erros e se abrir para a transformação é divino. Ter a honestidade de reconhecer os próprios defeitos é o primeiro passo para a perfeição. Todo ser humano, de alguma maneira, pratica pequenos ou grandes delitos todos os dias; até mesmo o ser humano considerado normal carrega dentro de si um grau de perturbação, de loucura ou maldade. Alguns casos se tornam patológicos, mas todos, de alguma maneira, têm um lado doentio. Essa insanidade nos impede de manifestar nossos dons e nossos talentos e nossa inteligência. E, para curarmos essa insanidade, precisamos, em primeiro lugar, reconhecê-la.”

“Equivocarse es humano. Reconocer tus errores y abrirte a la transformación es divino. Tener la honestidad de reconocer los propios defectos es el primer paso hacia la perfección. Todo ser humano, de alguna manera, ejerce pequeños o grandes delitos todos los días; incluso el ser humano considerado normal carga en su interior un grado de perturbación, de locura o maldad. Algunos casos se vuelven patológicos, pero todos, de alguna manera, tienen un lado enfermo. Esta insania nos impide manifestar nuestros dones y nuestros talentos y nuestra inteligencia. Y para curarnos esta insania necesitamos, en primer lugar, reconocerla.”

To err is human. Recognizing our mistakes and opening up to transformation is divine. Having the honesty to recognize our faults is the first step towards perfection. In some way, everyone commits big or small offenses every day. Even human beings who are considered to be ‘normal’ carry within themselves a certain level of disturbance known as madness or evil. Some cases it becomes pathological, but in one way or another, all of us have a sick side. This insanity prevents us from manifesting our gifts, our talents and our intelligence. In order to heal this insanity, we must first recognize it.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 18, 2016: We Are Responsible for the Mind

The mind is not yours, but you are responsible for it . . . Don’t feel disturbed by the thinking mind. You are not practicing to prevent thinking, but rather to recognize and acknowledge thinking whenever it arises.

—Sayadaw U Tejaniya, "Got Attitude?"