Via Daily Dharma / September 10, 2016: Nothing to Fear

As long as we think we shouldn’t feel something, as long as we are afraid of feeling vulnerable, our defenses kick in to try to get life under control, to manipulate ourselves or other people. But instead of either controlling or sequestering our feelings, we can learn to both contain and feel them fully.

—Barry Magid, "No Gain"

Via Walter Kirn / FB: The story from Standing Rock

Walter Kirn

Listen. This is important. It will affect you, though you may not know it yet. Tonight on North Dakota's Cannon Ball River, near its convergence with the Missouri, on a wide, grassy meadow ringed by sloping hills and lit by scores of smoky orange campfires, hundreds or maybe thousands of Native people who have not come together in this way for well over a century have gathered, along with supporters from many backgrounds, to sing and drum and pray for the protection of the earth and water. It is not a romantic or fanciful event but an earnest and passionate spiritual intervention by people for whom spirit and matter are not separate categories at all but a living, interpenetrating unity. 

Their immediate concern is with a pipeline capable of fouling the local waters with toxic oil from the nearby fracking fields. Their larger concern is with a mad philosophy that pits human beings against their natural home for vain and temporary benefits. Against this pipeline and this philosophy they have arrayed the powers of tradition, family, community, magic, music, prophecy, and simple human courage. 

Will they prevail? They will, they must, and they are certain of it, though in what fashion or on what schedule they don't yet fully know. You are with them even if you don't think so because they are battling for life itself.

Does that sound lofty? Let me bring it down some. The camp is electric tonight. A stream of vehicles with yellow headlights clogs the entry road. Smoke is everywhere, creating a spectral geometry of softened angles and misty silhouettes. Down the hill from me, half a mile to my right, an amplified rapper is exhorting a crowd to stand strong in its convictions. In front of me, at the same distance, a drummer is beating a steady, insistent rhythm accompanied by a rising and falling chant. The stars are crackling in the cold black sky. I have been many places as a reporter, to great political conventions, important congresses of leaders, championship sports events, and somber public memorials, but never have I felt such power, such energy. I am not even sure what year it is right now. 

Tomorrow a judge will rule in the pipeline matter, giving the people massed around these fires a victory or a defeat or some muddy combination of the two. Their leaders have urged them in the sternest tones not to be enraged if disappointed. Violence will not be tolerated. And despair will not be tolerated. That is because however the ruling goes, something abiding has been accomplished here: The unification of a hundred nations in a refreshed sense of relevance and purpose. They were divided, these people, and then conquered. Sickness and hunger and material poverty were some of the results. They might never have recovered, never have regained their footing, never have reasserted their common vitality. But they did, they prevailed. Their family is intact. 

Spirituality. In the culture I'm from it's something you slot in to a busy, hectic, willful life. You go to church. You take a yoga class. You climb into bed with an inspiring book. These people approach the spirit differently. They live inside it all day long, and then in their dreams, and then when they wake up. It is how they say hello and how they eat and how they walk across a road. There is nothing else but spirit for them. It has made them more than a little out of step with us. It hasn't added to their bank accounts. It wasn't a route to success as we define it. It didn't make them famous on TV.
It has only made them indomitable, I've noticed.

And that is the news. The story from Standing Rock.

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

“Muitos confundem egoísmo com amor. Uma coisa é você estar com alguém porque é bom estar próximo, porque existe uma sinergia, uma afinidade, e a energia de ambos cresce nesse encontro. Outra coisa é estar com alguém porque você acredita que será feliz através dessa pessoa; porque espera receber dela alguma coisa. Nesse caso, você não quer alguém para amar, você quer é alguém para atender às suas necessidades e expectativas. Isso chama-se egoísmo.”

“Muchos confunden egoísmo con amor. Una cosa es que estés con alguien porque es bueno estar cerca, porque existe una sinergia, una afinidad, y la energía de ambos crece en ese encuentro. Otra cosa es estar con alguien porque crees que serás feliz a través de esa persona; porque esperas recibir alguna cosa de ella. En ese caso, no quieres alguien para amar, quieres alguien para atender tus necesidades y expectativas. Eso se llama egoísmo.”

“Many confuse selfishness with love. It’s one thing to be with someone because it is good to be together, because there is a synergistic affinity, and a positive energy grows for both in this union. It’s another thing to be with someone because you believe you will find happiness through this person, because you think you will get something from him or her in return. In this case, you don’t want someone to love. You want someone to attend to your needs and expectations. This is what is known as selfishness.”

Via BuzzFeed : Australia’s Second Biggest Church Says It’s OK To Vote “Yes” On Marriage Equality

Melbourne Archbishop Philip Freier has released a letter he wrote to Australia’s Anglican bishops, saying the church “must accept” same-sex marriage as part of the landscape if a national plebiscite is carried.

Joe Castro / AAPIMAGE

In the letter, Freier differentiates between types of marriage, saying that if civil marriage is amended to include same-sex couples, the church can still reserve its definition of marriage as between a man and a women.

“We can still stand for and offer holy matrimony between a man and a woman as a sacred ordinance given by God, while accepting that the state has endorsed a wider view of marriage,” he wrote.
In the 2011 census, 17% of Australians identified themselves as Anglicans – second to 25% who are Catholic.

Freier also noted that Anglicans are not uniform in their positions on same-sex marriage, and gave the green light for people to land on either side of the debate.

“Individual Anglicans have adopted a variety of positions taken in good conscience based on their Christian understanding of the principles and issues, and this is right and proper,” he wrote.

Freier said he personally welcomed the plebiscite, but feared a divisive debate, and called for more pastoral sensitivity towards LGBT people in the church.

“I am very concerned that the discussion does not become harsh or vilifying – on either side, for it is not only Christians who have sometimes failed on this score,” he said.

Alex Wong / Getty Images

The president of the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA), Stuart McMillan, told BuzzFeed News the church would not take part in the plebiscite campaign as it has been engaged in an internal discussion on marriage theology since 2012.

The Uniting Church is Australia’s third largest, encompassing 5% of the population, and currently defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

“As we are engaged in our own discernment process, we will not be formally involved with other groups lobbying on the marriage issue,” McMillan said.

Instead, the church’s involvement will consist of “resources for respectful conversations on marriage” available on the UCA website.

“Uniting Church ministers and members are free to express personal opinions or take part in campaigns in the course of the national debate, so as long as they are clear that they are expressing personal views and not speaking on behalf of the Uniting Church,” McMillan added.

McMillan published a blog on Friday urging church members to remain graceful throughout the marriage debate.

“It is easy to harm each other with careless words. So we should all choose ours carefully,” he said.

“We are committed to being an inclusive Church that embraces LGBTIQ people as full members and to culturally appropriate discussion about relationships and marriage across our diversity.”

 

Lane Sainty is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Sydney, Australia.

Contact Lane Sainty at lane.sainty@buzzfeed.com.

Via Daily Dharma / September 9, 2016: The Power of Madness

The people who have been through the harshest conditions—and survived—have the greatest potential to transform the madness of their lives. . . . if they can take that madness, claim it, and stand on top of its incredible energy, they can transform it into power. —Vinny Ferraro, "The Heartful Dodger"

An Orlando Shooting Survivor's Inspiring Story – EXTENDED

Via LGBT INCLUSIVE / FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 08/09/2016

“A mente condicionada faz você acreditar que só poderá ser feliz se o outro olhar para você de uma determinada maneira. O outro precisa agir do jeito que você imagina para você poder ser feliz, então você vive tentando fazer com que essa pessoa faça desse jeito, pois somente assim você se sente amado; somente assim você pode ser feliz. Essa felicidade que depende da forma que o outro age é uma mentira. A verdadeira felicidade independe de fatores externos, ela vem de dentro de você - ela nasce da liberdade.”

“La mente condicionada te hace creer que solo podrás ser feliz si el otro te mira de una maneradeterminada. El otronecesitaactuar de la formaque tú imaginas para poder ser feliz, entonces vivesintentando lograr que estapersona actúede esa forma, porque solamente así te sientes amado; solamenteasí puedes ser feliz. Esta felicidad que depende de la forma queel otro actúa es una mentira. La verdadera felicidad es independiente de factores externos, viene de adentro tuyo - nace de la libertad.”

“The conditioned mind makes us believe that we can only be happy if the other looks at us the way we want to be seen.We believe the other has to act in a certain way for us to be happy. So, we live our lives trying to make the other act according to our own standards because this is the only way we think we will feel loved or be able to experience happiness. But happiness that depends on how others act is not real. True happiness exists independently of external factors as it comes from within. Happiness is born out of freedom.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 8, 2016: The Sacred and the Ordinary

At last a tongue-tip taste of the
dharma comes home to the heart.
Not chasing after imaginary things,
the ordinary is sacred after all.
Wellsprings of gratitude surface.

—Edward Espe Brown, "The Vision Cow"

Via Ram Dass

September 7, 2016

From the soul’s point of view, you come to appreciate that each one of us is living out his or her own karma. We interact together, and those interactions are the grist for each other’s mill of awakening. From a personality point of view, you develop judgment, but from the soul’s point of view, you develop appreciation. This shift from judging to appreciating — to appreciating yourself and what your karmic predicament is, and who other beings are with their own karma — brings everything into a simple loving awareness.

To be free means to open your heart and your being into the fullness of who you are, because only when you are resting in the place of unity can you truly honor and appreciate others and the incredible diversity of the universe.

Via Sri Prem Baba

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

“O Brasil nesse momento está na UTI, podemos dizer que já em estado de coma. E o que está morrendo? A possibilidade da realização do dharma, o propósito maior. Isso ocorre quando a injustiça cresce para além de toda e qualquer possibilidade de transformação através da escolha e da vontade consciente. Então, se faz necessário entrar num redemoinho energético de transformação, que é praticamente impossível saber onde vai dar.”

“Brasil en este momento está en la UTI,podemos decir que ya en estado de coma. ¿Qué eslo que está muriendo? La posibilidad de realización del dharma, el propósitomayor. Esto ocurre cuando la injusticia crece más allá de toda y cualquier posibilidad de transformación a través de la elección y de la voluntad consciente. Entonces, se hacenecesario entrar en un remolino energético de transformación, y es prácticamente imposible saber hacia dónde va.”

“We could make the analogy that Brazil is currently in ‘urgent care’ experiencing a ‘coma’. But what is dying is the possibility for Brazil to fulfill its dharma, or it’s greater purpose. This happens when injustice outweighs all chances of transformation to occurthrough the use of choice and conscious will. Thus, an energetic whirlpool of transformation begins to form, whose outcome is practically impossible to determine.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 7, 2016: Neither Bound Nor Blind

What saves me from despair about this very human situation? It is simply the fact that while I am not blind to damage caused by the lived illusion of race, neither am I bound by it. And I know others need not be bound by it, either.

—Charles Johnson, "Black Coffee Buddhism"

Via FB:

Via Ram Dass: Ram Dass and Allen Ginsberg in Conversation

Hello, friends:

Here’s the second video in our three-part series in celebration of Ram Dass, a gem that we discovered from this luminary teacher’s extensive archives:

Ram Dass and Allen Ginsberg in Conversation

Video #2 in a three-part series

Available Now

If you’re a writer, artist, or otherwise creative spirit, this one was picked just for you.

As you may know, Allen Ginsberg was a “Johnny Appleseed” for poetry the way Ram Dass was (and is) for spiritual transformation. Here, they explore: how art and spirituality support each other, prophetic reflections on the dangers and possibilities of the modern world, and more.

Yours on the journey,
Sounds True

P.S. Did you miss the first free video?  It’s excellent! You can watch it here.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 06/09/2016

“Quero propor uma pequena tarefa: avalie com sinceridade como você está na esfera dos relacionamentos. Se você está com alguém, veja por que está nessa relação. O que te mantém nela? E se você não está com alguém, se pergunte por que você está sozinho. É uma escolha da sua alma ou você está com medo de se relacionar? Não tenha medo de fazer essas perguntas. Somente a mentira pode cair - a verdade nunca cai. Se a sua escolha é baseada no amor e na liberdade - se você está se expandindo na luz e crescendo dentro do programa da sua alma, ótimo. Zele por isso. Mas, se você está onde está por outras razões, tenha coragem de encarar a verdade, porque ela te liberta.”

“Quiero proponer una pequeña tarea: evalúasinceramente cómo estás en la esfera de las relaciones. Si estás con alguien, mira por qué estás en esa relación. ¿Quées lo que te mantiene en ella? Y si no estás con alguien, pregúntate por qué estás solo. ¿Es una elección de tu alma o tienes miedo de relacionarte? No tengas miedo de hacer estas preguntas. Solamente la mentira puede caerse - la verdad nunca se cae. Si tu elección se basa en el amor y en la libertad - si te estásexpandiendoen la luz y creciendo dentro del programa de tu alma, muy bien.Cuida bien de ello. Pero si estásdónde estás por otras razones, ten coraje de encarar la verdad, porque ella te libera.”

“I would like to propose a small exercise: sincerely evaluate where you are in the realm of relationships. If you are with someone, take a look at why you are with them. What keeps you in this relationship? If you are not with someone, ask yourself why you are alone. Is it a choice you have made from your soul or are you frightened of being in a relationship? Don’t be afraid to ask yourself these questions. The only thing that will fall away will be lies. The truth will never collapse. If your choice is based in love and freedom, if you are expanding in the light and growing along with the program of your soul, then that’s wonderful. Continue to nurture it. However, if you are in this relationship for other reasons, have the courage to face the truth, because it will set you free.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 6, 2016: Consciousness, Divided

Consciousness is the division of an otherwise seamless Whole, which transcends space and time, into space and time—that is, into here and there, then and now.

—Steve Hagen, "Time and Now"

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