A personal blog by a graying (mostly Anglo with light African-American roots) gay left leaning liberal progressive married college-educated Buddhist Baha'i BBC/NPR-listening Professor Emeritus now following the Dharma in Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 27/09/16
“Trabalho para que você se liberte do passado e para que possa, então,
viver no momento presente. Porém, você só se liberta do passado olhando
de frente para ele, sem fingir que ele não existe. Você se liberta
através da compreensão. Por isso, eu sugiro que você vá atrás das vozes
inconscientes do passado ainda insistem em dizer: “Eu não vou perdoar”,
“eu quero ficar isolado”, “eu quero fracassar”, “eu quero me vingar”.
Ao olhar para o passado com honestidade, inevitavelmente você chega na
autorresponsabilidade, que é quando você percebe que está onde se
coloca.”
“Trabajo para que
te liberesdel pasado y para que puedasvivir en el momento presente. Pero
sólo te liberas del pasado mirándolo de frente, sin pretender que no
existe. Te liberas a través de la comprensión. Por eso, sugiero que
busques las voces inconscientes del pasado que todavía insisten en
decir: `no voy a perdonar´, `quiero estar aislado´, `quiero fracasar´,
`quiero vengarme´. Al mirar el pasado con honestidad, inevitablemente
llegas a la autoresponsabilidad, que es cuando percibes que estás donde
te colocas.”
“We work to free ourselves from the past so that we can live in the present moment. However, we can only become free from the past by facing it, not by trying to pretend it doesn’t exist. We become free through comprehension. For this, I suggest you go after the unconscious voices of the past that still insist to say, ‘I won’t forgive’, ‘I want to remain isolated’, ‘I want to fail’, ‘I want revenge’. When we look atour past with honesty, inevitably we arrive at self-responsibility, which is when we understand that we are exactly where we place ourselves.”
“We work to free ourselves from the past so that we can live in the present moment. However, we can only become free from the past by facing it, not by trying to pretend it doesn’t exist. We become free through comprehension. For this, I suggest you go after the unconscious voices of the past that still insist to say, ‘I won’t forgive’, ‘I want to remain isolated’, ‘I want to fail’, ‘I want revenge’. When we look atour past with honesty, inevitably we arrive at self-responsibility, which is when we understand that we are exactly where we place ourselves.”
Via Daily Dharma / September 27, 2016: The Mahayana’s Moral Economy
All
happiness comes from altruism and all suffering from selfishness.
Altruistic attitudes and bodhicitta, their greatest expression, bring
such benefits because they are related to the true nature of the mind,
whereas selfishness does not because it is the expression of an
illusion.
—Karma Trinlay Rinpoche, "What We’ve Been All Along"
—Karma Trinlay Rinpoche, "What We’ve Been All Along"
Monday, September 26, 2016
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 26/09/16
“O valor mais urgente para o desenvolvimento da consciência humana é a
honestidade. Em primeiro lugar, honestidade consigo mesmo - com seus
sentimentos mais profundos, com o seu coração. Por isso, quero sugerir
um exercício: identifique suas insatisfações - pergunte a si mesmo: você
está aonde gostaria de estar? Você está trabalhando com o que gostaria
de trabalhar? Você está se relacionando com quem gostaria de se relacionar?
O que você gostaria que fosse diferente na sua vida? As suas
insatisfações são expressões do seu auto-ódio. E, na medida em que se
aprofunda no autoconhecimento, você descobre porque esse ódio se voltou
contra si mesmo. Mas, para isso, é preciso ter coragem de olhar para o
passado e fazer relações de causa e efeito.”
“El valor más urgente para el desarrollo de la conciencia humana es la
honestidad. En primer lugar, honestidad contigo mismo, con tus
sentimientos más profundos, con tu corazón. Por eso, quiero sugerir un
ejercicio: identifica tus insatisfacciones, pregúntate: ¿Estás dónde te
gustaría estar? ¿Estás trabajando con lo que te gustaría trabajar? ¿Te
estás relacionando con quien te gustaría relacionarte? ¿Qué te gustaría
que fuera diferente en tu vida? Tus insatisfacciones son expresiones de
tu auto-odio. Y en la medida que profundizas en el autoconocimiento,
descubres porqué ese odio se volvió contra ti mismo. Pero para eso, es
necesario tener corajepara mirar al pasado y hacer las relaciones de
causa y efecto.”
“The most urgently needed value for the development of human consciousness is honesty; primarily, honesty with ourselves, with our deepest feelings within our hearts. For this, I would like to suggest an exercise; identify your dissatisfactions. Ask yourself, ‘Are you where you would like to be? Are you working in the area of work you would like? Are you in a relationship with whom you want to be with? What do you wish was different in your life? Our dissatisfactions are expressions of self-hatred. And to the extent that we dive into our own self-awareness, we discover why this hatred turned against ourselves. But in order for this to happen, we have to have the courage to face our past and make the necessary cause and effect relationships.”
“The most urgently needed value for the development of human consciousness is honesty; primarily, honesty with ourselves, with our deepest feelings within our hearts. For this, I would like to suggest an exercise; identify your dissatisfactions. Ask yourself, ‘Are you where you would like to be? Are you working in the area of work you would like? Are you in a relationship with whom you want to be with? What do you wish was different in your life? Our dissatisfactions are expressions of self-hatred. And to the extent that we dive into our own self-awareness, we discover why this hatred turned against ourselves. But in order for this to happen, we have to have the courage to face our past and make the necessary cause and effect relationships.”
Via Daily Dharma / September 26, 2016: Seeing Clearly
By opening, by dropping our self-conscious grasping, we see not only the surface of an object, but we see the whole way through.
—Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, "Love Story"
—Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, "Love Story"
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Via Ram Dass: Ram Dass, love everybody
September 25, 2016
Maharajji said to me, “Ram Dass, love everybody.” And I said, “ I can’t do it.” And then he said again, love everybody, but then I realized it had to do with the soul, and not the ego, because the ego judges, but the soul love everybody, because everybody is a soul and a soul loves another soul. Its not that the small, limited, ego “I” loves you, but it’s unconditional love, it comes from the ocean of infinite love.
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 25/09/16
“O verdadeiro Amor é um fenômeno, um poder que a mente não pode
compreender – ele é um mistério a ser desvendado com o coração. O Amor
se manifesta em diferentes dimensões como empatia, perdão, compaixão e
gratidão. Mas, em todas as suas manifestações, o Amor real ou o Amor
maduro, é a fragrância da comunhão com o Ser. Esse amor é
desinteressado, ou seja, você quer ver o outro feliz; quer ver o outro
brilhar, sem querer nem mesmo um olhar
em troca. E essa capacidade de doação sincera e desinteressada é, sem
dúvida, sinônimo de iluminação espiritual.”
“El verdadero Amor es un fenómeno, un poder que la mente no puede
comprender; es un misterio a desvelar con el corazón. El Amor se
manifiesta en diferentes dimensiones como empatía, perdón, compasión y
gratitud. Pero, en todas sus manifestaciones, el Amor real o Amor
maduro, es la fragancia de comunión con el Ser. Este amor es
desinteresado, es decir, quieres ver al otrofeliz; quieres ver al otro
brillar, sin querer siquiera una mirada a cambio. Y esta capacidad de
donación sincera y desinteresada es, sin duda, sinónimo de iluminación
espiritual.”
“True love is a phenomenon, a power that the mind can not comprehend. It is a mystery to be unveiled by the heart. Love manifests itself in different dimensions as empathy, forgiveness, compassion and gratitude. But in all of its manifestations, true love or mature love, is the scent of communion with the being. This love is selfless. It is a love that wants to see the other happy; wants to see the other shine, without even wanting a glance in return. It is the capacity of true and selfless giving which is, without doubt, synonymous with spiritual illumination.”
“True love is a phenomenon, a power that the mind can not comprehend. It is a mystery to be unveiled by the heart. Love manifests itself in different dimensions as empathy, forgiveness, compassion and gratitude. But in all of its manifestations, true love or mature love, is the scent of communion with the being. This love is selfless. It is a love that wants to see the other happy; wants to see the other shine, without even wanting a glance in return. It is the capacity of true and selfless giving which is, without doubt, synonymous with spiritual illumination.”
Via Daily Dharam / September 25, 2016: Fluid Mind, Fluid Views
Our
minds are potentially fully fluid, but we often think of them as not
fluid because our bodies are not. What one would hope is that realizing
how truly fluid everyone is would make it a little harder to have firm
ideas about one’s enemies.
—Jaron Lanier, "Comparative Illusions"
—Jaron Lanier, "Comparative Illusions"
Friday, September 23, 2016
Via JMG: Trump Taps Frothy Mix For Catholic Advisory Group, Vows To Legalize Anti-LGBT Business Discrimination
September 23, 2016
Civil Rights, LGBT News, Religion
Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade:
In one fell swoop, Donald Trump has fortified the anti-LGBT positions he expressed over his campaign and tapped as an adviser former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, a two-time presidential candidate with a notoriously anti-LGBT history.
The actions are the result of Trump’s creation of a 35-member Catholic Advisory Council, which includes, in addition to Santorum, other individuals with anti-LGBT histories.
Accompanying the creation of the council is a new statement from Trump outlining “Issues of Importance to Catholics” and reiterating his support for the First Amendment Defense Act, a federal “religious freedom” bill seen to enable anti-LGBT discrimination.
Emphasizing his commitment to “religious liberty,” Trump hints at opposition to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of same-sex marriage and President Obama’s executive order barring anti-LGBT discrimination among federal contractors.
“Religious liberty is enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution,” Trump said. “It is our first liberty and provides the most important protection in that it protects our right of conscience. Activist judges and executive orders issued by presidents who have no regard for the Constitution have put these protections in jeopardy. If I am elected president and Congress passes the First Amendment Defense Act, I will sign it to protect the deeply held religious beliefs of Catholics and the beliefs of Americans of all faiths.”The First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) would legalize business discrimination against married gay couples on the basis of “deeply-held religious belief or moral conviction.” The American Family Association, the Liberty Counsel, and the Family Research Council have all withdrawn their support for FADA because recently added language also permits businesses to discriminate against straight married couples on the same grounds.
Read the original here and much more
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 23/09/16
“Carl Jung chamou a natureza inferior do ser humano de ‘sombra’. A
sombra representa aquilo que encontra-se no plano inconsciente, o que
também é conhecido como ‘maldade’. Os aspectos inconscientes exercem um
grande poder sobre nós, pois geram impulsos que agem à revelia da nossa
vontade consciente, o que causa frustração e decepção. Muitas vezes,
você é tomado pela inveja ou pelo desejo de vingança e não consegue controlar
tais impulsos. Alguns nem mesmo chegam a ter consciência disso e acabam
machucando aos outros e a si mesmo. Outros até têm consciência e sentem
raiva de si mesmos por isso, mas não conseguem fazer diferente. Quanto
mais inconsciente a respeito dos aspectos inconscientes, mais escura é a
sombra. O que ilumina a sombra é a consciência.”
“Carl Jung llamó a la naturaleza inferior del ser humano 'sombra'. La
sombra representa aquello que se encuentra en el plano inconsciente, o
que también se conoce como ‘maldad’. Los aspectos inconscientes ejercen
un gran poder sobre nosotros, ya que generan impulsos que actúan en
contra de nuestra voluntad consciente, lo que causa frustración y
decepción. Muchas veces, eres tomado por la envidia o por el deseo de
venganza y no consigues controlar tales impulsos. Algunos ni siquiera
llegan a ser conscientes de eso y terminan lastimando a los demás ya sí
mismos. Otros hasta son conscientes y por esos ienten rabia de sí
mismos, pero no consiguen actuar diferente. Cuanto más inconsciente
respecto de los aspectos inconscientes, más oscura es la sombra. Lo que
ilumina la sombra es la conciencia.”
“Carl Jung referred to the lower nature of the human being as the ‘shadow’. The shadow represents what we find in the unconscious, and has also been referred to as ‘evil’. These unconscious aspects exert a great power over us and generate impulses that act against our conscious will that causes frustration and disillusionment. Often, we are taken by jealousy or the desire for revenge and we are unable to control these impulses. Some may become aware of this yet continue to hurt others and themselves. Others may be conscious of this and feel angry with them selves because they are unable to act differently. The more hidden these unconscious aspects, the darker the shadow is. What illuminates the shadow is awareness.”
“Carl Jung referred to the lower nature of the human being as the ‘shadow’. The shadow represents what we find in the unconscious, and has also been referred to as ‘evil’. These unconscious aspects exert a great power over us and generate impulses that act against our conscious will that causes frustration and disillusionment. Often, we are taken by jealousy or the desire for revenge and we are unable to control these impulses. Some may become aware of this yet continue to hurt others and themselves. Others may be conscious of this and feel angry with them selves because they are unable to act differently. The more hidden these unconscious aspects, the darker the shadow is. What illuminates the shadow is awareness.”
Via Daily Dharma / September 23, 2016: The Judgment of Others
When
you internalize the gaze of others, you’re a prisoner of what, in
reality, you’re reading into their gaze—an uncertain process at best.
—Thanissaro Bhikkhu, "Under Your Skin"
—Thanissaro Bhikkhu, "Under Your Skin"
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Via Huffington QUEER VOICES : If You’re Gay And Support Trump, You Don’t Care About The Rest Of Us It’s that simple.
While gay conservatives have been around for decades, the number of self-identified gay men who have recently come out in support of Trump is, at the very least, unsettling.
It’s time we have a candid conversation with one another: if you identify as gay, you are part of a community of marginalized people whose rights and very survival are threatened by the prospect of a Trump presidency.
And while Trump may have thrown around the acronym “LGBTQ” as a loose statement of unsubstantiated queer empathy, he certainly is not pro-LGBT. But beyond this, part of being queer means aligning our struggles with all minority groups and understanding that our oppression is intersectional and, for many of us, not easily compartmentalized. This includes caring about and fighting for the rights of people of color, women, disabled people, people of other nationalities and people of different classes, in addition to sexual and gender minorities, just to name a few.
So, if you’re a white, cis gay man who is privileged in every way ― except for who you go to bed with at night ― the message that your statement of support for Trump sends to all other minority groups is that you don’t give a shit about them.
Let’s take a look at Trump’s and Vice Presidential candidate Mike Pence’s track record, shall we?
It’s time we have a candid conversation with one another: if you identify as gay, you are part of a community of marginalized people whose rights and very survival are threatened by the prospect of a Trump presidency.
And while Trump may have thrown around the acronym “LGBTQ” as a loose statement of unsubstantiated queer empathy, he certainly is not pro-LGBT. But beyond this, part of being queer means aligning our struggles with all minority groups and understanding that our oppression is intersectional and, for many of us, not easily compartmentalized. This includes caring about and fighting for the rights of people of color, women, disabled people, people of other nationalities and people of different classes, in addition to sexual and gender minorities, just to name a few.
So, if you’re a white, cis gay man who is privileged in every way ― except for who you go to bed with at night ― the message that your statement of support for Trump sends to all other minority groups is that you don’t give a shit about them.
Let’s take a look at Trump’s and Vice Presidential candidate Mike Pence’s track record, shall we?
People of Color: Not only has discrimination against black people been a pattern in Trump’s career, but he has actively refused to condemn the white supremacists supporting his campaign. Here is a timeline of what Vox calls his “long history of racism, from the 1970s to 2016, explained.”
Women: I literally don’t even know where to begin with this one. Just take a look at this list of horribly offensive things Trump has said about women.
Disabled People: In the past, Trump openly mocked a reporter with a disability. He has a sordid history of this type of behavior.
Classism: Trump’s “working class support” is inherently mythological and his policies have the potential to trigger what many experts think could be the longest recession since the great depression.
Xenophobia: Trump loves to refer to groups of people monolithically by their nationality or religious affiliation. He has famously pledged to build a wall between America and Mexico and vowed to ban all Muslims ― 1.6 billion members of an entire religion ― from entering the U.S.
Transgender People: Trump agreed with North Carolina’s decision to enact anti-trans House Bill 2 and has actively misgendered high-profile transgender people like Caitlyn Jenner.
Gay People: Trump has also said he would “strongly consider” appointing judges that would overturn SCOTUS’ same-sex marriage ruling. In June, he had a private meeting with over 400 of the most homophobic, bigoted and powerful anti-LGBT leaders in the country and has been a champion of “religious freedom” rhetoric used to discriminate against LGBT people. In addition, Pence has a long history of LGBT intolerance, including opposing foreign governments’ efforts to decriminalize homosexuality, opposing repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and leading a crusade against LGBT rights as governor of Indiana.
Trump is not a presidential candidate who cares about marginalized groups, or people who have to navigate this world on a very different, more difficult path than the one he has walked. And it’s time that we as queer people ― especially white, gay-identifying men with access to capital ― care about the most vulnerable members of our community enough to let their voices and experiences shape our actions, ideologies and policies.
If you want to do the daily mental gymnastics it must take to justify supporting Trump, by all means! No one is saying that you don’t have the right to do that, or that you have to embody a certain set of ideals because of your sexuality.
But at least admit that you literally couldn’t care less about what happens to the most vulnerable members of your community.
Editor’s note: Donald Trump
Make the jump here to read the original and more
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 22/09/16
“As doenças têm sua origem no nível da alma. Quando a matriz corpórea
(que envolve os corpos energético, emocional e mental) está muito
danificada, presa em condicionamentos e marcada por traumas e feridas, a
alma se torna cética em relação à possibilidade da cura, então ela
começa a programar a sua partida. A alma começa a se desligar do corpo
através da ativação de conexões genéticas e programações karmicas que
possibilitam e aceleram a morte. Esse é o mistério que está por trás das doenças incuráveis e das mortes súbitas.”
“Las enfermedades tienen su origen en el nivel del alma. Cuando la
matriz corpórea (que involucra a los cuerpos energético, emocional y
mental) está muy dañada, presa en condicionamientos y marcada por
traumas y heridas, el alma se vuelve escéptica sobre la posibilidad de
la cura, entonces comienza a programar su partida. El alma comienza a
desligarse del cuerpo mediante la activación de conexiones genéticas y
programaciones karmicas que posibilitan y aceleran la muerte. Este es el
misterio por detrás de las enfermedades incurables y de las muertes
súbitas.”
"Disease begins at the level of the soul. When the matrix of the corporal body that includes the emotional and mental bodies, are very damaged, locked in conditioning and marred by traumas and wounds, the soul turns skeptical. It doesn't believe in the possibility of being healed. The soul begins to program its departure. The soul starts to disconnect from the body through the activation of genetics and karmic programming that allow and accelerate the process of death. This is the mystery that lies behind incurable diseases and sudden deaths."
"Disease begins at the level of the soul. When the matrix of the corporal body that includes the emotional and mental bodies, are very damaged, locked in conditioning and marred by traumas and wounds, the soul turns skeptical. It doesn't believe in the possibility of being healed. The soul begins to program its departure. The soul starts to disconnect from the body through the activation of genetics and karmic programming that allow and accelerate the process of death. This is the mystery that lies behind incurable diseases and sudden deaths."
Via Dialy Dharma / September 22, 2016: Removing our Blinders
Craving
creates tunnel vision: we see only what we yearn for. Mindfulness
allows us to see that and much more, giving us the choice not to act on
our desires.
—Joan Duncan Oliver, "Drink and a Man"
—Joan Duncan Oliver, "Drink and a Man"
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