Monday, October 3, 2016

Via PEACE and Grace: Spirituality in a Broken World / FB: TO FOLLOW JESUS IS TO LOVE. NOT HATE.

By Mark Y. A. Davies

To my white evangelical Christian friends,

Since you are one of the groups most strongly supporting Trump, could you please clarify some things for me?
- Who would Jesus torture?
- Who would Jesus tell to go f*** themselves?
- What women would Jesus call fat pigs?
- What women would Jesus treat like s***?
- Who would Jesus "bomb the s*** out of?
- Which families (including children) of bad people would Jesus go after and kill?
- Where would Jesus build walls to keep people out?
- Which refugees would Jesus reject?
- Which workers would Jesus refuse to pay?
- Which people would Jesus refuse to rent apartments to?
- Which people would Jesus want to punch in the face?
- Which people would Jesus think deserve to get roughed up?
- Which women would Jesus call "Miss Piggy?"
- Which people of other religions would Jesus discriminate against?
- Which 11 million people would Jesus deport?
I know the Bible is important to you, so it would be helpful if you could please ground your answers in scripture.
Peace to you."

About Mark Y. A. Davies:
Mark Davies is The Wimberly Professor of Social and Ecological Ethics and Director of the World House Institute for Social and Ecological Responsibility at Oklahoma City University. From 2009 to 2015, Mark was dean of the Petree College of Arts and Sciences and Wimberly Professor of Social Ethics at Oklahoma City University. Previously, Mark was dean of the Wimberly School of Religion at Oklahoma City University and Founding Director of the Vivian Wimberly Center for Ethics and Servant Leadership. Prior to becoming dean of the Wimberly School of Religion in 2002, he was associate dean of the Petree College of Arts and Sciences at Oklahoma City University and chair of the department of philosophy. Mark has published in the areas of Boston personalism, process philosophy and ethics, and ecological ethics. Dr. Davies serves on the United Methodist University Senate, which is “an elected body of professionals in higher education created by the General Conference to determine which schools, colleges, universities, and theological schools meet the criteria for listing as institutions affiliated with The United Methodist Church.” He and his wife Kristin live in Edmond, OK in the United States, and they have two daughters. The views expressed by the author in this blog do not necessarily represent the views of Oklahoma City University.

Via Sri Prem Baba – Awaken Love / Flower of the Day: 10/03/16:

“Life in this body has a very short expiration date. The most valuable thing a human soul in evolution has is time. When we least expect it, the game is over. And what have we done with our time? Many waste their time with useless things. They think that before they can relax and enjoy life, they have to struggle and work hard. My vision is different; you can be happy now, even without having conquered the world. But this is only possible when you have given meaning to your life and you are aware of your life’s purpose.”

Sri Prem Baba

Via Daily Dharma / October 3, 2016: Becoming Human

Buddhism is very personal. . . . It’s about developing what is mostly deeply human in all of us.

—Lama Chopel, "A Lama in Hungary"

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Via Oneness University: A Seven Minute Practice to Move into High States of Consciousness

March 13, 2016 In Wisdom Corner

The balance of growing spiritually and managing a busy life can at times seem to be at odds. It can seem as we strive for deeper inner peace life keeps throwing us curve balls that pull us out of internal tranquility that we are striving to maintain.

Often we have seen that people’s lives are so busy that they do not have the luxury of spending hours a day practicing various meditative practices.

The core issue with the struggle to feel at peace during a hectic day is not actually in what is unfolding throughout the day. The stress arises from the habit of the mind to resist what is happening.
This resistance arises out of being in a lower state of consciousness which results in the inability to stay present in a state of awareness. When a person is deeply nestled in a good state of awareness the byproduct is a natural acceptance of the present moment which brings a person into a deep state of inner peace.

There is an extremely powerful and simple practice you could do for simply 7 minutes each day that would bring you into a lasting state of inner awareness resulting in deeper states of inner peace and well being as well as advancing you forward on your spiritual journey.

Follow these simple steps and enjoy the fruits of this powerful meditation:

7 Minute Breathing Meditation

Step One: Sit upright in any sitting posture that is most comfortable for you. It is important to make sure your spine is straight.

Step Two: Please your hands palm faced up on your thighs and touch the tips of your index fingers to the base of your thumbs.
Step Three: Close your eyes and begin to inhale / exhale deeply and slowly for 7 minutes.
That’s it! It sounds almost too good and simple to be true. However once you try this you will immediately see the benefit that it gives you all throughout your day.

You can increase the time of this meditation in multiples of 7, such as for 14, or 21 minutes. However we suggest not going beyond 21 minutes.

Learn more about the science of spiritual growth at www.onenessuniverity.org

Oneness Moolamantra by Daniel Bellone

The "Oneness Moolamantra" describes the whole process of the evolution in Consciousness from the trascendental utmost formless manifestation of the Divine, to the flowering of the heart "Paramatma", the abode of the Divine inside of us. This Awakening is the source of all Light, Truth, Love & Wisdom, who is our heavenly Father and our beloved Divine Mother ~ guiding us at every step of our life until we finally merge into Oneness.

Special thanks to Sunayana (Maria Vigil) for the beautiful backing vocals.

The album is available for download at http://www.danielbellone.com or at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/danielbellone1

Moola Mantra Deeksha

Moola Mantra

Om Sri Sarveswaraaya Namaha
Saudações a Tudo O Que É

Om Sri Param Jyothiye Namaha
Saudações à Suprema LUZ

Om Sri Jyothi Roopaya Namaha
Saudações ao ORBE DOURADO

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BEMESTARAFIR...
***
Deeksha (Benção da Unidade) é um fenômeno que surgiu através de Sri Amma e Sri Bhagavan.
Consiste em uma Energia Suprema que é transferida aos seres e amplia a consciência.
Não está vinculada a nenhuma ideologia ou filosofia. Com isso, todas as pessoas podem receber a Deeksha sem se desvincular de sua fé.

Música: Daniel Bellone

Duet - Glen Keane HD (2014)

Via Sri Prem Baba – Awaken Love / Flower of the Day: 10/02/16

“The universal creative energy of the universe is found within us, however it is in an inactive state or asleep. In the Hindu worldview, this is called the Kundalini energy and is represented by a serpent at the base of the spine. When this energy awakens and ascends in us, reaching the energetic center that is situated in the region of the heart or the anahata chakra, the process of spiritual enlightenment begins. When the energy reaches this level, the heart opens permanently. Real love awakens. Without doubt, the greatest challenge of the human being is to open and sustain an open heart.”

Sri Prem Baba

Via Ram Dass:

October 2, 2016

I think in relationships, you create an environment with your own work on yourself, which you offer to another human being to use to grow in the way they need to grow. You keep working – you become the soil – moist and soft and receptive so the person can grow the way they need to grow, because how do you know how they should grow?

Via Daily Dharma / October 2, 2016: Wonder is Wordless

Even though we’re making our way through an enormous mystery, we often think we do a pretty good job of trying to explain just how things are—until we actually experience the thing we’re trying to explain. Then we realize our words and ideas are like trying to grab a single drop of rain in a thunderstorm.

—Ed Brickell, "Genesis Run"

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Via lgbtqnation.com: UN appoints first expert on LGBT violence and discrimination

By Associated Press

· Saturday, October 1, 2016

Vitit Muntarbhorn of Thailand has been appointed the first United Nations expert on anti-LGBT violence and discrimination. United Nations

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Human Rights Council has appointed international human rights expert Vitit Muntarbhorn of Thailand as the first U.N. independent expert charged with investigating violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

John Fisher, Geneva director of Human Rights Watch, said his appointment on Friday “made history” and “will bring much-needed attention to human rights violations against LGBT people in all regions of the world.”

Muntarbhorn, a law professor, has been on the council’s Commission of Inquiry on Syria and previously served as U.N. special investigator on North Korea and on child prostitution and child pornography.

He co-chaired a meeting of experts that adopted the Yogyakarta Principles on the application of international human rights law in relation to violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Make the jump here to read the original and more

Via FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba:

Via Daily Dharma / October 1, 2016: The Value of Sick Days

People lying in bed ill are lucky because they have the opportunity to do nothing but contemplate stress and pain. Their minds don’t need to take up anything else, don’t need to go anywhere else. They have the opportunity to contemplate pain at all times—and let go of pain at all times.

—Upasika Kee Nanayon, "Tough Teachings To Ease The Mind"

Friday, September 30, 2016

Via Lion's Roar: The Best of Thich Nhat Hanh: Life, Teachings, Quotes, and Books

by Lion's Roar Staff| July 18, 2016

Photo by Duc.

The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.
-Thich Nhat Hanh

“We gauge the greatness of spiritual teachers by the depth, breadth, and impact of their teachings, and by the example their lives set for us. By all these measures, Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the leading spiritual masters of our age,” writes Lion’s Roar editor-in-chief Melvin McLeod in his introduction to The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh. In his 89 years, Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh has made a global impact as a teacher, author, activist, and the founder of the Engaged Buddhism movement. His simple yet deeply profound teachings aim to lead students towards a life of mindfulness, joy, and peace—a life that benefits the planet, and all beings.

The Life of Thich Nhat Hanh

Early Life

Thich Nhat Hanh, (now affectionately referred to as “Thay” by his students), was born Nguyen Xuan Bao in central Vietnam in October of 1926. Interested in Buddhism from an early age, he entered the monastery at Tu Hieu Temple in Vietnam at sixteen and worked with his primary teacher, Zen master Thanh Quy Chan That. In 1949, Nhat Hanh, then 23, was ordained as a monk after receiving training in Vietnamese traditions of Mahayana Buddhism and Vietnamese Thien Buddhism.

Nhat Hanh became editor-in-chief of the periodical created by the Unified Vietnam Buddhist Association, Vietnamese Buddhism. He went on to begin his activist work, founding La Boi Press and the Van Hanh Buddhist University in Saigon. Nhat Hanh also founded the School of Youth for Social Service, a neutral corps of Buddhist peaceworkers who established schools, built healthcare clinics, and rebuilt villages in rural areas.

Dr. Martin Luther King announcing that he had nominated Thich Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize. Image via public domain.

Dr. Martin Luther King and Thich Nhat Hanh. Image: public domain.

The Vietnam War and Engaged Buddhism

Nhat Hanh studied comparative religion at Princeton University in 1960 and was subsequently appointed a lecturer in Buddhism at Columbia University. He had become fluent in English, Japanese, Chinese, Sanskrit, Pali, and English. In 1963, he returned to Vietnam in 1963 to continue initiating nonviolent peace efforts.

The founding of the Engaged Buddhism movement was his response to the Vietnam War. Nhat Hanh’s mission was to engage with suffering caused by war and injustice and to create a new strain of Buddhism that could save his country. In the formative years of the Engaged Buddhism movement, Nhat Hanh met Cao Ngoc Phuong, who would later become Sister Chang Kong. She hoped to arise activism for the poor in the Buddhist community, working closely with Nhat Hanh to do so. She remains his closest disciple and collaborator to this day.

Three years later, Nhat Hanh returned to the U.S. to lead a symposium at Cornell University on Vietnamese Buddhism. There, he met with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and requested that King denounce the Vietnam War publicly to his large following. Dr. King granted the request in the following year with a speech that questioned America’s involvement in the war. Soon after, he nominated Nhat Hanh for a Nobel Peace Prize. “I do not personally know of anyone more worthy of [the prize] than this gentle monk from Vietnam. His ideas for peace, if applied, would build a monument to ecumenism, to world brotherhood, to humanity,” he wrote.

Photo by Duc.

Nhat Hanh served as the delegate for the Buddhist Peace Delegation at the Paris Peace talks in 1969, and the Paris Peace Accords were later signed in 1973. Nhat Hanh was exiled from Vietnam after these events and remained in France, a turn of events that deeply hurt the monk, and would keep him from his birthplace for many years to come.

Establishing the Order of Interbeing

Today, Nhat Hanh heads the Order of Interbeing, a monastic and lay group that he’d founded in 1966. In 1969, he founded the Unified Buddhist Church, and later in 1975, formed the Sweet Potatoes Meditation Center southeast of Paris, France. As the center grew in popularity, Nhat Hanh and Sister Chan Khong founded Plum Village, a vihara (Buddhist monastery) and Zen center, in the South of France in 1982. Both Nhat Hanh and Sister Chan Khong reside at Plum Village today. The center is open to the public for much of the year and houses retreats that see people traveling from across the globe to attend. Additionally, many dharma centers across the U.S. have been established as part the Order of Interbeing.

Returning to Vietnam

After many negotiations, the Vietnamese government allowed Nhat Hanh to return to Vietnam for a visit in 2005. He was able to teach, publish four books in Vietnamese, travel the country, and return to his root temple. Although his first trip home stirred controversy, Nhat Hanh was allowed to return again in 2007 to support new monastics in his Order, organize chanting ceremonies to help heal remaining wounds from the Vietnam War, and to lead retreats in his birth country.

Photo by Velcrow Ripper.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s Health

Nhat Hanh suffered a brain hemorrhage in November 2014. He was taken to a stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bordeaux University Hospital, where he was able to recover enough to enjoy sipping tea outdoors and listen to the sounds of the outside world. As of June 2015, Nhat Hanh continues to reside at Plum Village, where his health has made remarkable process and he is able to enjoy being “out in nature, enjoying the blossoms, listening to the birds and resting at the foot of a tree.”

Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on meditation

Thich Nhat Hanh on How to Sit

Thich Nhat Hanh’s incredibly simple instructions for meditation.

Thich Nhat Hanh on Walking Meditation

The practice of mindful walking, says Thich Nhat Hanh, is a profound and pleasurable way to deepen our connection with our body and the earth. We breathe, take a mindful step, and come back to our true home.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on love

Growing Together

Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how we can use loving relationships to cultivate the seeds of buddhahood inside us.

After the Honeymoon

Falling in love is easy, but staying in love takes work. Thich Nhat Hanh offers advice for cultivating a relationship that’s loving and strong.

Transforming Anger Into Love

Thich Nhat Hanh offers advice on using mindfulness to take care of your anger, and ultimately transform it into love and understanding.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on mindfulness

Five Mindfulness Trainings

The five mindfulness trainings are an expression of the five precepts, the core of Buddhist ethics, and offer a down-to-earth method of practicing mindfulness in daily life.

Thich Nhat Hanh on The Practice of Mindfulness

It is such a simple practice, but it can transform your life. The great meditation master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches five mindfulness exercises to help you live with happiness and joy.

The Moment is Perfect

There is nothing we experience—from the simple act of eating to the complications of work and relationships—that we cannot approach with the mindfulness and compassion we develop in our meditation.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on peace and happiness

5 Practices for Nurturing Happiness

A teaching from Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering.

Happiness in Every Breath

When we stop feeding our cravings, says Thich Nhat Hanh, we discover that we already have everything we need to be happy.

There is no path to peace. The path is peace.

Thich Nhat Hanh, in his 2003 address to congress, says that only deep listening, mindfulness, and gentle communication can remove the wrong perceptions that are the foundation of violence.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on Buddhist philosophy

Photo by Paul Davis.

The Practice of Sangha

Thich Nhat Hanh explains that sangha is more than a community. It’s a deep spiritual practice.

The Fourteen Precepts of Engaged Buddhism

Number one? “Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.”

The Fullness of Emptiness

Emptiness is not something to be afraid of, says Thich Nhat Hanh. The Heart Sutra teaches us that form may be empty of self but it’s full of everything else.

The Four Layers of Consciousness

Abhidharma, Buddhism’s map of the mind, is sometimes treated as a topic of merely intellectual interest. In fact, says Thich Nhat Hanh, identifying the different elements of consciousness, and understanding how they interact, is essential to our practice of meditation.

The Practice of Looking Deeply Using Three Dharma Seals

Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that by looking deeply we develop insight into impermanence and no self. These are the keys to the door of reality.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on saving the Earth

The World We Have

Only when we combine our concern for the planet with spiritual practice will we have the tools to make the profound personal transformations necessary to address the coming environmental crisis. Thich Nhat Hanh offers us the guiding principles for a new ecospirituality of mindful living.

Earth Gathas

Gathas help us to practice mindfulness in our daily lives and to look deeply. Reciting these short verses will bring awareness, peace, and joy to simple activities. Thich Nhat Hanh offers gathas for recycling, touching the earth, and more.

Wake Up to the Revolution

Only when we recognize our connectedness to the earth, says Thich Nhat Hanh, can real change begin.

Thich Nhat Hanh interviews and profiles

Photo by David Nelson.

Profile: The Plum Village Tradition in America

A 2011 Buddhadharma: The Practioner’s Quarterly community profile.

In Engaged Buddhism, Peace Begins with You

Thich Nhat Hanh, who originated Engaged Buddhism, in an interview with John Malkin.

Peace in Every Step

Thich Nhat Hanh’s life of courage and compassion.

You Don’t Need to Be Buddhist

Thich Nhat Hanh explains how anyone can use the five mindfulness trainings to lead a life of understanding and compassion.

Be Beautiful, Be Yourself

Andrea Miller’s exclusive interview with Thich Nhat Hanh.

Thich Nhat Hanh quotes

The ocean of suffering is immense, but if you turn around, you can see the land.

We have to walk in a way that we only print peace and serenity on the Earth. Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.

Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves — slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.

We really have to understand the person we want to love. If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love. If we only think of ourselves, if we know only our own needs and ignore the needs of the other person, we cannot love.

The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s calligraphy

Thich Nhat Hanh began creating calligraphy in 1994 and views his work as a meditative practice. It is estimated that he has created around 10,000 works of calligraphy. Much of his mindful art has been sold to raise funds for his many global humanitarian projects.
In this video from Blue Cliff Monastery, Thich Nhat Hanh describes his “calligraphic meditation” process. Below, you’ll find some of his most loved calligraphies.

Prints of Thich Nhat Hanh’s calligraphy can be purchased in the Lion’s Roar online store.

Books by Thich Nhat Hanh

Peace is Every Breath: A Practice for Our Busy Lives

HarperOne
“You have lots of work to do, and you like doing it,” says Thich Nhat Hanh at the beginning of Peace Is Every Breath. “But working too much, taking care of so many things, tires you out. You want to practice meditation, so you can be more relaxed and have more peace, happiness, and joy in your life. But you don’t have time for daily mediation practice.” If this describes your situation, Peace Is Every Breath will be an excel- lent resource. It offers anecdotes, meditations, and advice on connecting with your present experience without putting your life on hold. Thich Nhat Hanh explains: “It isn’t necessary to set aside a certain period exclusively for ‘Spiritual Practice’ with a capital S and a capital P. Our spiritual practice can be there at any moment, as we cultivate the energy of mindfulness and concentration.”

FEAR: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm

HarperOne
In Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm, Thich Nhat Hanh addresses the role mindfulness can play in letting go of our fears. We are afraid of being powerless, he teaches. But if we live in the present moment—if we have mindfulness—we will have the power to look deeply at our fears and understand their source. At that point, fear will no longer control us and we will touch the ultimate joy. We’ll realize that right now we’re okay. Our eyes can see the beauty of the sky and our ears can hear the voices of the people we love.

Making Space: Creating a Home Meditation Practice

Parallax Press
Peaceful places create peace in our minds and bodies. “That is the intention of sacred space,” it says in the introduction of this new release. “But we don’t need to wait until we can find a church, temple, mosque, synagogue, or other space designed for sacred contemplation… If we make a space for contemplation and meditation right in our own homes, then peace and joy are always available to us.” In Making Space, Thich Nhat Hanh begins with the how-tos of stopping, breathing, and sitting. Then he delves into the importance of creating a “breathing room” or “breathing corner,” a calm place at home that you can go to when you’re feeling uneasy, sad, or angry, and thereby come back to yourself. Later chapters explore topics such as how to invite the bell, how to make an altar, and how to make your bed a real place of rest and relaxation.

Love Letter to the Earth

Parallax Press
Environmental activists get a bad rap for being dour. Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, however, is anything but. Instead of finger-pointing and calling for austerity, his solution to our environmental crisis is mindfulness. Through mindfulness, he says, we realize that the Earth is not simply the ground beneath our feet—we are the Earth. Every cell in our body comes from the Earth and is part of it. “We are a living, breathing manifestation of this beautiful and generous planet,” he says. When we know this, we fall completely in love with the Earth, and as with anything we love, we naturally do whatever we can to take care of it. I particularly appreciate Thich Nhat Hanh’s heartfelt description of seeing for the first time photos of the Earth taken from space. He saw a glowing jewel and recognized the Earth’s fragility. “Dear Earth,” he thought, “I didn’t know that you are so beautiful. I see you in me. I see me myself in you.”

The Blooming of a Lotus

Beacon Press
Thich Nhat Hanh offers guided exercises to bring practitioners into greater harmony with themselves and their world. The text includes music to aid our memories in helping us learn simple principles. The many meditations focus on guiding sentences that glide along with the breath.This revised edition includes five new meditations: They show us how mindful consumption and mindful actions can help prevent suffering and water the seeds of compassion; how to be in touch with our Buddha nature; and how to see our parents more deeply. These meditations will deepen the practice of advanced practitioners, as well as start beginners on the path.

How to Eat

Parallax Press
While some monastic communities de-emphasize food in favor of focusing wholly on the spiritual, Thich Nhat Hanh’s community considers food central to practice. “In the Catholic tradition, in the Eucharist,” Thich Nhat Hanh says, “you see the piece of bread as the body of Jesus. In the Buddhist tradition, we see the piece of bread as the body of the cosmos.” When we mindfully savor each bite, we understand that in bread there’s the sun and rain, the soil and compost, the farmer and baker, because without any one of them there’d be no bread. So, when we eat mindfully, we feel nourished by and connected to the universe. We also become more aware of own bodies and emotions and, thus, naturally eat in moderation, leading to better health. Moreover, mindful eating is a powerful tool for social change. In deeply contemplating our food we find ourselves inspired to advocate for best-farming practices and/or take action on behalf of the world’s hungry. How to Eat is a concise and cheerful guide to mindful cooking, serving meals, eating, and washing the dishes.

A Handful of Quiet: Happiness in Four Pebbles

Plum Blossom Books
For many years, Thich Nhat Hanh has been teaching pebble practice to give children and their families a tangible way to return to their breath and connect with the world around them. A Handful of Quiet is a lovingly illustrated book that brings this meditation to life. All you’ll need to practice it is a quiet spot and four ordinary pebbles. Each represents a different image embodying a particular quality. You can certainly choose your own images and qualities, but in Nhat Hanh’s classic version pebble one represents the freshness and beauty of a flower, while pebble two represents the solidity of a mountain. Pebble three represents the reflectivity of calm water and pebble four, the freedom of space. Breathing in and out, you pick up each pebble in turn and in your mind’s eye see yourself as the respective image. If you’re holding the flower pebble, for instance, you see yourself as a flower in the garden of humanity. Connecting with your inner flower, you know that you are fresh, pleasant, and lovable.

Answers From the Heart

Parallax Press
Thich Nhat Hanh gives simple Buddhist advice in response to some everyday questions. The slim volume is divided into seven chapters on topics such as family and relationships, religious practice, engaged Buddhism, and illness and death. It also includes a section on children’s questions about Buddhism. The book’s questions, for the most part, are broadly posed, and the answers tend toward general affirmations of the value of compassionate listening and respect. Yet Thich Nhat Hanh does not neglect issues that often challenge other teachers, such as abortion and homosexuality (“If you are a lesbian, be a lesbian”), and his steadfast insistence that peace and mindfulness are a practical part of the response to any situation is both reassuring and convincing.

About Lion's Roar Staff

Lion's Roar is the website of Lion's Roar magazine (formerly the Shambhala Sun) and Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly, with exclusive Buddhist news, teachings, art, and commentary. Sign up for the Lion's Roar weekly newsletter and follow Lion's Roar on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.

Via Occupy Democrats / FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 30/09/16

“Muitas vezes, o primeiro vislumbre de Deus é uma grande escuridão. Porque quando você bate na porta da Verdade, as máscaras começam a cair, e você inevitavelmente precisa entrar em contato com os sentimentos negados que até então estavam escondidos por trás delas. Trata-se de uma passagem difícil, mas extremamente necessária. Algumas linhas de conhecimento espiritual, tratam esses sentimentos como ilusão (e talvez seja isso mesmo), mas para que possa compreender e se libertar deles, primeiro você precisa tratá-los como algo concreto e real.”

“Muchas veces, el primer vislumbre de Dios es una gran oscuridad. Porque cuando golpeas la puerta de la Verdad, las máscaras comienzan a caerse, e inevitablemente necesitas entrar en contacto con los sentimientos negados que hasta entonces estaban escondidos por atrás de ellas.Se trata de un pasaje difícil, pero extremadamente necesario. Algunas líneas de conocimiento espiritual, tratan a estos sentimientos como ilusión (y tal vez realmente sea así), pero para que puedas comprender y liberarte de ellos, primero precisas tratarlos como algo concreto y real.”

“Often, the first glimpse of God is a great darkness. Because when we knock on the door of truth, the masks begin to fall, and we inevitably need to come into contact with denied feelings that until now were hidden behind them. It is a difficult journey, but an extremely necessary one. Some spiritual schools treat these feelings as an illusion, which maybe they are, but in order to understand and become free of them, we must first treat them as though they were concrete and real.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 30, 2016: Zen Ethics of Circumstance

The source of ethical conduct is found in the way things are, circumstance itself: unfiltered immediate reality reveals what is needed.

—Lin Jensen, "An Ear to the Ground"

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Hillary Clinton released her plan to protect and expand rights for the LGBT community. Here’s what you need to know.

Here’s what you need to know.

Hillary is right: “Gay rights are human rights.” Period.

While Republicans are attempting to roll back LGBT rights, Hillary’s moving forward—because even though marriage equality is now the law of the land, we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that all LGBT Americans are treated equally under the law.
Hillary has a plan to strengthen LGBT rights as president. Here’s what she’ll do, and why it matters.

Hillary Clinton released her plan to protect and expand rights for the LGBT community.

In 31 states, people can get married on a Sunday—and then are at risk of being fired because of their sexual orientation on Monday. We cannot allow discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to go unchecked in this country.
Hillary has called on Congress to pass the Equality Act, and also supports efforts underway in the courts and in the federal government to clarify that discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation is a form of illegal sex discrimination. She will not stop fighting until we secure full equality for LGBT Americans.

Conversion therapy is the harmful practice of trying to “cure” LGBT and gender-questioning young people. We should be providing LGBT kids with love, support, and compassion—not trying to change their identities.
Hillary will support efforts in Congress and the states to end conversion therapy for minors.

We have to address the growing crisis of violence against transgender Americans.
This year, at least 22 transgender women—primarily, women of color—have been murdered. And that doesn’t take into account the violence that goes unreported or ignored. People should not have to live in fear because of who they are. Hillary will work with the Department of Justice and the FBI to gather better data on these hate crimes, so that we have more information about this violence—and can put a stop to it.

Being a good parent has nothing to do with sexual orientation or gender identity. Yet adoption by same-sex couples remains illegal in Mississippi, and even in states where adoption is technically legal, LGBT individuals still face discrimination.
This is not only unfair to would-be parents, but also hurts the hundreds of thousands of children in foster care, who are ready to become part of loving families. Hillary will urge Congress to pass the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, a law that would prohibit federally funded child welfare agencies from discriminating against potential foster or adoptive families because of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.

Studies have shown that pre-exposure prophylaxis (also know as PrEP) is incredibly effective at preventing HIV infection when used as directed.
Hillary will make sure that at-risk communities—including transgender individuals and black men who have sex with men (MSM)—have access to PrEP, by increasing the government’s investment in building awareness of and access to the drug.

Earlier this year, Republicans in Congress failed to renew the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act, which provided federal funding for homeless prevention resources, emergency shelters, street outreach, transitional living, and rural assistance.
A disproportionate number of homeless youth are LGBT, and many of them feel like they don’t have anywhere to turn. Hillary will work with Congress to to ensure adequate funding—and safe, welcoming shelter—for homeless youth.

The stakes for LGBT rights are high in this election.

Republican presidential candidates seem determined to undo the progress our nation has made. Every top-tier Republican presidential candidate opposes marriage equality—and Marco Rubio has even suggested he would appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn it. They’ve gone on the record against anti-discrimination protections for the LGBT community, and some even oppose LGBT couples adopting.

We’ve celebrated huge gains for the LGBT community in recent years. Now we must work together to protect our progress and make sure we have more to celebrate in the years to come—not hand over the Oval Office to someone who will turn back the clock on LGBT equality.