Via Lion´s Roar / I Vow Not to Burn Out

Mushim Ikeda says it’s not enough to help others. You have to take care of yourself too.

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Via Lion´s Roar / The Fourteen Precepts of Engaged Buddhism

Thich Nhat Hanh’s guidelines for anyone wishing to live mindfully.

The Order of Interbeing (Tiep Hien) was formed by the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh in the mid-1960’s, at a time when the Vietnam War was escalating and the teachings of the Buddha were desperately needed to combat the hatred, violence, and divisiveness enveloping his country.

On the full moon day of February 1966, Zen Master Nhat Hanh ordained six members into the Order—three men and three women ranging in age from twenty-two to thirty-two. All were board members of the School of Youth for Social Service, which he had helped found the year before. During the ceremony, the six ordainees vowed to study, practice, and observe the Fourteen Precepts of the Order of Interbeing, a wonderful blend of traditional Buddhist morality and contemporary social concerns.

For ten years, no new members were permitted to join the Order’s core community. In fact, this “period of experimentation” was extended until 1981, when Nguyen Anh Huong, a microbiologist and lay meditation teacher, became the seventh member of the Order.

Today, there are thousands worldwide who regularly recite the Fourteen Precepts of Engaged Buddhism, which remain uniquely applicable to contemporary moral dilemmas. They are guidelines for anyone wishing to live mindfully. By developing peace and serenity through ethical and conscientious living, we can help our society make the transition from one based on greed and consumerism to one in which thoughtfulness and compassionate action are of the deepest value.
—Fred Eppsteiner

The Fourteen Precepts of Engaged Buddhism

1. 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.
2. Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice nonattachment from views in order to be open to receive others’ viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.
3. Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views, whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However, through compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrowness.
4. Do not avoid contact with suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffering, including personal contact, visits, images, and sounds. By such means, awaken yourself and others to the reality of suffering in the world.
5. Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as the aim of your life Fame, profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need.
6. Do not maintain anger or hatred. Learn to penetrate and transform them when they are still seeds in your consciousness. As soon as they arise, turn your attention to your breath in order to see and understand the nature of your hatred.
7. Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings. Practice mindful breathing to come back to what is happening in the present moment. Be in touch with what is wondrous, refreshing, and healing both inside and around you. Plant seeds of joy, peace, and understanding in yourself in order to facilitate the work of transformation in the depths of your consciousness.
8. Do not utter words that can create discord and cause the community to break. Make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
9. Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people. Do not utter words that cause division and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things of which you are not sure. Always speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety.
10. Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit, or transform your community into a political party. A religious community, however, should take a clear stand against oppression and injustice and should strive to change the situation without engaging in partisan conflicts.
11. Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realize your ideal of compassion.
12. Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to protect life and prevent war.
13. Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others, but prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.
14. Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not look on your body as only an instrument. Preserve vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of the Way. (For brothers and sisters who are not monks and nuns:) Sexual expression should not take place without love and commitment. In sexual relationships, be aware of future suffering that may be caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respect the rights and commitments of others. Be fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into which you are bringing new beings.

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From “Interbeing: Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism,” Revised edition: Oct. 1993 by Thich Nhat Hanh, published by Parallax Press, Berkeley, California.

Via Daily Dharma: Acting with Full Engagement

Meditation is just to be here. This can mean doing the dishes, writing a letter, driving a car, or having a conversation—if we’re fully engaged in this activity of the moment, there is no plotting or scheming or ulterior purpose. This full engagement is meditation. 

—Steve Hagen,“Looking For Meaning”

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Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation / Words of Wisdom - May 13, 2020 💌

"It's like a moth being drawn to the Light. As you reach a certain point, you realize that you only see the projections of your own mind. Everything that's happening to you is a teaching designed to burn out your stuff. Your humanity isn't an error. All your desires are part of the journey."

- Ram Dass -

Via Daily Dharma: The Joy of Giving

Generosity entails relinquishing some aspects of one’s self-interest, and thus is a giving of one’s self. 

—Gil Fronsdal,“The Joy of Giving”

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Via Daily Dharma: Find the Solution That Is Here Now

If there’s one lesson that runs through pretty much every Buddhist tradition, it’s this: there are no magic solutions. Our belief in magic solutions that may happen someday in the future keeps us from doing what we really need to do right here and right now.

—Brad Warner, “A Minty Fresh Mind”

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Via Daily Dharma: Loving Beyond Flaws

When we talk of the bodhisattva vow in Buddhism, we talk about extending our arms and our hearts outward, about reaching out to the whole world and embracing all, without exception. We talk about truly seeing the ones standing before us and loving them deeply, just as they are.

—Vanessa Sasson, “Teaching Ground”

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Sri Argala Stotram (Selected Verses) / Show Me Love - YouTube

Lyrics

Jayantii Manggalaa Kaalii Bhadrakaalii Kapaalinii
Durgaa Shivaa Kssamaa Dhaatrii Svaahaa Svadhaa Namostu Te
Madhu-Kaittabha-Vidhvamsi Vidhaatr-Varade Namah
Mahissaasura-Nirnaashi Bhaktaanaam Sukhade Namah
Dehi Saubhaagyam-Aarogyam Dehi Devi Param Sukham
Vidhehi Devi Kalyaannam Vidhehi Vipulaam Shriyam
Himaacala-Sutaa-Naatha-Samstute Param-eshvari
Indraannii-Pati-Sadbhaava-Puujite Param-eshvari
Ruupam Dehi Jayam Dehi Yasho Dehi Dvisso Jahi
I wanna know what Love is
I want You to show me
I wanna feel what Love is
I know You can show me

 

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Krishna Das / Michael L Jones

Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation // Words of Wisdom - May 10, 2020 💌

"If we are to help heal the world, we need to remember that it is a sacred place. Our actions need to be positive statements, reminders that even in the worst times there is a world worth struggling for. We need to find ways to keep the vision alive, to acknowledge but not get caught in the dark side, to remember that even the worst aspects of suffering are only part of the whole picture. We need to enter lightly."

- Ram Dass -

Via Daily Dharma: Practice Radical Stillness

In our times, it is radical to choose to sit still and be silent, to resist an identity of busyness, ceaseless motion, and noise, and to reclaim our sanity and humanity by coming home to ourselves.

—Sumi Loundon Kim, “How to Meditate While Raising Kids”

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Via FB

Via Daily Dharma: The Ethics of Self-Care

We can’t live ethically without caring about ourselves as well as others.

—Winton Higgins, “Treading the Path with Care”

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#TinaTurnerBlog #TinaTurner #TinaTurnerMantras Tina Turner - Lotus Sutra / Purity of Mind (2H Meditation)

Via Daily Dharma: Powerful Compassion

Compassion is not quiet; it is an enthusiastic, active, empathetic wish to help.

—Jeffrey Hopkins,“Breaking the Habit of Selfishness”

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Via Daily Dharma: Dealing Mindfully with Difficult Emotions

We can be angry, jealous, or scared without having to act on those emotions or let them take over our lives. We can experience joy or love without becoming attached to the object that we think is the cause of our joy.

—Tsoknyi Rinpoche, “Allow for Space”

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Via White Crane Institute // 1869 - Marks the first known published use of term “homosexuality”

Noteworthy

Károly Mária Kertbeny

1869 -

Marks the first known published use of term “homosexuality” by Károly Mária Kertbeny, a German-Hungarian advocate, in a letter to Karl Ulrichs. The neologism “heterosexuality” came later. The word homosexual is a Greek and Latin hybrid. The prefix homo is not from the Latin homo "man" but from the Greek homos, which means "the same," thus giving the word homosexual its definition of "same sex relationship." 

Homosexual is not as widely accepted because it emphasizes the word as just a sexuality but not as a cultural and social attitude which gay and lesbians have and it has the overtones of pathology derived from its original usage to define it in medical terminology. Gay generally refers to male homosexuality, but may be used in a broader sense to refer to all LGBT people. In the context of sexuality, Lesbian refers only to female homosexuality. The word Lesbian is derived from the name of the Greek island Lesbos, where the poet Sappho wrote about her emotional relationships with young women.

Via White Crane Institute // ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT

Alexander von Humboldt

1859 -

ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT, German naturalist and explorer, died (b: 1769); The one, the only the great. Perhaps one of my own favorite personages in this almanac. He was the younger brother of the Prussian minister, Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835) Alexander von Humboldt's work on botanical geography is considered foundational to the fields of bio-geography, physical geography and meteorology.

Von Humboldt is a prime example of a Renaissance man of the sciences, studying in astronomy, vulcanology, and geology. Thomas Jefferson called him, “The most important scientist I ever met.” 19th century Freethinker, Robert G. Ingersoll said, "He was to science what Shakespeare was to the drama."  If he were alive today, he would be another candidate for "The Most Interesting man in the World" commercial.

In the 19th Century, Alexander von Humboldt was one of the most famous men in Europe and is remembered for not only his own scientific achievement, but for his nurturing and mentoring of young, up-and-coming scientists. The American painter Rembrandt Peale painted him, between 1808 and 1810, as one of the most prominent figures in Europe at the time. There are a dozen species names in his honor and Humboldt Bay, California, Humboldt Park (in Chicago) are among dozens of other places and schools, named after him in the U.S.

Between 1799 and 1804, Humboldt traveled extensively in Latin America, exploring and describing it for the first time in a manner generally considered to be a modern scientific point of view. His description of the journey was written up and published in an enormous set of volumes over twenty-one years. He was one of the first to propose that the lands bordering the Atlantic Ocean were once joined (South America and Africa in particular). His five-volume work, Kosmos (1845), attempted to unify the various branches of scientific knowledge.

Among his myriad accomplishments, Humboldt is considered to be the "second discoverer of Cuba" due to the scientific and social research he conducted on the island. During an initial three-month stay at Havana, his first tasks were to survey Havana city and nearby towns. He befriended Cuban landowner and philosopher Francisco Arrango y Parreno, and together they visited south Havana, the valleys of Matanzas Province, and the Valley of the Sugar Mills in Trinidad.

Much of Humboldt's private life remains a mystery because he destroyed his private letters, but throughout his life Humboldt formed strong emotional attachments to men. In 1908 the sexual researcher Paul Näcke, who worked with sexologist and researcher Magnus Hirschfeld, gathered reminiscences of him from people who recalled his participation in the homosexual subculture of Berlin. A travelling companion, Francisco Jose de Caldas, accused Humboldt of frequenting houses where 'impure love reigned', of making friends with 'obscene dissolute youths', and giving vent to 'shameful passions of his heart'. Sounds like a man who knew how to have a good time.

To the soldier Reinhard von Haeften he wrote: "I know that I live only through you, my good precious Reinhard, and that I can only be happy in your presence." He never married. He was strongly attached to his brother's family; and in his later years formed a matrimonial bond to an old and faithful servant named Seifert. Indeed, four years before his death, he executed a deed of gift transferring the absolute possession of his entire estate to Seifert.

Edgar Allan Poe dedicated his last major work, Eureka: A Prose Poem, to von Humboldt. Charles Darwin makes frequent reference to Humboldt's work in his Voyage of the Beagle, where Darwin describes his own scientific exploration of the Americas. He went on to say, “He was the greatest travelling scientist who ever lived." – "I have always admired him; now I worship him."

On, May 6th 2009, according to a press release forwarded by GayWisdom reader David Kerlick, (himself a Humboldt Fellow in Germany, 1975-1977), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation officially commemorated its name-giver on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the death of Alexander von Humboldt:

“Together with Humboldt University and the Office of the Governing Mayor of Berlin, the Humboldt Foundation is holding a ceremony in the Senate Hall at Humboldt University. Following a welcome address by the State Secretary for Cultural Affairs in the Office of the Governing Mayor of Berlin, André Schmitz, the President of Humboldt University Professor Christoph Markschies, the Ambassador of the Republic of Chile, Professor Álvaro Rojas Marín, and the President of the Humboldt Foundation, Professor Helmut Schwarz, will read from Humboldt’s writings. The ceremonial address, “The Brightness Of The Stars – Alexander Von Humboldt Narrating The World & The Universe,” will be held by the Honorary President of the Humboldt Foundation, Professor Wolfgang Frühwald. “

Virtually every time you see the name "Humboldt" on something, it is named after this man who loved men.

Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation / Words of Wisdom - May 6, 2020 💌

"The path to freedom is through detachment from your old habits of ego. Slowly you will arrive at a new and more profound integration of your experiences in a more evolved structure of the universe. That is, you will flow beyond the boundaries of your ego until ultimately you merge into the universe. At that point, you have gone beyond ego. Until then you must break through old structures, develop broader structures, break through those, and develop still broader structures."

- Ram Dass -

Via Triccycle / Never Again An Interview with Duncan Ryuken Williams by Ashoka Mukpo

Duncan Williams, a Soto priest, Buddhist scholar, and leader of a Japanese-American activist group that has been protesting mass incarceration at the border envisions an American identity built on diversity and interdependence.

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