Via Lama Rod Owens

 

One of the things that drove me into activism and service in my teens was realizing that I was born into a culture that was trying to annihilate my body, spirit, and mind. I was pissed and heartbroken over this and I learned to channel this intense energy into spiritual practice and deeper activism. 

 

Right now I am remembering and calling on all the great beings who came before me and who are still with us now to remember my sacred commitment to never allow the darkness of hate, violence, state and systematic suppression to consume me. I will survive peoples’ weaponizing of their insecurity, narcissism, and trauma against me and my communities. I will not be quiet nor will I disappear. 

 

I am urging all you spiritual leaders, healers, mystics, intuitives, magik practitioners, and yogis to remember your power and confirm your allegiance to light, love, compassion, and community and disrupt this darkness and start acting up. Now is not the time to get more holy. Now is the time to get clear about protecting everyone’s right to be safe, happy, and resourced.

 

- Lama Rod Owens

Via Tumblr

 

Via Lama Rod

 

 

Authentic Voices of Pride I Presented by Chevrolet at NewFest Pride.

Via Daily Dharma: Connect with the Resource of Pleasure

 Underneath our neuroses and all our pushing and pulling, most deeply, we’re glad to be here. Connect to the pleasure of relaxation, the pleasure of the fact that you’re able to breathe.

Martin Aylward, “Coming Back to Embodiment”

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Living: Abstaining from Taking What is Not Given

 

RIGHT LIVING
Undertaking the Commitment to Abstain from Taking What is Not Given  

Taking what is not given is unhealthy. Refraining from taking what is not given is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning the taking of what is not given, one abstains from taking what is not given; one does not take by way of theft the wealth and property of others. (MN 41) One practices thus: “Others may take what is not given, but I will abstain from taking what is not given.” (MN 8) On hearing a sound with the ear, one does not grasp at its signs and features. Since if one left the ear faculty unguarded, unwholesome states of covetousness and grief might intrude, one practices the way of its restraint, one guards the ear faculty, one undertakes the restraint of the ear faculty. (MN 51)

Reflection

This is another encouragement to be with what is happening without going beyond the experience and taking more than is given in the moment. The image of guarding the sense doors, as a watchman might guard the gate to a city, suggests the ability to choose what gets into the mind and what is turned away. It is a way of gaining some power and claiming some freedom over what happens to you.

Daily Practice

Practice along these lines: “In what is heard, there will be only what is heard.” As we work with each of the sense modalities in turn, we learn to be fully present with what is occurring without embellishing it or projecting our desires onto it. Can we hear without grasping? What does this feel like? Mindfulness practice involves being fully aware of what is presenting at the sense doors without getting swept away by it or swept beyond it.

Tomorrow: Abandoning Arisen Unhealthy States
One week from today: Abstaining from Misbehaving Among Sensual Pleasures

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Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Via White Crane Institute // ELIZABETH EDWARDS

 

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The late Elizabeth Edwards

2004 -

"I don't know why somebody else's marriage has anything to do with me. I'm completely comfortable with Gay marriage. If he's pleasant to me on the street, if his children don't throw things in my yard, then I'm happy. It seems to me we're making issues of things that honestly don't matter." – The late ELIZABETH EDWARDS, ex-wife of Democratic presidential candidate (and narcissistic cad) John Edwards, speaking to reporters after her keynote speech to San Francisco's Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club. Her philandering husband responded by saying that he loves the way his wife always speaks her mind, but that he continued to only support civil unions for Gay couples all while having a child with another woman outside of his marriage and while his wife was fighting the cancer that would eventually take her life. Yeah...bye Felicia. Elizabeth Edwards deserved so much better.

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Gay Wisdom for Daily Living from White Crane Institute

"With the increasing commodification of gay news, views, and culture by powerful corporate interests, having a strong independent voice in our community is all the more important. White Crane is one of the last brave standouts in this bland new world... a triumph over the looming mediocrity of the mainstream Gay world." - Mark Thompson

Exploring Gay Wisdom & Culture since 1989!
www.whitecraneinstitute.org

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Via Lama Rod Owens // Tending to the summer of apocalypse

 

 

Dear Friends, 

As we enter the summer months, we are entering yet another uncertain season of a continued pandemic, war, inflation, political instability, and much more. 

Yes, this is overwhelming. 

However, as I prepare to transition into summer, I remain grateful for being alive in this body and on this earth because I want to be here to help and facilitate a new age of awakening. 

Contrary to secular understandings of apocalypse being the end of life, a sacred view understands apocalypse as rebirth through truthtelling. As the truth disrupts, we are called to hold space for the discomfort of this disruption, letting it go when we need to, and then turning our energy and attention to rebuilding a world centered on the truth. 

Considering all this, we must understand that summer is a continuation of the work to get free. We remember that a new world is arising, and we continue loving, caring, and dreaming this new world into existence. This is how you tend to the summer of apocalypse.

With love,
Lama Rod

[GBF] new GBF talk

 A new talk has been added to the audio archive at the GBF website:

2022_06_19 Steven Tierney GBF Pride.mp3

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Action: Reflecting upon Verbal Action

RIGHT ACTION
Reflecting Upon Verbal Action

However the seed is planted, in that way the fruit is gathered. Good things come from doing good deeds, bad things come from doing bad deeds. (SN 11.10) What is the purpose of a mirror? For the purpose of reflection. So too verbal action is to be done with repeated reflection: (MN 61) When you are doing an action with speech, reflect upon that same verbal action thus: “Does this action I am doing with speech lead to both my own affliction and the affliction of another?” If, upon reflection, you know that it does, then stop doing it; if you know that it does not, then continue. (MN 61)

Reflection

Human speech is actually a complex and remarkable phenomenon. There are many ways in which we are monitoring our own speech as we utter it, if only to know how to end the sentence we have started. We can make use of this power of self-observation to improve the ethical quality of our verbal behavior. It is largely a matter of becoming more conscious of what we are accustomed to doing automatically.

Daily Practice

You can be aware of what you are saying before, during, and after saying it. Here the emphasis is on active mindfulness of speech—awareness of what you are saying in the present moment. It can be helpful to speak somewhat more slowly, to allow yourself time and space to both create and monitor your words. Perhaps a synonym for mindfulness in this context would be thoughtfulness. Practice speaking thoughtfully.

Tomorrow: AAbstaining from Taking What is Not Given
One week from today: Reflecting upon Mental Action

Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media
#DhammaWheel

Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

 

Via Tricycle // Tried and True Ground

 

Tried and True Ground
By Vanessa Zuisei Goddard

When the path forward becomes unclear, how can we find the courage to step into the unknown?

Read more »

Via Daily Dharma: Notice Subtle Growth

 When you feel that you have hit a wall in your practice and don’t notice any obvious progress, you can find encouragement in the growth you observe in your fellow practitioners, and realize you may also be growing subtly.

Michael Wenger, “Competing with the Incomparable”

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Via Tumblr // Statue of an ancient Mayan Warrior presenting a gift of corn, photographed in the Riviera Maya region of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

 

Via Tumblr

 

Via Tumblr

 7 things that affect your vibrational frequency from the point of view of quantum physics.

Vibration in quantum physics means that everything is energy. We are vibrating beings on certain frequencies. Every vibration equals a feeling and in the "vibrational" world, there are only two kinds of vibration, positive and negative. Every feeling makes you emit a vibration that can be positive or negative.

1st - Thoughts

Every thought emits a frequency out to the universe and that frequency goes back to the source, so in case if you have negative thoughts, discouragement, sadness, anger, fear, it all comes back to you. This is why it is so important that you take care of the quality of your thoughts and learn to cultivate more positive thoughts.

2nd - The Companies

The people around you have a direct impact on your vibrational frequency. If you surround yourself with happy, positive, and determined people, you will also enter this vibration. Now if you surround yourself with complainers, medics and pessimists, be careful! Indeed, they can decrease your frequency and therefore prevent you from exploiting the law of attraction in your favor.

3rd - The Music

Music is very powerful. If you only listen to music that talks about death, betrayal, sadness, abandonment, all of these will interfere with your vibration. Pay attention to the lyrics of the music you listen to, it could be lowering your vibrational frequency. And remember: you attract exactly what you vibrate into your life.

4th - Things You Watch

When you watch shows that deal with misfortune, death, betrayal, etc. your brain accepts this as reality and releases a whole chemistry in your body, which affects your vibrational frequency. Watch things that do you good and helps you vibrate at a higher frequency.

5th - The Mood

Whether at home or at work, if you spend a lot of time in a disorganized and dirty environment, it will also affect your vibrational frequency. Improve your surroundings, organize and clean up your environment. Show the universe that you are capable of receiving so much more. Take care of what you already have!

6th - The Word

If you pretend or speak poorly about things and people it affects your vibrational frequency. To maintain your frequency high, it is essential to eliminate the habit of complaining and bad talking about others. So avoid the drama and victimization. Take responsibility for your life choices!

7th - The Gratitude

Gratitude has a positive effect on your vibrational frequency. This is a habit you should incorporate into your life now. Start giving thanks for everything, for the good things and what you consider bad, give thanks for all the experiences you have experienced. Gratitude opens the door for good things to happen positively in your life.

Illustration: Daniel Martin Diaz - Wave telepathy

Via Tumblr & Facebook

 

 

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Speech: Refraining from Malicious Speech

 

RIGHT SPEECH
Refraining from Malicious Speech

Malicious speech is unhealthy. Refraining from malicious speech is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning malicious speech, one refrains from malicious speech. One does not repeat there what one has heard here to the detriment of these, or repeat here what he has heard there to the detriment of those. One unites those who are divided, is a promoter of friendships, and speaks words that promote concord. (DN 1) One practices thus: “Others may speak maliciously, but I shall abstain from malicious speech.” (MN 8) Disputes occur when a person is angry and revengeful. Such a person dwells disrespectful and undeferential towards others, causing harm and unhappiness for many. If you see any such root of a dispute either in yourself or externally, you should strive to abandon it. And if you do not see any such root of dispute either in yourself or externally, you should practice in such a way that it does not erupt in the future. (MN 104)

Reflection

Anger is considered in Buddhist thought to be an unhealthy emotion. It may be justified, and it may even be effective, but indulging anger always comes at a cost. It harms you as much as or more than the person to whom it is directed. One famous Buddhist image is of a person who tries to hurt someone with a burning torch while facing into the wind and ends up burning himself even more. Something similar happens when we exact revenge, another unhealthy state.

Daily Practice

Learn to recognize anger when it arises in your mind and to discern the many ways it can damage yourself and others. Is anger really necessary in this situation, and is it helpful? It is hard to see how destructive anger is as we get caught up in it in the moment and swept away. But if we can manage to pause and examine carefully what is going on, the danger and harmfulness of anger can become apparent.

Tomorrow: Reflecting upon Verbal Action
One week from today: Refraining from Harsh Speech

Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media
#DhammaWheel

Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Via Via Daily Dharma: Why It’s Good to Have Doubts

 

 When one is analyzing and studying, it is good to ask questions and to have doubts. It is good to give one’s intelligence free rein to investigate. Analysis produces a faith that is certain and that does not have to be shielded from logical inquiry.

Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso, “The Path of Faith and the Path of Reasoning”

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