Via RawStory

 

Via NPR // Gay country music icon Patrick Haggerty died Monday at age 78

 

[GBF] new GBF talks // San Francisco

 

New talks have been added to the audio archive at the GBF website:

2022_10_30 Daigan Gaither Buddhist Faith.mp3

2022_10_22 Anjali Sawhney Generic Somatic Practices.mp3

2000_03_06 Jim Wilson First GBF Spring Retreat 3 excerpt Sangha.mp3

 

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Living: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings

 

RIGHT LIVING Undertaking the Commitment to Abstain from Harming Living Beings Harming living beings is unhealthy. Refraining from harming living beings is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning the harming of living beings, one abstains from harming living beings; with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kindly, one abides compassionate to all living beings. (MN 41) One practices thus: “Others may harm living beings, but I will abstain from the harming of living beings.” (MN 8)

Reflection One of the key characteristics of Buddhism and other Indian traditions is a fundamental respect for life and a commitment to an attitude of non-harming. One form this can take is giving the gift of harmlessness to all beings through ethical behavior: not killing, not lying, not stealing, not misbehaving sexually, and not becoming intoxicated in various ways. Beyond these restraints, you can also actively practice kindness and compassion. Daily Practice Bring a benevolent attitude of harmlessness to the forefront of your mind whenever you remember to do so. When looking at or thinking about a living being, allow the natural emotion of caring to arise and sustain it by actively reinforcing it with the thought “May you be healthy; may you be well; may you feel safe and free from harm.” Undertake a commitment to abide with compassion for all living beings whenever you can. Tomorrow: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States One week from today: Abstaining from Taking What is Not Given Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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Via Daily Dharma: Everyone Has Been Your Friend

 Remember that everyone, at some time over the beginningless course of lives, actually was your nurturer, caring for you as much as your kindest friend.

Jeffrey Hopkins, “Breaking the Habit of Selfishness”

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Action: Reflecting upon Bodily Action

 

RIGHT ACTION Reflecting Upon Bodily 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 bodily action is to be done with repeated reflection. (MN 61)

Reflection The image of planting seeds and harvesting their fruits is widespread throughout the world. It is a simple model of cause and effect, and it lies at the heart of the Buddhist understanding of karma. As embodied beings we are always engaging with the world, and we are invited here to notice this fact and engage with care. If we want good things to come our way, we need to do good deeds to ensure that they do. Daily Practice Think of meditation as similar to looking in a mirror, but instead of regarding your external form you are observing the quality of your inner life. When you act in certain ways, how does it make you feel? If you regularly feel bad about what you do, then you are planting the wrong seeds. Gradually learn to act in ways that will result in healthier and more beneficial outcomes for yourself and others.  Tomorrow: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings One week from today: Reflecting upon Verbal Action Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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Via Daily Dharma: Held in Refuge

By taking refuge, we place ourselves in a spacious container within which we are lovingly held, just as we are. However strong and whole we may feel, however broken and vulnerable, and with all our flaws and imperfections, we are held in great love and tenderness. 

Beth Roth, “Family Dharma: Taking Refuge (On the Wings of Angels)”

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Via BBC Outlook: Arthur Russell: Vanished into Music

 

Via BBC: Arthur Russell

 

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Speech: Refraining from False Speech

 

RIGHT SPEECH Refraining from False Speech False speech is unhealthy. Refraining from false speech is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning false speech, one dwells refraining from false speech, a truth-speaker, one to be relied on, trustworthy, dependable, not a deceiver of the world. One does not in full awareness speak falsehood for one’s own ends or for another’s ends or for some trifling worldly end. (DN 1) One practices thus: “Others may speak falsely, but I shall abstain from false speech.” (MN 8)

Reflection Refraining from false speech has both external and internal consequences. By becoming a “truth-speaker” you become trusted and respected by others, and they will consider you dependable. Internally, you avoid the harm to your character that is inflicted by false speech, for in being untruthful you hurt yourself as much as others. Notice that you need not try to change others but only commit to being the best person you can be. Daily Practice Undertake a commitment to always tell the truth. The practice of right speech can be as simple as that. Refrain from even little white lies, petty deceptions, and frivolous, perhaps amusing, deflections from the truth. Try this for a while at least and see what it feels like and what effect it has on you. You may find it feels good to be scrupulously truthful; gradually you may even get in the habit of being a truth-speaker. This is good. Tomorrow: Reflecting upon Bodily Action One week from today: Refraining from Malicious Speech Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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Via Daily Dharma: Cultivating Equanimity

 Equanimity arises when we renounce control—or, more accurately, when we renounce the illusion of control. 

Christopher Willard, “How Parents and Children Can Learn Balance and Equanimity from the Eight Worldly Winds”

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Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation // Words of Wisdom - November 2, 2022 💌

 

"I would not destroy beliefs, I would merely enjoy them as servants. I would not destroy rituals, I would delight in them. I would not destroy God, I would use God as a vehicle to come into the fullness of the moment. Methods are all traps. The methods of Yoga, of union, of coming into the One, of going from your somebody-ness into the Oneness beyond your separate somebody-ness, they are all traps, and for them to work, you must get trapped. And you just hope that they self-eject. Because if you’re too busy protecting yourself from getting trapped, you are indeed trapped." - Ram Dass From Here & Now Podcast - Ep. 211 – Being Truth