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.
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 mental
action is to be done with repeated reflection. (MN 61)
When you have done an action with the mind, reflect upon that same
mental action thus: “Has this action I have done with the mind led to
the affliction of another?” If, upon reflection, you know that it has,
then tell someone you trust about it and undertake a commitment not to
do it again. If you know it has not, then be content and feel happy
about it. (MN 61)
Reflection
We are used to
hearing that Buddhist teachings encourage us to stay in the present
moment, and this is true of meditation generally. But it is also
appropriate to learn from the past, and reflecting on your past actions
is one way to do this. Notice that actions include mental actions, so
even what you have thought in the past is to be investigated to see if
any of it has caused harm to another person.
Daily Practice
Think back on
the quality of your thoughts directed toward other people in the recent
past. Have you felt jealousy, ill will, or repressed anger, for example?
Have you plotted in some small way to undermine the success of someone,
even if you did not put the plan into action? This is intrinsically
unhealthy and potentially harmful behavior, and bringing such thoughts
to light by confessing them to a friend can be helpful.
Tomorrow: Abstaining from Misbehaving Among Sensual Pleasures One week from today: Reflecting upon Social Action
Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel
Aging as a Spiritual Practice An Online Course with Lewis Richmond
Confront the
realities of growing older with clear-sightedness and compassion with
Zen teacher and ordained disciple of Suzuki Roshi, Lewis Richmond. His
experience and unique meditation practices will help you to meet life
with wisdom, acceptance, and greater ease.
TYRONE "TY" HERNDON
is an American country music singer. After signing to Epic Record in
1995, Herndon made his debut with his number one single, "What Mattered
Most", followed by the release of his first album of the same title. The
album was followed by the release of his second album, LivinginaMoment, which produced his second number one country hit, with the album's title track.
In June 1995,
Herndon was arrested in Fort Worth, Texas, at Gateway Park by an
undercover male police officer who alleged that Herndon asked the
officer to accompany him to a wooded area of the park where Herndon sat
on a log and exposed himself.
When taken into custody, he was also discovered to be in possession of
methamphetamine. A plea bargain saw the singer sentenced to community
service and drug rehab, and the charge of indecent exposure was dropped.
By the end of 2000, Herndon's music was no longer being played on
radio, and by 2002 he had stopped touring. Thus began both a
professional and personal downward slide that included a divorce from
his second wife, bankruptcy, a weight gain of 75 pounds, a mugging in Los Angeles by three men at gunpoint, a lawsuit from a California dentist claiming that Herndon had not paid for emergency dental work and another lawsuit from a former manager for breach of contract. In 2004, he entered a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility for the second time.
Following the
incident in Fort Worth, his sexuality became a topic of interest within
the country music industry. Although his rep denied it following his
arrest, the speculation came to an end on November 20, 2014, in an
interview with People magazine, Herndon came out as a gay man,
and stated that he had been in a relationship for a few years with Matt
Collum. When asked if his two ex-wives knew of his sexuality, Herndon
confirmed that they "absolutely" knew.
In relation to this, Herndon re-issued "What Mattered Most" in June
2019 with the song's pronouns changed to reflect a gay relationship. He
noted that he had been in a closeted relationship with another man at
the time of the original's release.
Ty has partnered
with GLAAD to put on the Concert For Love and Acceptance to help raise
funds for the LGBT+ community. The 2020 event — co-hosted by Ty’s “dear
friend” Kristen Chenoweth, and CMT’s Cody Alan — also raised money the
Academy of County Music’s Lifting Lives, a nonprofit organization
serving members of the music community who face unexpected hardships.
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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
The go-to pediatrician BENJAMIN SPOCK was born (d: 1998). Before there was Vulcan "Spock" there was Dr. Spock. His book, Baby and Child Care,
published in 1946, is one of the biggest best-sellers of all time. Its
revolutionary message to mothers was that "you know more than you think
you do."
Spock was an
early advocate for the rights of LGBT people. He was also the People's
Party candidate in the 1972 United States presidential election on a
platform which called for free medical care, the repeal of "victimless
crime" laws, including the legalization of abortion, homosexuality, and
marijuana, a guaranteed minimum income for families and the immediate
withdrawal of all American troops from foreign countries. He died in
1998.
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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
Harsh speech is unhealthy.
Refraining from harsh speech is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning harsh speech,
one refrains from harsh speech. One speaks words that are gentle,
pleasing to the ear, and affectionate, words that go to the heart, are
courteous, and are agreeable to many. (DN 1) One practices thus: “Others
may speak harshly, but I shall abstain from harsh speech.” (MN 8)
When one speaks hurriedly, one’s body grows tired and one’s mind becomes
excited, one’s voice is strained and one’s throat becomes hoarse, and
the speech of one who speaks hurriedly is indistinct and hard to
understand. (MN 139)
Reflection
This is a
simple and straightforward suggestion for how to speak more effectively.
Hurried speech is a form of harsh speech and is to be abandoned
whenever possible. When you look, you can see how strained people can
get when they rush their words, and you know what this feels like when
you do it. Speedy action of body, speech, or mind supports restlessness,
while taking your time is conducive to calming body and mind.
Daily Practice
Put this
guideline for right speech into action today and see what effect it has
on your mind and body and on the people with whom you speak. Slow down
your speech. Take your time to say what you mean with care. See if you
can craft words that “go to the heart” rather than speaking harshly.
Notice also when the speech of others is indistinct or hard to
understand, and learn from this the effect of your own speech.
Tomorrow: Reflecting upon Mental Action One week from today: Refraining from Frivolous Speech
Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel