Via. The Tricycle Community // Three Teachings from Thich Nhat Hanh

 

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October 10, 2024 No Birth, No Death   Followers of Vietnamese Zen master and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh, who call their teacher Thay, dub his birthday “Continuation Day,” honoring the teaching that “birth and death are just notions; they’re not real…When we understand that we can’t be destroyed, we’re liberated from fear.”  In his book, Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm, Thay writes about this concept of continuation, weaving in personal accounts of losing his mother and realizing that she wasn’t actually gone.    "I understood then that the idea of having lost my mother was just that: an idea. It was obvious in that moment that my mother was still alive in me and always would be. I opened the door and went outside. The entire hillside was bathed in moonlight. Walking slowly in that soft light through the rows of tea plants, I observed that my mother was indeed still with me. My mother was the moonlight caressing me as she had so often done, very gentle, very sweet. Every time my feet touched the earth, I knew my mother was there with me. I knew this body was not mine alone but a living continuation of my mother and father, my grandparents and great-grandparents, and of all my ancestors. These feet I saw as 'my' feet were actually 'our' feet. Together my mother and I were leaving footprints in the damp soil. From that moment on, the idea that I had lost my mother no longer existed. All I had to do was look at the palm of my hand, or feel the breeze on my face or the earth under my feet, to remember that my mother is always with me, available at any time. When you lose a loved one, you suffer. But if you know how to look deeply, you have a chance to realize that his or her nature is truly the nature of no-birth, no-death." This week’s Three Teachings celebrates Thay’s Continuation Day, which is tomorrow, October 11, with his teachings on finding freedom from fear and grief. Forward today's teachings to a friend » How to Break Free From Fear By Thich Nhat Hanh  Read more of the excerpt above, which comes from Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm, Thich Nhat Hanh’s practical and personal guide to overcoming fear. Read more » The Heart of the Matter By Thich Nhat Hanh  In the Winter 2009 issue of Tricycle, Thay answered three questions about emotions, the last of which pertained to the fear of losing a loved one. Read his advice for coping with and shifting the perspective on loss.  Read more » How to Ease Pain and Generate Joy By Thich Nhat Hanh  In his book No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering, Thay writes about how to skillfully engage with suffering. Read his advice and try a practice for transforming suffering. Read more » Follow Us

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Speech: Refraining from Malicious Speech

 

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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) If anyone should speak in praise of something, you should not on that account be pleased, happy, or elated. To be pleased, happy, or elated would only be an impediment to you. If others speak in praise of something, you should acknowledge the truth of what is true. (DN 1)

Reflection This passage warns us of the dangers of praise and blame, and the importance of equanimity as a safeguard against them. Blaming people is one form malicious speech can take, but praising in certain ways can have the same effect. If you allow yourself to be angered by blame or flattered by praise, you lose your ability to see clearly and appraise objectively what is being said. Better to greet both with equanimity. Daily Practice Notice when you hear people speaking in praise of something and see if you can discern any hidden motive for doing so. If what they are saying is true, then you can acknowledge the truth of it. But if the praise is part of an underlying agenda of manipulating opinion in some way, then it is appropriate to be more careful. Practice maintaining equanimity and beware the influence of praise and blame. 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.

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Via Daily Dharma: Rest in the Unknown

 

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Rest in the Unknown When we let ourselves hang out in the space of not-knowing, there is enormous potential, and life could unfold in innumerable ways.  Kaira Jewel Lingo, “Trusting the Unknown” CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

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Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation // Words of Wisdom - October 9, 2024 💌

"When my biological mother was dying back in a hospital in Boston in 1966, I would watch all the people come into her room. All of the doctors and relatives would say, 'You are looking better, you are doing well.' And then they would go out of the room and say, 'She won’t last a week.' I thought how bizarre it was that a human being could be going through one of the most profound transitions in their life, and have everyone they know, and love, and trust lying to them.

Can you hear the pain of that? No one could be straight with my mother because everyone was too frightened. Even the rabbi. Everyone. She and I talked about it and she said, 'What do you think death is?' And I said, 'I don’t know, Mother. But I look at you and you are my friend, and it looks like you are in a building that is burning down, but you are still here. I suspect when the building burns entirely, it will be gone, but you will still be here.' So my mother and I just met in that space.'

- Ram Dass -

 
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Via White Crane Institute // Today's Gay Wisdom: Rev. Nancy Wilson, Our Tribe: Queer Folks, God, Jesus and the Bible

 

Today's Gay Wisdom

Reverend Nancy Wilson

2017 -

"In such a toxic environment, the poor, the minorities, and the politically vulnerable populations will be the first to exhibit signs and symptoms of the deteriorating immunological picture. It is the canary-in-the-mines syndrome. When miners wanted to know if a particular mineshaft was safe from poisonous gases, they sent a canary in first. If the canary returned, the miners felt safe to go in. On our planet today, poor people, people of color, women and children, and gays and lesbians are the canaries (or sitting ducks if you prefer). Those who have any kind of privilege (gender, race, class, sexuality, age) are better able, for a time, to buffer and insulate themselves from the toxic environment — from AIDS, cancer, and other diseases. But not forever.

"There is also a moral and religious toxicity in reaction to so much upheaval, change, and worldwide political challenges. This phenomenon is called in many religions fundamentalism. In a century of increasing relativity in values, morality, and religion, fundamentalism provides absolutes and identifies the enemies. It is a kind of collective mental illness that includes obsessive thinking, tunnel vision, and functions much like other addictions." 

- Rev. Nancy Wilson, Our Tribe: Queer Folks, God, Jesus and the Bible

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Gay Wisdom for Daily Living from White Crane Institute

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