Via Daily Dharma: The Fullness of Your Humanity

 

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The Fullness of Your Humanity Sometimes spiritual practices can have a neutralizing effect, flattening feelings rather than stimulating them. To hold to the center is not about becoming a spiritual zombie; it is about living the fullness of your own humanity. You are alive, so be fully alive. Roshi Wendy Egyoku Nakao, “Hold to the Center!” CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

The Nature of Concepts By Joseph Goldstein Find out what Plato’s allegory of the cave teaches us about seeking nirvana. Read more »

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

 

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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 Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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Via White Crane Institute \\ SOLSTICE

 

Exploring Gay Wisdom & Culture since 1989
This Day in Gay History
June 20

This day marks the SUMMER SOLSTICE in the northern hemisphere and the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere, and thus is the day of the year with the longest hours of daylight in the northern hemisphere and the shortest in the southern. In astrology, it is the cusp line between Gemini and Cancer. Solstices occur twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is oriented directly towards or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to appear to reach its northernmost and southernmost extremes. The name is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in declination; that is, its’ apparent movement north or south comes to a standstill. The term solstice can also be used in a wider sense, as the date (day) that such a passage happens. The solstices, together with the equinoxes, are connected with the seasons. In some languages they are considered to start or separate the seasons; in others they are considered to be center points (in English, in the Northern hemisphere, for example, the period around the June solstice is known as midsummer, and Midsummer's Day is June 24, about three days after the solstice itself). Similarly December 25 is the start of the Christmas celebration, which was a Pagan festival in pre-Christian times, and is the day the sun begins to return back to the northern hemisphere.

|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8| 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 |8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|

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Via GBF \\ "Responding to Injustice & Cruelty" with Ian Challis

Our latest dharma talk is now available on the GBF website and podcast: 

Here is a "Dharma Nugget" from the talk, 

"How Do We Inhabit THIS Moment?"

Plus the full audio version on our website:

Responding to Injustice & Cruelty – Ian Challis 

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How might we meet the realities of cruelty and injustice with a grounded and compassionate Buddhist perspective?

Ian Challis suggests that we first acknowledge that witnessing or experiencing cruelty can generate intense emotional responses—anger, grief, fear—and that these reactions are natural.

However, Ian encourages us to avoid being overwhelmed or reactive. Instead, he suggests grounding ourselves in awareness and intention, recognizing that our own suffering in the face of cruelty is an opportunity for deeper practice and connection. He emphasizes that avoiding cruelty doesn’t mean turning away from pain—it means engaging with clarity and care.

Ian shares several guiding principles and reflections to help us in this effort:

• Recognize shared suffering: Understand that even those who act cruelly are often driven by their own confusion and suffering.

• Choose wise response over reactivity: Awareness helps interrupt cycles of violence and retaliation.

• Practice compassion with boundaries: Being compassionate doesn’t mean accepting harm—it includes protecting oneself and others wisely.

• Stay connected to values: Respond from a place of love, justice, and mindfulness, even when action is necessary.
  He also briefly touches on how Buddhist ethics (sīla) and the cultivation of wisdom (paññā) support us in transforming our response to injustice into a path of liberation.

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Enjoy 850+ free recorded dharma talks at https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Action: Reflecting upon Verbal Action

 

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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.

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Via Daily Dharma: Social Activist Saints

 

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Social Activist Saints I don’t see any difference between the Tibetan saints and the social activist saints in Black liberation movements. They cared about people, and they wanted people to be free. That’s it. Lama Rod Owens, “The New Saints” CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

The 7 Factors of Enlightenment By Bhante Henepola Gunaratana and Veronique Ziegler Discover the interconnected factors that lead to awakening in this excerpt from Dependent Origination in Plain English by Sri Lankan Theravada monk Bhante Henepola Gunaratana.  Read more »