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by Brittney Melton July 17, 2025 Good morning. Even the healthiest of brains can decline with age. Here are some things you can do to keep it in top shape. Check out the news we’re following today: The Senate approved legislation early this morning to rescind $9 billion in federal funding for NPR, PBS, their member stations and foreign aid programs. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., noted that it has been over 30 years since a rescission package was passed. The House is expected to vote on the rescission package later today. If it passes, it will be a win for President Trump and DOGE’s effort to slash overall government spending.  J. Scott Applewhite/AP  Democrats have called it a dark day, stating that the bill will harm Americans who rely on public broadcasting and damage the U.S.'s reputation as a global leader, NPR’s Deirdre Walsh tells Up First. The overall package was slimmed down from $9.4 billion by removing a proposed $400 million cut to PEPFAR, a global public health program created to combat HIV and AIDS that both Republicans and Democrats argue has been successful. Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, one of two Republican senators who voted against the rescission, cited an emergency alert from an Alaska public radio station Wednesday afternoon as an example of what is at stake if stations lose federal money.  Note: Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

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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 have done an action with speech, reflect upon that same verbal action thus: “Has this action I have done with speech led to both my own affliction and 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 can use our powers of memory and observation to learn and grow along the path toward greater clarity and self-understanding. We want to do good deeds so that good things will come from that, and one way to do this is to reflect on the impact of our speech on others. If we notice ourselves saying things that cause affliction in ourselves or others, it is beneficial to admit this and learn from it what not to say in the future. Daily Practice As with your physical actions, pay attention to the effects of your verbal actions on other people. Just after you have spoken, notice if what you have said might have hurt someone’s feelings or if it has been insensitive or disrespectful in some unintended way. These days more than ever, we cannot always trust our deeply conditioned habit patterns of speech and need to actively reflect on the effects of our verbal actions. Tomorrow: Abstaining 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: You Are a Buddha

 

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You Are a Buddha Just get rid of ignorance and delusions, and you will know that you are a Buddha and that you are already complete as you are. If you awaken to this, you will burst out laughing at how much effort you spent in order for you to become yourself. Daehaeng, “The Path to Awakening” CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

His Holiness, in Pictures Photos by Manuel Bauer, Captions by Christian Schmidt In his forthcoming book, Swiss photographer Manuel Bauer shows us an intimate and rarely seen side of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Read more »

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ViaRam Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation \\ Words of Wisdom - July 16, 2025 💠

 

We see people through the veil of the fear-driven paranoia that comes from getting trapped in one’s separateness; and when we break out of that, we experience compassion that is not pity and not kindness; but compassion borne of identifying with the people around you.

Via Daily Dharma: What Is Happiness

 

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What Is Happiness The search for happiness is not about looking at life through rose-colored glasses or blinding oneself to the pain and imperfections of the world. Nor is happiness a state of exaltation to be perpetuated at all costs; it is the purging of mental toxins such as hatred and obsession that literally poison the mind. Matthieu Ricard, “A Way of Being” CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

A Few Words About Silence By Larry Rosenberg In an excerpt from his forthcoming book, IMS teacher Larry Rosenberg expounds on how to bring more stillness into our everyday lives. Read more » Forever a Student Sarah Ruhl in conversation with James Shaheen In this episode of Tricycle Talks, Tricycle’s editor-in-chief, James Shaheen sits down with playwright Sarah Ruhl to discuss the teachers and tasks that have helped her learn how to listen, what it means to look at grief sideways, whether devotion is teachable, and why she aspires to always be a student. Listen now »

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 one 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 deceitful and fraudulent. 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 Arguments and disputes do not come from external circumstances, but from the internal qualities of people’s minds. When there is a competing interest, for example, it might be negotiated peacefully and fairly, or it might escalate into a hateful argument and even become violent. The difference lies in what kind of internal mental and emotional states are brought to the table by both participants. We can influence how this unfolds.  Daily Practice Take special care to refrain from being deceitful or fraudulent in all of your dealings with other people. And when other people are exhibiting these qualities, try hard not to be provoked into doing the same. These practices in daily life require a regular habit of being tuned in to the workings of your own mind and being sensitive to the extent your own experience is impacted by the mental and emotional qualities of others. 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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