Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Via White Crane Institute /// THE GERMAN SYNODAL ASSEMBLY ON THE REFORM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

 

White Crane InstituteExploring Gay Wisdom & Culture since 1989
 
This Day in Gay History

March 10

2023 -

THE GERMAN SYNODAL ASSEMBLY ON THE REFORM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH voted on this date  in Frankfurt, Germany, to bless same-sex couples, with 176 of the 202 assembly members voting for the proposal, including two-thirds of the bishops in attendance.

According to a report from the newspaper Donaukurier, same-sex blessings have already been going on in the German church — but were in a canonical grey area and took place in private, rather than openly in churches.

The move stands in direct contradiction to the Vatican, which has explicitly declared that “the Church does not have, and cannot have, the power to bless unions of persons of the same sex.”

The Vatican argued that while God and the Church can bless individuals, including homosexuals, it cannot bless sin, including sexual activity that takes place outside of a valid marriage.

The issue of same-sex couple blessings is one of the main demands from the German Synodal Path, a series of conferences of the Catholic Church in Germany since 2019 that have been looking to greatly transform the Church.

The Synodal Way has proposed radical reforms, such as ordaining priestesses, declaring homosexual acts not to be sinful, and allowing all priests to be married.


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Gay Wisdom for Daily Living from White Crane Institute

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Via Daily Dharma: Returning to the Moment

 

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Returning to the Moment

All we have is the present, and this is our practice, in zazen and in life, to keep returning to this moment even as it passes, just like looking out the train window, frame after frame.

Susan Moon, “The Way of the Rails”


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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Intention: Cultivating Equanimity

 

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RIGHT INTENTION
Cultivating Equanimity
Whatever you intend, whatever you plan, and whatever you have a tendency toward, that will become the basis on which your mind is established. (SN 12.40) Develop meditation on equanimity, for when you develop meditation on equanimity, all aversion is abandoned. (MN 62)  

The proximate cause of equanimity is seeing ownership of deeds. (Vm 9.95) Having tasted a flavor with the tongue, one is neither glad-minded nor sad-minded but abides with equanimity, mindful and fully aware. (AN 6.1)
Reflection
The phrase “seeing ownership of deeds” refers to karma. Recognizing that everything that happens is a matter of cause and effect gives rise to equanimity. It is not raining to spoil your picnic, your toothache is not a form of punishment, and you are not having a bit of luck because you deserve it. When we regard things as the result of conditions rather than as entangled in our own sense of self, equanimity begins to develop. 
Daily Practice
Cycling through the senses, we are practicing today with the tongue and flavors. The aim is to use this sense modality to cultivate equanimity, the state of mind that does not favor pleasure or oppose displeasure. As you eat your food, see if you can relate to the taste with a neutral reaction. Acknowledge the tastiness if it tastes good and be aware of the bad taste if it is bad, but practice looking at each evenly. It is what it is.
Tomorrow: Refraining from Frivolous Speech
One week from today: Cultivating Lovingkindness

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Monday, March 9, 2026

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Via Daily Dharma: A Matrix of Opportunity

 

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A Matrix of Opportunity

Once we awaken to where we are, we must take the responsibility to transform that world into a matrix of opportunity for wisdom and compassion, not just for ourselves but for all others.

David Patt, “Who’s Zoomin’ Who? The Commodification of Buddhism in the American Marketplace”


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The Economy of Grace
By Nagapriya
Through Amitabha’s merit, we can break free from karma.
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Insight Into Mindfulness
With Gaylon Ferguson
Using the famous Foundations of Mindfulness Sutra, Gaylon Ferguson PhD inquires into the true nature of our somatic, emotional, cognitive, and sensory experience. Direct experience liberates!
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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right View: Understanding the Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering

 

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RIGHT VIEW
Understanding the Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering
And what is the way leading to the cessation of suffering? It is just this noble eightfold path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right living, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. (MN 9)

One perfects their ethical behavior by abandoning the taking of life, dwelling without taking life, with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kindly, and with compassion for all living beings. (DN 2)
Reflection
The first and perhaps most important of the basic ethical precepts is committing yourself to the practice of harmlessness. This means not only no deliberate killing but also refraining from any kind of assault against living beings. The phrase used above literally means “laying down the stick” and broadly speaking is construed as not only abandoning any overt acts of violence but also softening the heart internally with kindness and compassion.
Daily Practice
How can you bring more harmlessness to your daily life? It  is an emotional attitude more than anything else. It involves seeing things through the eyes of other beings and recognizing that they do not want and do not deserve to be assaulted. Begin by brushing insects away rather than killing them, slowing down to avoid animals on the road, and in every way increasing your sensitivity to the inherent value of life. 
Tomorrow: Cultivating Equanimity
One week from today: Understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering

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Questions?
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89 5th Ave, New York, NY 10003