Sunday, May 17, 2026
Via White Crane Institute \\\ PORTUGAL
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| This Day in Gay History | |||
May 17 | |||
2010 -
On this date PORTUGAL'S PRESIDENT ANIBAL CAVACO SILVA resisted a concerted campaign from the Vatican and ratified the nation's Marriage Equality law, which was bound for approval whether he vetoed it or not. Interestingly, Silva's decision came on the International Day Against Homophobia and made Portugal the sixth European country to allow same-sex couples to wed.
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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
Exploring Gay Wisdom & Culture since 1989!
www.whitecraneinstitute.org
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Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation \\\\ Words of Wisdom - May 17, 2026 🍃
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Via GBF \\\ "The Softened Heart: Cultivating Wisdom Through Vulnerability" with Joe Goode I
A new talk has been added to the GBF website, podcast and YouTube channel:
The Softened Heart: Cultivating Wisdom Through Vulnerability – Joe Goode
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How can we prevent our hearts from hardening against a brutal world and instead use our own imperfections as a bridge to connection?
Joe Goode addresses this by arguing that while political or social resistance is necessary, the act of opposition can unintentionally cause us to harden, losing touch with the vulnerability where love and intimacy live. He suggests that instead of trying to “fix” ourselves or bypass suffering, we should practice loving the “broken bits” of our own minds—our regrets, meanness, and anxieties—much like a parent loves a mischievous or hurting child. By shifting away from the idea of a “fixed” or isolated self, Joe explains that we can cultivate a soft heart that nurtures interdependence
To move these concepts from the mind into the body, Joe leads a series of experiential practices that blend breath, sound, and movement to serve as a “balm” for the “imperfect and vulnerable” self. He teaches that the aging or incomplete body is not a problem to be solved but a tool for deepening our connection to reality. His framework for this embodied practice includes:
- Tender Attention: Holding a finger to represent a specific negative thought or recurring doubt, breathing into that “vulnerable body” and offering it special care rather than animosity.
- The Soothing Sway: A side-to-side rocking motion used as a “universal calming action” to quiet the mind and accept the “fearful, broken, or less-than self”.
- Interdependent Sound: Vocalizing specific tones (such as “m,” “ah,” and “ee”) to feel the physical vibration in the bones while simultaneously “pouring” one’s sound into the collective “envelope” of the room.
- Receptive Clearing: Using the heat of the hands to clear “extra thoughts” from the eye sockets before opening the palms to receive “spacious thinking” and “fresh possibilities”.
Ultimately, Joe suggests that by treating the body as a “single sensing organ,” we can discover that being fully present in our physical form and movement is no different than meditation itself.
--Enjoy 900+ free recorded dharma talks at https://gaybuddhist.org/
Via Daily Dharma: Modes of Conventional Truth
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Saturday, May 16, 2026
VIa Tricycle \\\ Sacred Sites and Cultural Preservation
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Via Daily Dharma: Understanding Emotions
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Friday, May 15, 2026
Via How Buddhism Explains Interdependent Origination: The Power of Connection \\ How Buddhism Explains Interdependent Origination: The Power of Connection
How Buddhism Explains Interdependent Origination: The Power of Connection
In Buddhist philosophy, Pratītyasamutpāda—Interdependent Origination—is the very heartbeat of reality. As taught by Gautama Buddha:
“Because this exists, that exists; because this arises, that arises.”
Nothing stands alone. Everything is connected, flowing together in a vast web of causes and conditions.
1. The Web of Cause and Effect
Just like the Four Harmonious Friends in traditional Thangka art—the bird, rabbit, monkey, and elephant—each depends on the other to reach the fruit. In the same way, your life today is not “just yours.”
It comes from your parents, the food grown by unseen hands, the air given by forests, and the society around you.
You are not separate—you are a living connection.
2. Harmony Over Hierarchy
This beautiful story teaches something simple but powerful:
Growth doesn’t come from dominance, but from cooperation.
The elephant gives strength, the monkey agility, the rabbit support, and the bird vision. No one is above or below—they rise together.
This is the wisdom of Buddhism: when we understand interdependence, competition softens into compassion.
3. The Cessation of “Self”
When we look deeply, what we call “I” is just a collection of changing parts—body, thoughts, feelings, experiences.
As Gautama Buddha taught, there is no fixed, independent self.
And this is not a loss—it is freedom.
Because when you see that your happiness depends on others, helping others becomes the most natural thing in the world.
Om Mani Padme Hum
This mantra of compassion reminds us:
Just like a lotus grows from muddy water, wisdom and compassion arise from this interconnected world.
Chanting it gently opens the heart to all beings—because we are all part of the same whole.
Experience the Art of Harmony
Bring this living philosophy into your daily space.
A hand-painted Four Harmonious Friends Thangka is not just art—it is a reminder to live with respect, balance, and connection. - Lama Yeshe
ia Daily Dharma: No Time to Lose
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