A personal blog by a graying (mostly Anglo with light African-American roots) gay left leaning liberal progressive married college-educated Buddhist Baha'i BBC/NPR-listening Professor Emeritus now following the Dharma in Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 29/08/2015
“Um dos mais profundos condicionamentos do ser humano é acreditar que a
sua felicidade depende do outro. Por conta disso você tenta fazer do
outro um escravo para atender suas necessidades. Você exige que ele seja
do jeito que você quer, porque somente assim você se sente amado. Mas
se ele age um pouco diferente, sua ‘felicidade’ acaba. Essa felicidade
que depende da forma do outro agir é uma grande ilusão, é um produto da mente condicionada. A verdadeira felicidade é aquela que vem de dentro de você.”
“Uno de los más profundos condicionamientos del ser humano es creer
que tu felicidad depende del otro. Por eso intentas hacer del otro un
esclavo para atender tus necesidades. Exiges que él sea de la manera que
tú quieres, porque solamente así te sientes amado. Pero si él actúa un
poco diferente, tu ‘felicidad’ se acaba. Esa felicidad que depende de la
forma en que actúa el otro es una gran ilusión, es un producto de la
mente condicionada. La verdadera felicidad es aquella que viene de
adentro tuyo.”
“One of the deepest conditionings of the human being is to believe that one’s happiness is dependent on the other. Due to this belief, we try to make the other into a slave who will attend to all our needs. We demand that the other be exactly how we want them to be, because this is the only way we feel loved. If the other acts a bit differently, our ‘happiness’ disappears. This happiness that depends on the other’s actions is a great illusion and a product of the conditioned mind. True happiness comes from within.”
“One of the deepest conditionings of the human being is to believe that one’s happiness is dependent on the other. Due to this belief, we try to make the other into a slave who will attend to all our needs. We demand that the other be exactly how we want them to be, because this is the only way we feel loved. If the other acts a bit differently, our ‘happiness’ disappears. This happiness that depends on the other’s actions is a great illusion and a product of the conditioned mind. True happiness comes from within.”
Today's Daily Dharma: Ending the Internal Divide
Ending the Internal Divide
Most
human beings spend their lives battling with opposing inner forces:
what they think they should do versus what they are doing; how they feel
about themselves versus how they are; whether they think they’re right
and worthy or wrong and unworthy. The separate self is just the
conglomeration of these opposing forces. When the self drops away, inner
division drops away with it.
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Friday, August 28, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 28/08/2015
“O objetivo maior de um relacionamento amoroso é a sustentação do
êxtase através da conexão da energia sexual com o coração. É promover o
encontro de duas correntes de aquiescência, duas correntes positivas -
dois “sim”. Esse encontro aponta a direção da suprema liberdade. Um
encontro dessa natureza só é possível se existe amor e liberdade.”
“El objetivo mayor de una relación amorosa es sustentar el éxtasis a través de la conexión de la energía sexual con el corazón. Es promover el encuentro de dos corrientes de aceptación, dos corrientes positivas – dos “sí”. Este encuentro apunta la dirección de la suprema libertad. Un encuentro de esta naturaleza solo es posible si existe amor y libertad.”
“El objetivo mayor de una relación amorosa es sustentar el éxtasis a través de la conexión de la energía sexual con el corazón. Es promover el encuentro de dos corrientes de aceptación, dos corrientes positivas – dos “sí”. Este encuentro apunta la dirección de la suprema libertad. Un encuentro de esta naturaleza solo es posible si existe amor y libertad.”
“The greatest goal of a loving relationship is to be able to sustain
ecstasy by connecting one’s sexual energy with the heart. This means
supporting the encounter of two ascending positive currents that are
both saying yes. This encounter paves the way towards ultimate freedom.
An encounter of this nature is only possible if there is love and
freedom.”
Today's Daily Dharma: What Makes a Buddha
What Makes a Buddha
Those who have great realization of delusion are buddhas; those who are greatly deluded about realization are sentient beings.
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Thursday, August 27, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 27/08/2015
“Em determinado momento da jornada evolutiva a entidade humana passa
por uma cisão. Ela rompe com a própria essência. Ela perde a
espontaneidade e a inocência ela passa a usar uma máscara que serve para
agradar aos outros, para ser aceita e para receber o que quer: amor.”
“At a certain moment along the evolutionary journey, we human beings experience a split from our own essence. We lose our spontaneity and innocence and begin to use a mask that serves to please others. We use these masks in order to be accepted and to receive what we want, which is love.”
“At a certain moment along the evolutionary journey, we human beings experience a split from our own essence. We lose our spontaneity and innocence and begin to use a mask that serves to please others. We use these masks in order to be accepted and to receive what we want, which is love.”
“En un determinado momento del camino evolutivo, la entidad humana
pasa por una ruptura. Ella rompe con la propia esencia. Pierde la
espontaneidad y la inocencia y pasa a usar una máscara que sirve para
agradar a los otros, para ser aceptada y para recibir lo que quiere:
amor.”
Today's Daily Dharma: A Single Handful
A Single Handful
Compared
to all the myriad things in the world, the root principles to be
practiced for the complete extinction of dukkha [suffering] amount to a
single handful.
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Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Via WGB: ISIS throws nine gay men from building
The Jihadist group have branded LGBTI people the ‘worst of creatures’ and claim responsibility for at least 30 other executions for ‘sodomy.’
They have not yet published photos of the latest killings as they have done previously.
‘Gunmen belonging to ISIS threw on Sunday nine civilians from the top of a high building in the city of Mosul after being accused of homosexuality,’ a source, who wished to remain anonymous, told IraqNews.com.
‘ISIS militants rounded up a number of citizens in the city to see the implementation of the judgment of the so-called Sharia judge.’ Full story here!
JMG KENTUCKY: State Faces $2.3M In Marriage Battle Legal Fees
Attorneys for the good guys have handed Kentucky a demand for $2.3M in legal fees. The Lexington Herald-Leader has more: Gov. Steve Beshear hired lawyers to defend the state of Kentucky’s ban on gay marriage for two years in the federal courts, arguing that Kentuckians deserved “finality and understanding of what the law is.” Understanding can be expensive. Two months...
Read More here »
JMG AUSTRALIA: Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard Reverses Position, Now Says She Supports Same-Sex Marriage
August 26, 2015
Marriage Equality
After voting against a 2012 same-sex marriage bill while Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard now says she’s changed her mind. Via the Sydney Morning Herald:
“Given the 1970s feminist in me saw much to be concerned with from a gender perspective with traditional marriage, I thought the better approach was not to change the old but to create something new,” she said during The Michael Kirby Lecture at Victoria University. “In my time post-politics, as key countries have moved to embrace same-sex marriage, I have identified that my preferred reform direction was most assuredly not winning hearts and minds.” Ms Gillard said she assumed at the time the Coalition would have eventually allowed a conscience vote on the issue and marriage equality would have became law. “My position would have been overtaken by history, something which would have caused me no heartburn,” she said. “Now, given the discussion of a plebiscite or a referendum, I find myself in a world where these assumptions have been upended.” Ms Gillard called for a conscience vote on the issue soon after the next election, and said she would vote in favour of same-sex marriage if she was still in parliament.Australia’s first female prime minister, Gillard held office from 2010 to 2013. She is a self-described atheist, which is virtually unheard of for a major head of government.
Read More »
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 26/08/2015
“Conheça a ti mesmo e conhecerás o universo. Aquilo que não está aqui
não está em lugar algum. Por isso precisamos nos tornar exploradores da
consciência. Essa é uma tarefa bastante desafiadora porque dentro de nós
existem recantos escuros, cheios de dor, sentimentos aterrorizantes e
mortificantes. Mas isso faz parte da vida de um explorador de si mesmo. O
seu trabalho é desenvolver o testemunhar, ou seja, é aprender a observar
o que é transitório sem se identificar. Você observa e deixa passar. E,
aos poucos, você vai conhecendo quem é você de verdade. Você é aquilo
que permanece.”
Ouça o Satsang completo: http://bit.ly/1zxmPQV
Ouça o Satsang completo: http://bit.ly/1zxmPQV
“Conócete a ti mismo y conocerás el universo. Aquello que no está aquí
no está en ningún lugar. Por eso necesitamos volvernos exploradores de
la consciencia. Esta es una tarea bastante desafiante porque dentro de
nosotros existen rincones oscuros, llenos de dolor, sentimientos
aterrorizantes y mortificantes. Pero eso es parte de la vida de un
explorador de sí mismo. Tu trabajo es desarrollar el observador, es
decir, es aprender a observar lo que es transitorio sin identificarte.
Observas y dejas pasar. Y de a poco, vas conociendo quien eres tú en
verdad. Eres aquello que permanece.”
“To understand ourselves is to understand the universe. That which is not here is nowhere. This is why we strive to become explorers of consciousness. This is an extremely challenging task because there are dark corners within us that are full of pain as well as terrifying and mortifying feelings. This is all a part of the life of a self-explorer. Our work is to develop the witness and to learn how to observe what is transitory without becoming identified with it. We just observe and let it all pass. Slowly, we get to know who we truly are, for we are what remains.”
“To understand ourselves is to understand the universe. That which is not here is nowhere. This is why we strive to become explorers of consciousness. This is an extremely challenging task because there are dark corners within us that are full of pain as well as terrifying and mortifying feelings. This is all a part of the life of a self-explorer. Our work is to develop the witness and to learn how to observe what is transitory without becoming identified with it. We just observe and let it all pass. Slowly, we get to know who we truly are, for we are what remains.”
Today's Daily Dharma: The Bottom Line
The Bottom Line
We
have created our problems, and only we can solve them. That becomes
something of a bottom line for Buddhists. We need to train our minds to
be less attached, less mistaken, less shortsighted, and, most of all,
less self-centered.
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Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 25/08/2015
“Estar no caminho espiritual significa se tornar um explorador da
consciência; é desvendar a de si mesmo. Todo o universo está aqui,
dentro de nós, portanto há muito o que desvendar, e é natural que você
se depare com lugares desconhecidos, que acordam sentimentos que você
não compreende. Aos poucos, na medida da sua vontade de se conhecer,
você recebe a luz da compreensão. Mas esse é um processo que requer
muita paciência e persistência, pois serão muitos os lugares sombrios que você vai atravessar.”
“Estar en el camino espiritual significa volverse un explorador de la
consciencia, es develar la de uno mismo. Todo el universo está aquí,
dentro de nosotros por lo tanto hay mucho que develar y es natural que
te depares con lugares desconocidos que despiertan sentimientos que no
comprendes. De a poco, en la medida de tu voluntad de conocerte, recibes
la luz de la comprensión. Pero este es un proceso que requiere de mucha
paciencia y persistencia, porque serán muchos los lugares sombríos que
vas a atravesar.”
“To be on the spiritual path means to become an explorer of consciousness, to unveil who we are. The whole universe exists here, inside of us, and there is much to unveil. It is natural that we encounter unknown places that awaken feelings we do not understand. Slowly, as our willingness to get to know ourselves increases, we receive the light of comprehension. This is a process that requires a lot of patience and persistence, as there are many shadowy places that we will pass through.”
“To be on the spiritual path means to become an explorer of consciousness, to unveil who we are. The whole universe exists here, inside of us, and there is much to unveil. It is natural that we encounter unknown places that awaken feelings we do not understand. Slowly, as our willingness to get to know ourselves increases, we receive the light of comprehension. This is a process that requires a lot of patience and persistence, as there are many shadowy places that we will pass through.”
Today's Daily Dharma: Pragmatic Buddhism
Pragmatic Buddhism
I
became enamored of [Buddhism] when I realized its basic tenet began by
saying, essentially, 'Life sucks and then you die, so what’s that all
about?' This was the religion for me. This was a framework I could use
to examine my actual experience. Far from the promise of
pie-in-a-big-sky afterlife, this was about dealing with the fear that
comes when you realize nothing is going to save your ass.
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