Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 20/08/2016

“Algumas pessoas tentam fugir dos relacionamentos com a desculpa de precisarem se dedicar à espiritualidade. Elas acreditam que, ao se mudarem para uma comunidade espiritual, terão seus problemas resolvidos. Mas, a realidade é que, onde quer que estejam (quer seja trabalhando no escritório de uma grande empresa ou rezando em um templo), elas precisarão encarar seus fantasmas internos, o que significa lidar com seus medos e sentimentos negados. Não importa onde estejam, será necessário aprender a se relacionar de forma saudável, pois o fantasma não é o outro, é você mesmo.”

“Algunas personas intentan huir de las relaciones con la excusa de que necesitan dedicarse a la espiritualidad. Creen que al mudarse a una comunidad espiritual, tendrán sus problemas resueltos. Pero la realidad es que, dondequiera que estén (ya sea trabajando en la oficina de una gran empresa o rezando en un templo), tendrán que encarar sus fantasmas internos, lo que significa lidiar con sus miedos y sentimientos negados. No importa donde estén, será necesario aprender a relacionarse de forma saludable, porque el fantasma no es el otro, eres tú mismo.”

“Some people avoid being in relationships with the excuse of needing to dedicate themselves to spirituality. They believe that by moving to a spiritual community, their problems will be resolved. The reality is that, no matter where we are, whether working in the office of a big company, or praying in a temple, we will have to face our inner ghosts. We have to deal with our fears and denied feelings. Regardless of where we are, we have to learn how to relate in a healthy way, because the other is not the ghost: we are the ghost.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 20, 2016: The Buddha’s Mindfulness

Mindfulness supports the moment-to-moment intention to not cause harm, to be kind, and to renounce those thoughts and actions that lead to heedlessness. Without wise intention and wise understanding, mindfulness is aimless, and therefore not the Buddha’s mindfulness.

—Phillip Moffitt, "The Mindfulness of the Buddha"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 19/08/2016

“Tudo está aqui - aquilo que não está aqui, não está em lugar algum. O corpo é um portal interdimensional através do qual acessamos diferentes universos. Cada singular pontinho de acupuntura abre novos caminhos de acesso a novas dimensões. Às vezes, é possível aliviar uma perturbação mental apenas pressionando um desses pontos. Tudo que se manifesta no corpo físico tem origem no corpo sutil. Essa é uma relação que merece ser estudada.” 

“Todo está aquí – aquello que no está aquí, no está en ninguna parte. El cuerpoes un portal inter-dimensional a través del cual accedemos a diferentes universos. Cada singular puntito de acupuntura abre nuevos caminos de acceso a nuevas dimensiones. A veces es posible aliviar un trastorno mental con sólo presionar uno de estos puntos. Todo lo que se manifiesta en el cuerpo físico se origina en el cuerpo sutil. Esta es una relación que merece ser estudiada.”

“Everything is here - what is not here is nowhere. The body is an inter-dimensional portal through which we access different universes. Every single acupuncture point opens up new paths to access new dimensions. Sometimes it is possible to alleviate a mental disorder just by pressing one of these points. Everything that manifests in the physical body originates in the subtle body. This is a relationship that needs to be studied more.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 19, 2016: Asking a Different Question

When Jesus cries out to his Father, Why have you forsaken me? he has come to an edge. Is he going to curse or embrace? At a certain point the question becomes not: Why did this happen? but: How do I work with it?

—Lynn Crawford, "Broken Gold"

Via Sri Prem Baba Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 18/08/2016

“Errar é humano. Reconhecer os seus erros e se abrir para a transformação é divino. Ter a honestidade de reconhecer os próprios defeitos é o primeiro passo para a perfeição. Todo ser humano, de alguma maneira, pratica pequenos ou grandes delitos todos os dias; até mesmo o ser humano considerado normal carrega dentro de si um grau de perturbação, de loucura ou maldade. Alguns casos se tornam patológicos, mas todos, de alguma maneira, têm um lado doentio. Essa insanidade nos impede de manifestar nossos dons e nossos talentos e nossa inteligência. E, para curarmos essa insanidade, precisamos, em primeiro lugar, reconhecê-la.”

“Equivocarse es humano. Reconocer tus errores y abrirte a la transformación es divino. Tener la honestidad de reconocer los propios defectos es el primer paso hacia la perfección. Todo ser humano, de alguna manera, ejerce pequeños o grandes delitos todos los días; incluso el ser humano considerado normal carga en su interior un grado de perturbación, de locura o maldad. Algunos casos se vuelven patológicos, pero todos, de alguna manera, tienen un lado enfermo. Esta insania nos impide manifestar nuestros dones y nuestros talentos y nuestra inteligencia. Y para curarnos esta insania necesitamos, en primer lugar, reconocerla.”

To err is human. Recognizing our mistakes and opening up to transformation is divine. Having the honesty to recognize our faults is the first step towards perfection. In some way, everyone commits big or small offenses every day. Even human beings who are considered to be ‘normal’ carry within themselves a certain level of disturbance known as madness or evil. Some cases it becomes pathological, but in one way or another, all of us have a sick side. This insanity prevents us from manifesting our gifts, our talents and our intelligence. In order to heal this insanity, we must first recognize it.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 18, 2016: We Are Responsible for the Mind

The mind is not yours, but you are responsible for it . . . Don’t feel disturbed by the thinking mind. You are not practicing to prevent thinking, but rather to recognize and acknowledge thinking whenever it arises.

—Sayadaw U Tejaniya, "Got Attitude?"

Via FB:

Via Ram Dass / Be Here Now Network

August 17, 2016

We’re all just walking each other home.

The new BeHereNowNetwork.com and it’s upcoming smartphone app are dedicated to gathering and transmitting the teachings of many of today’s spiritual masters and thought leaders, while keeping time with a rapidly expanding new generation of spiritual seekers.

Click Here to Explore

Via Sri Prem Baba:Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 17/08/2016

“Tenho visto que muitos buscadores, em momentos de crise, sentem vontade de tornar-se terapeutas ou professores de yoga. Eles visualizam uma vida mais tranquila e acreditam que isso resolverá todos os seus problemas. Isso até pode acontecer mas, na maioria dos casos, esse desejo é a expressão de uma profunda angústia em relação ao propósito da vida, e mudar de atividade seria apenas transferir o problema. Você pode vir a ser um professor de yoga, mas é importante não alimentar falsas esperanças para evitar frustrações. Em momentos como esse, é importante não deixar-se limitar por expectativas. Mantenha-se aberto e trabalhe para ampliar a percepção. A sua alma está em busca de algo; ela busca uma visão. E essa visão indicará o caminho.”

“He visto que muchos buscadores, en momentos de crisis, sienten ganas de convertirse en terapeutas o profesores de yoga. Ellos visualizan una vida más tranquila y creen que esto va a resolver todos sus problemas. Puede que esto suceda pero, en la mayoría de los casos, este deseo es la expresión de una profunda angustia al propósito de vida, y cambiar de actividad sería solamente transferir el problema. Puedes llegar a ser un profesor de yoga, pero es importante no alimentar falsas esperanzas para evitar frustraciones. En momentos como este, es importante no dejarse limitar por expectativas. Permanece abierto y trabaja para ampliar la percepción. Tu alma está en la búsqueda de algo; ella busca una visión. Y esta visión señalará el camino.”

“In moments of crisis, I have seen many seekers wanting to become therapists, or yoga teachers. They imagine this to be a more peaceful way of life and believe it will solve all their problems. Even though this may actually occur, in the majority of cases, this desire to change is the expression of a deep anxiety in relationship to life’s greater purpose. To believe a new job or profession will make a difference is just escaping the problem. You may become a yoga teacher, but it is important not to limit yourself by creating expectations. Keep yourself open and work to increase your perception. Your soul is in search of something; it is seeking a vision. This vision will show you the path.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 17, 2016: Abandoning What Arises

Unwholesome states have already arisen and the work is to abandon them now, rather than to regret that they have arisen at all. To acknowledge deeply held beliefs, passing fantasies, unwholesome thoughts—and to abandon them.

—Leora Fridman, "Notes on Abandon"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 16/08/2016

“Quem sou eu? Por que estou aqui? Sidarta Gautama, o Buda, dedicou toda sua vida à busca das respostas para essas questões. Ele não poupou esforços; fez tudo que o seu coração determinou que fizesse. Se, ao ouvir os comandos do seu coração, você chegou onde está, esse é o lugar certo, pois somente o coração sabe o caminho. O coração nos leva a diferentes lugares e experiências para nos purificar, até que estejamos prontos para revelar o Buda que nos habita. Ele nos leva à Verdade de quem somos. Mas, para podermos lembrar de quem verdadeiramente somos, precisamos remover as capas que constituem a falsa identidade.”

“¿Quién soy yo? ¿Por qué estoy aquí? Sidarta Gautama, o Buda, dedicó toda su vida a la búsqueda de respuestas a estas cuestiones. No escatimó esfuerzos; hizo todo lo que su corazón determinó que hiciera. Si, al oír a los comandos de tu corazón, llegaste donde estás, este es el lugar correcto, porque solamente el corazón sabe el camino. El corazón nos lleva a diferentes lugares y experiencias para purificarnos, hasta que estemos listos para revelar al Buda que nos habita. Él nos lleva a la Verdad de quienes somos. Pero para poder recordar lo que verdaderamente somos, necesitamos remover las capas que constituyen la falsa identidad.”

“Who am I? Why am I here? Siddartha Gautama, the Buddha,dedicated his entire life to searching for the answers to these questions. He spared no effort and performed everything his heart commanded him to do. If you have arrived to the point where you are in your life by listening to the commands of your heart, then rest assured it is exactly where you need to be because only the heart knows the way. The heart takes us to different places and experiences so that we may purify ourselves until we are ready to reveal the Buddha that inhabits us. The Buddha within leads us to the truth of who we are. In order to remember who we truly are,we need to remove the layers that make up our false identity.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 16, 2016: No Meditation Without Aspiration

Without prayers of aspiration, expressing one’s noble wishes, our meditation lacks something important, a certain vital richness. Your aspirations must be inspired by the altruistic spirit of bodhicitta, awakened heart-mind.

—Tsoknyi Rinpoche, "Noble Wishes"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 15/08/2016

“Sempre digo que a última prova da universidade dos relacionamentos é poder amar, mesmo quando o outro não te ama. O sol te ilumina, independentemente do que você pensa sobre ele. A água sacia a sua sede, independentemente do que você pensa sobre ela. Em algum momento, o ser humano desenvolve essa qualidade e se torna o amor, pois esse é o seu destino. Tornar-se o amor significa ter essa qualidade do sol e da água - significa amar desinteressadamente.”

“Siempre digo que la última prueba de la universidad de las relaciones es poder amar, incluso cuando el otro no te ama. El sol te ilumina, independientemente de lo que piensas sobre él. El agua sacia tu sed, independientemente de lo que piensas sobre ella. En algún momento, el ser humano desarrolla esa cualidad y se vuelve el amor, porque ese es tu destino. Volverte el amor significa tener esa cualidad del sol y del agua – significa amar desinteresadamente.”

“The last exam in the University of Relationships is to be able to love, even when the other does not love you in return. The sun shines on everyone, regardless of what they think about it. Similarly, water quenches everyone’s thirst, independently of what they think about it. At a certain moment, the human being develops this quality and becomes love itself, because love is our destiny. To become love means to have the same qualities of the sun and water- it means to love selflessly.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 15, 2016: Happiness Is the Path

Happiness means feeling you are on the right path every moment. You don’t need to arrive at the end of the path in order to be happy.

—Thich Nhat Hanh, "The Heart of the Matter"

Via Ram Dass

August 14, 2016

The way we deal with grief has a lot to do with whether or not the grief heals and strengthens us, or ends up depriving and starving us. We’ve learned a lot of things about grief over the years, like that strong “grin and bear it,” stiff upper lip response to grief which involves denial, and is not an optimum strategy for dealing with a mourning period.

My own reaction to people that are grieving is to really give them a lot of support in grieving, and letting the process run its course. That means not just the grief of the loss of the person, but the grief of the loss of any dream in life, of anything that you’ve invested that was lost. There is a reaction to a loss that is a grieving process, and if you don’t deal with the grieving in a way that is true to your being, it’s untrue. It’s just as untrue to grieve when you’re not feeling it, as to not grieve when you’re feeling it.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 14/08/2016

“Espiritualidade significa desapegar dos pensamentos e perceber a natureza do Ser. Quando a mente silencia, o Ser brilha. Quando isso acontece, nos percebemos como fragmentos de luz. E essa luz que somos, se divide em diferentes raios, que são expressões dela mesma. Entre eles, costumo salientar o perdão, a gratidão e amor desinteressado. Essa é a verdadeira natureza do Ser.”

“Espiritualidad significa desapegarse de los pensamientos y percibir la naturaleza del Ser. Cuando la mente se silencia, el Ser brilla. Cuando eso sucede, nos percibimos como fragmentos de luz. Y esa luz que somos, se divide en diferentes rayos, que son expresiones de ella misma. Entre ellos, acostumbro resaltar el perdón, la gratitud y el amor desinteresado. Esa es la verdadera naturaleza del Ser.”

“Spirituality means to detach from thoughts so that we may perceive the nature of the being. When the mind silences, the being shines. As this occurs, we see ourselves as fragments of light. This light that we are divides into different rays that are expressions of the self. Within these rays, we naturally find the essence of forgiveness, gratitude and selfless love. This is the true nature of the self.”

Via Daily Dharma / August 14, 2016: Ask with Your Bones

In Zen they say that you have to ask with the pores of your skin and the marrow of your bones. A Zen saying points out: Great questioning, great awakening; little questioning, little awakening; no questioning, no awakening.

—Martine Batchelor, "What is This?"

Via JMG: Obama Names Gay US Army Secretary Eric Fanning To Rio Olympics Closing Ceremony Delegation

August 12, 2016 LGBT News, Sports

Via White House press release:

President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to attend the Closing Ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Federative Republic of Brazil. The Closing Ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Federative Republic of Brazil will be held on August 21, 2016.

The delegation will attend athletic events, meet with U.S. athletes, and attend the Closing Ceremony. The Honorable Gina McCarthy, Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, will lead the delegation.

Members of the Presidential Delegation

The Honorable Liliana Ayalde, U.S. Ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil, Department of State

The Honorable Eric Fanning, Secretary of the Army, Department of Defense

Ms. Bess Evans, Senior Associate Director and Senior Policy Advisor, White House Office of Public Engagement and Domestic Policy Council

Ms. Lauren Kelly, Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary, Office of the First Lady

Mr. Jason Collins, Retired NBA Player and Member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition

Ms. Jackie Joyner-Kersee, three-time Olympic gold medalist, one-time Olympic silver medalist, two-time Olympic bronze medalist, women’s heptathlon and long-jump, and Founder of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation

You’ll note that openly gay former NBA player Jason Collins is also a member of the delegation. Billie Jean King was named a delegation member for the 2014 Olympics, which were held in the far less gay-friendly Sochi, Russia. King’s selection was considered a message to Putin about LGBT rights.

Make the jump here to read the original and more on JMG

Via Purple Clover / FB: