Labels: Christianists, HomoQuotable, LGBT rights, Matt Stolhandske, Oregon, public accommodations, religion, WaPo
Saturday, October 18, 2014
JMG HomoQuotable - Matt Stolhandske
Flower of the Day: 10/18/14
“Many
of the games of our lower nature which cause destruction in our lives
and in the lives of those around us come from our inability to feel
gratitude. Ingratitude results from a lack of understanding about the
game of life. This feeds the victim within us who sees fault in
absolutely everything, not just in difficult unpleasant situations, but
also in the good things of life. One of the main characteristics of the
victim is complaining and lamenting. This turns into an addiction which
is oftentimes more powerful than even the addiction to chemical
substances.”
Sri Prem Baba
Via Daily Dharma
Defining Emptiness | October 18, 2014
Emptiness simply means an absence of
reactivity. When you relate to somebody, there's not you and me
and your little mind running its little comparisons and judgments. When
those are gone, that is emptiness.
- Charlotte Joko Beck, "Life's Not a Problem"
Friday, October 17, 2014
Flower of the Day: 10/17/14
“We
see reality subjectively, since we look at it through colored lenses
that distort our perception. These lenses are our mistaken ideas and
false beliefs. For example, say that your mother was betrayed and
therefore became resentful. She might have then transmitted her belief
to you that ‘men cannot be trusted because they betray you.’
Consequently, you would end up attracting men who cheat on you, because
your energy was vibrating at this frequency and these beliefs acted like
magnets. When you look at men you always become suspicious, and this
activates the worst in them. That’s how we confirm our beliefs and
maintain our limited perception of reality.”
Sri Prem Baba
Via Daily Dharma
The Principle of Renunciation | October 17, 2014
The principle of renunciation is not to
encourage a state of lack, but to establish as complete a state of
simplicity as possible.
- Ajaan Amaro, "Just Another Thing in the Forest"
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Flower of the Day: 10/16/14
“Maturity
comes from comprehension. Growing spiritually means increasing your
understanding of things. A mature person is someone who understands, and
this understanding allows him or her to accept the game of life. In
this way, they can experience peace and silence, calmness and
tranquility.”
Sri Prem Baba
A buddy of mine posted this on another post:
In relation to a discussion about the Catholic Church possibly becoming more tolerant my Gay Baha'i amigo, Gary wrote:
In the end, all the very conservative religions and political parties are going to have to make a decision whether they want to cater to old people who are dying off or young people of the progressive future. The answer is, of course, obvious, but not to them. Because until now, the older fearful bigoted population was larger and more powerful. So they unwisely catered to that group (short term thinking, which also infects western capitalists). For greedy short-term easy gain, they made the worst possible long-term choice, to be conservative rather the progressive (which is what religion is supposed to be). And in doing so, they have made themselves irrelevant. And they may very well go out of business because of their refusal to adapt to an evolving world. Just like the guy who refused to stop betting on buggy whips when the automobile was first introduced. My own life is a perfect example of this huge mistake made by religion. My religion belittled and scorned me, despite my lifelong devotion to it. So I drifted away to be my true self, at a time when most of society also scorned me. And now all these years later, much of society has come around to accept me, but not my religion. In the meantime, my ordeal taught me I actually prefer my life without the religion. My life is actually much better. So now, even if the religion were to catch up with society, I would not go back. I am just one example. I can only imagine how many others have been similarly impacted by this process. It's too bad religions and political conservatives got themselves caught up on the wrong side of history in the gay civil rights movement, but they did, and they did knowing full well what the repercussions would be and they were also sufficiently warned; they did it anyway. They now will pay the price.
In the end, all the very conservative religions and political parties are going to have to make a decision whether they want to cater to old people who are dying off or young people of the progressive future. The answer is, of course, obvious, but not to them. Because until now, the older fearful bigoted population was larger and more powerful. So they unwisely catered to that group (short term thinking, which also infects western capitalists). For greedy short-term easy gain, they made the worst possible long-term choice, to be conservative rather the progressive (which is what religion is supposed to be). And in doing so, they have made themselves irrelevant. And they may very well go out of business because of their refusal to adapt to an evolving world. Just like the guy who refused to stop betting on buggy whips when the automobile was first introduced. My own life is a perfect example of this huge mistake made by religion. My religion belittled and scorned me, despite my lifelong devotion to it. So I drifted away to be my true self, at a time when most of society also scorned me. And now all these years later, much of society has come around to accept me, but not my religion. In the meantime, my ordeal taught me I actually prefer my life without the religion. My life is actually much better. So now, even if the religion were to catch up with society, I would not go back. I am just one example. I can only imagine how many others have been similarly impacted by this process. It's too bad religions and political conservatives got themselves caught up on the wrong side of history in the gay civil rights movement, but they did, and they did knowing full well what the repercussions would be and they were also sufficiently warned; they did it anyway. They now will pay the price.
Dazzled by Technology | October 16, 2014
People today are dazzled by advances in
science and technology and take human progress to be identical with
scientific discovery. This is the fundamental group stupidity of our
modern times. We must clearly distinguish between scientific advancement
and human progress.
- Kosho Uchiyama, "The Chimera of Human Advancement"
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Via Daily Dharma
Touching Enlightenment | October 15, 2014
My sense is that there is a very real
problem among Western Buddhist practitioners. We are attempting to
practice meditation and to follow a spiritual path in a disembodied
state, and our practice is therefore doomed to failure. The full
benefits and fruition of meditation cannot be experienced or enjoyed
when we are not grounded in our bodies.
- "Touching Enlightenment," Reggie Ray
Flower of the Day: 10/15/14
"The mantra Prabhu Ap Jago
is a ripe fruit from the tree of consciousness. Its power is
impressive when it is sung from the heart. It is a fragrance of the
Being, imbued with notes of compassion. This is a prayer that comes from
the depths of one’s emotional center. It is a request for God to awaken
in everyone, everywhere, and to illuminate the game of joy."
Sri Prem Baba
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
A ‘Pastoral Earthquake’: Catholic Church Proposes Extraordinary Shift On Gays And Lesbians
CREDIT: AP
A panel of high-ranking Catholic officials has proposed a dramatic change in the way the church treats gays and lesbians. The group of Cardinals, known as a synod, suggested the church is capable of “valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine.”
The document was called a “pastoral eathquake” by John Thavis, a prominent journalist who covers the Vatican. It was produced by Pope Francis’s ongoing extraordinary synod on the family. That group previously polled Catholics about their opinions on issues including same-sex marriage, divorce, and contraception. The document produced by the synod, however, does not represent a formal change in church policy.
To read the full article make the jump here
Flower of the Day: 10/14/14
"Sanatana dharma
is the path to enlightenment, the way of the eternal religion, which
leaves us some inheritances. These act like footprints of love that
serve as a map, a guide to the path of the heart. All the names and
forms of the Divine I allude to refer to the higher self that inhabits
each one of us. They’re like frequencies of light. Just as white light
is composed of all the colors of the rainbow, the higher self consists
of many aspects that act as virtues or qualities of the Being. Such
virtues are emanations of the same Being. They are scents of the
fragrance of love."
Sri Prem Baba
Via Daily Dharma
Discovering Truth | October 14, 2014
Trees bend and birds are tossed high.
Lives are thrown onto new courses by the spiritual tide. In our ordinary
struggles with life and our interminable retreat into the
compulsiveness of ordinary being, if we can look honestly, we may
experience our religious sense as fully as in many high-flown writings.
Looking deeply at our foolishness, we discover truth.
- Caroline Brazier, "Discovering Truth"
Monday, October 13, 2014
Via Daily Dharma
Not What You Think | October 13, 2014
The early teachings deconstruct many
habitual ways of being and seeing. We think we’re permanent, but we’re
not. We think that by craving things we’ll find happiness, but we won’t.
One after another the Buddha challenges our established views, our ways
of constructing our version of the world, and takes them apart: you
think it’s one way but it’s not; you want an answer, but the problem is
your very wanting of an answer.
- Henry Shukman, “The Unfamiliar Familiar”
Flower of the Day: 10/13/14
"I
have called your attention to this cycle of time we are living in. I
have almost no words to express the characteristics of this period;
suffice it to say that it’s a very strange or different period. We are
entering the peak of Parivartan, the great planetary
transformation, so fasten your seatbelts, for we are entering
turbulence. Tightening one’s seatbelt means becoming steadfast in one’s sadhana,
one’s spiritual practice, because everything will shake. At the same
time, we are having wonderful opportunities to serve and to grow in all
aspects."
Sri Prem Baba
Via JMG: UPDATED: Wikipedia Marriage Map
Labels: Alaska, marriage, United States
Via JMG/ Comments:
Top 10 schadenfreude marriage equality states (so far):
1. Utah (LDS)
2. Virginia (Matt Barber, Liberty U., so many others)
3. Oklahoma (Sally Kern)
4. California (Frank Schubert, Randy Thomasson, many others, prop 8 voters)
5. Alaska (Palins)
6. Illinois (Peter LaBarbarian)
7. Massachusetts (MassResistance)
8. North Carolina (a whollllle lotta folks)
9. Hawaii (5000 speakers at the House hearings)
10. Colorado (James Dobson)
More to come, including Mississippi & Texas!
Via JMG/ Comments:
Top 10 schadenfreude marriage equality states (so far):
1. Utah (LDS)
2. Virginia (Matt Barber, Liberty U., so many others)
3. Oklahoma (Sally Kern)
4. California (Frank Schubert, Randy Thomasson, many others, prop 8 voters)
5. Alaska (Palins)
6. Illinois (Peter LaBarbarian)
7. Massachusetts (MassResistance)
8. North Carolina (a whollllle lotta folks)
9. Hawaii (5000 speakers at the House hearings)
10. Colorado (James Dobson)
More to come, including Mississippi & Texas!
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Flower of the Day: 10/12/14
"As
you cultivate silence, even if it may be in one-minute intervals, you
begin to lord over your mind, until you are able to abandon it and use
it only when necessary. You can use the mind to make calculations or
plan your day, but should be able to let it rest when it is not needed.
This is the key to freedom."
Sri Prem Baba
Via Daily Dharma
What to Do When Anger Gets Hot | October 12, 2014
Americans think it is beneficial to
‘get in touch with’ their anger. That’s just the first step—recognizing
your anger. The second step is analyzing and meditating on your anger.
- Ngawang Gelek Demo Rinpoche, “What to Do When the Anger Gets Hot”
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Via Daily Dharma
The Science of Enlightenment | October 11, 2014
It is tempting for teachers to leverage
the prestige and power of science to promote a particular religious
view. Scientists used to quote scripture. Now religious leaders quote
scientific theories!
- Brad Marston, “The Science of Enlightenment”
Flower of the Day: 10/11/14
"We
want to sustain the idea of 'me' and 'mine,' and to maintain what we
call the ego. We want to keep our story, however miserable it may be,
because it is our story, and gives us some sense of identity.
But getting closer to a spiritual master means giving up this story of
ours, or at least beginning a new story, which is now based on the
present, not the past. Therefore, becoming a disciple actually means
being reborn."
Sri Prem Baba
Friday, October 10, 2014
Flower of the Day: 10/10/14
"Transformation
refers to a structural change that is possible only when we are able to
identify the fragmented parts of our personality. This occurs when we
predispose ourselves to studying these parts of our personality,
understanding that they are there to protect us from pain. When we
realize how attached we are to the negative pleasure they activate, a
pleasure that keeps us repeating negative actions, then we create the
conditions for the transformation to take place."
Sri Prem Baba
The Moon Reflected on the Water | October 10, 2014
Enlightenment is like the moon
reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water
broken. Although its light is wide and great, the moon is reflected even
in a puddle an inch wide. The whole moon and the entire sky are
reflected in dewdrops on the grass, or even in one drop of water.
- Eihei Dogen, "Genjokoan"
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Flower of the Day: 10/09/14
"Another
way to understand karma is as the traces that we leave behind. It is
our open accounts: the words unspoken or feelings unexpressed. Presence
is the master key, because only through presence can we act without
leaving a trace. If there are still traces left, then it isn’t possible
to merge with the ocean and free ourselves. We have to erase all of our
traces by settling our open accounts with all others. This is why I have
been focusing on the work of reconciliation."
Sri Prem Baba
Via Daily Dharma
The Power of Custom | October 9, 2014
That the Buddhist religion has survived
so long in the world is a result not so much of the durability of
manuscripts as of the power of ideas embodied in custom; and custom, for
all our abundant sources of information, is what we lack and cannot in
the long run do without.
- Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano, "Selective Wisdom"
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Flower of the Day: 10/08/14
"Divine
justice makes use of human injustice to bring about the ultimate
justice. The human mind, although it is a great power, has its
limitations. One of the aspects of the mind is memory, but human memory
is flawed. We send out an invitation and forget we sent it, so that when
the guests arrive we don’t think we invited them. This limitation
prevents us from noticing the relationship between cause and effect. But
there is no effect without a cause."
Sri Prem Baba
The Presence of Beauty | October 8, 2014
Thomas Aquinas said that beauty arrests
motion. He meant, I think, that in the presence of something gorgeous
or sublime, we stop our nervous natterings, our foot twitchings and
restless tongues. Whatever that fretful hunger is, it seems momentarily
filled in the presence of beauty.
- Barbara Hurd, "On Silence"
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Via JMG: Human Rights Campaign Inducts 19 Members Of Congress Into Hall Of Shame
“If you want to understand why LGBT equality has hit a roadblock in Congress, you don't need to look any further than these leaders of anti-LGBT obstruction and animus,” said David Stacy, HRC’s Government Affairs Director. “These members go out of their way to oppose any step toward equal protection under the law or to protect LGBT Americans from violence, discrimination and harassment. They proactively work to undermine existing legal protections and promote anti-LGBT discrimination.”The only Democrat on the list, Rep. Mike McIntrye, has signed Rep. Randy Weber's laughably doomed bill that would limit the federal government to only recognizing same-sex marriages that are legally conducted in the state where the married couple resides. McIntrye is retiring after the current term.
Released in advance of the HRC Scorecard for the 113th Congress, HRC identified these elected officials as the most anti-equality members of Congress by looking at their voting records in this and previous Congresses, their introduction and co-sponsorships of anti-LGBT legislation, and their public statements. While there are other anti-LGBT members of Congress, these elected officials’ legislative actions, votes and anti-LGBT vitriol unfortunately marks them with a modern day scarlet letter.
Labels: GOP, HRC, Jeff Sessions, LGBT rights, Louie Gohmert, Michele Bachmann, Mike Lee, Randy Weber, Steve King, Tea Party, teabaggers, Ted Cruz, Tim Huelskamp
Via JMG: UPDATED: Wikipedia Marriage Map
UPDATE: JMG reader Bill directs us to the Flag Of Equal Marriage, which after today will be adding more stars.
Reposted from Joe Jervis
Flower of the Day: 10/07/14
"It
would be tremendously positive for the evolution of human consciousness
if parents were aware of the significance of bringing a child into the
world. I have inspired people to see children as Atma, the divine spirit in development. Although the child is in a body, they have the spark of Parmatma,
the supreme ineffable Absolute, and they have much to teach us. The
child arrives on this plane with a well-defined purpose. They already
arrive with their talents, and with a vision to share with the world.
What they need is support so that this vision may be revealed."
Sri Prem Baba
Via Daily Dharma
What Haiku Requires | October 7, 2014
[Basho] practiced Zen without insignia
or ordination. Every decade he experienced a catastrophic reordering of
his life. 'Let my name be "Traveler,"' he implored, following the narrow
road of poetry to the far north. He shattered clever wordplay haiku to
create a new mosaic of language, solitary and raw. 'The old verse can be
about willows,' he observed, 'but haiku requires crows picking snails
in a rice paddy.'
- Wendy Johnson, "Seventeen Syllable Medicine"
Monday, October 6, 2014
Via Vestiário / FB: Luciana Genro
Luciana Genro, você sempre agradece a sua repercussão. Hoje, você teve pouco mais de 1,5 milhão de votos.
Na verdade, somos nós que temos que te agradecer, e muito, por ter olhado com carinho e defendido com amor a gente. Num país tão homofóbico como o Brasil, você foi a nossa esperança.
Valeu!
Via Daily Dharma
On Transience | October 6, 2014
The photograph reflects a moment that
is happening out in the world, and also one that is happening in the
minds of the photographer and the viewer. The fact that the moment is
fleeting and will never get repeated adds to its appeal. A photograph
acknowledges this transience. The best ones attach meaning to it.
- David Butow, "Seeing Buddha: A Photographic Journey"
Flower of the Day: 10/06/14
"You
are not the body, nor are you the mind. But as long as you are
identified with the body and the mind, you become a victim of compulsive
desires. Desire is a bottomless pit. The point is not to fulfill one
desire or another, but to stop desiring altogether. Satisfying a desire
is simple. The question is: how long does the contentment that comes
from fulfilling this desire last? Behind that desire is a devouring
fire, an unceasing desire. There is a disconnect with the source."
Sri Prem Baba
Via JMG: TAIWAN: Thousands Of Gay Marriage Supporters Demonstrate In Taipei
Via AsiaOne News:
RELATED: In December 2013 a massive crowd in the tens of thousands marched against same-sex marriage in Taipei. American anti-gay sites, including NOM, claimed that the crowd numbered as many as 300,000. Homocon Robert Oscar Lopez is praised the protest on his blog, English Manif.
Reposted from Joe Jervis
An alliance of more than one hundred non-governmental organisations yesterday staged a rally outside the Legislative Yuan urging the government to complete the necessary amendments that will pave the way for the legalization of gay marriage. Dubbed the "rainbow siege," reports indicate that more than 4,000 members of the public participated in yesterday's demonstration at the Legislative Yuan. Demonstrators attached 112 padlocks symbolizing the strangleholds of homophobic opinions labelled with the names of lawmakers on the gates of the Legislative Yuan facing Qingdao East Road. In response to the appeals of activists, 21 lawmakers accepted the invitation to unlock and remove the padlocks with "keys of equality." Demonstration organizers stated that among the 21 lawmakers openly expressing their support for equal marriage rights yesterday, four are aligned to the ruling party while 14 are from the opposition party, with two being independent lawmakers.The leader of Taiwan's opposition party has announced a public hearing on marriage equality later this month. Same-sex marriage is not presently legal anywhere in Asia, unless you count New Zealand. (Tipped by JMG reader Lulu)
RELATED: In December 2013 a massive crowd in the tens of thousands marched against same-sex marriage in Taipei. American anti-gay sites, including NOM, claimed that the crowd numbered as many as 300,000. Homocon Robert Oscar Lopez is praised the protest on his blog, English Manif.
Via JMG: BREAKING: SCOTUS Denies Review In All Seven Marriage Equality Cases
The Supreme Court refused to get involved in the national debate over same-sex marriage Monday, leaving intact lower court rulings that will legalize the practice in 11 additional states. The unexpected decision by the justices, announced without further explanation, immediately affects five states in which federal appeals courts had struck down bans against gay marriage: Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Utah.
It also will bring along six other states located in the judicial circuits overseen by those appellate courts: North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming. The action will bring to 30 the number of states where gays and lesbians can marry. Appeals courts in Cincinnati and San Francisco are considering cases that could expand that number further, presuming the Supreme Court remains outside the legal fray.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Via JMG: HomoQuotable - Frank Bruni
Via JMG: Engage!
Via Reddit: "I proposed to my boyfriend yesterday on the bridge of the Enterprise, he said yes and I couldn't be happier." (Tipped by JMG reader Ray)
Reposted from Joe Jervis 
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