 Chanting in the Time of COVID-19
Interview with Kanho Yakushiji by Koshin Paley Ellison |
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Saturday, May 22, 2021
Via Tricycle // Chanting in the Time of COVID-19
Via Daily Dharma: Cultivating a Generous Spirit
Through generosity, we cultivate a generous spirit. Generosity of spirit will usually lead to generosity of action.
—Gil Fronsdal,“The Joy of Giving”
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Friday, May 21, 2021
Via Daily Dharma: Being Present for Our Own Pain
After
recognizing our suffering, we must respond to it with love. This takes
courage and commitment. It means not looking away, not seeking
distractions when offered the opportunity to be present for our own
pain.
—Beth Roth, “Family Dharma: Leaning into Suffering”
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Thursday, May 20, 2021
Via Daily Dharma: Just Being Here
Meditation is just to be here. Not over there. Not longing for something else.
—Steve Hagen, “Looking For Meaning”
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Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Via White Crane Institute // Today's Gay Wisdom
2007 -
TODAY'S GAY WISDOM
From Lorraine Hansberry:
"The oppressed are by their nature ... forever in ferment and agitation against their condition and what they understand to be their oppressors. If not by overt rebellion or revolution, then in the thousand and one ways they will devise with and without consciousness to alter their condition." Lorraine Hansberry
"I wish to live because life has within it that which is good, that which is beautiful and that which is love. Therefore, since I have known all of these things, I have found them to be reason enough and—I wish to live. Moreover, because this is so, I wish others to live for generations and generations and generations."
"We only revert back to mystical ideas - which includes most contemporary orthodox religious views, in my opinion - because we simply are confronted with some things we don't yet understand."
"There is always something left to love. And if you ain't learned that, you ain't learned nothing. Have you cried for that boy today? I don't mean for yourself and for the family 'cause we lost the money. I mean for him; what he's been through and what it done to him. Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most; when they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain't through learning -- because that ain't the time at all. It's when he's at his lowest and can't believe in hisself 'cause the world done whipped him so. When you starts measuring somebody, measure him right child, measure him right. Make sure you done taken into account what hills and valleys he come through before he got to wherever he is. [from Raisin in the Sun]"
Via GBF // René Rivera - HEARTS
HEARTS –
· Here (present and connected)
· Expressed delight
· Attunement
· Rituals and routines
· Turning towards after conflict
· Secure attachment with self
Thank you, René
Rivera!
Via Daily Dharma: Sensations that Arise and Pass Away
If
the mind labels a pain, saying, “I hurt,” you have to examine the label
carefully, contemplate it until you see that it’s wrong: the pain isn’t
really yours. It’s simply a sensation that arises and passes away,
that’s all.
—Upasika Kee Nanayon, “Tough Teachings to Ease the Mind”
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Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation // Words of Wisdom - May 19, 2021 💌
From the soul’s point of view, you come to appreciate that each one of
us is living out his or her own karma. We interact together, and those
interactions are the grist for each other’s mill of awakening. From a
personality point of view, you develop judgment, but from the soul’s
point of view, you develop appreciation.
This shift from judging to appreciating — to appreciating yourself and
what your karmic predicament is, and who other beings are with their own
karma — brings everything into a simple loving awareness. To be free
means to open your heart and your being to the fullness of who you are
because only when you are resting in the place of unity can you truly
honor and appreciate others and the incredible diversity of the
universe.
- Ram Dass -
Excerpt from Polishing the Mirror: How to Live from Your Spiritual Heart
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Via Daily Dharma: Seeing the Truth of Each Moment
Mindfulness
practice enables us to go beneath the surface level of our
moment-to-moment life experiences, which are clouded with emotions and
habitual thinking, and allows us to see the truth of what is happening.
—Phillip Moffitt, “The Mindfulness of the Buddha”
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Monday, May 17, 2021
VIa Prefeitura de Ouro Preto // DIGA NÃO A HOMOFOBIA!
Infelizmente ainda hoje muitos ataques são realizados, sendo eles verbais ou físicos. O ex- participante do reality show Big Brother Brasil, que é conhecido por todos como Gil do Vigor, sofreu ataques homofobicos após uma visita ao estádio de futebol do seu time, Sport.
Esse é apenas um dos casos que acontecem diariamente no Brasil e no mundo e, muitos deles nem são conhecidos, por serem sofridos por pessoas anônimas.
Hoje, 17 de maio, é o Dia Internacional Contra a Homofobia; data esta destinada à conscientização, evolução, amor, respeito, luta e fim de todo o preconceito.
"Neste dia de combate à LGBTfobia que seja mais do que tudo, um dia de reflexão. O Brasil é um dos países que mais mata pessoas LGBT no mundo e estar vivo é ainda o nosso maior ato de resistência. Não deveria ser assim. Homofobia é crime!"
Gil do Vigor
Sunday, May 16, 2021
#344 How to Handle Anger, Uncertainty, and Self-Loathing | Mushim Patricia Ikeda
•1:15:09
#344: How to Handle Anger, Uncertainty, and Self-Loathing | Mushim Patricia Ikeda
When somebody wrongs you, what is the wise way to handle your anger? Is forgiveness possible? What about friendliness? My guest today has a lot of thoughts about how to handle anger and how to respond to people who mean you harm.
It might surprise you to hear from a Buddhist teacher who actually isn’t utterly disparaging of anger. In fact, she is proud (somewhat facetiously) of having been called “the original Angry Asian Buddhist.” Her name is Mushim Patricia Ikeda, and she is my kind of Buddhist. She self-describes as “snarky,” and, as you will hear, she loves to laugh. She has doable, down-to-earth strategies, and she makes a compelling, if counterintuitive, case for the pragmatism of sending goodwill to people who want to harm you.
Mushim is a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center. She is a writer, activist, and diversity consultant. She has trained for decades as both a lay and monastic Buddhist. Aside from anger, we also discuss how to handle uncertainty, and what Mushim calls a “pandemic of self-loathing” in our culture. But we begin with some candid talk about the trauma of being an Asian-American during a time of rising violence against the AAPI community.
This is the second in a two-part series on the uptick in anti-Asian violence -- a trend that should be particularly worrisome for this audience, given the Asian roots of meditation and many of the other happiness-producing modalities we talk about on this show. If you missed it, go check out Monday’s episode, where we explore the history of anti-Buddhist and anti-Asian violence in America (which started decades before the pandemic), and the hurt felt by many Asian-American Buddhists about how they can be overlooked by other American Buddhists, including, sometimes, me.
Two other items of business: first, are you interested in teaching mindfulness to teens? Looking to carve your own path and share this practice in a way that feels real, authentic, and relevant in today’s world? Our friends at iBme are accepting applications for their Mindfulness Teacher Training program - catered towards working with teens and young adults. The last round of applications are due May 15th and scholarships are available. For more information and to apply, check out: https://ibme.com/mindfulness-teacher-training/.
And second, we want to recognize and deeply thank mental health professionals for all you do. For a year's FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources, visit: https://www.tenpercent.com/mentalhealth.
Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/mushim-patricia-ikeda-344
Via Daily Dharma: Letting Ourselves Rest
In
order to have a clearer sense of what the mind is like, we need to
become comfortable letting ourselves, and our mind, rest with ease.
—Justin von Bujdoss, “Tilopa’s Six Nails”
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Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation // Words of Wisdom - May 16, 2021 💌
When talking about awareness, most of us identify with our awareness
through the ego, through the mind and senses. But the true self is in
the middle of our chest, in our spiritual heart.
So, to get from ego to the true self I said: “I am loving awareness.”
Loving awareness is the soul. I am loving awareness. I am aware of
everything, I’m aware of my body and my senses and my mind, I’m aware of
all of it, but I notice that I’m loving all of it. I’m loving all of
the world. The self that I identify with emanates from the ocean of
love. The self that is the ego is the ocean of fear.
When I am loving awareness I’m aware of everything outside, but pulling
into the heart, the spiritual heart brings me to loving awareness. I’m
aware of my thoughts, but loving awareness is simply witnessing them.
And loving awareness is in the moment. I have thoughts about the past
and future, and those are not helpful, so I dive deep into the present
and the presence and in this present moment we will find loving
awareness.
Only this moment is real, this moment of loving awareness. The past and the future are all just thoughts.
-Ram Dass -
Saturday, May 15, 2021
Via Daily Dharma: Releasing Our Expectations
We
have endless expectations that our experience will go a certain way,
and these expectations are almost inevitably foiled... Zen Buddhist
practice asks us to sit with and try to accept that incongruity, rather
than strain against it.
—Mike Gillis, “Cringing Toward Compassion”
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
VIA White Crane Institute // 2018 - TODAY'S GAY WISDOM
GIVE UP!
15 Things To Give Up To Be Happy
- Give up the need to always be right
There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?
- Give up the need for control
Be willing to
give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and
around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved
ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow
them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you
will see how much better will that make you feel.“By
letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go.
But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu
- Give up on blame
Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.
- Give up self-defeating self-talk
Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.
“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle
- Give up limiting beliefs
…about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!
“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle
- Give up complaining
Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.
- Give up the luxury of criticism
Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.
- Give up the need to impress others
Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.
- Give up resistance to change
Change
is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you
make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you.
Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell
- Give up labels
Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer
- Give up on fears
Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place. “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Give up excuses
Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.
- Give up the past
I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.
- Give up attachment
This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at it with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another, attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.
- Give up living life to other people’s expectations
Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves. You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.
Mindrolling – Raghu Markus – Ep. 392 – We’re All Still Here with Krishna Das, Daniel Goleman, & Rameshwar Das
Friday, May 14, 2021
Via White Crane Institute // This Day in Gay History May 14 Born
1868 -
The great German physician, sexologist, and Gay Rights advocate MAGNUS HIRSHFELD was both born and died on this day (1868-1935). Known as "the Einstein of Sex" he is credited with developing the theory of a third, "intermediate sex" between men and women. In 1897, Hirschfeld founded the Scientific Humanitarian Committee, which gathered over 5000 signatures from prominent Germans for a petition to overturn Paragraph 175, the section of the German penal code that criminalized homosexuality (founded on this date as well -- see below). In 1921 He organized the First Congress for Sexual Reform, which led to the formation of the World League for Sexual Reform.
Hirschfeld co-wrote and acted in the 1919 film "Anders als die Andern" ("Different From the Others"), which featured the first homosexual character ever written for cinema. It was released a few years ago on DVD and still offers a fascinating view from the time. He also founded the Institute for Sexual Research which featured an immense library on sex and provided educational services and medical consultations.
The writers Christopher Isherwood & W.H. Auden both visited the institute while in Germany. When the Nazis took power, one of their first actions was to destroy the Institute and burn the library. At that time Hirschfeld was away from Germany on a speaking tour. He died in Nice on his 67th birthday in 1935, while in exile from his native Germany in Nice, France.
The word "transsexual" was coined by Dr. Hirschfeld to describe the phenomenon that he argued was a natural extension of human sexuality. His philosophy centered on the contention that there was a third sex, called the Uranian, which was neither male nor female, but a combination of both that was manifested in homosexuality, which was not to be considered an impure deviation, or even as an illness, but as a natural and phenomenal component of human nature.
For his work, the Nazis targeted Dr. Hirschfeld as an example of Jewish influence infecting the purity of the German people, luring the Aryan race into impure and destructive perversity. He was ultimately driven into exile and burned in effigy as an emblem of evil. The slogan with which he began his speeches, "Uranians of the World, Unite!" was not to be realized until our own time.
Via Daily Dharma: Breathing In and Breathing Out
There has to be breathing in as well as breathing out. We need to have both the active and the contemplative.
—Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, “Three Kinds of Laziness”
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
—Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, “Three Kinds of Laziness”
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Thursday, May 13, 2021
Via White Crane Institute // ARMISTEAD MAUPIN
1944 -
Today is the birthday of writer, serialist and national treasure ARMISTEAD MAUPIN (1944). Maupin is most famous for his six book "Tales of the City" series of books. The first were originally published in serial forms in Bay Area newspapers. His later novels include "The Night Listener" and "Maybe The Moon" and 2009's "Michael Tolliver Lives." His name, coincidentally, is an anagram of "is a man I dreamt up."
It’s a busy life for The Wonderful Mr. Maupin with a brand spanking new musical based on Tales of the City. And PBS just featured a delightful documentary, The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin, He is married to Christopher Turner. His most recent book revisits his beloved characters from Tales, The Days of Anna Madrigal. New York: Harper. 2014. ISBN 978-0062196248.
For more on Armistead Maupin, and maybe to send him a birthday greeting, visit his website at http://www.armisteadmaupin.
Happy Birthday Armistead. Long may you wave!
Via Daily Dharma: Conjuring Love
When we are able to arouse love in our hearts without any cause, just because love is the heart’s quality, we feel secure.
—Ayya Khema, “What Love Is”
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Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Via Lion's Roar // DIY Dharma: You Have Everything You Need
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| DIY Dharma: You Have Everything You Need | ||
| Interested
in beginning a meditation practice but don’t know where to begin? You
have a mind, body, thoughts, and a natural bent toward awakening. |
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Via Lion's Roar // What Is Sangha?
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| What Is Sangha? | ||
Thich Nhat Hanh explains that sangha is more than a community, it’s a deep spiritual practice. |
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Via Tricycle // Dream Yoga
Dream Yoga
With Andrew Holecek
Now available for self-study
With Andrew Holecek
Now available for self-study
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Via Daily Dharma: Free from Like and Dislike
In
a moment of real struggle not to give in to the body’s desire, a new
awareness can appear—an awareness that is neither attracted nor
repulsed, that is separate and free from the forces of like and dislike.
—Stuart Smithers, “Losing Our Bodies, Losing Our Minds”
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
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