Tuesday, January 21, 2014

JMG Headline Of The Day


 
Via Oregon Live:
State labor investigators have determined a Gresham bakery violated the civil rights of a same-sex couple when it refused to make a cake for the women's wedding. The Bureau of Labor and Industries said Friday that it has wrapped up its investigation into Sweet Cakes by Melissa. Spokesman Charlie Burr said investigators found substantial evidence the bakery unlawfully discriminated against the couple based on their sexual orientation. Oregon law bans discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in jobs and in places that serve the public, such as restaurants and bakeries. The controversial case began a year ago. Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowman of Portland say they were denied a wedding cake by the bakery's owners, who cited their own religious beliefs. Cryer and Bowman, who are domestic partners, soon lodged a complaint with the state. The state will now oversee a conciliation process between the two parties to see if a settlement can be reached. If not, the labor bureau may pursue charges before an administrative law judge.
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Reposted FromJoe Jervis

Via Daily Kos / FB:


Monday, January 20, 2014

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma January 20, 2014

Remembering MLK

We are caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality. . . . Strangely enough I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the way the world is made.
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "A Sangha by Another Name"
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Sunday, January 19, 2014

Samantabhadra


The Bodhisattva of Universal Worthy

     With Samanta meaning "universally extending" and Bhadra meaning "great virtue" the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra extends his virtue and compassion to all sentient beings.  Samantabhadra is known as the Bodhisattva of "Universal Worthy" as his virtue is that of a sage's.  As a cosmic entity, Samatabhadra is the embodyment of all Bodhisattva practices and merits indispensable in the attainment of Buddhahood. 

The Importance of the Lotus Sutra

     The Lotus Sutra is compossed of 28 chapters. There are two broad themes to the Lotus sutra, the first being found in the first fourteen chapters. The first fourteen chapters are meant to explain the reality of intrinsic commonalities that occur in human beings, while the remaining chapters describe the eternalness of the Buddha. (www.nshi.org/Buddisme/English%20Buddhisme/Lotus-And-Buddha.htm) The Lotus Sutra is the only sutra that promises the salvation of women, therefore it was a central part of the Japanese women's religion. According to other sutras, the only way for a woman to reach enlightenment would be for her to be reborn as a man, which is why this particular sutra was so important. Fugen was believed to be the protector of those who were devoted to the Lotus Sutra, so Fugen became an important figure to all women and their prayers (http://wsu.edu/~dee/ANCJAPAN/WOMEN.HTM). Like many other sutras, the Lotus Sutra can be recited and copied to pay alms by both men and women (http://news.fjnet.com/english/sutra/t20060617_29976.htm). Listen to the video below if you would like to hear the Lotus Sutra chanted.
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The Ten Great Vows 
Samantabhadra contributed to the Avatamsaka sutra, which recites the practices of Bodhisattvas and the merits of the Buddhist teaching.  In the sutra, the Bodhisattva Samatabhadra teaches a student how wisdom is only present as long as it benefits everyone.  In his teaching he recites ten great vows that he uses to guide himself to enlightenment.  The Ten Great Vows included:

  1. To pay homage and respect to all Buddhas  
  2. To praise all the Buddhas  
  3. To make extensive offerings to all the Buddhas 
  4. To repent misdeeds and evil karmas
  5. To rejoice in others' merits and virtues
  6. To request the Buddhas to continue teaching (Turning the wheel of Dharma) 
  7. To request the Buddhas to remain in the world 
  8. To always follow Buddha's teachings 
  9. To accommodate and benefit all living beings 
  10. To dedicate all merits for the welfare of all living beings   

The first eight vows guide one to enlightenment through oneself; while the last two vows are drawn out to help others reach enlightenment.  The first vow is to show respect to all buddhas for their wisdom and compassion.  The second refers to Samantabhadra’s belief that there are infinite number of Buddhas and how all should be praised for their virtues.  The third is to make offerings like food or flowers to the Buddhas.  However, Samatabhadra stated that the most valuable offering is to practice the teachings of the Buddha so everyone can benefit.  In the fourth vow, Samatabhadra identifies how everyone has sinned from thoughts, words, or actions throughout their past lives. So, it is best to repent these sins by commiting one's self to not make the same mistakes.  With the fifth vow, Samantabhadra proposed to benefit from others merits and share the Buddhist teachings.  The sixth is intended to ensure that the Buddhist teachings will continues to be passed on.  The seventh vow is for the Buddhas to remain in the world so they would be able to guide more individuals.  By always following the Buddha’s teaching in the eighth vow, people are able to attain enlightenment by taking the Buddha’s same path.  The ninth is meant for all living beings to be able to live in harmony.  Finally, the last vow is designed to save all living beings by gaining merits from following the first nine vows.
  
 
For his dedication to the Buddhist teachings and through his Ten Great Vows, Samantabhara also became known as the Bodhsattva of Extensive Conduct.  As well as, Samantabhadra’s vows have become a common practice in East Asian Buddhism and have been used regularly for morning rituals.  The Ten Great Vows have even become basic guidelines for bodhisattvas.  

http://www.manjushri.com/Buddha-List/Samantabhadra.html 


 Samantabdhadra Mantra 

adaṇḍe daṇḍapati daṇḍa-āvartani daṇḍa-kuśale daṇḍa-sudhāri 

sudhārapati buddhapaśyane sarvadhāraṇi 

āvartani saṁvartani saṅgha-parīkṣite saṅgha-nirghātani 

dharma-parīkṣite sarva-sattva ruta kauśalya-anugate 

siṁha-vikrīḍite anuvarte vartani vartāli svāhā 




Namo Buddhaya!


The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal god and avoid dogmas and theology. Covering both the natural and spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. ~ Albert Einstein 

Namo Buddhaya

How Coming Out Heals Your Life


Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma January 19, 2014

Mindful Resolution

The Buddha encouraged us to think of the good things done for us by our parents, by our teachers, friends, whomever; and to do this intentionally, to cultivate it, rather than just letting it happen accidentally.
- Ajahn Sumedho, “The Gift of Gratitude”
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 20, 2014
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Saturday, January 18, 2014

Via Tricycle Daily Dharma

Tricycle Daily Dharma January 18, 2014

Peace is Possible

Peace is possible, here and now. If peace were as much a priority as, say, economic expansion, there would be peace. There’s no lofty Buddhist philosophy that’s necessary to explain it. It’s very simple. Peace is absolutely possible if you stop listening to people who would have you believe otherwise, and if we truly wish it.
- Samdhong Rinpoche, “Democracy in Exile”
Read the entire article in the Wisdom Collection through January 19, 2014
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Via JMG: ABC's Bachelor: Gays Are Perverts


Details(Graphic source)


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: CUBA: Cops Arrest Gay-Bashing Russian Fugitive Maxim Martsinkevich


 
Fugitive Russian gay-basher Maxim Martsinkevich was arrested in Cuba today. Note that the following report is from the official Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
Russia was informed by Cuban police of the arrest of Maxim Martsinkevich through Interpol, the Russian Interior Ministry said in a statement. More widely known under his nickname of Tesak, or machete, Martsinkevich was arrested in absentia by a Russian court last month on extremism charges. Martsinkevich said during a January 8 interview that the criminal charges against him were orchestrated by Russia’s “pedo-lobby,” and that he did not intend to return to Russia, according to Russian tabloid Life News that has close links to the security services. The details of Martsinkevich's extradition were currently being finalized, Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement Saturday. In a January 9 post on his website, Martsinkevich wrote that he had flown to Cuba from the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, via the German city of Frankfurt. In 2011, Martsinkevich founded the Occupy Pedophile vigilante group, which lured men to abusive meetings with false promises of sex with minors. The encounters were recorded and then posted online. The group was also reported to target gay men, who were subjected to similar abusive treatment.
The above-linked report notes that Martsinkevich, who is also wanted by Ukrainian authorities, has over 130,000 subscribers on the Russian social media site Vkontakte. For more about his history of brutal attacks on gay men, read my earlier reports. (Tipped by multiple JMG readers)
 
Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: STUDY: Divorce Rate Of Evangelicals Higher Than General Population


According to a study to be published in the American Journal Of Sociology, "religiously conservative Protestants" divorce at a higher rate than the general population.
Researchers discovered that higher divorce rates among conservative Protestants were tied to earlier marriages and childbearing – factors known to ramp up divorce. Starting families earlier tends to stop young adults from pursuing more education and depresses their wages, putting more strain on marriages, University of Texas at Austin professor Jennifer Glass said. But the study went a step further: Glass and another researcher also discovered that people living in areas with lots of conservative Protestants were at higher risk of getting divorced, even if they weren’t conservative Protestants themselves. County by county, for every 1% increase in the share of conservative Protestants compared with mainline Protestants, the divorce rate increased 0.02%, the study found. Glass argued that community institutions in such areas might encourage early marriage, affecting divorce rates for everyone who lives there.
Save that bolded sentence for the next time you get told that you are destroying traditional marriage. (Tipped by JMG reader Str8 Grandmother)


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Russian Vigilantes Targeting Gay Men


Friday, January 17, 2014

Via FB:


What I want to be when I grow up: Daniel Orey at TEDxSacramento

1670 hits... woo hoo!




Via George Takei / FB:


Via JMG: Putin: Gays Won't Be Bothered At Sochi As Long As They Leave Children Alone


Via the Associated Press:
Russian President Vladimir Putin says gays should feel welcome at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, but they must "leave the children in peace." Putin told volunteers Friday that gays visiting Sochi "can feel calm and at ease," and vowed that there would be no discrimination at the games. But he emphasized that, according to a law banning homosexual "propaganda" among minors, gays cannot express their views on gay rights issues to anyone underage.
So protesting to adults will be allowed?


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: NIGERIA: Dozens More Arrested


Via the Associated Press:
Activists say that dozens more people have been rounded up, arrested and questioned across Nigeria for being perceived to be gay just over a week after the president signed a law criminalizing gay organizations and meetings as well as same-sex marriage. Ifeanyi Kelly Orazulike, Executive Director of the Nigeria-based International Center for Advocacy on Right to Health, said Friday that over two days more than 30 people have been detained. He says 12 people have been arrested in Oyo state in the southwest, six in Imo state in the southeast, eight in central Abuja and six in Anambra state in the southeast.
(Tipped by JMG reader Akim)


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: HRC Demands US Action On Nigeria


The Human Rights Campaign has written to Secretary of State John Kerry, demanding a "strong and proactive American response to the humanitarian crisis" in Nigeria. From the list of suggested actions:
Directing the U.S. Embassy in Abuja to perform in-country refugee processing for LGBT Nigerians who are being targeted for arrest under the newly passed law. Recommending that President Obama evaluate removing Nigeria from the list of countries currently eligible for assistance under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The law requires the President to determine on an annual basis which countries are eligible based “on progress in meeting certain criteria, including progress toward the establishment of a market-based economy, rule of law, economic policies to reduce poverty, protection of internationally recognized worker rights, and efforts to combat corruption. ”Suspending bilateral engagements between the United States and Nigeria that are of particular importance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, such as suspending Nigeria’s participation in the Young African Leaders Initiative. Using any regulatory, administrative, or statutory means in your arsenal to combat implementation of this law.
Read the full letter.


Reposted from Joe Jervis

Via JMG: Petition Of The Day


Details.


Reposted from Joe Jervis