Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 07/07/2015
“Quando começa a compreender e a se afinar com a prática do silêncio,
você percebe um grande barulho interno, muita agitação e ansiedade, um
turbilhão de sentimentos. No início, essa prática exige esforço, mas aos
poucos você vai aprendendo a lidar com o tumulto até que consegue
atravessá-lo e começa a entrar em estado de comunhão com o Ser. Quando
isso acontece, o silêncio pode tomar a forma de muitas coisas belas, como uma música ou uma poesia.”
“Cuando comienzas a comprender y afinarte con la práctica del silencio,
percibes un gran ruido interno, mucha agitación y ansiedad, un
torbellino de sentimientos. Al principio esta práctica exige esfuerzo,
pero, poco a poco, vas aprendiendo a lidiar con el tumulto hasta que
consigues atravesarlo y comienzas a entrar en estado de comunión con el
Ser. Cuando esto sucede, el silencio puede tomar la forma de muchas
cosas bellas, como una música o una poesía.”
"When we begin to understand and align ourselves with the practice of silence, we perceive a vast internal noisiness, a lot of agitation and anxiety. A whirlwind of feelings emerges. At first, this practice takes effort, but gradually we will learn how to deal with the turmoil until we are able to navigate through it. Then we begin to enter into a state of communion with our Being. When this happens, silence can take the form of many beautiful things, such as music or poetry."
"When we begin to understand and align ourselves with the practice of silence, we perceive a vast internal noisiness, a lot of agitation and anxiety. A whirlwind of feelings emerges. At first, this practice takes effort, but gradually we will learn how to deal with the turmoil until we are able to navigate through it. Then we begin to enter into a state of communion with our Being. When this happens, silence can take the form of many beautiful things, such as music or poetry."
Via Blue Nation Review: Thank you, President Obama. We appreciate your support!
On June 26th, 2003, the Supreme Court struck down sodomy laws in Lawrence v. Texas.
On June 26th, 2013, the Supreme Court gutted the Defense of Marriage Act in United States v. Windsor.
On June 26th, 2015, the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage across the nation in Obergefell v. Hodges.
And now, President Barack Obama says he plans to make June 26th “Equality Day.”
According to OUT.com, President Obama told Marc Maron on his podcast, WTF With Marc Maron, that he feels June 26th should be a holiday:
“These folks are heroes and deserve to be
recognized for their courage and sacrifice. I can’t think of anything
more deserving of a national holiday than the fight for equality. Our
nation was founded on a bedrock principle that we are all created
equal.”
He promised action:
“I will be urging congress to honor the
LGBT community with a federal holiday, until then I will issue by
executive order declaring June 26th, 2016 National Equality Day.”
Thank you, President Obama. We appreciate your support.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Via JMG: USA Wins Women's World Cup, Champion Abby Wambach Rushes To Kiss Her Wife
Via SB Nation:
"For the first time in her career, Abby Wambach is a World Cup winner.
And after the final whistle blew in the United States' 5-2 win over
Japan, she sprinted over to the stands to find her wife, Sarah Huffman,
who was sitting in the front row with the rest of the American
supporters."
Via Sukhasiddhi Dag Shang Kagyu / FB:
"Surah of Blood" (Surat ad-Dam or Súrih-i-Damm)
Provisional trans. by Juan R.I. Cole, History, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-1045; revised Jan. 27-28, 1996. Supplied for personal, private study only. Not Reviewed.
We have caused this Surah of Blood to surge forth from the
Ocean of the Unseen, that it might be a sign of My Manifestation
among all created things.
He is eternally seated upon the Throne! In My Name, the
Glorious, the All-Glorious:
Hearken, O Muhammad, to the voice of thy Lord from this
station, which is exalted above the reach of all contingent beings. It
can never be attained by the hearts of His creatures nor by the inmost
realities of those who have, for a single instant, been heedless of this
sanctified, mighty and concealed Cause.
Say: O people, hasten unto the sanctuary of God and His
essence, unto the House of God and His Selfhood, unto the
Manifestation of God and His sovereignty. Be not of them that make
mention of God with their lips and yet show forth opposition to His
signs. Say: O people, this is a station around which circles the
Concourse on High, then the denizens of the canopy of eternity and
those who dwell beyond the depths of grandeur, if ye be of them that
comprehend. Say: This is the Shrine, the Presence, the Countenance
and the Greatness of God Himself.
Arise and issue forth from your homes, O people of the
concourse of Divinity, and ye of the grades of divine Dominion, then
the people of might in the stations both of this earthly world and the
Kingdom of Heaven. Thus may ye attain unto this station, which none
have reached save those who detached themselves from all in heaven
and on earth, and from all that is characterized by name, description,
direction or allusion, did ye but understand. Say: O people, this is the
station of God, this is His Court, Garden and Paradise, and this is His
Tabernacle and Pavilion. Beware, O people, lest ye turn your faces
toward anyone but Him. Hasten then unto Him, that mayhap ye will
be given to eat of the fruits of the Spirit. This is a station wherein the
righteous, and they that circle round the Throne on High, have halted,
as ye also bear witness.
As for thee, O Muhammad, perform what the tongue of thy
Lord doth counsel thee at this time, and accomplish all that which thou
art bidden by God, the Protector, the Almighty, the Beloved. First of
all, tear the veils of vain imagination from about thy heart by My
mighty, powerful and unquestioned Sovereignty. Then enter the
fortress of the All-Merciful in My Name, the Mighty, the Glorified,
and pay no heed to all that hath been and shall be. If thou shouldst
behold Satan seated at its gate, forbidding thee to enter therein, close
thine eyes to him and take refuge in My Beauty, the Blessed, the Help
in Peril, the Adored. Beware lest ye sit with those in whom thou
perceivest the evidences of malice, as heat is evident in summer or cold
in poison. Flee from them and their ilk, and look not upon them nor
that which they possess. Turn thy gaze rather to My Cause, and that
which surpasseth in excellence all else, did ye but perceive it.
If thou dost wish to travel in various lands, then do thou spread
the dawning lights of thy Lord throughout those realms. Think thou
upon the handiwork of thy Lord which thou seest, that thou mayest be
of those who consider. Adorn thyself with My character, in such wise
that should anyone treat thee unjustly thou wouldst take no heed of
him, nor oppose him. Leave him to the judgment of thy Lord, the
Powerful, Omnipotent and Self-Subsisting. Be at all times a wronged
one, for this is one of My attributes, though none but the sincere are
aware of it. Verily, the sighs of patience uttered by one wronged are
more precious to God than any other deed, did ye but know.
Therefore, be patient in the face of whatever befalleth thee, and set thy
trust in thy Lord God in all thine affairs. He, verily, doth suffice thee
against all the harm which any created thing can wreak toward thee,
and preserveth thee in the shelter of His Cause and the mighty fortress
of His guardianship. There is no God but Him. His are the worlds of
creation and command, and all seek His aid.
Should anyone slander thee, thou must not retaliate against him
in kind lest thou become as he is. Turn aside from him, and set thy
face toward the holy tabernacle in this exalted and sacred canopy. Be
among men as a sweet-scented knoll, that the fragrance of sanctity
may be wafted among them. In such wise, thou mightest succeed in
attracting them to the court of the holy and Beloved One. Shouldst
thou find a helper among the friends of God, seek his company at
eventide and dawn, throughout the months and years. In all matters,
emulate God, thy Succorer. Walk among men with His dignity and
peace, and teach them the Cause of their Lord to the extent that they
are able to hear it.
O hoopoe of Sheba, go thou with My book to the cities of
God. Should the other birds ask thee concerning the dove of holiness,
say: "When I left her, she was sore-pressed in the talons of denial and
the beaks of wickedness. She had no helper save God, Who created
her, formed her and made her the lamp of His beauty between the
heavens of the earth, if ye be possessed of certainty."
Shouldst thou find one of My lovers, if he asks about Me say:
"By God, I went up out of the Prison City (Adrianople) at a time when
Husayn was lying upon the ground, while Disgrace knelt upon His
breast and desired to behead Him. The spears were standing before
His head, and He expected it to be raised aloft upon them. Such was
the situation in inmost secrecy, if ye be of them that perceive. I then
saw Him move His lips, and gaze toward the heavens with a look such
as would rend every heart, and beyond them the heart of God, the
Protector, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. I moved My head close to
His lips, and heard that He was beneath the sword, saying `O people!
By God, I have not spoken to you out of selfish desire! Nay, rather I
have given voice to that which the Speaker on Sinai uttered in My
most pure and sanctified breast. The verses of God leave no doubt as
to what hath been foreordained in the realm of the divine Decree, or as
to that which is in this world and the next. O ye who have joined
partners with God, inhale the scent of these verses that have descended
from the realm of the divine Essence, from the King of names and
attributes. Should ye perceive therein the fragrance of the coat of the
beloved Joseph, then show mercy toward Him and put Him not to
death with the blades of malice, if ye see with the eyes of justice and
are equitable in yourselves.
"`O people! I bolted up the gates of paradise for twenty years,
lest anything issue from My lips which might cause the fire of hatred to
blaze forth in your breasts. To this beareth witness the Tongue of
Grandeur, then the Pen of Command upon the holy and guarded
Tablets. O people, I verily am `Ali (the Bab), and this is but another
Return after the first. I have demonstrated to ye at this time the
greatest of the things I manifested aforetime. I have come from the
fountainhead of grandeur and glory, and the treasure hold of exaltation
and majesty, with verses of which not a single letter hath heretofore
been revealed in this world. This Tablet is My proof among ye, to ye
and against ye, if ye be of them that comprehend.
"'O people, God is My witness that I remained silent in My
house, and gave voice to no melody. However, the Spirit set my limbs
quaking, and caused Me to speak forth with the Truth. Its features
then appeared in My face, if ye descry My beauty. I barred the doors
of utterance for lo, these many years, but the tongue of God hath
loosened My tongue, did ye but know. Will ye slay Him by whose
Command the heavens were raised aloft, the seas surged forth, the
trees gave fruit, the mysteries were revealed and the beauty of the
Chosen One shone forth from behind the veil? Fear God, O people of
the Bayan, and be not of those who repudiate the verses of God. I
shall never deny these verses, even should ye slay Me and all the
swords and spears rain down upon Me at every moment. I shall speak
forth in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and shall never fear
anyone. This is My religion, if ye be of them that perceive. This is the
religion of all the Messengers, and is that which was revealed to `Ali
(the Bab) in every Tablet. I know not, however, to which religion ye
adhere!'
"When the melodies of that Holy One reached this point, He
suddenly fell silent by reason of the weakness which had overtaken
Him. He remained in this state for some time, and when He regained
consciousness He opened His eyes and turned in the sacred direction
with a gaze of deep affection, saying,
`Praise be to Thee, O Lord My God, for the wondrous
revelations of Thy inscrutable decree and the manifold woes and trials
Thou hast destined for Myself. At one time Thou didst deliver Me
into the hands of Nimrod; at another Thou hast allowed Pharaoh's rod
to persecute Me. Thou, alone, canst estimate, through Thine all-
encompassing knowledge and the operation of Thy Will, the
incalculable afflictions I have suffered at their hands. Again Thou
didst cast Me into the prison-cell of the ungodly, for no reason except
that I was moved to whisper into the ears of the well-favored denizens
of Thy Kingdom an intimation of the vision with which Thou hadst,
through Thy knowledge, inspired Me, and revealed to Me its meaning
through the potency of Thy might. And again Thou didst decree that I
be beheaded by the sword of the infidel. Again I was crucified for
having unveiled to men's eyes the hidden gems of Thy glorious unity,
for having revealed to them the wondrous signs of Thy sovereign and
everlasting power. How bitter the humiliations heaped upon Me, in a
subsequent age, on the plain of Karbila! How lonely did I feel amidst
Thy people! To what a state of helplessness was I reduced in that
land! Unsatisfied with such indignities, My persecutors decapitated
Me, and, carrying aloft My head from land to land paraded it before
the gaze of the unbelieving multitude, and deposited it on the seats of
the perverse and faithless. In a later age, I was suspended, and My
breast was made a target to the darts of the malicious cruelty of My
foes. My limbs were riddled with bullets, and My body was torn
asunder. Finally, behold how, in this Day, My treacherous enemies
have leagued themselves against Me, and are continually plotting to
instill the venom of hate and malice into the souls of Thy servants.
with all their might they are scheming to accomplish their purpose.
"`It is Thou, My God and My adored One, Who hast delivered
Me into the hands of the infidels. Behold Me, then, in the dust,
beneath the swords of thine enemies.
Yet, grievous as is My plight, O God, My well-Beloved, I render
thanks unto Thee, and My Spirit is grateful for whatsoever hath
befallen Me in the path of Thy good-pleasure. I am well pleased with
that which Thou didst ordain for Me, and welcome, however
calamitous, the pains and sorrows I am made to suffer.
"`I plead with Thee, O My God, by Thy hidden names and Thy
Beauty, Who, both manifest and concealed, lieth in the dust of
degradation, to inculcate Thy love in the hearts of Thy servants, and to
seat them upon the carpet of Thy mercy. Give them shade, O My
God, beneath the tree of Thy sanctity, and deny them not the breezes
of Thy holiness, which waft from the paradise of Thy beauty and from
the direction of Thy favors. Thou art, verily, able to accomplish Thy
will, and Thou art the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.'"
O Muhammad, estimate well the number of gem-like mysteries
We have bestowed upon thee, and think upon the wondrous
knowledge We have taught thee, knowledge which lay concealed
behind veils of light. Thus mayest thou become aware of that which
hath befallen Us, and be of those well-acquainted with the mysteries of
this Cause. Then say with the tongue of thy spirit in thine inmost soul,
"Is there any helper who will come to the aid of the Primal Beauty (the
Bab) in His new guise, or any supporter who will arise to serve the
Ultimate Point (Quddus) in His Radiance, the Glorious, the Most
Glorious?" Mayhap thereby God will be persuaded to dispatch
someone to succor this Youth in these days, wherein the denizens of
heaven and earth are drunk with heedlessness, save those who have
gazed from nigh upon this Beauty.
But O Muhammad, thou wilt encounter the opposition and
haughtiness of the perverse, and wilt find them engaged in acts of
hatred against this Youth on all sides, except those for whom it hath
been decreed otherwise by thy Lord God, the Mighty, the Self-
Subsisting. Give ear to that which thou art commanded by the Pen of
the Most High in the kingdom of decree, in these heavens that have
been sanctified by God from the incarnations of rancor, from the touch
of the infidels and from the recognition of the malicious. Rend
asunder the veils, then rise up from the dawning-point of this Cause
with manifest sovereignty. Call out to the people, telling them of this
resplendent, mighty and illumined Beauty. Go to the Name of Ha',
and deliver to him that which hath been bestowed upon thee by the
Spirit of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Generous. Perhaps he
will feel admonished within himself, will detach himself from all save
his Lord and enter the ranks of them that are rightly guided.
Say: "O My servant, We have revealed for thee Tablets and
Writings which are known only to God, and therein is that which
would enable thee to dispense with all creation, and all that is in the
heavens and on the earth. However, we did not send them to thee,
because we failed to perceive from thee the fragrance of the exalted
ones in this Arab Youth. By God, all that thou dost possess will pass
away, and nothing will remain save what is with thy Lord, behind the
pavilions of the Powerful, the Inaccessible. Leave the world and its
people, and detach thyself from all that was created therein. Then turn
thy face toward the Countenance of God, the Generous, the
Uncreated."
Say: "This is `Ali (the Bab) in very truth, Who hath appeared
once more in this most pure, manifest and glorious Beauty. He doth
speak forth with the truth in the realm of eternity, and the exalted
kingdom, if ye have ears to hear. O people of the Bayan, the spirit of
true understanding will never speak in your hearts until after My love
hath entered them. This is a fundamental principle of religion, if ye be
of those with certitude."
O people of the Qur'an, the Eternal Truth is come unto ye, and
that whereby the religions shall be differentiated and truth
distinguished from falsehood. Fear God, and be not of those who
oppose Him.
O people of the Churches, cease from ringing the bells, for the
Most Great Bell hath appeared. It is, verily, this Trump that hath been
sent down in the form of these holy verses between the heavens and
the earth. He crieth out in truth in this resplendent, manifest and
brilliant Name. Say: He it is by Whose command the verses were
revealed, and by Whose permission all the scriptures were brought into
being. To this attesteth the fragrance that issueth from the Camphor
Fountain through this most Ancient and pre-existent Pen. He speaketh
forth at all times, uttering verses beyond the comprehension of the
minds of the wise, the knowledge of the mystic knowers, and the
hearts of them that have attained. This is what ye were promised in
the Books of God, did ye but know, and this is that whereby the truth
was realized from all eternity and shall be realized to all eternity.
O Muhammad, avert thy gaze from all who are in heaven and
on earth, so that thou canst enter into the mighty fortress of thy Lord,
the Bestower, the Almighty. Set the trees of existence ablaze with this
Fire, that all may speak forth as It did, in the form of light, upon the
Sinai of Theophany. Thus doth the Ancient Beauty shower His bounty
upon thee, and command thee in this Cause, that thou mayest detach
thyself from all things and hold fast to the cord of the Omnipotent, the
Unattainable.
Spirit, praises and glory be upon thee, and upon whosoever
heareth thy tidings of this Great Announcement.
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 05/07/2015
“O processo de cura se completa quando você tem a humildade de
reconhecer seus erros e de pedir perdão. Se houver a possibilidade de
pedir perdão àquele que você machucou, melhor; mais rapidamente o
sofrimento se dissolve. Mas se não for possível, não se prenda a isso.
Trabalhe para se libertar da culpa e lembre-se de que o perdão está
dentro de você. Dê a chance para o Eu superior se expressar e continue
sua jornada.”
“El proceso de cura está completo cuando tienes la humildad de reconocer tus errores y de pedir perdón. Si hubiera la posibilidad de pedir perdón a aquel que lastimaste, mejor; más rápidamente el sufrimiento se disuelve. Pero si no fuera posible, no te agarres de eso. Trabaja para liberarte de la culpa y recuerda que el perdón está dentro de ti. Dale la oportunidad al Yo superior para expresarse y continúa tu camino.”
“El proceso de cura está completo cuando tienes la humildad de reconocer tus errores y de pedir perdón. Si hubiera la posibilidad de pedir perdón a aquel que lastimaste, mejor; más rápidamente el sufrimiento se disuelve. Pero si no fuera posible, no te agarres de eso. Trabaja para liberarte de la culpa y recuerda que el perdón está dentro de ti. Dale la oportunidad al Yo superior para expresarse y continúa tu camino.”
"The healing process is complete when we have the humility to recognize
our mistakes and ask for forgiveness. If there is the possibility to
ask for forgiveness to the person we have hurt, that’s even better, as
the suffering dissolves faster. But if we cannot ask them for
forgiveness directly, then we mustn’t get hung up on it. We are working
to be free of guilt and to remember that forgiveness is within us. We
give the higher self a chance to express itself and continue on our
journeys."
Today's Daily Dharma: Good Anger
Good Anger
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Anger
that is motivated by compassion or a desire to correct social
injustice, and does not seek to harm the other person, is a good anger
that is worth having.
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Sunday, July 5, 2015
Via Colgay PRIDE of Columbus Georgia / FB:
"People continue to spew Hate upon us. This takes the cake. Truly sad day for LGBT citizens that we must endure this type of disgusting behavior and hatred. To those who say we shouldn't be all up in your face with our "lifestyle" I say to you we have endured your lifestyle for millenia through PDA, Movies, Weddings, Churches, Social media and so on as well as enduring your hatred. So why should we take a "BACKSEAT" for you today?"
Via JMG: A Very Young Gay Human Of New York
"I'm homosexual and I'm afraid about what my future will be and that people won't like me."
Posted by Humans of New York on Friday, July 3, 2015
Sometimes the Internet can be a good place filled with good people. On Friday, Humans of New York photographer Brandon Stanton posted a heartbreaking image of a young boy with the caption, "I'm homosexual, and I'm afraid about what my future will be and that people won't like me." Even 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton left a few inspirational words, writing, "Prediction from a grown-up: Your future is going to be amazing. You will surprise yourself with what you’re capable of and the incredible things you go on to do. Find the people who love and believe in you –- there will be lots of them."Your day will truly be better if you read the comments. And that's a sentence you won't see very often.
Today's Daily Dharma: Wherever the Mind Points, It Goes
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Wherever the Mind Points, It Goes
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In
this historical moment when American democratic ideals of freedom,
civility, pluralism, altruism, and individualism make America the most
comfortable home on earth for the individual pursuit of enlightenment,
it is an essential form of Buddhist practice to participate in politics,
to vote, to speak out, to encourage those who agree, to reason with
those who disagree. It is wisdom. It is meditation. It is compassion. It
is ethics.
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Saturday, July 4, 2015
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the Day 04/07/2015
Quando começa a retirar os amortecedores que te impedem de sentir, e
entra em contato com a dor de ter machucado alguém, fique atento para
não cair na armadilha da culpa. Às vezes ela é tão grande que você
começa a se punir severamente até que não veja outra saída a não ser
amortecer de novo.”
“Cuando comienzas a retirar los anestesiadores que te impiden sentir, y entras en contacto con el dolor de haber lastimado a alguien, estate atento para no caer en la trampa de la culpa. A veces ella es tan grande que empiezas a castigarte severamente hasta que no ves otra salida que no sea anestesiarte de nuevo.”
"When we start to remove the layers of numbness that prevent us from feeling, and we get in touch with the pain of having hurt someone else, we must be careful not to fall into the trap of guilt. Sometimes the guilt is so great that we begin to punish ourselves severely, until there is no other choice but to numb ourselves yet again."
“Cuando comienzas a retirar los anestesiadores que te impiden sentir, y entras en contacto con el dolor de haber lastimado a alguien, estate atento para no caer en la trampa de la culpa. A veces ella es tan grande que empiezas a castigarte severamente hasta que no ves otra salida que no sea anestesiarte de nuevo.”
"When we start to remove the layers of numbness that prevent us from feeling, and we get in touch with the pain of having hurt someone else, we must be careful not to fall into the trap of guilt. Sometimes the guilt is so great that we begin to punish ourselves severely, until there is no other choice but to numb ourselves yet again."
Today's Daily Dharma: American Buddhism Calls for Participation
American Buddhism Calls for Participation
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In
this historical moment when American democratic ideals of freedom,
civility, pluralism, altruism, and individualism make America the most
comfortable home on earth for the individual pursuit of enlightenment,
it is an essential form of Buddhist practice to participate in politics,
to vote, to speak out, to encourage those who agree, to reason with
those who disagree. It is wisdom. It is meditation. It is compassion. It
is ethics.
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Via JMG: SCOTUS Fallout: Decade-Old Pride Image Spawns Death Threat For Photographer
More than a decade ago, photographer Ed Freeman set out to capture the gay rights struggle in a photograph for the cover of Frontiers, a gay magazine. To do so, he relied on an image — the flag-raising at Iwo Jima — that has been imitated and adapted countless times since it was captured in the midst of one of America’s bloodiest battles. [snip] More than a decade after his adaptation of the photograph was published, it circulated on social media following the Supreme Court’s decision Friday to allow same-sex marriage in all 50 states. That prompted a backlash against Freeman — including a death threat he says he reported to the FBI. “He said if he ever saw me, he’d kill me,” Freeman said in a phone interview. “I got swamped with vitriolic hate mail.” Freeman said there is “no way in hell” that he meant his adaptation of the Iwo Jima image to be provocative. “This picture was just a flashpoint for a lot people who are looking for a reason to lash out, so I guess I get to be the whipping boy,” he said. “I’m fine with that if that’s what it takes.Haters are going nuts on Twitter.
Via JMG: POLL: Majority Backs SCOTUS Rulings
The opposition to legal same-sex marriage is both partisan and generational. Two-thirds of Republicans oppose same-sex marriage, as does a majority of those 65 and older. Two in three Democrats and adults under 30 are in favor. Some of the opposition is clearly religious: 57% of those who say religion is very important to them oppose the ruling (a third approve). Among Catholics, there is a close division with nearly half approving. There is more support in the Northeast and West than there is in the Midwest and South.46% of all Americans say they'd attend a same-sex wedding.
But same-sex marriage has already become part of the American landscape. 44% say they know a gay or lesbian married couple. More than half of those with higher incomes and half of women do, but only 29% of African-Americans say they know a gay or lesbian couple that is married. Those who know a same-sex married couple approve of the Court’s ruling by two to one. While many people know a same-sex married couple, only 7% have attended a same-sex wedding. Three times as many Democrats (11%) as Republicans (3%) and eight times as many liberals (16%) as conservatives (2%) have done so.
Friday, July 3, 2015
Via Tricycle: May I Become an Island
To the Buddhas residing in all directions
With my palms pressed together I make this request
Please continue to shine the lamp of Dharma
For living beings lost and suffering in the darkness of ignorance.
May I become an island for those seeking dry land
A lamp for those needing light,
A place of rest for those who desire one,
And a servant for those needing service.
From Guide to the Bodhisattiva's Way of Life by Shantideva, © 2002 by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and New Kadampa Tradition. Reprinted with permission of Tharpa Publication, www.tharpa.com.With my palms pressed together I make this request
Please continue to shine the lamp of Dharma
For living beings lost and suffering in the darkness of ignorance.
May I become an island for those seeking dry land
A lamp for those needing light,
A place of rest for those who desire one,
And a servant for those needing service.
Image: Buddha statue in the town of Akurala, on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, after the tsunami. Photo by contributing editor Jeff Greenwald who is in Sri Lanka working with the Mercy Corps relief agency.
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the day 02/07/2015
“Nosso destino é construído através de cada pensamento, cada palavra e
cada atitude - tanto o destino pessoal quanto o destino coletivo. Nossas
ações determinam nosso futuro. A cada instante temos a chance de
escolher entre ações que nos afastam ou ações que nos aproximam da nossa
própria liberdade.”
“Nuestro destino se construye a través de cada pensamiento, cada palabra y cada actitud - tanto el destino personal como el destino colectivo. Nuestras acciones determinan nuestro futuro. A cada instante tenemos la oportunidad de elegir entre acciones que nos alejan o acciones que nos acercan a nuestra propia libertad.”
“Nuestro destino se construye a través de cada pensamiento, cada palabra y cada actitud - tanto el destino personal como el destino colectivo. Nuestras acciones determinan nuestro futuro. A cada instante tenemos la oportunidad de elegir entre acciones que nos alejan o acciones que nos acercan a nuestra propia libertad.”
“Our destiny is created through every thought, word and action. This
can be said for both our personal and collective destiny. Our actions
determine our future. Every moment, we have the opportunity to choose
between actions that will either take us further away from or bring us
closer towards our own freedom.”
Today's Daily Dharma: The Acknowledgment of Suffering Is a Gift
The Acknowledgment of Suffering Is a Gift
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As the early Buddhist teachings freely admit, the predicament is that the cycle of birth, aging, and death is
meaningless. They don't try to deny this fact and so don't ask us to be
dishonest with ourselves or to close our eyes to reality. As one
teacher has put it, the Buddhist recognition of the reality of
suffering, so important that suffering is honored as the first noble
truth, is a gift, in that it confirms our most sensitive and direct
experience of things, an experience that many other traditions try to
deny.
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Thursday, July 2, 2015
JMG Quote Of The Day - Evan Wolfson
"I always believed we would win, but what a joy and relief it was when
our victory came. As I read the Supreme Court opinion, as I followed the
stories across the country of couples getting married, and as so many
people wrote me with wonder, attaching pictures of their families, their
kids, their weddings ... well, I cried and cried again.
"We won. We did it. The freedom to marry is now the law of the land throughout our whole country. At long last, loving and committed same-sex couples are able to share in the joy, the protections, the vocabulary, and the institution of marriage.
"We've been fighting this campaign for decades, and not a single step has come easily. To overcome the obstacles and to seize the opportunities, with stumbles and then successes, we built a machine that could guide and leverage a movement, driving a strategy — and machines take fuel. Without your support, this transformation and triumph would not have happened.
"And our win is America's win. Love won. We all did.
"Now — as Freedom to Marry prepares to wind down — we must remember that there's still much work to do in our own LGBT movement and in the broader movements we are part of.
"I am grateful to my incomparable Freedom to Marry team, our close movement colleagues, the entire family of supporters and partners in the work, our allies, and our country. How lucky we are to see our work rewarded with the change and victory we sought and deserved.
"All that's left is to say, with all my heart, is congratulations — mazel tov! — and thank you." - Freedom To Marry founder Evan Wolfson, via email.
"We won. We did it. The freedom to marry is now the law of the land throughout our whole country. At long last, loving and committed same-sex couples are able to share in the joy, the protections, the vocabulary, and the institution of marriage.
"We've been fighting this campaign for decades, and not a single step has come easily. To overcome the obstacles and to seize the opportunities, with stumbles and then successes, we built a machine that could guide and leverage a movement, driving a strategy — and machines take fuel. Without your support, this transformation and triumph would not have happened.
"And our win is America's win. Love won. We all did.
"Now — as Freedom to Marry prepares to wind down — we must remember that there's still much work to do in our own LGBT movement and in the broader movements we are part of.
"I am grateful to my incomparable Freedom to Marry team, our close movement colleagues, the entire family of supporters and partners in the work, our allies, and our country. How lucky we are to see our work rewarded with the change and victory we sought and deserved.
"All that's left is to say, with all my heart, is congratulations — mazel tov! — and thank you." - Freedom To Marry founder Evan Wolfson, via email.
Labels: activism, American history, Evan Wolfson, Freedom To Marry, LGBT History, LGBT rights, marriage equality, SCOTUS
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the day 02/07/2015
“Nosso destino é construído através de cada pensamento, cada palavra e
cada atitude - tanto o destino pessoal quanto o destino coletivo. Nossas
ações determinam nosso futuro. A cada instante temos a chance de
escolher entre ações que nos afastam ou ações que nos aproximam da nossa
própria liberdade.”
“Nuestro destino se construye a través de cada pensamiento, cada palabra y cada actitud - tanto el destino personal como el destino colectivo. Nuestras acciones determinan nuestro futuro. A cada instante tenemos la oportunidad de elegir entre acciones que nos alejan o acciones que nos acercan a nuestra propia libertad.”
“Nuestro destino se construye a través de cada pensamiento, cada palabra y cada actitud - tanto el destino personal como el destino colectivo. Nuestras acciones determinan nuestro futuro. A cada instante tenemos la oportunidad de elegir entre acciones que nos alejan o acciones que nos acercan a nuestra propia libertad.”
“Our destiny is created through every thought, word and action. This
can be said for both our personal and collective destiny. Our actions
determine our future. Every moment, we have the opportunity to choose
between actions that will either take us further away from or bring us
closer towards our own freedom.”
No
Senado, projeto cria lei semelhante à determinação do CNJ garantindo a
conversão de união estável entre pessoas do mesmo sexo em casamento
civil. Opine sobre a proposta http://bit.ly/1HsEoD4
Veja um breve histórico sobre a regulamentação do casamento civil entre pessoas do mesmo sexo no Brasil http://bit.ly/1JoK3JK
Veja um breve histórico sobre a regulamentação do casamento civil entre pessoas do mesmo sexo no Brasil http://bit.ly/1JoK3JK
Today's Daily Dharma: Liberation Through Suffering
Liberation Through Suffering
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It
is very hard to extract some sort of enduring positive gain from dharma
practice without taking a really thorough look at your own mind. The
first step is a very close look at the nature of suffering: seeing what
suffering is and getting to know our own suffering. It is through that
deep intimacy with our own suffering that there is liberation.
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Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Via Nieuwhof: Some Advice on Same-Sex Marriage for US Church Leaders From a Canadian
Ed Stetzer wrote a helpful background post to the shift in opinion that led to the decision and included links to a number of other leading articles in his post.
The social media reaction ranged from surprising to predictable to disappointing to occasionally refreshing.
I write from the perspective of a pastor of an evangelical church in a country where same sex-marriage has been the law of the land for a decade.
That does not mean I hold any uniquely deep wisdom, but it does mean we’ve had a decade to process and pray over the issue.
I hope what I offer can help. It’s my perspective. My fingers tremble at the keyboard because my goal is to help in the midst of a dialogue that seems far more divisive than it is uniting or constructive.
There will be many who disagree with me, I’m sure, but I hope it pulls debate away from the “sky is falling/this is the best thing ever” dichotomy that seems to characterize much of the dialogue so far.
The purpose of this post is not to take a position or define matters theologically (for there is so much debate around that). Rather, the purpose of this post is to think through how to respond as a church when the law of the land changes as fundamentally as it’s changing on same-sex marriage and many other issues.
Here are 5 perspectives I hope are helpful as church leaders of various positions on the subject think and pray through a way forward.
Make the jump here to read the 5 Points
Via JMG: AUSTRALIA: Parliament Might Hold Free Vote On Same-Sex Marriage In August
Australia will soon decide whether to legalize same-sex marriage under a cross-party bill which may allow parliament members to vote according to their conscience, rather than along party lines, media reported on Wednesday. The debate over whether to follow countries like the United States and Ireland in recognizing same-sex marriage has strained relations between Australia's socially conservative Catholic Prime Minister Tony Abbott and members of his Liberal Party in favor of the change. A cross-party bill, sponsored by two Liberal Party lawmakers is expected to go to the federal parliament on Aug. 11, Sky News Australia said. There is speculation that Abbott may appease his own party members by allowing them the freedom to vote independently, in recognition that they favor the legislation. Abbott's sister is engaged to a woman and has called for bipartisan agreement.The first day of spring in the southern hemisphere is September 23rd.
Via JMG: US Virgin Islands Fall In Line
Governor Kenneth Mapp has announced that he’s currently working on an executive order to direct government agencies and departments to follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 26 ruling in favor of same-sex marriage. Mapp made the announcement during a Tuesday morning press conference at Government House, stating that upon taking office in January, he swore to uphold the laws of the land. “The Government of the Virgin Islands as a civil society can no longer discriminate on marriage,” Mapp said. “The nation has arrived, pursuant to the Supreme Court’s ruling, at full marriage equality — when two consenting adults appear for a marriage license and apply for that license, civil society is required to respond. And so persons of the same-sex can be married in the U.S. Virgin Islands.” The governor stressed that the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling does not force churches and ministers to perform same-sex or any other kind of marriage, however as the territory’s leader, he must abide by the law.The territory has a population of 106K.
Via JMG: Bilerico Project Calls It Quits
Long-running LGBT group blog The Bilerico Project has called it quits after eleven years. Founder Bil Browning writes:
Reposted from Joe Jervis
Projects are meant to be temporary and so was Bilerico Project. After more than a decade, it's time to wrap up our experiment. The media landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade and so have our lives and the LGBT movement itself. It's time to turn the page and start something fresh in this new environment. My first post in 2004 was a quote from Margaret Meade. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." I think we've done our part to make the world a better place. This will be my last post on Bilerico Project. The site will be archived at bilericoproject.com so that all 31,000+ posts will still be available for readers. It's been a long strange journey and I've loved every single moment of it, but the time has come to end the project and call it a success.From JMG: "In the early years of this here website thingy, there were only a handful of us doing LGBT news aggregation and commentary before behemoths like Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, and other major sites launched LGBT verticals. Bilerico now joins Mike Rogers, Pam Spauding, Andrew Sullivan, and John Aravosis in LGBT blogging history. Hail to the independents."
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the day 01/07/2015
“A máscara não tem nenhum comprometimento com a verdade. A vítima, por
exemplo, sofre muito, mas esse sofrimento não tem nada a ver com sua dor
original. É apenas mais um mecanismo de defesa, uma forma de fugir da
dor. Esse sofrimento é completamente desnecessário, ele não serve para
nada, pois é um falso sofrimento.”
“La máscara no tiene ningún compromiso con la verdad. La víctima, por ejemplo, sufre mucho, pero este sufrimiento no tiene nada que ver con su dolor original. Es solo un mecanismo de defensa más, una forma de huir del dolor. Este sufrimiento es completamente innecesario, no sirve para nada, ya que es un falso sufrimiento.”
“La máscara no tiene ningún compromiso con la verdad. La víctima, por ejemplo, sufre mucho, pero este sufrimiento no tiene nada que ver con su dolor original. Es solo un mecanismo de defensa más, una forma de huir del dolor. Este sufrimiento es completamente innecesario, no sirve para nada, ya que es un falso sufrimiento.”
"The mask has
no commitment to the truth. The victim, for example, suffers a lot, but
this suffering has nothing to do with one’s original pain. It's just a
defense mechanism to escape the pain. This suffering is completely
unnecessary. It serves no purpose since it is a false suffering."
Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día - Flower of the day 30/06/2015
“A identificação com a mente agitada gera o estado que conhecemos como
‘loucura’. Muitos acreditam ser “normais” porque não falam sozinhos ou
não quebram coisas, mas isso não é sinal de sanidade. Existem estados
diferenciados de loucura. Algumas pessoas aparentam ser normais, mas
internamente são completamente loucas. Me refiro a uma falta de eixo que
se manifesta por não sabermos quem somos. Nesse estado de identificação com a mente, é muito comum tomar o real como irreal e vice-versa. E esse tipo de loucura é muito normal”.
“La identificación con la mente agitada genera el estado que conocemos
como "locura". Muchos creen ser "normales" ya que no hablan solos o no
rompen cosas, pero esto no es signo de sanidad. Existen estados
diferentes de locura. Algunas personas aparentan ser normales, pero
internamente están completamente locas. Me refiero a una falta de eje
que se manifiesta por no saber quiénes somos. En este estado de
identificación con la mente, es muy común tomar lo real como irreal y
viceversa. Y esta clase de locura es muy normal”.
“Identification with an agitated mind generates the state that we call ‘madness’. Many people believe they are ‘normal’ because they don’t talk to themselves and they don’t break things, but this is not a sign of sanity. There are different states of madness. Some people seem to be normal, but inside they are completely mad. I am talking about a lack of centeredness which occurs when we don’t know who we are. In this state of identification with the mind, it is very common to mistake reality for something unreal and vice versa. This type of madness is very common”.
“Identification with an agitated mind generates the state that we call ‘madness’. Many people believe they are ‘normal’ because they don’t talk to themselves and they don’t break things, but this is not a sign of sanity. There are different states of madness. Some people seem to be normal, but inside they are completely mad. I am talking about a lack of centeredness which occurs when we don’t know who we are. In this state of identification with the mind, it is very common to mistake reality for something unreal and vice versa. This type of madness is very common”.
Today's Daily Dharma: May I Be of Service
May I Be of Service
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May I become an island for those seeking dry land
A lamp for those needing light,
A place of rest for those who desire one,
And a servant for those needing service.
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