Via Upworthy: When he saw his son kiss a boy, I thought he'd be mad. He completely surprised me.

You know those moments that just seem like something out of a movie?

You know the ones — when you're expecting an uplifting song to start playing right at the climax of a tearjerking scene, which you happen to be seeing live before your eyes? Well, I just witnessed an Oscar-worthy performance.

This weekend as I sat in Starbucks, writing — I know, it doesn't get much more cliché than that — I noticed a man and his son walk into the coffee shop. My gaydar immediately informed me that I was in the presence of my own kind. 
'

The boy was very handsome: With a Gaga shirt and rolled-up jeans, he looked to be around 16. A man who appeared to be his father — who could only be described as a man's man — accompanied him. Large and intimidating in stature, his father wore a camouflaged shirt and some rather dirty jeans.

A moment later, another young boy about the same age came into the shop. He walked over to the first boy and gave him a loving hug.

The father sternly nodded his head at the boy in a rather macho display of a greeting. 

"Uh oh," I thought. This didn't look to be the kind of guy that would be incredibly happy about having an openly gay son. 

The boys walked up to the counter to order their overpriced lattes, and the father stepped in to pay.

After getting their drinks and sitting down, the father said to the boys, "You guys be good" and gave them both handshakes (I told you he was a man's man). He told his son to call him when he was ready to be picked up, and walked out of the store. Facing the front door, I saw the father stop at the window of the storefront. With their backs turned to the door, unaware that dad was still watching, the boys leaned in for a kiss.

To my surprise, the father's reaction was that of a beaming smile. His son was in love, and it didn't matter that it happened to be with a boy.

 Read the full and original article here

 

Via Tricycle Wisdom: H.H. Karmapa: Vegetarianism, Online Education and Nuns’ Ordination

For our debut episode, Daniel travels to Dharamsala, India, to interview His Holiness the Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje.

His Holiness talks about the efficacy of listening to Dharma classes, receiving empowerments, and taking ordination vows online, touching on the differences between Tibetan and traditional Western education and how each benefits from dialogue with the other.

He further shares some thoughts on how Western Dharma centers could be improved; he talks about vegetarianism, including anecdotes from his own and his previous emanations’ experiences with vegetarianism; and he discusses his recent involvement planning to re-establish the tradition of full ordination for Tibetan Buddhist nuns.

Make the jump here to listen

Via Tricycle: The Wisdom Podcast

The Wisdom Podcast is a Buddhist podcast that features interviews with leading thinkers from the Buddhist world. Each episode takes you on a fascinating exploration of Buddhism and meditation as our guests share stories and discuss life-changing practices, timeless philosophies, and new ways to think and live. Recent episodes have featured guests like His Holiness the Karmapa, Bhikkhu Bodhi, and Jeffrey Hopkins. 

Make the jump here to register and listen

Via Tricycle: Meditation Month Is Coming Soon!

Are you hoping to start a regular meditation practice? Looking to pick up where you left off? Could your current practice use a dash of invigoration and guidance? If so, you’re in luck, because Meditation Month is one week away! Commit to sit with us every day of the month—we’ll be here to lend you a hand along the way.

Beginning next Monday, February 29, we’ll be kicking off Meditation Month with the first of five guided meditations led by Vipassana teacher Spring Washam. Sign up for Meditation Month here, and you’ll be able to ask Spring questions about your practice. If you're a Tricycle subscriber, you can also look forward to the release of our third volume of Tricycle Teachings: Meditation, a selection of the clearest and most helpful meditation instructions from Pema Chödrön, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, and many others. The guidance of these master meditators will help you commit to a full month of “sit.”

When it’s time to get off your seat and back on the track, court, field, or yoga mat, consider the words of Tricycle contributor (and elementary school gym teacher) Alex Tzelnic: “Practice, both the athletic and the spiritual kind, is not a manifestation of perfection but an acceptance of imperfection.” Read more about the link between athletics and compassionate action in the latest installment of his web-column, “(Meta)Physical Education.”

Finally, if you haven’t watched this month’s Film Club selection, Siddharth, now’s your last chance. This film, about one father’s quest to find his missing 12-year-old, won Best Film and Best Director at the South Asian International Film Festival. It’ll be gone by March, so tune in before Meditation Month takes the place of movie night. 

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 23/02/2016

“Ao perceber-se visitado pelo medo, lembre-se de ocupar o corpo. Volte para o momento presente e coloque-se total na ação. No momento presente não existe medo, pois o medo está relacionado a uma fantasia a respeito do futuro, que é construída a partir de experiências do passado. O medo é um excesso de controle. No aqui/agora não existe necessidade de controlar, você simplesmente se move de acordo com o fluxo - a existência te leva. Mas, para isso, é preciso confiar, e a confiança é uma fragrância da presença.”

“Al percibirte siendo visitado por el miedo, recuerda ocupar tu cuerpo. Vuelve al momento presente y colócate total en la acción. En el momento presente no existe miedo, pues el miedo está relacionado a una fantasía respecto al futuro, que es construida a partir de experiencias del pasado. El miedo es un exceso de control. En el aquí/ahora no existe necesidad de controlar, simplemente te mueves de acuerdo con el flujo, la existencia te lleva. Pero para eso, es necesario confiar, y la confianza es una fragancia de la presencia.”

"When you realize that fear is paying you a visit, remember to occupy your body. Return to the present moment and be whole in your actions. There is no fear in the present, because fear is related to a fantasy about the future, which is built on past experiences. Fear turns us into control freaks; in the here and now, there is no need to control – you simply move with the flow and allow Existence to lead you. In order to reach this point, you have to first trust – and trust is a fragrance of presence.”

Via Daily Dharma: Developing Our Skillfulness

Because each of us is trapped in the system of interconnectedness by our own actions, only we, as individuals, can break out by acting in increasingly skillful ways. The Buddha and members of the noble sangha can show us the way, but actual skillfulness is something we have to develop on our own.

—Thanissaro Bhikkhu, "We Are Not One"

 

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For Everyman Lyrics by Jackson Browne:

Everybody I talk to is ready to leave
With the light of the morning
They've seen the end coming down
Long enough to believe
That they've heard their last warning
Standing alone
Each has his own ticket in his hand
And as the evening descends
I sit thinking 'bout Everyman
Seems like I've always been
Looking for some other place
To get it together
Where with a few of my friends
I could give up the race
And maybe find something better
But all my fine dreams
Well though out schemes
To gain the motherland
Have all eventually come down
Yo waiting for Everyman
Waiting here for Everyman
Make it on your own if you think you can
If you see somewhere to go I understand
Waiting here for Everyman
Don't ask me if he'll show -- baby I don't know
Make it on your own if you think you can
Somewhere later on you'll have to take a stand
Then you're going to need a hand
Everybody's just waiting to hear from the one
Who can give them the answers
And lead them back to that place
In the warmth of the sun
Where sweet childhood still dances
Who'll come along
And hold out that strong
And gentle father's hand?
Long ago I heard someone say
Something 'bout Everyman
Waiting here for Everyman
Make it on your own if you think you can
If you see somewhere to go I understand
I'm not trying to tell you
That I've seen the plan
Turn and walk away if you think I am
But don't think too badly
Of one who's left holding sand
He's just another dreamer,
Dreaming 'bout Everyman

Writer(s): JACKSON BROWNE

Copyright: Lyrics © Jackson Browne/Swallow Turn Music/Night Kitchen Music/Open Window Music

Lyrics licensed & provided by LyricFind

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Everyman

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 22/02/2016

“O medo é a antítese do amor; ele está sempre ligado ao ódio. Outros aspectos do eu inferior, como o orgulho e a obstinação, se conectam a ele, mas saber disso não vai te ajudar muito. O que pode te ajudar é olhar de frente para o medo e ver o que está por trás dele. O medo é um guardião que está a serviço de proteger apegos; é o sintoma de um desencaixe interno, uma insatisfação. E você evita entrar em contato com isso porque talvez seja necessário mudar alguma coisa na sua vida. Mas, como um buscador da Verdade, você precisa ter coragem de olhar e se perguntar: Quem é esse que vê a vida como uma ameaça? O que esse medo está escondendo? Assim você desarma o guardião e se torna um explorador da consciência.”

“El miedo es la antítesis del amor, siempre está conectado al odio. Otros aspectos del yo inferior como el orgullo y la obstinación se conectan a él, pero saber esto no te va a ayudar mucho. Lo que te puede ayudar es mirar de frenteal miedo y ver qué está por detrás de él. El miedo es un guardián que está al servicio de proteger apegos, es el síntoma de un desencaje interno, una insatisfacción. Y evitas entrar en contacto con esto porque tal vez sea necesario cambiar algo en tu vida. Pero como un buscador de la Verdad, necesitas tener coraje para mirar y preguntarte: ¿Quién es este que ve la vida como una amenaza? ¿Qué es lo que este miedo está escondiendo? Así desarmas al guardián y te vuelves un explorador de la conciencia.”

"Fear is the antithesis of love; it is always linked with hatred. Other aspects of the lower self such as pride and stubbornness are also connected to fear, but knowing all this will not help us much. What can help us is to face the fear straight on and look to see what lies behind it. Fear is the Guard who protects the doorway to attachments; it is the symptom of dissatisfaction, where something just isn’t sitting right internally. We avoid getting in touch with this because it means we may need to change something in our lives. However, as a seeker of the truth, we must have the courage to take a look at ourselves and ask: ‘Who is the one that sees life as a threat? What is this fear hiding?’ By doing so, we can disarm our inner Guard and become an explorer of consciousness.”

Via Daily Dharma: The Small Self and the True Self

Our small self is the “I, my, me” that feels like a separate person. Our true self has no idea of being separate, because it is before all ideas and thinking.

—Jane Dobisz, "Up and Down"

 

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Via LGBT INCLUSIVE / FB:

 

 

Someone you know is gay. Maybe even someone you love. Think before you speak hate. It is all about equality.

Via Mountain Stream Meditation Center / FB:

Via FB: The Ideals of Bernie Sanders

Via Ram Dass:

February 21, 2016

In relationships, when the other person doesn’t fit into your model of how heaven would be, you don’t have to play God. You just have to love individual differences and appreciate the way they are. Because as Maharaj-Ji said to me, “Love is the most powerful medicine.”

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 21/02/2016

“Quando não ocupa o seu corpo e se deixa ser conduzido por impulsos inconscientes, você perde o domínio sobre a rota da jornada evolutiva. Esses impulsos se utilizam dos seus pensamentos, palavras e ações para conduzi-lo ao fracasso. Isso ocorre porque eles são oriundos daquilo que conhecemos como ‘sombra’; um ‘lugar’ na consciência (inconsciência) onde escondemos tudo o que julgamos como maldade. E sendo conduzido por tais impulsos, você se sente indefeso e fragilizado - uma vítima do destino. Mas isso que você chama de ‘destino’ é apenas um produto da falta de presença. Lembre-se de que você mesmo está se colocando nessa situação e trate de ocupar o seu veículo.”

“Cuando no ocupas tu cuerpo y te dejas llevar por impulsos inconscientes, pierdes el dominio sobre la ruta del camino evolutivo. Estos impulsos se sirven de tus pensamientos, palabras y acciones para conducirte al fracaso. Esto ocurre porque son oriundos de aquello que conocemos como `sombra´, un `lugar´ en la conciencia (inconsciencia) donde escondemos todo lo que juzgamos como maldad. Y siendo conducido por tales impulsos, te sientes indefenso y frágil, una víctima del destino. Pero esto que llamas `destino´ es solo un producto de la falta de presencia. Recuerda que tú mismo te estás colocando en esta situación y trata de ocupar tu vehículo.”

"When we don’t occupy our bodies and we allow ourselves to be driven by unconscious impulses, we lose our grip on directing our evolutionary journey. These impulses use our thoughts, words and actions to steer us towards failure. This is because they come from what we know as 'shadow,' a 'place' in our unconsciousness where we hid everything we judge as evil. And being led by such impulses, we feel like helpless and frail victims of fate. But what we often call 'destiny' is actually just a product of the lack of presence. Remember that you are the one putting yourself in this situation; go back to occupying your vehicle.”

Via Daily Dharma: The Most Important Thing in the World

No matter how humble the activity—whether it be walking, sitting, eating, or washing the dishes—one approaches it with mindfulness, acting, and listening egolessly as if it might be the most important thing in the world, for indeed all that is, has been, and will be is contained in the present moment.

—Charles Johnson, "A Sangha by Another Name"

 

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Via JMG: PORTUGAL: President Signs Gay Adoption Bill

He doesn’t like it but he had no choice. The Perchy Bird reports: Portugal was once the only country with gay marriage but no adoption rights for couples. That changed today when news emerged that out-going President, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, signed the same-sex adoption bill ushered in by a new Left-leaning Parliamentary majority. 

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

Via um amigo...

Via um amigo...

Via Buddhism in a Nutshell: The Metta Sutta Translated by Thich Nhat Hanh

Buddhism in a Nutshell The Metta Sutta
Translated by Thich Nhat Hanh
He or She who wants to attain peace should practice being upright, humble, and capable of using loving speech. He or she will know how to live simply and happily, with senses calmed, without being covetous and carried away by the emotions of the majority. Let him or her not do anything that will be disapproved of by the wise ones. (And this is what he or she contemplates): 

‘May everyone be happy and safe, and may their hearts be filled with joy. 

‘May all living beings live in security and peace, beings who are frail or strong, tall or short, big or small, visible or not visible, near or far away, already born or yet to be born. May all of them dwell in perfect tranquility. 

‘Let no one do harm to anyone. Let no one put the life of anyone in danger. Let no one, out of anger or ill will, wish anyone any harm. 

‘Just as a mother loves and protects her only child at the risk of her own life, we should cultivate boundless love to offer to all living beings in the entire cosmos. Let our boundless love pervade the whole universe, above, below, and across. Our love will know no obstacles, our heart will be absolutely free from hatred and enmity. Whether standing or walking, sitting or lying, as long as we are awake, we should maintain this mindfulness of love in our own heart. This is the noblest way of living. 

‘Free from wrong views, greed, and sensual desires, living in beauty and realizing perfect understanding, those who practise boundless love will certainly transcend birth and death.’

---

Mindfulness is the energy that allows us to look deeply at our body, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness and see clearly what our real needs are, so we will not drown in the sea of suffering. Eventually love fills our mind and our will (Pali: cetana) and all our actions from that time on manifest love. Speech and actions are the fruits of will, so when our will is permeated by love, our speech and actions are also suffused with love. We speak only loving and constructive words and act only in ways that bring happiness and relieve suffering. 

*** 

Practise looking deeply all day long – during sitting meditation, walking meditation, at work, and at home. When you do, you will discover the true nature of the five skandhas – form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. You will see the conditions that have caused you to be the way you are, and this makes it easy to accept yourself – your suffering and your happiness at the same time. To love is first of all to accept yourself as you actually are. ‘Knowing thyself’ is the first practice of love.

*** 

May I learn to look at myself with the eyes of understanding and love. May he/she learn to look at him/herself with the eyes of understanding and love. May they learn to look at themselves with the eyes of understanding and love. 

May I be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in myself. May he/she be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in him/herself. May they be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in themselves. 

May I learn to identify and see the sources of anger, craving, and delusion in myself. May he/she learn to identify and see the sources of anger, craving and delusion in him/herself. May they learn to identify and see the sources of anger, craving and delusion in themselves. 

http://slbuddhists.org/inanutshell/mettasutta.html