Revoked

Monday, July 4, 2016

Via Daily Dharma / July 4, 2016: Happy Interdependence Day!

It is when we begin to witness interdependence that we see the true importance of personal responsibility. Once we see that nothing happens in a vacuum, that’s the exact moment when we are properly inspired to become accountable for our own mind.

—Ethan Nichtern, "Awake with Others"

Sunday, July 3, 2016

STEVE HAYES: Tired Old Queen at the Movies - THE WOMEN

Via JMG: CANADA: Justin Trudeau Becomes First Sitting Prime Minister To March In LGBT Pride Parade [VIDEO]

The Toronto Pride Parade just kicked off with Justin Trudeau making Canadian history as the first sitting Prime Minister to march in such an event. From the Ottawa Citizen: Other notable politicians marching include Ontario’s premier, Kathleen Wynne, and the mayor of Toronto, John Tory.

Make the jump here to read the full story on JMG and much more

Via Ram Dass

July 3, 2016

The most exquisite paradox…as soon as you give it all up, you can have it all. As long as you want power, you can’t have it. The minute you don’t want power, you’ll have more than you ever dreamed possible.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 03/07/2016

“O sol te ilumina, independentemente do que você pensa sobre ele. A água sacia a sua sede, independentemente do que você pensa sobre ela. Sempre digo que a última prova da universidade dos relacionamentos é amar mesmo que o outro não te ame. Em algum momento o ser humano desenvolve essa qualidade e se torna o amor, pois esse é o seu destino. Tornar-se o amor significa ter essa qualidade do sol e da água - significa amar desinteressadamente.”

“El sol te ilumina, independientemente de lo que piensasacerca de él. El agua calmatu sed, independientemente de lo que piensasde ella. Siempre digo que el últimoexamen de la universidad de las relaciones es amaraunque el otro no te ame. En algún momento el ser humano desarrolla esta cualidad y se convierte en amor, porque ese es su destino. Convertirse en amor significa tener esta cualidad del sol y del agua, significa amar desinteresadamente.”

“The sun shines on us, regardless of what we think about it. Water quenches our thirst, regardless of what we think about it. The ultimate test in the university of relationships is to remain loving even if the other doesn’t love us in return. At one point, the human being develops this quality and becomes love itself because this is the being’s destiny. To become love means to have the same quality as the sun and water. It means to love selflessly.”

Via Daily Dharma / July 3, 2016: Neither Suffering nor Non-suffering

There is a difference between ordinary beings and those who are on the path. The latter can simultaneously know suffering and the emptiness of suffering that is the state of wisdom.

—Khyentse Rinpoche, "Invisible Realities"

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Se você nunca encontra razões para agradecer. A falha está em você.
[ Buda ]

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 02/07/2016

“A transformação só é possível agora. A questão é se libertar do tempo psicológico. E o que nos mantêm presos ao tempo psicológico são os sentimentos negados e as máscaras que usamos para escondê-los. Não importa qual é a máscara, ela não tem saída. A máscara não pode ser livre e por isso você tem de se livrar dela.”

“La transformación sólo es posible ahora. La cuestión es liberarse del tiempo psicológico. Y lo que nos mantiene atados al tiempo psicológico son los sentimientos negados y las máscaras que usamos para ocultarlos. No importa cuál sea la máscara, ellano tiene salida. La máscara no puede ser libre y por esotienes que deshacerte de ella.”

“Transformation is only possible in the here and now. It is a matter of us being set free from psychological time. What keeps us prisoners of psychological time are our repressed feelings and the masks we use to hide them. It doesn’t matter what mask we use, there is no way out through the mask. With the mask, there is no freedom and for this very reason we must liberate ourselves from it.”

Via Daily Dharma / July 2, 2016:

There is nothing other than this present moment; there is no past, there is no future; there is nothing but this. So when we don’t pay attention to each little this, we miss the whole thing.

—Charlotte Joko Beck, "Attention Means Attention"

Friday, July 1, 2016

Via Daily Dharma / July 1, 2016:

Right understanding (and right functioning) of the mind does not come from thinking, but from actively and attentively observing the complex constellation of energies and activities of mind.

—Stuart Smithers, "Minding the Storehouse"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 01/07/2016

“O corpo, desde o início da encarnação, está em processo de deterioração. A alma busca a vida, mas o corpo naturalmente se move para a morte. Embora o corpo tenha o potencial de viver determinado número de anos, se a alma diz: ‘não quero mais’, ela entrega o corpo à própria sorte; à mercê dos vírus, das bactérias e de todas as influências que conduzem o corpo de volta para a terra.”

“El cuerpo, desde el inicio de la encarnación, está en proceso de deterioro. El alma busca la vida, pero el cuerpo naturalmente se dirige hacia la muerte. Aunque el cuerpo tenga el potencial de vivir determinado número de años, si el alma dice: ‘no quiero más’, entrega el cuerpo a la propia suerte, a merced de los virus, de las bacterias y de todas las influencias que conducen al cuerpo de vuelta a la tierra.”

“From the beginning of its incarnation, the body is in the process of deterioration. The soul seeks life, but the body naturally moves towards death. Even though the body has the potential to live a certain amount of years, if the soul says, ‘I don’t want to be here anymore’, it leaves the body to its own demise. The body is then at the mercy of viruses, bacteria and all the influences that make the body return to the earth.”

Via Pink News: Muslims invite LGBT community to break Ramadan fast

Dublin's Muslim community invites the LGBT community to annual Ramadan meal

The LGBT community in Ireland has been invited to a Muslim community meal for Ramadan.

The Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council has invited LGBT individuals to their second annual community Iftar – the meal which marks the end of the daily Ramadan fast – in Dublin next Saturday.

Ramadan is the annual month in the Islamic calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drink and sex between dawn and sunset.

The fast is performed to learn discipline, self-restraint and generosity and is seen one of the “five pillars” of Islam.

Read the full article and more here

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Via the Advocate:

Leaders at the United Nations and Human Rights Campaign say the vote to create a special LGBT Independent Expert will have global repercussions.

By JEAN FREEDBERG and RYAN KAMINSKI

History was made today as the top human rights body at the United Nations voted to create the world’s first global-level envoy position focused on the human rights of LGBTQ people.

In a resolution passed today, a plurality of members of the U.N. Human Rights Council voted to establish the position of independent expert with a groundbreaking mandate to combat violence and discrimination against LGBTQ people around the world. While this resolution is the third passed by the council concerning sexual orientation and gender identity since 2011, it is the first to create such a position and institutionalize this mandate.

This is a major victory for LGBTQ rights advocates who have long been pressing for the creation of this position. Independent experts, or special rapporteurs (known as “special procedures”), are part of the U.N. system but are technically independent. They have been called the “crown jewels” of the human rights system because of their outsized influence in the international human rights landscape and the expanse of their roles engaging governments, civil society, and more.

This effort was led by a group of Latin American member countries of the U.N.’s 47-member Human Rights Council, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Uruguay. More than 620 nongovernmental organizations from 151 countries on every continent signed a joint statement of support, declaring:

“It is time to move beyond one-off initiatives and piecemeal measures. … The establishment of a dedicated protection mechanism to address [sexual orientation and gender identity]-related human rights violations is a necessary step towards urgently addressing the serious abuses on these grounds in every region of the world.”

The creation of this position was not without controversy. A predictable minority of U.N. member-states argued that there was no need for such a position. Their opposition was driven and supported by international anti-LGBT groups.

Ultimately, support for the effort came from diverse regions of the world. The resolution passed with 23 states in favor, 18 against, and six abstaining.

At minimum, the new position will help ensure that LGBTQ rights remain in the international spotlight and are integrated into the portfolios of both public officials and diplomats. The independent expert can also play a crucial role in sharing best practices concerning the protection of the human rights of LGBTQ persons among the U.N.’s 193 member states.

By its very nature, the job will be extremely challenging, as there is no shortage of ground to cover. The independent expert will have to conduct country visits to assess the status of LGBTQ rights; connect with human rights defenders on the ground; and constructively and diplomatically engage officials and decision-makers on recommendations for reform. They will also periodically report back to the U.N. General Assembly on more specific issues under their mandate, both establishing a critical repository of evidence and data where it is sorely needed and building an important bridge between the Human Rights Council in Geneva and the broader U.N. system in New York and elsewhere. The independent expert will also be able to issue private communications to governments, including in emergency situations when an individual’s life may be at risk.

The recent massacre of 49 people in an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando demonstrated once again that violence targeting people for who they are or they love is a persistent global problem. Seventy-three countries still criminalize same-sex relationships — and in as many as 10 countries, being LGBT is punishable by death.

There are a few simple, early steps the new Independent Expert can take to catalyze change, raise global visibility for LGBTQ rights, and most critically, get the position renewed at the end of the initial three-year term. These include recognizing the overlapping discriminations that limit access of LGBTQ people to social and economic development; finding common ground with the other special procedures mandate holders — including the 14 that focus on specific countries, like Syria, and the 41 that work on thematic issues such as freedom of assembly and combating racism — to help address discrimination against LGBTQ people; and finally, committing to continued engagement with the diverse coalition of governments and civil society groups from across the global that drove this resolution across the finish line.

The outcome that was reached today in Geneva represents a key milestone for the LGBTQ community and its advocates and allies everywhere. It is yet another indication of the ever-increasing global recognition of the human rights and dignity of LGBTQ people. And even though we continue to face setbacks, today’s vote demonstrates that the momentum for equality is unstoppable.

Make the jump here to read the full article and more

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 30/06/2016

“A causa das doenças incuráveis está no nível da alma. Em determinado estágio da jornada evolutiva, a alma percebe que o corpo não acompanha o seu desenvolvimento, então ela começa a querer deixar o corpo, mesmo que conscientemente a pessoa não saiba disso. Ocorre que algumas pessoas chegam nesse estágio onde elas experienciam uma profunda divisão, a alma não acredita na possibilidade do corpo acompanhar a evolução, aí ela começa a se desligar e, quando ela começa a se desligar, o corpo entra em processo de deterioração.”

“La causa de las enfermedades incurables está en el nivel del alma. En determinado estadio del camino evolutivo, el alma percibe que el cuerpo no acompaña su desarrollo, entonces comienza a querer dejar el cuerpo, aunque la persona, conscientemente, no sepa esto. Ocurre que algunas personas llegan a este estadio donde experimentan una profunda división, el alma no cree en la posibilidad que el cuerpo acompañe la evolución, entonces comienza a desconectarse y cuando se comienza apagar, el cuerpo entra en proceso de deterioro.”

“The cause of incurable illness exists at the level of the soul. At one stage of the evolutionary journey, a soul perceives that the body is not accompanying its development. It begins to want to leave the body, even though consciously, the person is unaware of this. Some people get to the point in this stage where they experience a deep division. The soul doesn’t believe that it’s possible for the body to accompany its evolution, so it begins to disconnect from the body. When this disconnect begins, the body starts to deteriorate.”

Via Daily Dharma / June 30, 2016: The Starting Line is the Self

Purify your mind. This is how you can help society; this is how you can stop harming others and start helping them.

—S. N. Goenka, "No Magic, No Miracle"

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 29/06/2016

“Não há como controlar o processo do florescimento do perdão, pois esse é um fenômeno que se dá no plano do coração. E quem tenta controlar é a mente. O perdão só acontece quando você está suficientemente maduro, o que significa que você já pode compreender a razão maior de ter sido machucado.”

“No hay cómo controlar el proceso de florecimiento del perdón, porque este es un fenómeno que se da en el plano del corazón. Y quien intenta controlar es la mente. El perdón solo sucede cuando estás lo suficientemente maduro, lo que significa que ya puedes comprender la razón mayor de haber sido lastimado.”

“There is no way to control the blossoming of forgiveness. This is a phenomenon that happens at the level of the heart. The one who tries to control this process is the mind. Forgiveness only happens when we are mature enough to be able to understand the bigger picture why we ended up being hurt.”

Via Go Out And Play / FB:

Via Ram Dass:

June 29, 2016

The cosmic humor is that if you desire to move mountains and you continue to purify yourself, ultimately you will arrive at the place where you are able to move mountains. But in order to arrive at this position of power you will have had to give up being he-who-wanted-to-move-mountains so that you can be he-who-put-the-mountain-there-in-the-first-place. The humor is that finally when you have the power to move the mountain, you are the person who placed it there--so there the mountain stays.

Via Daily Dharma / June 29, 2016: Don't Let Insights Drag You Down

If you get excited, it ruins everything. You don’t see things clear through. You stop there and don’t go any further. For this reason, when you train the mind or contemplate the mind to the point of gaining clear realizations every now and then, regard them as simply things to observe.

—Upasika Kee Nanayon, "A Glob of Tar"

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Via Occupy Democrats / FB:

Kudos to Pope Francis for leading the church away from bigotry and toward inclusion and love.

Read more here: http://n.pr/28XsHIQ
Image by Occupy Democrats, LIKE our page for more!

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 28/06/2016

“Se você ainda não consegue perdoar aqueles que te fizeram mal, não se culpe. Ainda não chegou o momento. O perdão é uma flor que nasce de sementes compreensão. Quando eu lhe digo para procurar identificar as suas contradições; quando digo para se mover em direção à transcendência das mágoas e dos ressentimentos ou para esvaziar o seu coração da discórdia, eu estou lhe dando direções, apontando caminhos. E esses caminhos te levam ao plantio das sementes da compreensão. Mas quando elas irão florescer não é possível determinar.”

“Si aún no consigues perdonar a aquellos que te hicieron mal, no te culpes. Aún no llegó el momento. El perdón es una flor que nace de las semillas de la comprensión. Cuando te digo busca identificar tus contradicciones, cuando digo que te muevas en dirección a la trascendencia de las heridas y de los resentimientos o vaciar tu corazón de discordia, te estoy dando direcciones, apuntando caminos. Y esos caminos te llevan a la plantación de las semillas de la comprensión. Pero no es posible determinar cuándo ellasvan a florecer.”

“If you are still not able to forgive those that hurt you, don’t feel guilty. The moment has not yet arrived. Forgiveness is a flower that is born from seeds of comprehension. When I tell you to try to identify your contradictions, when I say to move towards the direction of transcendence of your wounds and resentments or to empty your heart of disharmony, I am giving directions, and showing you the way. These paths allow you to plant the seeds of comprehension, but when these seeds will flower, it is not possible to predict.”

Via Daily Dharma / June 28, 2016: Enlightened Devotion

Devotion (saddha) that develops from a deep understanding of the dharma and a heartfelt appreciation of the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha is not blind faith but rather a key factor in the “balance of faculties” necessary for final liberation.

—Asoka Bandarage, "Visiting the Four Sacred Sites"

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Via Ram Dass

June 26, 2016

If I don’t meet you in this form, I’ll meet you in another.

- Neem Karoli Baba

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 26/06/2016

“São poucos os seres humanos que sabem da existência da alma. Muitos acreditam que ela existe, mas poucos são os que sabem. Ainda menor é o número de pessoas que sabe que a alma tem um propósito. E é essa inconsciência a respeito da alma e do seu propósito que nos torna seres ‘desalmados’, sem valores espirituais desenvolvidos e que agem mecanicamente, guiados por impulsos físicos.”

“Son pocos los seres humanos que saben de la existencia del alma. Muchos creen que existe, pero pocos son los que saben. Aun menor es el número de personas que sabe que el alma tiene un propósito. Y es esa inconsciencia al respecto del alma y de su propósito que nos vuelve seres ‘desalmados’, sin valores espirituales desarrollados y que actúan mecánicamente, guiados por impulsos físicos.”

“Few human beings know of the soul’s existence. Many believe that it exists, but few have a direct experience of it. Even less people understand that the soul has a purpose. This unawareness of our souls’ purpose makes us become soul-less. We live without developed spiritual values which in turn makes us act mechanically, guided by our physical impulses.”

Via Daily Dharma / June 26, 2016: Having the Courage to Forgive

It takes great effort and resolution to endure pain and hardship. It requires tremendous confidence to bear insult and disgrace without a hint of retaliation or self-doubt.
—Master Hsing Yun, "Don't Get Mad, Get Even"

LGMC London Vigil

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/london-gay-mens-chorus-releases-song-aid-victims-orlando-shooting/#gs.v0fY=kI

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 25/06/2016

“A ambição gera inquietação. Ela não permite que você relaxe. Você se torna uma pessoa ansiosa, pois está sempre preocupada em como conquistar mais, como dar o próximo passo, como escalar novos degraus. Por trás da ambição existe um eu idealizado que precisa conquistar muitas coisas para ter segurança e sentir-se protegido. Ele vive em função de proteger a própria mentira, que é a sua autoimagem.”

“La ambición genera inquietud. No permite que te relajes. Te conviertes en una persona ansiosa, porque siempre estás preocupadaen cómo conquistar más, cómo dar el siguiente paso, cómo escalar nuevos peldaños. Por detrás de la ambición existe un yo idealizado que necesita conquistar muchas cosas para tener seguridad y sentirse protegido. Vive en función de proteger la propia mentira, que es tu autoimagen.”

“Ambition creates restlessness. It doesn’t allow us to relax. We become anxious,always concerned about how to get more, how to make the next move, how to get further up the ladder. Behind ambition, there is an idealized self that needs to conquer many things in order to feel secure and protected. The idealized self’s function isto protect its own lie which is it’s own self-image.”

Via Daily Dharma / June 25, 2016: The Expansive Self of the Bodhisattva

For us as bodhisattvas, all aspects of life, including the fate of humanity itself, live within us. It is with this in mind that we work to discover and manifest the most vital and alive posture that we can take in living out our life.

—Kosho Uchiyama, "What Is a Bodhisattva?"

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Via Daily Dharma / June 23, 2016: Multiplicity of the Self

We want to say a person is like this, or a person is like that. But that can’t tell the whole story.

—Tracy Franz, "Authentic Self"

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Via Ram Dass

June 22, 2016

I would like to play the part of someone who has worked on my consciousness sufficiently so that if things get tough, in terms of environment, social structures, oppression, minority groups, whatever the thing is – I would like to be able to be in the scene without getting caught in my own reactivity to it, without getting so caught in my own fear that I become part of the problem instead of part of the solution.

Via Daily Dharma / June 22, 2016: The Beauty of Life All Around Us

Sitting still is a way of falling in love with the world and everything in it.

—Pico Iyer, "Dropping Distraction"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 21/06/2016

“Nós estamos aqui buscando a verdade; estamos batendo na porta dela. Mas, às vezes, quando a porta se abre, nos assustamos. Certa vez, uma buscadora que dizia querer encontrar a verdade (e por isso era muito dedicada às suas práticas espirituais diárias) um dia descobriu que o marido a estava traindo. Então ela entrou em desespero e me disse: ‘quanto mais eu rezo, mais assombração me aparece! Eu estava buscando a verdade do Ser e isso é o que eu encontro?’ Existem graus de verdade, mas a verdade é uma só. E comprometer-se com a verdade significa comprometer-se com todos os seus aspectos. Então, ela que se achava tão desapegada, teve que entrar em contato com o ciúme e a possessividade que ainda carregava.”

“Nosotros estamos aquí buscando la verdad; estamos golpeando su puerta. Pero, a veces, cuando la puerta se abre, nos asustamos. Una vez, una buscadora que decía que quería encontrar la verdad (y por eso era muy dedicada a sus prácticas espirituales diarias) un día descubrió que su marido la estaba engañando. Entonces entró en desesperación y me dijo: ‘¡cuánto más rezo, más fantasmas me aparecen! ¿Yo estaba buscando la verdad del Ser y esto es lo que encuentro?’ Existen grados de verdad, pero la verdad es una sola. Y comprometerse con la verdad significa comprometerse con todos sus aspectos. Entonces, ella que se creía tan desapegada, tuvo que entrar en contacto con los celos y la posesividad que todavía cargaba.”

“We are here seeking for truth and knocking on truth’s door. However, sometimes when the door opens, we get frightened. Once there was a disciple of mine, who said she wanted to find truth and as suchwas very dedicated to her daily spiritual practice. One day she discovered that her husband was cheating on her. She fell into despair and said to me, ‘the more I pray, the darker the shadow becomes! I was searching for the truth of my being and this is what I find?’ There are degrees of truth but there is only one truth. To be committed with the truth means to be committed to be willing to see the truth in all of its aspects. So, even though she thought she was free from her attachments, she had to get in touch with the jealousy and possessiveness she still carried within.”

Via Daily Dharma / June 21, 2016: The True Meaning of Renunciation

The ground of renunciation is realizing that we already have exactly what we need, that what we have already is good. Every moment of time has enormous energy in it, and we could connect with that.

—Pema Chödrön, "Renunciation"

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Via Daily Dharma / June 18, 2016: The Roots of Meditation

All it takes to evoke the relaxation response—the gateway to all forms of meditation—is to focus exclusively on a repetitive stimulus or movement to break the stream of ordinary thought.

—James Kingsland, "Siddhartha, the Scientist"

Orlando City's Emotional In-Stadium Tribute

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 19/06/2016

“Somente quando pode amar plenamente você pode experimentar a liberdade. Mesmo que não tenha consciência disso, o que você está buscando é a experiência da liberdade, pois ela é o perfume da unidade; e a unidade é possível somente através do amor - esse tão imenso poder capaz de remover todas as barreiras de separação.”

“Solamente cuando puedes amar plenamente puedes experimentar la libertad. Incluso si no eres consciente de ello, lo que estás buscando es la experiencia de la libertad, pues es el perfume de la unidad; y la unidad es posible solamente a través del amor - ese tan inmenso poder capaz de remover todas las barreras de separación.”

“Only when we can fully love can we experience freedom. Even if we are not conscious about it, what we are actually seeking is the experience of freedom. This is the fragrance of union. Union is only possible through love. Only the immense power of love has the capacity to remove all the barriers of separation.”

Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 18/06/2016

“Normalmente, o medo e o orgulho trabalham juntos para proteger os porões do inconsciente. Me refiro a um aspecto bem específico do orgulho: a vergonha. Você tem vergonha de si mesmo, da sua história e do seu passado; tem vergonha de estar numa situação de insegurança e fragilidade, e tem medo que o outro descubra. Você não admite estar nesse lugar. Esse é o orgulho, mas o principal guardião é o medo – medo de entrar no núcleo da origem da dor.”

“Normalmente, el miedo y el orgullotrabajan juntos para proteger los sótanos del inconsciente. Me refiero a un aspecto muy específico del orgullo, la vergüenza. Tienesvergüenza de ti mismo, de tu historia y de tu pasado; tienes vergüenza de estar en una situación de inseguridad y fragilidad, y tienes miedo de que el otro lo descubra. No admites estar en ese lugar. Este es el orgullo, pero el principal guardián es el miedo - miedo de entrar en el núcleo del origen del dolor.”

“Usually, fear and pride work together to protect the dungeons of the unconscious. I am referring to a very specific aspect of pride, which is shame. We are ashamed of ourselves, of our story, and of our past. We feel ashamed to be in a situation that exposes our insecurity and vulnerability. We are afraid that the other will discover this. We don’t want to admit that we are in this place. This is an example of pride acting in us, whose main guard is fear. We fear getting in touch with the original core of this pain.”

Via Ram Dass:

June 19, 2016

The world is perfect as it is, including my desire to change it.

Antigua, Guatemala June 2016

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/oreydc/28/1466273356/tpod.html

Via Dialy Dharma / June 19, 2016: When Dualism Collapses

When sense and the objects of sense both become empty, then emptiness and sense merge and reach a state of absolute perfection.

—Kuan-Yin, "Hearing, A Door to Liberation"

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Via Daily Dharma / June 15, 2016: Examining Interdependence

It is entirely appropriate to examine in our moment-to-moment experience how craving and aversion manifest in personal psychological suffering. It is also important to follow that strand out through the interdependent karmic relationships in which each moment is entangled, to see how our desire is affecting everyone and everything around us.

—Andrew Olendzki, "The Other Dukkha"

Via Ram Dass

June 15, 2016

All action is prayer.
All trees are desire-fulfilling.
All water is the Ganga.
All land is Varanasi.
Love everything.

- Neem Karoli Baba (Maharajji)

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day - 16/06/2016

“Antes de identificar o que fecha o seu coração e te impede de amar, é preciso identificar o fechamento. Nem sempre é fácil ver que o coração está fechado, mas é fácil identificar os sintomas do fechamento: acusação e julgamento. Se você acusa e julga é porque o seu coração está fechado. Uma coisa é enxergar o erro no outro e rezar para que ele transforme determinado aspecto negativo, e assim se libere. Outra coisa é identificar o erro e usar a sua energia (pensamentos, palavras e ações) para fortalecê-lo. Dessa forma, você cristaliza o outro naquele aspecto negativo para poder se sentir melhor do que ele. Isso é vingança.”

“Antes de identificar lo que cierra tu corazón y te impide de amar, esnecesario identificar elcierre. No siempre es fácil ver que el corazón está cerrado, pero es fácil identificar los síntomas del cierre: acusación y juicio. Si acusas y juzgas es porque tu corazón está cerrado. Una cosa es ver el error en el otro, y rezar para que él transformeun determinado aspecto negativo, y así se libere. Otra cosa es identificar el error y utilizar tu energía (pensamientos, palabras y acciones) para fortalecerlo. De esta manera, cristalizasal otro en aquel aspecto negativo para poder sentirte mejor que él. Esto es venganza.”

“Before we can identify what makes our hearts close and prevents us from loving, we must first identify when our hearts are closed. It isn’t always easy to see that our hearts are closed, but it is easy to identify the symptoms of a closed heart: blame and judgment. If we are blaming and judging the other it is because our hearts are closed. It is one thing to see the faults of another and pray for them so that they may be able to transform certain negative aspects and become free of them. It is another thing to see their faults and invest all of our energy into blaming or judging them throughour thoughts, words and actions. This only crystallizesand reinforces the other’s negative behavior so that we can feel superior to them. This is what we call revenge.”

Via Daily Dharma / June 16, 2016: Recognizing Mortality, Cherishing Life

Recognizing mortality means we are willing to see what is true. Seeing what is true is grounding. It brings us into the present.

—Anne Klein, "The Supreme Contemplation"

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Via John Peart: To my heterosexual friends: this is why Orlando hurts

To my heterosexual friends,

Lots of you have been silent about events in Orlando this weekend. That’s OK; maybe you were busy, life moves fast. But this one cuts a little deeper for your LGBT friends, like me, and you should know why.

It’s not because it’s terrorism; though that plays a part in it.

It’s not because of the size of the death toll. There isn’t a scale and this isn’t a competition.

It hurts because it’s not so different from the violence we experience every day. Until you’ve been scared to hold your partner’s hand in public, unless you’ve faced fear of revealing yourself to those closest to you; you can sympathise, but you can’t understand.

This hurts because whilst families and our community are grieving, the media is denying our collective identity.

The world around us tries to politicise every part of our lives as an LGBT community: our fundamental rights, who we can marry, whether we can donate blood. And yet, the rare occasion we want our community to be at the forefront of politics, the politics of hate is erased from the discussion.

This wasn’t “America’s Bataclan”. It wasn’t an attack on ‘the West’ or Western culture. This attack was specific. Pre-meditated. Fuelled by a hatred of people like me.

This hurts because so many remain silent when usually they are most vocal. They’ll mourn the death of a gorilla but they won’t mourn 49 dead LGBT people.

This hurts because it brought the worst of the world out of the woodwork. From presumptive Presidential nominees to priests to small town hicks, they congratulate a terrorist for killing “pedophiles” and “deviants”.

This hurts like it always has. Like Harvey Milk said:

The anger and the frustrations that some of us feel is because we are misunderstood, and friends can’t feel the anger and frustration. They can sense it in us, but they can’t feel it. Because a friend has never gone through what is known as coming out. I will never forget what it was like coming out and having nobody to look up toward. I remember the lack of hope - and our friends can’t fulfill it.

This hurts because of when it happened. June isn’t just any month in the year: it’s the anniversary of the Stonewall riots. It’s the time of the year when our community comes together to celebrate the progress made, and remember those who came before us. Now this year, more than most, Pride will be a reminder of how far we still have to go.

But we remain defiant. As a community, you hurt one of us and you hurt us all, and we’ll come back fighting.

In cities around the UK, and around the world, people stood still last night to honour and remember the dead. Thousands flocked to pay their respects and draw strength from our collective voice: love is love, and love always wins.

So my friends, don’t stay silent in the face of homophobic terror. Do something.

Be defiant. Light a candle. Teach your children LGBT people are to be loved not feared. Lend your support to homophiles not homophobes. Ask your LGBT friends if they’re OK. Do whatever you can, but don’t stay silent and don’t let this happen again.

John Peart

Liberal Redneck: Orlando shooting and 'Radical Islam'

From the New York Daily News:

There’s no joke to be told here for Daily News Hillbilly-in-Chief Trae Crowder following the massacre in Orlando. In an impassioned and powerful appeal to stop the “archaic lunacy” of religious and gun fanaticism, Crowder breaks it down to its most granular level on whether you’re on the side of love or hate.

“Saying that gay people shouldn’t be allowed to get married or be parents is not the same as murdering them, OK? Clearly. But that is where this road leads. This is what happens when zealous hate masquerading as faith is allowed to go unchecked.”