Via The Huffingtonpost and Mormons for Equality / FB: LGBT Mormons Boldly Claim Both Their Orientation And Their Faith

More and more LGBT Mormons are stepping up to claim both their religious heritage and their identity--no longer buying into the false choice that they have to choose one over the other, and recognizing that they are exactly who we are supposed to be.

"I’m proud to walk with my LGBT Mormon brothers and sisters on this journey — as some have called it, a Hero’s Journey. And as we continue our journey, we welcome our Latter-day Saint fellows to walk by our side — gay, straight, and everywhere in between. For those who cannot yet do so, we will hold a space for you. But we will no longer believe that we are broken, suffering, or unworthy of Christ’s love and full inclusion."

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Artist Melinda Hannah finalizing portraits of LGBT Mormons. Photo courtesy of Melinda Hannah.

“You can be gay, or you can be Mormon. But you can’t be both.”

I grew up hearing that a lot as a gay Mormon kid in Idaho. I guess in some ways it was no surprise to hear that from my Mormon friends, family and leadership since by and large, most of them didn’t understand what it actually meant to be LGBT. But as I grew up, I heard it from some of my friends in the LGBT community as well — and for a time, I actually allowed myself to believe it. 

It was a painful place to be. I felt tossed back and forth between two communities, neither of them wanting to claim me as a whole, integrated person. One the one hand, I had no choice over whether or not I was gay — I’m a firm believer I was this way before I came to this life and I’ll be this way when I get to the next. And on the other, being Mormon is much more complicated than just an activity I practiced for a few hours on Sunday; it is a culture deeply steeped into my identity, and it’s not something I could turn my back on without leaving behind a core part of who I am (not to mention my family, friends, and faith practice). 

My world was full of people who weren’t shy about telling me how to live my life — and on any given day, I couldn’t be Mormon enough for my Latter-day Saint family and friends, and I couldn’t be gay enough for my LGBT community. I felt like a man with a foot in two worlds, but I didn’t fully belong in either. No matter which one I chose, I still lost part of myself.

But today that’s different. Today, when someone tells me, “You can’t be both gay and Mormon,” I gently reply, “Watch me. I do it every day.” 

And I am not alone. 

Today, there are thousands — perhaps tens of thousands — of LGBT Mormons like me throughout the world, and we claim both our religious roots and our orientation without apology. We don’t view ourselves as “broken and suffering,” the way many inside Mormonism see us. Instead, we have come to realize that the only thing “broken” about us is the way we were taught to understand ourselves in relation to God and our fellow humans; and any “suffering” we have experienced has come largely at the hands of our brothers and sisters inside the Mormon church — including our leadership. 

Health, wholeness, and happiness for us comes not from choosing one side of ourselves at the expense of the other — but instead, from integrating them and forging our path through life as LGBT Mormons. And while it may once have felt like we were people with a foot in two worlds that didn’t seem to intersect, we’ve come to understand that those two worlds do indeed intersect — and that we are that intersection point. 

An art show opening in Provo, Utah later this month features portraits of some of these LGBT Mormons — many of them alongside their partners and spouses of the same gender. The show runs from September 22-25 with a special reception on Friday, September 23 at 5:30 P.M., at Writ and Vision Rare Books and Fine Art in downtown Provo. 

The exhibit is officially named “The Hero’s Journey of the LGBT Mormon,” after the book by prominent Latter-day Saint author and LGBT ally Carol Lynn Pearson. The exhibit coincides with the annual conference of Affirmation, an organization run by and for LGBT Mormons. 

Melinda Hannah is the artist and brainchild behind the event. 

“I’ve long held that art can be a unique and powerful way to capture the beauty that is found inside authenticity, and the LGBT Mormons I’ve had the honor to work with in this show have a genuine spirit of authenticity and wholeness that I wanted to bring to life—and bring to others,” said Hannah, who is based in Seattle. 

Hannah has prior experience with communities who’ve suffered trauma yet emerged whole and healthy. Her art show in 2014 focused on women survivors of cancer and it’s her passion for ‘healing through art’ that inspired her again here. 

In November of last year, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints enacted a worldwide policy that mandates church discipline (the process that leads to excommunication) for LGBT Mormons who choose to live authentic lives and marry someone of their same gender and bars children with LGBT parents from being baptized into the faith until those children turn 18 — and only then if they openly disavow the relationship of their parents.
“When the November policy was announced in church, I sat with a gay Mormon friend of mine for several hours one Sunday. I saw her pain, her fear, and I held her as she cried. I recognized that there is healing to be done here — and I feel called to help,” added Hannah. 

She continued: “Not every LGBT Mormon is in the same place spiritually and emotionally as the ones depicted in the show — it is my hope that their portraits will inspire others to begin to view themselves as whole and loved by God. Even if the Mormon Church itself is unable to welcome and love its LGBT members right now, I have a firm testimony that God certainly does. He always has.”

The LGBT Mormons featured in the show agree with Hannah. A few of my fellow LGBT Latter-day Saints featured in the exhibit shared their thoughts with me here. 

“I have always believed that there could be a place for everyone in the Mormon Church, and that happiness and love could be a real part for everyone in this life, too. As a lesbian Mormon, I felt called to boldly be in the pews; to be tolerant while creating tolerance, and hold space to help stop so much unnecessary grief and pain. Like many that held this space before me and those that will follow, I feel a deep honor that I have had a chance to run my lap; to carry the baton for the team and pass it to the next gay Mormon advocate, until I am called to run another leg for change.”

-A. Celeste Carolin, Seattle, WA

“I’m gay and very proud of it. I suspect I’m the first gay rights activist to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after the November policy. I was baptized Dec. 5, 2015. I’m reclaiming the place I had in our pre-mortal family council, where all of God’s LGBT children had an honored place. If we LGBTs didn’t have an honorable place, we wouldn’t have a body right now. We were loved and nurtured before the world began. My Heavenly Father manages this universe. He would not send me here only to forget about me. God is arranging all things gloriously for his LGBT children. We only have to watch it unfold.”

-Derek Knox, Boston, MA

“Mormonism is my home — it is my religion and the religion of my family—and through it I have developed a firm testimony of the Gospel of Christ. It is through Christ’s Gospel that I found the courage to come out, to be honest about who I am as a gay man. A tenet of living the Gospel of Christ is living an authentic life. And because I am now living an authentic life as a follower of Christ, I have an abundance of peace and joy that I never had while I was denying my orientation. For me, living my truth is part of living the gospel—I cannot be a true follower of my Savior and be dishonest about who I am.”

-Roger Sanchez, Roseburg, OR

Each of the LGBT Mormons in the art show have written similar statements about their journey as LGBT Mormons, and you can learn more about the show on the Facebook event page. 

I’m proud to walk with my LGBT Mormon brothers and sisters on this journey — as some have called it, a Hero’s Journey. And as we continue our journey, we welcome our Latter-day Saint fellows to walk by our side — gay, straight, and everywhere in between. For those who cannot yet do so, we will hold a space for you. But we will no longer believe that we are broken, suffering, or unworthy of Christ’s love and full inclusion. 

When you are ready, we will take your hand as equals in our family of humanity, and together we will build a better Zion.

Follow Mitch Mayne on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mitchmaynecom

See the orginla nd more here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mitch-mayne/refusing-to-choose-lgbt-mormons_b_12011380.html 

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 15/09/2016

“O que te impede de assumir compromisso e responsabilidade? Sendo o compromisso e a responsabilidade aspectos do movimento natural da vida, assim como o rio que se move em direção ao oceano, qual é a pedra que te impede de fluir nesse movimento natural? Quais são as crenças e imagens congeladas no seu sistema que te fazem crer que assumir compromisso e responsabilidade é ruim? A pedra representa algum aspecto do passado te impedindo de manifestar a presença. A presença é a unidade com o Ser; é de onde flui a espontaneidade.O Ser assume compromisso e responsabilidade, pois esses são aspectos do amor, e o amor é a essência do Ser.”

“¿Qué es lo que te impide asumir compromiso y responsabilidad? Siendo el compromiso y la responsabilidad aspectos del movimiento natural de la vida, así como el río que se mueve en dirección al océano, ¿cuál es la piedra que te impide fluir en ese movimiento natural? ¿Cuáles son las creencias e imágenes congeladas en tu sistema que te hacen creer que asumir compromiso y responsabilidad es malo? La piedra representa algún aspecto del pasado que te está impidiendo manifestar la presencia. La presencia es la unidad con el Ser, es de donde fluye la espontaneidad.El Ser asume compromiso y responsabilidad puesestos son aspectos del amor, y el amor es la esencia del Ser.”

“What prevents us from making commitments and assuming responsibility? Commitments and responsibility are like natural movement in life, just like a river that moves in the direction of the ocean. What is the rock that prevents the flow of this natural movement? What are the beliefs and frozen images in our system that makes us believe commitments and responsibility are bad? The rock represents something from the past that robs us of presence. Presence is unity with the being. From presence flows spontaneity. The being assumes responsibility and commitment, because these are aspects of love, and love is the essence of the being.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 15, 2016: At The End

Within the silence that follows the final breath of a dying person is the certainty that something is occurring. In the nonmoving movement of air in the room one senses a deep, deep loneliness and at the same time the connectedness of everything.

—Robert Chodo Campbell, "Death Is Not an Emergency"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 14/09/2016

“Só é possível haver crescimento real se houver comprometimento com a verdade. Mas, muitas vezes, é difícil distinguir entre a mentira e a verdade, entre o falso e o real. Por isso, tenho transmitido instrumentos que possibilitam mensurar até que ponto estamos alinhados ou não com a verdade. Um deles é muito simples:observe suas insatisfações e identifique as situações negativas que se repetem na sua vida; situações que você tenta mudar através da vontade consciente, mas não consegue. Isso indica a existência de uma máscara, uma camada de falsidade encobrindo a verdade. Em algum ponto você está sendo desonesto consigo mesmo; você está fugindo de alguma coisa. A disposição para se ver é a base para o real crescimento.”

“Solo es posible que haya crecimiento real si hay compromiso con la verdad. Pero muchas veces es difícil distinguir entre la mentira y la verdad, entre lo falso y lo real. Por eso hetrasmitido instrumentos que posibilitan medir hasta qué punto estamos alineados o no con la verdad. Uno de ellos es muy simple: observa tus insatisfacciones e identifica las situaciones negativas que se repiten en tu vida; situaciones que intentas cambiar a través de la voluntad consciente, pero no lo consigues. Eso indica la existencia de una máscara, una capa de falsedad encubriendo la verdad. En algún punto estas siendo deshonesto contigo mismo;estás huyendo de alguna cosa. La disposición para mirarte es la base para el real crecimiento.”

“We can only have real growth when there is commitment to truth. Many times, it is difficult to distinguish between lies and truth, between the false and the real. For this reason, I have given many instruments to determine the extent to which we are aligned with truth or not. One of the more simple tools is to observe our dissatisfactions and identify repetitive negative situations in our lives. These are the situations that we try to change through our conscious will, but are unable to shift. This shows us that there is a mask, acting in us, that there is a layer of falseness covering the truth. Somewhere we are being dishonest with ourselves; we are hiding from something. Having the willingness to see ourselves is what is needed for real growth.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 14, 2016: What Giving Is

Generosity takes many forms—we may give our time, our energy, our material possessions, our love. All are expressions of caring, of compassion, of connection, and of renunciation—the ability to let go.

—Joseph Goldstein, "The Evolution of Happiness"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 13/09/2016

“Sem honestidade só é possível crescer no mundo material(se é que podemos chamar isso de crescimento). Alguns chegam a construir impérios com base na mentira, mas tudo o que é construído sobre fundações de mentira - fundações irreais - está fadado a, em algum momento, desmoronar. Tudo que nasce da mentira é ilusório e temporário; tudo que nasce da verdade é real e eterno.”

“Sin honestidad solo es posible crecer en el mundo material (si es que podemos llamar a eso crecimiento). Algunos llegan a construir imperios en base a la mentira, pero todo lo que es construido sobre cimientos de mentira – cimientos irreales – está destinado a desmoronarse en algún momento. Todo lo que nace de la mentira es ilusorio y temporario; todo lo que nace de la verdad es real y eterno.”

“Without honesty it is only possible to grow in the material world, if we can actually call this growth. Some even build empires with foundations based on lies, but everything built on falsehood with unreal foundations, sooner or later, is bound to fall. Everything that is born from deceit is illusory and temporary. Everything that is born from truth is real and eternal.”

Via DailyDharma / September 13, 2016: Natural Creativity

When we trust our creative energy, we encounter a supreme kind of enjoyment—an amazement at the natural unfolding of life beyond our ordinary way of looking at things. When we talk about creating art—or more importantly, the art of living a sane life—it means trusting our basic nature and its natural creativity.

—Dzigar Kongtrul, "Free Expression"

Via Daily Dharma / September 12, 2016: A Useful Reminder

While the practice of dharma may (and often does) bring some comfort, enjoyment, and even happiness in this life, the seeking of these states has always been the very definition of what is not dharma practice. We seek these naturally, no practice required.

—Linda Heuman, "What’s at Stake as the Dharma Goes Modern?"

Via Ram Dass: September 11, 2016

September 11, 2016

It's only when caterpillarness is done that one becomes a butterfly. That again is part of this paradox. You cannot rip away caterpillarness. The whole trip occurs in an unfolding process of which we have no control.

Via Daily Dharma / September 11, 2016: Why Practice?

 This is what we’ve been practicing for: the situations where the practice doesn’t come easily. When the winds of change reach hurricane force, our inner refuge of mindfulness, concentration, and discernment is the only thing that will keep us from getting blown away.

—Thanissaro Bhikkhu, "What We've Been Practicing For"

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 11/09/2016

“Ao acreditar que um objeto externo trará felicidade, você se torna dependente dele para ser feliz. Essa crença é uma ilusão que serve apenas para alimentar o desejar compulsivo e a ideia de que a felicidade vem da matéria. Nossa ciência tem sido conduzida por essa falsa crença há séculos. Tanto tempo e dinheiro, tanta energia já foi desperdiçada na tentativa de dominar a matéria por conta disso. Mas agora nós chegamos num ponto de colapso e precisamos fazer uma curva radical: precisamos dedicar toda nossa energia na conquista do mundo interior. E, para isso, a ciência precisa se unir à espiritualidade.”

“Al creer que un objeto externo traerá felicidad, te vuelves totalmente dependiente de él para ser feliz. Esa creencia es una ilusión que apenas sirve para alimentar el desear compulsivo y a la idea de que la felicidad viene de lomaterial. Nuestra ciencia ha sido conducida por esa falsa creencia por siglos. Tanto tiempo y dinero, tanta energía ya fue desperdiciada en la tentativa de dominar la materia por cuenta de eso. Pero ahora llegamos a un punto de colapso y necesitamos hacer una curva radical: necesitamos dedicar toda nuestra energía en la conquista del mundo interior. Y para eso, la ciencia necesita unirse con la espiritualidad.”

“To believe that an external object will bring happiness creates a dependency within us. This belief is an illusion that only serves to feed compulsive desire and the idea that happiness comes from the world of matter. Our science has been led by this false belief for centuries. Due to this belief, great amounts of money, time and energy have been wasted to try and dominate the material world. Now we have gotten to the breaking point and we need to make a radical turn; we need to dedicate all our energy to the conquest of the internal world. Thus, science must be united with spirituality.”

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 11/09/2016

“Ao acreditar que um objeto externo trará felicidade, você se torna dependente dele para ser feliz. Essa crença é uma ilusão que serve apenas para alimentar o desejar compulsivo e a ideia de que a felicidade vem da matéria. Nossa ciência tem sido conduzida por essa falsa crença há séculos. Tanto tempo e dinheiro, tanta energia já foi desperdiçada na tentativa de dominar a matéria por conta disso. Mas agora nós chegamos num ponto de colapso e precisamos fazer uma curva radical: precisamos dedicar toda nossa energia na conquista do mundo interior. E, para isso, a ciência precisa se unir à espiritualidade.”

“Al creer que un objeto externo traerá felicidad, te vuelves totalmente dependiente de él para ser feliz. Esa creencia es una ilusión que apenas sirve para alimentar el desear compulsivo y a la idea de que la felicidad viene de lomaterial. Nuestra ciencia ha sido conducida por esa falsa creencia por siglos. Tanto tiempo y dinero, tanta energía ya fue desperdiciada en la tentativa de dominar la materia por cuenta de eso. Pero ahora llegamos a un punto de colapso y necesitamos hacer una curva radical: necesitamos dedicar toda nuestra energía en la conquista del mundo interior. Y para eso, la ciencia necesita unirse con la espiritualidad.”

“To believe that an external object will bring happiness creates a dependency within us. This belief is an illusion that only serves to feed compulsive desire and the idea that happiness comes from the world of matter. Our science has been led by this false belief for centuries. Due to this belief, great amounts of money, time and energy have been wasted to try and dominate the material world. Now we have gotten to the breaking point and we need to make a radical turn; we need to dedicate all our energy to the conquest of the internal world. Thus, science must be united with spirituality.”

Via Bipartisan Report & LATimes: Bernie Sanders Publishes Stunning OpEd In LA Times, Makes Major Announcement

The LA Times published a beautifully written opinion article by former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders. He felt the need to explain to his millions of loyal fans that letting Donald Trump win the Presidency was just not an option. Below is the letter.

The conventions are over and the general election has officially begun. In the primaries, I received 1,846 pledged delegates, 46% of the total. Hillary Clinton received 2,205 pledged delegates, 54%. She received 602 superdelegates. I received 48 superdelegates. Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee and I will vigorously support her.

Donald Trump would be a disaster and an embarrassment for our country if he were elected president. His campaign is not based on anything of substance — improving the economy, our education system, healthcare or the environment. It is based on bigotry. He is attempting to win this election by fomenting hatred against Mexicans and Muslims. He has crudely insulted women. And as a leader of the “birther movement,” he tried to undermine the legitimacy of our first African American president. 
That is not just my point of view. That’s the perspective of a number of conservative Republicans.

In these difficult times, we need a president who will bring our nation together, not someone who will divide us by race or religion, not someone who lacks an understanding of what our Constitution is about.

On virtually every major issue facing this country and the needs of working families, Clinton’s positions are far superior to Trump’s. Our campaigns worked together to produce the most progressive platform in the history of American politics. Trump’s campaign wrote one of the most reactionary documents.

Clinton understands that Citizens United has undermined our democracy. She will nominate justices who are prepared to overturn that Supreme Court decision, which made it possible for billionaires to buy elections. Her court appointees also would protect a woman’s right to choose, workers’ rights, the rights of the LGBT community, the needs of minorities and immigrants and the government’s ability to protect the environment.

Trump, on the other hand, has made it clear that his Supreme Court appointees would preserve the court’s right-wing majority.

Clinton understands that in a competitive global economy we need the best-educated workforce in the world. She and I worked together on a proposal that will revolutionize higher education in America. 

It will guarantee that the children of any family in this country with an annual income of $125,000 a year or less – 83% of our population – will be able to go to a public college or university tuition free. This proposal also substantially reduces student debt.

Trump, on the other hand, has barely said a word about higher education.

Clinton understands that at a time of massive income and wealth inequality, it is absurd to provide huge tax breaks to the very rich.

Trump, on the other hand, wants billionaire families like his to enjoy hundreds of billions of dollars in new tax breaks.

Clinton understands that climate change is real, is caused by human activity and is one of the great environmental crises facing our planet. She knows that we must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and move aggressively to energy efficiency and sustainable energy.

Trump, on the other hand, like most Republicans, rejects science and the conclusions of almost all major researchers in the field. He believes that climate change is a “hoax,” and that there’s no need to address it.

Clinton understands that this country must move toward universal healthcare. She wants to see that all Americans have the right to choose a public option in their healthcare exchange, that anyone 55 or older should be able to opt in to Medicare, and that we must greatly improve primary healthcare through a major expansion of community health centers. She also wants to lower the outrageously high cost of prescription drugs.

And what is Donald Trump’s position on healthcare? He wants to abolish the Affordable Care Act, throw 20 million people off the health insurance they currently have and cut Medicaid for lower-income Americans.

During the primaries, my supporters and I began a political revolution to transform America. That revolution continues as Hillary Clinton seeks the White House. It will continue after the election. It will continue until we create a government which represents all of us and not just the 1 percent – a government based on the principle of economic, social, racial and environmental justice.

I understand that many of my supporters are disappointed by the final results of the nominating process, but being despondent and inactive is not going to improve anything. Going forward and continuing the struggle is what matters. And, in that struggle, the most immediate task we face is to defeat Donald Trump.

Make the jump here to read the original and more

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 10/09/2016

“A crença de que a felicidade depende do outro está por trás de todos os problemas de relacionamento. Essa é a raiz do sofrimento nas relações humanas. Por isso, se puder voltar-se para dentro e finalmente buscar a felicidade no lugar certo (em si mesmo), você estará contribuindo não somente para a sua própria evolução, mas para a evolução do ser humano como espécie.”

“La creencia de que la felicidad depende del otro está por detrás de todos los problemas de las relaciones. Esa es la raíz del sufrimiento en las relaciones humanas. Por eso, si pudieras ir para adentro y finalmente buscar la felicidad en el lugar exacto (en ti mismo), estarás contribuyendo no solamente a tu propia evolución, sino para la evolución del ser humano como especie.”

“The belief that happiness depends on the other is behind all relationship problems. It is the root of suffering in human relations. So, if we could turn inwards and finally pursue happiness in the right place, within ourselves, we would be contributing not only to our own evolution but to the evolution of the human species.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 10, 2016: Nothing to Fear

As long as we think we shouldn’t feel something, as long as we are afraid of feeling vulnerable, our defenses kick in to try to get life under control, to manipulate ourselves or other people. But instead of either controlling or sequestering our feelings, we can learn to both contain and feel them fully.

—Barry Magid, "No Gain"

Via Walter Kirn / FB: The story from Standing Rock

Walter Kirn

Listen. This is important. It will affect you, though you may not know it yet. Tonight on North Dakota's Cannon Ball River, near its convergence with the Missouri, on a wide, grassy meadow ringed by sloping hills and lit by scores of smoky orange campfires, hundreds or maybe thousands of Native people who have not come together in this way for well over a century have gathered, along with supporters from many backgrounds, to sing and drum and pray for the protection of the earth and water. It is not a romantic or fanciful event but an earnest and passionate spiritual intervention by people for whom spirit and matter are not separate categories at all but a living, interpenetrating unity. 

Their immediate concern is with a pipeline capable of fouling the local waters with toxic oil from the nearby fracking fields. Their larger concern is with a mad philosophy that pits human beings against their natural home for vain and temporary benefits. Against this pipeline and this philosophy they have arrayed the powers of tradition, family, community, magic, music, prophecy, and simple human courage. 

Will they prevail? They will, they must, and they are certain of it, though in what fashion or on what schedule they don't yet fully know. You are with them even if you don't think so because they are battling for life itself.

Does that sound lofty? Let me bring it down some. The camp is electric tonight. A stream of vehicles with yellow headlights clogs the entry road. Smoke is everywhere, creating a spectral geometry of softened angles and misty silhouettes. Down the hill from me, half a mile to my right, an amplified rapper is exhorting a crowd to stand strong in its convictions. In front of me, at the same distance, a drummer is beating a steady, insistent rhythm accompanied by a rising and falling chant. The stars are crackling in the cold black sky. I have been many places as a reporter, to great political conventions, important congresses of leaders, championship sports events, and somber public memorials, but never have I felt such power, such energy. I am not even sure what year it is right now. 

Tomorrow a judge will rule in the pipeline matter, giving the people massed around these fires a victory or a defeat or some muddy combination of the two. Their leaders have urged them in the sternest tones not to be enraged if disappointed. Violence will not be tolerated. And despair will not be tolerated. That is because however the ruling goes, something abiding has been accomplished here: The unification of a hundred nations in a refreshed sense of relevance and purpose. They were divided, these people, and then conquered. Sickness and hunger and material poverty were some of the results. They might never have recovered, never have regained their footing, never have reasserted their common vitality. But they did, they prevailed. Their family is intact. 

Spirituality. In the culture I'm from it's something you slot in to a busy, hectic, willful life. You go to church. You take a yoga class. You climb into bed with an inspiring book. These people approach the spirit differently. They live inside it all day long, and then in their dreams, and then when they wake up. It is how they say hello and how they eat and how they walk across a road. There is nothing else but spirit for them. It has made them more than a little out of step with us. It hasn't added to their bank accounts. It wasn't a route to success as we define it. It didn't make them famous on TV.
It has only made them indomitable, I've noticed.

And that is the news. The story from Standing Rock.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 09/09/2016

“Muitos confundem egoísmo com amor. Uma coisa é você estar com alguém porque é bom estar próximo, porque existe uma sinergia, uma afinidade, e a energia de ambos cresce nesse encontro. Outra coisa é estar com alguém porque você acredita que será feliz através dessa pessoa; porque espera receber dela alguma coisa. Nesse caso, você não quer alguém para amar, você quer é alguém para atender às suas necessidades e expectativas. Isso chama-se egoísmo.”

“Muchos confunden egoísmo con amor. Una cosa es que estés con alguien porque es bueno estar cerca, porque existe una sinergia, una afinidad, y la energía de ambos crece en ese encuentro. Otra cosa es estar con alguien porque crees que serás feliz a través de esa persona; porque esperas recibir alguna cosa de ella. En ese caso, no quieres alguien para amar, quieres alguien para atender tus necesidades y expectativas. Eso se llama egoísmo.”

“Many confuse selfishness with love. It’s one thing to be with someone because it is good to be together, because there is a synergistic affinity, and a positive energy grows for both in this union. It’s another thing to be with someone because you believe you will find happiness through this person, because you think you will get something from him or her in return. In this case, you don’t want someone to love. You want someone to attend to your needs and expectations. This is what is known as selfishness.”

Via BuzzFeed : Australia’s Second Biggest Church Says It’s OK To Vote “Yes” On Marriage Equality

Melbourne Archbishop Philip Freier has released a letter he wrote to Australia’s Anglican bishops, saying the church “must accept” same-sex marriage as part of the landscape if a national plebiscite is carried.

Joe Castro / AAPIMAGE

In the letter, Freier differentiates between types of marriage, saying that if civil marriage is amended to include same-sex couples, the church can still reserve its definition of marriage as between a man and a women.

“We can still stand for and offer holy matrimony between a man and a woman as a sacred ordinance given by God, while accepting that the state has endorsed a wider view of marriage,” he wrote.
In the 2011 census, 17% of Australians identified themselves as Anglicans – second to 25% who are Catholic.

Freier also noted that Anglicans are not uniform in their positions on same-sex marriage, and gave the green light for people to land on either side of the debate.

“Individual Anglicans have adopted a variety of positions taken in good conscience based on their Christian understanding of the principles and issues, and this is right and proper,” he wrote.

Freier said he personally welcomed the plebiscite, but feared a divisive debate, and called for more pastoral sensitivity towards LGBT people in the church.

“I am very concerned that the discussion does not become harsh or vilifying – on either side, for it is not only Christians who have sometimes failed on this score,” he said.

Alex Wong / Getty Images

The president of the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA), Stuart McMillan, told BuzzFeed News the church would not take part in the plebiscite campaign as it has been engaged in an internal discussion on marriage theology since 2012.

The Uniting Church is Australia’s third largest, encompassing 5% of the population, and currently defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

“As we are engaged in our own discernment process, we will not be formally involved with other groups lobbying on the marriage issue,” McMillan said.

Instead, the church’s involvement will consist of “resources for respectful conversations on marriage” available on the UCA website.

“Uniting Church ministers and members are free to express personal opinions or take part in campaigns in the course of the national debate, so as long as they are clear that they are expressing personal views and not speaking on behalf of the Uniting Church,” McMillan added.

McMillan published a blog on Friday urging church members to remain graceful throughout the marriage debate.

“It is easy to harm each other with careless words. So we should all choose ours carefully,” he said.

“We are committed to being an inclusive Church that embraces LGBTIQ people as full members and to culturally appropriate discussion about relationships and marriage across our diversity.”

 

Lane Sainty is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Sydney, Australia.

Contact Lane Sainty at lane.sainty@buzzfeed.com.

Via Daily Dharma / September 9, 2016: The Power of Madness

The people who have been through the harshest conditions—and survived—have the greatest potential to transform the madness of their lives. . . . if they can take that madness, claim it, and stand on top of its incredible energy, they can transform it into power. —Vinny Ferraro, "The Heartful Dodger"

An Orlando Shooting Survivor's Inspiring Story – EXTENDED

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 08/09/2016

“A mente condicionada faz você acreditar que só poderá ser feliz se o outro olhar para você de uma determinada maneira. O outro precisa agir do jeito que você imagina para você poder ser feliz, então você vive tentando fazer com que essa pessoa faça desse jeito, pois somente assim você se sente amado; somente assim você pode ser feliz. Essa felicidade que depende da forma que o outro age é uma mentira. A verdadeira felicidade independe de fatores externos, ela vem de dentro de você - ela nasce da liberdade.”

“La mente condicionada te hace creer que solo podrás ser feliz si el otro te mira de una maneradeterminada. El otronecesitaactuar de la formaque tú imaginas para poder ser feliz, entonces vivesintentando lograr que estapersona actúede esa forma, porque solamente así te sientes amado; solamenteasí puedes ser feliz. Esta felicidad que depende de la forma queel otro actúa es una mentira. La verdadera felicidad es independiente de factores externos, viene de adentro tuyo - nace de la libertad.”

“The conditioned mind makes us believe that we can only be happy if the other looks at us the way we want to be seen.We believe the other has to act in a certain way for us to be happy. So, we live our lives trying to make the other act according to our own standards because this is the only way we think we will feel loved or be able to experience happiness. But happiness that depends on how others act is not real. True happiness exists independently of external factors as it comes from within. Happiness is born out of freedom.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 8, 2016: The Sacred and the Ordinary

At last a tongue-tip taste of the
dharma comes home to the heart.
Not chasing after imaginary things,
the ordinary is sacred after all.
Wellsprings of gratitude surface.

—Edward Espe Brown, "The Vision Cow"

Via Ram Dass

September 7, 2016

From the soul’s point of view, you come to appreciate that each one of us is living out his or her own karma. We interact together, and those interactions are the grist for each other’s mill of awakening. From a personality point of view, you develop judgment, but from the soul’s point of view, you develop appreciation. This shift from judging to appreciating — to appreciating yourself and what your karmic predicament is, and who other beings are with their own karma — brings everything into a simple loving awareness.

To be free means to open your heart and your being into the fullness of who you are, because only when you are resting in the place of unity can you truly honor and appreciate others and the incredible diversity of the universe.

Via Sri Prem Baba

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 07/09/2016

“O Brasil nesse momento está na UTI, podemos dizer que já em estado de coma. E o que está morrendo? A possibilidade da realização do dharma, o propósito maior. Isso ocorre quando a injustiça cresce para além de toda e qualquer possibilidade de transformação através da escolha e da vontade consciente. Então, se faz necessário entrar num redemoinho energético de transformação, que é praticamente impossível saber onde vai dar.”

“Brasil en este momento está en la UTI,podemos decir que ya en estado de coma. ¿Qué eslo que está muriendo? La posibilidad de realización del dharma, el propósitomayor. Esto ocurre cuando la injusticia crece más allá de toda y cualquier posibilidad de transformación a través de la elección y de la voluntad consciente. Entonces, se hacenecesario entrar en un remolino energético de transformación, y es prácticamente imposible saber hacia dónde va.”

“We could make the analogy that Brazil is currently in ‘urgent care’ experiencing a ‘coma’. But what is dying is the possibility for Brazil to fulfill its dharma, or it’s greater purpose. This happens when injustice outweighs all chances of transformation to occurthrough the use of choice and conscious will. Thus, an energetic whirlpool of transformation begins to form, whose outcome is practically impossible to determine.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 7, 2016: Neither Bound Nor Blind

What saves me from despair about this very human situation? It is simply the fact that while I am not blind to damage caused by the lived illusion of race, neither am I bound by it. And I know others need not be bound by it, either.

—Charles Johnson, "Black Coffee Buddhism"

Via FB:

Via Ram Dass: Ram Dass and Allen Ginsberg in Conversation

Hello, friends:

Here’s the second video in our three-part series in celebration of Ram Dass, a gem that we discovered from this luminary teacher’s extensive archives:

Ram Dass and Allen Ginsberg in Conversation

Video #2 in a three-part series

Available Now

If you’re a writer, artist, or otherwise creative spirit, this one was picked just for you.

As you may know, Allen Ginsberg was a “Johnny Appleseed” for poetry the way Ram Dass was (and is) for spiritual transformation. Here, they explore: how art and spirituality support each other, prophetic reflections on the dangers and possibilities of the modern world, and more.

Yours on the journey,
Sounds True

P.S. Did you miss the first free video?  It’s excellent! You can watch it here.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 06/09/2016

“Quero propor uma pequena tarefa: avalie com sinceridade como você está na esfera dos relacionamentos. Se você está com alguém, veja por que está nessa relação. O que te mantém nela? E se você não está com alguém, se pergunte por que você está sozinho. É uma escolha da sua alma ou você está com medo de se relacionar? Não tenha medo de fazer essas perguntas. Somente a mentira pode cair - a verdade nunca cai. Se a sua escolha é baseada no amor e na liberdade - se você está se expandindo na luz e crescendo dentro do programa da sua alma, ótimo. Zele por isso. Mas, se você está onde está por outras razões, tenha coragem de encarar a verdade, porque ela te liberta.”

“Quiero proponer una pequeña tarea: evalúasinceramente cómo estás en la esfera de las relaciones. Si estás con alguien, mira por qué estás en esa relación. ¿Quées lo que te mantiene en ella? Y si no estás con alguien, pregúntate por qué estás solo. ¿Es una elección de tu alma o tienes miedo de relacionarte? No tengas miedo de hacer estas preguntas. Solamente la mentira puede caerse - la verdad nunca se cae. Si tu elección se basa en el amor y en la libertad - si te estásexpandiendoen la luz y creciendo dentro del programa de tu alma, muy bien.Cuida bien de ello. Pero si estásdónde estás por otras razones, ten coraje de encarar la verdad, porque ella te libera.”

“I would like to propose a small exercise: sincerely evaluate where you are in the realm of relationships. If you are with someone, take a look at why you are with them. What keeps you in this relationship? If you are not with someone, ask yourself why you are alone. Is it a choice you have made from your soul or are you frightened of being in a relationship? Don’t be afraid to ask yourself these questions. The only thing that will fall away will be lies. The truth will never collapse. If your choice is based in love and freedom, if you are expanding in the light and growing along with the program of your soul, then that’s wonderful. Continue to nurture it. However, if you are in this relationship for other reasons, have the courage to face the truth, because it will set you free.”

Via Daily Dharma / September 6, 2016: Consciousness, Divided

Consciousness is the division of an otherwise seamless Whole, which transcends space and time, into space and time—that is, into here and there, then and now.

—Steve Hagen, "Time and Now"

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Via Daily Dharma / September 5, 2016: The Vulnerable Pronoun

We are sentient creatures easily threatened. Things harm Me. Events bruise and batter Me. The Me is our fearful Self. Me is the pronoun cast in this vulnerable role.

—James Austin, "I-Me-Mine"

Via Tricycle / September 5, 2016: Lean In to Learning

The school year has begun! Whether you’re a student, a parent, or a Ph.D. candidate, lunches are packed alongside the notebooks and pens, and our minds, refreshed from the summer, are primed for learning. This week at Tricycle we take the opportunity to learn about race in America and the optimism of the buddhadharma from scholar and writer Charles Johnson. In “Black Coffee Buddhism," poet and literary activist E. Ethelbert Miller asks the National Book Award-winning novelist the questions that “a person in a crowd might be thinking about,” and Johnson’s timely, generous answers offer hope for the next generation of thinkers. When asked what advice he’d share with his grandson, Johnson answers, “I want him to understand that the best position for him to take in regard to objects and others and himself is that of epistemological humility and egoless listening.” What better advice could a student ask for? For centuries, Buddhist women worldwide have been denied access to a full Buddhist education, and thus the full promise of the Buddha’s teaching. In “Buddhism’s Glass Ceiling,” Tricycle’s editor-at-large, Mary Talbot, takes stock of this issue, which has endured from the time of the Buddha to the present day. As Ayya Medhanandi, a nun in the Theravada tradition, puts it, “The Buddha gave the full training to those who were hell-bent on nirvana. Why shouldn’t we receive it?” (For more on Buddhist women achieving what some deemed impossible, check out this month’s Film Club feature, Daughters of Everest.) The right to an education—one education that encompasses the spiritual, intellectual, social, and emotional life—should be a universal right for people of all ages. In that spirit, the first week of dharma teacher Vinny Ferraro’s Dharma Talk, “Starting a Practice of Lovingkindness,” is open to the public, so feel free to share it with your friends and loved ones this week. Tune in to learn about the first two of the four immeasurables: lovingkindness and compassion. No matter your age, it’s always a good idea to invest in your dharma education.

(A Response to 'One Man, One Woman') GOD LOVES LGBT+

Make the jump here to see the original site

Via Ram Dass

September 4, 2016

Grace is something that an individual can see about their own suffering and then use it to their advantage. It is not something that can be a rationalization for allowing another human being to suffer. And you have to listen to the level at which another person is suffering. And when somebody is hungry you give them food. As my guru said, "God comes to the hungry person in the form of food." You give them food and then when they’ve had their belly filled then they may be interested in questions about God. Even though you know from, say, Buddhist training, or whatever spiritual training you have had, that the root cause of suffering is ignorance about the nature of dharma. To give somebody a dharma lecture when they are hungry is just inappropriate methodology in terms of ending suffering...

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 04/09/2016

“É preciso ter firmeza para evitar que as forças contrárias ao amor destruam as coisas boas que conseguimos construir na nossa vida. Nossas escolhas precisam vir do coração, que é o Divino em nós, e não do ego obcecado pelo poder e viciado em machucar e destruir. Será que não estamos suficientemente cansados do sofrimento? Precisamos nos comprometer com a Luz, o que significa trabalhar para criar união, prosperidade, construção, paz e alegria, na mente e no coração.”

“Es necesariotenerfirmeza para evitar que las fuerzas contrarias al amor destruyan las cosas buenas que pudimos construir en nuestra vida. Nuestras eleccionesprecisan venir del corazón, que es lo Divino en nosotros, y no del ego obsesionado con el poder y adicto a lastimar y destruir. ¿Será que no estamos lo suficientemente cansados del sufrimiento? Necesitamos comprometernos con la Luz, que significa trabajar para crear unión, prosperidad, construcción, paz y alegría en la mente y en el corazón.”

"Firmness is necessary so that we don't let the opposing forces to love destroy all the good things we have built in our lives. Our choices need to come from our hearts, which is the Divine in us, and not our egos that are obsessed by power and addicted to causing pain and destruction. Have we not had enough of suffering? We need to commit ourselves to the light, working in order to create union, prosperity, construction, peace, and happiness in our minds and in our hearts."

Via Daily Dharma / September 4, 2016: The River of Ourselves

Practicing Buddhism is about discovering ourselves to be in a great, flowing river of continuities.

—Joan Halifax, "Giving Birth to Ancestors"

Via Daily Dharma / September 3, 2016: Inherent Compassion

Compassion is not something that we can “do” or “create”; it already exists in each and every one of us.

—Andy Puddicombe, "10 Tips for Living More Mindfully"

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Via bipartisanreport: Before European Christians Forced Gender Roles, Native Americans Acknowledged 5 Genders

By Pearson McKinney

It wasn’t until Europeans took over North America that natives adopted the ideas of gender roles. For Native Americans, there was no set of rules that men and women had to abide by in order to be considered a “normal” member of their tribe.

In fact, people who had both female and male characteristics were viewed as gifted by nature, and therefore, able to see both sides of everything. According to Indian Country Today, all native communities acknowledged the following gender roles: “Female, male, Two Spirit female, Two Spirit male and Transgendered.”

“Each tribe has their own specific term, but there was a need for a universal term that the general population could understand. The Navajo refer to Two Spirits as Nádleehí (one who is transformed), among the Lakota is Winkté (indicative of a male who has a compulsion to behave as a female), Niizh Manidoowag (two spirit) in Ojibwe, Hemaneh (half man, half woman) in Cheyenne, to name a few. As the purpose of “Two Spirit” is to be used as a universal term in the English language, it is not always translatable with the same meaning in Native languages. For example, in the Iroquois Cherokee language, there is no way to translate the term, but the Cherokee do have gender variance terms for ‘women who feel like men’ and vice versa.”

The “Two Spirit” culture of Native Americans was one of the first things that Europeans worked to destroy and cover up. According to people like American artist George Catlin, the Two Spirit tradition had to be eradicated before it could go into history books. Catlin said the tradition:

“..Must be extinguished before it can be more fully recorded.”

However, it wasn’t only white Europeans that tried to hide any trace of native gender bending. According to Indian Country Today, “Spanish Catholic monks destroyed most of the Aztec codices to eradicate traditional Native beliefs and history, including those that told of the Two Spirit tradition.” Throughout these efforts by Christians, Native Americans were forced to dress and act according to newly designated gender roles.

One of the most celebrated Two Spirits in recorded history was a Lakota warrior aptly named Finds Them And Kills Them. Osh-Tisch was born a male and married a female, but adorned himself in women’s clothing and lived daily life as a female. On June 17 1876, Finds Them And Kills Them gained his reputation when he rescued a fellow tribesman during the Battle of Rosebud Creek. An act of fearless bravery. Below is a picture of Osh-Tisch and his wife.

Osh-Tisch (Left) and his wife (Right)

In Native American cultures, people were valued for their contributions to the tribe, rather than for masculinity or femininity. Parents did not assign gender roles to children either, and even children’s clothing tended to be gender neutral. There were no ideas or ideals about how a person should love; it was simply a natural act that occurred without judgement or hesitation.

Without a negative stigma attached to being a Two Spirit, there were no inner-tribal incidents of retaliation or violence toward the chosen people simply due to the fact that individuals identified as the opposite or both genders.

“The Two Spirit people in pre-contact Native America were highly revered and families that included them were considered lucky. Indians believed that a person who was able to see the world through the eyes of both genders at the same time was a gift from The Creator.”

Religious influences soon brought serious prejudice against “gender diversity,” and so this forced once openly alternative or androgynous people to one of two choices. They could either live in hiding, and in fear of being found out, or they could end their lives. Many of whom did just that.

Imagine a world where people allowed others to live freely as the people nature intended them to be..without harm..without persecution..without shame. Imagine a world where we are truly free.

Make the jump here to read the orginal and more

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 02/09/2016

“A submissão é uma distorção da virtude da amorosidade. Trata-se de uma máscara, de um fingir ser. O submisso finge ser humilde e amoroso para conseguir aquilo que quer, mas basta cutucá-lo um pouco para ver o que está por trás da sua máscara: o orgulho e a ira.”

“La sumisión es una distorsión de la virtud de la amorosidad. Se trata de una máscara, unfingir ser. El sumiso finge ser humilde y amoroso para conseguir aquello que quiere, pero basta provocarlo un poco para ver lo que hay detrás de la máscara:orgullo e ira.”

"Submission is a distortion of the virtue of being loving. It acts as a mask, pretending to be something it is not. The submissive one pretends to be humble and loving in order to get something it wants. All that is needed is just a little nudge and it is easy to see that behind this mask lies pride and anger."

Via Daily Dharma / September 2, 2016: Rethinking Freedom

We haven’t thought about the idea of freedom enough. It needs to be internalized as an inner freedom from “demand” itself: the kind of freedom that comes when you’re free from those compulsions to have and to own and to be someone.

—James Hillman, "Brief Teachings Fall 2016"

The Black Eyed Peas - #WHERESTHELOVE ft. The World

Via The Other 98% / FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día- Flower of the day - 01/09/2016

“Estando alinhado com o dharma, que é o caminho do coração ou o propósito maior da existência, você se harmoniza com a lei do mínimo esforço: com o pouco que faz, você realiza muitas coisas. Não estando alinhado com o dharma, você precisa fazer um grande esforço para realizar pouca coisa ou, às vezes, para não realizar nada.”

“Estando alineado con el dharma, que es el camino del corazón o el propósito mayor de la existencia, te armonizas con la ley del mínimo esfuerzo: con lo poco que haces, realizasmuchas cosas. No estando alineado con el dharma, necesitas hacer un gran esfuerzo para realizar poco o, a veces,para no realizar nada.”

"Aligning with dharma, which is the path of the heart or the greater purpose of existence, we attune to the law of minimum effort. With very little effort, we accomplish many things. When we are not in alignment with dharma, much effort is needed to create hardly anything, and sometimes, nothing at all."

Via Daily Dharma / September 1, 2016: The Diamond Vehicle

In the Vajrayana, we see that our difficulties with relative reality stem from our attitudes and beliefs, rather than from relativity itself. We are called to see each arising of our day not as a threat, but as an opportunity—a chance to open our arms, lay down our weapons, and surrender to this exact moment of our life.

—Reginald Ray, "The Vajrayana Journey Is an Experience of Love, Power, and Freedom"