A personal blog by a graying (mostly Anglo with light African-American roots) gay left leaning liberal progressive married college-educated Buddhist Baha'i BBC/NPR-listening Professor Emeritus now following the Dharma in Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / November 13, 2016: A Completely Useless Buddha
In
the very act of sitting, we actualize the completeness of the act
itself and we actualize our own full completeness as a useless human
being, another name for which is Buddha.
—Barry Magid, "Uselessness"
—Barry Magid, "Uselessness"
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / November 12, 2016: The Speechless Center
The
only parts of the practice that can be described with confidence are
the rough, cerebral edges. What happens at the center, when the mind
quiets down, is impossible to verbalize.
—Jeff Greenwald, "The Great Indoors"
—Jeff Greenwald, "The Great Indoors"
Friday, November 11, 2016
ViaTricycle: Buddhist Teachings for Post-Election Healing
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Encouragement from 'Abdu'l-Baha:
The darkness of this gloomy
night shall pass away. Again the Sun of Reality will dawn from the
horizon of the hearts. Have patience, wait but do not sit idle; work
while you are waiting; smile when you are wearied with monotony; be firm
while everything around you is being shaken; be joyous while the ugly
face of despair grins at you; speak aloud while the malevolent forces of
the nether world try to crush your mind; be valiant and courageous while
men all around you are cringing with fear and cowardice. Do not yield
to the overwhelming power of tyranny and despotism. Serve the cause of
democracy and freedom. Continue your journey to the end. The bright day
is coming. The nucleus of the new race is forming. The harbinger of the
new ideals of international justice is appearing. The trees of hope will
become verdant; the copper of scorn and derision will be transmuted
into the gold of honor and praise; the arid desert of ignorance will be
transformed into the luxuriant garden of knowledge; the threatening
clouds shall be dispelled and the stars of faith and charity will again
twinkle in the clear heaven of consciousness."
- Abdu'l-Baha , Baha'i Scriptures, p. 547
- Abdu'l-Baha , Baha'i Scriptures, p. 547
Thursday, November 10, 2016
and that's how democracy dies
25.6% voted Clinton
25.5% voted Trump
46.9% didn't vote
and that's how democracy dies
(https://twitter.com/
Via JMG: NOM Issues Plan To Work With Donald Trump For “Inevitable Reversal” Of Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
November 9, 2016
Christianists, Hate Groups, Marriage Equality
And pretty much every other LGBT advance achieved by the Obama administration. From hate group leader Brian Brown:
Make the jump here to read the original and more at JMG
Donald Trump has won a historic election, an unprecedented victory that has turned the establishment upside down. We heartily congratulate him and his team on their incredible win. President-elect Trump will now turn his attention to governing, and NOM is committed to working with him. We are confident that our voice and our views will be important in a Trump administration.
Here is our plan:
We will work with President Trump to nominate conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, individuals who will adhere to the words and meaning of the constitution. Such justices will inevitably reverse the anti-constitutional ruling of the Supreme Court imposing same-sex ‘marriage’ on the nation in the Obergefell decision, because that decision lacked any basis in the constitution.
We will work with President Trump to rescind the illegal, over-reaching executive orders and directives issued by President Obama, including his dangerous “gender identity” directives, attempting to redefine gender just as he sought to redefine marriage.
We will work with President Trump to reverse policies of the Obama administration that seek to coerce other countries into accepting same-sex ‘marriage’ as a condition of receiving US assistance and aid. It is fundamentally wrong for a president to become a lobbyist for the LGBT agenda, and we are confident that will end in the Trump administration.
We will work with President Trump and Congress to pass the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), which Mr. Trump supports. FADA is critical legislation to protect people who believe in marriage from being targeted by the government for persecution.
This is a bright and exciting time for NOM, and we are committed to taking full advantage of the opportunity we have. Our voice and our views matter to the incoming administration, and that means your voice and views matter.
To make sure that we can influence the policy debates that are coming, we need to step-up our communications. The first step is to grow our presence on social media. Please act today to follow NOM and me on Twitter, and to like us on Facebook.
It only takes a few seconds to follow us on Twitter and to like us on Facebook, but doing so will help us increase our ability to educate and mobilize our supporters.NOM remains the sole national hate group to support the First Amendment Defense Act. The Family Research Council, the Liberty Counsel, and the American Family Association all withdrew their support after new language was added which would also legalize discriminating against married straight couples on the the basis of “sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction.”
We’re excited about the future, and we are looking forward to work with the Trump administration to restore marriage, uphold gender, protect religious liberty and promote families.
Make the jump here to read the original and more at JMG
Via Daily Dharma / November 10, 2016: Learning From Anger
When
we approach our feelings of anger with awareness, with mindfulness, it
becomes a productive part of our practice. We find, after all, that
anger has something to teach us.
—Jules Shuzen Harris Sensei, "Uprooting the Seeds of Anger"
—Jules Shuzen Harris Sensei, "Uprooting the Seeds of Anger"
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
the invitation has arrived
to step into our courage
and our full humanity
from this day forward
the harm can only unfold
and multiply and spread
with our silence
with our consent
with our participation
we will not be silent
we do not consent and
we will not participate
in legitimating violence, lies and division
the love that we are
the love that connects us all
the love that bends history
even in this dark moment
towards liberation
We are one
we are many and
we are one
it is time
dear friends
the revolution of love
must be completed
And it is only possible
if on this day
we commit our lives
to walking the hard road
because there is now only one way forward
adapted from work by Taj James, founder and Executive Director of the Movement Strategy Center
Join us for a Special Charter for Compassion Conference Call: After the Election
Thursday, November 10 at 11:30 am https://zoom.us/webinar/ register/ 36baa35b64dee048c5b9141539e44e e6
A
discussion about compassion and how we are called to act following a US
election season that has brought out strains of racism, misogyny,
xenophobia, and bigotry. How can we heal? How are we called to action?
What can we bring to the mission of making compassion a luminous force?
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Via Ram Dass
The
enlightened being, or the person that’s awakened, realizes that the
game is to walk through the path and leave no footprint. Leave no
footprint because whatever footprint you leave is just more karmic
stuff. Do what you do, but do it so purely. They say in the Tao, “The
leader who leads best leads so that at the end, you think you did it
yourself.” The next best leader you admire, the next best you fear, and
the worst leader pays you.
Via Daily Dharma / November 9, 2016: Anger, Sans Storyline
When
you feel the fear and you feel the rage in meditation, there’s no
storyline. There’s just the experience of the arising and passing away
of the emotions and the sensations in the body, and seeing how they
relate to one another.
—Gavin Harrison, "Lotus in the Fire"
—Gavin Harrison, "Lotus in the Fire"
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / November 8, 2016: The Buddha’s Ballot Box
If
Buddha had added a ninth practice to the Eightfold Path, it might have
been Right Voting. Voting is a manifestation of the law of
interdependence: Each of our actions, no matter how small, affects the
whole cosmos. Our votes count.
—Susan Moon, "Ten Practices to Change the World"
—Susan Moon, "Ten Practices to Change the World"
Monday, November 7, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / November 7, 2016: Fostering the Love Within Us
In
reality, love is a quality of our heart. The heart has no other
function. If we were aware that we all contain love within us, and that
we can foster and develop it, we would certainly give that far more
attention than we do.
—Ayya Khema, "What Love Is"
—Ayya Khema, "What Love Is"
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Via JMG: Frank Bruni: The Ugliness Is Far From Over
November 6, 2016
2016 Election, Politics
“Tuesday nears, after such epic ugliness. ‘It’s almost over,’ friends say. ‘We’ll finally be done with this.’ What a lovely thought. What a naïve fantasy. There’s no end here, just a punctuation mark, a measly comma between the rancor that has built until this point and the fury to come. And there’s no way to un-see what all of us have seen over these last 18 months, to bottle up what has been un-bottled.
“Election Day will redeem and settle nothing, not this time around. No matter who declares victory, tens of millions of Americans will be convinced — truly convinced — that the outcome isn’t legitimate because untoward forces intervened. Whether balloons fall on Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, there will be bolder divisions in America than there were at the start of it all and even less faith in the country’s most important institutions.
“The person taking office will do so not on a wave of hope but amid tides of disgust, against fierce currents of resistance. Tell me how she or he moves forward. Tell me how America does.” – Frank Bruni, writing for the New York Times. The full piece is worth your time.
Via Huffington Post: Please Protect My Marriage: Vote For Hillary
When I was in college I met my first love in Paris and he moved to Boston to be with me. It was a nightmare because he couldn’t work, we constantly struggled with visa issues, and with time, it was too much to handle and we separated, young hearts broken. I swore no more international boyfriends! Of course, I met a guy from Montreal and that too ended, but years ago.
And then I met Giovanni. I was much older and long-single, so I
didn’t say no. And at first, it was casual and I didn’t really think
about him being Colombian. I first really felt it when I went to Africa
and he stood by me every day from home, but he couldn’t come to my
graduation. He couldn’t fly or leave the country.
I came back and
we moved in together. I started to see him talk to his family back
home, and hear how being apart for 17 years broke his heart, especially
when his dad got sick. His pain was too much to bear. So for him, for
us, I took on marriage equality in NYC.
My focus was on
the Equality Bill - but I was determined to free him, so I added this
to my plate. I took on immigration reform too. We had two pathways to
freedom from DOMA. The Supreme Court. Or Congress via Comprehensive
Immigration Reform. I couldn’t affect SCOTUS, although I did resort to
prayer, organizing a sunrise prayer service in D.C. the morning of the
hearings.
But I worked
deep in the trenches in immigration reform. There I learned that
straight immigrants suffer the same horrible fear and closet that gay
people do. Who knew. And bringing gay relationships in to that forum
with the Catholic Church & Evangelicals in the room was hard stuff.
Fortunately,
the SCOTUS came through on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. And on the
following Sunday, NYC Pride Day, Giovanni and I got married and paraded
down 5th Avenue with the sign “Just Married Today” — as the liberation
joy of millions poured forth. It was incredible and our faces hurt from
smiling.
Then came the
immigration process, extremely stressful and frightening as we revealed
our lives. But we got through that process. And the boot lifted. He
flew home finally. Although we were afraid he might not actually get
back in. He flew home again. Okay. Relief. We got his social
security number - a huge deal. Health insurance. He could join our
apartment lease. We finally got on a plane together and had our
honeymoon in his country.
But most of all
we were free. Free from watching other people get married when we
couldn’t. Free from feeling like a second class citizen in my own
country. Free from all the heart-wrenching stories from other
bi-national couples with whom we are forever bonded.
Amidst all of this, there was one incredibly painful and also happy day I’ve not talked about.
Two years
before DOMA was overturned we won Marriage Equality in NY. Soon there
was a big gay wedding day at the marriage bureau when they opened just
for us on a Sunday to issue licenses.
Seeing all the couples together was incredible. Marriage ceremonies going on all over. Old, young, all colors. Our tribe was on parade and it was beautiful.
Seeing all the couples together was incredible. Marriage ceremonies going on all over. Old, young, all colors. Our tribe was on parade and it was beautiful.
But I almost
didn’t go down because my heart was so heavy. We could still not marry.
DOMA remained. Our suffering remained. And a huge battle loomed
still ahead, an overwhelming battle in Congress or the Supreme Court to
overturn DOMA - a tall order.
But it’s gone now. DOMA is dead. We’re free & equal. And Hillary will make sure the SCOTUS keeps it that way.
Please protect
our “hard fought, hard won” progress, as Hillary rightfully calls it.
Protect Marriage Equality. Protect my marriage. My husband. Our lives
and freedom depend upon it.
#ForwardTogether #ProtectOurProgress #Hillary4President2016 #VoteEQUALITY
Follow Todd Fernandez on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/AEB2010
Via Ram Dass
You
are constantly going to sleep and waking up. All you can do is keep
searching for the clarity and quietness amidst the confusion of your
melodramas...
Via Daily Dharam / November 6, 2016: Experience Freedom Directly
Liberation is only found here and now, the direct experience of freedom, beyond the concepts of nirvana or enlightenment.
—Jack Kornfield, "The Wise Heart"
—Jack Kornfield, "The Wise Heart"
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / November 5, 2016: On Mind Control
To
use your mind in a natural way means to avoid trying to control it. The
more you try to control your mind, the more stray thoughts will come up
to bother you.
—Master Sheng-Yen, "Being Natural"
—Master Sheng-Yen, "Being Natural"
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Friday, November 4, 2016
Via Daily Dharma / November 4, 2016: Cultivating Radical Care
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We
can’t live ethically without caring about ourselves as well as others.
And we can’t be mindful without caring about what is happening here and
now. Care underpins the radical attention that dharma practice accentuates.
—Winton Higgins, "Treading the Path with Care"
—Winton Higgins, "Treading the Path with Care"
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Via Huffington: When You’re LGBT And Your Family Is Voting For Trump Come November, my mother is voting for Donald Trump. So is my father.
November 8 is looming. It
seems the closer we get to Election Day, the more heightened the
emotions, thoughts, comments and stakes involved.
I’ve done my best to stay out of the fray. I’ll post funny little ditties about both candidates on Facebook, hoping to keep things light. But the reality is this election is far from light ― it’s incredibly dark. And as an LGBT individual, it’s downright scary.
We reached a milestone last summer when gay marriage became legal across the country. My mother called and left a message on my phone that nearly brought me to tears. “Congratulations!” she said in her heartwarming and adorable motherly voice. “That’s the way it should be.”
Come November, my mother is voting for Donald Trump. So is my father. Both of them love me unconditionally. Yet, both of them hate Hillary Clinton with a boiling passion that has been bubbling to the surface, across the country, for months ― even years.
This is hard to reconcile for me. On one hand, I respect their political views and right to vote for whom they choose. On the other hand, I don’t get how they can vote for someone who has threatened to appoint Supreme Court Justices that would overturn the marriage equality ruling. It directly affects me. It affects my family. It affects my daughter.
Straight people who have enjoyed the privilege of getting legally married, and all of the benefits that legal marriage provides, don’t think about things like this. Not even my parents. It’s not part of their world, one in which they’ve been able to blindly take these kinds of things for granted. And they aren’t the only ones.
The other night, a relative of my wife’s came over for a visit. He’s a genuinely nice guy. He loves our daughter and often brings her gifts and stuffed animals—mostly oversized cows, which she loves because, well, she loves cows.
It was a brisk yet pleasant October evening. We were sitting outside in front of my house. Glasses of wine were in hand. Naturally, election and real world chatter arose. I don’t mind engaging in this type of conversation, as long as its civil and constructive. Like my parents, this relative is voting for Trump. But I’d venture to say he’s more of an active fan. When he asked why we weren’t going to get on the “Trump Train” and cast our vote for him, I said simply: “As gay individuals, we can’t afford to. We have to take that into consideration.”
(Sure, there are a billion other reasons why I am not voting for Trump. But being an LGBT individual is at the top of the list.)
This particular relative decided at that moment, that it was a good time to tell my wife and I ― and our four-year-old with perky ears who was busily playing at our feet ― that he believed marriage was only between a man and a woman. I stopped him right there. I got up and hurried my daughter inside for a bath.
I like to think I’m an understanding person. I respect all people and their political opinions, no matter how drastically I disagree with them. I’m fine with family members of mine voting for Trump. But to question the validity of my marriage in front of my daughter, that’s where I draw the damn line. My wife and I took the same vows as every other married couple on the planet. We work hard to live a decent life, raise our family in peace, and be good human beings. Our marriage is no less or greater than anyone else’s, and we go through the same exact trials and tribulations. The only thing that makes our marriage different is an ignorant and outdated point of view.
I rather enjoy being married. I’ve been in one for seven years now. And I hope to enjoy my legal marriage to my wife for the rest of my life, with our daughter a witness to our love and appreciation for one another ― sexuality aside. But as the election nears, I’m beginning to wonder if that’s possible. Trump has a decent shot at winning. And people, even those in my own family circle, don’t seem to care about how that outcome could possibly affect the LGBT community.
All they seem to care about is beating Hillary.
Make the jump to read the original and more here
I’ve done my best to stay out of the fray. I’ll post funny little ditties about both candidates on Facebook, hoping to keep things light. But the reality is this election is far from light ― it’s incredibly dark. And as an LGBT individual, it’s downright scary.
We reached a milestone last summer when gay marriage became legal across the country. My mother called and left a message on my phone that nearly brought me to tears. “Congratulations!” she said in her heartwarming and adorable motherly voice. “That’s the way it should be.”
Come November, my mother is voting for Donald Trump. So is my father. Both of them love me unconditionally. Yet, both of them hate Hillary Clinton with a boiling passion that has been bubbling to the surface, across the country, for months ― even years.
This is hard to reconcile for me. On one hand, I respect their political views and right to vote for whom they choose. On the other hand, I don’t get how they can vote for someone who has threatened to appoint Supreme Court Justices that would overturn the marriage equality ruling. It directly affects me. It affects my family. It affects my daughter.
Straight people who have enjoyed the privilege of getting legally married, and all of the benefits that legal marriage provides, don’t think about things like this. Not even my parents. It’s not part of their world, one in which they’ve been able to blindly take these kinds of things for granted. And they aren’t the only ones.
The other night, a relative of my wife’s came over for a visit. He’s a genuinely nice guy. He loves our daughter and often brings her gifts and stuffed animals—mostly oversized cows, which she loves because, well, she loves cows.
It was a brisk yet pleasant October evening. We were sitting outside in front of my house. Glasses of wine were in hand. Naturally, election and real world chatter arose. I don’t mind engaging in this type of conversation, as long as its civil and constructive. Like my parents, this relative is voting for Trump. But I’d venture to say he’s more of an active fan. When he asked why we weren’t going to get on the “Trump Train” and cast our vote for him, I said simply: “As gay individuals, we can’t afford to. We have to take that into consideration.”
(Sure, there are a billion other reasons why I am not voting for Trump. But being an LGBT individual is at the top of the list.)
This particular relative decided at that moment, that it was a good time to tell my wife and I ― and our four-year-old with perky ears who was busily playing at our feet ― that he believed marriage was only between a man and a woman. I stopped him right there. I got up and hurried my daughter inside for a bath.
I like to think I’m an understanding person. I respect all people and their political opinions, no matter how drastically I disagree with them. I’m fine with family members of mine voting for Trump. But to question the validity of my marriage in front of my daughter, that’s where I draw the damn line. My wife and I took the same vows as every other married couple on the planet. We work hard to live a decent life, raise our family in peace, and be good human beings. Our marriage is no less or greater than anyone else’s, and we go through the same exact trials and tribulations. The only thing that makes our marriage different is an ignorant and outdated point of view.
I rather enjoy being married. I’ve been in one for seven years now. And I hope to enjoy my legal marriage to my wife for the rest of my life, with our daughter a witness to our love and appreciation for one another ― sexuality aside. But as the election nears, I’m beginning to wonder if that’s possible. Trump has a decent shot at winning. And people, even those in my own family circle, don’t seem to care about how that outcome could possibly affect the LGBT community.
All they seem to care about is beating Hillary.
Make the jump to read the original and more here
Choir Chants "Divine OM Mantra" [INCREDIBLE]
Choir Chants "The OM Mantra"
Om Chanting Meditation is one of the Most Powerful tool for radically transforming one's life. If there is one mantra that you would like to learn, it would be OM. OM can be used as Healing Mantra, It can also be used as mantra to calm oneself, to control anger, to bring positivity in life.
Chant along or let it run in the background as you do your normal chores. If you want to study, OM will help you increase the focus also.
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Via Daily Dharma / November 3, 2016: Outer Pleasure vs. Inner Freedom
If
we had to make a choice between outer pleasure, comfort and peace, and
inner freedom and ultimate happiness, we should choose inner peace. If
we could find that within, then the outer would take care of itself.
—Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, "Invisible Realities"
—Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, "Invisible Realities"
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Via Ram Dass
One
day in India on my second stay, Maharaji said to me, “You don’t have to
change anybody; you just have to love them.” 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 them the way they are. Because love is the most powerful
medicine.
Via Daily Dharma / November 2, 2016: No Thought Lasts for Long
Spending
time with your own mind is humbling and broadening. One finds that
there’s no one in charge, and is reminded that no thought lasts for
long.
—Gary Snyder, "Just One Breath"
—Gary Snyder, "Just One Breath"
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
LXI: The world is in travail, and its agitation…
Make the jump here to read the original and more
Via Daily Dharma / November 1, 2016: Can You Accept Suffering?
I
had thought the point was to pursue happiness and flee misery, and this
attitude extended to Zen practice. But now I saw a new way of looking
at things. What if the point was to start by accepting suffering?
—Henry Shukman, "Beautiful Storm"
—Henry Shukman, "Beautiful Storm"
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