Via White Crane Institute. // Margot Adler

1946 - 

MARGOT ADLER,journalist, born (d: 2014); American author, journalist, lecturer, Wiccan priestess, radio journalist and correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) Adler was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and grew up mostly in New York City. Her grandfather, Alfred Adler, is considered the father of individual psychology.

Adler wrote Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today, considered a watershed in American Neopagan circles. The book provided the first comprehensive look at the nature-based religions in the US, and became what was for many the first point of contact with the larger subculture. She was a speaker at the 1986 WinterStar Symposium, from which the Association for Consiousness Exploration produced her lecture tape From Witch to Witch-Doctor: Healers, Therapists and Shamans and the panel discussion The Magickal Movement: Present and Future (with Isaac Bonewits, Selena Fox, and Robert Anton Wilson). 

Her second book, Heretic's Heart: A Journey Through Spirit and Revolution, was published by Beacon Press in 1997. Adler was a Wiccan priestess of the Gardnerian Wicca tradition and a Unitarian Universalist.

|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8| Gay Wisdom for Daily Living from White Crane Institute "With the increasing commodification of gay news, views, and culture by powerful corporate interests, having a strong independent voice in our community is all the more important. White Crane is one of the last brave standouts in this bland new world... a triumph over the looming mediocrity of the mainstream Gay world." - Mark Thompson Exploring Gay Wisdom & Culture since 1989! www.whitecraneinstitute.org |8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|O|8|

Via Lion's Roar // Celebrating Thich Nhat Hanh

 

A Cloud Never Dies

Andrea Miller on what Thich Nhat Hanh taught her, his inspiring and courageous life, and how — through us — his wisdom will continue.

In January, I got the email from a colleague: “Thich Nhat Hanh has died.” On January 23, the casket ceremony was livestreamed with thousands of people from all over the world watching from their homes. I watched too, of course. At Tu Hieu, monastics were gathered, saffron shoulder to shoulder. As the crowds’ singing swelled and broke, a procession of monks carried Thay’s body from his hut to the Full Moon Meditation Hall. There he was lovingly placed in his coffin. Then the coffin was shut tight and festooned with chrysanthemums, his favorite flower. I had been right, back in 2013. I never would see Thay again in the same form—and now none of us will. But we will see Thay again. Even as the casket ceremony was unfolding, we were seeing him.

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Effort: Maintaining Arisen Healthy States

 

RIGHT EFFORT Maintaining Arisen Healthy States

Whatever a person frequently thinks about and ponders, that will become the inclination of their mind. If one frequently thinks about and ponders healthy states, one has abandoned unhealthy states to cultivate the healthy state, and then one’s mind inclines to healthy states. (MN 19) Here a person rouses the will, makes an effort, stirs up energy, exerts the mind, and strives to maintain arisen healthy mental states. One maintains the arisen tranquility and concentration awakening factors. (MN 141)

Reflection

Healthy and positive mental states arise all the time. The idea is to learn how to notice them, recognize their value, and make some effort to sustain them when they arise. This means developing habits that will reinforce qualities like kindness, generosity, compassion, and truthfulness. Slowing down, becoming peaceful, and allowing the mind to unify through focusing is particularly valuable.

Daily Practice

The two factors of awakening, tranquility and concentration, are considered together here because of their natural affinity with each other. Finding time to slow down, stop doing things, and simply allow the mind to become peaceful and focused is a healthy thing to do. It is not that settling the mind takes effort, but it takes effort to disengage from normal business to give the mind time to focus naturally. Once you do it, you'll see that it’s worth it.

Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Mental Objects and the Fourth Jhāna
One week from today: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States

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Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Via Daily Dharma: Reevaluating “Success”

 Effort is more important than so-called success because effort is a real thing. What we call “success” is just the manifestation of our mind’s ability to categorize things. This is “success.” That is “failure.” Who says? You says. That’s all. Reality is what it is, beyond all concepts of success and failure.

Brad Warner, “Think Not Thinking”

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Via Facebook // COMO A POPULAÇÃO LGBTQIA+ CONQUISTOU DIREITOS NO BRASIL

 

Via Tumblr

 

Hanuman Chaleesa - Live On Earth - Krishna Das

Lyrics: 

Bhajelo-ji Hanuman (4x) Shree Guru charana saroja raja nija manu mukuru sudhari Baranaun Raghubara bimala jasu jo daayaku phala chaari Buddhi heena tanu jaanike sumiraun pawana kumaara Bala budhi vidyaa dehu mohin harahu kalesa bikaara Bhajelo-ji Hanuman (4x) 

1. Jaya Hanumaan gyaana guna saagara, Jaya Kapeesha tihun loka ujaagara 

2. Raama doota atulita bala dhaamaa, Anjani putra Pawanasuta naamaa 

 3. Mahaabeera bikrama bajarangee, Kumati niwaara sumati ke sangee 

4. Kanchana barana biraaja subesaa, Kaanana kundala kunchita kesaa 

5. Haata bajra aura dwajaa biraajai, Kaandhe moonja janeu saajai 

6. Shankara suwana Kesaree nandana, Teja prataapa mahaa jaga bandana 

7. Bidyaawaana gunee ati chaatura, Raama kaaja karibe ko aatura 

8. Prabhu charitra sunibe ko rasiyaa, Raama Lakhana Seetaa mana basiyaa 

9. Sookshma roopa dhari Siyahin dikhaawaa, Bikata roopa dhari Lankaa jaraawaa 

10. Bheema roopa dhari asura sanghaare, Raamachandra ke kaaja sanvaare 

11. Laaya sajeevana Lakhana jiyaaye, Shree Raghubeera harashi ura laaye 

12. Raghupati keenhee bahuta baraaee, tuma mama priya Bharatahi sama bhaaee 

13. Sahasa badana tumharo jasa gaawain, asa kahi Shreepati kanta lagaawain 

14. Sanakaadika Brahmaadi muneesaa, Naarada Saarada sahita Aheesaa 

15. Yama Kubera digapaala jahaante, kabi kobida kahi sake kahaante 

16. Tuma upakaara Sugreevahin keenhaa, Raama milaaya raaja pada deenhaa 

17. Tumharo mantra Bibheeshana maanaa, Lankeshwara bhaye saba jaga jaanaa 

18. Yuga sahasra yojana para bhaanu, leelyo taahi madhura phala jaanu 

19. Prabhu mudrikaa meli mukha maaheen, jaladhi laanghi gaye acharaja naaheen 

20. Durgama kaaja jagata ke jete, sugama anugraha tumhare tete 

21. Raama duaare tuma rakhawaare, hota na aagyaa binu paisaare 

 22. Saba sukha lahai tumhaaree sharanaa, tuma rakshaka kaahu ko dara naa 

23. Aapana teja samhaaro aapai, teenon loka haanka ten kaanpai 

 24. Bhoota pisaacha nikata nahin aawai, Mahaabeera jaba naama sunaawai 

25. Naasai roga hare saba peeraa, japata nirantara Hanumata beeraa 

 26. Sankata ten Hanumaana churaawai, mana krama bachana dhyaana jo laawai 

 27. Saba para Raama tapaswee raajaa, tina ke kaaja sakala tuma saajaa 

28. Aura manorata jo koee laawai, soee amita jeewana phala paawai 

29. Chaaron juga parataapa tumhaaraa, hai parasidha jagata ujiyaaraa 

30. Saadhu santa ke tuma rakhawaare, asura nikandana Raama dulaare 

31. Ashta siddhi nau nidhi ke daataa, asa bara deena Jaanakee Maataa 

32. Raama rasaayana tumhare paasaa, sadaa raho Raghupati ke daasaa 

33. Tumhare bhajana Raama ko paawai, janama janama ke dukha bisaraawai

 34. Anta kaala Raghubara pura jaaee, jahaan janama Hari bhakta kahaaee 

35. Aura devataa chitta na dharaee, Hanumata se-ee sarva sukha karaee 

36. Sankata katai mite saba peeraa, jo sumire Hanumata bala beeraa 

37. Jai jai jai Hanumaana Gosaaee, kripaa karahu gurudeva kee naaee

38. Jo sata baara paata kara koee, chootahi bandi mahaa sukha hoee 

39. Jo yaha parai Hanumaana chaaleesaa, hoya siddhi saakhee Gaureesaa 

40. Tulasee Daasa sadaa Hari cheraa, keejai naata hridaya mahaan deraa Pawanatanaya sankata harana mangala moorati roopa Raama Lakhana Seetaa sahita hridaya basahu sura bhoopa

 

 

Huge support for new petition calling for boycott Onward (2020) because ...

Via LGBTQ Nation // The worst part of traveling while gay

 

The worst part of traveling while gay

People often say that they think we're brothers, but we don't look anything alike. Why is that?

Commentary by Michael Jensen & Brent Hartinger Friday, April 15, 2022     

 

Make the Jump Here to  Read the Full Article

New [GBF] new GBF talks

 

New talks have been added to the audio archive at the GBF website:

2022_04_10 Bob Stahl The 32 Parts of The Body Meditation .mp3

1999_12_05 Clint Seiter Community.mp3

1999_11_21 Kobai Scott Whitney Right Speech.mp3

1999_11_14 Carol Newhouse Desire Passion.mp3

1999_11_07 Jim Wilson Bodichitta Heart Wisdom Incomplete.mp3

1999_10_31 Christian de la Huerta.mp3

Via Daily Dharma: No Needle, No Haystack

 Everybody is looking for something that isn’t available. It’s worse than looking for a needle in a haystack; at least the needle is there, even though it is hard to find. But satisfaction and self are both delusions, so how can they ever be found?

Ayya Khema, “No Satisfaction”

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Living: Abstaining from Intoxication

 

RIGHT LIVING
Undertaking the Commitment to Abstain from Intoxication

Intoxication is unhealthy. Refraining from intoxication is healthy. (MN 9) What are the imperfections that defile the mind? Negligence is an imperfection that defiles the mind. Knowing that negligence is an imperfection that defiles the mind, a person abandons it. (MN 7) One practices thus: “Others may become negligent by intoxication, but I will abstain from the negligence of intoxication." (MN 8) One of the dangers attached to addiction to intoxicants is indecent exposure of one's person. (DN 31)

Reflection

The arguments put forward in the early Buddhist texts against intoxication were mostly practical ones. In this case there is the recognition that when you lose control of yourself through some form of intoxication, the chances increase that you will do something foolish or embarrassing that you will regret later. Better to undertake the commitment to abstain from the kind of negligence that leads to such behaviors.

Daily Practice

See if, through introspection, you can discern the point at which intoxication begins to show up in your experience. If you are a drinker, investigate the moment between the first and second swig, or the first and second glass, or whatever point you can notice when the mind begins to get a little sluggish. If you don’t drink, try the same experiment with some other form of intoxication. There are many to choose from.

Tomorrow: Maintaining Arisen Healthy States
One week from today: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings

Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media
#DhammaWheel

Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Via FB //The Other 98%

 

The US Navy and Their Hilariously Inept Search for Dorothy and Her Friends

100 Years of Men in Love: The Accidental Collection Trailer

Via Bay Area Reporter // 100 Years of Men in Love: new film celebrates historic affectionate photos

 

Via Bay Area Reporter // Great Freedom' - love in the face of injustice

 

'Great Freedom' - love in the face of injustice

MOVIES | By Brian Bromberger | Apr 12

At a time when Ukrainians are being killed and dying for their freedom, Austrian writer/director Sebastian Meise's exquisite film 'Great Freedom' couldn't have arrived in Bay Area theaters at a more opportune time.

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Action: Reflecting upon Social Action

 

RIGHT ACTION
Reflecting Upon Social Action

However the seed is planted, in that way the fruit is gathered. Good things come from doing good deeds, bad things come from doing bad deeds. (SN 11.10) What is the purpose of a mirror? For the purpose of reflection. So too social action is to be done with repeated reflection. (MN 61) One reflects thus: “Others may speak in unhealthy ways; I shall refrain from speaking in unhealthy ways.” (MN 8) One lives with companions in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes. One practices thus: “I maintain verbal acts of lovingkindness toward my companions both openly and privately.” (MN 31)

Reflection

How we speak to one another has a big impact on how well we get along with one another. We evoke from others the same emotions we express to them. If you say something with annoyance, you will provoke annoyance. If you say something kind, you will bring out the kindness of others. This is how human interactions work: however the seed is planted, the fruit is gathered.

Daily Practice

One important way of practicing in daily life is bringing as much lovingkindness as possible to everything you do, especially in the realm of verbal action. Make a point today of speaking kindly to the people you interact with. You’ll find it comes easily if you can manage to view the other person “with kindly eyes.” Find something good in other people to focus upon and allow your speech to flow from the emotion of friendliness.

Tomorrow: Abstaining from Intoxication
One week from today: Reflecting upon Bodily Action

Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media
#DhammaWheel

Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Via Via Daily Dharma: Be with the Breath

 

 A sense of ease and wellbeing with the breath can do a lot more for you than any amount of status, material gain, praise, outside pleasures—any of the ways of the world.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu, “Less is More” 

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