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[GBF} Dedication of Merit

 

[GBF] Here is the latest newsletter from GBF

The summer 2022 Newsletter is here.  It features a recent talk by René Rivera to our sangha titled "Bringing Compassion to the Conflict in Our Hearts".

 

You can download the pdf version of the newsletter here:

 

https://gaybuddhist.org/wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/newsletters/2022_2-Summer-Rene-Rivera-Bringing-Compassion-to-the-Conflict-in-Our-Hearts.pdf

Enjoy 700+ free recorded dharma talks at www.gaybuddhist.org

Via Lion´s Roar \\ Mirabai Bush and Ram Dass on Bringing Fear Close

 

Mirabai Bush and Ram Dass on Bringing Fear Close

As long as you think vulnerability is weakness, you’re going to be afraid. Medicine for Fear presenter Mirabai Bush, and Ram Dass, on the kind of vulnerability that’s actually strength.

Via Lion´s Roar \\ Pamela Ayo Yetunde on The Five Remembrances

 

Pamela Ayo Yetunde on The Five Remembrances

To change your life now and prepare for the inevitable, says Pamela Ayo Yetunde, regularly contemplate these five home truths.

Via Lion´s Roar \\ Mushim Patricia Ikeda

 

Meet a Teacher: Mushim Patricia Ikeda

The teacher of Buddhism and anti-racism gets personal with Lion’s Roar about what makes her tick.

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Mindfulness and Concentration: Establishing Mindfulness of Body and the First Jhāna

 

RIGHT MINDFULNESS
Establishing Mindfulness of Body

A person goes to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an empty place and sits down. Having crossed the legs, one sets the body erect. One establishes the presence of mindfulness. (MN 10) One is aware: “Ardent, fully aware, mindful, I am content.” (SN 47.10)   When sitting, one is aware: “I am sitting.”. . . One is just aware, just mindful: “There is body.” And one abides not clinging to anything in the world. (MN 10)

Reflection

The Zen meditation practice called zazen means “just sitting.” This is a form of the early Buddhist practice described here. The idea is to always do only one thing at a time. Not sitting and reading, or sitting and watching TV, or sitting at your computer—but just sitting. This is an exercise in being rather than doing. The only activity you are doing while sitting is “being aware.” Aware of what? Aware that you are sitting.

Daily Practice

Spend some time every day, either regularly or adventitiously, just sitting. At first the tendency might be to “sit and think about stuff,” or “sit and remember,” or “sit and plan.” But this is a mindfulness of the body practice, so it involves being aware of all the microsensations of the body as you sit. There is a lot going on when you just sit and take the time to notice. Notice it all without clinging to anything in the world.

RIGHT CONCENTRATION Approaching and Abiding in the First Phase of Absorption (1st Jhāna)

Having abandoned the five hindrances, imperfections of the mind that weaken wisdom, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, one enters and abides in the first phase of absorption, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with joy and the pleasure born of seclusion. (MN 4) Breathing in long, one is aware: ‘I breathe in long’; or breathing out long, one is aware: ‘I breathe out long.’ This is how concentration by mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated, so that it is of great fruit and great benefit. (A 54.8)

Tomorrow: Understanding the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering
One week from today: Establishing Mindfulness of Feeling and Abiding in the Second Jhāna

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Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Via Daily Dharma: The Mind Illuminates Itself

 Dismiss all the thoughts which bother your mind. Train yourself during many days, many months, many years, to retain this pure mind. One day, when your empty mind has become crystallized, suddenly it will be illumined by its own intrinsic wisdom. At that instant you will realize the state of pure awakening.

Sokei-An Shigetsu Sasaki, “Return to Your Original State!”

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation \\ Words of Wisdom - May 22, 2022 💌

 
 

The interesting question is, "How do you put yourself in a position so that you can allow ‘what is’ to be?" The enemy turns out to be the creation of mind. Because when you are just in the moment, doing what you are doing, there is no fear. The fear is when you stand back to think about it. The fear is not in the actions. The fear is in the thought about the actions.

- Ram Dass -

The Hope Speech | Sir Ian McKellen | Figures of Speech

Via Gay Buddhist Fellowship - San Francsco|| New GBF talks

 

[GBF] new GBF talks

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

2022_05_15 Frank Ostaseski Belonging.mp3

2022_05_08 Francisco Gable .mp3

Metta

Enjoy 700+ free recorded dharma talks at www.gaybuddhist.org

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Effort: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States

RIGHT EFFORT
Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States

Whatever a person frequently thinks about and ponders, that will become the inclination of their mind. If one frequently thinks about and ponders unhealthy states, one has abandoned healthy states to cultivate unhealthy states, and then one’s mind inclines to unhealthy states. (MN 19) Here a person rouses the will, makes an effort, stirs up energy, exerts the mind, and strives to restrain the arising of unarisen unhealthy mental states. One restrains the arising of the unarisen hindrance of sense desire. (MN 141)

Reflection

There are two popular conceptions that may well be wrong. One is that we have free will to do whatever we want, and the other is that we have no control over what our unconscious minds throw up into consciousness. This text speaks to the ability to use our powers of conscious intention to influence what rises into awareness from preconscious or subconscious realms. There are ways to guard against unhealthy states.

Daily Practice

When sense desire arises, it has the effect of hijacking the mind and driving it in unhealthy directions. See what you can do to guard against certain kinds of content arising. One example is learning not to follow the "clickbait" that keeps popping up on your computer, urging you to go to specific websites. An internal example is to stay mindful of thoughts arising and passing away, seeing them as impersonal events, without following the content down the rabbit hole.

Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Body and Abiding in the First Jhāna
One week from today: Abandoning Arisen Unhealthy States

Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media
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Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

 

Via Daily Dharma: Peaceful Mind, Peaceful Action

 When our minds are peaceful, our bodily actions will be peaceful, and we will convey an ambiance of love, care, and mercy.

Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, “Fostering Peace, Inside and Out”

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Living: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings

 

RIGHT LIVING
Undertaking the Commitment to Abstain from Harming Living Beings

Harming living beings is unhealthy. Refraining from harming living beings is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning the harming of living beings, one abstains from harming living beings; with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kindly, one abides compassionate to all living beings. (M 41) One practices thus: “Others may harm living beings, but I will abstain from the harming of living beings.” (MN 8) A layperson is not to engage in the livelihood of trading in poison. (AN 5.177)

Reflection

The guideline calling for laypeople to earn their livelihood in ways that do not inflict harm on themselves or others can be taken literally, as in not producing or deploying pesticides, but the scope of what is meant by poison can be expanded beyond a physical substance to include a wide range of mental toxins as well. For example, trading in misinformation or prejudice, or conducting all sorts of unethical enterprises could also be considered toxic.

Daily Practice

Take stock of what you do for a living and inquire into how much harm it may cause. If the answer is “none” then take joy in that and carry on. But if your profession causes harm, even from subtle toxic activity, be aware of that and do what you can to diminish the harm. It is a blessing to engage in a harmless profession and even more of a blessing to do work that actively contributes to the welfare of others.

Tomorrow: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States
One week from today: Abstaining from Taking What is Not Given

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

Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Via Daily Dharma: Braving the Unknown

 As spiritual practitioners we need to have some curiosity about the unknown. When unexplored territory frightens us, we need to ask ourselves, “Where’s our sense of adventure?”

Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, “Open Stillness”

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Action: Reflecting upon Bodily Action

 

RIGHT ACTION
Reflecting Upon Bodily 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 bodily action is to be done with repeated reflection. (MN 61) When you wish to do an action with the body, reflect upon that same bodily action thus: “Would this action I wish to do with the body lead to both my own affliction and the affliction of another?” If, upon reflection, you know that it would, then do not do it; if you know that it would not, then proceed. (MN 61)

Reflection

Not only is it wise to think before you speak, it is also important to think before you act. Another way of putting this is to act consciously instead of automatically, from habit. Conscious action is mindful action, and there is no activity that can't be done mindfully rather than mindlessly. Every action is accompanied by an intention, and this practice trains us to pay attention to this aspect of experience.

Daily Practice

Try going through your day as if you are holding a mirror up to yourself in your mind and you are able to see what you're thinking and reflect what you're about to do. Take that extra moment to be aware of yourself, aware of your actions, and aware of their impact on the world around you. This practice involves bringing mindful awareness to intention—to the impulse to act—in the moment before you follow through into action.

Tomorrow: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings
One week from today: Reflecting upon Verbal Action

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

Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Via Daily Dharma: Let Your Thoughts Come

 All meditators have thoughts arising during their practice—it’s what you do with them that matters.

Bob Sharples, “Do the Thoughts Ever Stop?”

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