Via NPR //

 

Via White Crane Institute //

 

---

The Swedish Parliament

2009 -

The Swedish Parliament was presented with legislation that would allow Gay couples to marry in civil ceremonies or in the Lutheran Church, which until 2000 was the official church of Sweden. "The main proposal in the motion is that ... a person's gender will no longer have any bearing on whether they can marry. The marriage law and other laws concerning spouses will be rendered gender neutral according to the proposal," a statement from Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's conservative Moderates said.

 

The proposal had wide backing in parliament. While heterosexuals in Sweden could previously choose to marry in either a civil ceremony or a church ceremony, homosexuals were only allowed to register their "partnerships" in a civil ceremony. Civil unions granting Gays and Lesbians the same legal status as married couples were allowed in Sweden since 1995. On October 22, 2009, the governing board of the Church of Sweden, voted 176–62 in favor of allowing its priests to wed same-sex couples in new gender-neutral church ceremonies, including the use of the term marriage. Same-sex marriages have been performed by the church since November 1, 2009

 

With the adoption of the new legislation, Sweden,  became the first country in the world to allow Gay people to marry within a major Church. Under the proposal, Lutheran pastors are permitted to opt-out of performing Gay marriages if they have personal objections.

|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 Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation //

 

Unconditional love exists in each of us. It is part of our deep inner being. It is not so much an active emotion as a state of being. It's not, "I love you" for this or that reason, not "I love you if you love me." It's love for no reason, love without an object. - Ram Dass -

Via Daily Dharma: Innate Buddhanature

 

Support Tricycle with a donation »

Innate Buddhanature  The Pure Land is neither inside us nor outside but both; it discloses to us the sacred context of our lives. Nagapriya, “Demythologizing Amida”  CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

The Dancing Skeletons By Jeff Watt A Himalayan art expert explains the meaning and ritual uses of the image of the dancing skeletons, or “Revered Lords of the Cemetery.” Read more »

Via FB

 

Via Daily Dharma: Facing Karma

 

Support Tricycle with a donation »

Facing Karma

Buddhism taught me that the way to change your karma is not to respond, but to feel the feeling without responding. Then it is passed on. It does no harm.

David Guy, “Trying to Speak: A Personal History of Stage Fright” 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Via [GBF] New Talk: "Integrating the Kind Heart with Wisdom"

Part 2 from the GBF 2023 Fall Retreat is now available:

"Integrating the Kind Heart with Wisdom"

Most spiritual traditions and religions speak about the value of compassion, but Buddhism seems to be the only one with specific practices for developing this quality and opening our hearts.

In this talk, Donald Rothberg explores the challenges we face when opening our hearts. Once we do, how do we integrate this compassion with wisdom? What challenges do we face when we try this? 

He also identifies how traditional gender roles can hinder opening our hearts and developing compassion. A rich Q&A dialogue follows.

Listen on your favorite podcast player or on the GBF website:
https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/integrating-the-kind-heart-with-wisdom-donald-rothberg/

Via [GBF] New Talk: "Extending the Retreat into Your Daily Life"

Part 3 from the GBF 2023 Fall Retreat is now available:

"Extending the Retreat into Your Daily Life"

How do we embody in our lives the practices we learn and the qualities we develop on retreat?

In this talk, Donald Rothberg examines how we can 'bring the retreat home' with us and make our practice real in everyday life. He suggests key methods for accomplishing this, including:

• Become grounded in one's body.
• Meditate on a different quality each week, such as impermanence, reactivity, non-self,
• Commit to engaging in one heart practice daily: loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, or equanimity (the Four Immeasurables). 
• Set an intention before each interaction with others, such as kindness, empathy, or presence.
• Examine the priorities in one's life and then commit to following one each week.

A rich Q&A dialogue follows.

Listen on your favorite podcast player or the GBF website:

https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/extending-the-retreat-into-your-daily-life-donald-rothberg/

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Effort: Maintaining Arisen Healthy States

 

TRICYCLE      COURSE CATALOG      SUPPORT      DONATE

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 states, 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 investigation of states awakening factor. (MN 141)

Reflection Practice is not just about abandoning the mental and emotional states that get in the way of a peaceful mind; it has equally to do with encouraging and supporting all the beneficial states. When kindness, generosity, compassion, or wisdom arises, this is a good thing, partly because it encourages further healthy states and partly because it blocks out unhealthy states. Only one state at a time can occupy the mind. Daily Practice When you are able to arouse the interest and curiosity that characterize the awakening factor of the investigation of states, see what you can do to maintain or sustain such interest. Mindfulness is a supporting condition, as is energy or relaxed effort. It is a matter of taking interest in the phenomenology of the inner life and inquiring deeply into the texture, not the content, of experience. What does it feel like to be aware of what is actually going on? Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Mental Objects and the Fourth Jhāna One week from today: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Tricycle is a nonprofit and relies on your support to keep its wheels turning. Donate »

© 2024 Tricycle Foundation 89 5th Ave, New York, NY 10003

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Living: Abstaining from Intoxication

 

TRICYCLE      COURSE CATALOG      SUPPORT      DONATE

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 increased quarreling. (DN 31)

Reflection Diligence is one of the mental states most highly valued in Buddhist teachings, and negligence, its opposite, is one of the greatest dangers. The argument against intoxication is not the substance itself (alcohol, drugs, and the like) but the state of negligence it invites. The mind is "defiled" or poisoned by these dispositions, and they lead to a host of secondary problems, such as diminishing health and increased quarreling. Daily Practice Practice diligence of mind at every opportunity and in any creative way you can. This is not a practice of what you put into your body in the way of food or drink but of how alert, clear, and balanced you can be in your life every day. So many modern activities involve a sort of mental intoxication that makes us negligent in various ways. As a practice, notice what effect different activities have on your mental clarity. 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.

Tricycle is a nonprofit and relies on your support to keep its wheels turning. Donate »

© 2024 Tricycle Foundation 89 5th Ave, New York, NY 10003