Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 26/11/2015

“O caminho da iluminação ou o caminho do coração, que é sinônimo de religião vertical, tem como princípio básico a liberdade e a constante lembrança de que tudo aquilo que você procura está dentro de você, ou seja, aquilo que não está aqui, não está em lugar algum.”

“El camino de la iluminación o el camino del corazón, que es sinónimo de religión vertical, tiene como principio básico la libertad y el constante recuerdo de que todo aquello que buscas está dentro de ti, es decir, aquello que no está aquí, no está en ningún lugar.”

“The path of enlightenment or the path of the heart are synonymous with vertical religion. They all have the same fundamental principle of freedom and the constant reminder that everything we seek externally is within us. What is not here is nowhere.”

Today's Daily Dharma: In This Together

In This Together

Compassion: this is the most important element of all.…[T]here’s wisdom in the word’s roots, for com-passion, to suffer with, expresses a mutuality, an equality that is a world away from the humiliation that is such a powerful catalyst for terrorism.

—Noelle Oxenhandler, "Glass of Water, Bare Feet"

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Thich Nhat Hanh - Ten Mindful Movements (Mindfulness)

Thich Nhat Hanh - The Art of Mindful Living

Via Unfundamentalist Christians / FB:

Deva Premal - Mantras For Precarious Times (432 hz)

Via Equality House / FB:

Vua GayStarNews: Canada to accept gay refugees from Syria

ISIS have executed dozens of gay men in Iraq and Syria

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

25 November 2015

by Darren Wee

Canada will accept 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February with priority given to families, vulnerable women, gay men, lesbians and LGBTI people.

Tuesday’s (24 November) announcement comes after it was reported that the government would not accept single young men as they could pose a security risk.

But the government has now said it will sponsor gay men and those who identify as members of the LGBTI community, according CBC News.

‘The government is aware that gays could be persecuted, and therefore plans to include them in the selection process aimed at rescuing some of the region’s most vulnerable refugees,’ the Ottawa Citizen reported.

Over the last year, ISIS has executed dozens of men accused of being gay in its controlled areas of Iraq and Syria.

‘We have a responsibility to significantly expand our refugee targets and give more victims of war a safe haven in Canada,’ said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

‘The resettling of vulnerable refugees is a clear demonstration of this. While our plan is ambitious, it reflects Canada’s commitment to share responsibility and offer protection to those who need it. 

Canada must once again be regarded as the compassionate, generous country we’ve always been.’

Canada has already accepted 3,089 Syrian refugees, and will invest up to $678 million over the next six years toward resettling and integrating the 25,000 new arrivals.

Click here to read the original and more 

Via Liberal America / FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba: Sri Prem Baba participará do TEDxSãoPaulo

Olá Amigos! 

Amanha 26/11 às 19h | Sri Prem Baba participará do TEDxSãoPaulo. 

Os ingressos já estão esgotados mas todo o evento será transmitido ao vivo através do link: http://livestream.com/tedx
 
Saiba mais: https://www.facebook.com/events/1655152934760777/
#sriprembaba #prembaba #tedxsp #tedx

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 25/11/2015

“A educação pública deveria oferecer mais espaço para as crianças se expressarem. Na maioria das vezes, tanto na escola como em casa, a criança não tem a chance de se expressar como precisa, especialmente no que diz respeito a sentimentos de natureza sombria. Criança também sente raiva, inveja, culpa... Mas não aprende a lidar com isso e geralmente é reprimida. Um dos grandes obstáculos é a religião horizontal que exige que a criança seja boazinha e não admite a existência da maldade. A criança reprime esses aspectos sombrios e isso cria uma série de dificuldades que perduram até a vida adulta. Portanto, um espaço para a criança elaborar esses assuntos é muito importante.”

“La educación pública debería ofrecer más espacio para que los niños se expresen. La mayoría de las veces, tanto en la escuela como en casa, el niño no tiene la oportunidad de expresarse como necesita, especialmente en lo que respecta a sentimientos de naturaleza sombría. El niño también siente rabia, envidia, culpa... Pero no aprende a lidiar con eso y generalmente es reprimido. Uno de los grandes obstáculos es la religión horizontal que exige que el niño sea buenito y no admite la existencia de la maldad. El niño reprime esos aspectos sombríos y eso crea una serie de dificultades que perduran hasta la vida adulta. Por lo tanto, un espacio para que el niño pueda elaborar esos asuntos es muy importante.”

“Public schooling ought to offer more room for children to express themselves. In most cases in school as well as at home, children aren’t given the opportunity to express themselves as they need to, especially when it comes to saying anything regarding feelings from their shadowy nature. Children also feel anger, jealousy, guilt and so forth, but they don't learn how to deal with these feelings and they are generally repressed. One of our great obstacles are horizontal religions, as they demand that children be good and don’t fess up to the existence of evil. Children repress these shadowy aspects and this creates a series of challenges that last through their adult life. That's why it's so important for children to have the space to elaborate on these issues.”

Via LionsRoar: A Future Is Possible by Thich Nhat Hanh

 

Photo by Paul Davis.

When we see people living mindfully, smiling and behaving in a loving manner, we gain confidence in our future.

There’s a lot of suffering in the world, and it’s important for us to stay in touch with this suffering in order to be compassionate. But to remain strong, we also need to embrace the positive elements. When we see a group of people living mindfully, smiling and behaving in a loving manner, we gain confidence in our future. When we practice mindful breathing, smiling, resting, walking, and working, we become a positive element in society, and we will inspire confidence in everyone around us. This is the way to avoid allowing despair to overwhelm us. It is also the way to help the younger generation so they don’t lose hope. It’s very important that we live our daily lives in such a way as to demonstrate that a future is possible.

To bring about real change in our global ecological situation our efforts must be collective and harmonious, based on love and respect for ourselves and each other, our ancestors, and future generations. If anger at injustice is what we use as the source of our energy, we may do something harmful, something we will later regret. According to Buddhism, compassion is the only source of energy that is useful and safe. With compassion your energy is born from insight; it’s not blind energy. Just feeling compassion is not enough; we have to learn to express it. That is why love must always go together with understanding. Understanding and insight show us how to act.

Adapted from The World We Have. Look inside the January issue of the Shambhala Sun, dedicated to the life and teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. For a limited time, use this link to subscribe and start your subscription with this special issue (U.S. subscribers only).

Today's Daily Dharma: Arising and Subsiding

Arising and Subsiding

In the eternal scheme of things, we all sacrifice our lives, whether we are awake to this fact or not. This vast interdependence, in which the disappearance of one thing paves the way for the appearance of another, is the essence of life itself.

—Clark Strand, "The Wisdom of Frogs"

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VIa Aniabal - Obrigado!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mosteiro-Zen-Budista-pico-de-Raios/201928749819511

Gayatri Mantra 108 Times With Lyrics - Chanting By Brahmins - Peaceful Chant

Oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ 

tát savitúr váreṇyaṃ 

bhárgo devásya dhīmahi 

dhíyo yó naḥ pracodáyāt

Via JMG: Pew Research: White Christians No Longer A Majority

Pew Research: White Christians No Longer A Majority

November 24, 2015 News, Politics, Religion

 

Politico reports:

White Christians now make up less than half of the U.S. population, largely receding from the majorities of most demographic groups, with one notable exception: the Republican Party. According to the latest results from Pew Research Center’s Religious Landscape survey published Monday by National Journal’s Next America project, just 46 percent of American adults are white Christians, down from 55 percent in 2007.

At the same time, according to the report, the share of white Christians identifying as Republican has remained steady, even equal with the share of the party that carried President Ronald Reagan to his 1984 reelection. Nearly seven in 10 white Christians — 69 percent — identify with or lean toward the GOP, while just 31 percent do the same with Democrats.

More from the National Journal:

Even as White Chris­ti­ans shrink in their over­all num­bers, they still ac­count for nearly sev­en-in-10 Amer­ic­ans who identi­fy with, or lean to­ward, the Re­pub­lic­an Party, the Pew study found. White Chris­ti­ans, in fact, rep­res­ent as large a share of the Re­pub­lic­an co­ali­tion today as they did of Amer­ic­an so­ci­ety over­all in 1984, when Ron­ald Re­agan won reelec­tion. A clear ma­jor­ity of all White Chris­ti­ans across the United States now identi­fy as Re­pub­lic­an, Pew found.

In sharp con­trast, the Pew data show, the Demo­crat­ic co­ali­tion has evolved in­to a three-legged stool that di­vides al­most evenly between White Chris­ti­ans, non-White Chris­ti­ans, and those from all races who identi­fy either with a non-Chris­ti­an faith or, in­creas­ingly, with no re­li­gious tra­di­tion at all. Most Amer­ic­ans who don’t identi­fy with any re­li­gious faith – a rap­idly grow­ing group—now align with Demo­crats.

Make the jump here to read the original and more on JMG

Via JMG: It Gets Better Celebrates Five Years [VIDEO]

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 24/11/2015

“Você está aqui para aprender a dirigir o seu veículo, o corpo. A mente é parte do corpo. Se o veículo anda sem condutor, inevitavelmente encontra um poste ou um abismo. Se a mente não tem condutor, ela é conduzida por impulsos inconscientes.Conduzir o veículo significa escolher quando e para onde você vai.Essa é uma metáfora para o estado de equanimidade mental gerado pela presença. Isso só é possível quando você pode ocupar o seu corpo.”

“Estás aquí para aprender a manejar tu vehículo, el cuerpo. La mente es parte del cuerpo. Si el vehículo anda sin conductor, inevitablemente encuentra un poste o un abismo. Si la mente no tiene conductor, es conducida por impulsos inconscientes. Conducir el vehículo significa elegir cuándo y para dónde vas. Esta es una metáfora para el estado de ecuanimidad mental generado por la presencia. Esto solo es posible cuando puedes ocupar tu cuerpo.”

“You are here to learn how to drive your vehicle, which is your body. The mind is a part of the body. If the vehicle moves without a driver, it will inevitably drive into a light post, or worse,down a cliff. If the mind doesn’t have a driver, it is conducted by unconscious impulses. Driving a vehicle means deciding when and where you want to go. This is a metaphor for the state of mental equanimity generated by presence. This is only possible when you are able to occupy your body.”

Via Lion's Roar: Orginal Caligraphy of Thich Nhat Hanh

Make a bid here

Today's Daily Dharma: Two Aspects of the Path

Two Aspects of the Path

The spiritual path consists of two aspects: seeing beyond the limited self and refining the limited self. As you move along this path, you have to consistently attend to both.

—Shinzen Young, "The Point of Contact"

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Deva Premal & Miten in Concert (Byron Bay 2008)

Om Namo Bhagavate /Gayatri Mantra - Deva Premal & Miten

Deva Premal - Gayatri Mantra: For the Rio Doce // Para o Rio Doce

Via Tricycle

Via God / FB:

Bernie Sanders Draws Distinction On Gay Rights | MSNBC

Via Chico Xavier e amigos / FB:

 

ORAÇÃO NOSSA
 
Senhor,
ensina-nos a orar sem esquecer o trabalho,
a dar sem olhar a quem,
a servir sem perguntar até quando,
a sofrer sem magoar seja a quem for,
a progredir sem perder a simplicidade,
a semear o bem sem pensar nos resultados,
a desculpar sem condições,
a marchar para a frente sem contar os obstáculos,
a ver sem malícia,
a escutar sem corromper os assuntos,
a falar sem ferir,
a compreender o próximo sem exigir entendimento,
a respeitar os semelhantes sem reclamar consideração,
a dar o melhor de nós, além da execução do próprio dever sem cobrar taxas de reconhecimento.
Senhor,
fortalece em nós a paciência para com as dificuldades dos outros, assim como precisamos da paciência dos outros para com as nossas próprias dificuldades.
Ajuda-nos para que a ninguém façamos aquilo que não desejamos para nós.
Auxilia-nos sobretudo a reconhecer que a nossa felicidade mais alta será invariavelmente aquela de cumprir-Te os desígnios, onde e como queiras, hoje, agora e sempre.

-Chico Xavier/Emmanuel - Livro: À Luz da Oração

Via Elephant Journal: Buddhist Advice on How to deal with Difficult Emotions

Elephant was honored to host Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche at Camp Elephant, our HQ in Boulder, Colorado. We discussed how and why to meditate. Rinpoche offered how meditation applies to life—with all its ups and downs by leading us through a practice.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 23/11/2015

“Luz e sombra passam constantemente pelo nosso sistema e nós temos a tendência de querer segurar os sentimentos e pensamentos luminosos e de sair correndo dos sentimentos e pensamentos sombrios. Porém, o apego e a aversão constituem a dinâmica mental que mantém a identificação com a ilusão. Através das práticas espirituais e da auto-observação é possível dissolver essa dinâmica e desenvolver equanimidade mental.”

“Luz y sombra pasan constantemente a través de nuestro sistema y tenemos la tendencia de querer sostener los sentimientos y pensamientos luminosos y de huir de los sentimientos y pensamientos oscuros. Sin embargo, el apego y la aversión constituyen la dinámica mental que mantiene la identificación con la ilusión. A través de las prácticas espirituales y de la auto-observación es posible disolver esta dinámica y desarrollar la ecuanimidad mental.”

“Light and shadow are constantly passing through our systems. Our tendency is to want to hold on to the feelings and thoughts that are light-filled and to flee from the shadowy thoughts and feelings. Attachment and aversion make up the mental dynamics that keep us identified with illusion. Through spiritual practices and self-observation, it can be possible to dissolve this dynamic and to develop mental equanimity.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Doing What We Can

Doing What We Can

We don’t have to look at others and be critical of their lack of virtue. Even when those close to us can’t practice, we should do what we can first. Before we worry about the deficiencies of others, those of us who understand and can practice should do that straightaway.

—Ajahn Chah, "Meeting the Dharma Alone"

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Via Tao & Zen / FB: ~ Learn to Be Still ~

“Notice... how quiet it becomes, in your mind... that state in between thoughts, where there is nothing going on, in that second, in that moment, when the mind is total quiet, the thoughts are not moving any longer.

This is your true Self, in that moment, in between thoughts. Stay in that moment. Learn to put yourself in that state, whether you are in the market place or you are in a temple, wherever you are, learn to be still.

It makes no difference what is going on around you. It makes no difference what other people are doing. You be still. When you are still, then there’s peace. When you are still, there’s happiness. Can you ever imagine a person who is being happy all the time, for no reason whatsoever?

Most of us have been taught that to be happy we have to receive something good. We have to have something nice happen to us to be happy, otherwise we are miserable. Yet the truth is, happiness is your very nature, unalloyed happiness, eternal happiness, forever happiness.”

~ Robert Adams

Learn to Be Still - The Eagles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBfeXmCtgDU

Surrender - The Conscious Process
https://theconsciousprocess.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/surrender-2/

Via Tao & Zen / FB:

At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it. Be free where you are.

— Thich Nhat Hanh

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 22/11/15

“Ao realizar o serviço desinteressado você também está realizando um trabalho espiritual de purificação. O serviço é uma poderosa ferramenta de autoconhecimento. Mas, não existe somente o serviço feito dentro da comunidade espiritual. O trabalho que você realiza no mundo também é uma prática na qual você pode servir ao propósito maior. Não importa qual é o seu trabalho, se existe essa consciência do serviço, você se sente pleno; você fica feliz ao levantar da cama de manhã.”

“Al realizar servicio desinteresado también estás realizando un trabajo espiritual de purificación. El servicio es una poderosa herramienta de autoconocimiento. Pero no existe sólo el servicio hecho dentro de la comunidad espiritual. El trabajo que realizas en el mundo también es una práctica en la cual puedes servir al propósito mayor. No importa cuál es tu trabajo, si existe esta conciencia del servicio, te sientes pleno; te sientes feliz al levantarte de la cama por la mañana.”

“By doing selfless service, you are also undergoing a process of spiritual purification. Service is a powerful tool for self-discovery. But there is not only service to do within a spiritual community. The work that you do in the world is also a practice in which you can serve a greater purpose. Regardless of what your actual work may be, if you are aware of this service, you will feel fulfilled. You will feel happy to wake up in the morning.”

Today's Daily Dharma: A Great Dualism

A Great Dualism

Our minds are never what we want them to be. That’s part of why we sit in the first place. We are uncomfortable with ourselves as we are. The greatest dualism we face is the split between who we are and who we think we ought to be.

—Barry Magid, "Five Practices to Change Your Mind"

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Via Higher Perspective / FB:

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 21/11/15

“Enquanto for um escravo da mente condicionada, você irremediavelmente será lançado ao sofrimento. A mente condicionada facilmente é arrastada para o mundo e para todas as histórias que nascem da identificação com ele, e assim entra em decadência. Quando menos espera você se vê dentro de um drama; você é tragado pelas criações da mente. Portanto, se você quer se libertar do sofrimento e experimentar o sabor da liberdade, se faz necessário tornar-se o senhor da sua própria mente.”

“Mientras seas un esclavo de la mente condicionada, inevitablemente serás lanzado al sufrimiento. La mente condicionada es fácilmente arrastrada hacia el mundo y hacia todas las historias que nacen de la identificación con él, y así entra en decadencia. Cuando menos lo esperas te encuentras adentro de un drama; eres tragado por las creaciones de la mente. Por lo tanto, si te quieres liberar del sufrimiento y experimentar el sabor de la libertad, es necesario convertirse en señor de tu propia mente.”

“As long as we are slaves to the conditioned mind, we will inevitably be thrown into suffering. The conditioned mind is easily taken over by the world and by all of the stories that are born when we are identified with the world. We then fall into decadence. When we least expect it, we see ourselves there again, engaged in some drama, having beendragged down by the mind’s creations. We must become Lords of our own minds if we want to be free of suffering and to experience the taste of freedom.”

Link do Satsang completo: http://www.sriprembaba.org/pt-br/satsang/290913

Today's Daily Dharma: Releasing Control

Releasing Control

When we understand that nothing exists independently, everything that does arise seems more dreamlike and less threatening. This brings a deep sense of relaxation, and we feel less need to control our mind and circumstances.

—Dzigar Kongtrül Rinpoche, "The Theater of Reflection"

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Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do dia - Flor del día - Flower of the day 20/11/2015

“Para termos êxito no caminho espiritual, precisamos desenvolver a verdadeira fé. Mas é preciso compreender o que é fé, pois essa é uma palavra que teve seu significado
muito distorcido. Fé é quando tudo está desmoronando, mas você não cai. Quando estabelece esse ponto de fé dentro de você, as vozes do ceticismo e do medo podem gritar e fazer tudo balançar, mas você não cai. Esse ponto de fé é inquebrável - ele é o que te segura. Esse é o êxito ao qual eu me refiro. Um ponto eterno de conexão com a realidade espiritual.”

“Para tener éxito en el camino espiritual necesitamos desarrollar la verdadera fe. Pero es preciso comprender lo que es fe, porque esta es una palabra que tuvo su significado muy distorsionado. Fe es cuando todo se está desmoronando, pero tú no caes. Cuando estableces este punto de fe dentro de ti, las voces del escepticismo y del miedo pueden gritar y hacer todo temblar, pero no caes. Este punto de fe es inquebrantable -es lo que te asegura-. Este es el éxito al que me refiero. Un punto eterno de conexión con la realidad espiritual.”

“In order to be successful on the spiritual path, we must develop true faith. But first we need to understand what the word ‘faith’ means, especially since its meaning has been so distorted over time. When everything is crumbling around us, faith holds us steady. Once we have established this much faith within ourselves, the voices of skepticism and fear may scream and shake everything up, yet we won’t fall. This type of faith is unshakable; it is what holds us steady. This is having 'success,' having faith build an eternal bridge connecting us to the spiritual reality.”

Today's Daily Dharma: Letting Things Be

Letting Things Be

We tend to try to overdo everything. Such conceptual actions just create more karma. Consider nondoing, nonaction, for a while, and leaving things as they are. This can provide balance.

—His Holiness the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa, "Awareness Itself"

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Via WGB: Ten Things For which Gay Men can be Thankful

Ten Things

For which Gay Men can be Thankful

By Lawrence Pfeil, Jr.

Being Gay -- With all the rights, privileges and honors appertaining thereto; including being fabulous, stylish, and taste makers in most things that straight people will soon want to imitate.

Gay Saints -- Judy, Barbra, Liza, Bette, Patti, Cher, and Madonna  whose talent and stature no longer require need of their mortal sir names Garland, Streisand, Minelli, Midler, LuPone, Bono-Allman, or Ciccone from whom we draw strength and inspiration. Not to mention, the “Patron Saint of Homosexuals,” St. Sebastian (no kidding); who was undoubtedly chosen so priests could identify gay men by all the lisping going on while they were saying his name in prayer.

Fierce Black Divas -- Darlene Love, Aretha Franklin, Martha Wash, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé, et al, whose understanding of gay men’s tortured souls compels them to sing. The connection between gay men and black women is so strong in fact; it is thought that gay men are really black women who didn’t completely reincarnate.

Nieces and Nephews – We enjoy spoiling them rotten, making us the de facto “fabulous gay uncle” which their tight-ass parents thoroughly resent.   So for all the teasing and torment we took from our siblings growing up… revenge is now served cold.

Women carrying the “Gay Gene” – They breed with hot studs and continue to populate the world with beautiful gay babies.  We couldn’t do it without you!

Red Wine – Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigori, Chardonnay, vodka, scotch, Hennessy, or any other liquor that gets us through family gatherings at the holidays without bloodshed.

Therapists -- They helps us learn to let go of damaged baggage from our families; cope with the never ending drama of insane friends; and resist choking the living shit out of fucked up exes who desperately deserve it!  (God bless their prescription pads too)

Modern Condoms and Lube – The earliest condoms from China were made of silk paper while in Japan, tortoise shell and animal horn; by the 16th century, European’s were using linen sheaths tied with ribbon; but it wasn’t until the early 20th century that natural intestine became widely popular.  Slather them up with lard, olive oil, grease, Crisco, or Vaseline, and today’s latex/polyisoprene ultra-thins and designer lubes are truly carnal blessings.

Hung Men going Commando – They make the world a more beautiful place to behold, hold, stroke, etc.

Legalized Same-Sex Marriage – The battle was hard fought, the day longtime coming, but we have finally been granted full equality in reciprocity for the all the Tupperware and expensive wedding presents we’ve given hetero-couples for decades.

Let the church say, Amen!

WGB: I want to personally thank Lawrence for his contributions to this blog. He was written several great articles for Wicked Gay Blog. He wrote this one for me to post around the Thanksgiving holiday, but with all the bad news on TV and online, I thought it would be nice for some lighthearted fun. Thank you again Lawrence. Amen!

Today's Daily Dharma: Free to Act Wisely

Free to Act Wisely

Is it possible to imagine that power might be defined by presence of mind; that the more one is no longer controlled by compulsions, addictions, patterns, habits, the more power one has to act in service of wisdom and compassion? What if we said that power is internal freedom, that power is the capacity for choice?

—Helen Tworkov, "Just Power"

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Today's Daily Dharma: Living Truths

Living Truths

The ultimate problem in human existence is alienation. The only solution to alienation is to deal with it in wholesome and skillful ways. The teachings of the Buddha seem to be a wholesome model for dealing with alienation. But these teachings cannot be a formula or even a solution. They have to be living truths.

—Mu Soeng, "Dharma for Sale"

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