What's Morally Wrong with Homosexuality?

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Blessings from an Inspiration

With a suggestion by a friend from Yoga, I went to go get a blessing from Sri Karunamayi, a female bodhisattva like Amma who builds homes for the poor in India. She was happy and blissful during the prayer and wishes, which kept the morning light. Not that I am a spiritual junky, but when one is the path to enlightenment it is always good to be in the presence of one who gives their whole life for others. If only for an inspiration, but first-hand contact(or first-head contact which is more correct) leads me to let down more of the self-cherishing, I often wrap myself in. I even drank the spiritual milk that flowed which is not to be confused with the spiritual cool-aid that felled so many with the Jim Jones farce. It was a treat to see so many Indian children, who dressed in white were like little cherubs. Funny, wise, and awestruck they provided my entertainment beyond the beautiful Hindu prayers. You should just go see or hear a prayer ceremony just to get out of your safe little confines. So, for me it like a blessing n’ danna, not wanting to be a disciple but appreciating where they are going. They have similar positive compassionate goals as my Buddhist teachings so it feels like a missing brother or sister. Plus jokingly, my partner is always saying he is 30% Hindu/70% Buddhist …it gave me a taste of his alter ego. Namaste

Spider Update and Firm Intention

Spider update, I had one adult and two children, so I guess the last one left me with more friends. Mom is out scouting, while the kids are trying to get the hand of repelling from my upper right ceiling. I grabbed Mom and lifted her higher before turning on the water.

On to more important things, my partner registered for a University Masters Program and I am enjoying his excitement to do what was only a dream for him. That he thought would never come true. Along with daily meditation for a minimum of 1/2 hour a day since last Oct which allows me the time to reflect on every thought that comes into my head. Some days it is easy, to pull away and find the clear space…other days it may be busy in there, taking longer to settle down. It does become easier to access this clarity. And the desire to analyze who and what, I think I am. My waking life I see more and more times of happiness and letting go of the need to say something critical to mask my unhappiness. I do think before I speak more often than not, also trying to find a positive mind and project my internal happiness. When I do I find many more people, especially ones I don’t know talk to me, because my body language is as loving as my mind. All this combined with dharma is conscious work and I have long way to go. With the positive feedback I see and feel …it is no longer a stab in the dark. I just keep placed in my mind the few times I have met realized happy people and felt the unbelievable love combined lack of body language that says stay away. I will get there with firm intentions and a spiritual guide.

Making Use of Our Precious Human Life

If you are going to take the wisdom out and practice, the first thing you do is start with an open heart. As simple as an intention, is it not necessarily easy to pull smile when the whole world seems like it is collapsing. But your own worries should not placed on others, knowing they too suffer. Walking down to temple, I encountered a guy in his PJ’s and his new puppy. Instead of walking by ignoring both, I kept my heart open and a wish to not show any displeasure. Mr PJ’s was not into talking to anyone, but his dog was saying howdy in a big way. I said to him, “Hi, how are you? And what dog is this, he is so cute?” while petting him. The puppy showed his excitement by pissing on my shoes and pants. The man said,”Oops!” I looked down at the puppy, and made no facial remark to compliment his spray of enthusiasm. What is done is done, I thought to myself… that is a new way of dealing for me. If I show any displeasure it will not undo what has been done, nor “make it right.” I said, “Oh, well…what mix is he?” Brushing right over what happened. The owner told me and I said good-bye walking onward to my temple. I ran into a friend, who told me about a break-up, leaving me to think about he fact that I find it much easier to access sadness than happiness and thought about why that is? Perhaps, this is a sign that we all suffer even in its minor forms, but more importantly this awareness alone will allow me to provide more happiness to others. I can change this dynamic just simply by being aware and taking care to show a happy face even when things get difficult, because there is no guarantee for anyone that life will be like they wanted, me included. We have the opportunity living where we do to make important changes with our precious human life. We often forget how lucky we really are. Photo by my partner from a border town in Cambodia, a poor boy who doesn’t beg and instead works hard. You can help these kids by clicking on and supporting Street Friends on the upper right.

Buddhist-Ease

I have been waiting for the right idea to expand upon, sorry if I seem to have dropped off. My spider story got some negative feedback like, “Are you bored or have nothing to say?” But you have to give your friends credit when they make you think or push you. Today, I meditated on one of the Lamrim about death and impermanence. If one comes to realization that nothing exists in the same form and everyone will experience death. Overtime, it will bring a more present awareness of life and our place in it. It will ease us out of the thinking that grasping onto things outside of ourself as being a firm constant that once obtained the happiness will flow. I have nicknamed this as “Buddhease.” Finding the awareness and reflection we get with meditation and dhamma that I have seen a distinct lightening of character. And gradually letting go of always wanting it to be my way. I am by no means perfect, but at least by now when I say of do something inappropriate, just know that I reflect on most every action, and make a clear intention to change next time. I have noticed how I now look at things in my house and outside, with a clear knowledge that they are aging like me. It is a definite new way of thinking but becomes obvious once you experience the fact(in meditation) that we have a tendency or trying to hold on and preserve something that is constantly changing all the way down to the cell level….our me! If you get far enough along in meditation you can do object meditation trying to find the “I” that is you that you so fiercely cling to. You will find that your “I” is a mental concept only. This may sound weird in copy, but whether or not you experience this you still can benefit from meditation, if only to calm your busy mind down. This will allow you at least to look at how you deal with life.

A Simple Fact

Quote from BBC Friday Night Comedy:
"From a country that believes that a problem shared
is a problem halved,
I deal in simple maths,
a problem shared is a problem doubled....
You had it and now you have given someone else IT!
a simple fact

Good Morning, Spider!

There has been a house spider hanging above my shower for a couple of weeks. When I shower, he pretty much stays up high close to the ceiling, but a few times I’ll find him coming down to do some scouting for some chow. When I am showering, I make sure to scare him back up if he comes down, so he doesn’t end up with shower water spiraling down the drain. I am so used to it, that I find myself saying good morning when I hop in the shower in the morning. I make sure to leave a window open to allow prey to fly in, and few times found some ants or flies around the house to feed him. Well, today I found him dead and very dry…I guess got one in his golden years. So, I put him outside in bushes to be prey for another. It's almost spring so I be able to make more spider friends, soon!