About Buddhism

The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

- Atisha (11th century Tibetan Buddhist master)

There is a quote I have always liked… it goes something like, “love is an environment which you surround someone with in order for them to grow to their fullest potential.”

In our lifetime, we are constantly moving through different environments. Our moods are affected by so many different factors, both external and internal. I am what you would call a “highly sensitive person.” My mood depends greatly on those of the people around me. It is exhausting living with our emotions day in and day out, our ever changing moods clashing with others. This is where love comes in. It’s like our immune system, fighting off infections and disease. There is no big plastic bubble to step into to protect ourselves from the world around us. But when love is present, somehow the fight seems to fade away and become less important. When someone loves us fully and entirely with all of our flaws, it gives us courage. We are surrounded with an environment which allows us to thrive and grow.

Moment of truth – I haven’t been inspired much on the subject of love lately, but I was looking back in my journal, and I had written this a couple years back. I still think it holds true and not just in romantic relationships.

In romantic love you want the other person. In real love you want the other person’s good.
-    Margaret Anderson

Love is a condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.
-    Robert Heinlein

Keep your heart and mind open always!

The one hour documentary dives into the personal, cultural, and political impact of gay men raising children themselves. Conservatives regard them the very antithesis of family, and many believe having a mother is an essential part of a child’s development. The list of countries restricting international adoption by single men or gay couples is rapidly expanding, and many states are outlawing gay adoption altogether. Just last year, Utah and Mississippi joined Florida in banning gay adoption. DADDY & PAPA explores the value of alternative households, and the changing face of the American family.
link it.