This was a creative exercise that I recently did, a way to think through some things and where my focus and attention is best centered. Cause and effect, that is, every action and deed produces fruit I am a social animal, and there is a basis for living peacefully and skillfully in my social interactions with others Things in and of themselves have no intrinsic existence in themselves, but their identity is relational to everything else around it (hence the need for being able to exist peacefully with others and the environment. Understanding things as they are - that we are all subject to suffering and that my actions should alleviate suffering in myself and others. Right intention - that is - commitment to ethics and mental self-improvement. Right speech, to abstain from deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully. Refrain from slanderous speech and not to speak maliciously of others Don't speak to cause discord Speak the truth, especially when there is an injustice Truthfulnes...
I am growing ever increasingly concerned regarding the stigma that surrounds monkeypox (MPX) as it relates to the queer community, namely MSM (men-who-have-sex-with-men). I'm getting a real "1980's HIV " vibe from what I am seeing in the news and on social media. The following is a brief passage discussing stigma (taken lovingly from my dissertation project). This can help frame important discussions that need to be had. Stigma. The word itself literally means “to mark, brand, or tattoo.”(Merriman-Webster’s Online Dictionary, n.d.). Ancient Greeks invented the word to describe the deliberate marking of slaves, criminals, and traitors to the State with a physical mark (e.g., cuts, burns) to designate them as being “different” and “Other.” These marks set them apart from the general public and social mores of the day required these “Others” to be avoided. (Madru, 2003). It is easy to recall Hawthorne’s literary figure, Hester Prynne and her scarlet letter, or the Star...