The Gay Buddhist Forum by GBF

______________ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

How can we use the wisdom of the Paramis to guide our everyday life? In this talk, Jokai makes practical the six essential qualities that form the foundation of Mahayana Buddhist practice: The Paramis. Through humor and personal anecdotes, Jokai makes the teachings relatable, reinforcing that the essence of the Paramis is not in striving for perfection but in embodying compassion, resilience, and openness throughout life’s journey.He begins by quoting Nagarjuna, from his work called Ratnavali or Precious Garland of Advice for a King:"Generosity and morality for benefiting others,Patience and diligence for cultivating self,Meditation and wisdom for casting off self and others.This is, in short, the great vehicle's meaning.This is, in brief, the Buddha's true teaching.For the liberation of self and all beings,These six means are the treasure-house."Jokai describes the Paramis as steps toward self-liberation and service to others. He highlights the practical and transformative nature of the Paramis, reflecting on their ability to guide practitioners toward compassion and awakening, even amidst the complexities of daily life. He stresses the importance of starting with generosity and ethical conduct as a way to shift from self-centeredness to a collective sense of care and responsibility.While meditation and wisdom are often emphasized in Zen practice, the Paramis remind us that spiritual growth also requires cultivating patience and perseverance. He acknowledges the challenges and frustrations that can arise but encourages staying committed to the path, not for personal enlightenment alone, but for the benefit of all beings.______________Jokai relocated to California from the UK in 2000 to study with Tenshin Fletcher Roshi at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center. After completing formal study, encompassing over two decades of residential training and service, he received Dharma Transmission (full authorization to teach) in the White Plum Lineage of Zen Buddhism in 2014, and Inka (final seal of approval) in 2022.Jokai Roshi emphasizes the direct experience of awakening using contemporary language and time-honored methods. ______________ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

The term warrior typically implies aggression. So what does it mean to be a "Warrior of Compassion?”In this insightful talk, Dale Borglum introduces the concept of the bodhisattva, or "warrior of compassion," emphasizing the transformative potential of emotions like grief and anger when approached with mindfulness and an open heart. He explores how Buddhist teachings provide tools for navigating emotions and fostering compassion amidst societal and personal challenges.  Dale contrasts empathy, which is simply feeling another's pain, with compassion, which involves an open-hearted connection to suffering that can inspire action—or sometimes inaction—based on wisdom.Dale underscores the importance of embodying compassion both for others and for oneself, suggesting that self-compassion is a vital precursor to true altruism. He explains three qualities of compassion—connectedness, spaciousness, and warmth—and encourages staying present with discomfort rather than avoiding it. Through mindfulness and Vajrayana techniques, Dale demonstrates how suffering can become a pathway to awakening, connecting deeply with others, and cultivating a heart spacious enough to hold even the most challenging emotions and experiences.______________Dale Borglum is the founder and Executive Director of the Living/Dying Project in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a pioneer in the conscious dying movement and has worked directly with thousands of people with life-threatening illnesses and their families for over 45 years. In 1981, Dale founded the first residential facility in the United States, The Dying Center, for people who wished to die consciously. He has taught and lectured extensively on the topics of spiritual support for those with life- threatening illness, on caregiving as a spiritual practice, and on healing at the edge — the edge of illness, of death, of loss, of crisis. Dale has a BS from UC Berkeley and a PhD from Stanford University. He is the co-author of 'Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook.' He has taught meditation for the past 50 years and hosts the 'Healing at the Edge' podcast.Learn more at https://www.livingdying.org/ ______________ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

In this 3-part series, Danadasa covers the "Three Great Turnings" of the wheel of the dharma that resulted in the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions.In this final talk, he explores the Vajrayana tradition's emphasis on holistic self-acceptance and using all aspects of experience—including anger—as part of the spiritual path. He discusses the contrast between early Buddhism’s emphasis on self-liberation, Mahayana’s interconnectedness, and Vajrayana’s transformative approach that integrates even difficult emotions. By reframing anger as energy that can be directed toward wisdom or compassion, Vajrayana encourages acceptance and the practice of self-love as a pathway to freedom.Danadasa also reflects on the cultural influences shaping different Buddhist practices, such as Tibetan Buddhism’s devotional aspects compared to Western Buddhism’s rationalist tendencies. He shares his personal journey through conflict and how Vajrayana practices helped him transform anger and grief into deeper wisdom. Central to his teaching is the idea of surrender—letting go of control and embracing impermanence, which leads to the unworldly bliss of freedom from attachment. Through cognitive dissonance and contemplative affirmations, Danadasa encourages trusting the process of transformation, fostering forgiveness, and connecting with higher wisdom.______________Danadasa (he/him) began meditating and practicing Buddhism in 1993 and was ordained in the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2011 at the San Francisco Buddhist Center. At his ordination, he received his Buddhist name Danadasa which, in Sanskrit, means “servant of generosity”. In 1995, he developed a heart connection with the archetypal Buddha Amitabha, rooted in the Japanese Pure Land tradition Jodo Shinshu (known in the Western world as Shin Buddhism), and has been practicing an Amitabha sadhana (devotional practice) since 2011.Danadasa is deeply passionate about teaching meditation, mindfulness and Buddhism in a somatic and embodied way, bringing the Buddha’s teachings to life in our imaginations through images and storytelling. Embodied practice is the path of getting out of our heads and into our bodies, for it is in our bodies that liberation reveals itself.Over the past 20 years, Danadasa has held various administrative and leadership roles within the San Francisco Buddhist Center (SFBC). And in 2023, he resigned from all of his formal SFBC roles, as well as taking a break from teaching for a period of wandering in the wilderness, free from the external responsibilities, expectations and social norms of the monastery, following in the footsteps of the great “crazy wisdom” Mahasiddhas of the past. Since then, many lineage Masters and archetypal Buddhas have provided Danadasa with guidance and inspiration, including Tilopa, Naropa, Padmasambhava, Vajrakilaya, and Machig Labdron. In 2024, Danadasa received Vajrayogini initiation and empowerment. Through Vajrayogini, the Mother of All the Buddhas, the meaning of the Buddha’s words is beginning to reveal itself. ______________ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter