#a queer dharma

[glowingmushroom0]

Top Ten TBR for August

1. The Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (currently reading)

Back in December, I was re-watching a bunch of Zhao’s videos on YouTube and in one of them she was promoting her novel Iron Widow. While I’ve never been too into mecha-novels in sci-fi, I decided to give this one a try! I’ve been finding the mechanics of the mechs really interesting, and I find Zetian a very engaging character. It also helps that Zhao explains some of the history of the real-life Wu Zetian in two of her YouTube videos. I still haven’t finished the book, but I am pretty close to finishing it.

2. Epithet Erased: Prison of Plastic by Brendan Blaber (currently re-reading)

This novel is a part of the Epithet Erased series on JelloApocalypse’s YouTube channel, which also includes several trailers for this novel and a part of chapter 1 of the novel’s audiobook. I remember seeing the original show on YouTube when it was coming out and it’s a really fun series! This part of the novel focuses on the story of Molly Blyndeff, a twelve-year-old with an epithet, a power that depends on whatever word the epithet is based off of. The story focuses on Molly’s relationship with her older sister Lorelai, and how her friends support her and try to help her as she tries to stop her sister from expanding her dream world within their family’s toy store. I’m actually listening to the audiobook while writing this post! I really recommend the audiobook version of this novel, the voice actors did an excellent job!

3. Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austen

I actually was recommended this book a couple of years ago by an aunt and a cousin of mine. I had gone to a Catholic school and they both knew I was pan (I still haven’t come out to them as agender though, but that’s because I don’t see or talk to them very often). However, what actually convinced me to try the book was an old friend group that started a book club, and this was their first book. I still haven’t read it because I didn’t end up making it to the meetings, but I am interested in reading it.

4. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

This novel I was interested in more from the author than the subject matter, but that doesn’t mean I’m not interested at all. I first read Jaigirdar’s Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating and really enjoyed it, so I wanted to read more of her works! That’s when I learned that this was her debut novel, and I wanted to compare the two. Plus, I will always find some joy from learning about different art forms through writing in novels. The most I know about henna so far is from a friend of mine who had another friend who wanted to practice henna on them. Because of that, I’d like to learn more about how Jaigirdar depicts henna artists.

5. A Queer Dharma: Yoga and Meditations for Liberation by Jacoby Ballard

I actually found this book at a book exchange that was at an LGBTQ+ friendly event. My friend and I are both interested in this book because we’re both into learning about different kinds of religion and how to express different kinds of spirituality. From what I’ve looked over with the book it talks about how queer people create their own spaces within Buddhism and yoga.

6. So This is Ever After by F. T. Lukens

I’ll go more in-depth with this particular choice in the next book, however the main reasons why I was interested in this novel is because I had already gotten a book from this author that I was pretty interested in. And after looking through another book of Lukens’s (or Lukens’), they also seemed to be really interested in fantasy, especially magic. I also thought it was an interesting idea that the story takes place after the typical “ever after” of defeating an evil king.

7. In Deeper Waters by F. T. Lukens

Now this is the novel that I originally found F.T. Lukens from, and the main reason why I was interested in reading this novel is because I love pirates. I also found myself hooked from just the summary of the novel. When people say a character is mysterious, I don’t really know if they’re going to be mysterious until they appear in the story. However, the summary does show how mysterious Athlen can be, considering he’s introduced as a prisoner on a burning ship. So, I’m interested in learning more about Athlen just from the summary.

8. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

This novel has a bit more controversial reason for why I want to read it. I originally got this book because it was popular, and I was vaguely interested, but then I started hearing about debates on whether this is good MLM (men-loving-men, not multi-level-marketing) representation. However, I then had another friend that’s a part of the queer community that read the book and he liked it. So I wanted to read the book to figure out my own opinion on the novel. Plus I thought it would be a good time to read it since the novel’s getting it’s own show soon. 

9. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Trans (But Were Afraid to Ask) by Brynn Tannehill

This book is less for me and more for family reasons. I’m not going to go into too much detail for privacy reasons, but a lot of my family still don’t quite understand much about what it exactly means to be transgender, especially not someone who’s under the non-binary umbrella. So I wanted to read this book and see if it’d be a good fit for some of my family members who do read.

10. Video Game Storytelling: What Every Developer Needs to Know about Narrative Techniques by Evan Skolnick

This book is more for my own learning and future career. My specific dream job is to create a video game story, which would go into scriptwriting. However, most of the creative writing advice and tips I’ve gotten were either for fiction in general, or for short stories and poetry. This book might be able to teach more about scriptwriting, but also how to develop scripts for video games.

[transbookoftheday]

Chaser by Dharma Kelleher

She's the last hope for a missing teenage girl. And time is running out.

Bounty hunter Jinx Ballou has pursued all sorts of fugitives across Phoenix, Arizona’s mean streets and unforgiving desert. Drug dealers, carjackers, rapists, and murderers.

But nothing about her latest job makes any sense. A mentally disabled teenage girl in a wheelchair charged with murdering her own mother? And now she's vanished without a trace?

Jinx soon unearths a horrifying secret that may clear the missing teenager but also points to a greater threat hunting them both.

Racing against time, Jinx pushes her skills, her body, and her luck to the limit. But can she find the girl before it’s too late?

If you enjoy page-turning action, queer heroines, stunning plot twists, and thrillers where criminal and social justice intersect, you’ll love the first book in Dharma Kelleher's groundbreaking Jinx Ballou series.

Curl up with your copy Chaser today and be transported to a world of danger, justice, and a heroine you won’t soon forget.

[artcinemas]

right wing propoganda is crazy in india it is downright like india is turning into israel 2.0 and these people are proud of it.

[effervescent-peach]

Not-wanting is a desire too; it yields suffering just as much as wanting.

Shelley Parker-Chan, She Who Became the Sun

[ezekieltobiasfletcher]

Since the day after the election, I've been in this spiritual demilitarized zone between the everyday life going on immediately around me, and all the "stuff" going on in the whole wide world. I'm not in denial. I'm no longer numb. I'm still grieving, but only for the last remnants of my naivety. I fully accept reality and intend to live life on life's terms. I'm on this path that is composed of an amalgamation of 12 step recovery, stoicism, absurdism, Buddhist Dharma, Taoism, Christ like empathy and love, pagan awe of nature, scientific awe of the quantum and the cosmos; all the wisdom of great writers of literature, poetry, music, stage, and screen; plus all the feels brought to the surface from visual arts, paintings, sculpture, architecture, and the like. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, and everything is a balance. Action, reaction...

My montra for the foreseeable future, "Less queer fear, more queer action." And love is a verb, y'all. Probably the greatest action word in every form of the human language. Love transcends cultural barriers. Love transcends time and space. And in times of fear and hate, it is the greatest act of defiance.

If I'm breathing, I'm okay; and love is all I need.

[floridakilo]

what books are on your must read beat generation list

on the road (1957) novel

naked lunch (1959) novel

howl and other poems (1956) poetry

junky (1953) novel

the dharma bums (1958) novel

queer (1985) novel

desolation angels (1965) novel

mexico city blues (1959) poetry

interzone (1989) letters and essays

the yagé letters (1963) letters and essays

kaddish and other poems (1961) poetry

a coney island of the mind (1958) poetry

big sur (1962) novel

the subterraneans (1958) novella

gasoline (1958) poetry

[the-fallen-six]

*You approach a set of six glass cannisters. Each one holds a glowing, floating heart, each one a different color. They appear eager to see a new face, if a bit apprehensive. Will you speak to them?

Yes No

>Yes No

Then let's begin.

Character Introductions!

"Hello!"

Name: Elizabeth-Alice Thompson

Age: 6yrs

Gender: Female (she/her)

Ethnicity: British

Soul: Patience

POD (Place of Death): Outside the Ruins door

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey!!!"

Name: Jabari Okafor

Age: 9yrs

Gender: Male-aligned/masc (he/they/xe)

Ethnicity: Swahili (biracial)

Soul: Bravery

POD: Outside Snowdin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hello."

Name: Dharma Widowo

Age: 11yrs

Gender: Lunarian (she/they/it)

Ethnicity: Indonesian

Conditions: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Alexythymia

Soul: Integrity

POD: Waterfall

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"...hi."

Name: Robyn Belmont

Age: 12yrs

Gender: FTM (he/they)

Orientation: Queer

Ethnicity: British-German

Conditions: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Soul: Perseverance

POD: Waterfall

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hi! Nice to meet you!"

Name: Amani Okafor

Age: 14yrs

Gender: Female (she/her)

Orientation: Bisexual

Ethnicity: Swahili (biracial)

Soul: Kindness

POD: Hotlands

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Howdy! 🩷"

Name: Justin(e) Shepherd

Age: 12yrs

Gender: Genderfluid (she/they/he based on presentation, all neos)

Orientation: Unlabeled

Ethnicity: American Texan

Soul: Justice

POD: Asgore's Castle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FAQ/Rules

"What is this? Who are you?"

Call me Phoenix or Blaze! This is an ask blog I decided to make with my Undertale ocs!

"What kind of things can we ask?"

Feel free ask the characters whatever, from simple things like favorite food to deeper things like family or thoughts on their current situation! In my mind, this takes place in a sort of stasis in-between the sixth soul and Frisk/the game you play, but feel free to ask questions about both as well! You can ask me questions too!

"What kind of things can we NOT ask?"

Considering these are children, what you will NOT be doing is writing anything remotely sexual or anything above PG-13, really. Seriously. The youngest is 6 years old. Use some common sense.

"Will the asks have art?"

I'll try to do what I can but I can't guarantee they all will! Maybe I'll reserve drawings for specific asks

Trigger Warnings

Considering all of these children are deceased as per the lore of Undertale, as well as there being underlying trauma in each one's backstories/lives, I feel like proper trigger warnings are necessary. Here's some you can expect that I can think of off the top of my head (not an exhaustive list):

Child death

Death in general

Self-harm/Suicide

Injuries

Blood

Transphobia

Abuse

Panic attacks

Dissociation/derealization/depersonalization

Tags

Each character ask will have the tag #thefallensix (no spaces)

Depending on the ask, each post will have the appropriate soul and child's name

Posts containing trigger warnings will contain the appropriate tags

Asks to me specifically will have the tag

#the fallen six (with spaces) and #ooc

(Main blog is @phoenixablaze666)

[darlingletshurttonight]

for no woman can be avenged by widowing a million more

Day 5: Pride

Shikhandi watches Bheeshma fall with no small amount of rage. He knows what happened was according to the plan. He knows, that to win, Bheeshma must have considered him a woman. It does not sting any less.

Long before he was a girl, before he was born, a lady had walked the Earth and cursed this warrior for spurning her after ruining her life. He should feel proud to have avenged her. He only feels shame. The cousins have gathered over Bheeshma’s gory body perforated with arrows like a pincushion. They weep together, bitter enmity forgotten over dying familial blood. He feels like an intruder.

He should be satisfied, that the one who refused to acknowledge his identity lies dead. He only feels used, like the incertitude of his gender was the only reason he had been selected for this unenvious destiny, and that his destiny was a direct catalyst for his identity. He stands apart, sorrowful and pitifully angry, like a bleating goat-kid protesting against the cruelty of the butcher’s knife. His father, however, is elated, and makes little pretense of joining the mourners, electing to pridefully gaze upon a son he had once scorned. Shikhandi has nothing to say. His existence has been rendered meaningless, and not because he has fulfilled his destiny. He is no more important in this war for the elephant throne (for no woman can be avenged by widowing a million more, Draupadi’s delusions be damned) and ready to be discarded. He hoped he would die soon. Krishna gave him a melancholy smile, like he knew what he was thinking. He probably did. Shikhandi could not bear to stay there. He turned away, and began the long trek to camp on foot. (If he spoke some kind words to a dying soldier because he had newfound realisations about the ‘pawns’ in this game, well then, it was not like there was anyone to tell the tale.)

Tagging @sundaralekhan

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Good morning and happy Wednesday, my bookish bats! You didn't think that tiny "queer books coming out this fall" guide was ALL there was, did you? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR this month. Happy reading!

❤️ A Vision of Air by Nicole Silver 🧡 Eli Over Easy by Phil Stamper 💛 How to Get Over the End of the World by Hal Schrieve 💚 Kween by Vichet Chum 💙 The Forest Demands its Due by Kosoko Jackson 💜 The B-Side of Daniel Garneau by David Kingston Yeh ❤️ Midnight Companion by Kit Barrie 🧡 Let the Waters Roars by Geonn Cannon 💛 Into the Glittering Dark by Kelley York 💙 When the Rain Begins to Burn by A.L. Davidson 💜 Been Outside by Amber Wendler & Shaz Zamore 🌈 The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson

❤️ A Necessary Chaos by Brent Lambert 🧡 The Spells We Cast by Jason June 💛 Pluralities by Avi Silver 💚 Salt the Water by Candice Iloh 💙 Beholder by Ryan La Sala 💜 This Pact is Not Ours by Zachary Sergi ❤️ Dragging Mason County by Curtis Campbell 🧡 Menewood by Nicola Griffith 💛 Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein by Anne Eekhout 💚 The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw & Richard Kadrey 💙 Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson 💜 Let Me Out by Emmett Nahil and George Williams

🌈 In the Form of a Question: the Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life by Amy Schneider ❤️ Songs of Irie by Asha Ashanti Bromfield 🧡 A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand 💛 Being Ace by Madeline Dyer 💚 Charming Young Man by Eliot Schrefer 💙 The Glass Scientists by S.H. Cotugno 💜 The Fall of Whit Rivera by Crystal Maldonado ❤️ By Any Other Name by Erin Cotter 🧡 Brooms by Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall 💛 Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender 💚 Shoot the Moon by Isa Arsen 💙 The Bell in the Fog by Lev A.C. Rosen

🌈 Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt ❤️ Family Meal by Bryan Washington 🧡 A Murder of Crows by Dharma Kelleher 💛 A Light Most Hateful by Hailey Piper 💚 Love at 350° by Lisa Peers 💙 Greasepaint by Hannah Levene 💜 The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels ❤️ Mate of Her Own by Elena Abbott 🧡 Mistletoe and Mishigas by M.A. Wardell 💛 Elle Campbell Wins Their Weekend by Ben Kahn 💚 All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters 💙 If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie

❤️ Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Lillah Lawson and Lauren Emily Whalen 🧡 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall 💛 It’s a Fabulous Life by Kelly Farmer 💚 Let the Dead Bury the Dead by Allison Epstein 💙 These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs 💜 The Goth House Experiment by SJ Sindu ❤️ Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant by Curtis Chin 🧡 Mudflowers by Aley Waterman 💛 Here Lies Olive by Kate Anderson 💚 Fire From the Sky by Moa Backe Åstot, trans. by Eva Apelqvist 💙 Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake 💜 On the Same Page by Haley Cass

❤️ A Dish Best Served Hot by Natalie Caña 🧡 Art of the Chase by Jennifer Giacalone 💛 The Haunting of Adrian Yates by Markus Harwood-Jones 💚 The Sword: Xcian by Elle Arroyo 💙 The Complete Carlisle Series by Roslyn Sinclair 💜 300,000 Kisses by Sean Hewitt and Luke Edward Hall ❤️ Just a Pinch of Magic by Alechia Dow 🧡 Blackouts by Justin Torres 💛 Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros 💚 Let the Woods Keep Our Bodies by E.M. Roy 💙 Everything Under the Moon: Fairy Tales in a Queerer Light edited by Michael Earp ❤️ Frost Bite by Angela Sylvaine

🧡 We Met in a Bar by Claire Forsythe 💛 Sweat Equity Aurora Rey 💚 Pumpkin Spice by Tagan Shepard 💙 The Misfit Mage & His Dashing Devil by M.N. Bennet 💜 Love and Other Risky Business by Sarah Brenton ❤️ Enough by Kimia Eslah 🧡 A Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard 💛 Twelve Bones by Rosie Talbot 💚 Wild Wishes and Windswept Kisses by Maya Prasad 💙 Dragged to the Wedding by Andrew Grey 💜 Fox Snare by Yoon Ha Lee ❤️ Murder and Manon by Mia P. Manansala

[friend-shaped-but]

I think Nirrti as an ftm (or genderfluid idk) is so underrated like WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THEM

first of all, we're currently on the indian ethics/morality unit in college and so my view of the riti-niriti duality is a bit skewed because vedic moral philosophy is a hot hot mess created to reinforce the status quo.

Preface over, thoughts:

I think the rejection of gender roles being equivalent to "disorder and chaos/unnatural" has many other implications because riti as a concept was used to define what was 'normal' and 'natural'. And honestly, idk if I'm on board with the idea that rejecting notions of gender is 'unnatural' esp since I do that myself. HOWEVER. I LOVE the aesthetic of the personification of chaos and disorder having zero concept of gender. and I love the aesthetic too.

so yeah my thoughts on this are a bit complicated, (as an undergraduate philo major who is majorly queer) but I do think nirriti is very underrated as it is EQUALLY necessary to keep the world going. Order and chaos, dark and light, and all that.

And if we're personifying riti and nirriti, then for the record, I think riti is also agender but in the way Janet from the good place is agender. Also some scholars think that riti was an underdeveloped idea of the concept of dharma so I also want lowkey transmasc riti

[incorrectmahabharatquotes]

I know the history of the word Hindu. I was simply using it to give you clarity.

You've made your perspective clear. Deflection and whataboutism are your weapons.

You are so quick to play your dalit card everywhere, but you forget that dalits were among the persecuted Hindus too. I never denied that the caste system is evil and needs to be gone completely. Why bring it up in a conversation where it wasn't even an issue?

You're so far into your leftie liberal mode that you don't even realise that you're here because of the efforts of fellow Hindus' efforts to abolish the caste system and bring in reservations to compensate for the oppression. It's still a work in progress but there's definitely progress.

Moreover, had this nation been running on the same values as Islamic rulers of the past who broke our temples, you'd be killed just for being a queer or being a Hindu who didn't convert.

Just look at the minorities in other Islamic countries.

But you won't, I know. Because hating fellow Hindus and denying history is more important for you. It's the cool thing to do these days.

One day you'll learn, hopefully soon. I wish you luck. 🙏

How dare you say Babasaheb Ambedkar was a Hindu when he died a Buddhist and swore to not die a Hindu. How dare you insist that the real people who worked towards societal change for women, Dalit and Adivasi people, like Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule, did so at 0 cost of their 'Hindu' society. Savitribai Phule did not have shit flung at her every day by brahmins for you to say 'Hindu' as though they weren't the ones who opposed her attempt to educate girls.

How dare you, lastly, insist that Dalits are ALSO Hindu, as though they haven't been dehumanised and humiliated for centuries on end and prevented from entering temples out of 'Impurity'.

In all our arguments, I find it INCREDIBLY funny that you seem to always focus on Muslim invaders, but never at all focus on the kind of bullshit the British wrecked on us. I'll tell you why: its because the British were the ones to club ALLLLLLL these varied identities together under a wishy washy 'Hindu' label in censuses. Dalit people are also under this label BECAUSE OF CLERICAL LAZINESS.

And this shit worked PERFECTLY for Hindu Nationalists. The more uniform our 'identity' got, the better. But of course, caste was essential to the functioning of 'Hindu' society.

So I give you this chance to inform me: What kind of society acts like this? Why are Dalit children beaten in schools for touching the wrong water pot? And forgive me for assuming, but if you have a household help who comes by, why do you treat her in a way which is 'different' to your family? Why is your circle of friends the same 3 people from the same community? Why do we live in this kind of society? What morality are we functioning on? Tell me, without resorting to justifying henious acts by saying 'Dharma'. I dare you.

-Mod G

--------------------------------------------------

Hello again, Anon-Who-Has-Unfollowed-But-Is-Still-Here-Inexplicably,

Mod G actually replied to you before I did. You didn't say about their reply. That's fascinating. They answered your ask in a far more direct way so I thought adding the same thing would be redundant. Turns out, it wouldn't have been redundant because you didn't even read what they said. Who knew.

You know what? I actually did say what the conquerors did was wrong. I directly talked about it. That's not what-aboutery. Did you not even read that part? I said what they did was wrong and what you're doing is wrong too. (I'm saying it again because you seem to be under the impression that I'm not holding these historical figures responsible for their actions sufficiently enough for your taste.)

I talked about being dalit in terms of reclamation and reparation. It is directly related to the topic you were talking about. Sure, free to tell me that I should be grateful to my "fellow Hindus" and should express that gratefulness by shutting my mouth and not criticizing them when they're doing something wrong. Got it. All that work-in-progress you talk about but I should still know my place and not speak over savarna Hindus. Understood.

Newsflash, the said beloved Hindus will ALSO gladly kill me for being a queer, as you put it. Right now, in fact. We're not exactly a queer-friendly nation, if you haven't noticed.

You also seem to be under the impression that Hindus=Hindutva which is just a wrong assumption on your part. In fact, from all the replies we're getting it seems to me that the other Hindus disagree with your hindutva politics. What do you make of that?

But yes, I'm a filthy leftie liberal blah-blah. I'm hating Hindus because I said something they're doing is wrong. But all you do is keep talking about Muslims and Islamic countries and don't even wonder why.

-Mod S

[orange-demons-deactivated2024]

Before I get any questions about it...

I had to take some creative liberties when writing the wedding headcanons with Bosch with a gender-neutral reader.

Queer relationships in Tibet aren't documented enough on the internet. So most of my sources did come from heterosexual marriages.

The act of a woman and a man marrying each other fell into the gender norms of a traditional woman and a traditional man in a relationship.

Same thing with marrying foreigners. There were even fewer articles and websites for Tibetan people marrying outside their race.

I had to alter some aspects of Tibetan customs to fit into the world-building of Nayshall.

Remember Nayshall is an accumulation of Nomadic tribes living in harmony, that's why I used wordings like people and group in my fic. They are all Nayshalli, but there are groups in Nayshall that are from different cultural backgrounds: Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and India.

That being said, even the tradition of Pulling on the Groom's ear (mag pa gi rna mchog 'then), is not widely practiced in Tibet. But here are some sources that I pulled this custom from here, here, and a video here (start at 2:30).

This custom was from rural farming areas of Tibet. And the act is started by the bride's family, pitting the woman against the men of the groom's family. They would tease the groom to get more gifts out of him and to an extent would "pull on the groom's ear."

"Some women wait in the doorway so that the groom cannot run away. They do not care how loudly the groom shouts in pain. They are not supposed to scratch the groom’s face or grasp his hair intentionally. The groom is usually allowed to ‘beat’ the girls with the sleeve of his traditional Tibetan robe, in order to try to get rid of them, but he can never get angry."

When I wrote this scene I had to keep in mind that the reader is gender-neutral, so the party that was supposed to represent the reader had a mix of men and women. And Bosch's side of the family representing him were all men.

You the reader, wouldn't have known any of this, that's why I wrote Bosch's family initiating the conflict.

Plus it's a street fighter game, so someone's gotta be fighting somewhere.

As for Traditional Tibetan clothing, Woman do have their hair braided and wear headdresses for the occasion. But I personally don't like adding attributes to my readers so I had to take out this section entirely.

The same thing can be said with jewelry. Although both men and women wear jewelry, the bride wears an abundance of it all over her body.

So that is why I didn't go into much detail about the outfits.

So I opted for You and Bosch to be wearing the same thing to keep the themes gender-neutral.

The reason why I split up traditional in the morning and western at night is because most Tibetan weddings that I've seen on YouTube are structured this way.

A proposal is the first step in Tibetan marriage. Traditionally, if a man is interested in a lady, he will inquire about her age, date of birth, and her zodiac attributes (i.e., mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, dog, or pig).

In Tibetan Buddhism, a Lama is a spiritual leader or teacher of the Dharma. The word "Lama" is derived from the Sanskrit word guru, which means "venerable one". It can also be used as a term of respect for any respected monk or priest. The word "Lama" is similar to the Tibetan word "bla-ma", which means "boss"

Lamas also participate in Buddhist marriage ceremonies, which include a prayer and the distribution of a religious drink called madyan. The groom and his family visit the bride's home to ask for her hand in marriage, and an astrologer helps determine the wedding date.

Since were on the topic, there was an initial prayer service that was supposed to be done at the Bride's house that I didn't include because you, don't live in Nayshall, so it would've been awkward for me to include it.

The horse that Bosch picked you up with is a tradition for older Tibet folk. People in Tibet today just use cars that they would decorate with scarves to pick up their brides. But when writing it, I figured Bosch isn't the type to go into modern traditions, that's why I kept it to be a horse.

A well-decorated car with colors suitable to the bride's zodiac attributes is also brought to pick up the bride.

I didn't go over this, but most Tibetan marriages are monogamous with familiar 'nuclear' families. However, polyandry families in Tibet were common in ancient times. Even today, there are polyandry families in some rural areas of Tibet. Polyandry is a form of polygamy whereby a woman has several husbands. In Tibet those husbands are often brothers, which is why it is most commonly called "Fraternal Polyandry".

Also to stick out one's tongue is known as a traditional greeting, stemming from a 9th-century myth about an unpopular king with a black tongue. When the king died, Tibetans began revealing their tongues to show they hadn't become his incarnate. Tongue-sucking does not appear to be part of the tradition.

Butter tea holds significant cultural importance beyond its culinary appeal. It is integrated into various ceremonies and rituals, from Tibetan Buddhist practices to traditional celebrations like weddings and Losar, the Tibetan New Year.

Butter tea is made from brick tea, yak butter, yak milk, and salt. It's a vital source of sustenance, especially in high-altitude regions, and provides necessary calories from fat. Tibetans often drink butter tea with tsampa, a staple food, and can consume up to 60 small cups per day. 

 It symbolizes hospitality, is a sacred offering, and can be a meal in itself. When offering tea to another person, both the giver and receiver use both hands to avoid spilling and as a sign of respect.

In tradition, guests are served constant refills of butter tea to symbolize the host's generosity.

[sarayu-sunrays]

Hi guys!!! just introducing a new mutual, @jialoves, to all my best moots on this site <333

(shes new to tumblr and also very very sweet)

so:

@manujanolavu - this is bhairavi ji, she writes awesome queer fiction and her collections for the desi lgbt+ fest are always super nice. currently she's obsessing over and live-posting demon slayer :D super friendly and sweet in general

@vellibandi this is sharma ji, she's supremely funny, best jokes and banter and super supportive. best shitposter imo, and very very chill to talk to

@hinsaa-paramo-dharma this is durga ji (she also doesn't mind being called Dee i think), big krishnakanya like lots of us here lol (who isnt ngl) and very very sweet and kind. she draws AMAZINGLY so if you wanna drop dead from awe check out her blog.

@themorguepoet dont let her creepy (but cool) theme fool you, she's an absolute sweetheart and is also funny!

@morally-gayy she/they, super fun to interact with! personally i havnt interacted with them too much, but they've been very nice when i have so

@desi-cleopatra - this is simran ji, her main blog is @/alhad-si-simran and she is super lovely, and also she writes cool poetry!!

@irlparvati - this is parvati ji, resident badass with a chill theme. she's also super super super nice and welcoming and is fun to dm.

@shut-up-rabert this is zoe, butsome also call her savlon i think? another krishnakanya!! sadly she gets haters but she is super cool, i think she's really smart and she loves politics so go to her blog for a (civil) discussion or explanation of any politics

@waitingforthesunrise very chill, very cool. 24/7 waits for the sunrise/sunset. as you can see if you check out her blog she's a major across the spiderverse fan and she also has great poetry taste!

oof my fingers are going to fall off but if you guys have any other nice blogs then feel free to add! just make sure you tag @jialoves.

anyway i hope this helped and welcome to tumblr <33 we're all really glad to have you :D

[formerlibrarian]

Every day for one week, post the cover of a book you love and tag someone else to do the same.

Day #4 - "Kerouac: A Biograpy" by Ann Charters

Although Jack Kerouac experimented sexually (with Neal Cassady, Gore Vidal, and others) he identified as heterosexual. Sorry! But he is queer adjacent!

Let's list some of the queer people you will meet in this book:

Allen Ginsberg (Gay) William Burroughs (Bisexual) Neal Cassady (Bisexual) Gary Snyder (Bisexual) Lucien Carr (Bisexual) Herbert Huncke (Bisexual)

And more!

Jack was raised a strict Catholic, but was introduced to Zen Buddhism by Gary Snyer and became deeply interested in Buddhist teachings, practices, and meditation techniques, incorporating them into his daily life and shaping his spiritual outlook and writing style. Especially in his book "The Dharma Bums," Jack helped popularize Eastern philosophies and spiritual practices in the West, inspiring many to seek alternative paths to spirituality and personal fulfillment.

I'd say my two biggest influences on becoming a Buddhist was #1 Yoda and #2 Jack Kerouac.

And this is the best biography of Jack Kerouac I know of.

Tagging: @wernerherzoghaircut if you want to play along.

[elain-has-a-knife]

carl jung voice: while taylor swift does have undeniable bisexual horse girl energy, i would like to offer the possibility that the reason so many of her female fans are adamant of her queerness and sapphic understones is not because of any mythical romance with karli, diana, et al, but because they can sense that the love of her life is….them. What validation and comfort offered by a man could compare to what floods out from legions of devoted fangirls? We sense the primal archetypal of feminine power as the power of creation but it is, in the conscious mind and social understanding, always teathered to childbearing, to the womb. But what about a womans fecundity of art, poetry, music, philosophy and science? What about the fertility of the mind? The gaylors sense that the great romance of a womans life could be, not necessarily with her male partner, but with her own spark of creativity. This romance between artist and patron, muse and creatrix, resembles the longstanding love between gay men and their divas in a way suggesting inherent queerness. It is, perhaps, a too radical reimagining of the feminine love-dharma for our heteropatriarchal society.

[engagedpureland]

Need resources on LGBTQ+ issues and Jodo Shinshu Buddhism? Here are 8 resources suitable for classroom, temple, etc

1) “A Profound Silence”

28-minute film on LGBTQ+ temple experiences. Many queer voices

https://vimeo.com/814468816

 2) “Embraced by the Buddha's Compassion”

A Jodo Shinshu LGBTQ+ Resource Guide, published in 2021 by Ichi-Mi at Gardena Buddhist Temple

https://www.gardenabuddhistchurch.org/ichi-mi

 3) “Engaged Buddhism”

28-minute film of ally perspectives based on the 2010 session "Engaged Buddhism: Relieving Suffering in Our Community—A Shin Buddhist Perspective on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues" held at the Buddhist Study Center.

https://vimeo.com/29174650

 4) “Is My Sangha Inclusive?”

Groundbreaking article by a minister reflecting on building welcoming temples

https://www.lionsroar.com/lets-talk-is-my-sangha-inclusive/

 5) “Buddhism and Same-Gender Marriage”

Milestone 2013 pamphlet on the topic

https://www.nishihongwanji-la.org/buddha-dharma/buddhism/same-gender-marriage/

 6) “Face to Face: Queer Dharma”

90-minute record of 2021 Young Buddhist Editorial panel of queer Buddhists (three out of four of whom are young Shin Buddhists; doesn't include the session's breakout room discussions)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRlKjrUS6QM

 7) “Berkeley Buddhist Temple 2022 Transgender Day of Remembrance Memorial Service”

90-minute recording of annual Transgender memorial service. Excellent example of community ritual around LGBTQ+ needs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra2-2CMWRGM

 8) " ‘All Beings Are Equally Embraced By Amida Buddha’: Jodo Shinshu Buddhism and Same-Sex Marriage in the United States”

Journal article that documented the first known Buddhist same-sex marriages.

https://www.globalbuddhism.org/article/view/1191