Shortly before our 7pm meeting started, Dakini, Ayden and I were chatting out in the open, near the place of the 6pm evening zazen sessions.
Ayden Janus: what’s the nature of life? I’m curious because I’m still searching
Pema Pera: my guess would be
Pema Pera: that our whole idea of life
Pema Pera: as unfolding in time
Pema Pera: is misleading
Pema Pera: and in fact wrong
Dakini Rhode: wow i was just thinking that before our session
Pema Pera: glad to hear that, Dakini!
Pema Pera: like a dream or movie — convincing and immersive but not real
Pema Pera: in a movie
Pema Pera: in a theatre
Pema Pera: there are FACTS in front of you — you can’t change them (need to buy a film crew) but they are still not real
Dakini Rhode: i was thinking about people who remember “past lives”
Pema Pera: yes
Pema Pera: but remembering may not be what it seems
Dakini Rhode: right
Dakini Rhode: time may not be what it seems
Pema Pera: yes
Pema Pera: in movies too
Pema Pera: people “remember”
Dakini Rhode: memories of “me” may not be what they seem
Ayden Janus: agreed
Pema Pera: eternity is now
Pema Pera: right here
Pema Pera: one deep breath can connect you
Dakini Rhode: thoughts fly about… we grab them
Pema Pera: is already connecting us
Dakini Rhode: and identify them with a self
Pema Pera: but we disconnect moment by moment
Pema Pera: yes
Dakini Rhode: yes
Dakini Rhode: the 9 sec practice is a great tool, PP
Pema Pera: we have been trained our whole life to disconnect from eternity
Pema Pera: that’s why I suggested the 1% time tax, to learn to connect
Pema Pera: without threatening the time devil called ego
Pema Pera: ;>)
Dakini Rhode: o that old devil still shows up haha
Ayden Janus: going to go play mass effect, see you guys later
Pema Pera: did you read what Storm wrote today, in his blog, Dakini?
Pema Pera: http://stormerne.blogspot.com/
Dakini Rhode: i read storms blog, but i had about a week to catch up on, i don’t recall what he wrote today
Pema Pera: I notice that self-grasping brings physical tension and stress. A 9 second break and a re-tune to Being, and the subsequent depth of relaxation is greater than a hot bath or a massage could ever give!
Dakini Rhode: I’ve been noticing that too
Pema Pera: by Ayden!
Dakini Rhode: i notice very much how I’m FEELING when i do the 9 sec
Pema Pera: can you say more?
Pema Pera: Or better
Pema Pera: shall we go to the tea house?
Pema Pera: I think we can use a cup of tea after all that
Dakini Rhode: not very profound, i’m afraid
Dakini Rhode: sure!
Dakini Rhode: definitely teatime
As soon as we sat down in the tea room, NeitherNorist dropped by.
Dakini Rhode: hello Neither
Pema Pera: hi NN
NeitherNorist Ohl: hey
Pema Pera: NN, Dakini is the one whom we mentioned this morning
Pema Pera: who built this tea house
NeitherNorist Ohl: i see
Pema Pera: Dakini, NN came it this morning for the first time
Pema Pera: was born a few days ago in SL.
Dakini Rhode: and you came back!
NeitherNorist Ohl: indeed!
Dakini Rhode: well happy rezzday
Pema Pera: we met in Manhattan
Pema Pera: a couple weeks ago
Pema Pera: after I gave a talk
Pema Pera: and mentioned “wu-wei”
Pema Pera: that was the trigger, right?
NeitherNorist Ohl: yes, indeed
NeitherNorist Ohl: i was very much inspired by it
NeitherNorist Ohl: what were you guys talking about just now?
Pema Pera: we just sat down
Dakini Rhode: the 9 sec practice
Pema Pera: yes, Dakini, how did that go recently?
NeitherNorist Ohl: you mean we do the practice here?
Dakini Rhode: i mentioned that often when i do the practice, I get in touch with what I’m feeling
Dakini Rhode: physically, etc.
Dakini Rhode: I guess it’s noticeable because otherwise I’m paying more attention to what I’m THINKING
Pema Pera: that’s wonderful, Dakini!
Dakini Rhode: at least when I’m working
NeitherNorist Ohl: that’s interesting, because I have exactly the opposite effect
Dakini Rhode: Isn’t that interesting?
NeitherNorist Ohl: indeed, quite unexpected
NeitherNorist Ohl: it is as though when I am in the midst of something, i am most aware of myself
NeitherNorist Ohl: when i actually take the time to sit back and try to be aware, somehow that awareness eludes me
Dakini Rhode: what is noticing the lack of awareness?
NeitherNorist Ohl: what do you think, Pema?
Pema Pera: there are so many ways of “stopping”
NeitherNorist Ohl: I don’t think I understood your question, Dakini?
Pema Pera: and being fully into an action can be a form of stopping
Pema Pera: that is wu-wei
Pema Pera: but often we are not fully into it
Pema Pera: and then taking a break helps
Pema Pera: the picture that came to mind to me recently was throwing a stone in a pond covered by crud, and suddenly seeing the water underneath.
Pema Pera: like what Dakini described
Pema Pera: when our thoughts carry us away
NeitherNorist Ohl: but why does it have to be stopping then?
Pema Pera: we need to stop in order to see more of what is
Pema Pera: stopping, waking up, seeing . . . different terms
NeitherNorist Ohl: are they all the same though?
Pema Pera: not the same but similar
Pema Pera: the point is:
Pema Pera: we always want to add (knowledge, skills, possessions) but here we really have to subtract
Pema Pera: that is key
Pema Pera: letting go
Pema Pera: renouncing
Pema Pera: stopping
Pema Pera: devotion is just that
Pema Pera: if done in a pure way
NeitherNorist Ohl: oh, i see what you mean
Pema Pera: stepping out of the way
Pema Pera: opening the blinds in front of your windows
Pema Pera: washing the windows
After I thus carried on about stopping, my internet took a hint and stopped. First I thought that everybody had fallen into a deep silence, but then I got suspicious, and I realized that I was frozen out. So I logged out and in again, and eventually returned to the tea house.
NeitherNorist Ohl: it is as though you are talking about stopping while doing, not after doing
Dakini Rhode: i think Pema just crashed
NeitherNorist Ohl: oh, i see.
NeitherNorist Ohl: that was funny :)
Dakini Rhode: I studied with a group that called it “pausing”
Dakini Rhode: lol
Dakini Rhode: Pema is calling it “stopping”
NeitherNorist Ohl: i see
NeitherNorist Ohl: but it is interesting how different people might experience stopping differently
Dakini Rhode: yes!
Dakini Rhode: We are all playing with trying to understand what Pema is talking about
Dakini Rhode: and of course Pema doesn’t tell us “how” to stop
Dakini Rhode: It is for us to experience for ourselves
NeitherNorist Ohl: i see
NeitherNorist Ohl: for me, as though doing is stopping, and stopping is not really stopping
Dakini Rhode: that’s a great observation!
NeitherNorist Ohl: thanks
Dakini Rhode: wb PP
NeitherNorist Ohl: welcome back Pema
Pema Pera: sorry, frozen computer
Pema Pera: no idea how long it was frozen
Pema Pera: I thought everyone had turned thoughtful hahaha
NeitherNorist Ohl: not that long
Pema Pera: but then it seemed too long
Dakini Rhode: we wondered why you weren’t talking to us :-P
Pema Pera: haha
Pema Pera: I stopped
Dakini Rhode: lol
Pema Pera: or better my computer stopped
NeitherNorist Ohl: lol
Pema Pera: my computer is better at such things than I am
NeitherNorist Ohl: see? that’s my point, though
Pema Pera: ?
NeitherNorist Ohl: that stopping is not real stopping
NeitherNorist Ohl: i was just talking to Dakini about different kinds of stoppings
Dakini Rhode: NN may I repeat what you said?
NeitherNorist Ohl: for me, doing is stopping and stopping is not really stopping
Dakini Rhode: :-)
NeitherNorist Ohl: please go ahead Dakini
Dakini Rhode: you just did :-)
We then came back to the notion of wuwei.
Pema Pera: how do you see wuwei in that context, NN?
Dakini Rhode: I would love if one of you would translate wuwei for me
Pema Pera: not-doing
Pema Pera: literally
Dakini Rhode: ty
Pema Pera: but large cultural context
Pema Pera: no friction
Pema Pera: not going against the grain but with the grain
NeitherNorist Ohl: wuwei in that situation means effortless action
You decline Second Question weekly show! from A group member named Pooky Amsterdam.
NeitherNorist Ohl: spontaneous and natural
Dakini Rhode: I get it - I had drawn a blank on the word :)
NeitherNorist Ohl: so to get back to PP’s question about wuwei
Dakini Rhode: either senility is setting in or it’s bedtime
NeitherNorist Ohl: no, the night is still young
Pema Pera: oh no it is chinese word, needs explaining!
Pema Pera: of course
Dakini Rhode: haha depends where you are
Pema Pera: haha yes
NeitherNorist Ohl: it is as though intense engagement with something is best for me to be aware of myself, in doing something
NeitherNorist Ohl: when i sit back, i become numb and dumb, for some reason
Pema Pera: there are many ways of “sitting back” . . .
NeitherNorist Ohl: i meant stopping that engagement
Dakini Rhode: rather than sitting back, maybe we want to move to the center
NeitherNorist Ohl: can you explain that, Dakini?
Dakini Rhode: maybe come to a balance
NeitherNorist Ohl: I see
Dakini Rhode: just a thought - but between intense engagement and numbness - what is it like there?
Dakini Rhode: maybe take a rest somewhere in the center
NeitherNorist Ohl: but I don’t think balance is between intense engagement and numbness
NeitherNorist Ohl: balance is, for me at least, the effectiveness in engagement
NeitherNorist Ohl: what do you think, Pema?
Pema Pera: well, there are so many ways of doing and not-doing . . . . .
Pema Pera: we have to say more to zoom in and be precise
Pema Pera: NeitherNorist, have you tried to do the practice for a few hours?
NeitherNorist Ohl: I did it for an hour
Pema Pera: and how did that go?
NeitherNorist Ohl: each time my mind was blank
Pema Pera: how about doing it for a number of days?
Pema Pera: say one hour a day
Pema Pera: just to see
Pema Pera: as an exploration
NeitherNorist Ohl: I think I will
Pema Pera: without particular expectations
Pema Pera: great!
Pema Pera: I am looking forward to hearing what will happen
Pema Pera: no way to know beforehand
The conversation then moved from stopping to shaking up.
NeitherNorist Ohl: I did have some experience in regular meditation
Pema Pera: what kind(s)
NeitherNorist Ohl: just simple Zazen
Pema Pera: ha, zazen’s simplicity can be very misleading (^_^)
NeitherNorist Ohl: of course!
Pema Pera: yes
Pema Pera: zazen can be really beautiful
Pema Pera: and easy to get into
Pema Pera: but in zazen too, we can just as easily get stuck
Pema Pera: like in anything
NeitherNorist Ohl: absolutely
Pema Pera: one way to look at the 9-sec practice
Pema Pera: is that it shakes you up
NeitherNorist Ohl: my mind easily wandered during zazen
Pema Pera: not important whether you like it or not, whether it feels good or not
NeitherNorist Ohl: right
Pema Pera: to be shaken up many times a day is a good thing
Pema Pera: and we can take it from there
Pema Pera: you asked: do we do the practice here?
Pema Pera: Not specifically no, though of course you can continue
Pema Pera: and every 15 minutes take your 9-sec break here too
NeitherNorist Ohl: that’s what I thought
Pema Pera: but the main reson to come here is to reflect upon what happened the last several hours that you did the practice
NeitherNorist Ohl: I like “shaking up” better than stopping
Pema Pera: reflect and share
Pema Pera: good!
Pema Pera: For you is will be shaking ;>) accord
NeitherNorist Ohl: because I experience several shaking ups everyday, at least I try to
Pema Pera: continuity is the one point I am aiming at here
Pema Pera: continuity of being shaken up
NeitherNorist Ohl: right
Pema Pera: waking up is a big word
Pema Pera: but shaken up is a good step ;-)
Pema Pera: so two ways in which I focus on continuity
NeitherNorist Ohl: i see, so you are making a connection between shaking up and waking up
Pema Pera: every quarter of an hour you shake yourself ; every quarter of a day you can come here to be shaken up by your peers
Similarly, we moved from continuity to perseverence.
NeitherNorist Ohl: i have my misgivings about continuity in general
NeitherNorist Ohl: although not continuity in shaking up
NeitherNorist Ohl: or rather perseverence in trying to shaking myself up
Pema Pera: I’m sure we can find a word that will be more fitting for you
Pema Pera: perseverence is fine!
NeitherNorist Ohl: :)
Pema Pera: Quakers and Shakers!
Pema Pera: inspiring groups, by the way
Dakini Rhode: lol shakers and movers!
Pema Pera: twist and shake?
NeitherNorist Ohl: :) I was thinking of that as well
Dakini Rhode: sillies :-)
Dakini Rhode: I had a teacher… very wise spiritual teacher
NeitherNorist Ohl: but isn’t it interesting that words can have such drastically different emotive associations?
Pema Pera: yes indeed!
NeitherNorist Ohl: we relate to the same words differently
Dakini Rhode: he would say, “are you comfortable?’
Dakini Rhode: And if the answer was no, guess what?
Dakini Rhode: He would say, “Good!”
Pema Pera: I like your teacher!!
NeitherNorist Ohl: that’s to shake you up!
Dakini Rhode: So maybe NN should try Stopping!
Dakini Rhode: Haha yes
Pema Pera: to shake him up
Dakini Rhode: yes!
Pema Pera: stop shaking to let stop shake him
Dakini Rhode: maybe stopping will shake you up more than shaking!
NeitherNorist Ohl: it is not that I’m uncomfortable with stopping or continuity, but rather that I relate to those words differently
Pema Pera: I see
Dakini Rhode: yes indeed
NeitherNorist Ohl: continuity carries the sense of being stuck
NeitherNorist Ohl: for me
Pema Pera: that’s why it is so important that we share here what actually happens when we do the practice — that will help us rise above words
Dakini Rhode: as for myself, since i like to be comfortable, i should try shaking for 9 mins
NeitherNorist Ohl: exactly
Pema Pera: hahaha
Pema Pera: disco?
NeitherNorist Ohl: that’s funny!
Dakini Rhode: stand in the fridge?
Our chat circled back to the pretty tea house we were seated in.
NeitherNorist Ohl: how long did it take you to build this beautiful house, Dakini?
Dakini Rhode: a LONG TIME haha
NeitherNorist Ohl: thanks for letting us use it
Dakini Rhode: np - it’s the reason i built it
Dakini Rhode: i just didn’t know it at the time :-)
NeitherNorist Ohl: lol
Pema Pera: I was very moved when Dakini told me that, a month ago
Pema Pera: I felt immediately what she meant
Dakini Rhode: it was a case of “build it and they will come”
Pema Pera: you read that kind of stuff in books
Pema Pera: and then it happens in real life
Pema Pera: well
Pema Pera: in second life
Pema Pera: ;>)
Pema Pera: real second life
NeitherNorist Ohl: it is not less real though
Pema Pera: exactly!!
Pema Pera: we keep coming back to that conclusion
Pema Pera: about once a day here
Dakini Rhode: lol yes definitely not less real
NeitherNorist Ohl: when i first came in this morning, i felt the same as I would when I get into a new place in real life
Dakini Rhode: more sort of astral plane
Dakini Rhode: “think and it shall be”
Pema Pera: i wish I could learn all of second life by “thinking I am skillful” ;>)
Dakini Rhode: haha me too
Pema Pera: the design is still as difficult . . .
Pema Pera: and this place is a mirror of Dakini’s sense of style and space
NeitherNorist Ohl: which is why SL is no less real
Dakini Rhode: based on my small ability to execute :-)
NeitherNorist Ohl: hopefully i’ll learn to do something like sometime in the future
And from there to dreams, real reality, and virtual reality.
Dakini Rhode: when I had been in SL for awhile, it occured to me that this virtual reality helps me to visulaize my dreams
Pema Pera: yes, it affects my dreams too
NeitherNorist Ohl: what do you mean?
Dakini Rhode: i think i meant I project my dreams and imaginations into this environment
Dakini Rhode: I can see what they are more clearly
Dakini Rhode: How does it affect your dreams, PP?
Pema Pera: all kind of actions from SL carry over in the dream sometimes
Pema Pera: clicking on people and things, for example
Pema Pera: but more generally
Dakini Rhode: haha are you doing thisjust before sleeping?
Pema Pera: a sense of the dreaming, waking and SLing mixing
Pema Pera: actually now just after waking up ;>)
Pema Pera: here in California
Pema Pera: so memories of dreams and waking life and SL keep mingling in such a way
Dakini Rhode: I was here TOO MUCH at first
Pema Pera: that I often have to really think for a given memory from which of the three it came
Dakini Rhode: Walking down the street or driving, I would think, “this is like SL!!”
Pema Pera: yes, that tendency I know!
Pema Pera: haha, yes
Pema Pera: Storm told me
Pema Pera: that when he looks at a web site
Pema Pera: he wants to alt/option click and zoom in ;>)
Dakini Rhode: oh, ALWAYS!
Pema Pera: hahaha
Pema Pera: yeah, recognizable
Dakini Rhode: i do it all the time
Pema Pera: like smokers with brown fingers
Pema Pera: well Dakini
Dakini Rhode: I want that laugh!
Pema Pera: time for a shake?
Dakini Rhode: well
Dakini Rhode: 9 secs?
Pema Pera: sure, for NN!
Pema Pera: チョコレイト・ディスコ ♪
Dakini Rhode:
Pema Pera: do you have sound on, NN?
Pema Pera: this is the PaB corporate song
Pema Pera: every quarter of an hour a piece of chocolate
NeitherNorist Ohl: i could hear it, but i didn’t know how to dance along
Pema Pera: it’s like a secret handshake
Dakini Rhode: Chokoreito Disco ♪
Dakini Rhode: チョコレイト・ディスコ ♪
Pema Pera: チョコレイト・ディスコ ♪
Dakini Rhode: this is very silly
At this point Dakini donned her giant icecream cone hat.
Dakini Rhode: i forgot my hat
Pema Pera: this is the PaB corporate headdress
Dakini Rhode: i wish i could transfer this
Pema Pera: remember where you got it?
Dakini Rhode: one of the monks gave it to me
Dakini Rhode: we will need to ask Moon Fargis - he made it
Pema Pera: please do!
Pema Pera: I’m happy to buy a dozen, right away!
After Dakini and NeitherNorist had left, Pema spent a bit more time relaxing in the tea hut. At that point a passer-by stopped, opened the door, and stepped in.
Tahuti Thor: hello
Tahuti Thor: good evening
Tahuti Thor: may i ask what r u doin
Pema Pera: wanna sit down?
Pema Pera: sure
Pema Pera: we just had a meeting here
Pema Pera: with a few friends
Pema Pera: chatting
Pema Pera: have you been here before?
Tahuti Thor: k
Tahuti Thor: no
Tahuti Thor: never cound find any buddhists on here
Pema Pera: here there are lots of them lol
Pema Pera: two sims full!
Tahuti Thor: oh ok
Tahuti Thor: that is good to know
Pema Pera: next door, there is a very nice small gathering every day at 6 pm SLT
Pema Pera: doing 20 minutes meditation, zen style but really open for any version of Buddhism and beyond
Pema Pera: very good atmosphere
Pema Pera: The woman leading it is both gentle and firm, good combination
Pema Pera: Dakini Rhode
Tahuti Thor: k
Tahuti Thor: ill take note of that
Pema Pera: feel free to just drop by, any day at 6 pm
Pema Pera: you’ll find at least half a dozen green dots just to the west of here
Pema Pera: on the tatami mats in the grassy space
Tahuti Thor: what does a green dot imply
Pema Pera: oh, people on the map
Tahuti Thor: oh ok
Tahuti Thor: is that a green dot the butu-rei
Pema Pera: different green dot ;>)
Pema Pera: if you look at a map
Pema Pera: either “map” or “mini-map”
Pema Pera: you find green dots indicating where the avatars are
Tahuti Thor: oic
Tahuti Thor: haha
Tahuti Thor: and i was so use to flying all around til i found someone
Pema Pera: good way to find out where something is going on
Pema Pera: haha yes
Tahuti Thor: so now i can just look at the map
Pema Pera: good to know!
Tahuti Thor: maybe thats why i never seen any buddhists
Pema Pera: hehe
Pema Pera: also, I’m doing something here with these gatherings, every day
Tahuti Thor: is there any special meditations ?
Tahuti Thor: i reached a state of feeling that everything was apart of me
Tahuti Thor: but i had to meditate soooo much to get there
Tahuti Thor: is there any method that reaches that state quicker
Pema Pera: http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/ is a web site that I recently put upt
Pema Pera: it may be just what you were looking for ;>)
Pema Pera: I come here every day at 7 am , 1 pm , 7 pm
Pema Pera: feel free to drop by, at any of those times
Tahuti Thor: k
Tahuti Thor: hmm
Tahuti Thor: i dont see any special meditation techniques
Tahuti Thor: maybe there are none ?
At that point Dakini returned, seeing that her hut hadn’t yet closed down for the night.
Dakini Rhode: poking my head in the door :-)
Dakini Rhode: hi :-)
Tahuti Thor: hello
Pema Pera: hi Dakini!
Dakini Rhode: boy do i know how to stop a conversation
Pema Pera: oh no Dakini
Pema Pera: I had just given Tahuit the web site
Dakini Rhode: the playasbeing website?
Pema Pera: Dakini built all this, Tahuti
Tahuti Thor: the sim ?
Dakini Rhode: just this teahouse
Dakini Rhode: what happens here is more special than what I built
Tahuti Thor: k
Dakini Rhode: we have sitting practice here every night
Dakini Rhode: and Pema has his playasbeing meetings here in the teahouse
Tahuti Thor: have u ever had that feeling that everything was a part of you ?
Pema Pera: can you say a bit more?
Tahuti Thor: there was no seperation between yourself and not-yourself
Tahuti Thor: there was no you really
Pema Pera: yes, that I am familiar with in some different ways
Dakini Rhode: what does it feel like?
Dakini Rhode: or that you were pure empty space and encompassed everything?
Tahuti Thor: like your living in the present….your whole being is
Tahuti Thor: yes maybe u can put it that way too
Tahuti Thor: i only reached that state for 20 seconds
Tahuti Thor: took me soo long….so many meditations
Tahuti Thor: is there any meditation that can get there any faster ?
Dakini Rhode: it sounds like this experience affected you
Tahuti Thor: yes it was the strangest feeling in the world
Dakini Rhode: I practice meditation, in fact, i’ve practiced a lot
Dakini Rhode: different every time
Dakini Rhode: the practice i do… we don’t aim for a particular state of mind
Dakini Rhode: what i find is that the practice has the ability to transform one’s mind
Tahuti Thor: yes, an aim might lessen the effect
Dakini Rhode: the transformation - in terms of wisdom - I find most exciting
Dakini Rhode: sometimes if I have an insight - or suddenly see things (or myself) differently
Dakini Rhode: I can trace that to my practice
Tahuti Thor: true
Tahuti Thor: i like to combine meditation with a little learning
Dakini Rhode: good idea!
Dakini Rhode: what is your practice?
Tahuti Thor: sometimes i focus in on a single point (end of nose sensation or naval mostly)
Tahuti Thor: or i dont focus on anything and witness thoughts and feelings pass by
Dakini Rhode: Oh dear, I must excuse myself (really this time) I’m about to turn into a pumpkin
Tahuti Thor: k
Pema Pera: bye Dakini!
Tahuti Thor: nice chatting
Pema Pera: Thanks for stopping by!
Dakini Rhode: Nite PP and TT
Pema Pera: happy dreams
After Dakini had left, I took up Tahuti’s wish for speed.
Pema Pera: Tahuti,
Pema Pera: you mentioned that you would like to have “fast” results
Pema Pera: and I’m all for that
Tahuti Thor: yes
Tahuti Thor: if its possible
Pema Pera: but there are two different aspects
Pema Pera: one question is: “how quick can I get a really deep experience”
Pema Pera: and another question is “how quick can I can integrate such an experience into my life”
Pema Pera: The two often are in contradictino
Pema Pera: *tion
Pema Pera: some methods lead to quick sensations, experiences, etc
Pema Pera: but then take a very long time to really transform your daily life and awareness
Pema Pera: other methods don’t seem to “do” much for quite a while, but when they “do” they may already have soaked into your whole life, so to speak
Pema Pera: What I have been trying to do here
Pema Pera: and I explain a little on that web site I pointed to
Tahuti Thor: so to go slowly and persistenly is the best way ?
Pema Pera: is to go for the integration before the deep experience
Pema Pera: no best way
Pema Pera: depends on the individual
Pema Pera: and his/her surroundings — teacher and/or peers, sangha, friends
Pema Pera: my method is like fog
Pema Pera: walk in the fog for a while and you get really really wet
Pema Pera: not like taking a quick shower and then let yourself dry up ;>)
Pema Pera: so I ask people to spend 9 seconds to do practice every 15 minutes
Pema Pera: for at least an hour a day
Pema Pera: ideally several hours
Pema Pera: as long as is comfortable
At this point my internet connection froze once more, but after a few minutes I was back in again.
Pema Pera: so I am trading duration (half an hour daily sitting, say) for frequency
Pema Pera: a few minutes a day in total, but very very frequent
Pema Pera: to let it really soak into your life
Pema Pera: change your life
Pema Pera: If you’d like to try it for a few days — will only take a few minutes ;>)
Tahuti Thor: k
Pema Pera: I could say a lot about what we can do in those 9 seconds
Pema Pera: but it may be better to spend a few days getting into the routine.
Pema Pera: For now, just taking a good breath, and stopping what you were in the middle of — creating a brief breathing space, literally — is enough for a start
Pema Pera: I also suggest people jot down a few words during those 9 seconds
Pema Pera: in a journal
Pema Pera: seeing your own life like a laboratory
Tahuti Thor: yes i saw that on the website
Tahuti Thor: y jot down words?
Pema Pera: you can keep a lab journal
Pema Pera: yes
Pema Pera: whatever pops in your mind during those 9 seconds
Pema Pera: simple or profound
Pema Pera: silly or not
Pema Pera: I’m afraid I have to go now
Pema Pera: getting a bit late here
Tahuti Thor: k
Pema Pera: Thanks for stopping by!
Tahuti Thor: i shall go too
Pema Pera: take care!
Tahuti Thor: u too
