This afternoon started off rather quiet. For almost half an hour I was quietly on the wooden board of the tea house, watching the lands around me, and I was about to get up and be on my way, when the thought occurred to me that I might as well say hi to a few friends who I saw were online. I first IMed Solobill.
IM: Pema Pera: Hi Solo!
IM: Solobill Laville: Hey there Pema, sorry, I’m in and out…lol…Are you still there?
IM: Pema Pera: yes
IM: Pema Pera: how are you?
IM: Solobill Laville: I’m good, busy, but good!
IM: Pema Pera: it was fun to talk the other day
IM: Solobill Laville: Absolutely, how’s the project going?
IM: Solobill Laville: If that’s the right word…
IM: Pema Pera: oh sure
IM: Pema Pera: wanna come over for a few minutes?
IM: Pema Pera: I’m here alone right now in the tea house
IM: Solobill Laville: Sure, I’m right down the path
Solo then walked over and met me in front of the tea house.
Pema Pera: Hi Solo!
Pema Pera: good seeing you here
Solobill Laville: Hey!
Solobill Laville: Keepin’ busy?
Pema Pera: yeah
Pema Pera: it’s quite a schedule to be here three times a day
Pema Pera: but I’m enjoying it a lot
Solobill Laville: That’s good! 7, 7, and 11?
Pema Pera: never know who drops by
Pema Pera: yes
Solobill Laville: wowza.
Pema Pera: and soon four times a day . . .
Pema Pera: every six hours
Solobill Laville: really?
Solobill Laville: how many regulars?
Pema Pera: oh, there have been more than 50 people in the three weeks that we have been doing this
Pema Pera: half of them have come back
Pema Pera: and a quarter come often
Solobill Laville: WOW
Pema Pera: yes!
Pema Pera: beyond my wildest expectations
Solobill Laville: I think people are enjoying the discovery of the MOMENT
Pema Pera: and happy to share those discoveries
Pema Pera: much of what is happening here is sharing
Pema Pera: play and sharing
Solobill Laville: That is purpose of Sangha
Pema Pera: yes
Solobill Laville: Dakini didn’t know what she was getting in to!! lol
Pema Pera: yesterday evening we had eight people at the same time
Solobill Laville: Perhaps she did…
Pema Pera: haha!
Pema Pera: who knows
Pema Pera: we didn’t fit into the tea house
Pema Pera: sat outside here while darkness was falling
Solobill Laville: Is 8 too many at a time do you find?
Pema Pera: oh no
Pema Pera: not at all
Solobill Laville: great
Pema Pera: it was fun
Solobill Laville: the more the merrier!
Pema Pera: yeah
Pema Pera: but inside the tea house
Pema Pera: there would not be enough seats
Pema Pera: to sit people comfortably
We talked about what to do with larger numbers of people
Solobill Laville: What about your building, how’s it coming along?
Solobill Laville: There is space there!
Pema Pera: yes,
Pema Pera: I have a small hut
Pema Pera: for starters
Pema Pera: and a larger hall
Pema Pera: for groups meetings
Pema Pera: but still mostly empty
Solobill Laville: Oh, I saw it
Pema Pera: ah yes
Solobill Laville: You showed the larger building
Pema Pera: remember now
Solobill Laville: I saw the hut today
Pema Pera: the idea is to build a bar
Pema Pera: a pub
Pema Pera: see the wooden house to your left?
Solobill Laville: That is perhaps the best idea I’ve ever heard.
Solobill Laville: Ever.
Pema Pera: just behind that, I bought a plot of land
Pema Pera: in an auction recently
Pema Pera: that would be the place for the pub
Pema Pera: Be Bar
Pema Pera: perhaps
Pema Pera: Be Inn
Solobill Laville: That’s a good one.
Pema Pera: glad you like the idea
Solobill Laville: yes
Solobill Laville: less formal, fun
Solobill Laville: How do you have time for it?
Pema Pera: I’m really pleased with the many reactions I have had to my blog — even though there is sooooo much material on there, that I was afraid it would overwhelm the reader s. . . .:?)
Pema Pera: time, well, time is stretchable to some extent . . . .
Pema Pera: . . . .this is what I always wanted to do
Pema Pera: and my idea is that I start by giving the example
Pema Pera: and hopefully in due time
Pema Pera: others can start to help out
Pema Pera: so that I don’t have to be there at each session.
We talked more about our PaB activity.
Solobill Laville: I’ve seen some of your blog, there seems to be alot of honesty there
Pema Pera: thank you
Pema Pera: yes, that’s a great summary!
Pema Pera: it feels that way to me too.
Solobill Laville: everyone has their own reasons, so, you never really know
Pema Pera: yes, the diversity is so inspiring
Solobill Laville: That’s SL! But Buddhism is the glue, yes?
Solobill Laville: Or searching?
Pema Pera: searching more
Pema Pera: or really playing
Pema Pera: more than searching
Solobill Laville: Reducing…
Solobill Laville: Play is an interesting idea with all this.
Pema Pera: yes
Pema Pera: many people start with some form of practice
Pema Pera: tai chi, yoga, meditation . . . .
Pema Pera: . . . . and then the challenge is to integrate it into daily life
Pema Pera: I start with almost nothing
Pema Pera: try to integrate it in daily life
Pema Pera: and then let it grow right there and then
Pema Pera: already embedded
Pema Pera: since I have found that integration is the harderst part
Pema Pera: harder than the practice itself
Pema Pera: so why not start with that bit?
Solobill Laville: integrate nothing!
Solobill Laville: Nice mantra
Pema Pera: almost nothing
Solobill Laville: active / passive
Pema Pera: 9-sec bit of stopping, taking a breath, jotting down a few words . . . .
Pema Pera: yes
Pema Pera: I mentioned switching to four sessions a day
Pema Pera: every six hours
Pema Pera: there is a natural opportunity to do so
Pema Pera: in two weeks I’ll fly to Japan
Pema Pera: and I’ll be there for two and a half months
Pema Pera: so my shifts will shift
Solobill Laville: Whoa - for summer break?
Pema Pera: and I can naturally be there at 1 am as well
Pema Pera: no break
Pema Pera: my work
Solobill Laville: I thought you were at the University(?)
Pema Pera: much of my astrophysics is in collaboration with Japanese colleagues
Solobill Laville: OK, got it.
Solobill Laville: Where in japan??
Pema Pera: Kyoto and Tokyo, both
Solobill Laville: Oh, man. I’d love to see the temples….
Pema Pera: Kyoto especially is beautiful
Solobill Laville: Been there before?
Pema Pera: many times
Solobill Laville: Wonderful.
Solo then talked about his recent RL adventures.
Solobill Laville: interesting note,
Solobill Laville: I spent the weekend at a taching with the Dalai Lama
Pema Pera: just right now?
Solobill Laville: Last weekend, ; me and 4000 other people
Pema Pera: wow, where?
Solobill Laville: Ann Arbor, Mi
Pema Pera: ah, an old Tibetan Buddhist presence there
Solobill Laville: Yes, Jewel Heart
Solobill Laville: Gelek Rimpoche
Pema Pera: It was there that I first saw a Tibetan, back in 1980
Pema Pera: the 16th Karmapa gave the Black Hat ceremony . . . .
Solobill Laville: No kidding, I saw the (new) monastery for the Karmapa in India!
Solobill Laville: Back in 1998
Solobill Laville: How great to see the ceremony though!
Pema Pera: how was that?
Solobill Laville: Oh, it was just awesome.
Solobill Laville: The silence when he walked in was just breathtaking
Solobill Laville: He is the most genuine human being I have ever seen
Solobill Laville: He taught some basics
Solobill Laville: Emptiness
Solobill Laville: Causality
Solobill Laville: Very minimal Tibetan specific (Tantric) stuff
Solobill Laville: Which would be normal I’d think for such a large teaching
Solobill Laville: He talked through
Solobill Laville: Nagarjuna and Tsong Karpa
Pema Pera: that must have been inspiring!
Solobill Laville: It was just great.
Solobill Laville: Indescribable really
Solobill Laville: I’m so glad I got to see him personally.
Pema Pera: Real Presence is indescribably, yes . . ..
Solobill Laville: Yes, but absolutely humanness at the same time
Solobill Laville: real humanness
Solobill Laville: What do you while in japan, other than work?
Pema Pera: enjoy myself
Solobill Laville: lol
Pema Pera: meeting friends
Solobill Laville: Excellent!
Pema Pera: going places
Pema Pera: my wife is Japanese
Solobill Laville: An interpreter for you!
Pema Pera: and she also has connections with universities there
Solobill Laville: Great
Pema Pera: oh, I was reasonably fluent before I met her
Solobill Laville: I speak only sushi, unfortunately!! lol
Pema Pera: good taste you have!
Without having seem him approaching, I suddenly noticed Storm standing near us in the grass.
Solobill Laville: Hello Storm.
Storm Nordwind: Hi there!
Pema Pera: hi Storm!
Storm Nordwind: Small gathering
Pema Pera: yeah, compared to yesterday evening
Pema Pera: you know each other, right?
Solobill Laville: Is this a formal gathering?
Solobill Laville: I met Storm several weeks ago, yes! Good to see you again
Storm Nordwind: Always good to meet friendly faces again :)
Solobill Laville: Indeed!
Storm Nordwind: Well it’s still early for most people though it’s late for me
Pema Pera: nothing formal about our gatherings here!
Storm Nordwind: And was especially late when we spoke last night Pema
Pema Pera: play is the key
Storm Nordwind: We certainly played at the last meeting. or I did!
Pema Pera: it was fun!!
Storm Nordwind: Setting fire to the tea house. It seems to have survived
Solobill Laville: What?? lol
Solobill Laville: Sounds like quite a party…
Storm Nordwind: It was nighttime
Storm Nordwind: And I but a yellow/red mist under the floor
Storm Nordwind: It seeped into the tea room, but the most spectacular effect was to be had from outside
The crowd kept growing: Autumn dropped by, and then we were four.
Pema Pera: Hi Autumn!
Solobill Laville: lol, sounds great!
Pema Pera: welcome back!
Pema Pera: good to see you again
Pema Pera: Meet my neighbor Storm and friend Solo
Solobill Laville: Hello, Autumn, nice to meet you.
Storm Nordwind: Pleased to meet you Autumn
Autumn Quinnell: hello ;) not rezzed yet tho
Pema Pera: take your time!
Autumn Quinnell: heheeee
Solobill Laville: I sat last night with Dakini and the group…
Solobill Laville: wireless…
Autumn Quinnell: all stand still –i don’t want to crash!
Autumn Quinnell: ;)
Solobill Laville: My chat repeated like 100 times
Autumn Quinnell: wow
Pema Pera: a mantra?
Autumn Quinnell: weird
Autumn Quinnell: u too Pema soon as i can
Autumn Quinnell: slow
Autumn Quinnell: i don’t want to chance sitting –probaly land in someones lap
Autumn Quinnell: heheheee
And yes, the group kept expanding, when Moondust walked in as well.
Storm Nordwind: Come on over Moondust!
Solobill Laville: lol
Pema Pera: You are the middle of attention, Autumn, you can just stay in the center!
Autumn Quinnell: Solo good sense of humor
Autumn Quinnell: who said that!
Autumn Quinnell: ;P
Pema Pera: Hi Moondust!
Autumn Quinnell: k Pema will do heheheee
Pema Pera: Good to see you again
Moondust Sella: hello
Autumn Quinnell: yea
Moondust Sella: may i join you?
Pema Pera: of course
Solobill Laville: Hi, Moondust, of course, come over.
Moondust Sella: Thank you
Moondust underwent the same fate as many before her: sitting down at the edge of a bench, she wound up looking off at the side, with her back to everyone else. She quickly stood up and approached the bench from a different direction.
Pema Pera: haha
Autumn Quinnell: awww grass now
Storm Nordwind: Please do :)
Pema Pera: these benches have many pose directions
Pema Pera: much better!
Autumn Quinnell: i bring my own
Storm Nordwind: Is this a sitting competition now? :)
Autumn Quinnell: heheeeee *wink
Solobill Laville: No, my library chair completely failed…lol
Autumn Quinnell: i see no one
Solobill Laville: Storm wins!
Autumn Quinnell: ya -all must be int the pretty tree
Autumn Quinnell: ;)
Solobill Laville: How’s this?
Solobill Laville: lol! Ok, I’m done.
Autumn Quinnell: hmmm, We AV’s are like the last to rez
Autumn Quinnell: awww hi ya Storm–ur the first
Autumn Quinnell: ;)
Storm Nordwind: Hi there. I’m glad you’re not called Fall ;)
Autumn Quinnell: brb–afk,,,peace—me too
Storm Nordwind: Autumn carries three pets with her it seems
Solobill Laville: I see two rats, what’s the third?
Storm Nordwind: One on each shoulder and that red sea urchin in her hands!
Storm Nordwind: Must be kinda pointy
Solobill Laville: Ah, lol.
Solobill Laville: I think some of them are a bit poisonous too…lol.
Storm Nordwind: I guess this fits into the “serene” category of meeting :)
Pema Pera: It’s nice to have the spring petals sprinkled around Autumn
Storm Nordwind: I always have the two juxtaposed in my orchards
Storm Nordwind: Blossoms at one end, fruit a the other
Solobill Laville: Your orchards are beautiful, by the way, Storm.
Pema Pera: It would be more difficult to visualiza moondust here on the grass . . . .
Storm Nordwind: I can do fog - not sure about the dust!
Pema Pera: we had a moon viewing party though yesterday night
Pema Pera: please do fog, Storm!
Solobill Laville: How long did your talk go?
Autumn Quinnell: k bck
Pema Pera: oh, an hour or so
Solobill Laville: ah
At this point Storm produced another venerable fog
Pema Pera: wow!
Pema Pera: moonlight?
Autumn Quinnell: u know –we could always meet at my place someday–low lag and real nice!
Pema Pera: where is that?
Autumn Quinnell: i set a place up for group soon
Pema Pera: I still have a few minutes before I have to go, so I’d be happy to hop over to your place, to have a look
Autumn Quinnell: wow kewl
Autumn Quinnell: kk
Pema Pera: if you go there and tp me I can tp the others
Solobill Laville: TP the rest of us Pema.
Pema Pera: yes
Autumn Quinnell: kk i go then tp ya
Solobill Laville: Here comes the white burst! Ahhhhhhh………
Pema Pera: a wave! a light! a fog!
At this point I got my tp from Autumn. After a few crashes we finally all got over to her place and looked around. We admired the many poses built in in various places but since it had gotten late already we didn’t stay very long.
