The Guardian for this session was Pema, the comments are his.
It was 1 am in Second Life, but when I arrived at the tea house I saw Solo sitting outside on one of the stone benches.
Pema Pera: Hi Solo!
Solobill Laville: Oh, hey Pema!
Pema Pera: I guess it’s raining here!
Solobill Laville: Yes, it’s nice
Pema Pera: Right now it looks like gentle rain, but for the first minute or so, after I had flewn in, I saw huge blue blocks descending from the sky
Pema Pera: until the rain properly rezzed — it was hard to see anything ;>)
Solobill Laville: yes, me too!
Solobill Laville: big blue squares
Pema Pera: I did not bring an umbrella though
Solobill Laville: i think you’ll stay dry
Pema Pera: water repellant avatars ;>)
Solobill Laville: he he
Pema Pera: we had quite a heated discussion here, six hours ago ;>)
Solobill Laville: really?
Pema Pera: it’s amazing how the mood is different, each time — now just the two of us in the rain
Solobill Laville: lol
Solobill Laville: do tell…
Pema Pera: yes, about the nature of reality and what is objectively true and in how far we make up the world and what is basic and all that — you can imagine, with several voices and strands of conversations mingling
Solobill Laville: he he
Solobill Laville: that is great
Solobill Laville: did you start with definitions this time??
Pema Pera: no
Pema Pera: I guess it started when I talked about my 9-sec practice
Pema Pera: which in turn was precipitated because Dakini started threatening us with long pole and frying pans . . . .
Solobill Laville: ??
Solobill Laville: I might need to read the blog
Pema Pera: hehe
Pema Pera: yeah, well, as you know
Pema Pera: our conversations are not particularly linear
Pema Pera: so hard to summarize ;>)
I went back to my report for the 9-sec explorations.
Pema Pera: so I started mentioning how each time I do a 9-second practice, what comes up is a complete surprise
Pema Pera: sometimes I sort-of guess
Pema Pera: using my normal mind, regular way of thinking
Pema Pera: but hen when I drop and open up, what pops up typically has nothing to do with what I thought just before
Pema Pera: or at least so it seems
Pema Pera: What is your experience?
Solobill Laville: nothing, nothing, nothing
Solobill Laville: freezing and letting go, the dust settles
Solobill Laville: and sometimes
Solobill Laville: big mind
Solobill Laville: no relationships, and everything within Being, including myself
Solobill Laville: But my personal ability to practice is difficult
Solobill Laville: too may commitments, too little sleep
Pema Pera: Well, at least the 9-sec practice can’t keep you from sleeping
Pema Pera: only a few minutes of your time each day
Pema Pera: ;>)
Solobill Laville: I get in 6-12 9-secs+ each day
Genesis materialized in the middle of the rain.
Pema Pera: Hi Gen!
genesis Zhangsun: Hey fellas so this is where the people who never sleep go
Pema Pera: or people who live in Japan
Pema Pera: and sleep during your day ;>)
Solobill Laville: Hey, Gen!
genesis Zhangsun: Hey Solo!
genesis Zhangsun: the Bar committee is present!
Solobill Laville: I was just talking about lack of sleep
Solobill Laville: Oh, yes, the pub!
genesis Zhangsun: sorry yes the medieval pub
genesis Zhangsun: using a non dualistic design
Pema Pera: we saw that you had left a couple blocks floating here the other day :>)
Solobill Laville: he he
Pema Pera: you started practicing already?
genesis Zhangsun: AHHHH so sorry!!!!
Pema Pera: Dakini cleaned them up
Pema Pera: oh, no problem
genesis Zhangsun: I know
Pema Pera: it was good — it showed that I did not yet have the right settings
genesis Zhangsun: Solo and I were rezzing blocks the other day
Pema Pera: since I couldn’t take them away
At that point Solo rezzed a Japanese looking yellow standing lamp.
Pema Pera: ah, nice!
Pema Pera: just what we need
Solobill Laville: Hey, there it is! That’s what I tried to show you the other night Gen
Pema Pera: to keep a sense of warmth in the rain
Solobill Laville: This one I built
Solobill Laville: Now I’ll show you a really good one! (that I didn’t build)
Solobill Laville: Yeah, that’s a bit warmer here in the rain…
Pema Pera: quite a bright light!
genesis Zhangsun: Oh lovely Solo!
Solo had now replaced the simpler object with a white and much more complex standing lamp.
genesis Zhangsun: You really do know how to make create things!
Pema Pera: That will dry us out!
genesis Zhangsun: So then Solo how do you feel about building the pub?
Pema Pera: do you have a plan of action, for the Be-IT bar?
Solobill Laville: I think Gen has a good vision for it
Solobill Laville: medieval in nature
Solobill Laville: but how to be non-dual?
genesis Zhangsun: yes Solo and I had an interesting idea to make it inspired by a non dualistic design
genesis Zhangsun: meaning that we attempt not to use dualism in coming up with the design
genesis Zhangsun: no concepts liks east meets west
genesis Zhangsun: something beyond this
genesis Zhangsun: sort of thinking
genesis Zhangsun: but the execution is a little hard
genesis Zhangsun: we came up with a big transparent glowing globe
genesis Zhangsun: which doesn’t go so well with a medieval pub
genesis Zhangsun: LOL!
genesis Zhangsun: :)
Pema Pera: hehe
Pema Pera: keeping it all harmonious may be the hardest part of interior design . . .
Pema Pera: how about just finding a pub somewhere
Pema Pera: not toooooo expensive
Pema Pera: putting it down
Pema Pera: and see how it feels
Pema Pera: then either start modifying
Pema Pera: or replacing
Pema Pera: as the mood strikes us?
We talked about various ways to get started with the pub.
Solobill Laville: I think that is quite practical
Pema Pera: Building and destryoing is much easier here than in RL after all
Solobill Laville: Which is a good thing
genesis Zhangsun: Yes I think that is a good start
Pema Pera: how about the two of you going for a shopping expedition, pick the best pub you find, and we try that for a week?
Pema Pera: I don’t know what the costs are
Pema Pera: but I can help with that
Solobill Laville: The cost will really just depend on what and where we shop
Solobill Laville: There are great building for less that $500L
Solobill Laville: But, the scale and type can obviously make it vary
Pema Pera: that’s less than what my cappuccino costs
Solobill Laville: oh, yes
Solobill Laville: We could also hire it out…
Solobill Laville: We have a builder right down the path who makes beautiful stuff
Pema Pera: let’s say, a good meal would convert to something like L$ 10,000 at least
Pema Pera: how much would he charge?
Solobill Laville: There’s one way to find out…
Pema Pera: a complete design must be much more expensive
Solobill Laville: Well, maybe it would be wise to see what’s out there first
Pema Pera: alternatively, if you can find any pub for L$10,000 or so
Pema Pera: we could try it out for one or two weeks
genesis Zhangsun: I have a friend who is a designer who is coming and staying with me in RL and I talked a bit with him about the project and he said that he would like to help
Pema Pera: and then poll everyone about the features they do and don’t like
Pema Pera: great, Gen!
genesis Zhangsun: meaning that he could show me how to design something
genesis Zhangsun: or rather us
genesis Zhangsun: through me in RL
genesis Zhangsun: what if we pick out a pub and then I can have him look at it and come up with some ideas and have you two review them and give your input?
Pema Pera: that sounds great!
genesis Zhangsun: and come up with a design together based off of this?
Pema Pera: yes, I think it’s good to go in stages
Of course, there were many approaches.
Solobill Laville: I like that idea, but, just being practical (again that word!), are we sure we may not just be reinventing the wheel?
Pema Pera: you mean you may be able to find something already ready-made?
Solobill Laville: yes, or very close and easily mod-able
Solobill Laville: we don’t know unless we look a little first
Pema Pera: you’ll be able to find out :>)
Pema Pera: by looking around
Pema Pera: but that may be a lot of work
Pema Pera: I don’t know how organized SL is for searching and shopping
Pema Pera: don’t have much experience yet — do you?
Solobill Laville: Maybe Gen and I can schedule a time to look around
Solobill Laville: Yes
genesis Zhangsun: Sure I’d love to go shopping with you Solo
Solobill Laville: lol, that would be great!
genesis Zhangsun: its a date then ;)
Solobill Laville: he he
genesis Zhangsun: pick me up at….?
Solobill Laville: hmmmm
Solobill Laville: we could do it now, or it may have to be a few days
genesis Zhangsun: I think now is a little too soon for me when would it be if in a few days exactly?
Pema Pera: actually I have to leave now too.
Solobill Laville: no worries…i’ve just been out of town and i’m not sure what my schedule will be back home yet
Pema Pera: I’m delighted to see that you are getting ready to explore!
Pema Pera: Thank you both.
genesis Zhangsun: bye Pema! Will keep u updated!
Solobill Laville: Bye
Pema Pera: Great, thanks!
Pema Pera: see you both
