It was evening again in Rieul. When I walked into the tea house there was already quite a crowd: Ayukam, Ecstasy, Hotaru and two visitors whom I had not seen before, Eru and July. I would later realize that Eru had visited a PaB session a few weeks earlier, while I was not present.
Pema Pera: Hi everybody!
Hotaru Myoo: Hi all!
Ayukam Harsley: hi Pema
Ayukam Harsley: hi all
Hotaru Myoo: Hi Ecstasy!
Hotaru Myoo: Hi Eru
Hotaru Myoo: Pema!
Eru Males: Hello everyone.
Eru Males: Is this a Zen discussion group?
Hotaru Myoo: Hi July
Ecstasy Dreamscape: Hi Hotaru
July Nakajima: there are many people here now :)
Ecstasy Dreamscape: Pema
July Nakajima: Hi Hotaru
Ecstasy Dreamscape: nice to see you all
Pema Pera: yes great to see such a crowd!
Hotaru Myoo: Great to be here
Pema Pera: Hotaru, you are going to entertain us all, right :-)
It was Hotaru’s guardian night.
Hotaru Myoo: Not if I can help it
Pema Pera: hehe
Hotaru Myoo: I always seem to fall into the fire or something
Pema Pera: you’re doing fine, Hotaru!
Hotaru Myoo: I am staying put tonight
Pema Pera: Eru and July
Pema Pera: this is your first time here in this group?
Pia Iger: Hello, Everyone.
Hotaru Myoo: Hi Pia
Pema Pera: hi Pia!
Pia joined us, so we were with seven already, almost filling up the tea house.
Pema Pera: we have a zen group next door, every evening at 6 pm SLT
Pema Pera: and this group is different, called Play as Being
Pema Pera: four times a day
Pema Pera: 1 am 7 am 1 pm 7 pm
Pema Pera: quite intense :)
Eru Males: What is play as being about?
Pema Pera: http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/ gives the background
Eru Males: O.k. thank you.
Pema Pera: but the basic idea is
Pema Pera: that in RL we spend 9 seconds every 15 minutes
Pema Pera: to take a little break
Pema Pera: to look a bit deeper into reality than we normally tend to do
Pema Pera: and then we meet here to talk about what we find
Pema Pera: that’s all, basically
Pema Pera: but on the blog you’ll see that a lot comes up
Pema Pera: many interesting findings and insights
I looked at Eru’s and July’s profiel.
Pema Pera: I see that both of you speak Japanese!
Pema Pera: I’m surprised that somehow half of our visitors seem to know Japanese . . . .
Eru Males: Hehe.
Eru Males: It think because this is a Zen place, haha.
Ayukam Harsley: :)
Pema Pera: Maybe the tea house attracts it?
Eru Males: Yes, Japanese green tea, hehe.
Pema Pera: yeah, but in RL zen places few people speak Japanese
Pema Pera: haha
Hotaru Myoo: it’s a good thing
Pema Pera: Julyさんは日本人ですよね。
July Nakajima: はい
Pema Pera: 僕がオランダ人
July Nakajima: そうですか
Pema Pera: はい！
Pema Pera: yes, I am from Holland, still Dutch in terms of passport
Pema Pera: but I live in New York
Pema Pera: and I am typing this from Tokyo
Pema Pera: 三鷹天文台。
July Nakajima: wow
Hotaru Myoo: 11 am
Indeed, it was just before lunch for me, in Tokyo.
Pema Pera: Ayukam, it’s great to see you again
Pema Pera: Have you had some chance to play with the 9-second explorations?
Ayukam Harsley: it’s great to see you too
Ayukam Harsley: not yet
Pema Pera: And how about you, Ecstasy?
Hotaru Myoo: I think the 9 sec exploration has become so many things to so many ppl
Ecstasy Dreamscape: really have not been very focused
Hotaru Myoo: it tis interesting to hear what ppl are doing with them
Pema Pera: yes, very diverse! I’m very glad about that
Pema Pera: I never intended to start a system or sect or anything like that
Pema Pera: Basically, I’m just suggesting two extra ingredients
Pema Pera: in the cake of contemplative exploration
Pema Pera: or meditation or scientific exploration, all of the above
Hotaru Myoo: haha’not that anyone would follow
Hotaru Myoo: heh
Pema Pera: I hope not, Hotaru!
Hotaru Myoo: but look what a following it has become
Pema Pera: ah, I thought you were leading, Hotaru!
Hotaru Myoo: because it is personal
Hotaru Myoo: it flows across the spectrum of humanity
Hotaru Myoo: and religions
Pema Pera: I hope we’re all leading
Pema Pera: and sharing
Hotaru Myoo: always
I continued to summarize PaB.
Pema Pera: So there are two ingredients
Pema Pera: which make this group a bit special
Pema Pera: compared to other meditation/exploration groups
Ecstasy Dreamscape: excuse me but i have to take a call that could take a while so i am going to go, nice to see and meet everyone.take care and see you all soon i hope. :)
Hotaru Myoo: always unique moment in time
Pema Pera: bye Ecstasy!
Ecstasy Dreamscape: :)
Hotaru Myoo: bye Ecstasy!
Pema Pera: btw, meditation/contemplative/scientific exploration — I hope people from all these directions will join
Pema Pera: since we are really working on the intersection of those
Third time is the charm.
Pema Pera: The two ingredients are in the title: Play as Being
Pema Pera: Play means that we are much less serious or structured than most groups
Hotaru Myoo: exactly
Pema Pera: Being means that we start at the end
Hotaru Myoo: well
Pema Pera: We start with realization and celebration thereof
Pema Pera: but that needs a LOT of unpacking
Pema Pera: a LOT of explanation
Hotaru Myoo: I have noticed that some ppl really want to create a structure around this
Hotaru Myoo: while others do not
Pema Pera: I think it may take a few years, the Being part . . . ..
Hotaru Myoo: I think the nonlinear aspect allows for the Play to happen
Eru Males: I don’t like structure hehe
Eru Males: I am natural
Pema Pera: this may be your place then :)
Eru Males: Halllooooo
Pema Pera: As for Play, that is easy to understand, as for Being, I could say a lot, but I’d prefer to just respond to questions and to also have you all talk together — don’t want to talk too much here :-)
The discussion continued to flow.
Hotaru Myoo: there is also a journalling component
Hotaru Myoo: if you are able to spend the time to write about your reflections
Pia Iger: first. I feel we are truly “being” here in SL, at least mind or senses.
Hotaru Myoo: whether it be about the awareness, a poem, a prayer
Pema Pera: Yes, Pia, it is surprising how present we are here
Pema Pera: the immersion
Pia Iger: I can feel the silence, the thoughts…
Pia Iger: the company of other human
Eru Males: yeah :D
Pia Iger: On that ground, we can ‘Play”
Pema Pera: yes indeed!
Pema Pera: Eru and July, how did you hear about our group?
Eru Males: I had not idea, hehe.
Eru Males: I just like Zen Retreat
Hotaru Myoo: ah a fly in the web
Eru Males: I came to this SIM a few times before because I pray at a shrine nearby here.
Pema Pera: haha, yes
Pema Pera: There is a wonderful atmosphere here in Rieul
Hotaru Myoo: it is peaceful and welcoming
Eru Males: Yes, I think so.
Pema Pera: That is what attracted me, too, to this area
Hotaru Myoo: Hi Steve
Eru Males: Are you a Zen group?
Hotaru Myoo: no
Pema Pera: Hi Steve!
Eru Males: non-religious?
Hotaru Myoo: not a Zen group
stevenaia Michinaga: hello, pardon me while I rezzz
Steve had walking in, and was waiting to be there completely before sitting down.
Pema Pera: July, have you been here before?
July Nakajima: NO, I haven’t
Eru Males: haha stevenai hehe good one
Eru Males: Only in SL could you hear that line, haha.
July Nakajima: this is my first time to visit here
Hotaru Myoo: although some ppl are practitioners
Eru Males: I like to come here to relax sometimes.
Hotaru Myoo: there are a wide variety of ppl who come and join in the discussions
Pema Pera: you’re welcome to come here any time, July; as is everybody!
Eru Males: Thank you.
Pema Pera: yes, some people have a background in meditation
Pema Pera: Others not at all
Pema Pera: that’s what makes the discussions fun here
Eru Males: I think meditation is very nice.
Hotaru Myoo: many are scientists
Hotaru Myoo: Pema is one
Hotaru Myoo: I think that chaos theory enters into this practice
Hotaru Myoo: or vice versa
Pia Iger: Hotaru, good observation!
Pema Pera: we are certainly chaotic a fair fraction of the time :)
Eru Males: tee hee
Eru Males: do by not doing yah
Hotaru Myoo: following patterns of expansionand contraction
Hotaru Myoo: like the breathing
Hotaru Myoo: blink
Hotaru Myoo: blink
Pema Pera: yes, Eru, not doing is something we often come back to
Eru Males: hehe
I brought up one of my favorite themes: the notion of a working hypothesis.
Pema Pera: what combines science and meditation-type exploration is the importance of not believing
Pema Pera: and not being too skeptical either
Pema Pera: believing and disbelieving are end points
Hotaru Myoo: having faith
Pema Pera: in research in science we use a working hypothesis for each problem
Pema Pera: A hypothesis means you leave a possibility open and explore it
Pema Pera: not accepting not rejecting
Pema Pera: faith, yes, but an interesting type of faith
Pema Pera: not blind faith but the faith that it may be worth your time to explore
Hotaru Myoo: expalin
Hotaru Myoo: yes
Hotaru Myoo: (that was Hotaru talk for explain*)
Hotaru Myoo: the more you explore …the closer you come to truth
Hotaru Myoo: it is like chiseling a piece of marble
Hotaru Myoo: or rezzing
Hotaru Myoo: haha
Hotaru Myoo: (had to say that)
Trev was walking up to the teahouse, with Trav in tow, a friend of his and a first-time visitor. At first, Trav stayed outside for a bit.
Trevor Berensohn: It’s in the building here Trav
Hotaru Myoo: Hi Trevor
Pema Pera: Hi Trevor!
Trevor Berensohn: Hello wonderful ppl
Eru Males: Hotaru, may I ask where you are from?
Pia Iger: but Pema, when you say “being is beyond time and space”, etc, it sounds more like a belief, not just hypothesis.
Hotaru Myoo: Chicago
Hotaru Myoo: How about you Eru?
Eru Males: I’m in the USA also. :D
Pema Pera: Yes, Pia, it may sound that way, but it is meant as hypothesis
Pia Iger: ok. I feel clearer now.
Trevor Berensohn: Sorry Eru
Hotaru Myoo: I can offer you sake if you think that will help
Eru Males: Don’t be sorry, Trevor.
Trevor Berensohn: Heh
Trav Ninetails: dont ever be sorry lil one
There was the usual brief sitting-down-in-not-quite-the-right-way pandemony.
Pema Pera: So when I say “this is how it is, such and such” then what I mean is “this is how I see it” — not speculate not think but see, in ways we can talk about what that means — and we can all learn to see better, and of course I can be wrong in some aspects too, everybody can be wrong to some extent. Does that make it clearer, Pia?
Trevor Berensohn: OK I can’t even walk tonite heh
Pia Iger: yes. but I thought you and stim kind of have some conviction about being, time, etc
Pema Pera: no conviction
Pema Pera: we talk about how we have learned to see what we see
Pema Pera: and we are both learning to see more
Pema Pera: “see” is a funny word
Pema Pera: a metaphor
Pema Pera: but it is very direct
Pema Pera: and not mysterious in any way
Pia Iger: Yah, I just try to understand better what you and stim say.
Pema Pera: yes, I’m glad you ask, Pia!
Pema Pera: normally we “see” all kind of things — how we are limited, what our needs are, etc
Pema Pera: but we can go into all that, deeper and deeper
Pema Pera: learning to see underneath the surface
Pema Pera: like if you feel fear or anger
Pema Pera: you can go into that
Pema Pera: and see whole other dimensions
Pema Pera: and learn to use those too
Pema Pera: the 9-sec practice is meant to see more
Pema Pera: to take off some veils
Pema Pera: that normally cover reality
Pia Iger: I am glad you found such an easy way 9-sec, so many people can try it, not feel intimidated.
Yes, I keep being grateful seeing how many people have started to try it and especially seeing how many of those actually get a lot out of it! By that time, I saw that YCiCi had joined Trav outside, and I invited both of them in.
Pema Pera: Trav and YCiCi, please feel free to come in and join us!
Pia Iger: BRB
Pema Pera: yes, the secret of meditation is that it is too easy to explain
Pema Pera: so any explanation makes it sound too complicated
Pema Pera: by just doing it, very very often, things can open up by themselves
Pema Pera: Hi Y!
Pema Pera: come join us!
Pema Pera: Have you been here before?
Trav Ninetails: hello
Trevor Berensohn: Hi Trav is my guest
Pema Pera: Hi Trav!
Trav Ninetails: hello
Trav Ninetails: never traveled this way before
YCiCi Skytower: Hello
Pema Pera: YCiCi, have you been to this area before?
YCiCi Skytower: No I haven’t
Pema Pera: Ah, I see you were just born in SL a few days ago — welcome to the world here!
YCiCi Skytower: :) thank yhou
Pema Pera: You’ll find all these folks here very friendly, happy to help you
YCiCi Skytower: yes, I am just getting used to it
Pema Pera: we all remember how hard it was the first few days and weeks
Hotaru Myoo: that is an ongoing thing
Hotaru Myoo: I still walk into walls and water
Pema Pera: hehe
YCiCi Skytower: he he
YCiCi Skytower: Yeah . . . I have to say I am a little unsteady on my feet
YCiCi Skytower: but getting better
Trevor Berensohn: Saved the seat for u Trav
For a while there were ten of us, probably the largest number we have had inside the tea house at any given time.
Pema Pera: Trav and Y, what we are doing here is described on http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/
Trav Ninetails: you have the seat my friend
Pema Pera: you’ll find a couple pages of introductions and hundreds of pages of examples of what we do here
Trav Ninetails: i have no cross to bear and no stones
Pema Pera: haha
Trevor Berensohn: I can sit here its ok
Pema Pera: We do need a larger room to meet
Pia Iger: I realize in RL it won’t be possible to have 8-9 people in a room, and you can still see everyone from one perspective.
Pema Pera: yes!
Hotaru Myoo: that’s why the transcript helps
Pema Pera: I keep walking on the street, wishing I could adjest my camera view in RL . . . .
Pia Iger: headshot…
Trevor Berensohn: Or fly
Pia Iger: view high in the air, is not possible in RL.
Eru Males: Thank you everyone.
Pia Iger: In someway, our eyes and feet are expanded their function.
Eru Males: I will return to my little shack now. hehe
Pema Pera: thanks for stopping by, Eru!
Pia Iger: Bye, Eru
Trav Ninetails: have a great night
Pema Pera: yes, Pia, like crossing into fairy tale or dream landscape
Pema Pera: Trav, feel free to sit donw if you like!
YCiCi Skytower: Thank you for the friendly welcome
YCiCi Skytower: I have saved the website location
YCiCi Skytower: :)
Pema Pera: we gather here every day four times, Y
Pema Pera: 1 am 7 am 1 pm 7 pm
Pema Pera: so whenever you like
Pema Pera: you can always find us here within the next 6 hours, at most :)
We continued our farewells.
July Nakajima: Excuse me, but I will go now…
stevenaia Michinaga: bye July
Pema Pera: bye, July!
July Nakajima: NIce to see you
Hotaru Myoo: G’bye July
Pema Pera: thanks for stopping by
Pia Iger: I am leaving too. Good sitting with you all.
Pema Pera: bye Pia
July Nakajima: bye bye for now
Trevor Berensohn: Bye guys
Ayukam Harsley: bye July
Trevor Berensohn: Trav just went thru an earthquake IRL
Pema Pera: really where?
Trevor Berensohn: So I’m not sure how stable his connection is
Trav Ninetails: lol
Trav Ninetails: bad well i did that to
Hotaru Myoo: where was the earthquake?
Pema Pera: where was the earthquake?
Trav Ninetails: green valley ca
Trav Ninetails: about 7 miles from the house
Trav Ninetails: Near Green Valley, CA Mag: 3.9
Pema Pera: not too serious, I hope?
Pema Pera: Ah
Trav Ninetails: there it is
Hotaru Myoo: is that unusual for you?
Trav Ninetails: no we have many but 1 to 2 0
Trav Ninetails: this was a ride sweet
Trav Ninetails: the earth can talk
Hotaru Myoo: indeed it does
Pema Pera: sorry, have to be off to lunch, 12 noon here in Tokyo. Great seeing y’all !
Trav Ninetails: good day
Trevor Berensohn: See u soon Pema
Hotaru Myoo: g’day Pema
Pema Pera: y’all come back too :)
