Another night, another PaB session at 1 am. I found Moon sitting on the wooden board already when I approached the tea house, and I sat down next to him.
Moon Fargis: good morning :)
Pema Pera: good morning, Moon!
Moon Fargis: ahh just stand up and thought i should sit here … latley i more and more wake from alone at this time (exept when i have to go to work)
I presumed that Moon meant he had just got out of bed; it was morning after all in Germany.
Pema Pera: you’re still staying home this week?
Moon Fargis: yes i where home the whole week
Pema Pera: how are you feeling?
Moon Fargis: much better now thx
Pema Pera: glad to hear that!
Moon Fargis: did you read the log from yesterdays 1 PM talk?
Pema Pera: nice to see your green gem turning and turning . . ..
Pema Pera: yes, I did
Moon Fargis: it was quiet funny :)
Pema Pera: yes indeed
Pema Pera: it is always interesting to read a blog from a session I wasn’t in myself
Pema Pera: you can sort-of follow what was going on but you have to reconstruct many of the details
Pema Pera: that are left out
Pema Pera: from the context :-).
Moon Fargis: :) i think thats why comments are made
Pema Pera: yes, and it is much easier if one of the guardians present writes the comments.
Pema Pera: If I have to do it myself, it is often more guess work
Pema Pera: but even so, I’m happy to do that, to provide continuity
Pema Pera: it would be very hard to just read a complete chat log if it would not be broken up at all
At this point Moon disappeared in thin air, and after a couple minutes he reappeared.
Moon Fargis: ahhyes te dayly crash
Moon Fargis: so uhm where was we? last think i read whas that is easier when a guardian makes the comments
Pema Pera: not only easier, which is also true, but more accurate and complete
Pema Pera: I can only guess as to what happened, when I add my comments to break up the chat log :)
Moon Fargis: :) well did storm made some comments from the 1pm log?
Pema Pera: Yes, as you can read on the blog, http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/too-indoctrinated/, he wrote the comments
Pema Pera: He even provided the title!
Moon Fargis: oh already online ? ok :)
Moon Fargis: hehe
Pema Pera: Sometimes I’m a couple days behind, but now I caught up again.
Pema Pera: May I ask
Pema Pera: how did you get started in your Buddhist studies?
Pema Pera: Did you study with a particular group
Pema Pera: or teacher?
Moon Fargis: no i just started becasue i felt i have to
Pema Pera: started by yourself?
Moon Fargis: yes
Moon Fargis: looked a bit around after that and came to zen soon
Pema Pera: do you have any others to talk with, or compare notes with?
Moon Fargis: thats why i am here in sl :)
Moon Fargis: in rl there is noone
Pema Pera: I myself have found it very important to learn from others
Moon Fargis: i am living in a buddhist free zone
Pema Pera: both peers and teachers
Pema Pera: that’s amazing!
Pema Pera: I thought that Buddhism had spread quite well over the world now.
Spock, who had visited us the previous day as well, walked up to us.
Spock Yuitza: hello
Pema Pera: Hi Spock!
Moon Fargis: hehe sadly not.. but but tleast now there is a lonley lotus flower now surrounded by desert
Pema Pera: welcome back!
Moon Fargis: ah hi spock
Pema Pera: Spock, I was just asking Moon about his background in Buddhism
Pema Pera: Moon, you are teaching sometimes in Itsari, right?
Moon Fargis: yes every sunday 1 pm
Moon Fargis: meditation until 1:25 then a talk
Pema Pera: what do you use as a base for your teachings?
Moon Fargis: the questions from the others:)
Pema Pera: :)
Moon Fargis: its more a newbie talk
Moon Fargis: helping those who are new to buddhism
Moon Fargis: but sometimes i give topics too
Pema Pera: Spock, how is SL, you’ve been born here just a few days ago, right? Did you get some chance to explore more?
Spock Yuitza: I’m here only for 2 days
Spock Yuitza: I explored many places but this is the better one for me
Pema Pera: glad to hear that!
The conversation turned to Spock’s clothes.
Moon Fargis: i see youve been to gion
Spock Yuitza: yes
Spock Yuitza: i was looking for monk clothes
Spock Yuitza: but i have a problem with my shirt, I can’t take of this one
Moon Fargis: oh
Spock Yuitza: I think it’s a problem with my avatar
Moon Fargis: hmm do you see the drawer you got from gion in your inventory?
Moon Fargis: containing the clothes ?
Spock Yuitza: do you know where can i buy monk clothes?
Moon Fargis: yes
Moon Fargis: for that you need money
Spock Yuitza: I know
Spock Yuitza: I have a pay pall account
Moon Fargis: ah thats good
Moon Fargis: thake this one
Moon Fargis: thats where i got mine
Spock Yuitza: oh thank you very much
Spock Yuitza: are you in Japan ?
Moon Fargis: no i am in germany, pema is in japan atm
Pema Pera: I live in New York, but spend a few months each year in Japan
Pema Pera: And I am from Holland originally
Spock Yuitza: Oh Germany
Spock mentioned the temple where he spends quite a bit of time in RL.
Spock Yuitza: I invite you to know The Spanish Zen Temple Luz Serena
Moon Fargis: oh are you going in that temple ?
Spock Yuitza: yes, even i have a little wood house on it
Spock Yuitza: i spend there several months every years
Pema Pera: Are there other people in your Spanish community who are in Second Life?
Spock Yuitza: i don’t know
Moon Fargis: well atleast it seems we zennies get more and more in sl :)
Moon Fargis: what order is that zen temple? rinzai? soto?
Spock Yuitza: Soto
Spock Yuitza: and you?
Moon Fargis: a mixture of both and nothing haha
Moon Fargis: i more like the teachings of kodo sawaki
Spock Yuitza: Kodo Sawaki was the grand father of my master
Moon Fargis: wow!
Spock Yuitza: in Zen of course
Moon Fargis: wll then i gues i should say soto too :)
Moon Fargis: does you teacher also follow the basic teachings of him?
Moon Fargis: just sit? just eat?
Spock Yuitza: my master is Dokushô Villalba
Moon Fargis: ahyes i see
Spock Yuitza: yes all that even eat with bowl, like old japanese style
Moon Fargis: verry nice
Spock Yuitza: and in silence
Pema Pera: wonderful, Spock, to be able to share that!
Pema Pera: And you spend a few months every year to do that?
Spock Yuitza: yes, i’m at home now but I return to the temple next week
I asked Spock also about his practice background. Moon had to leave, and Spock and I continued our exchange.
Pema Pera: How many years have you done that?
Spock Yuitza: 5 years
Pema Pera: That’s great!
Spock Yuitza: 5 years practicing but in this temple only 3
Pema Pera: Can you say something about how your understanding of zen has changed during that time?
Moon Fargis: ok my frieds i have to go now was nice talking with you spock i think we moth got alot to talk in the next time :)
Pema Pera: see you, Moon!
Spock Yuitza: ok see you
Pema Pera: did your experience change over time?
Pema Pera: over those five years?
Spock Yuitza: Zen changed my live absolutelly
Pema Pera: can you say a bit about what changed and how?
Spock Yuitza: tha way of thinking……..
Spock Yuitza: the way of see the life problems
Spock Yuitza: I’m a very calm person now
Pema Pera: that’s wonderful, Spock, yes, zen can really help in that way.
Spock Yuitza: i had very problems in my life before practicing but now I’m more haapy
Spock Yuitza: i undertand the life in other easyer way
Pema Pera: do you feel that you have a goal in your practice
Pema Pera: something to reach for?
Spock Yuitza: i’t no easy for me to say what realy I feel, I had many good experiences this years
Spock Yuitza: I can feel the happyness of life
Spock Yuitza: when I sit in Zazen the life become easier for me
Spock Yuitza: sorry, my english is not very good
Spock Yuitza: it’s not easy for me to say all what I really think and feel
Pema Pera: I’m glad to hear all that, Spock! And your English is fine!!
Pema Pera: Your feelings come through very clearly
Pema Pera: And I am glad you found us!
I then talked a bit about our Play as Being approach.
Pema Pera: What we are trying to do here is to approach the same source as what you have found in your zen
Pema Pera: In Zen we talk about nothingness or suchness or “just so”
Pema Pera: In the Play as Being approach we do not choose a particular school, or even a particular religion
Pema Pera: so I try not to use terms from Buddhism only, or Hinduism only, or Daoism only, but rather a mix — and sometimes from Sufi and Christianity as well
Pema Pera: Being is one word that seems so general that it may be used for all different approaches
Pema Pera: in religions as well as in science
Pema Pera: And “Play” means experimentation
Pema Pera: trying this and that
Pema Pera: not being afraid to make mistakes
Pema Pera: but learning from your mistakes
Spock Yuitza: yes, i understand you perfectly
Spock Yuitza: I feel very good in this place
Pema Pera: Thank you!
Pema Pera: Did you get a chance to look at our web site http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/?
Spock Yuitza: ok
Pema Pera: no hurry
Pema Pera: whenever you have some time
Pema Pera: it gives a short discription of what we do
Pema Pera: and then very many pages of conversations
Spock Yuitza: really I would like travel to japan and know about the real life in a temple
Pema Pera: that might be interesting, but I am not sure whether that is so important
Pema Pera: There are many temples in the world now
Pema Pera: But of course the cultural experience will certainly be interesting
Spock Yuitza: yes, i know but japan is the first place of Zen
Spock Yuitza: I was in Thailand last month but it’s another kind of buddhism
Pema Pera: Yes, very different — and yet some of the core values are similar
We saw Wil walking by, and said hello to him.
Pema Pera: Hi Wil!
Pema Pera: Greetings!
Wil Blaisdale: hello
Pema Pera: Nice to meet you!
Wil Blaisdale: you too
Pema Pera: Have you been here before?
Spock Yuitza: hello Wil
Wil Blaisdale: no, im just learing my way around
Pema Pera: we have various activities here
Pema Pera: one time a day zen mediation, and four times a day something quite different
Pema Pera: called Play as Being, more a general exploration of reality
Pema Pera: independent of religion, more close to science in fact
Pema Pera: at 6 pm SL time a group does 20 minutes zen sitting, behind us here
Pema Pera: And at 1 am 7 am 1 pm 7 pm we gather, as we do now, to chat about Play as Being
Pema Pera: http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/ is the web site for that
Pema Pera: What are your interests in Second Life?
Wil Blaisdale: ill have to check that out
Wil Blaisdale: just heard about it at work and thought i would give it a try
Pema Pera: Ah, you are born today ?!?
Wil Blaisdale: um, yeah i guess so
Pema Pera: You’re moving around very well for a new resident!
Pema Pera: Did you find us through a search?
Wil Blaisdale: yes
I was quite impressed with Wil having found us and willing and able to engage in a conversation, all in his very first day in Second Life!
Pema Pera: It takes quite a while to get used to Second Life
Pema Pera: if you have any questions
Pema Pera: about any aspect of Second Life
Pema Pera: feel free to ask us!
Wil Blaisdale: its very interesting to say the least
Pema Pera: We are here every six hours
Wil Blaisdale: im still wondering what i should be doing
Pema Pera: so it never takes long to find us
Pema Pera: what are your main interests in real life?
Wil Blaisdale: is this one island or are there many?
Pema Pera: we are here on the main land
Pema Pera: one of the oldest parts of Second Life
Pema Pera: most of Second Life land is now on separate islands
Pema Pera: but here many people live together
Pema Pera: doing very different things
Wil Blaisdale: well im gonna go lookaround some more, it was nice chatting, hope i run into you again
Pema Pera: sure
Pema Pera: have a nice trip here!
Wil Blaisdale: thanks
Pema Pera: Spock, I have to go too
Pema Pera: Time for dinner here in Japan.
Spock Yuitza: ok see you
Pema Pera: It was great seeing you again
Pema Pera: Bye Wil!
Spock Yuitza: what’s the time in japan now?
Pema Pera: 6 o’clock in the evening.
Spock Yuitza: here 11
Spock Yuitza: see you Pema
Pema Pera: see you!
