That afternoon, Solobill was the guardian. He sent me the following chat log with his comments.
I arrived at the tea house with Delani, Adams, and Fael sitting on the porch. Fael was sitting in a large cardboard box marked, “Free kitten”.
Delani Gabardini: hi solobill
Solobill Laville: Hello!
Adams Rubble: Hello Solobill
Adams Rubble: Hello Fael
Fael Illyar: Hello Adams
Solobill Laville: Hi, Fael!
Delani Gabardini: hi fael
Fael Illyar: Hi solo
Fael Illyar: Hi Delani
Delani Gabardini: got free kittens
Solobill Laville: Has anyone wanted to pick-up a free kitten yet?
Fael Illyar: :)
Delani Gabardini: i just got a koala bear today from someone
Delani Gabardini: Hi Hotaru
Fael Illyar: Hello Hotaru
Hotaru Myoo: Hi Delani!
Hotaru Myoo: Hi Fael!
Solobill Laville: Hi, Hotaru!
Adams Rubble: Hi Hotaru
Hotaru Myoo: HI Solo and Adams!
Solobill Laville: Is anyone here for the PaB session?
Delani Gabardini: yes
Delani Gabardini: i am
Hotaru Myoo: Whatcha got in the box, Fael?
Solobill Laville: Excellent!
Hotaru Myoo: I think we all are.. :)
Fael Illyar: Only me in the box :)
Hotaru sat on a bench, and it seemed like a great idea to have the session out in the beautiful Rieul sunshine.
Solobill Laville: Let’s stay out in the sun, then!
Delani Gabardini: good idea
Solobill Laville: We can keep Fael company
Hotaru Myoo: Are you a free kitten?
Faenik is a hairy black ball with eyes and ears.
Fael Illyar: Maybe :P
Delani Gabardini: so solobill 3 of us were here yesterday with storm
Solobill Laville: : Oh, great!
Solobill Laville: What did you discuss?
Delani Gabardini: well mostly storm explained the process to us as many were new to it
Delani Gabardini: he recommended reading the blogs and Piet’s website
Delani Gabardini: oops - Pema
Hotaru Myoo: he’s ‘ok’ with that!
Delani Gabardini: ty hotaru
Hotaru Myoo: yw
Fael Illyar: I don’t think it really matters if you call him Pema or Piet :)
Solobill Laville: Great, did you have a chance to look at some of it?
Adams Rubble: I did
Delani Gabardini: i read quite extensively today
Fael Illyar: I read it quite a bit too today.
Solobill Laville: There are copious amounts these days of reading opportunities!
Fael Illyar: Yes, it takes quite a bit of time to read the logs :)
Hotaru Myoo: so what did you think, Delani?
Delani Gabardini: the other thing we discussed was my zen indoctrination getting in my way
Solobill Laville: Oh, interesting!
Delani Gabardini: but I think i have resolved that now
Solobill Laville: Oh, do tell!
Hotaru Myoo: is it the time thingy?
Delani Gabardini: i have been practicing for 10 years and I am a rl ordained dharma teacher
Solobill Laville: Wowza
Delani Gabardini: but i want to be open and use the exercise effectively
Delani Gabardini: tried it today
Hotaru Myoo: how did it go?
Delani Gabardini: i am not sure - I started a blog but I don’ t know what to do with it
Fael Illyar: I find that I need to do them in a bit of a Zen way. That’s what came naturally to me.
Delani Gabardini: yes that helps me to being a zennie
Delani Gabardini: too
Delani Gabardini: well I found it an interesting event today
Delani Gabardini: i like that u write down the first thing that comes to mind
Solobill Laville: You know, that is interesting
Solobill Laville: I found that the thought of writing a blog was quite an impediment
Delani Gabardini: no I like the blog
Delani Gabardini: of course it is only on my pc but I like writing
Delani Gabardini: anyway they were short sentences
Delani Gabardini: 9 secs is not a lot of time for ruminating
Solobill Laville: Could you elaborate on the short sentences, why do think?
Solobill Laville: …they were short, I mean…
Delani Gabardini: well before that let me say that I like letting my mind go free to “dance” so to speak
Delani Gabardini: and of course, play
Solobill Laville: Freedom and play are great mind-sets!
Faenik: ah :)
Solobill Laville: Or, lack of mind-sets!
Spock walked over the bridge and into our discussion.
Solobill Laville: Hello, Spock
Hotaru Myoo: Hi Spock
Spock Yuitza: hi all
Fael Illyar: Hello Spock
Delani Gabardini: hi spock
Adams Rubble: Hi Spock
Spock Yuitza: Hello everybody
Delani Gabardini: my first thought was “No I ams - more what ifs”
Hotaru Myoo: Ah yes
Hotaru Myoo: I love the idea of the possibilities
Hotaru Myoo: then branching out from there
Delani Gabardini: never realized how much my ego possesses me
Fael Illyar: Hmmh, I seem to have forgotten to write down notes the past two days.
Solobill Laville: I find the more I think I lose ego, the more I inevitably discover how immense it actually is…
Hotaru Myoo: I rarely write the notes
Hotaru Myoo: because I am in action during those times
Hotaru Myoo: and the momentum of the moment is pulling me through it
Hotaru Myoo: so the 9 secs is the capture of that motion
Delani Gabardini: i like that hotaru
Next Xavien strolled over the bridge, which I was starting to think is a great way to join into the discussion…
Delani Gabardini: hi xavien
Solobill Laville: Hello, Xavien!
Fael Illyar: Hello Xavien
Solobill Laville: Join us!
Spock Yuitza: hello Avien
Adams Rubble: Hi Xavien
Xavien Paine: hi
Xavien Paine: alguien sabe español?
Spock Yuitza: si yo se
Spock Yuitza: hola xavien
Delani Gabardini: no hablo espanol - do u have a babbler?
Hotaru Myoo: Buenos dias Xavien
Xavien Paine: no problem i speak english
Hotaru Myoo: I also like that it has not become object
Hotaru Myoo: as writing does
Hotaru Myoo: it is a lot of what we do here
Hotaru Myoo: and not writing provides a freedom…a release
I was very intrigued by Hotaru’s last point. For me, and my practice, I consider some types of metaphysical arguments and writings very dangerous as I am wary of the attachments that I might make to them, even subconsciously. If I write, I cannot not try to make the sentence perfect, even if it is only three words. This is especially true when I consider I’m writing for a peer-reviewed PaB Blog ;). I’ve learned that this is the small “mind” – this ego here – struggling against the fear of loss into nothingness and immersion in Big Mind; Being. It seems a silly thing, but it is a constant battle for which I try to be ever vigilant, and these “objects” - words, thoughts, paragraphs - can create sticky entangling webs for me.
Delani Gabardini: adams did u try the exercise today
Adams Rubble: I have not so well with the exercise yet. I hear sounds
Adams Rubble: or I am focused on the sounds
Delani Gabardini: i think that may be your way of playing the mind
Delani Gabardini: sounds
Solobill Laville: Sounds can just fine.
Adams Rubble: :)
Solobill Laville: They are no different than thoughts.
Hotaru Myoo: same with touch
Solobill Laville: Just let them come, let them go
Hotaru Myoo: yes Solo!
Solobill Laville: But, just doing it, and not expecting anything, is really quite good
Delani Gabardini: yes touch is important i finally during one found a silver ball
Delani Gabardini: it was so warm to touch - I wanted to stay in the 9 secs
Solobill Laville: Then stay!
Hotaru Myoo: that is awesome Delani
Solobill Laville: That is a nice way to put it - warm to touch!!
Delani Gabardini: i really think this is a wonderful experience
Solobill Laville: makes me smile
Hotaru Myoo: :))
Solobill Laville: Spock and Xavien, are familiar with what we’re talking about?
Solobill Laville: http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/
Delani Gabardini: spock can u ask him if he has a babbler
Fael Illyar: I think my problem writing something after the exploration is that I’ve learned to be too stingy with what I let out.
Hotaru Myoo: ah
Hotaru Myoo: the bounded self
Solobill Laville: You know though, I think perhaps expectations of what the writing is meant to do can stand in the way
Solobill Laville: **at least for me**
Solobill Laville: And I do write a lot
Solobill Laville: But for me, again, PaB is about experience
Solobill Laville: practice
Solobill Laville: Being
Delani Gabardini: yes exactly
Solobill Laville: so the words, as they say, can just get in the way
Solobill Laville: ;)
Solobill Laville: But expression is very important too
Solobill Laville: Which is why these meetings are so great
Hotaru Myoo: yes I agree
Delani Gabardini: the sharing is important
Fael Illyar: Of course, it could just be that words aren’t my primary mode of thought … although I can’t really explain what is.
Solobill Laville: Yes, Fael
Solobill Laville: I just think level-setting expectations for the outcomes of these writings is perhaps wise
Delani Gabardini: well some think in words and some in images and some in both
Hotaru Myoo: yes
Solobill Laville: I think in words
Solobill Laville: Amazingly so, but try not too, and practice letting it go
Adams Rubble: hmmm
Hotaru Myoo: I think there is more I think in technicolor
Delani Gabardini: i usually think in words also so the silver ball was a treat
Solobill Laville: hehe
Fael Illyar: I’m often having difficulty figuring out which word would be the least wrong for what I want to say.
Adams Rubble: :)
Delani Gabardini: i think u have to set the judgmental part aside
Solobill Laville: Yes
Delani Gabardini: just say it
Hotaru Myoo: internal thesaurus filter…
Solobill Laville: Yes!
Solobill Laville: Wish my mom had one of those…
Hotaru Myoo: lol
Fael Illyar: Yes, I’m going to have to unlearn that one to be able to get something to write
The play of our conversation took a great turn when Delani made a recommendation.
Delani Gabardini: speaking of which wouldn’t it be great if sl has a spell checker
Solobill Laville: yse!!!
Solobill Laville: hehe
Delani Gabardini: lol
Hotaru Myoo: write the lindens
Delani Gabardini: an auto correct spell checker of course
Hotaru Myoo: it could actually be fun
Solobill Laville: That could make for some interesting auto-corrections
Adams Rubble: yes it could
Solobill Laville: yes, very funny ones
Delani Gabardini: smile
Hotaru Myoo: just what I was thinking.
Adams Rubble: deer me
Faenik: ah :)
Hotaru Myoo: :)
Delani Gabardini: hoo hoo
I tried to get back to Fael’s comments about writing, but Spock was having issues sitting on one of the stone benches.
Solobill Laville: Fael, do you feel you need to write to communicate something?
Delani Gabardini: spock - you got ants in your pants??
Solobill Laville: It is easier fly than sit, in SL!
Fael Illyar: Well, I do talk with some people but mostly I communicate by writing.
Hotaru Myoo: Do you think of this as talking or writing?
Fael Illyar: both, sort of :)
Adams Rubble: :)
Solobill Laville: Great question, and answer!
Adams Rubble: it is direct communication
Hotaru Myoo: relatively
Delani Gabardini: ah Moon will be here - I was worried about him
Solobill Laville: Is writing then?
Just then Moon joined us out in the sunlight.
Moon Fargis: hello everyone
Delani Gabardini: here is our sweetie
Hotaru Myoo: Hi Moon!
Fael Illyar: Hello Moon :)
Delani Gabardini: Moon I only see your Dharma wheel
Solobill Laville: Wow, what a greeting! Hi, moon!
Adams Rubble: hi moom
Delani Gabardini: is sl weird today or what?
Hotaru Myoo: indeed
Moon Fargis: sorry couldn’t make it faster today
Delani Gabardini: are u feeling better?
Adams Rubble: With apologies I must slip away. bye
Hotaru Myoo: sumimasen….brb
Delani Gabardini: oh bye adams
Solobill Laville: Goodbye, Adams
Adams logged out and Moon sat in her spot on the porch. Delani had been wearing a small white bear on her shoulder with a red Coca-cola scarf.
Moon Fargis: ahh still warm :)
Solobill Laville: he he
Moon Fargis: hehe
Moon Fargis: nice bear delani
Delani Gabardini: ty - someone gave it to me - it is a koala bear
Delani Gabardini: i was jealous of fael’s creature
Solobill Laville: Hmmm, it looks a little like a little polar bear, no?
Solobill Laville: *sponsored by Coca-cola
Delani Gabardini: perhaps - that would be nice since they are in danger
Solobill Laville: Indeed
Hotaru Myoo: sorry…back!
Xavien Paine: polar bear=lost
Delani Gabardini: very true Xavien
Delani Gabardini: and sad to say that
Hotaru Myoo: oh …I cannot go there…too sad
Xavien Paine: lost the tv series
Xavien Paine: :)
Delani Gabardini: back on track
Hotaru Myoo: so what did I miss?
Delani Gabardini: I am not sure - I will have to read the blog - LOL
Solobill Laville: Greetings and goodbyes mostly
Hotaru Myoo: Oh
Hotaru Myoo: Adams left eh?
Delani Gabardini: yes
Delani Gabardini: but she read the blogs today and did an exercise
Hotaru Myoo: And Spock?
Delani Gabardini: i think he is in the tea house
Solobill Laville: Spock is by the big Buddha
Solobill Laville: sitting
Xavien Paine: he must have teleported to the enterprise
Solobill Laville: hehe
Delani Gabardini: hehe
Xavien Paine: i have to go ladies and gentlemen
Solobill Laville: Goodbye, Xavien
Delani Gabardini: come again xaviane
Delani Gabardini: bye
Moon Fargis: bye xav
Hotaru Myoo: Bye Xavie
Delani Gabardini: see spell checker
Hotaru Myoo: lol
Hotaru Myoo: or chill spocker?
Solobill Laville: hehe
Solobill Laville: I think we should market a PaB SL spell-checker
Delani Gabardini: Moon and fael can develop it
Solobill Laville: Excellent!
Delani Gabardini: i can be a tester
Fael Illyar: umm… spell checker?
Moon Fargis: yes what ?:)
Delani Gabardini: i said sl needs to implement an auto correct spell checker
Moon Fargis: well i would be the laaaaaast person in this world who would do a spell checker :)
Hotaru Myoo: ah…
Moon Fargis: for that i must be very advanced in the language i speak
Delani Gabardini: since my blog is going nowhere I will share my third exercise if no one minds
Hotaru Myoo: you do so well tho..Moon
Solobill Laville: Whenever someone type “teh” it could autocorrect to “Play as Being”
Delani Gabardini: lol
Solobill Laville: Sorry, go ahead Delani
Hotaru Myoo: I always feel inadequate as a linguist
Moon Fargis: well i speak good engleutsch i guess :)
Hotaru Myoo: impressive..
Hotaru Myoo: hehe
Solobill Laville: Very good!
Delani Gabardini: the third time i wrote (spontaneously) “As I am i am not one”
Fael Illyar: :)
Solobill Laville: Was that a self-assessment?
Delani Gabardini: sounds like it huh?
Solobill Laville: Or, do you really know
Solobill Laville: If it was spontaneous
Delani Gabardini: well I am realizing more and more that I am not separate
Delani Gabardini: sounds simple but to truly believe it is a challenge
Delani Gabardini: saying it and believing it are two very different states
Hotaru Myoo: going on with that…
Hotaru Myoo: we are not separate from each other
Delani Gabardini: no as the Buddha said we are jewels in a great connected web
Solobill Laville: and we are the web, and the connections!
Delani Gabardini: so we are one with the web - yes Solobill
Hotaru Myoo: yes
Hotaru Myoo: mass of blinking energy
Solobill Laville: wow, quite a visual, Hotaru!
Solobill Laville: but the web is only as real as we make it, too
Hotaru Myoo: oh its real
Hotaru Myoo: we can sever the connections
Delani Gabardini: yes I agree with hotaru
Hotaru Myoo: but the web remains
Moon Fargis: hotaru. like leaf’s on a tree
Hotaru Myoo: sure
Delani Gabardini: or the wave in the ocean
Solobill Laville: I’m no so sure what you mean by “real” perhaps
Solobill Laville: Definitions are so important
Hotaru Myoo: does it matter what real is?
Solobill Laville: No!
Delani Gabardini: is the wave the ocean or is the ocean the wave
Hotaru Myoo: who are we to know?
Delani Gabardini: is there a ‘real’
Solobill Laville: Only that it is
Solobill Laville: It is
Hotaru Myoo: indeed
Solobill Laville: Actually
Solobill Laville: IT!
Solobill Laville: That’s enough for me
Hotaru Myoo: ohm
Delani Gabardini: so tomorrow I am going to do more exercises
Hotaru Myoo: blink
Solobill Laville: But I think I know where you’re coming form :)
Solobill Laville: Oops, *from
Hotaru Myoo: spell checker!!
Solobill Laville: (darn spell-checker)
Delani Gabardini: the more we do the more we extend
Delani Gabardini: or expand
Solobill Laville: What do you mean Delani?
Hotaru Myoo: Pema would probably chime in with something like ..: the expanding universe’
Delani Gabardini: well - I think the more we practice PaB - the more we can expand our minds
Delani Gabardini: to great possibilities
Hotaru Myoo: I’ll disagree on just a part of that
Solobill Laville: Yes, but I also think there different benefits for different people
Hotaru Myoo: because I think it expands AND contracts
Solobill Laville: Different strokes for different folks!
Delani Gabardini: that is interesting
Solobill Laville: Go, on Hotaru
Hotaru Myoo: different moments in time
Delani Gabardini: well I just started so tell us
Hotaru Myoo: it is the perpetual motion…
Delani Gabardini: like the fluidity of the mind?
Fael Illyar: I’ve been wondering for a couple of years if “I” could be described as an individual or if it actually is more of a commune of sorts :)
Hotaru Myoo: go girl..
Hotaru Myoo: we have to be connected
Hotaru Myoo: can’t be an island
Hotaru Myoo: see what happens to islands…
Delani Gabardini: but we are shown over and over that we are connected
Delani Gabardini: we just don’t always listen
Solobill Laville: I think we are a bit hard-wired to see the separateness
Solobill Laville: Suzuki’s “monkey-mind” as he called it
Hotaru Myoo: islands die …interdependent organisms thrive
Hotaru Myoo: western thought does that
Hotaru Myoo: creates the ‘I’
Hotaru Myoo: since the mid 14th century
Hotaru Myoo: we are peaking out
Solobill Laville: I don’t think we Westerners have the market cornered on that though, Hotaru
Hotaru Myoo: ok…
Hotaru Myoo: collapsing …
Solobill Laville: Oh, please!
Hotaru Myoo: it is my only perspective presently
Solobill Laville: ‘I’m jus’ sayin’…
Hotaru Myoo: ever read “collapse” by Jared Diamond?
Solobill Laville: No, tell us about it
Delani Gabardini: i will check that one out
Solobill Laville: *please :)
Hotaru Myoo: he outlines all the civilizations that have collapsed….and
Hotaru Myoo: never finds conclusive evidence for a theory…
Hotaru Myoo: but starts us thinking about the mechanisms behind the phenomenon
Solobill Laville: Do you think that the lack of a connected-ness worldview may contribute then?
Hotaru Myoo: yes
Delani Gabardini: but that does not mean the oneness collapses
Delani Gabardini: just the structure
Hotaru Myoo: the lack of nurturing interdependency
Solobill Laville: From face validity it seems logical
Solobill Laville: yes
Solobill Laville: It’s interesting; I thought we were going in the direction of impermanence,
Solobill Laville: and here we are back at connectedness!
Solobill Laville: lol
Solobill Laville: And that also must bring it full circle for me, I’m afraid
Hotaru Myoo: the spiral
Hotaru Myoo: hehe
Delani Gabardini: samsara
Fael Illyar: Ah, the hour’s over again. See you later Solo :)
Solobill Laville: Yes, spiral is true
Solobill Laville: Good to see you again Fael!
Solobill Laville: : nice to meet you Delani
Delani Gabardini: we will meet again
Delani Gabardini: thank u solobill
Solobill Laville: You as well Sock
Solobill Laville: GAD - *Spock
Hotaru Myoo: I am running too!
Solobill Laville: (spell check!!)
Delani Gabardini: i as well
Solobill Laville: Goodbye, Moon
Delani Gabardini: thank you all
Moon Fargis: ah good bye
Spock Yuitza: see you
Moon Fargis: sorry im showing sl to a fried
Hotaru Myoo: Good to see everyone!
