That afternoon, Genesis was the guardian, and she later sent me the following log, with her comments.
I arrived in world to meet quite a group of guardians!
Adams Rubble: Hi Genesis
Storm Nordwind: We are awash with guardians - cool! :)
Moon Fargis: hi genesis
Delani Gabardini: hi genesis
Storm Nordwind: Hi Gen
Delani Gabardini: how many guardians are there?
genesis Zhangsun: Hey all sorry I am late my connection is bad again
Storm Nordwind: In total or here right now?
Delani Gabardini: in total
Fael Illyar: Hi Genesis :)
Storm Nordwind: Must be between 15 and 20 now
genesis Zhangsun: Hi Fael
Delani Gabardini: so many!
Delani Gabardini: what are u guarding
Adams Rubble: :)
Moon Fargis: pab sessions
Storm Nordwind: We get the glorious privilege of being able to evict trouble makers
Delani Gabardini: oh no
Storm Nordwind: So be very very careful :)
Delani Gabardini: i better be good
Storm Nordwind: Can you break the habit of a lifetime?
Delani Gabardini: i surprised moon is still here
Faenik: could be
Storm Nordwind: This is called “Lulluing into a false sense of security”
Storm Nordwind: *Lulling
Delani Gabardini: isen is the real trouble maker
Storm Nordwind: He is safely tucked away in his hermitage right now
Moon Fargis: i just support isen to make troubles yes:)
Delani Gabardini: just got an im from him
Storm Nordwind: I can see him in Isen-an from here
Delani Gabardini: he is coming
Storm Nordwind shouts: Take cover!
Faenik: why not?
Delani Gabardini: yowee
Delani Gabardini: i will start if that is ok
And speak of the devil ;)
Fael Illyar: Hi Isen
Storm Nordwind: Hi Isen
Delani Gabardini: hi isen
Adams Rubble: Hi Isen
Delani Gabardini: come join the monks
genesis Zhangsun: Hi ISen
Isen Enzo: Hi everybody.
Isen Enzo: Hey!
Delani Gabardini: wow isen
Delani Gabardini: u talked
Moon Fargis: ah hi isen
Isen Enzo: The international monk of mystery….
Storm Nordwind: Callsign… O
Isen Enzo: yes….
Faenik loves wells!
Delani Gabardini: r we pab-ing yet
Storm Nordwind: Whenever you like
Isen Enzo: I am…
genesis Zhangsun: always
Storm Nordwind: Indeed
Isen Enzo: yup.
Delani shares with us her revelation
Delani Gabardini: may i say something
genesis Zhangsun: sure
Isen Enzo: Sure.
Storm Nordwind wonders what happens if he says no
genesis Zhangsun: lol
Delani Gabardini: well - usually during my 9 secs I have words or rarely images
Delani Gabardini: today I had sensations
Moon Fargis: sensations?
Storm Nordwind: Great
Isen Enzo: delani is sensational!
Storm Nordwind: Ones that you can put into words?
Delani Gabardini: tremendous
Delani Gabardini: i had this tremendous sense of well being
Delani Gabardini: i felt great love for all of u
Delani Gabardini: i was almost in tears (joy)
Wow!
Storm Nordwind: That is fabulous
Delani Gabardini: i feel so very close to all of u and the sense of oneness was so pervasive
Delani Gabardini: it was an exquisite feeling
Moon Fargis: (like a leaf on a tree saying hello to the tree)
genesis Zhangsun: May I ask you Delani, it doesn’t make a difference, but just out of curiosity how long have you been doing PaB?
Delani Gabardini: oh only recently - i would say about a week - do u think so storm - my first session was with u
Storm Nordwind: Yes about a week ago
Delani Gabardini: and not always consistent
Delani Gabardini: sad to say
Storm Nordwind: I remember similar experiences in my first week too
genesis Zhangsun: that is amazing that you have been able to connect so deeply so quickly
Delani Gabardini: but I still have this marvelous warm feeling
Delani Gabardini: i am happy to hear that storm
Storm Nordwind: Yes - it carries with you
Storm Nordwind: Affects your whole day
Fael Illyar: That’s certainly interesting effect :)
Storm Nordwind smiles
Delani Gabardini: i would like that to be my perpetual state
genesis Zhangsun: sometimes I think when we just give space for these sensations to arise they usually do, they are just waiting below the surface
Bliss in the mundane
Storm Nordwind: Did you find that it in any way inhibited what you needed to do in terms of mundane actions?
Faenik loves wells!
genesis Zhangsun: but in our busy lives we often forget they are there
Moon Fargis looks at delanis warm aura
Delani Gabardini: no to storm’s question
Delani Gabardini: it has stayed strong
Storm Nordwind: Great - I was hoping you would say that!
genesis Zhangsun: what exactly do you mean Storm inhibited in mundane actions?
Delani Gabardini: i have felt this after zen in my temple but never for so long
Storm Nordwind: Gen I meant this…
Storm Nordwind: When I used to meditate in the 1970s…
Storm Nordwind: there was a feeling we used to describe as…
Storm Nordwind: “Blissed out”!
Storm Nordwind: But the meant…
Storm Nordwind: that one was incapable of doing anything else
Storm Nordwind: as functioning as a normal human being
Fael Illyar: oh, I guess I can achieve an effect like that if I want too.
Storm Nordwind: It is far better if one can carry on in the world and yet still carry that feeling and realisation with you
Delani Gabardini: yes
Fael Illyar just tried it.
Moon Fargis: lets see i i can support your feeling delani
Delani Gabardini: do u feel it fael?
genesis Zhangsun: oh yes I understand
genesis Zhangsun: thank you Storm
Storm Nordwind: yw
genesis Zhangsun: for expanding on that
Delani Gabardini: ty moon
Suddenly dandelion seeds were flying all around us!
genesis Zhangsun: beautiful these tufts flying around
Fael Illyar: Yes, although only while I concentrate. I’ve got some barriers up normally I guess.
Isen Enzo: Dandilion seeds, I think…
Delani Gabardini: lovely
genesis Zhangsun: yes Isen thankyou
Isen Enzo: A little early for fireweed seeds…
Isen Enzo: Though similar..
Delani Gabardini: adams how are your 9 secs going
Adams Rubble: I have started a log and yesterday made some progress
Adams Rubble: Today seemed about the same as yesterday
Adams Rubble: I fought it a bit today
Faenik: ah :)
Delani Gabardini: u had good results the other day as I remember
Adams Rubble: Yes, thanks
Delani Gabardini: i think resistance is common
Isen Enzo: I find discipline difficult…
Adams Rubble: Yes I was fighting something
Delani Gabardini: sometimes we sabotage ourselves and not allow good stuff to come to us
Moon Fargis: how true delani
Isen Enzo: …..mara effect, maybe…
Delani Gabardini: yes
Storm Nordwind: That is why the notion of PLAY is so important
Delani Gabardini: try surrendering
Storm Nordwind: You can suspend distrust as you can suspend disbelief
Storm Nordwind: Just for a few seconds
Storm Nordwind: and say “What if”
Isen Enzo: Thats play…
Storm Nordwind: and “Why not”
Isen Enzo: for sure…
Delani Gabardini: brb phone
Storm Nordwind: Hello gilli
gilli Billig: hi
Moon Fargis: hi gilli
genesis Zhangsun: Hi gilli
Coming and Going
Adams Rubble: With deep regret I must slip away again. I will read the rest. bye all :)
Isen Enzo: The phrase in theatre is “willing suspension of disbelief”..
Storm Nordwind: Bye Adams!
Fael Illyar: Bye Adams :)
Moon Fargis: bye adams
Isen Enzo: Bye Adams.
The Laundry and Chopping Wood
genesis Zhangsun: Are you familiar with this phrase the ecstasy and the laundry Storm?
Storm Nordwind: No. I can guess about it. But please expand on it! :)
genesis Zhangsun: well it just reminded me of it when you were talking about this blissed out but incapable of coping wit regular daily life
genesis Zhangsun: sort of state
genesis Zhangsun: it is coined by Jack Kornfield
Storm Nordwind nods
Isen Enzo: yes, now I remember the phrase- “after the extack
Delani Gabardini: someone has joined us
Isen Enzo: extacy, the laundly!
Delani Gabardini: and someone left
Storm Nordwind: Could it be similar to the following?
Storm Nordwind: Before enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water. After enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water.
genesis Zhangsun: yes exactly
Storm Nordwind nods
Storm Nordwind: Yes. I understand that
Storm Nordwind: This experience that we were describing earlier is just as blissful as that old blissed out state, but has the advantage that you can get on in the world
Storm Nordwind: It rubs off you
Storm Nordwind: And that means you can pass it on to others
Isen Enzo: yes
Storm Nordwind: People cannot helped being changed by it
Delani Gabardini: yes i believe that is very true
Isen Enzo: sympathetic ….
genesis Zhangsun: I think it is quite unique when this sort of experience comes
Faenik: could be
genesis Zhangsun: that you are able to hold the bliss and function
Delani Gabardini: i felt my love and empathy today
gilli Billig: hmmm… so apart from being able to function in the world, you think there are other differences between these states..?
Moon Fargis: im back.. oh a talk about enlightment?
gilli Billig: except, is that just it
genesis Zhangsun: I think often a person who is able to achieve this is someone who has a firm grounding in meditative practice?
Isen Enzo: yes.
Storm Nordwind: Hmm, perhaps
Isen Enzo: I think it helps..
Storm Nordwind: yes
genesis Zhangsun: as well as a firm grounding in dharma?
Storm Nordwind: I used to find Tai Chi helped that sense of grounding too
Isen Enzo: helps to avoid distraction…
gilli Billig: grounding in dharma? (apologies for the newbie question)
gilli Billig: er… I need to become familiar with the language
genesis Zhangsun: well I guess what I am trying to say is that it helps to have an understanding of some sort of spiritual principles for a point of reference
genesis Zhangsun: in this state of bliss so that you are not just flying around
genesis Zhangsun: ?
genesis Zhangsun: not necesarily Buddhist
genesis Zhangsun: could be anything
genesis Zhangsun: but helps to have a grounding in some sort of wisdom
genesis Zhangsun: in a way
Delani Gabardini: not even religion involved
genesis Zhangsun: to have a guide in this often I think disorienting state
Storm Nordwind: A personal teacher is the best if you can find one who is worthy! ;)
Delani Gabardini: but I agree I think one must have a strong practise to develop consistent bliss if that is the word we are using
genesis Zhangsun: yes Delani so I am curious about your background if it is not too personal to ask
Faenik loves wells!
genesis Zhangsun: what is your practice?
Delani Gabardini: sorry I am in an im - rude
Isen Enzo: I think the feeling of well-being is not really “bliss”, but maybe just hair-splitting…
Delani Gabardini: My background is 10 years of zen practise - Korean Soen
Isen Enzo: well-being to me is a very even feeling….
Isen Enzo: not high, not low..
Delani Gabardini: I am also and ordained dharma teacher but that means something else in my order
Isen Enzo: comfy..
Storm Nordwind: I can understand that Isen
Delani Gabardini: DTs usually focus on teaching zen
Gilli leaves us…
gilli Billig: guys… laptop running low on juice and no power leads… a fascinating discussion…
Delani Gabardini: not so much on the Dharma - our Zen master does that
gilli Billig: thankyou for letting me sit in
Delani Gabardini: multiple discussions
genesis Zhangsun: thank you for coming giili
Delani Gabardini: nice to meet u giili
Storm Nordwind: gilli - do you mind if we include you by name and what you said in our public blog?
Fael Illyar: Bye Gilli
Storm Nordwind: every 6 hours!
gilli Billig: sure, go for it…
gilli Billig: is this a regular group meet or just a chance “convocation”..?
Storm Nordwind: thank you!
Delani Gabardini: nice to have u here
gilli Billig: cheerio
genesis Zhangsun: oh no check us out
Isen Enzo: See you later Gilli
Fael Illyar: Yes, a meeting every six hours 1am, 7am, 1pm, 7pm SL time
Storm Nordwind: Please look at the Play as Being website too
Moon Fargis: bye gill
gilli Billig: ok… understood.
Fael Illyar: right here
genesis Zhangsun: http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/
Blending RL practice and SL practice
Delani Gabardini: so genesis I have a strong rl practise
genesis Zhangsun: Yes I can understand that
Delani Gabardini: and u?
genesis Zhangsun: do you think this helps ground your blissful state?
Fael Illyar: diving practise to RL practise and … SL (?) practise doesn’t make much sense to me :)
Delani Gabardini: yes definitely
Fael Illyar: uh, dividing
genesis Zhangsun: oh i am just a student of life ;)
Delani Gabardini: pls explain that fael?
genesis Zhangsun: a complete newbie
Delani Gabardini: the best kind
Fael Illyar: I mean, if you’re doing practise of some sort, you do it in RL, even if you get instruction from SL, right?
Delani Gabardini: confused - sorry
genesis Zhangsun: me too
Delani Gabardini: in many ways my practise is the same here and in rl
Isen Enzo: I’m easily confused..
Delani Gabardini: i acheive the same benefit
genesis Zhangsun: so am i Isen
Isen Enzo: I agree…
Fael Illyar: maybe I’m just understanding practise differently.
Isen Enzo: I use SL as an additional practice…
Fael Illyar: could you explain what you mean when you say SL practise?
Storm Nordwind: Delani - have you ever practised Mahamudra Tantra - that some call the union of bliss and emptiness?
Delani Gabardini: no but I am wiling to learn
Delani Gabardini: willing
genesis Zhangsun: Tibetan Dzogchen?
Delani Gabardini: need that d–m spell checker
Storm Nordwind: It goes by several names
PaB as sangha…chat room on steroids!
Isen Enzo: Well, Fael, RL for me is a very small fishing village in remote alaska…
Storm Nordwind: And latte-making too Isen!
Isen Enzo: SL is a place where I can enlarge my Dharma friends..
Isen Enzo: and Dharma discussion…
Storm Nordwind: I am large enough!
Isen Enzo: A place unavailabe to me in my usual RL situation…
Faenik loves wells!
Isen Enzo: Usually I would have to go on retreat to be around so many similarly interested people…
Storm Nordwind sympathises
Fael Illyar: In principle, I don’t consider SL fundamentally different from a telephone, for example. Both are tools for communication.
Isen Enzo: I can interact…
Isen Enzo: yes.
Isen Enzo: a chat room on steroids…
Isen Enzo: a chat world…
Storm Nordwind chuckles
Delani Gabardini: sorry - I got a bit lost
Moon Fargis: isen just put some steroids in his chatroom
Delani Gabardini: we practice meditation on sl as well as rl
Isen Enzo: Plus- i get to wear my practice robe all the time!!
Delani Gabardini: it has the same effect for me
Fael Illyar: so I tend to see something like SL practise similarly to telephone practise, for example.
Isen Enzo: hm…
Moon Fargis: i think telephone meditation .. is a bit more expensive:)
Storm Nordwind: Not on Skype!
Delani Gabardini: fael have u sat with one of the meditation groups?
genesis Zhangsun: depends if there is anyone on the other side
Isen Enzo: yes- not on skype…
genesis Zhangsun: :)
Fael Illyar: No, I haven’t done any group meditation at all.
Delani Gabardini: i think u may enjoy the experience
Storm Nordwind: My fiancee and I do our Dharma studies together on Skype
Isen Enzo: I think of the term “practice” as practicing Buddhism….
Delani Gabardini: Moon has a group on itsari
genesis Zhangsun: yes Storm Skype is the coolest invention ever
genesis Zhangsun: basically
Isen Enzo: so cool..
Organizing another sitting?
Delani Gabardini: dakini has a sitting here but it may be too late for u
Storm Nordwind: Yes it is 4am for her
Isen Enzo: ufff
Delani Gabardini: ugh
Delani Gabardini: well Moon’s would work
Storm Nordwind: It is 2am for me, which is why I rarely attend
Delani Gabardini: or Shak’s
Delani Gabardini: no Shak’s is too late also
genesis Zhangsun: Fael do you do group meditation in RL?
Moon Fargis: yes i als plan todo more when my sim is up
Fael Illyar: Mostly only people I talk about meditation with I know through SL
Isen Enzo: Dakini has offered her zendo at other times- only needs timekeeper and advertizement….
Fael Illyar: I’ve been trying to get my sister to try it but other than that I haven’t talked to anyone outside SL about meditation
Storm Nordwind: Perhaps we Europeans could set up a shift system like we do for this
Delani Gabardini: that would be very good
Isen Enzo: brb
Storm Nordwind: Well there are three of us here now ;)
Delani Gabardini: i think the issue is finding the timekeeper
Delani Gabardini: i would be willing to do a shift
Storm Nordwind: I will talk to Dakini about it and try and coordinate
Delani Gabardini: we could have it after or before PaB
Storm Nordwind: I was going to have a session in the Terraces orchards, but other things got in the way for while - like PaB
Storm Nordwind smiles
Delani Gabardini: that way people would be here to attend
Delani Gabardini: if they wish
Fael Illyar: if the time is 11am SLT I could probably do a shift too I guess.
Storm Nordwind: Yes - at 8:30 UK time for 20 minutes
Fael Illyar: or close
Storm Nordwind: 10:30 in Finland
Storm Nordwind: 9:30 in Germany
Faenik: なるほど^^
Storm Nordwind: and then on to PaB
Storm Nordwind: evening
Delani Gabardini: I believe Isen talked to dakini and she said it was ok to use the zendo but check with isen when he comes back
Fael Illyar: oh, you mean morning?
Storm Nordwind: As in in 90 minutes ago
Fael Illyar: ah, right, just before PaB will work too
genesis Zhangsun: Delani may I ask you some more about your well being experience
Delani Gabardini: of course
genesis Zhangsun: don’t mean to cut off all the organizing its great!
Bliss and Attachment
genesis Zhangsun: I was just wondering if you had any sense of attachment to this blissful state
genesis Zhangsun: do you fear that it will leave you?
Storm Nordwind: Good question
Delani Gabardini: ah - very good
Storm Nordwind has an answer for that too
Delani Gabardini: I always have to work on attachments but i don’t think this would be so much of an attachment as a perpetual state I would like to be in since it brings a sense of well being to me and others
Delani Gabardini: so if this is attachment so be it
Isen Enzo: thats it!
Isen Enzo: your state transfers….
Delani Gabardini: ty genesis
Isen Enzo: our smiles are returned…
Delani Gabardini: i am honored
Storm Nordwind: May I describe my own feeling on this point?
Delani Gabardini: please do
Isen Enzo: please
Storm Nordwind: And the reason might be…
Storm Nordwind: I felt no sense of attachment to it at all.
Storm Nordwind: because it felt as though it was what I really AM
Storm Nordwind: I am already this bliss
Being Bliss
Delani Gabardini: i like that storm
Storm Nordwind: It was not something else outside me to be attached to
Isen Enzo: Yes.
Isen Enzo: yes.
Isen Enzo: it may be it is our natural state,…
Delani Gabardini: and it extends out
Isen Enzo: under neath…
Delani Gabardini: anyway I am so happy today because I truly realized that I love u all
Storm Nordwind smiles broadly!
Delani Gabardini: and u are me and I am u
The teahouse garden was filled with Delani’s warmth
genesis Zhangsun: thank you Delani
Isen Enzo: and we are all together..
Fael Illyar: :)
Storm Nordwind: Thank you so much.
Moon Fargis: isnt enlightment something great ?:)
Delani Gabardini: yes the bonds on sl are very firm
Playing from Bliss
genesis Zhangsun: Going back Storm to what you said
genesis Zhangsun: perhaps this is what allows us to play
genesis Zhangsun: if we have the knowledge that there is no more than this
Faenik is a hairy black ball with eyes and ears.
genesis Zhangsun: that we do not have to be more than who we are
genesis Zhangsun: we can let go of our struggles
genesis Zhangsun: our self doubt
genesis Zhangsun: our games
genesis Zhangsun: and truly play
genesis Zhangsun: from our heart
Delani Gabardini: very nicely said genesis
Storm Nordwind: Yes
Delani Gabardini: the joy of being
Storm Nordwind: You release all delusion - what else is there to be?
Delani Gabardini: just being
genesis Zhangsun: play as being
Delani Gabardini: yes
genesis Zhangsun: on this note friends I must depart
Delani Gabardini: i must also
Storm Nordwind: A wonderful meeting
Delani Gabardini: yes thank you all
Storm Nordwind: I will write this up for the blog
Moon Fargis: ok me too yes it was a nice talk :)
Delani Gabardini: and thank you all for being
Fael Illyar: Yes, nice talk :)
Isen Enzo: Wonderful!
Faenik is a hairy black ball with eyes and ears.
Delani Gabardini: see u next pab
Isen Enzo: gassho guys..
Isen Enzo: leaving, Delani?
genesis Zhangsun: bye all!
