2008.06.12 19:00 - Compassion in a Crowd

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    When I arrived in the garden next to the tea house, there was already quite a crowd: Syl, Steve and Hotaru were seated and Pia was walking in, so there were five of us. The photos included were kindly provided by Sylectra.

    Pia Iger: Hi, everyone!
    Pema Pera: Hi Everyone!
    Sylectra Darwin: Hi Pema!
    Pia Iger: big crowd today.
    Pema Pera: It’s hard to land gracefully with laaaag…..
    Sylectra Darwin: Hi Pia, everyone
    Sylectra Darwin: But I saw you do a cool flip de flip!
    stevenaia Michinaga: hello
    Pema Pera: haha, thanks!
    stevenaia Michinaga: hello Adams
    Hotaru Myoo: ducks in a row
    Pema Pera: yes, we’ll have to do something about the seating

    Briefly, we were all sitting on a row on the stone benches, but soon Pia and Hotaru would move to the wooden plank next to the tea house.

    Sylectra Darwin: Anybody mind if i take snapshots?
    Pia Iger: haha, those on bench
    Hotaru Myoo: yes
    Pema Pera: actually, Dakini just made a new prototype meeting room, a bigger one
    Pema Pera: of course, fine Syl!
    Sylectra Darwin: Oh, how exciting. When do we see it?
    Pia Iger: where is the new room?
    Hotaru Myoo: I sat there and immeadiatey felt the pressure to do the wave
    Sylectra Darwin: hehehe
    Pema Pera: haha
    Pema Pera: It’s just around the corner
    Pema Pera: South of the zen sitting place
    Pema Pera: if you move your camera there you can see it
    Pema Pera: or you can walk over; I can stay here in case others arrive
    Pema Pera: let me know whether you like it
    Pema Pera: it’s open-air but a bit shielded
    Pema Pera: only a prototype so far
    Pia Iger: I think I went there once by accident.
    Sylectra Darwin: I’ll take a look
    Pema Pera: I think Dakini put it there just one day ago
    Pia Iger: I suggest we go inside since there are so many people here.
    Pema Pera: There may not be enough room in side, Pia, but we can try :)
    Hotaru Myoo: I feel the heat already
    Sylectra Darwin: I think I am lost.

    I was curious to see how far the new meeting place was from the old one. And with so many avatars near the tea house, we might as well start to explore the new place, as long as at least some of us would stay behind to greet new visitors, if necessary.

    Pema Pera: Syl, let me walk over with you
    Pema Pera: and let me check then how far it is from here
    Pema Pera: if it is close enough, we can all go there
    Pema Pera: and still keep an eye open for stragglers here
    Sylectra Darwin: lovely!
    Pema Pera: This is it
    Pema Pera: 85 meters from the tea house I see
    Pema Pera: we need more furniture
    stevenaia Michinaga: can;t sit here
    stevenaia Michinaga: or maybe it;s ok
    Pema Pera: Hi Adams!
    Adams Rubble: Hi
    Pema Pera: Please have a look
    Pema Pera: I’ll stay at the tea house

    I walked back.

    Pia Iger: how is going?
    Pema Pera: Fine!
    Pia Iger: are we moving over there?
    Pema Pera: Perhaps not right now
    Pema Pera: we don’t have seats there yet
    Pema Pera: and it is 85 meters away from here
    Pema Pera: a bit far to make sure we catch people visiting here
    Pema Pera: who may not be able to find us
    Pia Iger: wow, hope they won’t get lost.
    Pema Pera: So I suggest we just stay here
    Rajah Yalin: lol
    Pema Pera: Oh no, they won’t get lost
    Pema Pera: they know how to get back here
    Pema Pera: How are you doing, Rajah?
    Pema Pera: Hi Dakini!
    Rajah Yalin: good but I dont see you

    Rajah and Dakini were joining us, just when I had returned to the tea house. Terri would follow soon.

    Dakini Rhode: Hello Pia, Pema, Rajah!
    Pema Pera: Everybody is sightseeing, looking at your new building
    Pema Pera: South of the zazen spot
    Dakini Rhode: ah
    Pema Pera: why don’t you join them
    Pia Iger: Hi, Dakini
    Pema Pera: and hear their comments!
    Pema Pera: Hi Terri!
    Dakini Rhode: hmmm
    Terri Holrych: oopsy
    Terri Holrych: hi
    Pema Pera: that was a wild entrance :)
    Pema Pera: hmmm?
    Terri Holrych: omg i am such a friggin newb
    Dakini Rhode: let me sit here for a moment and eat my dinner
    Terri Holrych: ok
    Dakini Rhode: a little late… past 10 here
    Dakini Rhode: I’m STARVING!

    Syl and Steve returned from their exploration of the new place.

    Pema Pera: wb Syl
    Dakini Rhode: Hi sylectra!
    Pema Pera: what do you think?
    Terri Holrych: sorry
    Sylectra Darwin: Dakini, hello!
    Dakini Rhode: brb
    Rajah Yalin: hi Sylecta
    Rajah Yalin: hi Steve
    stevenaia Michinaga: hello
    stevenaia Michinaga: …smile
    Terri Holrych: hi everybody i am a poster child for newbs anonymous
    Rajah Yalin: the 1st step is admitting
    Terri Holrych: thank u

    stevenaia Michinaga: Dakini, you make us all look underdressed
    Terri Holrych: oh no the screen went in my lost and found
    Pema Pera: Hotaru, come join us!
    Sylectra Darwin: Hello Rajah
    Pema Pera: Hi Thor!
    Terri Holrych: we built a outhouse so we would have a place to undress
    Rajah Yalin: I feel overdressed
    Terri Holrych: we can fix it later
    Rajah Yalin: hi Thor
    Terri Holrych: hi
    Terri Holrych: o well
    Terri Holrych: how samsaric
    Thor Friedlander: hello


    It was nice to see Thor again, after a long time. After him, Doug joined us, and then there were eleven of us.

    Terri Holrych: haha
    Dakini Rhode: hi!
    Dakini Rhode: more people here now
    Thor Friedlander: this is the most people ive seen here before
    Hotaru Myoo: jeez…ducks again
    Pia Iger: yes. so many people. so many name bubbles on my screen
    Rajah Yalin counts.
    Rajah Yalin: 11
    Rajah Yalin: 2 digits tonight
    Terri Holrych: ok who is the paparazzi
    Rajah Yalin: hi doug
    Pema Pera: well, Dakini, you were just in time, starting to build a new place!
    Rajah Yalin snaps photos of Terri.
    Sylectra Darwin: that would be me, do you mind if I take a few snapshots?
    Pema Pera: HI Doug!
    doug Sosa: hi, trouble at the border.
    Sylectra Darwin: I promise not to be annoying or incriminate you.
    Terri Holrych: no i dont mind i was teasing
    Sylectra Darwin: :)
    Sylectra Darwin: I would stop if asked.
    Dakini Rhode: let me smile for the camera
    Terri Holrych: its hot i am just playing
    Sylectra Darwin: thanks Dakini
    Terri Holrych: :)
    Rajah Yalin: i have my camera face on
    Sylectra Darwin: Gotcha!


    With this large a group, it seemed like a good occasion for a poll, concerning a possible addition to formats for our meetings.

    Pema Pera: now that we have crowd, let me throw out a question for you: I have been thinking about introducing a variation to the theme of our normal gatherings: how about occasionally starting with a dialogue with two people, for the first 30 minutes, followed by a free for all for everybody to join in the next 30 minutes?
    Dakini Rhode: good camera face
    Pema Pera: that way we can get really deeply into a topic first
    Pema Pera: and then all join
    Dakini Rhode: o he would snap while i’m talking…
    Pema Pera: perhaps a few times a week
    Sylectra Darwin: Well Hello Doug (waves from behind camera)
    Pema Pera: :)
    stevenaia Michinaga: which two Pema?
    Pema Pera: whoever likes!
    Pema Pera: we can ask for volunteers
    doug Sosa: hi. Pema, an hour is too long for me now.
    doug Sosa: But ocasionally.
    Dakini Rhode: i agree an hour seems long
    Thor Friedlander: do all of you know each other?
    Pema Pera: in practice, though, many of our meetings last an hour
    Thor Friedlander: I’ve got an hour
    stevenaia Michinaga: things end when people leave, I’ve been here for 90 action pacted minutes sometimes
    Pema Pera: and like with the other meetings, there is no obligation to stay here for an hour
    Rajah Yalin: if you don’t know me, read the PaB blog
    Pema Pera: only the two designated speakers :)
    doug Sosa: excellent. But i like the spontaneity of being able to enter,
    doug Sosa: and the spontaneity of not entering.
    Pema Pera: Thor, most of us come here regularly
    Thor Friedlander: nice, is this a daily thing?
    Pema Pera: sure, most meetings will remain the same, Doug
    Pema Pera: four times a day, Thor
    Pema Pera: 1 and 7, both am and pm
    Rajah Yalin: 4 times a day 7 days a week
    Pema Pera: see http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/

    I continued to sketch the option of introducing a few sessions that would be more focused, with two discussants for starters.

    Pema Pera: So really the only change would be
    Pema Pera: that a few times a week
    Pema Pera: there will be a session in which everybody else
    Pema Pera: besides the two speakers
    Thor Friedlander: I can usually make a 7pm time…conveinient being a west coaster
    Pema Pera: have to shut up for the first half hour
    Pema Pera: :)
    Thor Friedlander: ok
    Pema Pera: welcome any time, Thor
    Rajah Yalin: what would the speakers say though
    stevenaia Michinaga: and 10:00 is great for the east coast
    Pema Pera: they can say what they like, Rajah
    Pema Pera: The idea is to go a bit deeper into one topic
    Pema Pera: very often we have a fascinating discussion for 5 to 10 minutes
    Pema Pera: and then somehow we move in a very different direction
    doug Sosa: I keep being at dinner time, like tonight i get to cook, so i will need to leave in ten minutes.
    Thor Friedlander: how is the speaker designated
    Pema Pera: volunteers, Thor
    Pema Pera: Most of you are on the guardian email group, which we can use for communication; those who aren’t and would like to volunteer can just send me an IM
    doug Sosa: guardian email list?
    Thor Friedlander: I would like to be on that list
    Pia Iger: Pema, I think 3 persons is better than 2 person.
    doug Sosa: Yes!
    Pema Pera: that’s another option, Pia
    Pema Pera: we could do both

    Pia brought up an interesting idea, to use three discussants instead of two.

    Pema Pera: guardians are individuals who have volunteered to be “greeters” here
    doug Sosa: ah!
    Pema Pera: and who are here to make sure there is at least one person for each session
    Pema Pera: They “guard” a minimal presence
    Pema Pera: I would hate to see someone new coming here and not finding anyone
    Pia Iger: agree.
    Rajah Yalin: it’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it ;)
    Pema Pera: (^_^)
    Pema Pera: I think 7 of the 10 here are guardians
    doug Sosa: how come happy and yogi and adams are lit and the rest of us are not?
    stevenaia Michinaga: lit?
    stevenaia Michinaga: I think it;s a proximity thing
    Sylectra Darwin: those are face lights.
    Pia Iger: Me and Adams are new guardians.
    doug Sosa: like adams, bright.
    doug Sosa: Face lights?
    Pia Iger: Why Rajah think it is tough job?
    Rajah Yalin: I was joking, Pia
    Sylectra Darwin: Oh you mean the white dots over the heads?
    Sylectra Darwin: Voice chat enabled.
    Dakini Rhode: face lights are invisible prims which light up your face
    Pia Iger: you scared me.
    Rajah Yalin: haha sorry
    doug Sosa: no, cloth.
    Pia Iger: Kidding back.
    doug Sosa: need to go. bye.

    Doug left, Terri returned, and Dakini left as well.

    stevenaia Michinaga: sometime the discussion centers on an important word, like the impossibly difficult word to define like Being
    Pia Iger: I am eager to see if we can start some interesting topic tonight with so many people
    stevenaia Michinaga: or as important as compassion
    Pema Pera: wb Terri!
    Dakini Rhode: if you will excuse me, I need to be leaving
    stevenaia Michinaga: or how to spell it
    Rajah Yalin: Namaste
    Rajah Yalin: take care
    Pema Pera: you’re excused, Dakini! :)
    stevenaia Michinaga: bye Dakini
    Terri Holrych: sorry
    Dakini Rhode: Namaste
    Terri Holrych: i crashed
    Pia Iger: see you. Dakini.
    Adams Rubble: bye
    Terri Holrych: peace dakini
    Rajah Yalin: bye Da
    Rajah Yalin: welcome back Terri

    Pia started her experiment, to see whether a large crowd could meaningfully talk about a single topic — an interesting attempt, which turned out to be quite successful.

    Pia Iger: How about we talk about compassion?
    Terri Holrych: thanks
    Sylectra Darwin: Lovely topic
    stevenaia Michinaga: if only to correct my spelling, thank you
    Thor Friedlander: an excellent choice…i suspect there is an abundance of that here
    Pia Iger: oh? how?
    stevenaia Michinaga: is it not something that we all desire, yet there seems to be so much that gets in it;s way (thinking about the starte of the world)
    Rajah Yalin: your shirt is the story of my life Terri
    stevenaia Michinaga: haha Rajah
    Terri Holrych: me too
    Rajah Yalin: the, uh… second one that is..
    Pia Iger: I never thought that way, Setve.
    Terri Holrych: its definitely the story of my life
    Terri Holrych: are u a monk
    Terri Holrych: lol
    Rajah Yalin: yep but the hat is more-or-less a decoration
    stevenaia Michinaga: well lets see if its more or less true then
    Terri Holrych: :)
    stevenaia Michinaga: it can;t be that difficult to be compassionate, can it?
    Rajah Yalin: its easier to show compassion than hatred
    stevenaia Michinaga: all you have to do is… fill in the blank
    Thor Friedlander: it can be when im pissed off and grumpy
    Terri Holrych: i think there are times it is difficult to be compassionate
    Terri Holrych: i am bitchy
    stevenaia Michinaga: yes, but what do you receive from being pissed off and grumpy?
    Rajah Yalin: but your a lady
    Rajah Yalin: haha just kidding…
    Terri Holrych: geez
    Terri Holrych: sometimes when you are hurt by someone you have to be compassionate but its hard
    Thor Friedlander: i usually get more grumpy, so i settle into something more comfortable, like resignation
    stevenaia Michinaga: help us with resignation Thor?
    Thor Friedlander: compasion can be speaking honestly even when it is uncomfortable, and still choosing kindness over bluntness
    Thor Friedlander: i must admit i am inn a new place here and i am not being myself…speaking clumsily and not very centered.. i will be content to listen until i feel more a part of the group

    Adams encouraged Thor, in the same way that she had been encouraged by us to keep her blog online. Steve and Pia followed Adams’ example. This was one wonderful example of the mutual support that the PaB players give each other, in a low-key and very open way.

    Adams Rubble: That was a great coment Thor
    Adams Rubble: Hard to do
    stevenaia Michinaga: there are no rules, you can be more yourself here than anywhere
    Pia Iger: yes. Thor, you did well.
    stevenaia Michinaga: take advantage
    Terri Holrych: sorry i got called away
    Terri Holrych: :(
    stevenaia Michinaga: bye terri
    Thor Friedlander: i still am not used to people “poofing” away like that
    Rajah Yalin: it happens
    stevenaia Michinaga: wait till they land on you when they arrive
    Adams Rubble: )
    Sylectra Darwin: I thought they were just being friendly : )
    Rajah Yalin: or sit on you

    Pia successfully turned the conversation topic back to compassion.

    Pia Iger: sounds like it is easy for us to feel compassionate, but hard to act on it?
    stevenaia Michinaga: Do you mean feeling the gift of compassion from someone else Pia?
    Rajah Yalin: I think it feels better to act on it than not
    stevenaia Michinaga: if you can call it a gift
    Rajah Yalin: endorphins
    Adams Rubble: I think that to be compassionate we have to be in a fame of mind where it comes naturally
    Adams Rubble: frame of mind
    stevenaia Michinaga: I think it’s a special from of mind, yes
    Rajah Yalin: that’s where green tea comes in
    stevenaia Michinaga: apart from the grumpy and bitchy places
    Pia Iger: when I say “feel compassionate”, I mean my heart feels love or kindness to someone.
    Pia Iger: but at the same time, I may feel hard to have the love/kind action.
    stevenaia Michinaga: hard? what would prevent it/
    stevenaia Michinaga: what stops you?
    Pia Iger: thinking…
    Adams Rubble: bye all
    Rajah Yalin: how do you get in the ‘compassionate’ state of mind?
    Rajah Yalin: Namaste
    Thor Friedlander: bye
    stevenaia Michinaga: wonders where humanities road blocks to compassion are, Pia?
    Pia Iger: bye.

    Adams left, and the conversation continued.

    Pia Iger: many blocks.
    stevenaia Michinaga: is it a state of mind or an act toward another?
    stevenaia Michinaga: or both
    Pia Iger: we felt sympathy to unfortunate people, but we rarely do anything about it.
    Sylectra Darwin: good question, steven
    Pia Iger: I think there is distance between state of mind and the act.
    stevenaia Michinaga: compassion toward oneself somethign I hadn’t considered
    Sylectra Darwin: I think that has to come first.
    Pema Pera: yes, I think that is the basis
    Pema Pera: love others as yourself means also: love yourself as others
    Pema Pera: but who are you and who are we all?
    Pema Pera: we often make the mistake of trying to love the role we are playing
    Pema Pera: and not the real “i”
    Thor Friedlander: i get joy from acts , or even thoughts, of compassion
    Hotaru Myoo: ah…love the role
    Pema Pera: :)
    stevenaia Michinaga: love and acceptance of who and what you are are critical to everything that comesfrom within us
    stevenaia Michinaga: the role then dissappears
    Pia Iger: role changes.
    Pema Pera: yes, Steve, and in that way compassion can help to find what we are, rather than what we have (like roles)
    Thor Friedlander: we are at the border of a coverstaion on “being”
    Pema Pera: we can take on roles, and take them off
    Pema Pera: so we have them

    Steve asked a very pertinent question.

    stevenaia Michinaga: isn;t Being no role, or just another role?
    Pema Pera: yes, Thor, Being :)
    Pema Pera: Being is beyond roles
    Pema Pera: beyond people too
    Pema Pera: beyond beings
    Pema Pera: beyond any dichotomy
    Sylectra Darwin: I love it, Pema
    Pia Iger: I don’t get it.
    Pema Pera: Being is closer to you than your heart, and more concrete and real and direct than anything else
    Pema Pera: even though it may sound abstract
    Pema Pera: that’s a problem we have to chew on here :)
    Pema Pera: amazing that we can even talk about it!
    Sylectra Darwin: chomp!
    stevenaia Michinaga: lol
    Pema Pera: haha
    Pema Pera: bon appetit
    Sylectra Darwin: what does being taste like?
    Thor Friedlander: being is the only solid thing…all else are pictures, words ,and illusions

    I liked Thor’s way of capturing the essence, but didn’t get around to respond to it at that moment.

    Pema Pera: I can’t tell you what Being is
    Pema Pera: but I can give some suggestions how to see it
    Pema Pera: drop what you have and find what you are
    stevenaia Michinaga: listens
    Pema Pera: what you are is Being
    Pema Pera: so in the 9 seconds
    Pema Pera: one thing you can do
    Pema Pera: is look for anything that comes up
    Pema Pera: and see: have or is?
    Pema Pera: if have then drop
    Pema Pera: and open further for IS
    Pema Pera: and don’t try to be successful
    Pema Pera: don’t try to reach/gain/grab
    Pema Pera: just do it and trust Being
    Pema Pera: Being will show itself
    Pema Pera: like a mother to a child
    stevenaia Michinaga: it being devoid of good and bad? or assumed goodness?
    Pema Pera: Being is closer to us than a mother
    Pema Pera: beyond good and bad, Steve
    Pema Pera: can express itself in both
    Pema Pera: does express itsefl in both
    Pema Pera: all the time
    stevenaia Michinaga: so there is no moral or ethical basis of being? (since it is in all of us)
    Pema Pera: you might saw, a bit crudely: while we speak, Being is playing us — inviting us to return the compliment by Playing Being — with the chance of making a short circuit — pooff
    Pema Pera: no basis, indeed
    Pema Pera: Being is moral
    Pema Pera: not a basis for morality
    Pema Pera: beyond what we normally cal moral and amoral
    Pema Pera: we need a new word
    Pema Pera: Moral
    Pema Pera: with M rather than m
    Pema Pera: Being is Good
    Pema Pera: but beyond good and bad
    Pema Pera: etc

    Time for Rajah to leave, after which Holden joined us.

    Rajah Yalin: I must go
    Rajah Yalin: Namaste
    Pia Iger: Trust Being, I want to chew on that.
    Pia Iger: bye, R
    Pema Pera: bye Rajah!
    Pema Pera: enjoy your meal :)
    Hotaru Myoo: Ciao
    Rajah Yalin: bye everyone
    Thor Friedlander: nice to sit with you rajah
    Pema Pera: if you’d like to chew too
    Hotaru Myoo: lol
    Pema Pera: Hi Holden!
    Holden Henig: hi
    stevenaia Michinaga: I am worried… yes we can trust Being, but what about Bad people who seek Being,
    Holden Henig: can i sit?
    Pema Pera: of course!
    Holden Henig: thanks!
    Pema Pera: Steve, this is a complex topic
    stevenaia Michinaga: are you suggesting they will find goodness?
    Pema Pera: actually too simple to easily see, hence it looks complex
    stevenaia Michinaga: ..smile
    Pema Pera: so we have to go really slowly
    stevenaia Michinaga: yes I know and it;s lunch time
    Pema Pera: we can be very easily be misunderstood here

    Thor brought up the tension between being and doing.

    Thor Friedlander: how do i continue in my conscious Being while i am Doing
    Pema Pera: step one: on the level of Being there are no beings, no people
    Sylectra Darwin: what a delightful question, Thor
    Pema Pera: as soon as we talk about a person doing this or that, we have lost of Being already . . . .
    Pema Pera: Being continues Thor
    Pema Pera: you don’t have to do anything
    Pema Pera: Hi Luzifer!
    Pema Pera: come join us
    Thor Friedlander: resting in my Being while Doing may center me
    Pema Pera: not your Being Thor

    I meant to say that Being is not “your” Being, it is beyond individuals, beyond any notion of beings. Meanwhile Luzifer had joined us.

    stevenaia Michinaga: yes, I remember that star trek episode
    Pema Pera: I’m talking very radically now
    Pema Pera: and I am happy to talk in more relative ways too
    Pema Pera: there is room for both kinds of speech
    Pema Pera: relatively speaking, sure, Thor, what you say makes a lot of sense
    Pema Pera: and can be very helpful
    Pema Pera: but ultimately, the best and most powerful Source is Being itself
    Pema Pera: so much more simple and easy than anything else we can try
    Pema Pera: and a playful attitude is the easiest way to get into it, so to speak
    Pema Pera: hence Play as BEing
    Holden Henig: :)
    Thor Friedlander: aren’t we all Being equally at the same time regardless of any individuals awareness of Being?
    Pema Pera: well, sort-of
    Pema Pera: we have to go slow
    Holden Henig: does being require awareness of being?
    Pema Pera: and be careful of what we talk about
    Holden Henig: is that the question?
    Sylectra Darwin: aha!
    Pema Pera: Being is not part of the movie or story or dream that we have bought into . . . .
    Pema Pera: Being doesn’t require anything
    Pema Pera: Being IS
    Pema Pera: we can’t add or subtract or change anything to that
    Pema Pera: yet Being is not static
    Pema Pera: beyond dynamic and static
    Pema Pera: much more dynamic than what we call dynamic
    Pema Pera: much more stable than static
    Pema Pera: :-)
    Thor Friedlander: how does this understanding help someone…?

    Thor asked the crucial question. Clearly, this question will continue to hold our attention over the months and years to come. I look forward to all of us coming back to this question, from many directions. In this context, I just gave a rather broad characterization, more a gesture.

    Pema Pera: solves all problems, Thor
    Pema Pera: solve like in dissolve
    Pema Pera: you see
    Pema Pera: and laugh
    Pema Pera: pooff
    Pema Pera: freedom
    Pema Pera: simplicity
    Pema Pera: openness
    Pema Pera: in short : love
    Thor Friedlander: that sounds as easy as holding a cloud
    Holden Henig: You see that there are no problems to solve, and that is the goodness of it?
    Pema Pera: Being holds you, Thor
    Pema Pera: you can’t hold Being
    Pema Pera: Being already holds you
    Pema Pera: we just have to learn to see that
    stevenaia Michinaga: If I may propose an analogy, yes finding happyness that you didn;t once have, I suspect being is the same way, available to you when you find it within yourself, ot when it finds you
    Pema Pera: you see, Holden, that we try in the wrong way to solve anything
    Thor Friedlander: my child self feels happy and safe here…thank you all
    Pema Pera: stop trying and the freedom of the Universe is yours

    That was a quote from Nisargadatta. Steve had just given a interestingly different description, but it would take just a bit before I could come back to that one.

    Holden Henig: I am the universe realizing that it exists?
    Pema Pera: Thanks, Thor :)
    Pema Pera: Well, in a way, Holden
    Pema Pera: but what that means is very tricky
    Pema Pera: at first
    Pema Pera: so very very very easily misunderstood
    Thor Friedlander: i hope to visit with you all later
    Pema Pera: bye Thor!
    Holden Henig: bye Thor
    Pema Pera: come back any time!
    stevenaia Michinaga: nice meeting you Thor
    Thor Friedlander: i carry away a peace feeling/filling
    Pia Iger: bye, Thor.
    Sylectra Darwin: nite, Thor
    Pema Pera: glad to hear that

    We all had to smile about Thor’s gentle conclusion.

    Pema Pera: yes, Steve, your analogy is great
    Pema Pera: seeing a glimpse of Being is two things
    Pema Pera: meeting a happiness you did not consider possible
    Pema Pera: AND finding what you always had already, staring you in the face
    Pema Pera: VERY paradoxical
    Pema Pera: can’t say it in words
    Pema Pera: very natural once you see it
    Pema Pera: this is the reason that zen masters just burst out in laughter when they see it
    Pema Pera: and then when they teach, they know
    Pema Pera: they are selling water next to the river
    Pema Pera: how odd . . . . . .
    Pia Iger: interesting metaphor
    stevenaia Michinaga: yes
    Holden Henig: lol Pema
    stevenaia Michinaga: it helps
    Pema Pera: actually the bottled water industry is taking a hint from zen :)
    Pema Pera: doing pretty well . . . .
    Pia Iger: haha
    Pema Pera: amazing trick
    Pema Pera: Luzifer, it must be odd for you to drop in, in the middle of this conversation :)
    Pema Pera: Do you mind if we mention your name in the blog?
    Pema Pera: we normally add some of our conversations as well
    stevenaia Michinaga: he melts nicely into the grass, a good start


    Indeed, Luzifer looked very comfortable, stretched out in the grass between us.

    Pema Pera: to http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/
    Luzifer Kanto: Blog?
    Pema Pera: if you prefer not to be mentioned that is fine too
    Pema Pera: just let me know
    Pema Pera: by default I include much of the conversations here on http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/
    Luzifer Kanto: I dont’t care
    Pema Pera: it also has background
    Pema Pera: thank you!
    Luzifer Kanto: there is nothing to care about ;)
    Pema Pera: yes, you look the most relaxed of us all here !
    Pema Pera: (^_^)
    Luzifer Kanto: It’s not odd…I know what your’re talking about…
    Pema Pera: great!
    Luzifer Kanto: I’m not here by accident ;)
    Pema Pera: haha, glad to hear that
    Pema Pera: well, you see how quickly an hour goes by
    Pema Pera: one and a half hour almost
    Pema Pera: I really ought to get going
    Luzifer Kanto: It’s5:20 here in Germany
    Luzifer Kanto: AM
    stevenaia Michinaga: thanks pema
    Pema Pera: thank you all for the wonderful conversation
    Pema Pera: wow, Luzi, are you up early
    Pema Pera: or up late?
    Pia Iger: see you, pema.
    Hotaru Myoo: ciao all!
    Pema Pera: bye Pia!
    Luzifer Kanto: no… I’m still awake ;)
    Luzifer Kanto: bye Pia
    Pema Pera: bye Hotaru!
    Pema Pera: Bye Luzifer, Holden
    Sylectra Darwin: Bye hotaru
    Pia Iger: bye, all. until next time.
    Pema Pera: and bye Steve and Syl!
    Hotaru Myoo: I’ll get this mornings’ log to you…
    Sylectra Darwin: Bye Pema!
    Sylectra Darwin: Take care
    Hotaru Myoo: Bye Syl
    Pema Pera: Thanks, Hotaru!

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