That night, at 1 am SLT, when I arrive at the pavilion I find Fael sitting there already.
Fael Illyar: Hello Pema
Pema Pera: Hi there, Fael, nice to know I’m right on time, with the bell!
Fael Illyar: :)
Pema Pera: Lovely outfit, a new one?
Faenik: could be
Fael Illyar: One of the three I bought around a week ago but didn’t use yet
Pema Pera: Faenik looks a little quiet amidst all the color, knowing he is so black himself — but with big blue eyes :)
Fael Illyar: :)
Pema Pera: I just spent much of the day putting up new blog entries . . . .
Pema Pera: and I really enjoyed reading what you said about not being bored anymore
Pema Pera: that at any time, anything can become a source of meditation
Pema Pera: (I’m just saying it in my own words)
Fael Illyar: Well, it’s not completely gone yet. Sometimes there is this strange boredom that somehow makes you unwilling to do anything but still is like that. But that’s rare and I might already have a faint idea of how to keep that away too.
Pema Pera: by just watching it, perhaps?
Pema Pera: exploring it that way?
Fael Illyar: perhaps. it’s always tended go away if I’ve complained about it to someone and recently I’ve started recognising it before I’m fully there.
Fael Illyar: seems to be easy to divert if I notice it early enough.
Pema Pera: How about trying to keep it, as an experiment, to hold it in your hand so to speak, would that be possible perhaps?
Fael Illyar: It tends to start evaporating the moment I see it. I’m not sure if that’s my doing or if it simply can’t exist when I’m paying attention.
Fael Illyar: if I get fully to it, it prevents me from really looking at it somehow.
Pema Pera: yes, that happens with many emotions and moods
Pema Pera: As soon as you look anger or fear in the face, it already loses some of its sting . . . .
Faenik: indeed?
I take the opportunity of a lull in the conversation, to talk about Being.
Pema Pera: If I may shift the topic to Being
Pema Pera: (my favorite topic :)
Pema Pera: is there anything you’d like to share, comment, ask?
Fael Illyar: I’ve been having especially few questions lately. Although that’s probably partially in my approach to things.
Fael Illyar: I tend to think about things for a while, then stop and sort of forget about them until I somehow get reminded and by then I usually have something figured out
Pema Pera: Letting questions die down or even die out can be a great way of stopping and dropping
Fael Illyar: That’s been the way I think about things for years … I’m not sure exactly how many but I can’t remember doing it any other way anymore.
Fael Illyar: Although, I guess we could get some topics from yesterday’s session with Caspian and Sheena. I don’t think that was concluded, really.
Pema Pera: Indeed
Faenik: なるほど^^
Pema Pera: I’ve just read so many blogs, I’d have to remember exactly where we left off
Pema Pera: Do you?
Fael Illyar: No, not really, I’d have to read it again
Pema Pera: Sheena brought up reality, what you find when you drop what you have and what is not real
Pema Pera: Being as I like to call it
Pema Pera: Interestingly, Buddhism often talks about emptiness
Pema Pera: a very cautious word
Pema Pera: little misunderstanding
Pema Pera: not this not that
Pema Pera: yet openness is a bit more positive
Pema Pera: and even more positive is to stress that this “emptiness”
Pema Pera: or “openness” or “suchness”
Pema Pera: or “Being”
Pema Pera: can actually be a resource
Pema Pera: Stim likes to talk about Being as a resource.
Faenik: ah :)
Pema Pera: Does that ring any bell — no pun intended?
Pema Pera: Does that make some sense?
Faenik is a hairy black ball with eyes and ears.
Fael Illyar: Being as a resource … Well, considering that I think about things, then, at least consciously, forget about them until I remember them again and somehow I understand more then than right when I forgot about it.
Fael Illyar: Would that be using Being as a resource?
Pema Pera: yes, in some sense, but I meant it a bit more broadly –
Pema Pera: like everything in our realm has Being as its Source
Fael Illyar: I’ve been thinking that I’m leaving those for my subconscious to handle so far :)
Pema Pera: and at any given moment we can fall back on that Source
I tried to convey a sense of how Being can be seen and felt and in some sense also directly utilized as a resource.
Pema Pera: yes, what you say is a great example, and part of what I had in mind
Pema Pera: but in addition, breathing for example, or just moving a finger
Pema Pera: everything that we think we do
Pema Pera: rests on the power of Being
Pema Pera: (words are dangerous here but)
Pema Pera: the joy in anything, the sadness, the force, whatever
Pema Pera: it is all directly coming from Being, like the light of a movie coming from a projector — but even far more directly in fact
Pema Pera: So coming back to yesterday
Pema Pera: when Caspian talked about the beautiful kind of practice he is doing
Pema Pera: chanting Quan Yin’s name
Pema Pera: extremely powerful when you can tune in what that
Pema Pera: or more accurately, when you can let Her chant
Pema Pera: that, too, comes from Being
Pema Pera: and Meesha’s previous work with a Course in Miracles
Pema Pera: and the lightness and freedom she found
Pema Pera: comes from Being
Pema Pera: So to sum up:
Pema Pera: normally we use Being in a very very very indirect way
Pema Pera: by eating, breathing, walking, talking, chanting, praying, meditating
Fael Illyar: Unfortunately, I can’t say I see what you mean.
Pema Pera: but it is possible to shortcircuit all that and DIRECTLY let Being be the Source from which it all flows — directly find access
Pema Pera: Yes, I understand, Fael, it took me decades to see that clearly
Pema Pera: and my hope is to help others to see that in years, rather than decades — and of course doing so is helping me in turn to see it more and more clearly
Faenik: could be
:-)
Pema Pera: From what you have reported now from half a dozen occasions, it is very clear that you have an intuition of how Being can be a Source
Pema Pera: which is really wonderful
Pema Pera: and has he potential to make everything so very much more easy — exploring, living, searching, enjoying and of course helping others in the process
Fael Illyar: which occasions?
Pema Pera: oh, the dreams you talked about for example
Pema Pera: some other things you said at different occasions
Pema Pera: if you look back in the blogs where Stim responded to what you said — he is not overly praising :) When he says “yes, that’s it” you can be sure you’re getting warm, as they say in the children’s game, closer (don’t know in which countries — in Finland too?)
Fael Illyar: I tend to do a lot of things intuitively and understanding then comes later if at all
Pema Pera: I suggest that you just take the notion of “Being as a Resource” for the next several days
Pema Pera: and whenever you have a chance — during the 9-sec and/or in between
Pema Pera: you can just look around you at anything happening
Pema Pera: energy flowing and being used, physical energy, mental energy
Pema Pera: anything happening in any which way
Pema Pera: all phenomena
Fael Illyar: Hi Moon
Pema Pera: all appearances
Moon Fargis: hello you two :)
Pema Pera: and tell yourself: this, too, has Being as its source
Pema Pera: is flowing directly from Being
Pema Pera: Hi Moon!
Pema Pera: we’re babbling about Being
Pema Pera: :)
Moon Fargis: bib being babbling bubbles then
Moon Fargis: g
Moon walked in and joined us.
Pema Pera: I’d be very interested to hear how that will be for you, Fael
Pema Pera: bubbling over while blabbering on about Being, Moon?
Fael Illyar: Well, I have no idea if I understood exactly what you’re suggesting but … well maybe it happens.
Pema Pera: let’s say that someone tells you about electricity
Pema Pera: and you don’t know much about it
Pema Pera: but when you plug something with a cord into the wall
Pema Pera: into an electric outlet
Pema Pera: somehow the machine works
Pema Pera: and you may have no idea about electrons and voltage
Faenik is a hairy black ball with eyes and ears.
Pema Pera: but you can observe and try to see what is going on, as a curious tourist who comes into a land with electricity for the first time in her life
Pema Pera: Similarly, you can try at all that appears and ask yourself: what fuels this?
Pema Pera: So let’s try and see, and we can come back to it in a day — or a few days
Fael Illyar: Hello Caspian, Libby
Pema Pera: Hi there, Casp and Libby!
Moon Fargis: hi libby, caspian
Pema Pera: Great seeing you both
Caspian Inglewood: hello
Libby Sohl: hello everyone
Caspian and Libby walked in as well, and then there were five of us, quite a large group for the 1 am night sessions.
Caspian Inglewood: hmmm, more than usual
Caspian Inglewood: hi Libby, Moon
Pema Pera: Thanks for sharing with us your Quan Yin practice, yesterday, Caspian!
Fael Illyar: These morning meetings are growing.
Libby Sohl: hello
Caspian Inglewood: haha, no problem
Pema Pera: Have you visited the Quan Yin terraces that Storm made here?
Pema Pera: with Her statues?
Caspian Inglewood: here?
Caspian Inglewood: i do not think so
Pema Pera: yes, in Mieum
Pema Pera: the sim to the East of here
Pema Pera: Oh, you should go
Caspian Inglewood: okay, ty
Pema Pera: Wonderful statues
Pema Pera: Chinese but probably similar in Korean versions I’d guess
Caspian Inglewood: well i will be renting residential quarters at zndo soon
Caspian Inglewood: zendo soon
Caspian Inglewood: so will need statues
Pema Pera: which zendo is that?
Moon Fargis: caspian: i sell statues at hikari
Caspian Inglewood: the one in my hover text
Caspian Inglewood: Doujouji
Caspian Inglewood: over in little yoshiwara
Caspian Inglewood: I saw that
Caspian Inglewood: i will probably buy from there
Caspian Inglewood: who is picture of hanging?
Pema Pera: which picture?
Caspian Inglewood: in hikari?
Moon recognizes the picture that Caspian was talking about.
Moon Fargis: ah dogen
Caspian Inglewood: he has picture of Dalai Lama and a Zen priest
Caspian Inglewood: I am curious who
Moon Fargis: dogen:)
Caspian Inglewood: that is Dogen?
Moon Fargis: yep
Caspian Inglewood: I have never seen such a depiction
Caspian Inglewood: perfect
Moon Fargis: oh but i think i have to meke them buyable first
Caspian Inglewood: it is buyable
Caspian Inglewood: was $30 i think
Moon Fargis: ah ok
Caspian Inglewood: yah
Caspian Inglewood: would anyone like to hear short talk?
Pema Pera: what kind of talk?
Caspian Inglewood: ha ha, dharma talk
Caspian Inglewood: maybe not right place
Caspian Inglewood: I just uploaded
Pema Pera: voice or text?
Caspian Inglewood: voice
Pema Pera: we’re generally only using text here, but if you give us a URL we can later listen to it
Caspian Inglewood: no url, just sound files…so no problem
Caspian Inglewood: just a new toy
Pema Pera: lots of toys in SL :)
Moon Fargis: yes
Caspian Inglewood: this is true
Fael Illyar: Yes, SL is full of toys :)
Caspian Inglewood: Moon, tell me
Fael Illyar has even made a couple.
Caspian Inglewood: if I sent you a folder of sound clips
Faenik: why not?
Caspian Inglewood: could you make them play in specific order?
Moon Fargis: yes
Moon Fargis: but you cant trasfer a whole folder afaik
Fael Illyar: you can, just drag the folder on the target’s AV
Moon Fargis: hmm well i told this to other people too, the only thing i got then was the folder with no contenst :)
Moon Fargis: maybe it was a bug in sl
Fael Illyar: well, only copies/moves the things that aren’t (no transfer)
Moon Fargis: just try caspian :)
Fael Illyar: moving happens if they’re (no copy)
Caspian Inglewood: okay
Caspian Inglewood: how much for your services?
Moon Fargis: we will see how long i take:)
Caspian Inglewood: numbered 1 to 10
Caspian Inglewood: okay
Moon Fargis: ah it worked
Caspian Inglewood: good!
Moon Fargis: hmm give me some time caspian :)
Libby starts a new topic, but then has to leave soon.
Libby Sohl: i had an interesting conversation yesterday about whether universal metaphor can ever be a useful tool
Fael Illyar: universal metaphor?
Libby Sohl: a metaphor that can be applied across a range of situations
Libby Sohl: its a bit hard to explain
Pema Pera: you mean like our term Being also?
Pema Pera: in a way to most universal term possible :)
Libby Sohl: ooo sorry to leave in the middle of a conversation i need to go an help a friend
Faenik loves wells!
Fael Illyar: Ok, Bye Libby.
Pema Pera: come back soon, Libby!
Libby Sohl: bye Fael, caspian, pema and moon
Libby Sohl: I will
Fael Illyar: Just when it was getting interesting :/
Pema Pera: :)
Pema Pera: Caspian shall we go visit the Quan Yin area nearby?
Pema Pera: if you have a few minutes left
Caspian Inglewood: yah, in a few moments
Pema Pera: Have you seen it, Fael?
Fael Illyar: I’ve been there I think.
Pema Pera: and of course you know the area here, Moon
Caspian Inglewood: okay, we can go
Pema Pera: okay!
We then all fly to the large Quan Yin Statue that Storm has created, on top of a rock party with a waterfall. It takes a bit for all four of us to meet again within ear shot, at the foot of the waterfall.
Caspian Inglewood: I think he is away
Pema Pera: If you move your camera to the top
Caspian Inglewood: ah yes I see now
Caspian Inglewood: had to rez
Pema Pera: you see a large Quan Yin statue
Pema Pera: yes
Pema Pera: how do you call Her again in Korean?
Caspian Inglewood: very nice
Caspian Inglewood: kwan seum bosal
Pema Pera: ah yes
Pema Pera: Storm here feels a very strong connection with Quan Yin
Caspian Inglewood: yah, she is the fundamental bodhisattva archetype
Pema Pera: You may not have met him yet. He has build this waterfall
Caspian Inglewood: although the Tibetans mostly consider as a male entity
Caspian Inglewood: but the Japanese almost always depict as female
Caspian Inglewood: I may have met
Caspian Inglewood: is he samurai?
Pema Pera: and he has created the rivers around and up to the pavilion where we gather
Pema Pera: he generally wears a red robe
Pema Pera: like a Buddhist monk
Caspian Inglewood: ah okay
Pema Pera: not samurai
Caspian Inglewood: I have not met then
Pema Pera: Have you met Isen?
Pema Pera: This is Isen’s hut here to the left
Caspian Inglewood: yes, i have met Isen
Fael Illyar: Isen was at one of the meetings where Caspian was too but he was quite quiet back then
Caspian Inglewood: we had a conversation in zendo other day
Caspian Inglewood: very nice
Caspian Inglewood: he runs bookshop in rl
Fael Illyar: Ah, met elsewhere :)
Pema Pera: A quiet Isen, not babbling? :)
Faenik is a hairy black ball with eyes and ears.
Pema Pera: yes, when he is busy
Caspian Inglewood: I met here and elsewhere
Caspian Inglewood: I invited him there
Caspian Inglewood: he wanted tour
Pema Pera: Have you see our forest in Magoja, Caspian?
Pema Pera: Also created by Storm
Caspian Inglewood: probably passing through
Caspian Inglewood: this is large area to cover
Pema Pera: Yes, let me quickly go there and will tp if we get lost
I quickly flew to Magoja, and from there sent tps.
Caspian Inglewood: moon, it is very nice having radar
Caspian Inglewood: you always know who is in area
Pema Pera: yes, very convenient
Moon Fargis: yes i maybe get soms someday
Caspian Inglewood: I will show you one for free sometime
Moon Fargis: brb have to fix something in hikari
Caspian Inglewood: it is in yoshiwara
Caspian Inglewood: okay
Fael Illyar: I’m using free version of mystitool for a radar
Faenik: ah :)
Fael Illyar: it’s got a lot of other features too
Caspian Inglewood: I use TNM Avatar Radar HUD
Caspian Inglewood: so this is forest
Caspian Inglewood: wb moon
Moon Fargis: ok back :)
Caspian Inglewood takes a humble bow
Caspian Inglewood: pema, do you have humble bow gesture?
Pema Pera: this one?
Caspian Inglewood: that was gassho, yes?
Pema Pera: yes
Pema Pera: you type “/gassho”
Caspian Inglewood: ah this bow is a bit deeper
Caspian Inglewood: see
Caspian Inglewood takes a humble bow
Pema Pera: nice :)
Pema Pera: no dont’ have that one yet
Caspian Inglewood: would you like?
Pema Pera: sure!
Caspian Inglewood: let me find
Faenik loves wells!
Caspian Inglewood gave you Humble bow.
Caspian Inglewood: would anyone else like one?
Moon Fargis: sure :)
Pema Pera: Thanks, Casp!
Fael Illyar: sure
Moon Fargis: thx
Caspian Inglewood: sure Pema
Caspian Inglewood: np moon
Fael Illyar: I’d take one too
I try out the new gesture.
Pema Pera takes a humble bow
Caspian Inglewood: there you go
Fael Illyar takes a humble bow
Fael Illyar: thank you :)
Pema Pera takes a humble bow
Caspian Inglewood: sure, np
Pema Pera: now all I need is a real prostration :)
Moon Fargis takes a humble bow
Fael Illyar takes a humble bow
Caspian Inglewood: everyone taking humble bows
Caspian Inglewood: lol
Caspian Inglewood takes a humble bow
Moon Fargis: you mean head bumping on the ground pema?
Fael Illyar: ok, this one needs me to disable my AO as well.
Caspian Inglewood: you could probably find one in Muslim area
Pema Pera: yes, Moon
Caspian Inglewood: hmmm, what else do i have…?
Caspian Inglewood: i have instant meditation mat
Pema Pera: gently bumping
Caspian Inglewood: but you probably have
Moon Fargis: pema: well i never saw a use in this so i hever did one hehe
Pema Pera: :)
Caspian Inglewood: I would like one, too
Pema Pera: well, I think I’ll have to humbly leave now
Caspian Inglewood: if it is ever made
Caspian Inglewood: full prostration
Pema Pera: Good seeing you all!
Pema Pera: bye Casp, Moon, Fael
Caspian Inglewood: take care pema
Moon Fargis: bye pema
Caspian Inglewood takes a humble bow
Pema Pera takes a humble bow
Pema Pera: (typing only “hu” gives a different gesture it seems)
Somehow “hu” got abbreviated to a Hawaiian hula dance for me, though “hum” was enough to pick up the humble bow (and “hub” was simple a typo).
Caspian Inglewood takes a humble bow
Moon Fargis: /hu
Moon Fargis: ahh not here:)
Caspian Inglewood: looks like same gesture
Caspian Inglewood: without text
Caspian Inglewood takes a humble bow
Moon Fargis: ok i also have to go now, rl calls for a while
Moon Fargis: see you soon
Pema Pera: /hub
Moon Fargis takes a humble bow
Fael Illyar: Ok, see you later Moon :)
Pema Pera takes a humble bow
Caspian Inglewood: okay, stay in touch moon
Caspian Inglewood: just gestures with hands
Pema Pera: okay, lots of lag, frozen for a while, but now got it figured out
Pema Pera: okay, bfn!
Caspian Inglewood: see you all, i am off too
Caspian Inglewood: have good night
