2008.11.09 13:00 - PaB, Time, and Menageries

The guardian for this meeting was Maxine Walden.  The comments are hers, with some possible comments by Pema Pera at the end of the chatlog, following Maxine's having to leave. (And for some reason I am having trouble formatting the indentation for the dialog, so will post this chatlog without that indentation)

When I got to the pavilion Threedee and Adelene were there as two 
lions, however I did not at first see Adelene

Maxine Walden: hi, threedee
Maxine Walden: oh, and Adelene, sorry did not see you at first
Threedee Shepherd: hi maxine
Adelene Dawner chuckles. :)
Maxine Walden: (Adelene wonders how could Maxine have missed her!)

Doug then strode in at first across the fountain and then soon coming closer.  In a little while he seemed to prefer sitting on the edge of  the fountain, feet planted into the water.

Maxine Walden: here comes doug
Adelene Dawner giggles. "I blend in with the pillow, perhaps."
doug Sosa: hi all.
Maxine Walden: hi, doug, somehow you look a bit far away over there
doug Sosa: hi all
doug Sosa: better?
Maxine Walden: oh, doug, glad you came closer
doug Sosa: I was suggesting last night that if the rim wasnt there.
Maxine Walden: oh, yes, sitting on the rim of the pool, nice possibility
doug Sosa: but last night i could face the other way!

Adelene mentions some neat pillows she scripted and Pema comes in

Adelene Dawner: Check out the pillow pile, Doug. Click that and pick 
'cross pillow' and it'll rez one wherever you want. (Quad pillow is 
for us quadrupeds ^.^)
Maxine Walden: hi, Pema
Pema Pera: Hi everybody!
quen Oh: hello all! :-)
doug Sosa: there! :)
Maxine Walden: doug with feet in the water
Maxine Walden: all sorts of seating possibilities it seems
Threedee Shepherd: hi all
doug Sosa: the straw mat helsp too.
Maxine Walden: that is one of the things about the pavilion here I 
find, lots of openness for various possibilities

Quen then joins us, as does Gilles in the form of a large rather 
ferocious looking black wolf who settles in the proximity of the two 
lion avs of Threedee and Adelene  And soon the group comments of 
various aspects of the megagerie

Maxine Walden: hi quen
Adelene Dawner: That was Moon's idea - I like it. :)
Gilles Kuhn: hello all
Pema Pera: Hi Gilles!
Threedee Shepherd: old fear, no harm now
quen Oh: hello black wolfie :-)
Adelene Dawner shooshes Three. ^.^
Threedee Shepherd: oops ,eaningless, sorry
Adelene Dawner: ^.^
Threedee Shepherd: *meaningless
quen Oh: join the other predators here
quen Oh: lol
Gilles Kuhn: gosh a full lion pride....
Maxine Walden: hi gilles
quen Oh: is that for safety doug? that you sit in the water, as cats 
don't like water?
Gilles Kuhn: curiou i alway sink in PaB......
Riddle Sideways: hi everybody
Maxine Walden: Pema, what do you think of the lions and wolf behind you?
Maxine Walden: hi, Riddle
doug Sosa: maybe, feel less mouse like.
Riddle Sideways: just had a very nice balloon ride here
Pema Pera: I'm glad that Gilles is letting it al sink in . . . .
Pema Pera: Hi Riddle
quen Oh: hey Ridle
doug Sosa: hi
Gilles Kuhn: ao on
Riddle Sideways: was reading about sitting on the edge
Riddle Sideways: had to try
Maxine Walden: what's it like?
doug Sosa: it changes the scale of the space.
quen Oh: hehe funny all these animal ava's

Adelene then reminds those of her newly scripted pillows and there 
then is an amusing inter-twining of pillows for two and four legged 
creatures and  how it is to be nearby such potentially fearsome animals

Adelene Dawner: Did everybody see the new (beta version) pillow pile? 
It's a new thing I scripted, I think it'll be useful here.
quen Oh: it looks nice Adelene
Maxine Walden: thoughtful of you Adelene
Riddle Sideways: how does it work?
quen Oh: especially if you put lions on top of it :-)
Gilles Kuhn: i feel not on top of food chain tonight i wonder why ;-)
Adelene Dawner: It's not for looks - if you click it, it gives you a 
choice of pillows to sit on and rezzes the selected one at your feet, 
wherever you are, facing how you're facing.
Adelene Dawner: Right now, there's only two pillows in it - one for 
humans, one for quadrupeds.
Pema Pera: ah, it might be good to write that on a notecard, with a 
notecard dispenser near the pillows
Adelene Dawner: You do have to be standing for it to work right, 
otherwise the pillows wind up beneath the floor.
Adelene Dawner: I'll do so, Pem.
quen Oh: are you in a staring contest with Three and Adelene Gilles?
quen Oh: ah no more lol
Maxine Walden: hi, Adams
Gilles Kuhn: ? quen
Adelene Dawner: The pillows are temp-on-rez, too, and derez when you 
stand up, so it won't clutter up the place.
Pema Pera: Hi Adams!
Adams Dubrovna: Hello Maxine, Everyonre :)
Riddle Sideways: Hi adams
quen Oh: hi Adams
Adelene Dawner: How's it going, Adams?
Adelene Dawner: Any new thoughts?
Adams Dubrovna: No, no thinking today :)
Adelene Dawner: ^.^
Riddle Sideways: Adams must be very trusting to turn back on wolves 
and lions
Adams Dubrovna: Friendly beasts, this is the peaceable kingdom
Adelene Dawner: ^.^ *purr purr*
Threedee Shepherd: *meow*
Gilles Kuhn: yes but in this peacable kingdom how do you feed 
carnivorous

Becka then joins us and the conversation meanders between her being 
introduced to the group and what to feed carnivores in a friendly 
world.  Pema's asking how Becka is finding PaB stears the conversation 
toward aspects of PaB

Pema Pera: Hi Becka!
Becka Finesmith: Sorry I'm late.
Maxine Walden: hi, becka
Becka Finesmith: Hello
Pema Pera: Welcome to Play as Being
Threedee Shepherd: virtually, of course :D
Adams Dubrovna: Hello Becka
Pema Pera: oh, not to worry, people just come and go here all the time
Becka Finesmith: thank youPema and Hello Adams
quen Oh: turn them into herbivorous? or make them do with fish/
Pema Pera: Becka, meet everyone else :-)
Pema Pera: You may have met some of us already in the Kira Cafe
Adams Dubrovna: Nice to meet you becka
Threedee Shepherd: Hi Becka
quen Oh: nice salmon we could have in this fountain lol
Maxine Walden: hi, becka, nice to meet you
quen Oh: hi Becka!
Becka Finesmith: Nice to meet you all too. :)
Pema Pera: A couple days ago I mentioned PaB to Becka.
Gilles Kuhn: Hoooooowls!!
Gilles Kuhn: hello Becka
Becka Finesmith: Hello Gilles
Pema Pera: You got a chance to look at the web site, I believe; may I 
ask what your impression was?
Becka Finesmith: yes. It was extremely well put together. I had only 
one question afterwards
Becka Finesmith: I wasn't sure of the precise meaning of the acronyms 
but I guess that's deliberate
Riddle Sideways: oh dear, di dwe do anything deliberate :)
Becka Finesmith: lol
Pema Pera: not deliberate ;) I thought we had a dictionary somewhere
Disconnected from in-world Voice Chat
Becka Finesmith: i've been practising the 9 seconds over the weekend.
Becka Finesmith: I had some odd looks on my walk today
Pema Pera: hahaha
Becka Finesmith: :)
doug Sosa: what was happening?
doug Sosa: During the 9 sec?
Becka Finesmith: Yes. I stopped what I was doing and people stared :)
Pema Pera: there are many ways to do this kind of exploration
Gilles Kuhn: you were crossing a road ?
Pema Pera: one is to literally stop
doug Sosa: when you stopped what then happened with you?
Pema Pera: other ways are to take a different attitude, a more open one
doug Sosa: and keep the body's momentum as part of what is to be 
observed..?
Riddle Sideways: and perhaps it is ok for others to stare
Becka Finesmith: I have to delineate what I'm doing and the 1% at the 
moment, does that change with practice?
Becka Finesmith: I have found my thinking outside has been clearer
Maxine Walden: I think that is a frequent experience, clearer thinking 
beyon the 9 sec practice
Maxine Walden: beyond
Becka Finesmith: yes. Even after doing it for only a day or so, I can 
see that
doug Sosa: yes, and with time it is harder to see the boundary between 
the 9 sec and the rest of time.
Maxine Walden: right
Becka Finesmith: And that's what I'm finding hard right now
Becka Finesmith: Can you explain the emotion behind ESBS?
Gilles Kuhn: ESBS ?
Maxine Walden: Pema is probably the best one to respond to that question
Becka Finesmith: It's one of the acronyms -
Pema Pera: well, I think we all can respond :-)
Becka Finesmith: I got the acronym right didn't I
Pema Pera: yes, ESBS is an acronym, but it was used in a particular 
context
Pema Pera: to talk about it we have to go back to that context first
Becka Finesmith: OK.
Gilles Kuhn: may i inquire about the meaning of the say acronym?
Pema Pera: We're chatting about the nature of reality -- and every 
else that comes up
Pema Pera: The context was that we explored, first, the difference 
between our normal way of seeing things, and letting Being see 
(whatevery Being may be :-)
Pema Pera: So we used the acronym YSBS
Pema Pera: You seeing vs. Being seeing
Pema Pera: and then after playing with that for a while, we introduced 
a third element:
Pema Pera: how would we imagine that a more experienced you might see 
more, a kind of "enlightened" you if you like
Pema Pera: so then we compared ESBS
Pema Pera: an enlightened you seeing vs Being seeing
Pema Pera: we never got very far with that exploration though, in the 
group
Pema Pera: the term was introduced some time in June I believe
Threedee Shepherd: may I interrupt?
Becka Finesmith: I understand. I have trouble seeing what being would 
see
Pema Pera: and it would still be very interesting to explore further 
what it could mean, experientially as well as theoretically
Becka Finesmith: Heres one of my 9 seconds
quen Oh: and you yourself Pema, have you any thoughts on ESBS?
Pema Pera: sure, Threedee, of course!
Pema Pera: (I'm just summarizing the background for Becka)
Becka Finesmith: I imagined me in teh centre of myself (my 
unenlightened self if you like)
Threedee Shepherd: Especially today, my experience adds the word 
*connecting* as a part of or parallel with *seeing*
Pema Pera: Becka, we all have "trouble" in the sense that we are 
exploring what it could be -- and we're comparing notes
Becka Finesmith: and me at the periphery of what my Self could see
Pema Pera: yes, 3D, another good word -- but connecting sounds more 
active than seeing
Becka Finesmith: OK Pema
Pema Pera: "letting connect" is perhaps an alternative?
Pema Pera: "or seeing connection, feeling connection??
Riddle Sideways: yes, Becka, most of us had put time imto ourselves 
seeing Being
Threedee Shepherd: being connected, being in connection
Riddle Sideways: before relaxing 'ourselves' to what our enlighted 
selfs might see
Adelene Dawner nods and leans on Three.
Riddle Sideways: it should come to you in time
Pema Pera: yes, 3D!
Becka Finesmith: yes. I'll keep at it :)
Pema Pera: And yes, Becka, just exploring is the only thing important
Pema Pera: you'll find different things each time
Pema Pera: and it is all fun to report and compare!
Becka Finesmith: :)
Riddle Sideways: you might need to remember that this is play
Becka Finesmith: yes.

Remembering the guardian duty to check with new visitors about being 
logged I break the thread of conversation for a question. And some 
additional questions ensue.

Maxine Walden: oh, Becka, need to ask: are you OK with being included 
in the chatlot record of this meeting? Each of our discussions is 
recorded using only our SL names of course. Is that OK with you?
Becka Finesmith: yes indeed. :)
Maxine Walden: great, just needed to check.
Becka Finesmith: ON another practical note - What are those numbers 
above some people?
Maxine Walden: actually I am not sure. maybe someone knows...
Riddle Sideways: has to do with the auto-recording thingies
Becka Finesmith: ah ok - Is there something I should be listening to? 
I have media off
Adams Dubrovna: There is an autorecording system and the numbers have 
to do with how much space is left in the system
Riddle Sideways: someday they might not show
Becka Finesmith: OK

I then mention some recent thoughts about time which some guardians 
have been considering.  And Threedee and Adelene have to leave. To and 
fro considerations about the experience of time
occupy the group until several of us have to leave.

Maxine Walden: I have been interested in the aspect of time and 
timelessness some of us have been thinking about...
Maxine Walden: and have been thinking that the perspective on time may 
be related to how at ease we are with being in the present, as it 
were, just being in the moment
Threedee Shepherd: Sorry foplks, I need to go. bye
Adams Dubrovna: bye 3D
Maxine Walden: bye threedee
Adelene Dawner: See you next time, All.
Becka Finesmith: bye threedee
Becka Finesmith: By Adeleme
Gilles Kuhn: bye 3D adelene
Maxine Walden: (I will have to go as well in about 10 min or so)
Adams Dubrovna: bye Adelene
Becka Finesmith: Time seems to be something we can't eliminate from 
our lives
Becka Finesmith: I have more clocks now then I ever had :(
Maxine Walden: that is an interesting perpective, Becka, but sometimes 
it seems that time seems not to relate to current experience
Gilles Kuhn: (help i'm sinking again !)
Maxine Walden: for me when I am very focussed on something, or 'just 
doing things' I lost track of time and indeed it seems that I may be 
in a timeless 'moment'
Becka Finesmith: yes. I get that too but as we notice eventually that 
we were lost in the moment, it takes away the timelessness
Maxine Walden: perhaps, but the timeless moment is just as relevant as 
the recollection, it seems to me. So maybe there is both the 'time' 
and the 'timeless', that they both seem to exist or co-exist
Gilles Kuhn: is not that yu only forget to think about time when in 
the timeless part ?
Becka Finesmith: It's interesting that we have to use the phrase 
"timeless moment" to describe a period without time though
Maxine Walden: I find that when I can remain quietly accompanying 
myself inside, then time seems to lose meaning. But when I get frantic 
or pre-occupied, and thus 'outside' of myself that time seems to loom, 
feel wasted etc
Becka Finesmith: I totally identify with that
Adams Dubrovna: There is a part of us that appears not to be affected 
by time
Maxine Walden: the experience of time may go along with states of 
mind, it seems to me. But others may have different views
Adams Dubrovna: a part that can connect with something deeper
Becka Finesmith: yes. There never seems to be enough time when I am in 
a rush but my rushing has no consequence for tohers
Riddle Sideways is Online
Maxine Walden: yes, a deeper part may link with something other than 
time
Riddle Sideways: back
Becka Finesmith: WB :)
Maxine Walden: I am going to need to leave soon and will take the 
chatlog
Adams Dubrovna: wb Riddle
Maxine Walden: yes, welcome back Riddle
Riddle Sideways: good I missed that whole caht
Becka Finesmith: I will go soon too.Thank you for inviting me :)
Pema Pera: thanks for dropping by, Becka!
Adams Dubrovna: It was good to meet you Becka
Pema Pera: I'm glad you jumped right in in trying things out!
Adams Dubrovna: bye Maxine
Riddle Sideways: yes, it was good to meet you
Maxine Walden: bye all see you soon
Pema Pera: bye Maxine!
Riddle Sideways: bye maxine

As I leave taking this part of the chatlog, Pema and I have agreed 
that he would supply the rest of the conversation.