2008.12.31 13:00 - Buddhilectualism!

The Guardian for this meeting was Quilty Bookmite. The comments are waiting to be written by someone.

Quilty Bookmite: Hi Storm
Storm Nordwind: Hi Quilty
Quilty Bookmite: Hi Adams
Storm Nordwind: Hi Adams
Quilty Bookmite: Thought I was going to be on my own tonight.
Adams Dubrovna: Hello Storm and Quilty :)
Storm Nordwind: How could I miss your last session for a while? :)
Adams Dubrovna: here here
Quilty Bookmite: You've been reading your email? I'm impressed. :-)
Quilty Bookmite: I only just sent it. I didn;t think anyone would have seen it yet.
Adams Dubrovna: :)
Quilty Bookmite: I think it's the right thing to do. I have a backlog of logs to post because I'm quite short of time right now.
Storm Nordwind: I agree. I would do the same
Adams Dubrovna: It's a busy time of preparation
Quilty Bookmite: Yes, and it's not getting done quickly enough. :-)
Quilty Bookmite: Thank you.
Adams Dubrovna: I remember feeling a bit of anxiety until the moment
Quilty Bookmite: Well, I shouldn;t feel anxious. This is the second time round. :-)
Adams Dubrovna: I was anxious four times :)
Storm Nordwind: Snap
Quilty Bookmite: Most of the anxiety is coming from my wife.
Adams Dubrovna: a little less each time :)
Quilty Bookmite: 4 times? wow!
Storm Nordwind: Tell me Quilty, what is the plural of Bookmite? Does it rhyme with 'sights' or 'pyrites'? ;)
Adams Dubrovna: In US they are the same :)
Quilty Bookmite: Mite as in insect I think. :-)
Quilty Bookmite: :-)
Storm Nordwind: I know Adams!
Adams Dubrovna: Oh
Adams Dubrovna: are they diferent in UK?
Quilty Bookmite: I didn't know that particular idiosynchracy.
Storm Nordwind: Yes - Pie -right- ease
Quilty Bookmite: Yes. More like pyritees. :-)
Adams Dubrovna: ah
Adams Dubrovna: get it
Quilty Bookmite: But since it's not my real name, I can't be certain how it's pronounced.
Storm Nordwind: That's another difference of language pointed out to me by my fiancee just a few days ago
Quilty Bookmite: Well, I knew about aluminium, but since it was originally named in the USA that is a particularly odd piece of British snobbishness.
Quilty Bookmite: Anyway, has anyone got any new years resolutions lined up?
Quilty Bookmite: I confess that I haven't made any for years.
Adams Dubrovna just keep plugging away with what I am working on now :)
Quilty Bookmite: Sounds good Adams.
Adams Dubrovna: and get to bed early tonight :)
Quilty Bookmite: Ah. Me too.
Storm Nordwind: I have found New Year to be a time of endings rather than beginnings.
Quilty Bookmite: I'm not going to see the new year in.
Quilty Bookmite: Good endings or bad Storm?
Storm Nordwind: Both. And neither.
Storm Nordwind: Just a pattern I found once.
Quilty Bookmite: A very Zen answer. :-)
Storm Nordwind: hehe!
Storm Nordwind: I discovered that whatever I was doing at midnight on New year's Eve was something that was passing from my life, rather than arriving
Adams Dubrovna: interesting Storm
Quilty Bookmite: I'll hopefully be sleeping and I suspect it may be one of my last full nights sleep for a while. :-)
Adams Dubrovna: putting a good end to things?
Storm Nordwind: Yes Quilty, make the most of it!
Adams Dubrovna: :)
Quilty Bookmite: I will be attending a Buddhist festival tomorrow with my daughter.
Quilty Bookmite: At least that is the plan.
Storm Nordwind: I don't know about a good end, Adams. I think it's a time for reflection so I noticed it more, that's all
Storm Nordwind: Great idea Quilty!
Storm Nordwind: I did the same on Christmas Day
Quilty Bookmite: It's the festival of Maitreya, the buddha that is to come.
Quilty Bookmite: Cool! Was it a Christmas festival or something specifically Buddhist?
Adams Dubrovna: So you pick things to end then?
Adams Dubrovna: What happens at a Buddhist festival?
Storm Nordwind: It was specifically Buddhist Quilty. On the 10th and 25th of every month we celebrate Lama CHopa at our centre
Quilty Bookmite: In our case it's mainly a ceremony and a talk.
Quilty Bookmite: Ah. I see.
Storm Nordwind: (Lama Chopa is an offering to our Spiritual Guide. Takes around 2 hours.)
Quilty Bookmite: I see. And you use the western calendar?
Storm Nordwind: Yes. In our movement we have elected to do so and keep things simple - which I appreciate!
Quilty Bookmite: Yes, we do similar things in our tradition.
Storm Nordwind: And of course in Scotland, it's a 2 day public holiday anyway :)
Quilty Bookmite: It is in England too. New year is one day though.
Storm Nordwind: I meant New Year
Quilty Bookmite: :-)
Adams Dubrovna: Is the first night still celebrated?
Storm Nordwind: Sure
Storm Nordwind: The Scots know how to celebrate
Quilty Bookmite: Well, they do at New Year. :-)
Storm Nordwind: And they have some of the finest beverages in the world with which to do so
Adams Dubrovna: :)
Quilty Bookmite: That is true.
Quilty Bookmite: Are you going first footing Storm?
Storm Nordwind: Actually no. I am an exile here in Glasgow. My friends are 400+ miles away.
Quilty Bookmite: Are you not celebrating then?
Storm Nordwind: I shall speak to my fiancee on the phone. That is the best celebration for me.
Adams Dubrovna: :)
Storm Nordwind: She flies on New Year's Day for her last visit here
Quilty Bookmite: Of course. I understand that one. :-)
Quilty Bookmite: What do Americans do at New Year?
Adams Dubrovna: Great Storm :)
Adams Dubrovna: Americans drink and party and make lots of noise at midnight
Quilty Bookmite: Pretty much the same as here then. :-)
Adams Dubrovna: pretend they are happy but they actually are depressed
Quilty Bookmite: Also the same as here. :-)
Adams Dubrovna: I like Storm's ritual
Adams Dubrovna: put an end to things
Storm Nordwind smiles
Quilty Bookmite: By 3 a.m. they'll be telling everyone how depressed they are.
Quilty Bookmite: I suspect a lot of people will be happy to see the back of this year.
Quilty Bookmite: Personally I think it wasn't so bad.
Adams Dubrovna: With PaB it has been a great year for me
Storm Nordwind nods
Quilty Bookmite: If your fiance is making her last trip, does that mean you are going out very soon Storm?
Quilty Bookmite: Certainly it has been a great PaB year.
Storm Nordwind: Yes it does Quilty. My medical is on Monday. I now have all the approval and the docs. I just need the interview at the embassy. And that could be in January.
Adams Dubrovna looking forward to waving the plane as it flies overhead
Quilty Bookmite: Good luck Storm. I'll have my fingers crossed for you.
Adams Dubrovna: waving at
Storm Nordwind: Thank you so much :)
Quilty Bookmite: And will be sending Metta if it helps.
Storm Nordwind hums Gerry Rafferty's 'Home and Dry'
Storm Nordwind: Thank you Quilty :)
Quilty Bookmite: :-)
Adams Dubrovna would send Metta of he knew what is was
Quilty Bookmite: The only Gerry Rafferty I know is Baker Street.
Storm Nordwind: hehehehe!
Storm Nordwind: Same album Quilty
Quilty Bookmite: Metta is sort of Buddhist good wishes.
Adams Dubrovna: :)
Storm Nordwind: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mett%C4%81
Quilty Bookmite: Thanks Storm. Was just reading that. :-)
Storm Nordwind: It gets kind of complicated, but the introduction says most of what non-Buddhists need to know about it
Quilty Bookmite: I always think I know what these Buddhist terms mean and am always surprised by what they actually mean. :-)
Adams Dubrovna: Hmmm. What a nice idea!
Storm Nordwind: That's perhaps because so many people delight in arguing about words instead of doing what they mean.
Quilty Bookmite: Yes, it is. :-)
Quilty Bookmite: Indeed Storm.
Quilty Bookmite: And most of the meaning gets lost in translation anyway.
Adams Dubrovna has lots of trouble with Budhist words but likes Buddhist ideas
Quilty Bookmite: I think that's the same for all of us Adams. :-)
Storm Nordwind: There are many people who bandy about what I call 'Buddhilectualisms'!
Adams Dubrovna: yes
Quilty Bookmite: Nice word. I will probably use it. :-)
Storm Nordwind: Please be my guest! :)
Adams Dubrovna: :)
Quilty Bookmite: Thank you. I'll add a footnote crediting you. :-)
Quilty Bookmite: Not easy to do in casual conversation.
Storm Nordwind smiles modestly
Storm Nordwind: hehe!
Adams Dubrovna: You could write it on your shirt :)
Quilty Bookmite: Indeed. :-) I'll need to think of a suitably witty phrase to incorporate it into.
Storm Nordwind: I could: "Buddhilectualisms NOT spoken here!"
Adams Dubrovna: :)
Quilty Bookmite: :-)
Quilty Bookmite: It's very easy to get bogged down in such things when talking about Buddhism.
Quilty Bookmite: And forget that it's about feeling much more than about thinking.
Storm Nordwind: I think that's why I like the description of 'practice' for Buddhism, often used instead of 'religion'
Quilty Bookmite: Fair enough. It's a label of convenience. :-)
Adams Dubrovna: I am using the word "tradition" in the exhibit for all, does that sound reasonable?
Storm Nordwind: I think so. It sounds OK to me
Quilty Bookmite: It's often used, so I don;t see the problem.
Adams Dubrovna: good, thanks :)
Quilty Bookmite: Wikipedia says: "Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices considered by most to be a religion."
Quilty Bookmite: So I guess it's a matter of opinion.
Storm Nordwind: Even neo-pagan religions use the word tradition for things barely 60 years old
Adams Dubrovna: yes, maybe a matter fo words
Quilty Bookmite: *chuckles*
Adams Dubrovna: :)
Quilty Bookmite: It's funny how quickly something becomes a tradition.
Adams Dubrovna: Like family traditions :)
Storm Nordwind: Do you think we have homegrown any PaB traditions?
Quilty Bookmite: British parliament is full of traditions which are not nearly as old as people think they are.
Adams Dubrovna: :)
Storm Nordwind: True Quilty
Quilty Bookmite: Yes, saying hello to anyone who arrives.
Quilty Bookmite: And Onigokko. :-)
Adams Dubrovna was graviating toward that Quilty
Storm Nordwind is laughing out loud at Quilty's remark!
Adams Dubrovna: gravitating
Storm Nordwind: gravy tasting?
Storm Nordwind smiles
Quilty Bookmite: Vegetarian gravy I hope. :-)
Adams Dubrovna: Is that what it means?
Adams Dubrovna: Oh
Adams Dubrovna: :)
Adams Dubrovna: haha
Quilty Bookmite: graviating sounds like it should mean something.
Storm Nordwind: It does, yes
Storm Nordwind: Rather like the words in "The Meaning of Liff"
Quilty Bookmite: A greta book. :-)
Quilty Bookmite: I mean _great_
Quilty Bookmite: Apparently graviation has something to do with gravity. :-)
Adams Dubrovna: Hmmm. Nothing with saying hello to everyone then
Adams Dubrovna: heavy!
Quilty Bookmite: :-)
Quilty Bookmite: I don't want to get siucked into that one.
Adams Dubrovna: good idea
Quilty Bookmite: or _sucked_
Quilty Bookmite: It's terrible when a joke is spoiled by mistyping the key word.
Adams Dubrovna: :)
Quilty Bookmite: I'm just wondering if I am going to get woken up at midnight by fireworks.
Quilty Bookmite: There were a few going off here earlier.
Adams Dubrovna: I am fortunate. It stays pretty quiet where I am
Quilty Bookmite: It's not too bad here. Used to be terrible where I lived before.
Adams Dubrovna: Yes, I have lived in some of those
Quilty Bookmite: There was a certain time of year when there were fireworks going off every night for about a month.
Adams Dubrovna: I am being called in RL. Wow Quilty! Bye and good wished Quilty
Quilty Bookmite: Have a good new year Adams.
Adams Dubrovna: You too and I hope you'll let us know when you have some time :)
Quilty Bookmite: Bye. And I'm sure I'll see you online some time soon.
Adams Dubrovna: Great. Storm seems to be away. Bye :)
Storm Nordwind: Bye Adams!
Quilty Bookmite: RL distractions Storm?
Storm Nordwind: Just check your email before you go to bed! ;)
Quilty Bookmite: Just got it. Thanks very much. :-)
Quilty Bookmite: You have a good eye for a photo. :-)
Quilty Bookmite: And I never noticed the "on air" signs before.
Storm Nordwind: They are new yesterday
Storm Nordwind: And thank you!
Quilty Bookmite: Ah. :-) Good idea.
Storm Nordwind: To save all the endless warnings and permissions etc
Quilty Bookmite: I wonder if it puts people off a little - not necessarily a bad thing.
Storm Nordwind: Perhaps. A front-line filter
Quilty Bookmite: Yes. :-)
Quilty Bookmite: It's time for me to head off to bed. It's been a pleasure as always.
Storm Nordwind: Likewise my friend
Quilty Bookmite: And I'm sure I will be online intermittently.
Storm Nordwind: Best of luck to you and yours
Quilty Bookmite: And you too. I hope you enjoy the adventures the coming year will bring.
Storm Nordwind: Oh I'm sure I will
Storm Nordwind: Namaste
Quilty Bookmite: Namaste
Quilty Bookmite: Bye