2009.04.15 13:00 - Play as Being Retreat Center #2

The Guardian for this meeting was genesis Zhangsun. The comments are by genesis Zhangsun.

Wol Euler: hello corey
Corvuscorva Nightfire grins. Heya, Wol.
Wol Euler: you're looking very cool today.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: oh, Gen!
Corvuscorva Nightfire: sorry!
Corvuscorva Nightfire: i've taken your seat!
Wol Euler: hello gen
genesis Zhangsun: Hi!
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I'm being Corey today *grins*
genesis Zhangsun: wow Corvi like the new look
Corvuscorva Nightfire: thanks.
genesis Zhangsun: You look different to me too Wol, new hair?
Wol Euler smiles. Yes, a new colour of a favourite style
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Hiya, Pila!
Wol Euler: helo pila
Pila Mulligan: greetings Corvi, Wol and gen
Wol Euler: and a slightly different skin too, to be precise :)
genesis Zhangsun: Hi Pila!
Pila Mulligan: :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Hi, Mickorod!
Pila Mulligan: hi Mick
Mickorod Renard: hiya Folks
Wol Euler: hello mick
genesis Zhangsun: Hi Mick!
Mickorod Renard: Corv ,pila ,wol gen
Corvuscorva Nightfire: To remind everyone, for the first 15 minutes of this session, the theme is the potential PaB retreat facility.
Mickorod Renard: ok
Mickorod Renard: hi Steve
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Hi, Steve!
genesis Zhangsun: Hi Steve!
Wol Euler: hello steve
Mickorod Renard: is this the retreat in the USA?
Pila Mulligan: hi Steve
Pila Mulligan: it could be anyehwre Mick
genesis Zhangsun: no this is about the building of a permanent PaB retreat center
Mickorod Renard: ok
Corvuscorva Nightfire: nope, this is a discussion of a possible facility..not the retreat event coming up.
Corvuscorva Nightfire smiles.
genesis Zhangsun: though that is still open by the way
Mickorod Renard: yes
genesis Zhangsun: I am still shamelessly promoting it :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods. Thre are still spaces in that retreat for those who want to go?
Mickorod Renard: I would love to come over for it
genesis Zhangsun: yes absolutely
stevenaia Michinaga: is this seat open?
Pila Mulligan: yes, do you have a tyicket?
genesis Zhangsun: we just need to know and there is a deposit due May1st for half the amount
Corvuscorva Nightfire: remind us what half the amount is?
genesis Zhangsun: which is around 210
genesis Zhangsun: dollars
Corvuscorva Nightfire grins. K.
genesis Zhangsun: or $250
genesis Zhangsun: depending on if you want your own room
Pila Mulligan: gen, the new guaridan Eos may be interested
Mickorod Renard: my life is just a lil too complicated at the moment
genesis Zhangsun: Pema and I spent some time there last week and it was amazing
Pila Mulligan: :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I bet!
genesis Zhangsun: we found there is a very interesting Dzogchen connection with the center
Wol Euler: yeah, I wish I could ...
genesis Zhangsun: which I was not aware of
genesis Zhangsun: before
Pila Mulligan: what were some of the parts of the place that you liked best gen?
genesis Zhangsun: ok finished shamelessly promoting :)
Pila Mulligan: segue
Mickorod Renard: I would like to know about the Dzogchen, sometime,,maybe later
genesis Zhangsun: not to sound too flaky but it had the most wonderful energy
Pila Mulligan: can you elaborate?
Mickorod Renard: hi Sophie
Pila Mulligan: hi Sophia
Mickorod Renard: and Sophie
sophia Placebo: hi mic pila all
Pila Mulligan: hi SophiaSharon
genesis Zhangsun: well I immediately lost all care about daily regular concerns
genesis Zhangsun: and within the first ten minutes I'd lost my purse
Wol Euler: hello sophia
genesis Zhangsun: had no idea where I put it
Mickorod Renard: lol
genesis Zhangsun: and didn't care
Pila Mulligan: how much of the feeling was due to the natural environment, would you say, gen
genesis Zhangsun: :)
Wol Euler: and hello SophiaSharon
Pila Mulligan: as oposed to the built facility environment
SophiaSharon Larnia: Hi all
Mickorod Renard: maybe it was Pema's charisma?
Wol Euler: :)
genesis Zhangsun: not sure if the "spiritual" aspect is separable from the natural enviornment
genesis Zhangsun: not Pema's charisma :)
genesis Zhangsun: *nor
Mickorod Renard: grin
genesis Zhangsun: they are all part of it I am sure :)
genesis Zhangsun: there is something about a place where people are chanting on a daily basis
Corvuscorva Nightfire smiles.
genesis Zhangsun: its almost palpable
Pila Mulligan: yes, and that was part of my curiosity -- I wonder how much boost comes rom that, and how much starts with the surrounding nature
Pila Mulligan: from*
Mickorod Renard: I remember going to a monastery in Nepal i think, where that was the case
Mickorod Renard: oops
genesis Zhangsun: I am really excited by the idea of getting to focus on PaB in that environment
Corvuscorva Nightfire: This almost seems like a perfect spot to start brainstorming on what we would want in a permanent facility.
genesis Zhangsun: I think the feeling of "getting away from it all" really allows you to go in more deeply
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
genesis Zhangsun: yes Corvi please sorry if I am dominating
stevenaia Michinaga: perhaps it will influence the nature of the RL PaB facility
Corvuscorva Nightfire: no..i think this is good and important to both discussions!
Mickorod Renard: how much one can let go of everyday ,issues is an element
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: what alllows for that?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: what makes it easier?
Pila Mulligan: not having a telephone for one
Mickorod Renard: I think some feeling of surrender
genesis Zhangsun: yes its amazing how much your own posessions begin to possess you
genesis Zhangsun: it was a relief to forget about about my purse
Pila Mulligan: :)
genesis Zhangsun: the date planner, the cell phone, the emergency water, tissues, etc
Pila Mulligan: the baggage
genesis Zhangsun: yes literally I let go of my baggae
genesis Zhangsun: *baggage
Mickorod Renard: sounds nice
Wol Euler: :)
Mickorod Renard: I have dificulty remembering such a time existed in my life
Pila Mulligan: well, so far no one has expressed interest in residing at a PaB real life factility, so it seems we are looking at it without that element
Pila Mulligan: that residential aspect
Pila Mulligan: so daily chanitng will be occsional
Corvuscorva Nightfire smiles.
genesis Zhangsun: well you could always have a prayer wheel to do it for you :)
genesis Zhangsun: mantras all year long
stevenaia Michinaga: if you make it inviting enough, asking someone if they want to live there will be easy
Mickorod Renard: hey, dont tempt me
sophia Placebo: i'll leave quietly
stevenaia Michinaga: what would you like other than food to tend to such a place?
stevenaia Michinaga: it's an open question
genesis Zhangsun: I would love to stay year round but I have a family I think this what appealed to me about PaB and SL
Mickorod Renard: my mind started wondering off into hugh hefners place
stevenaia Michinaga: so if your family could stay there with you, Gen?
genesis Zhangsun: the idea that a monastic life could be integrated into regular life
genesis Zhangsun: perhaps Steve interesting idea
genesis Zhangsun: on one hand it might stress me out and defeat the purpose of the "retreat" on the other hand perhaps that is the true challenge
stevenaia Michinaga: some of us aren;t "hermits"
genesis Zhangsun: to be on retreat as opposed to "retreating"
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Pila Mulligan: hi arabellla
Mickorod Renard: hi Ara
genesis Zhangsun: Hi Ara!
arabella Ella: Hiya everyone!
Wol Euler: hello ara
Mickorod Renard: would the permanent person be like the caretaker and gardener too?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: could be.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: or not
Corvuscorva Nightfire: that is definitely one model.
genesis Zhangsun: I am curious, with the RL retreat coming up, what do people see as the point of a retreat
genesis Zhangsun: how could we see it benefiting us :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: both a retreat like the one this summer and a permanent one?
genesis Zhangsun: if we could understand why we like it we might be able to come up with how to do it
genesis Zhangsun: yes Corvi
stevenaia Michinaga: isn;t the point of the retreat to see what the point of the retreart will be?
genesis Zhangsun: :)
Mickorod Renard: good point Gen
genesis Zhangsun: sounds like a koan
Corvuscorva Nightfire: lets try it from that question for a moment though.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: PaB is something we do as a part of regular life.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Why do a retreat?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: or have one?
genesis Zhangsun: to go deeper in
genesis Zhangsun: to let go things we are not even aware we are holding on to
Pila Mulligan: well, there is the phyiscal presence part, also -- that is PaB's most immediate limitation in SL, and in a RL meeting the physical presence makes for a more complete experience
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
genesis Zhangsun: indeed Pila good point
genesis Zhangsun: also to shift us out of our ordinary way of thinking about our lives
genesis Zhangsun: a change of scenery can change your entire perspective
Wol Euler: may I play devil's advocate for a moment?
Pila Mulligan: please do Wol
arabella Ella: are you discussing the summer retreat or a permanent retreat as i feel a bit confused
Corvuscorva Nightfire: both, Ara.
Pila Mulligan: :)
arabella Ella: ok ty
Wol Euler: nothing that has been said so far really speaks to the need for a specific and special PaB permanent retreat.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: We're talking retreat in general, this moment.
Wol Euler: ah, ok, sorry; I'll back down then.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: nono..
Corvuscorva Nightfire: go ahead!
Corvuscorva Nightfire: that is a question on the table.
Pila Mulligan: Wol, the rl facility idea is just an inspriastion of Pema's
genesis Zhangsun: go ahead Wol, devil's advocate is a dirty job but someone's got to do it :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire grins.
Wol Euler grins. As was PaB itself :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: right.
Wol Euler: (an inspirateon of Pema's)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: so..
Pila Mulligan: inspiration*
Wol Euler: what we've talked about so far could be done at a rented place, maybe even in a hotel.
Pila Mulligan: yes indeed
Pila Mulligan: it could
Wol Euler: What is special about the kind of retreat taht we might do, that needs a special place?
Wol Euler: what are our needs and wishes?
genesis Zhangsun: yes Wol that is the question
Wol Euler: what would we actually DO there?
Pila Mulligan: :)
Pila Mulligan: and your answer,Wol?
genesis Zhangsun: why do we need a PaB specific retreat center?
Pila Mulligan: my guess is that it would inlcude what we do here
Pila Mulligan: talk about epxereinces of reality
Mickorod Renard: personaly, i would say a retreat would be like a second home,,offering security and comfort with familiar surroundings and friends
stevenaia Michinaga: Perhaps the thought of a PaB "place" is really opposed to the nature of PaB
stevenaia Michinaga: excpet we are humans and places attract energy
genesis Zhangsun: one argument may be that such a retreat center is not "necessary" but a celebration of PaB
genesis Zhangsun: certainly PaB does not reside in one place, one point in space but the center could be a way to express our celebration
Corvuscorva Nightfire: or could be a purse?
Wol Euler smiles
Wol Euler: a portable retzreat
Mickorod Renard: I do wonder whether being at a retreat , speaking one to one with someone would excelerate the progress on an individual basis
Corvuscorva Nightfire laughs.
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods, thoughtfully.
genesis Zhangsun: hehe I almost saw reztreat
Corvuscorva Nightfire: hahah
genesis Zhangsun: where ever you go you can rez it
arabella Ella: :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I think one thing that a retreat center would do would be allow us a place to go when we are stuck.
Mickorod Renard: yea,,a travelling Caravan
Wol Euler: if that is a goal, then it has to be "central" in terms of accessibility
Wol Euler: (which might only mean "near a major airport"
genesis Zhangsun: yes Wol that seems key is that people can actually get to it
Mickorod Renard: somewhere mid Atlantic? or mid Pacific?
Pila Mulligan: north pole :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire giggles at the North Pole.
Mickorod Renard: that will have gone soon,,have to be south pole
Pila Mulligan: equidistant
arabella Ella: too cold for me :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: that would keep one focused!
Wol Euler: that's going too, thoguh.
genesis Zhangsun: I am starting to feel what we have right here is pretty damn good
Mickorod Renard: yea,,but there is land benieth south pole
Wol Euler: at least until RL TPs finally get fixed :/
Corvuscorva Nightfire: heheh
Corvuscorva Nightfire: What we have here is very good.
Mickorod Renard: how many people would it need to facilitate?
Corvuscorva Nightfire thinks.
Pila Mulligan: actually Princeton is probably as close to the center of PaB memebrship as anyhting
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Mickorod Renard: princeton sounds good
Mickorod Renard: easy flights from europe
Corvuscorva Nightfire: expensive place.
genesis Zhangsun: I wonder if a little more rural might be interesting
stevenaia Michinaga: and accessible by train from NYC and Phila
genesis Zhangsun: really "getting away from it all" or do we think that is important?
genesis Zhangsun: hard to be away from it all and central to everyone and everything
Mickorod Renard: i think climate may be valuable too
Corvuscorva Nightfire: there are places not too far from airports that are rural.
Pila Mulligan: http://www.sjbsea.org/ here's one in rural NJ
genesis Zhangsun: indeed so what would we find reasonable 1-2 hours?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Must go, all...I'll see you soon!
Wol Euler: bye corvi
arabella Ella: bye Corvi
stevenaia Michinaga: bye Corvi
genesis Zhangsun: bye Corvi
Pila Mulligan: bye Corvi
Mickorod Renard: bye corv
stevenaia Michinaga: west costers seem to think 2 hours is close, on the east cost it;s different
Mickorod Renard: I think, predominately, that you guys in US will be main users,,so you should work out whats best
Mickorod Renard: and then bear in mind international airport
Mickorod Renard: Hi Pema
Pila Mulligan: hi Pema
Wol Euler nods
stevenaia Michinaga: Hi Pema
genesis Zhangsun: Hi Pema
arabella Ella: Hiya Pema
Pema Pera: Hi everybody!
Wol Euler: hello pema
arabella Ella: Yes I agree with Mick ... sounds like those of you in US would be main users
stevenaia Michinaga: We decided, PaB retreat will be in...Princeton
Pema Pera: sorry to have missed the Hawaii part of the discussion :-)
Pema Pera: hehehe
stevenaia Michinaga: you do ahve a house there (perminent resident)
genesis Zhangsun: we did?
Mickorod Renard: yes Pema,,whats your address?
stevenaia Michinaga: what's for dinner
Pema Pera: Manhattan, a GREAT please to experience reality
genesis Zhangsun: :)
Pila Mulligan: we had a magnitude 5 earthquake here yesterday, quite phenomenal :)
Pema Pera: *place
Mickorod Renard: wow
Wol Euler: O.O
Pema Pera: did it affect the vulcano?
Pila Mulligan: what is the meaning of vibration :)
Pila Mulligan: I tihnk it was magma movement, Pema
Pila Mulligan: nothing new yt though
Mickorod Renard: whereabouts Pila?
Pila Mulligan: 10 miles fomr my house, under Kilauea volcano
Pila Mulligan: Hawai
Mickorod Renard: lol
Pila Mulligan: `i
Pema Pera: was it fun?
Pila Mulligan: so Princeton is not only more central, it is more stable
Pila Mulligan: it was exctiing
Pila Mulligan: no damage
Pema Pera: is there a history of really large Earthquakes in Hawaii? Probably not, because you don't have plate boundaries, I'd guess
Mickorod Renard: we had a good one in Uk last year,,i was on sl when it hit,,i cant believe the amount of movement yet no damage
Pila Mulligan: isn't it exciting Mick -- we have some damaging earthquakes Pema, every few years, mostly associated with magma or rift zones
Pema Pera: all we have in Princeton is Lyme disease . . .
Pema Pera: ticks
Pila Mulligan: :)
Mickorod Renard: at the time it felt like end of the world,,fun afterwards
Pila Mulligan: [13:40] Corvuscorva Nightfire: I think one thing that a retreat center would do would be allow us a place to go when we are stuck. [13:40] ... [13:41] Wol Euler: if that is a goal, then it has to be "central" in terms of accessibility
Pila Mulligan: this is how we got to Princeton -- a central location
Mickorod Renard: stuck in what way ?
Mickorod Renard: spiritualy or emotionaly?
Pila Mulligan: I think Corvi meant a drop-in place as well as an event place
Wol Euler: probably ...
Pema Pera ponders "stuck in Jersey"
Pila Mulligan: ever seen thi splace, Pema -- http://www.sjbsea.org/
arabella Ella: i liked Mick's idea of a travelling caravan
stevenaia Michinaga: don;t ponder that for to long
stevenaia Michinaga: a floating retreat?
Mickorod Renard: I do know that airfare to ny is alot cheaper than to california,,from a europe point of view
Mickorod Renard: oops
Pila Mulligan: incidentally, this is a site Thredee ofound -- a listing of existing centeres, some for sale even http://www.findthedivine.com/index.html
Pila Mulligan: ooops also
Pila Mulligan: retreat centers for sale: http://findthedivine.mapmate.com/maps/479
genesis Zhangsun: I have to go to the Kira Team meeting!
genesis Zhangsun: see you all later
Mickorod Renard: those lovely log cabin retreats are nice
Pila Mulligan: bye gen
Mickorod Renard: bye gen
arabella Ella: bye Gen
Pema Pera: bye Gen!
Wol Euler: oh right, kira team
Wol Euler: bye all, gotta go.
Mickorod Renard: bye Wol
Pila Mulligan: http://www.findthedivine.com/propert...lgatehill.html -- just $2,975,000 in Litchfield, CT
stevenaia Michinaga: bye wol
Pila Mulligan: bye Wol
arabella Ella: bye wol
Mickorod Renard: lol,,who's paying?
Pila Mulligan: Pema
Mickorod Renard: he he he
Pila Mulligan: :)
Mickorod Renard: does he know yet?
Pema Pera: hehehe
Pema Pera counting his bank notes
Pila Mulligan: well, prices are going down, also
Mickorod Renard: yea,,could save a bob or two
Mickorod Renard: ok folks,,I have to go
Pila Mulligan: bye Mick
Mickorod Renard: nice chatting
stevenaia Michinaga: same here
stevenaia Michinaga: see you all soon
Pila Mulligan: bye Steve
Mickorod Renard: nameste to you all
arabella Ella: bye Mick Steve
Pila Mulligan: namaste
arabella Ella: I must go too bye everyone!
Pila Mulligan: bye arabella
Pema Pera: hmmm, everybody leaves too quickly for me to say bye
Pema Pera: collective bye!
Pila Mulligan: :)
Pema Pera: bye Arabella!
arabella Ella: :)
arabella Ella: bye Pema and Pila
arabella Ella: was watching soccer results Pema
arabella Ella: bye
Pema Pera: yes?
arabella Ella: oh Man United won againts Porto
arabella Ella: and Arsenal won against Villareal
Pila Mulligan: :)
arabella Ella: so the two UK soccer teams move on to semi final for European finals
Pema Pera must be one of the few Dutchmen not following soccer very much :)
arabella Ella: sorry Pila - soccer is so european
Pila Mulligan: the Orange did well last year
arabella Ella: i only follow results
arabella Ella: must go
Pila Mulligan: I actually played in high school ara
arabella Ella: bye
arabella Ella: oh cool Pila
Pila Mulligan: :)
Pila Mulligan: goalie
Pila Mulligan: what brought you to Berzerkley Pema?
Pema Pera: working with Stim
Pila Mulligan: cool
Pema Pera: and also with Genesis
Pema Pera: on Kira organization issues
Pila Mulligan: would you like to stop by Hawai`i while travelling to or form Japan?
Pema Pera: the three of us just had lunch
Pila Mulligan: you are welcome here
Pema Pera: of course, I'd love to . .
Pema Pera: it's a matter of time partly
Pila Mulligan: and airline scheudles :)
Pema Pera: and partly money: I get paid to visit Japan for my work
Pema Pera: and stopping over elsewhere gives endless bureaucratic complications in Japan often
Pila Mulligan: like with visas?
Pema Pera: no
Pema Pera: just reimbursements
Pila Mulligan: ah :) per diem etc
Pema Pera: they want endless detail of what exactly you do when where why how
Pema Pera: yes, and airfare
Pila Mulligan: we could do a chant on Mauna Kea :)
Pema Pera: they may conclude that the Hawaii Pila Center that I visit will have to pay have my airfare :-)
Pila Mulligan: :)
Pema Pera: because I "split" my time between Tokyo and the Pila center :)
Pila Mulligan: 99% - 1% sounds fine to the Pila Center
Pema Pera: hehehe
Pema Pera: well, we'll see
Pema Pera: the most realistic option is for me to suggest to my wife that we'll take a vacation in Hawaii
Pila Mulligan: have you ever looked into grants relating to a retreat facility?
Pila Mulligan: there you go :)
Pema Pera: we've already talked about the possibility
Pila Mulligan: Threedee said something similar :)
Pema Pera: not directly no
Pema Pera: have you?
Pila Mulligan: I wonder, with the tight ecoenomy, what there miay be
Pema Pera: if you can find something, let us know!
Pila Mulligan: npe
Pila Mulligan: nope
Pema Pera: may be hard, since we're talking quite a bit of money
Pila Mulligan: usually, this type of thing needs an angel -- an interested individual
Pema Pera: easier to get money for a single targeted retreat
Pila Mulligan: yes, big bucks
Pema Pera: well, I should get going too . . . meanwhile, who knows who will come along, some day?
Pila Mulligan: ok, bye Pema
Pema Pera: bye Pila!