2009.09.11 19:00 - There is joy to be had in almost every moment

Wol Euler recovered this session from the autologging database.

Dakini Rhode: hi Paradise :-)

Paradise Tennant: hiya dakini :)

Dakini Rhode: your green tea announced your arrival :)

Paradise Tennant: lol

Paradise Tennant: one sec .. was just making a cup in rl

Dakini Rhode: haha so am i :-)

Paradise Tennant: back:)

Paradise Tennant: how are you tonight :)

Dakini Rhode: i was enjoying the tour of SL in your picks

Paradise Tennant: thank you :)) I have not been exploring like I use to there are some amazingly creative places in sl :)

Dakini Rhode: the creativity is one of the things that drew me into SL... in addition to the people I've met here

Paradise Tennant: yes same here and the music .. for much of my sl I have focused on the concerts there is an amazing wealth of talent here :)

--BELL--

Paradise Tennant: :)

Dakini Rhode: taking a deep breath...

Paradise Tennant: :) always a good idea

Dakini Rhode: glad you mentioned the music, the first concerts i tried seemed to challenge my computer or my connection... and I havent retried

Dakini Rhode: ty :)

Dakini Rhode: sipping my RL tea, too :)

Paradise Tennant: there are some great musicians here .. frogg and jaycatt are playing right now .. if you see montian gilruth listed or grace mcdunnough oh there is a very long list ..komuso if you like blues.. hathead if new age jazz and piano is more to your taste :)

Paradise Tennant: hmm me too lemon mint

Dakini Rhode: saving this list :)

Paradise Tennant: just have to make sure your preferences are set up right and have a reasonable set of head phones

Dakini Rhode: reading my teabag... "the purpose of life is to enjoy every moment"

Paradise Tennant: well frogg and jaycatt play to 9 pm .. after this session .. I can tp you there if you like for a bit :)

Paradise Tennant: wonderful sentence

Paradise Tennant: and to be in every moment .. really the challenge .. stepping back from our distractions

Dakini Rhode: my desire to hear the music is competing with my desire for rest...

Paradise Tennant: preoccupations which often are nonsense

Paradise Tennant: well .. could do just a couple of minutes then you wll know if you like them or not

Paradise Tennant: always good to know a few musicians you like . gives you more options

Paradise Tennant: you are a meditator ?

Dakini Rhode: oh yes, i am :) you?

Paradise Tennant: nods been working on it now for about six years ..in a long distance learning program with sogyal rinpoche's rigpa group

Dakini Rhode: interesting! i'm studying with tibetans, too

Paradise Tennant: finding it easier am part of a long term study with u ot t .. which is tracking experienced meditators trying to duplicate an american study which suggests it is good for memory delays the onset of tissue age related damage

Paradise Tennant: hiya steve

stevenaia Michinaga: hello

Dakini Rhode: ooh that age related damage strikes close to home

Dakini Rhode: hi Steve!

Paradise Tennant: :) eat your blueberries !

Dakini Rhode: :)

Dakini Rhode: i'm caring for aging parents right now... what a wakeup call!

Paradise Tennant: hmm a real challenge but also great opportunity to truly share the bond of love

Dakini Rhode: it's good practice... i said i wanted to devote the rest of my life to service, they say you need to be careful what you wish for :)

stevenaia Michinaga: dealing with dificult situations is a learning experience if you overcome the emotinal stresses

Paradise Tennant: hmm yes and there is a physical element to it too .. and be physically really trying ..l

Dakini Rhode: o yes, i'm feeling that after today :)

Paradise Tennant: but an excellent opportunity to build merit and to really get close to your parents as people ..

Dakini Rhode: it seems such a good reminder though to stay present

stevenaia Michinaga: I am six weeks into caring for a broken ankle here

Paradise Tennant: yes because it spins by so fast

Paradise Tennant: how is your wife doing steve

stevenaia Michinaga: we will know next monday

Paradise Tennant: the cast comes off ?

--BELL--

stevenaia Michinaga: if she (or I ) survive

stevenaia Michinaga: no cast, jsut lots of velcro, comes off every night now

Paradise Tennant: that must be more comfortable

stevenaia Michinaga: yes

stevenaia Michinaga: for both is us, she had two broken wrists one summer, that was much more intersting, they were hard casts

Paradise Tennant: yowser

Dakini Rhode: ouch!

stevenaia Michinaga: it had its enjoyable moments between being beaned on the head inadvertently

Paradise Tennant: lol

Paradise Tennant: actually there is joy to be had in almost every moment .. really .. if you are open to it

stevenaia Michinaga: yes

Dakini Rhode: sometimes afterwards rather than in the moment, it seems :)

stevenaia Michinaga: but that;s also a life view

Paradise Tennant: sometimes in transit .. I ponder just that

Paradise Tennant: when I was hurt as a kid .. i would always get a kiss on the injury .. every night before bed ..seemed to heal better .. :)

Paradise Tennant: never did an empiral analysis but was just my general impression :)

stevenaia Michinaga: whatever makes you smile is usually healing in some way

Paradise Tennant: :) yes

Paradise Tennant: they say if you smile ..you can change your mood even if you are sort of forcing it .. our brains and smiles are interlinki ..hard wired :)

Dakini Rhode: smiling also keeps you from gagging

Paradise Tennant: lol

Dakini Rhode: in case you need that bit of information

Dakini Rhode: :)

stevenaia Michinaga: I've crossed paths with people who are sad or not happy, and after talking and smiling, thier mood would be changed

Paradise Tennant: helpful gag easily :))

Dakini Rhode: just the sight of some people can change my mood :)

Paradise Tennant: whenever I am faced with a problem I have a practice where I take a few minutes and just smile at it. .. funny how it makes it easier ..

stevenaia Michinaga: shows how easy it can be to let go of such feeings and let joy fill you

--BELL--

Paradise Tennant: :)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) yes!

stevenaia Michinaga: hugs work too

Dakini Rhode: my daughter and i went to a buddhist teaching tonight, and the teacher's very presence was palpable

Dakini Rhode: my daughter said she noticed it as soon as he started talking

Paradise Tennant: yes .. any body contact really .. holding someones hand for a bit .. I went to a funeral this afternoon of a friend's father .. I sat with his mother for a good long time afterwards and just held her hand .. made us both feel better i think ..

Paradise Tennant: amazing how someone in grace has that

Dakini Rhode: so if you work with your mind, meditate and such, your presence alone cane be uplifting

Dakini Rhode: yes

Paradise Tennant: a bigness to them that fills up the room and connects

Dakini Rhode: i touched foreheads with him the last time i saw him, and i was blissed out afterwards

Dakini Rhode: o yes

Paradise Tennant: :)

Dakini Rhode: that's what happened when i met my refuge lama, i felt his mind filled the whole room

Dakini Rhode: i wanted a mind like that

stevenaia Michinaga: :)

Paradise Tennant: ;)

Paradise Tennant: after awhile .. I do not think it is work .. as a way of being .. but oh so hard at first

Dakini Rhode: ah the difficulties are just because of our habits

Paradise Tennant: yes .. are confused .. identifications .. distractions

Paradise Tennant: apparently plato .. compared life to sitting in a cave - strapped in a chair and watching the reflection of shadows on the wall in from of us .. while the reality was being played out in the light behind us :))

Paradise Tennant: *true

Dakini Rhode: :)

stevenaia Michinaga: sounds familiar

Paradise Tennant: captures it nicely .. we have to be able to do a 180 degree shift

Paradise Tennant: to really see

stevenaia Michinaga: or a 9 second peek

Paradise Tennant: your refuge lama left you with ...

Paradise Tennant: :)

Dakini Rhode: well, enough that i could point to it and say "that's what i need"

Dakini Rhode: and recollect it

Paradise Tennant: recognition

--BELL--

Paradise Tennant: :)

Paradise Tennant: a valuable gift

Paradise Tennant: well I am going to excuse myself and catch the last half of the frogg and jaycatt concert ..

Dakini Rhode: speaking of, i have two more days of teachings ahead of me...

Paradise Tennant: wow

stevenaia Michinaga: enjoy yourselves, both of you

Paradise Tennant: cool

Dakini Rhode: ah, then two more weeks of teachings

Paradise Tennant: wow you will be focused

stevenaia Michinaga: then a life of learning

Dakini Rhode: but for now, excusing myself as well to get some sleep

Paradise Tennant: kk

Paradise Tennant: good nite all :))

Paradise Tennant: be well

stevenaia Michinaga: night

Paradise Tennant: :))

Dakini Rhode: be well :)

Paradise Tennant: big wave from toronto :)

Dakini Rhode: waving from the other side :)

Dakini Rhode: thank you for the chat

stevenaia Michinaga: bye Dakini

stevenaia Michinaga: or we can stay :)

Dakini Rhode: haha

Dakini Rhode: take care :)