2009.11.25 19:00 - Supreme Creator

The Guardian for this meeting was stevenaia Michinaga. The comments are by stevenaia Michinaga.

Calvino Rabeni asked about YSBS and I relay a story about my experience at the recent Princeton Retreat

stevenaia Michinaga: hello

stevenaia Michinaga: I was tending to the turkey for a moment

--BELL--

Calvino Rabeni: quiet night in SL I think

stevenaia Michinaga: :)

stevenaia Michinaga: I didn;t check the online populations when I logged on

Calvino Rabeni: There's a bell for the 90 secs, which comes considerably after the text notice. Is that by design, I wonder?

stevenaia Michinaga: I usually have the sound off, but there could be a lag

stevenaia Michinaga: I see the text and assume the bell has sounded

Calvino Rabeni: Anything on your mind tonight?

stevenaia Michinaga: I was thinking back to the recent retreat just now, actually, there was a pond and we did a YSBS (You Seeing Being Seeing) exercise

stevenaia Michinaga: so it was longer than the 10 minute exercises we were doing previously, siting still overlooking the natural setting of the pond earlier in the day

Calvino Rabeni: I don't think I know what YSBS means.

stevenaia Michinaga: we all walked around the pond, choosing direction and path on our own

stevenaia Michinaga: you can look it up on the Wiki, but I will try to explain

stevenaia Michinaga: (from a novice perspective)

stevenaia Michinaga: to me it embodies the "Play" part of Play as Being

stevenaia Michinaga: you first are the viewer Seeing Being, them you switch to Being seeing.... whatever that means to you, the observational point is changed or reversed and see what comes of it

stevenaia Michinaga: so you "Play' Being seeing

stevenaia Michinaga: sometimes you see you , other times you just see... from a point outside you

Calvino Rabeni: was this presented as a technique, or do you use your imagination to try to get it?

stevenaia Michinaga: shall we try at the next bell in a minute

stevenaia Michinaga: just as a guide

stevenaia Michinaga: a framework of structured meditation for me

stevenaia Michinaga: what it means is what it mean to you

stevenaia Michinaga: it;s an interesting shift for me :)

--BELL--

Calvino Rabeni: Might take a while to get it :)

stevenaia Michinaga: it began as a 9 second moment

stevenaia Michinaga: nods

stevenaia Michinaga: hello Rowan

stevenaia Michinaga: welcome to a quiet evening

Rowan Masala: hello

Rowan Masala: Calvino's not a Gar alt, is he?

stevenaia Michinaga: Cal this is Rowan, a former Guardian :)

stevenaia Michinaga: no

Rowan Masala: kk

Rowan Masala: you know, the whole "tell me a story" thing with Gar

Rowan Masala: nice to meet you, Cal

Calvino Rabeni: Rowan, pleasure is mine.

stevenaia Michinaga: yes, it did remind me of our friend Gar, who always wants to be ld a story

stevenaia Michinaga: what group is that from, Cal?

Calvino Rabeni: It is from Storytellers Guild of SL

stevenaia Michinaga: perfect

Calvino Rabeni: I'm not really active in it, but I like the tag line, and like open mic events

Rowan Masala: poet?

Calvino Rabeni: I try to do it in RL, but am a novice

Calvino Rabeni: Storyteller

Rowan Masala nods

Calvino Rabeni: I have a mentor, but only recently

Rowan Masala: I've never been to a storytelling open mic

stevenaia Michinaga: so I was telling Cal about one of the exercises from the retreat and how the group of us walked around a pond at IAS for 15-30 minutes and meditated

Calvino Rabeni: Poetry open mic?

Rowan Masala nods

Calvino Rabeni: IN RL also?

Rowan Masala nods

Rowan Masala: but not often

Calvino Rabeni: I like that

stevenaia Michinaga: I;ve seen you in Sl reading your Poetry Rowan

stevenaia Michinaga: (once)

stevenaia Michinaga: it was amazing

Rowan Masala blushes

Rowan Masala: once was plenty

stevenaia Michinaga: so let me finish my short story........

Rowan Masala: forgive me - I just got an IM from someone with a pituitary tumor. will be involved in an IM for a bit

stevenaia Michinaga: understand...

stevenaia Michinaga: after this walk thinking about being seeing and returning to the conference room overlooking the lake

Calvino Rabeni: did you sit or keep walking?

stevenaia Michinaga: I was relaying how amazing the state of the environment was , the leaves, lake sun, light on the water, breeze blowing, it was very difficult to simply internalize the direction of my thinking

stevenaia Michinaga: we sat and gathered our thoughts

stevenaia Michinaga: usually I would meditate with my eyes closed and create my own journey

stevenaia Michinaga: walking in nature and seeing the beauty only thought of some supreme creator as what else could create such beauty

stevenaia Michinaga: quite different from my usual thinking about seeing and being

--BELL--

stevenaia Michinaga: everything about the walk and surroundings was so close to perfection

Calvino Rabeni: That was a good story

stevenaia Michinaga: it was unexpected

stevenaia Michinaga: but perfectly appropriate

stevenaia Michinaga: have you looked through the Wiki?

stevenaia Michinaga: http://playasbeing.wik.is/Information/Frequently_Asked_Questions

stevenaia Michinaga: a good starting point

Calvino Rabeni: There is a lot on the wiki. And in Piet's pages. I read all the intro stuff. Not that much of the chat logs.

Calvino Rabeni: Is there a method with the logs - have the guardians been charged with working at it in some way?

stevenaia Michinaga: method? the logs are just posts of these sessions with commentary

stevenaia Michinaga: there are summaries, distillation in 3 day groups where an individual guardian distills what they feel is "good stuff" and posts that in the Scribe Project section

stevenaia Michinaga: so 12 sessions are distilled as each sees fit

stevenaia Michinaga: that did not begin for quite a while after we began posting logs, originally it was a blog before a more clever soul thought a Wiki would be a better structure and all was transferred over

stevenaia Michinaga: and here we are

Calvino Rabeni: there was an idea of tagging. Perhaps it is meant for a retrospective study in the future.

Calvino Rabeni: Memory aid

stevenaia Michinaga: if I remember I tag, we are supposed to tag the dates but I'm bit sure how that is used after the log is posted

Calvino Rabeni: I was thinking of ways in which it must bias what happens

stevenaia Michinaga: *not sure

stevenaia Michinaga: you can search thought the Wiki on any word

Calvino Rabeni: I have done that

stevenaia Michinaga: awww, even the commentary have their bias, everything does

Calvino Rabeni: A different bias

stevenaia Michinaga: usually the commentary as I saw it used early on became a very effective way of leading the reader in a story telling way

Calvino Rabeni: FOr instance, most groups that want to encourage "authenticity" have an agreement of confidentiality. BUt that is not present in this arrangement.

stevenaia Michinaga: someone enters, a topic appears, etc

Calvino Rabeni: I enjoyed the narrative style of some of the comments.

stevenaia Michinaga: there have been but a scant few moments where confidentiality was exercised, usually after agreement or discussion

--BELL--

stevenaia Michinaga: but in the end it rested with the Guardian on Call as to whether things are posted, edited or deleted in the best interest of what the Guardian feels most appropriate for the situation

Calvino Rabeni: i see

stevenaia Michinaga: it is not usually done casually

Calvino Rabeni: it is a well-mannered group. The sharpest thing I've seen was a kind of confrontation with Mary. Otherwise I'd expect there not to be much heat.

stevenaia Michinaga: brb, basting turkey (hold that thought)

stevenaia Michinaga: back

Calvino Rabeni: You know Bohm Dialogue?

stevenaia Michinaga: no

stevenaia Michinaga: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohm_Dialogue

Calvino Rabeni: I forget which Kira activities you do?

stevenaia Michinaga: just this

Calvino Rabeni: Not WOK, Time?

Rowan Masala: sort of back

Calvino Rabeni: WB

stevenaia Michinaga: I read those when I can, but rarely attend

Rowan Masala: poor guy is flying out to San Francisco (from the east coast) for the neurosurgery

Calvino Rabeni: OK.

stevenaia Michinaga: oh my

Calvino Rabeni: Rowan, are you in medical profession?

Rowan Masala: no - just subject to it

Rowan Masala: lol

Calvino Rabeni: :)

Rowan Masala: have had a lot of surgery

Calvino Rabeni: FIrst hand knowledge

Rowan Masala nods

stevenaia Michinaga: not sure we are a group of free association, but you wouldn't know that for much of the time

Calvino Rabeni: An SL person named Sunfire has a group that meets at Thotica Sim.

Calvino Rabeni: There are some similarities

Calvino Rabeni: Talking to a buddhist friend today about it.

Calvino Rabeni: There is a balance in contemplative dialogue (or individual practice too I suppose)

Calvino Rabeni: Between looking at what "is" and trying to see through or into i.

Calvino Rabeni: into IT, i meant

--BELL--

Calvino Rabeni: From my short experience, PAB seems a kind of contemplation

stevenaia Michinaga: this is all new to me so I am finding it very interesting

Calvino Rabeni: It can't be explained too much though, because that makes it available to more variety of people

Calvino Rabeni: Steve you seem to have Beginners MInd, which is good to have

stevenaia Michinaga: there are may people far more familiar with contemplative thinking that I

stevenaia Michinaga: *than

stevenaia Michinaga: I expect I will always have a beginners mind

Calvino Rabeni: hope so

Calvino Rabeni: everyone has some special abilities

stevenaia Michinaga: but the nice thing I enjoy is, for the most part here is, there is no wrong way :)

Calvino Rabeni: that is a good thing I agree

stevenaia Michinaga: brb, turkey needs its temperature taken

Calvino Rabeni: There's kind of a wrong way I feel - maybe common sense, but not good to get really critical of anything

Calvino Rabeni: OK

stevenaia Michinaga: back

stevenaia Michinaga: depends on the exercise, O suppose

stevenaia Michinaga: I

stevenaia Michinaga: there was an individual here once who put it this way... whatever arises, arises perfectly

stevenaia Michinaga: Hello Brunno, care to join us?

stevenaia Michinaga: poof...gone

Calvino Rabeni: shy

Calvino Rabeni: I like the dialogue.

--BELL--

Calvino Rabeni: I do quite a lot of contemplation otherwise

stevenaia Michinaga: I fins much of what I do at work results in it;s own contemplative state for me

stevenaia Michinaga: Hello Eden

Calvino Rabeni: something specific?

Calvino Rabeni: Good to see you , Eden

stevenaia Michinaga: I draw and problem solve

Calvino Rabeni: sounds creative

stevenaia Michinaga: empties your mind and fills it with focused creativity

stevenaia Michinaga: nods

stevenaia Michinaga: sometimes for hours at a time

Eden Haiku: Nice to see you all. Sorry to be so late, I had a lot of problems logging in tonite.

Calvino Rabeni: I have a dogma allergy, and luckily this group feels pretty clear

Calvino Rabeni: thanks:

Eden Haiku: What have you been talking about if I may ask? ;-)

stevenaia Michinaga: a very large majority of the time

stevenaia Michinaga: hello Angelina

Calvino Rabeni: I think your mic may be on, Eden

Eden Haiku: Yes, sorry.I did not know voice chat worked here...

stevenaia Michinaga: recently about contemplation and taking my turkey;s temperature

Eden Haiku: Is it ok now?

stevenaia Michinaga: brb

Calvino Rabeni: Yes, I don't year you typing any more Eden

Eden Haiku: Oh right, it is Thanksgiving tomorrow in the US. Happy Thanksgiving!

Eden Haiku: Ouf!

Calvino Rabeni: Traditional to eat a huge bird

Eden Haiku: We do that here too , for Christmas and New Year. I ordered some fresh bio birds today.

Calvino Rabeni: BOTH occasions - two birds, one week apart?

stevenaia Michinaga: we celebrated Canadian thanksgiving a few weeks ago here with friends

Rowan Masala: gotta go

Rowan Masala: nice to meet you Cal

stevenaia Michinaga: bye Rowan

Calvino Rabeni: Likewise, talk to you again then.

Eden Haiku: Yes. First one is rehearsal for the big family event. First one with friends only ;-)

Calvino Rabeni: nice idea

Eden Haiku: Bye Rowan.

Eden Haiku: Hope I have a chance to meet you some other time;-)

Eden Haiku: I love your skirt!

Calvino Rabeni: It was fun

Rowan Masala: Thanks Eden

Rowan Masala: see you soon

Eden Haiku: ;-)

Eden Haiku: Steve's head is in his oven...

stevenaia Michinaga: not at the moment

Eden Haiku: Sorry...

stevenaia Michinaga: but shortly

Calvino Rabeni: One of the meetings here I enjoyed - that was fun, was where someone different would come up with the focus idea for each timeout.

stevenaia Michinaga: timeout...smiles

Calvino Rabeni: I felt, seeing through others' eyes

stevenaia Michinaga: Eos does that well

stevenaia Michinaga: care to suggest one?

Calvino Rabeni: Be everybody at thanksgiving?

--BELL--

stevenaia Michinaga: I must be off, almost tomorrow here

Eden Haiku: I'm not sure if you meant connection with all-others, but I tried that, on a a very small scale. Interesting to see how small it was.

Calvino Rabeni: Late for bird watching :)

stevenaia Michinaga: :)

Eden Haiku: Bye Steve, always nice to see you.

Calvino Rabeni: It worked for me...

stevenaia Michinaga: yes, thanks for dropping in

Calvino Rabeni: Good night Stevenaia

stevenaia Michinaga: night

Calvino Rabeni: YW