2009.12.10 19:00 - "Faith Just Is"

The Guardian for this meeting was Paradise. The comments are by stevenaia, Archmage and Paradise.

stevenaia Michinaga: hello Paradise
Paradise Tennant: hiya steve .. how are you tonight :)
stevenaia Michinaga: good, cat on my lap tonight
Paradise Tennant: ;)
Paradise Tennant: sometimes the dog sits in mine ..very hard to type though .. 45 lbs :)
Paradise Tennant: hiya arch :)
stevenaia Michinaga: hello Arch
Archmage Atlantis: Hi Paradise, hi Stevenaia
stevenaia Michinaga: my cat isn't too far behind
Paradise Tennant: lol
Archmage Atlantis: That sounds like a pet reference
Paradise Tennant: thinks of all the huge house cat pictures on flickr :)
stevenaia Michinaga: Searched "treadmill cat" on youtube... for comic relief
Paradise Tennant: lol ok
Archmage Atlantis: I hope mine stays asleep, he either walks on the keyboard or the remote
Archmage Atlantis: Likes to change channels
stevenaia Michinaga: hello Egrette
stevenaia Michinaga: please join us
Archmage Atlantis: And say hello in SL
Paradise Tennant: hiya egrett e welcome
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
stevenaia Michinaga: ok
stevenaia Michinaga: enjoy
Paradise Tennant: can I give you a notecard on what it is all about ??
stevenaia Michinaga: she dissappeared
Paradise Tennant: yes not fast enough I am afraid oh well
Archmage Atlantis: Disapperated
Paradise Tennant: does anyone have a topic they would like to explore this evening :)
stevenaia Michinaga: it was a very busy 1:00 sesson, I was just happy to listen
Paradise Tennant: what was the topic
Archmage Atlantis: How about the topic of whether a topic is required.....just joshing
Paradise Tennant: lol
stevenaia Michinaga: it was complicated and I arrived late, whcih is why I jsut listened :)
Archmage Atlantis: Actually I just watched a good PBS show in 4 episodes using Netflix download
Paradise Tennant: what was it about arch
Archmage Atlantis: About the history of the Isrealites, from Abraham to just before modern day
Archmage Atlantis: quite interesting study of the evolution of a faith
stevenaia Michinaga: awww, a short history :)
--BELL--
Archmage Atlantis: I'd love to see the same for other faiths, especially Buddhaism
Paradise Tennant: well faith is an excellent topic
stevenaia Michinaga: I think they are about the same age
Archmage Atlantis: Yes, Steve, just the turning points
Archmage Atlantis: Actually if you count from Moses, they are
Archmage Atlantis: How the Torah and the Talmud came to be were especially interesting
Paradise Tennant: well we evolve it is natural that our faiths evolve too
stevenaia Michinaga: I don't know enough about Buddist history to compare
stevenaia Michinaga: except it evolved from Hinduism
Paradise Tennant: I would like to learn more about the jewish faith .. i really do not know alot about it ..
stevenaia Michinaga: if that's the appropiate word
Archmage Atlantis: I wonder if any written synopis of it's history exists
Archmage Atlantis: For what I was watch, it is
stevenaia Michinaga: I know some of the hights :)
Archmage Atlantis: *watching
stevenaia Michinaga: hilights
Archmage Atlantis: written synopis of the history of Buddhism I mean
Paradise Tennant: Huston Smith and Philip Novak wrote a very readable history and introduction to Buddhism ..just entitled Buddhism quite enjoyed it
Archmage Atlantis: Ah, I'll have to look that up, thank you Paradise
Paradise Tennant: Huston Smith also penned The World's Religions ..you would like that too I would bet
stevenaia Michinaga: http://books.google.com/books?id=FjD...age&q=&f=false
Archmage Atlantis: I certain I would, thank you again
Archmage Atlantis: Thanks for the link, Steve
Archmage Atlantis: I'll save it
stevenaia Michinaga: alway amamzed how much of a book google puts online
Paradise Tennant: sometimes I think all the world's religion evolved because on some level .. there is a genetic conviction . that there is more ...
Paradise Tennant: than the mundane .. than just what we see and touch
stevenaia Michinaga: you suggesting it's the nature of humanity to posses and evolve witn a religion?
Archmage Atlantis: Yes, well for books out of copywrite, there is the Gutenberg project where the whole book may be had for free
Paradise Tennant: well more the nature of cognitive perception
Archmage Atlantis: I think that perhaps not religion per se, but some belief system, so in that since I agree with Paradise
Archmage Atlantis: If we belief "Might makes right" then we head in one direction
stevenaia Michinaga: the does not seem to exist any turely simple religion, the complexisty of religions seem to reflect the complex nature of the mind
stevenaia Michinaga: *there
Archmage Atlantis: If we believe "Learn, Share Learning, Love Oneself, Love Others" we head in another direction
Paradise Tennant: yes and very distinctive to time , culture
Archmage Atlantis: True religions can be made complex, but each has a core belief or so that guide behavior
Paradise Tennant: hmm people who have some faith tend to live longer .. be healthier on average according to the stats
Archmage Atlantis: I like the quote from Rabbi Hillel when he was asked to sum up the Jewish teachings
Paradise Tennant: it seems to help people get through life
--BELL--
Archmage Atlantis: It was something like "What you find displeasing, do not do to others"
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, answers unanserable questions, allows people to let go
Paradise Tennant: yes to both comments ...
Paradise Tennant: set common sense rules and allows you trust in something larger than you
Paradise Tennant: the trusting in something larger is the perhaps the mose intriguing aspect ..
stevenaia Michinaga: a framwork for civilized groups to live together
Paradise Tennant: and to explore reality from
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
Archmage Atlantis: And now, we are all one big group again, due to technology
stevenaia Michinaga: or to limit the exploration of reality
Paradise Tennant: nods that too
Paradise Tennant: depends on the frame of reference
Archmage Atlantis: Indeed Paradise, indeed
Paradise Tennant: i do lots of predictive analysis . always do three columns what I need to know .. what I think I know and what I really know ..would be an interesting approach to take to religion in general
Paradise Tennant: because very little of religion ..is what you really know .. it is what you believe .. but somehow that belief strikes a profound cord in what we need to know
stevenaia Michinaga: woders what the tipping point is when something becomes religion, people aways say , for instance Buddahism is a philosphy, not a religion
Paradise Tennant: yes
Archmage Atlantis: How do you decide if something goes in the "think I know" verses the "I really know" column?
Paradise Tennant: if I can prove independent of personal presumption
Archmage Atlantis: Ah, then things can move columns as you study the subject, I assume
Paradise Tennant: yes precisely
Paradise Tennant: I set up my list of need to knows and start from square one
Archmage Atlantis: Interesting
Paradise Tennant: without presumption
Paradise Tennant: good practice .. puts you nose to nose with your ignorance
stevenaia Michinaga: very methodical approach
Archmage Atlantis: Wonderful phrase "puts you nose to nose with your ignorance"
Paradise Tennant: anyways .. here we explore reality through meditative methods .. but I think one of the underlying premises is that some how you can think your way to realization
stevenaia Michinaga: what do ylou mean by "realization'
stevenaia Michinaga: (column moving)
Paradise Tennant: I think I disagree .. abstract thinking is more likely an obstacle .. faith is likely closer to the key
Paradise Tennant: well enlightenment .. or heightened awareness moving up the ladder so to speak
Archmage Atlantis: Faith, another word with many meanings and implication, and especially influenced by persception
Paradise Tennant: yes
Paradise Tennant: sigh
stevenaia Michinaga: fait is influenced by perception? not sure how
stevenaia Michinaga: faith
stevenaia Michinaga: faith is devoid of perception
Paradise Tennant: hmm yes and formed by abstract thought a bit of a conumdrum but there is the leap in faith .. that i think is very similar to perceptual shift
stevenaia Michinaga: faith just is
Archmage Atlantis: I once said that the longer I live, the more things I can't explain.....so I started a notefile to put them in
Paradise Tennant: described as part of enlightenment
Paradise Tennant: :) nice iedea
Paradise Tennant: idea
Paradise Tennant: is it a very thick note file ? ;)
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
stevenaia Michinaga: getting thicker, I;m sure
Archmage Atlantis: Yes....it is......one person asked me did I put it away in a drawer
--BELL--
Archmage Atlantis: I said no, I carry it with me always, because it give me comfort to have somewhere for those things
Paradise Tennant: yes ..
Paradise Tennant: good idea to acknowledge what you do not know
Archmage Atlantis: Well, it works for me anyway...:)
Paradise Tennant: life is an interesting journey .. we spend decades assembling the tools that work for us .. to somehow never quite getting the job done .. only to start anew with an empty toolbox
Paradise Tennant: ;)
stevenaia Michinaga: drop the tools to apply new tools to grow
Paradise Tennant: yes
stevenaia Michinaga: I must depart now, night all
Archmage Atlantis: Changing the topic, I have recently discovered all the live music performance available on SL.....Makes me wish to have better speakers on my computer
stevenaia Michinaga: Bye PAradise, Arch
Archmage Atlantis: Night Steve
Paradise Tennant: good nite steve ..thank you
Paradise Tennant: yes they are wonderful
Paradise Tennant: been going to live music here since the day i started sl
Paradise Tennant: great talent pool
Archmage Atlantis: Yes, I agree
Paradise Tennant: get a reasonable headset .. much better sound quality can be had for much less money
Archmage Atlantis: Good point.....I actually do have a good headset.....but I resist the physical feeling of having it on/in my ears
Paradise Tennant: you will get much much better sound
Archmage Atlantis: More importantly, I still have flaky sound......sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn't
Paradise Tennant: well arch would you like to do say a five minute meditation to wind down .. I have to leave at the bell :) if not no worries
Archmage Atlantis: Sure, works for me Paradise....let's do it
Paradise Tennant: ok
Paradise Tennant: we start at the gong and will end at the bell :)
Paradise Tennant: gong
Archmage Atlantis: I'll say goodnight now
Paradise Tennant: :) good nite arch

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