2010.04.01 19:00 - PAB What We Have Gained In the Past Two Years

The Guardian for this meeting was Paradise Tennant. The comments are by Bleu, Riddle, Calvino, Storm, Pema and Arch

Riddle Sideways: hi
Paradise Tennant: hiya riddle :)
Riddle Sideways: sorry, just downloaded viewer beta 2
Paradise Tennant: how is it :)
Riddle Sideways: and I can't speak so goodly yet
Paradise Tennant: i have not downloaded it yet :)
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Riddle Sideways: ummmmm, wonder where local chat box went
Paradise Tennant: can
Paradise Tennant: can't help you there I am afraid :)
Riddle Sideways: once I was afraid, but
Riddle Sideways: "there is nothing to fear, but fear it..."
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Riddle Sideways: ooo I can't stay long, family coming home
Paradise Tennant: nice to meet you riddle :)
Riddle Sideways: good evening bleu
Bleu Oleander: hey Paradise
Bleu Oleander: hi Riddle
Paradise Tennant: hiya bleu gtsy :)
Paradise Tennant: how are you tonight :)
Bleu Oleander: great you?
Paradise Tennant: very well thank you ..happy it is a long weekend :)
Bleu Oleander: hey did you both get your PaB anniversary t-shirts?
Riddle Sideways: ummm, no
Paradise Tennant: nope
Bleu Oleander: one sec
Paradise Tennant: it is the anniversary today right !
Riddle Sideways looks at calendar
Bleu Oleander: we were all dancing in the village today
Paradise Tennant: thank you
Bleu Oleander: yw
--BELL--
Paradise Tennant: oh very cool
Riddle Sideways: thank you
Riddle Sideways: and a button
Bleu Oleander: we decorated and Storm put a neat music thingy
Paradise Tennant: storm is very gifted !
Bleu Oleander: I put my favorite dance ball there
Paradise Tennant: nice
Paradise Tennant: one you made ?
Bleu Oleander: yes
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Riddle Sideways: so sorry to have missed it
Bleu Oleander: well, I put my own dances into a box if that's what you mean by "made" :)
Paradise Tennant: nods same here :)
Riddle Sideways: was at the 0 and 1 year anniverserys
Bleu Oleander: nice
Paradise Tennant: yes that works for me as made !
Bleu Oleander: I was at the 1
Riddle Sideways: Hi Calv
Paradise Tennant: hiya cal :) gtsy :)
Bleu Oleander: Hi Cal
Calvino Rabeni: Greetings Riddle
Riddle Sideways: ok change is a good thing....
Riddle Sideways: but I can't find my tools
Bleu Oleander: are you using the new viewer?
Riddle Sideways: trying to
Bleu Oleander: I still haven't downloaded it
Riddle Sideways: wants the big chat window back
Bleu Oleander: no chat window?
Riddle Sideways: little chat bars
Bleu Oleander: how do you see chat history?
Riddle Sideways: ah, it does scroll bar
Bleu Oleander: phew
Paradise Tennant: smiles ..
Riddle Sideways: excuse me I should have done this elsewhere
Paradise Tennant: no worries
Paradise Tennant: does anyone have a topic they would like to explore ?
Bleu Oleander: how about what we have gained from our PaB past two years ...
Paradise Tennant: wow good choice bleu
Paradise Tennant: would you like to start :)
Bleu Oleander: kinda an anniversary topic :)
Bleu Oleander: that's always the problem when you have a suggestion ..... you have to start!
Bleu Oleander: let me think for a sec
Riddle Sideways: oh dear, a great topic and I haveta go be with daugther that just got reject from top shoice of university
Paradise Tennant: lol
Paradise Tennant: the pain of being creative !
Bleu Oleander: bye Riddle
Riddle Sideways: bye all
Paradise Tennant: take care riddle and thank you :)
Bleu Oleander: I'll start by saying that PaB didn't come easy for me
Bleu Oleander: at first didn't know what to do with the 90 sec
Bleu Oleander: sitting at my computer
Bleu Oleander: sat in on some of Stim's sessions
Bleu Oleander: and started to relax into the rhythm of Kira
Bleu Oleander: It took me a while to stop the chatter in my mind
Bleu Oleander: so I didn't go to PaB for a long time
Bleu Oleander: then I went and was surprised by how much I related to it
Bleu Oleander: met a lot of really nice people
Bleu Oleander: got good refs on books, videos, etc
Bleu Oleander: actually read "Time, Space, and Knowledge"
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Bleu Oleander: now I find myself in a somewhat regular pattern of 9sec breaks
--BELL--
Paradise Tennant: it is added perspective .. connection and depth .. bleu ...you found... maybe a bit more space with it too ?
Bleu Oleander: yes, exactly Paradise
Bleu Oleander: so I have really just come to the best part of PaB
Paradise Tennant: yes
Bleu Oleander: where I can apply the concepts to everyday life
Bleu Oleander: starting to dovetail with rl
Bleu Oleander: you?
Paradise Tennant: cal did you want to chime in .. on what it brought to you in terms of your involvement .. I am going to have to blink for a bit
Calvino Rabeni: It has been less than half a year... still seems like I'm "getting used to it" :)
Calvino Rabeni: I've been interested in the people I've met here
Calvino Rabeni: And had some creative energies invoked to do things with SL, and the PaB Wiki
Calvino Rabeni: It has been a good place to do a kind of "weaving"
Calvino Rabeni: Individuals being the treads, somehow a loose collective comes into place
Calvino Rabeni: It has kept me interested in awareness of how a collective intelligence might function
Calvino Rabeni: And some things are easier here than in RL, with respect to meeting with people with some kind of purpose with learning or creativity
Calvino Rabeni: And I think it reflects back on my RL activities with in-person relationships and groups
Calvino Rabeni: In that I think - why not do things there, that could be done in SL?
Calvino Rabeni: Hmm, a slow process of getting identified with the avatar, having it seem "me-ish" and the place seem like another kind of familiar groupnd
Calvino Rabeni: *ground that is
Calvino Rabeni: It turned into some RL contacts both directly and indirectly
Calvino Rabeni: probably made me more open to "social media" in general
Calvino Rabeni: I like the group projects that happen from time to time
Calvino Rabeni: And yes, I might not have read the TSK book otherwise :)
Bleu Oleander: :)
Calvino Rabeni: Tempted me to study some new areas, such as phenomenology
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Bleu Oleander: me too
Calvino Rabeni: stared using the common web tools more, wikis and wikipedia and the like
Calvino Rabeni: Perhaps most of all, I met people with many different characters and abilities, which adds something to my sense of self and human potentials, besides being enjoyable
Calvino Rabeni: It may have reminded me to be more regular with my meditation practices, and certainly with keeping contemplation focuses going
--BELL--
Calvino Rabeni: Hmm, Might have helped with my "shopping aversion"
Bleu Oleander: funny!
Calvino Rabeni: Probably also good experience in trying to express complex ideas in a chaotic environment :)
Calvino Rabeni: I noticed a lot of people with artistic and creative energy, which is inspiring
Bleu Oleander: very happy to see that
Calvino Rabeni: Otherwise I wouldn't have used SL, so that's something too
Calvino Rabeni: I'm not sure what else...
Calvino Rabeni: maybe I can envision a kind of "noosphere" of the future society
Calvino Rabeni: Some kind of futuristic communcation and thinking web
Calvino Rabeni: It raised the standard for having interesting relationships
Calvino Rabeni: Since it was for me, all during fall/winter, it remains to be seen how much I sustain of online activity in the active season of spring/summer.
Bleu Oleander: hey Storm
Calvino Rabeni: Oh, also, I have enjoyed getting some RL friends involved in SL
Paradise Tennant: hiya storm :)
Calvino Rabeni: It gives another way to be in relationship
Storm Nordwind: Hi there :)
Paradise Tennant: yes
Calvino Rabeni: Hiya storm
Calvino Rabeni: The topic is - retrospective on PaB and its personal effects or impact
Paradise Tennant: storm we are exploring Bleu suggestion to express what PAB has brought to us :)
Storm Nordwind: Ah - thank you
Storm Nordwind: Such a difficult thing to sum up
Calvino Rabeni: A kind of "anniversary" review
Paradise Tennant: was there anything else cal that you wanted to add :)
Calvino Rabeni: Ah, done for now I would say
Bleu Oleander: I haven't met anyone who hasn't had a positive experience with PaB
Paradise Tennant: Storm . would you like to share what PAB has brought to you :)
Storm Nordwind: I do sometimes wonder whether there are people who have tried to practise PaB whom we have never met, simply because they have only ever stumbled on the website
Bleu Oleander: do many find PaB from the website I wonder?
Storm Nordwind: If they don't come into SL, it might be impossible to tell
Storm Nordwind: One certainly doesn't need SL to practise it
Storm Nordwind: As for what PaB has brought me in the last two years...
Storm Nordwind: ... actually it's a funny question in many ways...
Storm Nordwind: it's not one I normally ask of myself! ...
Storm Nordwind: I know that reflection is not my strong suit (or atleast not by choice ;) ...
Storm Nordwind: And I think my problem would be to try and disentangle PaB from all the other tumultuous changes that have happened coincident with it
--BELL--
Storm Nordwind: The biggest 'experiences' I've had were with YSBS and ESBS
Paradise Tennant: blinks
Storm Nordwind: The effect of PaB itself has been more insidious, whereas they were step changes
Storm Nordwind: And in fact the biggest change, outside those experiences, are that it has brought me into contact with some amazing people, people I would probably never have met under any other circumstance
Storm Nordwind: And through that contact I've found many things, way beyond the practice of PaB itself
Bleu Oleander: that seems to be a common thread
Storm Nordwind: So I realise this really doesn't answer the question! :)
Paradise Tennant: lol
Paradise Tennant: sorry I have to go back .. ysbs .. esbs .. blinking ?
Storm Nordwind: Well - please remember that during thais time I've changed my religious tradition, I've divorced, remarried and emigrated, been laid off from my job.. well, the list goes on and on
Paradise Tennant: yowser
Storm Nordwind: So PaB in there as an effect is quite difficult to isolate!
Bleu Oleander: is that all?
Bleu Oleander: hehe
Paradise Tennant: lol
Storm Nordwind: No - lots more. But I don't want to sound boring or self-indulgent!
Paradise Tennant: listens :)
Storm Nordwind: But your question about ysbs and esbs?
Paradise Tennant: sorry just not seen the reference before ..
Storm Nordwind: Oh!
Storm Nordwind: You have seen the initials?
Paradise Tennant: no
Storm Nordwind: OK
Storm Nordwind: Hmmm...
Storm Nordwind: In a nutshell...
Storm Nordwind: These were experiments that Pema invited us to try in the summer (July I think) following the start of PaB
Storm Nordwind: First he suggest YSBS
Storm Nordwind: And that stands for You Seeing Being Seeing
Storm Nordwind: It was a comparison experiment
Storm Nordwind: First of all, the idea was to be as fully aware as you possibly could of what you saw
Storm Nordwind: and also heard, felt etc
Storm Nordwind: He suggested being aware of the cone of vision that yours eyes had for example
Storm Nordwind: And after some minutes of being as aware of You Seeing as possible
Storm Nordwind: he suggested switching to Being Seeing
Storm Nordwind: Being Seeing was something like this...
Storm Nordwind: What would it be like to See as Being
Storm Nordwind: Would it be possible to go beyond such an imagining?
Storm Nordwind: And experience it for oneself?
Storm Nordwind: And how would it compare to You Seeing?
Storm Nordwind: (These are in old chat logs by the way, explained far better than I'm doing right now!)
Storm Nordwind: It took me several attempts to 'engage' Being Seeing, but when I did found it quite a stunning experience
Storm Nordwind: I seem to remember I blogged (poorly) about it at the time
Storm Nordwind: :)
Storm Nordwind: I think Pema encourages repeat sessions of YSBS from time to time
Storm Nordwind: But not so with the other experiment ESBS
Storm Nordwind: which stands for Enlightened being Seeing, Being Seeing
--BELL--
Storm Nordwind: Actually the best way to start with that was YS - you seeing
Storm Nordwind: And then maybe to go on to Beeing Seeing
Storm Nordwind: But ES was very different, for me at least
Storm Nordwind: It was more like, what would it be like to be (whatever we imagined it as) an Enlightened Being?
Storm Nordwind: And then to compare, if possible, the difference between that and Being Seeing.
Storm Nordwind: The experience for me of that was instantaneous and far more profound than Beeing Seeing.
Storm Nordwind: However, there was a problem... that of disentangling one's ego and pride...
Storm Nordwind: and without proper training that's actually quite hard to do for many people
Storm Nordwind: So Pema didn't encourage that experiment after that
Storm Nordwind: (although it had the biggest personal effect)
Storm Nordwind: Hmm... I've rambled - sorry - does that help? :)
Paradise Tennant: smiles very much so storm ..thank you very much
Paradise Tennant: what kind of profound personal effect emerged from esbs ?
Storm Nordwind: Well... hmmm... let me try and describe very briefly... and please simply take it at face value...
Storm Nordwind: I knew without a doubt (for a period of 10 minutes at least!) what it was like to be an enlightened being, a taste of that experience in its entirety, and yet still to be aware and functional in the normal world - and this validated for me the spritual path that I was on. That's it in essence. :)
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Paradise Tennant: that is some essence !
Storm Nordwind chuckles
Paradise Tennant: you experienced your buddha nature :)
Paradise Tennant: recognized it
Storm Nordwind: Took it out of dusty books, shook it down, and lived it for a while
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Bleu Oleander: :)
Storm Nordwind: Or was that the effect of the divorce? ;^)>
Paradise Tennant: lol
Bleu Oleander: interesting question
Paradise Tennant: interesting each of you have expressed similar but .. also unique .. variations on the theme :)
Paradise Tennant: sometimes are lives are shaped by the brain trusts so to speak that we attach to .. this one I would suggest is one heck of a brain trust!
Paradise Tennant: *our
Calvino Rabeni: I agree with that Paradise
Bleu Oleander: :)
Paradise Tennant: hiya pema
Storm Nordwind: I agree too, in fact if nothing else, the catalytic effect of that is huge
Paradise Tennant: we have been doing a anniversary session exploring what PAB has brought to each of us :)
Pema Pera: hi Storm, Paradise, Bleu, Calvino!
Bleu Oleander: hey Pema
--BELL--
Storm Nordwind: Greetings Pema
Calvino Rabeni: Hello :)
Bleu Oleander: wonderful day of reflection and celebration :)
Pema Pera: wow, looking forward to reading it, Paradise! I couldn't get in earlier; late dinner in Manhattan, but glad to find some stragglers here still :)
Storm Nordwind: How exotic that sounds: "late dinner in Manhattan" ;)
Pema Pera: was fun to come in three times a day, for a change
Storm Nordwind: Yes for me too
Pema Pera: (found a Starbucks to combine latte and internet)
Paradise Tennant: somehow manhattan has its own energy :) almost tangible the moment you land :)
Pema Pera: very much so, yes
Pema Pera: but I will leave Manhattan for ten months now, starting Sunday
Bleu Oleander: where will you be Pema?
Archmage Atlantis: Well, all the major players are hee
Bleu Oleander: Hi Arch
Pema Pera: three weeks San Francisco, then nine months of (mostly) Tokyo
Bleu Oleander: very nice
Storm Nordwind: Hi Arch... and many of the major players are, in my humble view, missing :)
Paradise Tennant: hiya arch :)
Paradise Tennant: that is such a long time away
Pema Pera: what were the main conclusions when reflecting on PaB's history?
Pema Pera: or it is too complex to give a few snippets?
Paradise Tennant: well we filled an hour!
Pema Pera: :)
Archmage Atlantis: May I?
Bleu Oleander: we all talked about meeting wonderful people through PaB
Paradise Tennant: Please Arch we were reflecting on what PAB has brought to each of us ..would you like to add your experiences
Calvino Rabeni: DInner calls - thanks all, be well :)
Pema Pera: bye Calvino
Bleu Oleander: nite Cal
Storm Nordwind waves
Archmage Atlantis: This forum has brough together many divese thoughs......,many diverse entities
Paradise Tennant: take care cal
Archmage Atlantis: It is a caulden of new undestanding of the nem. an do remem ber
Archmage Atlantis: An crappy timoub
Archmage Atlantis: Y=Yet I degress
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Paradise Tennant: yes many diverse people .. and there is a real pleasure diversity .. I find I've connected with so many bright creative souls. that share their insight and understanding with such abandon ..it has been a pleasure ..something I really look forward to :)
--BELL--
Paradise Tennant: I always learn something
Paradise Tennant: :)
Storm Nordwind: Sharing with abandon - a beautiful thought! :)
Pema Pera: :)
Archmage Atlantis: The banboo we pont wer all cold nardt our zine
Pema Pera: yes, it's really amazing what has sprouted up around such a simple idea . . . .
Archmage Atlantis: Ye =t inthe las week hey have begun to sent up new ahoses
Archmage Atlantis: Geez. as tneuorpatht ontinjes, the dekbord gets more fifficut
Paradise Tennant: are you haveing trouble typing arch .. are you ok ?
Archmage Atlantis: Yesm U====I an......Ihave trouble typeing
Archmage Atlantis: 'But also in speaa===h re9ornutib siftware'
Paradise Tennant: pema what has Pab brought to you :)
Pema Pera: you all :-)
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Bleu Oleander: :)
Pema Pera: and a much better understanding of wu-wei, of not-doing, of letting, being . . .
Pema Pera: never expected to get so many playmates in my practice :)
--BELL--
Paradise Tennant: because we each seem to have so much to be thankful for maybe we could spend a few minutes in meditating on .. just that thankfulness :) to wind down the session ;)
Pema Pera: fine!
Storm Nordwind: :)
Paradise Tennant: shall I gong
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Paradise Tennant: gong!
Pema Pera: :-)
Pema Pera: going, gone, gong!
Paradise Tennant: lol
Bleu Oleander: :)
Storm Nordwind is thankful for the playful humor! :)
Pema Pera will behave from now on
Paradise Tennant: lol
Bleu Oleander: hope not!
Storm Nordwind watches with incredulity
Bleu Oleander: thank you all for sharing your reflections .... must be going ... take care :)
Paradise Tennant: take care Bleau
Pema Pera: thank you, Paradise!
Pema Pera: and all !
Storm Nordwind waves
Paradise Tennant: thank you all :) really enjoyed this session
Paradise Tennant: :)
Bleu Oleander: bye all
Paradise Tennant: nite nite everyone
Pema Pera: see you all soon again!
Pema Pera: in our third year
Bleu Oleander: yes :)