2010.08.11 13:00 - Dropped, not Stopped

The Guardian for this meeting was Fefonz Quan. The comments are by Fefonz Quan.

Bertram Jacobus: hey arch ! ty for your nc ! :-)
Archmage Atlantis: Hiya, Bertram......well it was an interesting question, and part of me tends to dig around for answers :).........yw, my pleasure :)
Bertram Jacobus: :-))
Archmage Atlantis: Are you well today?
Archmage Atlantis: I am. Sleepy a bit tho.
Bertram Jacobus: ty , it´s okay. my job ends and that is a bit problematic, bust rest is fine. ty. you ?
Archmage Atlantis: Ah, job endings.....for me they were always upsetting, even when it was time
Bertram Jacobus: hey wol :-)
Wol Euler: hello bert, arch
Sartre Placebo: hey everyone
Wol Euler: hello sartre, zon, fefonz
Bertram Jacobus: yes : hy sartre, zon, fefonz :o)
Fefonz Quan: Hello all, rezzing balls and white clouds :)
Archmage Atlantis: Hey Wol, Zon, Sartre, Fefonz.....a distinguished group *g*
Mickorod Renard: ayup
Wol Euler: hello mick
Bertram Jacobus: hi mick and bruce
Sartre Placebo: hey mick,fef,bruce
Archmage Atlantis: Hiya Mic, Bruce :)
Mickorod Renard: Hey,,lots of malta retreaters
Fefonz Quan: yep :)
Wol Euler smiles
Mickorod Renard: Hi bruce too
Bruce Mowbray: Hello, everyone.
Mickorod Renard: and zon
Zon Quar: mick
Archmage Atlantis: Zon *nods*
Archmage Atlantis: And Blub
Mickorod Renard: and Arch
Zon Quar: yes
Archmage Atlantis: So, is Malta retreat just ended?
Mickorod Renard: ended in february
Archmage Atlantis: I'm sort of outside the loop
Fefonz Quan: well, about 7 months ago, but who's counting?
Wol Euler: it was in January, Arch; the retreat that just finished was in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Mickorod Renard: the one in nova scotia just ended
Bertram Jacobus: was the winter retreat. waht ended was the autumn retreat in nova scotia - wol was there ...
Archmage Atlantis: Ah.....good seafood *g*
Wol Euler: yes but not at the retreat
Wol Euler: it was all veg. No gluten, no dairy, no flour, no sugar, no processed foods of any kind
Mickorod Renard: I only eat cows,,I am trying to reduce the carbon defecit in the uk
Wol Euler: but really delicious.
--BELL--
Bertram Jacobus: oh. hi yaku ! :o)
Mickorod Renard: Hi Yaku,,long time no see
Yakuzza Lethecus: :)
Archmage Atlantis: There is always seaweed as an ingredient......I've seen some presentations of veg sushi
Wol Euler: there was some of that, yes, for the iodine
Archmage Atlantis: Cool :)
Zon Quar: but u cant do that without good red wine
Wol Euler: we did have some wine and beer
Wol Euler: not every night, but a few times
Zon Quar: i mean eat cows
Archmage Atlantis: Red, or white wine, or both?
Wol Euler: oh, sorry :)
Archmage Atlantis: Boutique beers?
Wol Euler: both, arch
Wol Euler: local beer, but not really boutique
Qt Core: hi all
Mickorod Renard: wine goes well with a cow
Bruce Mowbray: Hello, Qt.
Zon Quar: qt¨
Mickorod Renard: hi qt
Archmage Atlantis: Sounds nice.......I went grocery shopping earlier.....so food is still on my mind :)
Fefonz Quan: yes, red one (the wine, not the cow :))
Wol Euler smiles.
Wol Euler: hello qt
Fefonz Quan: hi qt
Bertram Jacobus: hoi qt
Archmage Atlantis: Hola, QT
Wol Euler: hallo qt
Wol Euler: heh
Wol Euler: [13:18] Fefonz Quan: hi qt (hi qt) [13:18] Bertram Jacobus: hoi qt (hoi qt) [13:18] Archmage Atlantis: Hola, QT (Hello, QT) [13:18] Wol Euler: hallo qt (hi qt) [13:18] Wol Euler: heh (heh)
Wol Euler: I had the translator turned on
Qt Core: feeling overgreeted now ;)
Archmage Atlantis: I take my greeting back QT *g*
Fefonz Quan: Wol, would you say something about the retreat?
Archmage Atlantis: This is a nice group now
Wol Euler: it was even better than Malta.
Fefonz Quan: Oh, that's the wrong answer :(
Wol Euler laughs.
Wol Euler: well, I'm sorry.
Yakuzza Lethecus: yes, i also disliked that part of her story :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: lol
Fefonz Quan: wyou can rephrase: it was better FOR YOU
Wol Euler: it was very concentrated, we all stayed in a farmhouse in the forest for the whole week
Archmage Atlantis: Hey, if we can have multiple universes, we can have multiple impressions of retreats
Wol Euler: apart from the afternoon when we went to see Inception
Wol Euler: hello ara
arabella Ella: Hiya Wol, Hiya everyone!
Zon Quar: ara
Qt Core: Hi ara
Bertram Jacobus: hy ara
Fefonz Quan: did you sleep there too?
arabella Ella: Hey Fefonz havent seen you in ages!
Wol Euler: yep
Mickorod Renard: hi ara
Fefonz Quan: hey Ara!
Wol Euler: everything happened in the one building
Fefonz Quan: we were just mentioning the great Malta retreat
arabella Ella: ah cool!
Wol Euler: it had a two-storey plus a bit central space, where we sat on sofas (and broke one of them)
Fefonz Quan litens to Wol
Wol Euler: plus a retreat room off to the side, but we only sat there together once. People used it individually for private sitting after that
Archmage Atlantis: Or the nova scotia one........being out of the loop, they all run together for me
Wol Euler: the catering was done by a lovely young couple, locals
Wol Euler: delicious very healthy food, clearly made with passion and the freshest ingredients
arabella Ella: reminds me of Fefonz's sweet potato soup ... yummy!
Archmage Atlantis: *****pointedly excluding cows, apparently*******
Wol Euler smiles. We said that about the soup on some day or ohter
arabella Ella: :)
Wol Euler: oh yes, nothing animal or fish or bird or insect
Wol Euler: though we did have eggs once, for breakfast
Wol Euler: lots of nuts, locally grown
arabella Ella: now each time i see sweet potatos i remember Fefonz :)
Fefonz Quan: oh, low protein diet...
Wol Euler: and local berries and other fruit
Wol Euler: we talked a lot (obviously)
Fefonz Quan leans his head humbly :)
arabella Ella: :)
Wol Euler: blueberries and lions and enoughness came up often
Fefonz Quan: lionms?
Wol Euler: and "the is-ness of what is"
Fefonz Quan: what can be said about the is-ness of what is?
Wol Euler: we did the Diamond Sutra series of meditations on Tuesday
Wol Euler: starting with dropping our history and progressing through dropping being human to dropping being and time
Fefonz Quan: can you say more about that seies of meditatins?
Wol Euler: I'm the wrong person to ask for details about that, Pema or Eos would explain it far better than I can
Wol Euler: but the lions arose out of that, from the "dropping being human" stage
Archmage Atlantis: Yes adds my request to Fefonz
Wol Euler: because I remembered a friend who had done that very drastically and changed her life.
Fefonz Quan: (Ah, i didn't know its from the diamond sutra, we did that also on the santa-cruz retreat, one year ago!)
Wol Euler: she was on a tenting holiday in Africa, out in the bush, with a few friends and a guide
--BELL--
Wol Euler: she woke up with a start in the middle of the night once, when a lion coughed right outside the tent
Wol Euler: she described it to me months later when we met
Archmage Atlantis: Ah, thus I have heard
Wol Euler: "you wake up instantly and your heart is racing. You look at hte guide and he just looks at you."
Fefonz Quan: (so did she offered him anti-cough pils?)
Wol Euler: "you don't have to ask what that noise was, and he doesn'T have to tell you, because every cell in your body is screaming at you"
Wol Euler: fortunately, it went away.
Wol Euler: but she experienced herself that day as not-human, as a little furry animal in desperate and very real fear of its life
Fefonz Quan throws a pillow at Fefonz
Wol Euler: when she went back to England, within six months she broke up with her boyfriend, sold her apartment, quit her job, moved out of london, enrolled in art college and outed herself as a lesbian
Wol Euler: so "meeting a lion" became a touchstone for dramatic change of life
Archmage Atlantis: Makes perfect sense to me
Fefonz Quan nods
Wol Euler: she became very much happier, without having been aware that she was unhappy before
Archmage Atlantis: nicely said, Wol
Fefonz Quan: i thought the non-human pointed at being a lion, so guess i missed the point
Fefonz Quan: yes, fascinating story
Wol Euler: oh no :) the lion was just the catalyst
Fefonz Quan: yes i get that now
Wol Euler: she dropped being human, dropped having ideas about her future and her present and her habits and beliefs
Wol Euler: hello agatha
Agatha Macbeth: Hello there :)
Agatha Macbeth: Hi everyone
Fefonz Quan likes the difference between stopped and dropped
Archmage Atlantis: I would only disagree with you one one point, Wol......that she dropped being human........to me, she became huma
Fefonz Quan: Hi Agatha
Agatha Macbeth waves to Fonzie
arabella Ella: Hiya Agatha
Agatha Macbeth: Hi Ara :)
Wol Euler: yes, arch, you could see it that way too.,
Archmage Atlantis: nods
Mickorod Renard: hi ags
Agatha Macbeth: Yo Mick
Zon Quar: agatha
arabella Ella: nice quick change Wol
Agatha Macbeth: :)
arabella Ella: at first i thought Ags had wings :)
Agatha Macbeth: Quick draw McGraw
Agatha Macbeth: I do ;-)
Wol Euler: Eos and Tarmel and somebody else had already seen Inception and kept talking about how good it was, and how it related to PaB
Wol Euler: so we decided to go together to see it on Wednesday afternoon.
Wol Euler: it's a great film, highly recommended. Lots to think about, even apart from its relation to dreams and Being
Fefonz Quan: ah, Tarmel wa in the retreat too?
Wol Euler: oh, right, Maxine was the third person who'd seen it.
Wol Euler: yes.
Agatha Macbeth: She was?
Wol Euler: maxine, pema, tarmel, eos, eliza, corvi, and myself
Agatha Macbeth: The magnificent 7
Wol Euler: indeed.
Agatha Macbeth: Or the 7 samurai
Fefonz Quan: Oh, what a fine company
Wol Euler: we were, definitely.
Archmage Atlantis: Or the 7 deadly sins
Agatha Macbeth: 7 wonders of the world?
Wol Euler: heheh
Archmage Atlantis: The first prime number after 5
Agatha Macbeth: And before 11
Archmage Atlantis: yeppers
Fefonz Quan: 11?
Agatha Macbeth: 11 is prime yes?
Fefonz Quan: ah, sure
Agatha Macbeth smiles
Wol Euler: we were all very much like ourselves.
--BELL--
Wol Euler: hello corvi!
Agatha Macbeth: Hiya Corv :)
Fefonz Quan: Hi Corvi!
Mickorod Renard: hiya corvi
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Hey ya'll! *waves*
Qt Core: Hi Corvi
Fefonz Quan: (is that a new av?)
arabella Ella: Hiya Corvi
Corvuscorva Nightfire: not new..just I don't come much as Corey
Fefonz Quan: i see
Agatha Macbeth grins
Wol Euler: people were asking about the diamond sutra exercises on tuesday, do you remember enough to describe them?
Archmage Atlantis: then it is an honor to see another aspect
Agatha Macbeth will be right back.
Corvuscorva Nightfire smiles warmly at arch.
Agatha Macbeth hath returned
Wol Euler cheers
Agatha Macbeth: What's a diamond sutra?
Archmage Atlantis: Bruce......is my memory correct........people have outhouses where your FL body is? Or was that metaphorical?
Wol Euler: it's one of the core buddhist texts, a discussion of impermanence and the non-essentialness of what we loosely think of as "us"
Agatha Macbeth: I see
Wol Euler: (I paraphrase slightly)
Agatha Macbeth: (I think)
Wol Euler: I'm not a buddhist, I'm the wrong person to ask to explain it well
Agatha Macbeth: No, you're a warthog dear
Wol Euler: indeed
Agatha Macbeth: :)
Wol Euler: I was thinking about what we did at the retreat. The forest was really central to the week
Archmage Atlantis: A disney warthog, or a one that has a body that does what must be done to live in this oooze?
Wol Euler: an image I had while meditating actually, or rather while whining about the trouble I was having meditating
Wol Euler: a real warthog, though, one with bristles and mud.
Archmage Atlantis: Ah, like the wild boar that live here, ok
Wol Euler: we walked in the forest nearly every day, alone or in small groups
Mickorod Renard: they are quite horny too
Wol Euler: on the first morning, Jim (owner) came to meet us and took us on a tour of the forest
Wol Euler: there was an amazing overlap between his forest practice and what we are doing.
Wol Euler: Monday's 1pm session has a lot of information about this, including long quotes by Eliza from Jim's writings about forestnes
Wol Euler: *forest-ness
arabella Ella: oh yes the rotting log thing you said the other day is fascinating Wol
Agatha Macbeth thinks of Ents
Wol Euler: mmhmm, that arose from the first walk
Archmage Atlantis: ( that is how you tell the males from the females, Mic.........though most dislike being classified by being sexually aroused :) )
Wol Euler: it was a very wet forest, there was moss everywhere and a few streams
Wol Euler: and a little shrine to Kami beside one of them
Mickorod Renard: :)))
Agatha Macbeth: Cute
Wol Euler: the paths were laid in sawdust from the mill, so it was very soft underfoot everywhwere
Mickorod Renard: was it misty too?
Wol Euler: and very quiet
Wol Euler: in places,yes
Mickorod Renard: nice
Agatha Macbeth: Mirkwood
Wol Euler: there is very little topsoil there, where water flowed it cut straight down an inch or two to black rock
Wol Euler: the streams were very beautiful
Wol Euler: and becaose of the water flowing around and pooling under rocks, there was a lot of lovely sound too
arabella Ella: did you have a silent day? or perhaps two?
Wol Euler: thursday was silent, from daybreak to *after* dinner
Wol Euler: it was wonderful experience, just as in malta
arabella Ella: *after* dinner sounds so tough ... remembering how difficult it was and how weird people thought we were :)
Wol Euler: I found myself trying to be quiet as well as silent, walking cautiously, putting things down carefully
Wol Euler: well, we had dinner amongst ourselves in the farmhouse
Wol Euler: so there was nobody to judge
Wol Euler: the caterers were also really into PaB
--BELL--
Wol Euler: they had been on silent retreats together, so they were very sympathetic
Mickorod Renard: will the grman retreat av a silent period?
Mickorod Renard: German*
Wol Euler: definitely.
Mickorod Renard: may be too tough for me then
Wol Euler: heheh
Yakuzza Lethecus: yeah, i think that´s tradition :)
Wol Euler: you'd be surprised how easy it is
Wol Euler: I found myself being silent on the friday morning too, it just seemed natural not to speak
Mickorod Renard: maybe it will be easier if Ara isnt there?
Agatha Macbeth can't imagine Wol not speaking
arabella Ella giggles
Mickorod Renard: joking
Wol Euler: :-PPPPPPP
Mickorod Renard: sort of
Archmage Atlantis: Joking is a form of aggression, imho
Wol Euler: it certainly can be, arch.
Mickorod Renard: yes, i am sure u r right arch
Agatha Macbeth: Agression may be a form of joking too
Mickorod Renard: depends how u take it
arabella Ella: no comment
Agatha Macbeth: 'Die laughing?'
Mickorod Renard: shaken or stirred
Corvuscorva Nightfire: it can also be affection.
Wol Euler: also true, corvi.
Wol Euler: like a smile can warm you or cut you
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Wol Euler: depending on how it's given
Archmage Atlantis: Yes, if the individual who is struck, wishes it
Yakuzza Lethecus dies from laughing....
Agatha Macbeth: Like that in fact...
Mickorod Renard: he he he
Agatha Macbeth: Meep Meep ;P :p:P :p :P
Mickorod Renard: I dont know if i would want to live in a world without humour though
Wol Euler: god no.
Agatha Macbeth: I sure wouldn't
Mickorod Renard: maybe its diferent in the uk
Archmage Atlantis: Meep Meep - a magic incantation the still influences, but not longer controls
arabella Ella: isnt laughing healthy?
Agatha Macbeth: It is for me
Wol Euler smiles
arabella Ella: me too
Mickorod Renard: I get the stitch sometimes
Agatha Macbeth: Mending yer trousers Mick?
Mickorod Renard: thats that pain u get when u laugh too much
Zon Quar: bows and waves
Mickorod Renard: bye zon
Agatha Macbeth waves to Zon
arabella Ella: bye Zon
Wol Euler: bye zon
Corvuscorva Nightfire: bye Zon
Archmage Atlantis: biya Zon
Mickorod Renard: ok,,i am off clubbing
Wol Euler: well, that's never happened before. A circle of yellow dots on the minimap, no greet at all <3
Corvuscorva Nightfire laughs.
Archmage Atlantis: Bye Mic
Wol Euler: bye mick, dance well.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: bye Mick, have fun.
Wol Euler: *green
Agatha Macbeth: I can see a green one
Mickorod Renard: ty byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Agatha Macbeth: Don't get a hernia Mick
Mickorod Renard: might get a matching one
arabella Ella: bye Mick
Archmage Atlantis: Just take Aggie
Qt Core: bye Mick
Agatha Macbeth: Take me where?
Wol Euler: ty qt :)
Wol Euler: wb fef
Qt Core: ym
Qt Core: i was guilty of breaking simmetry when i come here ;-)
Wol Euler: you have made amends.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: oh the shame, QT
Agatha Macbeth fires all phasers at QT
Fefonz Quan: hi again
Corvuscorva Nightfire: wb!
Archmage Atlantis: I would help if you spelll it correctly, QT......or was that the point?
Fefonz Quan: i experienced the implication of karma
Fefonz Quan: (sorry please go on QT)
arabella Ella: gtg bye all
Wol Euler: ((did Bert just leave without saying goodbye?))
Archmage Atlantis: It is odd, Fefonz speaks, yet I speak to QT
Fefonz Quan: bye Arabella!
Wol Euler: bye ara, take care
Qt Core: bye ara (nothing more to say for me)
Yakuzza Lethecus: night ara
Agatha Macbeth: Bye Ara, take care
Yakuzza Lethecus: night everyone
Wol Euler: 'night yaku
Agatha Macbeth: Night Yaku
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Night Yaku, (ara in absentia)
Fefonz Quan: (sorry Arch, when i jumped back in i coudn't see who is speaking)
Fefonz Quan: nite Yaku
Fefonz Quan: don'[t worry, some symetries are apontanously broken :)
--BELL--
Fefonz Quan: spontanously*
Qt Core: as most of my spellin ;-)
Qt Core: g
Archmage Atlantis: The root of being, it is hard and raw, we are dragonfies, striking at the mosquitoes,,,,,they will will win.....but we shall triump
Agatha Macbeth likes dragonflies
Archmage Atlantis: Me too
Wol Euler: mosquitoes were a meme at the retreat too
Archmage Atlantis: They eat mosquitoes, a conundurm of living....perhaps our most difficult.
Wol Euler: whether to brush them aside, or kill them, or let them feed in peace
Archmage Atlantis: I must go now
Qt Core: bye arch
Corvuscorva Nightfire: bye for now, Arch. Enjoy your eve.
Wol Euler: 'night arch, take care
Agatha Macbeth: Bye Arch, enjoy
Fefonz Quan: that's a good contemplation conflict Wol
Fefonz Quan: bye Arch
Wol Euler: mmhmm :)
Fefonz Quan: I worked with flies once, a little easier though
Wol Euler: :)
Agatha Macbeth: *Worked* with them?
Fefonz Quan: meditated when one flew around me, set on my face etc.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: oh...that was in California!
Corvuscorva Nightfire: wasn't it?
Fefonz Quan: though, unlike mosquitos, they don't bite you
Agatha Macbeth: Sounds like it ;-)
Fefonz Quan: yep!
Corvuscorva Nightfire remembers that little booger.
Wol Euler grins.
Fefonz Quan: :)
Fefonz Quan: those retreats have something with insects, don't they?
Corvuscorva Nightfire laughs.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: a theme!
Fefonz Quan: Insection
Wol Euler: APIPB
Agatha Macbeth: Of course
Corvuscorva Nightfire: hehehe
Agatha Macbeth shrugs
Corvuscorva Nightfire thinks that has to go in the report.
Wol Euler: Apreciate the Presence of Insects as a Presentation by Being
Agatha Macbeth: Ah...
Corvuscorva Nightfire scribbles these things down.
Agatha Macbeth: Shoulda known that
Fefonz Quan: (what has to go Corvi?)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: the meme's of insects in meditation, and APIPB
Fefonz Quan: ah, i thought you meant the shat log here, sorry
Agatha Macbeth: The what log??
Corvuscorva Nightfire dies laughing.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: because he is an awful man.
Fefonz Quan dodges PaB gardian tasks
Agatha Macbeth: William shat log?
Wol Euler: :)
Fefonz Quan: would you shat up?
Agatha Macbeth: Last week we had Kiki with her spaceshit...
Corvuscorva Nightfire laughs and laughs.
Qt Core: time to go, bye all
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I am afraid we have devolved.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: good timing QT!
Agatha Macbeth: Live long and prosper QT
Fefonz Quan: bye Qt
Wol Euler: bye qt, take care
Qt Core: >:-) Agatha
Fefonz Quan is glad he didn't leave 10 min ago when he meant too
Bruce Mowbray: Everyone have a good day. . . time for supper.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: mmmm...
Wol Euler: bye bruce, bon appetit
Corvuscorva Nightfire: fooooood.
Agatha Macbeth: Take care Brucie
Fefonz Quan: but now it's time, to sleep, night Corvi and Wol
Agatha Macbeth: Shalom Fonz
Corvuscorva Nightfire: sleep well, dear Fefonz.
Wol Euler: goodnight fef, sleep well
Fefonz Quan: _/!\_
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Shall we?
Wol Euler: let's do