2010.08.25 01:00 - Sharing life stories

The Guardian for this meeting was Bolonath Crystal. The comments are by Bolonath Crystal.
Archmage Atlantis, Kiki Walpanheim and me shared some stories of our lives. A common experience: Things have a tendency to develope different than we think they would...

Bolonath Crystal: hello arch :)
Archmage Atlantis: Greetings Bolonath :)
Archmage Atlantis: Are you well this day?
Bolonath Crystal: yep, thank you. and you?
Kiki Walpanheim: hiya
Archmage Atlantis: Yes, ty, I am :) - it is a couple of hours to sunrise here.
Bolonath Crystal: hi kiki
Archmage Atlantis: Hi, Kiki :)
Kiki Walpanheim: hi bolonath and archmage
Kiki Walpanheim: bolonath , is that avatar ....a monk
Kiki Walpanheim: and archmage's avatar has that asian character on
Bolonath Crystal: no kiki, just a simple yogi :)
Kiki Walpanheim: oh
Bolonath Crystal: as i am
Kiki Walpanheim: heh heh
Archmage Atlantis: The kanji tatoo was a gift....it means (loosely) heaven
Bolonath Crystal: kanji?
Archmage Atlantis: Japanese character
Kiki Walpanheim: in chinese it means either sky or heaven
Bolonath Crystal: ah, thanks
Archmage Atlantis: Yes
Kiki Walpanheim: yeah, that one is shared in chinese and japanese characters
Archmage Atlantis: Once I had it on here, and someone at the meeting knew the full background of how the kanji developed over time......I wish I had saved it.........do you read chinese, Kiki?
Kiki Walpanheim: yes
Bolonath Crystal: it should be saved in the chat logs, arch
Archmage Atlantis: Very nice, ty.
Archmage Atlantis: True Bolonath
Archmage Atlantis: Everytime I delve into the chat logs, I get absorbed by reading and forget any specific purpose I came for......the mind drifts :
Archmage Atlantis: :)
Kiki Walpanheim: heh heh
Kiki Walpanheim: me too
Bolonath Crystal: :)
--BELL--
Bolonath Crystal: does anyone of you do some spiritual exercises like meditation? besides the 9 sec exercise i mean
Archmage Atlantis: If you mean, a regular scheduled practice, no.......If you mean attending groups in SL that allow me to contemplate, learn from my thoughts and the thoughts of others, then yes......
Kiki Walpanheim: same as archmage
Kiki Walpanheim: well..not necessarily spiritual....idk....
Bolonath Crystal: i mean both :) and i am always pleased to learn from others
Archmage Atlantis: Do you mind if I ask what your practice is outside of SL, Bolonath?
Bolonath Crystal: well, i'm a yogi in the tradition of swami sivananda
Bolonath Crystal: i'm doing meditation and some exercises for body and breath
Bolonath Crystal: adn i try to follw the yamas and niyamas in my daily life
Bolonath Crystal: and*
Archmage Atlantis: Would that fit under the broad label of "Hindu" practice?
Bolonath Crystal: hm, yes and no...
Archmage Atlantis: Ok, I am interested
Bolonath Crystal: swami sivananda was a hindu, so his tradition is formally hindu
Archmage Atlantis: Ah, ok, I see
Bolonath Crystal: but the practice is not depending on a certain religion
Archmage Atlantis: I understand......
Bolonath Crystal: there are hindu, christian, buddhist... yogis
Bolonath Crystal: all kinds
Bolonath Crystal: i am a buddhist yogi in a hindu tradition, lol
Bolonath Crystal: but thats formalism
Bolonath Crystal: actually i am an advaita vedantin, so "all is one" :)
Archmage Atlantis: I understand that also.......labels are only guides to origin and possible meaning.....and sometimes to word useage.....language is an imprecise tool
Kiki Walpanheim: nods
Bolonath Crystal: yes, but language is all we have to communicate here
Kiki Walpanheim: there is image, art , music, and language, and i think that language is the most efficient tool to communicate
Archmage Atlantis: Even when physically present, the visual clues we give each other are improcise
Archmage Atlantis: I think music is the oldest language, personally
Archmage Atlantis: followed by art
Bolonath Crystal: that might be true
Archmage Atlantis: and then story telling
Archmage Atlantis: Just a personal opinion tho
Bolonath Crystal: maybe mankind started singing before speaking
Bolonath Crystal: "om" or something :)
Archmage Atlantis: That sounds like a reasonable theory Bolonath, hard to test, but reasonable to me
Kiki Walpanheim: then the part of meaning which cannot be channelled by languages or anything else, maybe they can't be passed down then....or spreaded...
--BELL--
Bolonath Crystal: sorry... brb
Archmage Atlantis: I think that is true Kiki, some meaning is obtained only thorough observation and experience.........that is why I think so many eastern faiths emphasize a "teacher"......in Christianity, there is more the idea of "to witness" one's faith
Kiki Walpanheim: oh
Archmage Atlantis: Again, a personal opinion......the study of the various religions, philosophies and faith systems is an avocation of mine
Kiki Walpanheim: tho generally ppl with very good writing and sharp thoughts are ppl who read a lot too.....
Archmage Atlantis: Yes, I agree
Bolonath Crystal: nevertheless a personal teacher is of great advantage
Kiki Walpanheim: a vocation?
Kiki Walpanheim: hobby or job?
Archmage Atlantis: spelling problem I think, maybe advocation, .....sort of a hobbby
Archmage Atlantis: hobby
Kiki Walpanheim: oh...
Archmage Atlantis: but more
Archmage Atlantis: A passionate hobby, perhaps
Kiki Walpanheim: nods
Bolonath Crystal: same as me :)
Kiki Walpanheim: oh cool
Bolonath Crystal: something between hobby and profession
Kiki Walpanheim: similar with me....only i am at the beginner level...heh heh
Kiki Walpanheim: profession?
Archmage Atlantis: It is an odd perspective, probably because I embraced pure logic as a child.....and then had to start working from there when logic did not explain everything.
Kiki Walpanheim: me too, i've been trained in science/engineering all these years
Archmage Atlantis: Me? I am retired from the corporate world.
Kiki Walpanheim: and i guess they can't solve everything
Bolonath Crystal: i am professional yoga teacher, kiki, (besides others?
Kiki Walpanheim: so i got interested in philosohpy, religions
Kiki Walpanheim: cool
Bolonath Crystal: oops, the ? should be a )
Archmage Atlantis: I would have gone into theoretical mathematics, but life intervened
Kiki Walpanheim: oh....
Archmage Atlantis: At that time, there wasn't much work for mathematician
Kiki Walpanheim: oh....maybe maths teachers....or reserachers
Archmage Atlantis: TY for sharing
Bolonath Crystal: life can be pretty surprising, arch. i also did a completely different job before
Kiki Walpanheim: i haven't figured out what i like to do yet....
Bolonath Crystal: in fact life is the most surprising thing that ever happened to me yet. long time planning is simply illusion
Kiki Walpanheim: now i just want to spend time in the library reading liberal arts subjects,
Kiki Walpanheim: yes, and i got interested in western philosophy
Archmage Atlantis: Agree Bolonath, it has value tho, if it is used to open one's eyes to one's own passions
Bolonath Crystal: sure :)
Bolonath Crystal: cool, east meets west, kiki
Bolonath Crystal: i spent much time on eastern phiolosophy
Kiki Walpanheim: cool
Bolonath Crystal: and here we are meeting now :)
Kiki Walpanheim: well...after spending some time in europe, that is what i want to do now....
Kiki Walpanheim: cool
--BELL--
Archmage Atlantis: I read so many books telling me to follow my "heart", my "passion"......but it seemed too risky financially then, now everything is risky financially *smiles* ------ then my Dad worked for the same corporation most of his life-----Now corporate life is uncertain, to say the least (for an individual I mean, not for the corporation itself)
Bolonath Crystal: where in europe you want to go, kiki?
Kiki Walpanheim: who is guardian for this session?
Bolonath Crystal: me
Bolonath Crystal: i should wear my tag...
Bolonath Crystal: sorry
Archmage Atlantis: Trying to put together the disconnected conversation
Bolonath Crystal: good luck *g*
Archmage Atlantis: Kiki, I think you said you want to travel in Europe a bit, then study Western Philosophy as a "career" for a while.......am I close?
Archmage Atlantis: That was a rather forward question sorry......I tend to be direct and it causes me problems sometimes
Bolonath Crystal: i like forward questions... and even the problems that may go with it. they are exqisite indicators for karmic entanglement ;)
Archmage Atlantis: Navigating the various cultural and language opportunities to learn in SL, it is tricky at times
Kiki Walpanheim: i found out.....some of my expressions were kinda hard to understand....and misleading...heh heh
Archmage Atlantis: *smile* - me too
Bolonath Crystal: an imprecise tool... *g*
Kiki Walpanheim: hmm....check ur IM's
Archmage Atlantis: Especially when I use US slang from other decades
Kiki Walpanheim: I IM'd you.....
Archmage Atlantis: Duh......now I see
Kiki Walpanheim: to continue with the convo....
Kiki Walpanheim: I read so many books telling me to follow my "heart", my "passion".....dont think it is that simple
Kiki Walpanheim: it seems
Kiki Walpanheim: both of you have stories
--BELL--
Bolonath Crystal: i have to go back to work, sorry. we have to postpone my stories on next wednesday
Kiki Walpanheim: k... see you
Kiki Walpanheim: i am logging off too
Bolonath Crystal: hope to see you both then, thank you :) om shanti