2010.08.26 19:00 - Being Seen, Being Loved, Being Iguana!

The Guardian for this meeting was Paradise Tennant. The comments are by Paradise, Pema, Eliza and Arch

Pema Pera: Hi Paradise!
Paradise Tennant: hiya pema :)
Paradise Tennant: just waiting for the cushions to rez and making tea
Pema Pera: you look like a bird of paradise, with such a spray of beautiful colors!
Paradise Tennant: how are you :)
Paradise Tennant: lol I know I feel like I am wearing a garden :)
Pema Pera: fine, trying to escape from the heat, how about you?
Pema Pera: :-)
Paradise Tennant: hmm getting cool here ..fall is in the air and winter boots are in the shops ..always find it a bit sad ..like summer !
Pema Pera: fall is a nice season though, the coloring of the trees . . .
Pema Pera: do the farms sell apple cider, where you are?
Paradise Tennant: yes and crisp air .. smiles yes was just thinking of the apples :)
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Paradise Tennant: what would you like to talk about tonight :)
Pema Pera: any topic is fine for me . . .
Paradise Tennant: hmm
Pema Pera: I myself have been thinking about time, and about being seen -- just in the middle of writing the next time chapter
Pema Pera: being seen is so interesting: so much more effective than trying to see
Paradise Tennant: smiles a big smile and how does it go
Paradise Tennant: nods
Paradise Tennant: listens
Pema Pera: it's like a lense, or microscope even
Pema Pera: if you try to see, you can only see what you are focussing on, so you miss a lot
Pema Pera: when you shift to "being seen" there is no particular focus
Pema Pera: so in some strange way *everything* gets a chance to get into focus
Pema Pera: if that makes sense :-)
Paradise Tennant: smiles yes
Paradise Tennant: it broadens the scope
--BELL--
Paradise Tennant: makes it more integrated
Pema Pera: yes
Paradise Tennant: there is a shift ?
Pema Pera: Eos mentioned something related recently, along the lines of "it is not so important where you are going to, but rather where you are coming from"
Pema Pera: what place you are coming from, where you are in your practice, how you connect with yourself and the world
Pema Pera: shift?
Paradise Tennant: in being seen
Paradise Tennant: versus trying to see
Pema Pera: ah, I just mentioned that we can play with "being seen" : normally we just say, so we have to make a switch or shift to "being seen"; nothing deep :-)
Pema Pera: *just see
Paradise Tennant: funny you know with practice I sometimes suspect that until you get to the end it always seems you are right at the beginning :)
Pema Pera: (typos can be so confusing!)
Paradise Tennant: and enlightening
Pema Pera: yes, it's not at all linear
Paradise Tennant: so in this next chapter you .. are ...
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Pema Pera: . . . writing . . . :-)
Paradise Tennant: lol
Paradise Tennant: fair enough
Pema Pera: it is still a moving target, but I'll put it up within a day, so good to have deadlines!
Pema Pera: I would never finish something without a deadline, I think
Paradise Tennant: yes there is a lot of benefit to a deadlie
Pema Pera: always room for imrovement . . .
Paradise Tennant: finally the cushions appear :)
Pema Pera: that took a long time!
Paradise Tennant: it did indeed .. I will have to check out my computer I have added some programs and I think it has slowed down
Pema Pera: have you played a bit with "being seen" recently?
Paradise Tennant: yes
Pema Pera: how did that go?
Paradise Tennant: well I end up just feeling more connected I think
Paradise Tennant: but I start by feeling very connected .. it just reinforces it
Pema Pera: connected in general?
Pema Pera: with the world, yourself, others, . . . all of the above?
Paradise Tennant: well in the picture
Paradise Tennant: part of the picture
Paradise Tennant: not distinct from it
Pema Pera: yes, being seen invites more embedding
Paradise Tennant: yes
Pema Pera: active seeing separates us from our surroundings, as the "doer"
Paradise Tennant: yes the see er
Pema Pera: in what context did/do you do this "being seen"? At home, outside, at work, . . . ?
Paradise Tennant: in a variety of settings
--BELL--
Paradise Tennant: wonders if it works with listening too .. instead of focused active listening may ..something different
Paradise Tennant: can be tried
Pema Pera: oh, I'm sure, there are many ways to explore!
Pema Pera: "being heard"
Pema Pera: "being felt"
Pema Pera: "being tasted"
Pema Pera: :-)
Pema Pera: "being appreciated"
Paradise Tennant: yes it works with all the senses
Pema Pera: "being understood"
Pema Pera: "being welcomed"
Pema Pera: "being accepted"
Paradise Tennant: being loved :) .. being at peace :)
Pema Pera: :-)
Pema Pera: Hi Arch!
Paradise Tennant: smiles Hiya Arch :)
Pema Pera: it is sometimes hard to accept ourselves . . . . just as with seeing, we often are too narrow in our focus
Paradise Tennant: yes so true
Pema Pera: letting ourselves be accepted is part of letting ourselves be seen
Pema Pera: as we are
Pema Pera: Hi Gavin!
Pema Pera: and goodbye :-)
Archmage Atlantis: ik do not like green eggs and ham......this plase is so
Archmage Atlantis: sam I am
Paradise Tennant: smiles at Arch .. we were talking of the benefits of being seen .. :)
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Pema Pera: Hi ELiza!
Archmage Atlantis: Is that the real Pema, or the one some t hink who spyes
Paradise Tennant: hiya eliza :)
Pema Pera: coercion?
Paradise Tennant: emerald is just so much better !
Archmage Atlantis: Yes, I have read of the emerald dcondition
Pema Pera: adamant about switching to a new viewer? I'm still using the old one
Archmage Atlantis: It is a corporation
Pema Pera: but I did install emerald, just in case :)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Pema Pera: what changed, re "adamant"?
Archmage Atlantis: US rulings were correct, .....the corporation gets the rights of a person
Eliza Madrigal: I was given an ultimatum
Pema Pera: in what way? I'm curious, since I didn't get one, I think
Eliza Madrigal: "Upgrade yet again or no entry"
Eliza Madrigal: and, then the upgrade wouldn't work!
Eliza Madrigal: thus, emerald :)
Eliza Madrigal: which is a lovely color so fine
Pema Pera making a note to self to switch to emerald one of these days, coerced or not
Eliza Madrigal: sorry to interrupt
Eliza Madrigal: :)
--BELL--
Archmage Atlantis: If I can get my cat to move off of my mouse......I will pick a color]
Pema Pera: we were talking about "being seen", then "being heard", "being accepted", "being loved", variations on a theme :-)
Paradise Tennant: yes very nice graphics in emerald and lots of nice light settings .. in your bottom right hand corner of the screen :) smiles at ARch ..cats and mice !
Paradise Tennant: yes it is a very open .. flow once you take the first step
Pema Pera: !!
Pema Pera: a gesture
Eliza Madrigal: Ah, very nice...
Pema Pera: it's always so surprising how a simple gesture can make such a difference
Pema Pera: a little shift in orientation
Pema Pera: almost as simple as tilting your head
Pema Pera: tilting your attitude :-)
Archmage Atlantis: what does it mean to be human?
Eliza Madrigal: Being seems to make simple gestures... little winks as one goes about the day
Pema Pera: O.o
Pema Pera: (that's not quite a good wink, sorry)
Pema Pera: o.-
Eliza Madrigal: ala Walt Whitman... I used to call them love notes but then realized I'd imposed a bit on his writings :)
Eliza Madrigal: ;-)
Archmage Atlantis: There is no sorry, there is onl y is
Eliza Madrigal: 0.o is a wol wink
Pema Pera: yes, was thinking about that :)
Pema Pera: o.^
Eliza Madrigal: haha... have always wanted to be able to do that...
Eliza Madrigal: (in real life, lift one eyebrow)
Pema Pera: some people can, it seems . . .
Archmage Atlantis: Cosmetic surgery can
Eliza Madrigal sits on her hands because she is out of control today... turning the poor wok session into hot pink samadhi
Eliza Madrigal: :) Listening quietly
Pema Pera: hahaha, can you say more ?
Pema Pera: as we say?
Pema Pera: now you got us curious
Paradise Tennant: smiles likes hot pink :)
Eliza Madrigal: Oh, it is rather convoluted... starting with magenta dreams and retreat pinks... that zennies wear black.. then scrambling for focus : "topic!"... but to no avail
Eliza Madrigal: well, some gems... but in the end realizing samadhi comes in many colors :)
Pema Pera: like paradise!
Eliza Madrigal: Yes!
Paradise Tennant: paradise should have lots of colour :)
Pema Pera: and she does . . .
Eliza Madrigal smiles widely
Pema Pera: like birds of paradise . . . or guardians of paradise . . .
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal thinks of the birds of paradise doing their silly-to-others looking dance
Eliza Madrigal: but how brilliant
Paradise Tennant: funny how individual but not neccessarily that specific the whole concept of paradise is :)
Pema Pera: :-)
Paradise Tennant: smiles and graceful in their bird like way :)
Archmage Atlantis: i have a sleeping cat on mtimer in brain esplodes
Eliza Madrigal: Do you think there are basics that everyone would install in their paradise?
Archmage Atlantis: No, Eliza
Eliza Madrigal: :) I think water is one...
Archmage Atlantis: Remember the Matrix
Paradise Tennant: yes .. I think we each have an idea of paradise .. what it would be for us .. but I also suspect it is here .. now as we sit .. as we speak :)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: we speak paradise...
Pema Pera: yes, never lost
Archmage Atlantis: It hurts to be the bad guy
Pema Pera: well, time for me to move on
Paradise Tennant: smiles at arch and his cat :)
Pema Pera: nice meeting y'all and talking!
Paradise Tennant: take care pema .. enjoy your lunch :)
Archmage Atlantis: Blesssing and Namste, Pema
Pema Pera: thanks, Paradise -- ah you got the Japanese timing right!
--BELL--
Eliza Madrigal: Night Pema :)
Eliza Madrigal: we have taken on a little black and white cat lately... and I've noticed them now, everywhere
Eliza Madrigal: black and white specifically
Paradise Tennant: smiles :)
Archmage Atlantis: She wishes youk, Pema, to adopt
Eliza Madrigal: makes me wonder about guardians sometimes...
Eliza Madrigal: the way he cat we'e had for years sometimes knows when I don't feel well and comes to lay on me
Paradise Tennant: funny how that works .. but it does seem to work :) .. and animals know somuch are so wise ...
Eliza Madrigal: anyway, hope I didn't change the session too much, have been restless and talkative for the last few days :)
Eliza Madrigal: indeed paradise!
Paradise Tennant: smiles no .. :) it was lovely
Archmage Atlantis: It is
Eliza Madrigal: I wonder, with your close connction to your dog Paradise, what others you feel connected to...
Archmage Atlantis: Nothing that is false, that is not
Eliza Madrigal: thank you :)
Eliza Madrigal: for seeing that
Eliza Madrigal: I know I can be unbearable at times...hah
Archmage Atlantis: I see you
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Paradise Tennant: smiles and in no way unbearable .. lovely . articulate ..wise and funny those I see ;)
Eliza Madrigal: thank you :)
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Eliza Madrigal: I meant to ask above *other animals
Eliza Madrigal: sometimes they speak to us in the same way as colors do I guess.. conveing
Archmage Atlantis: too guey,,, gotta go kill a ........ummm, what's left
Eliza Madrigal: Bye Arch :) sleep well
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Archmage Atlantis: Nie
Eliza Madrigal: *conveying
Paradise Tennant: nite nite arch :)
Eliza Madrigal: Nite
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Eliza Madrigal: :) sorry to put you on the spot if I did...
Paradise Tennant: yes animals .. are guardians on a profound level I find at times ..:) I try to give them the respect and attention they deserve :)
Eliza Madrigal: :) I really appreciate that about you
Eliza Madrigal: there was a show that my kids watched for a while... the title was "be the creature"...
Paradise Tennant: cool !
Eliza Madrigal: and it was basically someone stepping into the place of the animals...
Paradise Tennant: lovely practise
Eliza Madrigal: Sometimes on walks, etc... I will look and working to be comfortable (sometimes animals feel unfamiliar), think 'be the creature'... ie "What is he seeing?"
Eliza Madrigal: yes!
Paradise Tennant: smiles ..
Eliza Madrigal: we have enormous iguanas for instance... dinosaurs actually, hah...
Paradise Tennant: going to do that tomorrow morning while i walk the dog .. by the water :)
Eliza Madrigal: and being that creature was at first 'are you kidding me'... but so much to see :)
Paradise Tennant: iguanas
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Eliza Madrigal: Ah :)
Eliza Madrigal smiles too
Paradise Tennant: would be such a difference experience do you not think being an iguana
Eliza Madrigal: yes I think so... enormous and not at all encouraging of touch ...
Eliza Madrigal: they are ferocious in their way
Paradise Tennant: different type of vision
Paradise Tennant: kind of two sided
Paradise Tennant: great for movement
Eliza Madrigal: two sided?
Paradise Tennant: well their eyes are far spaced
Paradise Tennant: no ?
Eliza Madrigal: Ah, true
Eliza Madrigal: yes
Eliza Madrigal: they are land dragons
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Paradise Tennant: land dragons
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Paradise Tennant: we live in a wonderous world
Eliza Madrigal: ahhhh, yes we do
Eliza Madrigal: a kind of paradise in many ways :)
Paradise Tennant: nods profoundly so
--BELL--
Eliza Madrigal: for some reason your line caused me to think of a coldplay song : ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mio5-zXZnI
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Paradise Tennant: lovely choice
Eliza Madrigal: I love them particularly..
Eliza Madrigal: :
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Eliza Madrigal: Anyway, should let you go but nice to talk a bit
Eliza Madrigal: Night :)
Paradise Tennant: yes
Paradise Tennant: was thinking would you like to close with a short meditation .. we could do a metta practise for the animals of our paradise :)
Eliza Madrigal: OH, that would be lovely actually
Eliza Madrigal: will sit back down :) thank you
Paradise Tennant: say 5 minutes
Paradise Tennant: ok I will gong the start and the end :)
Paradise Tennant: ready
Eliza Madrigal: yes, wonderful
Paradise Tennant: gong
Paradise Tennant: gong :)
Paradise Tennant: always goes so fast :)
Eliza Madrigal: :) Thank you. That was greatly appreciated and surprisingly potent!
Eliza Madrigal: Namaste'
Paradise Tennant: hmm yes amazing our virtual prescence in meditation is just about the same as rl presence
Paradise Tennant: namaste eliza
Paradise Tennant: thank you
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Eliza Madrigal: that, is unbelieveably true... takes a bit of digging at times but always there :)
Eliza Madrigal: Thanks so much
Paradise Tennant: sweet dreams :)
Eliza Madrigal: Goodnight Paradise :) you too