2010.08.29 07:00 - The Cardinal and the Window

The Guardian for this meeting was Adams Rubble. The comments are by Adams Rubble.

This session was mostly about appearances and appreciation.

Adams Rubble: Good morning Bruce :)
Bruce Mowbray: Good day to you, Adams!
Adams Rubble: How are things in your neck of the woods?
Bruce Mowbray: Here in my neck, things are great.
Adams Rubble: :)
Adams Rubble: The weather has changed quite a bit
Bruce Mowbray: Just finished a fine sit - and am looking forward to the day. . . full of good things.
Adams Rubble: shades of autumn
Bruce Mowbray: yes. Where are you in RL, Adams?
Adams Rubble: east coast
Adams Rubble: NJ
Bruce Mowbray: OK -- I'm in Ohio, as you know.
Adams Rubble: yes
Bruce Mowbray: We'll be in the low 90's today.
Adams Rubble: you get the weather a day before us
Bruce Mowbray: yep.
Adams Rubble: ohh 0s again
Adams Rubble: 90s
Bruce Mowbray: yep. I'm afraid so.
Adams Rubble: it was very cool this morning
Bruce Mowbray: My lady friend and I were planning to walk around a lake today, but are reconsidering that.
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, in the 50's here last night.
Adams Rubble: after the summer we had, we aare used to 90s (hehe)
Bruce Mowbray: I feel sorry for the kids in school -- and for their teachers.
Adams Rubble: has school started there already?
Bruce Mowbray: Yes - almost everywhere in Ohio.
Adams Rubble: wow
Bruce Mowbray: Seems to start earlier every year.
Adams Rubble: yes it does :)
Bruce Mowbray: Most districts started this past week.
Adams Rubble: wow
Adams Rubble: we start on Wednesday
Adams Rubble: but tomorrow and Tuesday will be busy too
Bruce Mowbray: Are you teacher, Adams?
Adams Rubble: no, sort of a media librarian
Bruce Mowbray: in public schools?
Adams Rubble: in a large state university
Bruce Mowbray: Oh -- I see.
Adams Rubble: in an Art History department
Bruce Mowbray: Wow -- Your school is also starting early. . . Most universities don't start until mid-September, I think.
Adams Rubble: they vary
Bruce Mowbray: yes.
Adams Rubble: When we start before Labor Day, it doesn't seem to end any earlier...just confuses the days
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Adams Rubble: I haven't been able to figure that one out yet
Adams Rubble: there must be some law :)
Adams Rubble: you get up and sit every morning?
Bruce Mowbray: I know there's a minimum number of school days for secondary schools.. -Don't know about state universities, though.
Bruce Mowbray: Have you read Pem's new chapter yet?
Bruce Mowbray: Pema's
Adams Rubble: yes to the days and yes to Pema's chapter
Bruce Mowbray: "Appreciation" -- I've just printed it out - Have not read it yet, though.
Adams Rubble: I am going to try to appreciate the appearance of the chaos asscoiated with the beginning of school this year :)
Adams Rubble: instead of just getting stressed
Adams Rubble: we'll see (giggles)
Bruce Mowbray: ;-) - - - Intentional adjustment of attitude can work wonders.
Bruce Mowbray: Is "openness to appearance" an attitude?
Adams Rubble: :)
Adams Rubble: I don;t know but it sounds fine
Bruce Mowbray: a sort of non-judgmental . . . sort of receptivity toward whatever happens. . . (chaos or not).
Adams Rubble: yes..and a detachment
Adams Rubble: the chaos is not mine or me
--BELL--

Bruce introduces the image of the cardinal...

Bruce Mowbray: This morning during my sit, a female cardinal kept throwing herself against the window.
Adams Rubble: poor thing
Bruce Mowbray: Well, yes -- that was my first feeling about it (It happens a lot.)
Adams Rubble: It did not read Pema's "Appearance"
Adams Rubble: about windows
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Adams Rubble: dod you have big windows?
Bruce Mowbray: I instantly recalled what Pema had written about holding a tiny bird in one's hands.
Bruce Mowbray: no - regular sized windows.
Bruce Mowbray: I think the bird sees its reflections and attacks that.
Adams Rubble: ohhhh
Bruce Mowbray: What a metaphor!
Adams Rubble: yes
Bruce Mowbray: anyway, what I was going to say was...
Bruce Mowbray: that I decided in my meditation just to let it be--- and to accept the appearance without judgment.
Bruce Mowbray: But I really have mixed feelings about this.
Adams Rubble thinking
Bruce Mowbray: For one thing - the window is artificial -- not a "natural" thing for the birds.
Adams Rubble: yes
Bruce Mowbray: and I feel an obligation to protect them.
Adams Rubble nods
Bruce Mowbray: On the other hand, I want to remain non-judgmental and receptive in my sitting.
Bruce Mowbray: and whether I am present or not, the birds will attack the window reflections.
Bruce Mowbray: (so the metaphor gets bigger and bigger).
Adams Rubble: and you did not invent the window (level of responsibility)
Adams Rubble: the window would exist whether you lived in the house or not
Bruce Mowbray: Nope -- but I did install it... along with all the other windows - and the bird feeder where they congregate.
Adams Rubble: Hello Lennox :)
Bruce Mowbray: so I am involved in the phenomenon.
Bruce Mowbray: Hello, Lennox!
lennox Leeeroy: hi ther
lennox Leeeroy: how are you both?
Adams Rubble: we are fine. Have you been here before?
lennox Leeeroy: yes, once a while ago
Adams Rubble: Ah good, so you know we record our conversations here then
Adams Rubble: Please come join us if you like
Bruce Mowbray: yes, please pull up a cushion and join us, if you like.
lennox Leeeroy: yes, fine by me. Thanks
Adams Rubble: we were discussing the appaearance of bird fighting with its image in a mirror and our level of responsibility
Adams Rubble: Is that accurate Bruce?
Bruce Mowbray thinks, yes, but also this this might seem a strange converation to Lennox.
Adams Rubble: :)
lennox Leeeroy: not so here I think
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, Lennox, I was explaining to Adams that during this morning's meditation, a bird kept throwing herself against the window.
Adams Rubble thinking we have had stranger conversations here
Bruce Mowbray: and I was trying to maintain a non-judgmental and receptive awareness...
Bruce Mowbray: but also felt some responsibility for the bird's plight -- since I'd installed the window and the bird feeder.
lennox Leeeroy: perhaps the bird was only doing what we all do in Samsara
Bruce Mowbray: Indeed. . . but do we have any responsibility for each other's Samsar-ic experiences?
lennox Leeeroy: that is why you are concerned, the bird may be a reflection of our own confusio?
Bruce Mowbray: [all of this is also happening within the context of "hiding" and "letting the world see us."
Bruce Mowbray: That thought came later, actually, Lennox.
Bruce Mowbray: But my first thought was to protect the bird form self-destruction.
--BELL--
Bruce Mowbray: from.
lennox Leeeroy: if there is an 'us'
Bruce Mowbray: Although I've been a hermit for almost 4 decades, I've never been able to hide "us-ness" from myself.

Compassion

Adams Rubble: The compassion you felt for the bird also was an appearance
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, Adams, but I am also feeling the "precepts" - - - of ---- well, I call it "prime" experience (or appearance).
lennox Leeeroy: who has been the 'hermit' Bruce?
Bruce Mowbray: By "prime" I mean feeling or thoughts that cannot be reduced to more basic parts.
Adams Rubble: Helllo Paradise :)
Bruce Mowbray: All of us here are the farm (dogs, birds, trees, deer, etc.) are the Hermit.
Bruce Mowbray: Welcome, Para!
Bruce Mowbray: at the farm.
lennox Leeeroy: Hi Paradise
Paradise Tennant: hiya adams .. bruce :) sorry still rezzing cannot see anything yet :)
Adams Rubble thinking that compassion is a pretty basic thing
Bruce Mowbray: np, Para.
Bruce Mowbray agrees with Adams.

Four Immeasurables

Bruce Mowbray: I think of the Four Immeasurables as "primes."
Adams Rubble: what are they?
Bruce Mowbray: Loving Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and . . . . (i am blocking now....)
Adams Rubble: all positive energy
lennox Leeeroy: Why so?
Bruce Mowbray: and Equanimity
Bruce Mowbray: (sorry -- my mind went blank for a minutes.)
Adams Rubble: in the moment Lennox
lennox Leeeroy: Why all positive?
Paradise Tennant: smiles at lennox :) hiya sorry ..just coming into view now :)
lennox Leeeroy: ;)
Bruce Mowbray: Paradise! Lovely as ever!
Adams Rubble is thinking of the moment and the energy we can take into the next
Bruce Mowbray: http://viewonbuddhism.org/immeasurab...rejoicing.html
Paradise Tennant: good link !
Bruce Mowbray: I've heard folks talk about "choiceless awareness," but for myself, I do not think that is possible.
Bruce Mowbray: I'm always bumping into the primes... like the cardinal was bumping into the window this morning.
Paradise Tennant: refreshing source of joy and happiness ...like that phrase )
Adams Rubble: :)
Adams Rubble: Hello Eliza :)
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Adams :))
Bruce Mowbray: Welcome, Eliza!
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Bruce, Lennox
Paradise Tennant: good morning eliza :)
lennox Leeeroy: Ah so, talking across each other. Yes in the context you mean the link is good
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Paradise!
lennox Leeeroy: Hi Eliza
Eliza Madrigal looks for paradise
Bruce Mowbray: yep, the chat box is quite linear. . . .;-)
Adams Rubble: behind you Eliza
Bruce Mowbray dies from laughing....
Eliza Madrigal: Ah, there you are!
Paradise Tennant: is still waiting for the cushions to appear :)
Eliza Madrigal: ty Adams :)
Eliza Madrigal: Is that cloumn behind be exuding flowers?
Eliza Madrigal: column*
Bruce Mowbray: No -- Thatis Paradise in a beautiful new dress!
--BELL--
Eliza Madrigal: it really is spectacular
Paradise Tennant: smiles nods at my attachment to the pretty stuff .. !
Bruce Mowbray: Oh wait -- I do think the column is secreting something. . .
Bruce Mowbray thinks, Lilies of the Valley, perhaps.
Eliza Madrigal: just read over last night's session... sounded fun. Now I understand the 'dies from laughing' thing
Eliza Madrigal: ;-
Adams Rubble: Hello Aphrodite :)
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Aphrodite!
Bruce Mowbray: I think I got reborn about four times during that session.
Aphrodite Macbain: hello
Bruce Mowbray: Hi, Aph!
Paradise Tennant: hiya aphrodite
lennox Leeeroy: Hello there Aphrodite
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi all
Eliza Madrigal: who would have known that being reborn can be a skill...
Bruce Mowbray: . . . and one so easily accomplished, too!
Aphrodite Macbain: this looks like the other site
Eliza Madrigal: heheh
Paradise Tennant: I am going to have to excuse my self for a couple of minutes to cater to a canine request be back in a bit :)
Adams Rubble: The is the pavilion Aphrodite; the next meeting is in the villahe hall
Adams Rubble: village
Bruce Mowbray: Through much experimentation, we've determined that if one is to die from laughing, it's best to stand up first.
Bruce Mowbray: Bye for now, Para.
Eliza Madrigal: okay paradise...
Eliza Madrigal: see you i n a bit
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Oh! You'll have to guide me there
Aphrodite Macbain: Thanks
Adams Rubble: one of us can send you a tp
Bruce Mowbray: I just gave Aph an LM for the Village Hall.
Adams Rubble: :)
Adams Rubble: I never made one
Adams Rubble: usually just wander there
Aphrodite Macbain: I have it but as there was none there I looked for lots of people in the region and here you are!
Bruce Mowbray: yep.. Here we are.
Adams Rubble: this is the 7am session
Bruce Mowbray: along with our fish.
Eliza Madrigal: lennox, apologies to seem exclusive. the guardians have just one meeting a week that is this way
Aphrodite Macbain: yes the other one starts in 6 minutes and I like to be a bit early!
Eliza Madrigal: mostly to discuss the wheels behind the scenes :)
lennox Leeeroy: no problem, have fun
Eliza Madrigal: thanks :)
Eliza Madrigal: oh my Adams!
Bruce Mowbray: You're always welcome at the fountain, here, Lennox. We meet four times a day:
Eliza Madrigal: absolutely
Bruce Mowbray: 1, 7, 1, 7 -- SLT.
lennox Leeeroy: ok thanks all
Eliza Madrigal: that is beautiful
Adams Rubble feeling a bit explosive
Adams Rubble: :)
Bruce Mowbray wonders: Is Adams getting reborn now?
Eliza Madrigal: ooooo do that at the session when I lower balloons on eden for her bday ;-)
Eliza Madrigal: see you guys in a bit
Eliza Madrigal: bye for now
Adams Rubble: OK, bye Eliza
lennox Leeeroy: a Being on fire!
Bruce Mowbray: Good to meet you, Lennox. Hoping to see you here again.
Bruce Mowbray: Bye for now.
Adams Rubble: bye Bruce :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: hey guys
Adams Rubble: Hi yak
lennox Leeeroy: Now a rainbow, thanks Adams!
Yakuzza Lethecus: nice animation adams :)
lennox Leeeroy: Hi Yakuzza
Adams Rubble: Time for me to go too; nice to meet you Lennox :)
lennox Leeeroy: thanx
Adams Rubble: Thank you Yak :)
Adams Rubble: bye everyone :)