2010.10.07 07:00 - Mandalas, Marzipan, and Mourning

The Guardian for this meeting was Bruce Mowbray. The comments are by Bruce Mowbray. I subbed for Storm at this session - attended by Dao, Arch, Alfred, and Lucinda.
 

Changing t-shirts and viewers

Alfred Kelberry: oi, Bruce :)
Bruce Mowbray: Good morning, Alfred, and Oi to you, too!
Alfred Kelberry: mandalana? how is it called? :)
Bruce Mowbray: Hello, Dao.
Bruce Mowbray: welcome.
Alfred Kelberry: you have a new pattern today :)
Alfred Kelberry: oi, Dao
Dao Yheng: Hi Alfred, Bruce
Bruce Mowbray: Dao -- I notice that you are in the Ways of Knowing group, so you have been here before and know that we post our chats on a wiki -- and that's OK with you?
Dao Yheng: yes, thanks
Bruce Mowbray: OK -- thanks!
Bruce Mowbray: Good morning, Arch!
Alfred Kelberry: ah, mandala - that's it
Alfred Kelberry: oi, Archy
Bruce Mowbray: Yeah, Al, it's the ol' blue lotus t-shirt again.
Archmage Atlantis: Hi, Alfred, Bruce, Dao
Alfred Kelberry: universe in form of a lotus
Archmage Atlantis: Symmetry, symmetry....all is symmetry....except when it isn't.......:)

http://www.google.com/images?hl=&q=mandala&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS328US328&ie=UTF-8&biw=1152&bih=649

Archmage Atlantis: And being an old blue lotus doesn't sound that bad.....although in RL I don't think Lotus flowers come in blue
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Bruce Mowbray: I am using the Phoenix Viewer for just the second time this morning -- and am loving it, although still finding my way around the controls.
Bruce Mowbray: I finally gave up on SL's Version Two viewer. . . too many problems with that one.
Archmage Atlantis: Yes, I finally gave up on v2
Alfred Kelberry: i like v2
Archmage Atlantis: My biggest problem with v2 is the way the text was presented......it was difficult for me to follow
Alfred Kelberry: archy, there's an option to make chat like in v1
Archmage Atlantis: I was reading the PaB wiki a bit before the meeting
Dao Yheng: (woops, RL calls -- nice to meet you all! Bye)
Archmage Atlantis: I tried all the options I saw Alfie, maybe it's my video card, but they were all difficult
Alfred Kelberry: ok :)
Alfred Kelberry: see you, Dao
Bruce Mowbray: Bye, Dao -- Have a good day!
Bruce Mowbray: Wow -- I now have so many windows popping up that I can't even see who is here....
Alfred Kelberry: it's interesting how many ideas from Greek philosophers (later Romans) found their way to Buddhism
Archmage Atlantis: Has to be the other way I think......or maybe not....have to compare the times each lived
Bruce Mowbray: Given the time-line, AL, maybe some of those ideas came into the Greek world from the East.
Bruce Mowbray: (same thought as Arch.)
Alfred Kelberry: Bruce, could be...
Bruce Mowbray: Did you have any particular "Greek" ideas in mind, Al?

--BELL–

Archetypes and culture

Archmage Atlantis: Socrates 469 BCE - 399 BCE --- Siddharta (the Buddha) 563 BCE to 483 BCE
Archmage Atlantis: Close in time, tho
Alfred Kelberry: yes, the idea of god within us, of detachment, of natural being inside that guides us
Bruce Mowbray: Some speculate that Jesus also had contacts with Eastern thinkers
Archmage Atlantis: That has to be very likely, Bruce
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, although I have a bit different "take" on all of that.
Bruce Mowbray: I agree with Jung that the major "archetypes" [in thought] will emerge in any/every cultural setting. . .
Bruce Mowbray: especially those archetypes that are "adaptive" to that culture's survival.
Archmage Atlantis: I agree with that Bruce, at least up to a point
Archmage Atlantis: Evolution in thought does occur
Bruce Mowbray: Even with individuals -- who might have no contact with (or experience with) the teachings themselves - - They still might discover them for themselves.
Archmage Atlantis: Agree with that also, Bruce, again up to a point
Bruce Mowbray: Have you folks had the experience of reading something "new" and then saying to yourself, "Hey -- I've been thinking that for years!"
Archmage Atlantis: Similar, yes, more like, "Oh, that agrees with and or states better, something I have felt or thought about for a long time."
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, Arch, exactly so.
Bruce Mowbray: This happened with me a lot in adolescence -- before I'd done any reading in philosophy or religion.
Archmage Atlantis: Yep, I have traveled a long road of religious and philosophical change
Archmage Atlantis: I need to care for RL.......Take care Alfred, Bruce
Archmage Atlantis: Bye for now
Bruce Mowbray: Bye, Arch.  Looking forward to talking with you later.
Bruce Mowbray: [not realizing that Alfred was "Away"]  Do you know anything about the Phoenix Viewer, Al?
Bruce Mowbray: Up until yesterday, I was perfectly happy with V2.
Bruce Mowbray: But yesterday afternoon they popped up a TOS agreement that I had to sign in order to log into SL -- but it was locked so that I could not sign it.
Bruce Mowbray: This went on for several hours -- blocking me from all entry into SL.
Bruce Mowbray: I checked it out in the blogs, and many others were having the same problem -- and recommending other viewers. . .
Bruce Mowbray: So, that's how I came to find Phoenix.

--BELL–

Oatmeal with marzipan and vanilla sugar

Bruce Mowbray: Good morning, Lucinda!
Lucinda Lavender: hmmm
Lucinda Lavender: hi:)
Bruce Mowbray: a quiet morning here, so far.
Bruce Mowbray: wb, Al!
Lucinda Lavender: I have just a minute while I eat my oatmeal...
Alfred Kelberry: :)
Alfred Kelberry: thanks
Bruce Mowbray: sure. . . np, Luci.
Lucinda Lavender: Hi Alfred:)
Alfred Kelberry: I make good oatmeal :)
Alfred Kelberry: oi, Luci
Lucinda Lavender: what is special?
Lucinda Lavender: about the oatmeal, I mean

--BELL–

Alfred Kelberry: um... consistency and sweets that I add :)
Lucinda Lavender: ah...:)
Bruce Mowbray: Ahhh. . . ?
Lucinda Lavender: I like it with the sweets too...
Lucinda Lavender: dried fruit
Alfred Kelberry: I like it with marzipan and vanilla sugar :)
Lucinda Lavender: wow! that sounds amazing
Alfred Kelberry: tastes amazing too :)
Lucinda Lavender: sounds like a party:)
Alfred Kelberry: always with butter
Alfred Kelberry: num num
Lucinda Lavender: nodding
Lucinda Lavender: I am having my coffee too
Lucinda Lavender: then off to work
Alfred Kelberry: the only coffee i like is latte :)

Lucinda's choir shares its loss through song

Lucinda Lavender: this is a concert week for me
Bruce Mowbray: With your choir, Luci?
Alfred Kelberry: concert? you sing? or play?
Lucinda Lavender: sing with a choir
Alfred Kelberry: neat

Lucinda Lavender: http://osscs.org/

Lucinda Lavender: singing Detting Te Deum
Lucinda Lavender: Handel
Bruce Mowbray: How is your choir adjusting to its great loss?
Lucinda Lavender: well it is really interesting...
Lucinda Lavender: we miss the cues George gave us
Lucinda Lavender: he cued everyone a lot
Lucinda Lavender: and we are singing more hesitantly perhaps
Alfred Kelberry: he looks so sweet
Lucinda Lavender: he was very sweet
Lucinda Lavender: nothing like making music with your friends he would say
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, it will take some time -- and everyone will need to pull together and support each other during this transition.
Lucinda Lavender: this time has to happen, I think
Lucinda Lavender: some cry during rehearsal
Bruce Mowbray: Of course -- understandable -- can be both helpful and healthy.
Lucinda Lavender: but we keep going
Bruce Mowbray: What a wonderful experience for all of you.
Lucinda Lavender: yes...and strange too
Lucinda Lavender: like being orphaned
Bruce Mowbray: So, you already have a new conductor, then?
Lucinda Lavender: One of his old friends Roupen Shakarian
Lucinda Lavender: for 2 concerts, then others after that
Lucinda Lavender: we will sample them I guess
Bruce Mowbray: Mmmmm.....
Lucinda Lavender: sort of
Lucinda Lavender: so interesting
Bruce Mowbray: Will the choir have a choice in the final selection of its conductor?
Lucinda Lavender: good question...I do not really know about that
Lucinda Lavender: it could be several years off
Bruce Mowbray: Mmmm.... Well, it seems that the music you are singing will sometimes be about yourselves. . . and that's also potentially healing.
Lucinda Lavender: we stretch to put into words what is different
Lucinda Lavender: yes! thanks Bruce...you are right
Bruce Mowbray: So much of poetry and music seems to be about loss.
Lucinda Lavender: nodding
Bruce Mowbray: Perhaps to enable us to break bread with that darkness a bit more easily.
Lucinda Lavender: yes...
Bruce Mowbray: and also with those who grieve with us.

--BELL–

Lucinda Lavender: The last song in the piece is Lord in Thee have I trusted/ let me never be confounded...

Bruce Mowbray listens intently to Luci.
Lucinda Lavender: the very last words..."never let me be confounded" ...which makes me think of Being and the puzzle of Time
Bruce Mowbray: yes. . .
Lucinda Lavender: To you both I wish a good day...
Bruce Mowbray: OK -- Luci. Thanks for dropping by. I must also be off pretty soon.
Bruce Mowbray: May you be well and happy.

Lucinda Lavender: thanks:) I get to take my kids to the Burke Museum to see the masks
Lucinda Lavender: that should be fun...
Bruce Mowbray: Wonderful!
Lucinda Lavender: It is across from my work so just a walk
Bruce Mowbray: Masks can also be "puzzling"!  ;-)
Lucinda Lavender: yes...
Lucinda Lavender: till later then:)
Bruce Mowbray: Goodbye, Luci.
Bruce Mowbray: Al's is "Away" and Blub's not up for chatting this morning, so I shall also be gone.
Bruce Mowbray: May all have a happy day and be well.