2010.10.17 07:00 - Notice the Underlayer of Stillness

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

Adams Rubble: Hello Doug :)
Adams Rubble: the wha???
doug Sosa: well i saw an email that there would be a discussion about the recent retreat
Adams Rubble: ohhh. I think that is next Saturday
Adams Rubble: It has been a loong time since I have seen you
Adams Rubble: How have you been?
doug Sosa: ah, yes, just looked.
Adams Rubble: Hello Aphrodite :)
Adams Rubble: Hello Edwinly :)
doug Sosa: how have i been? I have no idea.
Aphrodite Macbain: Hello all!
Adams Rubble: Hello Bruce :)
doug Sosa: hi.

Having discovered it was not the theme session, Doug disappeared\

Adams Rubble: so much for Doug :)
Adams Rubble: nice to see you back Bruce :)
Bruce Mowbray: Thank you, Adams.
Aphrodite Macbain: Hello Bruce and blub
Bruce Mowbray: Welcome back to Aph, too!
Aphrodite Macbain: Tx
Bruce Mowbray: afk for a minute -- gotta get more coffee.
Bruce Mowbray: Have been able to rest from your trip to Italy, Pah?
Bruce Mowbray: have YOU been able*
Bruce Mowbray: Aph*
Adams Rubble: coffee kicking in?
Adams Rubble: hehe
Aphrodite Macbain: Slowly. Last night I got in to To. at 3AM
Adams Rubble: wow
Aphrodite Macbain: Italian time
Adams Rubble: ohhh
Adams Rubble starts to calculate
Aphrodite Macbain: soooooo- I'm drinking alot o coee now!
Bruce Mowbray: Oh oh --- jet lag city.
Aphrodite Macbain: 9 hours difference
Aphrodite Macbain: :-(
Adams Rubble: It was nice of you to come join us :)
Aphrodite Macbain: I wanted to show you off to my friends Don & Diane
Adams Rubble: :)
Adams Rubble sits up straighter
Bruce Mowbray: Hello, Don and Diane!
Bruce Mowbray: Welcome to Second Life. . .
Aphrodite Macbain: They are impressed!
Adams Rubble waves too
Aphrodite Macbain: I'll see you all later. Ciao
Aphrodite Macbain waves back
Adams Rubble: bye Aphrodite :)
Bruce Mowbray: Have a good day, Pah -- and get some rest!
Bruce Mowbray: and thanks for the coffee.
Bruce Mowbray: Aph.
Aphrodite Macbain: Nice dance Bruce
Bruce Mowbray: sry.
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Bruce Mowbray: bye, Aph.
Aphrodite Macbain: what's that?
Adams Rubble showing off :)
Bruce Mowbray: Adams seems to be going postal over here. . .
Aphrodite Macbain: sorry... showing off
Adams Rubble: hehe
Aphrodite Macbain: Bye
Adams Rubble: bye Aphrodite :)
Bruce Mowbray: see you later Aph.
--BELL--

Lars and the Real Girl

Bruce Mowbray: Have you seen the movie "Lars and the Real Girl"?
Adams Rubble: Hello Alfred :)
Bruce Mowbray: Hello, Alfred.
Adams Rubble: no I haven't. do not see many movies
Alfred Kelberry: adams! :) good to see you at pab :)
Bruce Mowbray: O only rent them through Netflix.
Alfred Kelberry: oi, bruce :)
Adams Rubble: you too Alfred :)
Bruce Mowbray: oi, Al!
Alfred Kelberry: i don't see you often
Alfred Kelberry: maybe it's timing
Adams Rubble: yes, maybe
Adams Rubble: I haven't been getting to as many PaB sessions as I would like
Alfred Kelberry: you look for a movie to watch, bruce?
Adams Rubble: what is it about Bruce?
Alfred Kelberry: glad you made it to this one :)
Adams Rubble: I am guardian on Sunday mornings Alfred :)
Adams Rubble: good I made it, yes :)
Bruce Mowbray: Well, I was telling Adams about a movie I just watched last night -- called Lars and the Real Girl - starring Ryan Gosling.
Alfred Kelberry: ah, ok :)
Alfred Kelberry: haven't seen it
Bruce Mowbray: and it reminded me a lot of SL.
Bruce Mowbray: and of PaB in particular.
Adams Rubble liistens
Bruce Mowbray: ok. I liked it so much that I went to Amazon and bought a copy.
Adams Rubble: wow
Bruce Mowbray: yes, that's rare for me.
Alfred Kelberry: "A delusional young guy strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet." - sounds interesting :)
Bruce Mowbray: Gosling's character (Lars) buys a sex doll through the Internet and falls in love with it. . .
Alfred Kelberry: :)
Bruce Mowbray: and throughout the entire movie he behaves as if the doll is real. . .
Bruce Mowbray: but the amazing thing is that his entire community goes along with the "play" -- or. . .
Alfred Kelberry: then he kisses her and she turns into a beautiful young lady? :)
Bruce Mowbray: I should say, that the entire community "plays" along with Lars -- out of compassion for him.
Bruce Mowbray: nope -- nothing like Cinderella. . . or that magical stuff. It's "real' in the sense that Lars is delusional. . .
Bruce Mowbray: and everyone knows that. and there is no magic involves.
Alfred Kelberry: i'll put it on my list :)
Alfred Kelberry: thank you, bruce
Bruce Mowbray: anyway, I highly recommend the movie.
Bruce Mowbray: So,. , , , moving on. . .
Bruce Mowbray: What's happening with Adams and Al this morning?
Alfred Kelberry: meep-meep!
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Adams Rubble: The other Adams is finishing preparing for the workshop today
Alfred Kelberry: oh, right! sunday's art session
Bruce Mowbray wonders which workshop that would be.

We discuss the upcoming Art History Workshop

Alfred Kelberry: what's the topic?
Adams Rubble: Theophany, Spiritual Light and the Transfiguration
Bruce Mowbray: OH -- forgot about that -- It will be held during the same time that I am at RL Quaker Meeting. sry.
Bruce Mowbray: I wish I could attend it, though.
Alfred Kelberry: transfiguration...
Adams Rubble: yes, too bad, I think you would find it intersting
Adams Rubble: RL sometimes interferes with SL..
Bruce Mowbray: I am sure that I would, Adams.
Adams Rubble: delusional or not. hehe
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Alfred Kelberry: is it a christian analog to satori? :)
Bruce Mowbray: mmmm. . . interesting question. . . (listens to Adams....)
Adams Rubble: it is more a metopmorphosis Alfred
Adams Rubble: but there will be a look at other traditions
Adams Rubble: at both incidents of theophany and incidents of light
--BELL--
Adams Rubble: Of course when one talks about searching inwardly, parallels to enlightenement are possible
Alfred Kelberry: :)
Alfred Kelberry: i think i can see light coming from adams :)
Alfred Kelberry: she's nicely glowing :)
Adams Rubble: In the Christian Transfiguration, Christ already is God. It is more a revelation
Bruce Mowbray ponders skipping Quaker Meeting today to be able to come to Adams' workshop.
Adams Rubble: awwww
Adams Rubble: RL is important too :)
Alfred Kelberry: adams, yes, an important detail
Bruce Mowbray: Help me with this, Adams. . . Does the Transfiguration appear in other gospels besides John?
Adams Rubble: not in John
Adams Rubble: in Matthew, Mark and Luke
Bruce Mowbray: ok -- my memory is failing me now. . .
Adams Rubble: :)
Bruce Mowbray: OK -- Then it is part of the Synoptics. . .
Adams Rubble: yes
Bruce Mowbray: perhaps the "Q" material, then.
Adams Rubble: It also appears in two so-called apochraphal Gosples
Bruce Mowbray: mmmm.... fascinating.
Adams Rubble: an expanded account appeaars in the Apocalypse of Peter
Adams Rubble: which is very fragmentary
Adams Rubble: but a beautiful description in the Ethiopian fragment that describes a view into paradise during the Transfiguration
Bruce Mowbray: Hmmmm.... It interests me that John does not include it -- perhaps because for John, Jesus is God from the very beginning of Creation.
Alfred Kelberry: ethiopian fragment? in the bible?
Bruce Mowbray: Thanks for the note, Adams.
Adams Rubble: no, did not make the Bible Alfred
Adams Rubble: The fragment is the last item
Adams Rubble: Sorry this is an earlier version andd does not include the gospels
Adams Rubble: Some of the church fathers, including Clemment of Alexander considered this book to be canonical
Adams Rubble: that was in the 2c
Adams Rubble: presumbably he had the whole book
Alfred Kelberry: hmm
Adams Rubble: so it is a bit more respected than the pther apochraphal gospels
Adams Rubble: other
Adams Rubble: that is no heresies :)
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Bruce Mowbray: The matter of the divinity of Jesus was of great importance -- whether part God and part man -- or all God, etc.
Bruce Mowbray: and those were "heretical" ideas to someone who might see it differently.
Adams Rubble: yes, and the Transfiguration was inmportant to that
Bruce Mowbray listens carefully to understand better why that was so. . . (or IS so).
Adams Rubble: the Transfiguration revealed Christ as the son of God (God speaks during it)
Adams Rubble: the appearance of Moses and Elijah connects Jesus to the OT prophecies as the messiah
Adams Rubble: Hello Enaro :)
Bruce Mowbray: ok -- thanks ---- It is beginning to come back to me now.
Adams Rubble: I was trying not to give the whole session away. hehe but it does not matter since this will be read afterward
Adams Rubble: There are no pre-Christian sources for this
Bruce Mowbray: ;-) --- sry -- Didn't mean to probe -- just really curious. Think I will do some Bible study today.
Bruce Mowbray: Hello, Eliza.
Adams Rubble: Hello Eliza
Adams Rubble: I will talk about a Roman example of a Theophany where a diety presented Itself to a human
Adams Rubble: but the apostes survived the Transfiguration
--BELL--
Adams Rubble: it can be argued that they were transfigured
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Everyone :) Don't let me interrupt.. listening
Alfred Kelberry: is there a special definition of heresy in church apart from "does not conform with the scriptures"?
Alfred Kelberry: oi, leggy girl :)
Bruce Mowbray: Hi, Eliza -- we are discussing Adams' workshop for this afternoon.
Adams Rubble: the other Adams :)
Eliza Madrigal: I would *love* to make the workshop today ...sigh
Bruce Mowbray: transfiguration and theopheny. in various religious traditions.
Adams Rubble: I do not know much about heresy Alfred :)
Alfred Kelberry: ok :)

The discussion turns to meditation

Eliza Madrigal: daughter has a project so am taking her to interview my meditation group
Adams Rubble: but if one reads some of the apochraphal gosepels one finds some strange ideas
Alfred Kelberry: eliza, that's lovely :)
Adams Rubble: :)
Eliza Madrigal: strange ideas?
Eliza Madrigal: :) Alf
Bruce Mowbray: yes, I would love to hear her questions -- and the group's answers to them.
Eliza Madrigal: Maybe I'll give a report, on her report :))
Bruce Mowbray: How old is your daughter --- or what I really mean is, will this be a project for school -- and what grade?
Alfred Kelberry: like parallel worlds in quantum mechanics? :)
Eliza Madrigal: She is 18 and it is for college... anthropology class :)
Bruce Mowbray: amazing -- Great!
Eliza Madrigal: specifically a kind of mythology and ritual class
Alfred Kelberry: oh, i somehow thought you're daughter is about 10 :)
Eliza Madrigal: I have an almost 12 yo son Alf, and an almost 15yo daughter, as well as now the 'grown' one :))
Alfred Kelberry: ah, ok. so i wasn't too far off :)
Eliza Madrigal: Not at all
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: but the timing for this isn't so great. I was fascinated by the description of the workshop
Alfred Kelberry: may i ask how do you treat your thoughts during meditation?
Eliza Madrigal: and am particularly interested in 'natural light' etc
Eliza Madrigal: I like the 'inclusive awareness' approach Alfred... mostly...
Alfred Kelberry: eliza, bruce has already cancelled his quaker meeting in favor of adam's workshop :)
Alfred Kelberry: can you describe it, please?
Bruce Mowbray: welllll - - - I am THINKING about playing hookey with the Meeting, that's all.
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Alfred Kelberry: :)
Eliza Madrigal: Oh, I'd love to hear about it after
Bruce Mowbray: me too.
Adams Rubble: OK
Alfred Kelberry: eliza, how is it "inclusive"?
Eliza Madrigal: Alfred, when I first started meditating it was just watching my breath...
Eliza Madrigal: then enjoying that more and more...
Eliza Madrigal: then I began to 'learn' about it...
Eliza Madrigal: which caused me to be sort of hm...rigid
Eliza Madrigal: but actually Stim's WoK guidance was transformative...
Eliza Madrigal: right around the time of pab...
Eliza Madrigal: not to 'shut down' thoughts
Eliza Madrigal: but not 'entertain' them either
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: and begin to notice the underlayer of stillness...
Eliza Madrigal: so sometimes I like wall gazing now, or even counting...
Bruce Mowbray: yes, the underlayer of stillness . . . that is always there, even through noise and drama. . .
Eliza Madrigal: What sort of meditation do you like Alf?
Eliza Madrigal: Indeed :)
Eliza Madrigal: and the noise and drama is 'none other than' stillness... too...
Bruce Mowbray is think of Heart Surta and also listening for a response from Al.
Alfred Kelberry: eliza, nice :) it's what i heard from a buddhist teacher, too... that we naturally tend to either process or suppress our thoughts, but instead we should just be present with them as they appear and change on their own :)
Bruce Mowbray: Sutra*
Eliza Madrigal smiles
Eliza Madrigal: yes like clouds passing by.... sometimes stormy sometimes fluffy
Alfred Kelberry: it was a beautiful insight for me :)
Bruce Mowbray: non-judgmental watching. . .
Eliza Madrigal: Amazing yes
Alfred Kelberry: ah! wonderful example, eliza :)
Adams Rubble: :)
Alfred Kelberry: yes, non-judgmental part takes practice, though
Eliza Madrigal nods
Bruce Mowbray: nods, also -- Indeed, ALL of it takes practice.
Eliza Madrigal: some days I sit and cant believe how much freneticness is still going on...
--BELL--
Adams Rubble: It is tme for the guardian meeting
Eliza Madrigal: Time for guardian session. Nice to chat for a tiny bit, thank you
Bruce Mowbray: yeppers.
Bruce Mowbray: We should continue this discussion some day.
Adams Rubble: bye :)
Alfred Kelberry: thank you for being here this morning :)
Eliza Madrigal: yes, wonderful discussion
Bruce Mowbray: thanks to you all.
Alfred Kelberry: ha! thank you, ezlia :)
Eliza Madrigal: hm... now to walk there... new spot you know