2011.07.10 19:00 - Stories and Questions

The Guardian for this meeting was Calvino Rabeni. The comments are by Calvino Rabeni.

Bertrum Resident: Hey Cal, FC
FcSeeker Resident: Hello Bertrum and Calvin
Calvino Rabeni: :) Hello, Fc, Bert
Bertrum Resident: Hi Druth
FcSeeker Resident: Hello druth
druth Vlodovic: hey all
Bertrum Resident: Cal, is there a topic this evening?
Calvino Rabeni: Not one predefined
Calvino Rabeni: So I will ask, does anyone have a story or an interest tonight?
FcSeeker Resident: can the story be buddhist ?
Calvino Rabeni: It can be anything that seems interesting
Calvino Rabeni: Personal, or one "told" around for a while :)
Calvino Rabeni: Or maybe just a phrase, sometimes just a few words are a capsule for a whole story
Calvino Rabeni: I have one that was told in a circle Saturday.
Calvino Rabeni:

A Hasidic story from the book "Souls on Fire" by Elie Wiesel:

"One day I felt like telling a story, or rather, I felt a story in me that wanted to be told. Except that I was afraid; it was what you would call a daring story. I felt that if I told it, my most ardent followers would stop calling me Rebbe. As for my enemies, they would know why they hated me. Yet I could not repress the story; it wanted to be told. So I told it. And to my great surprise, even my enemies began to admire me."

Bertrum Resident: Please contunue...
Calvino Rabeni: That's the end of the story
Calvino Rabeni: I think, one reason I like it, is that someone came to an edge for a while, then went past it, and some new things started happening.
Calvino Rabeni: And also, it is a story-about-a-story
FcSeeker Resident: my story would be much longer...but it might point to admire some special doing
Calvino Rabeni: Your longer stories are good to hear
FcSeeker Resident: o.k.
FcSeeker Resident:

The Brave Little Parrot: A Jataka Tale from India
Once, long ago, the Buddha was born as a little parrot. One day, a storm broke upon her forest home. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed, and a dead tree, struck by lightning, burst into flames. Sparks leapt Terrified animals ran wildly in every direction, seeking safety from the flames and smoke. “Fire! Fire!” cried the little parrot. “Run! Run to the river!” Flapping her wings, she flung herself out into the fury of the storm, and, rising higher, flew towards the safety of the river
But as she flew she could see that many animals were trapped, surrounded by the flames below, with no chance of escape. Suddenly, a desperate idea, a way to save them, came to her. She darted to the river, dipped herself in the water, and flew back over the now raging fire.
The heat rising up from the burning forest was like the heat of an oven. The thick smoke made breathing almost unbearable. A wall of flames shot up now on one side, now on the other. Crackling flames leapt and danced before her. Twisting and turning through the mad maze of fire, the little parrot flew bravely on.
--BELL--

Calvino Rabeni deep breath :)
FcSeeker Resident:

At last, over the center of the forest, she shook her wings and released the few drops of water which still clung to her feathers. The tiny drops tumbled like jewels down in the heart of the blaze and vanished with a hssssssssss.
Then the little parrot once more flew back through the flames and smoke to the river, dipped herself in the cool water, and flew back again over the burning forest. Back and forth she flew, time and time again, from the river to the forest, from the burning forest to the river. Her feathers were charred.
Her feet were scorched. Her lungs ached. Her eyes, stung by smoke, burned red as coals. Her mind spun as dizzily as the spinning sparks. But still the little parrot flew on.
At this time, some of the Devas, gods of a happy realm, were floating high overhead in their cloud palaces of ivory and gold. They happened to look down and they saw the little parrot flying through the flames. They pointed at her with perfect hands. Between mouthfuls of honeyed foods they exclaimed, “Look at that foolish bird!” She’s trying to put out a raging forest fire with a few sprinkles of water! How ridiculous! How absurd!” And they laughed.
But one of those gods did not laugh. Strangely moved, he changed himself into a golden eagle and flew down, down towards the little parrot’s fiery path. The little parrot was just nearing the flames again when the great eagle, with eyes like molten gold appeared at her side. “Go back, little bird!” said the eagle in a solemn and majestic voice. “Your task is hopeless! A few drops of water can’t put out a forest fire! Cease now and save yourself – before it’s too late.”
But the little parrot only continued to fly on through the smoke and flames. She could hear the great eagle flying above her as the heat grew fiercer, calling out, “stop, foolish little parrot! Save yourself! Save yourself!” “I don’t need a great, shining eagle” coughed the little parrot, “to give me advice like that. My own mother, the dear bird, might have told me such things long ago. Advice! (cough, cough) I don’t need advice. I just (cough) need someone to help”
And the god who was that great eagle, seeing the little parrot flying through the flames, thought suddenly of his own privileged kind. He could see them floating high up above. Yes, there they were, the carefree gods, still laughing and talking while many animals cried out in pain and fear from among the flames below.
Seeing that, he grew ashamed, and a single desire was kindled in his heart. God though he was, he just wanted to be like that brave little parrot and to help. “I will help!” he exclaimed, and flushed with these new feelings, he began to weep. Stream after stream of sparkling tears poured from his eyes. Wave upon wave they washed down like the cooling rain upon the fire, upon the forest, upon the animals, and upon the little parrot herself.
Where those tears fell, the flames died down, and the smoke began to clear. The little parrot, washed and bright, rocketed about the sky laughing for joy. “Now that’s more like it!” she exclaimed. The eagle’s tears dripped from burned branches and soaked into the scorched earth. Where those tears glistened, new life pushed quickly forth-shoots, stems, and leaves. Buds unfurled and blossoms opened. Green grass pushed up from among still-glowing cinders.
All the animals looked at one another in amazement. Washed by those tears they were whole and well. Not one had been harmed. Up above, in the clear blue sky, they could see their friend, the little parrot, looping and soaring in delight. When hope was gone, somehow she had saved them. “Hurray!” they cried. “Hurray for the brave little parrot, and for this sudden, miraculous rain!”

FcSeeker Resident: <3
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Calvino Rabeni claps
Bertrum Resident: Hi Susan
iwandertoo Resident: waves
FcSeeker Resident: Hello Susan
iwandertoo Resident: hello
FcSeeker Resident: Hello Paradise
Calvino Rabeni: Hi Para
Paradise Tennant: hiya fcseeker ,, cal .. susan .. druth .. bertrum :)
Calvino Rabeni: That story had a lot of "punch" :)
Bertrum Resident: Hi Paradise
Calvino Rabeni: I may not understand it very well
Calvino Rabeni: Would you like a recap, Paradise?
Paradise Tennant: smiles pls :)
FcSeeker Resident: to me it is the story of how it can be possible for even a tiny to do something that turns to be much
Paradise Tennant: smiles yes :) a lovely .. perspective :)
FcSeeker Resident: (thinking how much people use to think themself to be tiny in front of big things)
druth Vlodovic: there is a statue in front of the parliament buildings in Canada, dedicated to a boy who jumped in a river to rescue another
druth Vlodovic: I don't know if he suceeded
druth Vlodovic: but he drowned
FcSeeker Resident: Hello Roger
FcSeeker Resident: I think he died being happy
Roger Ormenthal: Hi Everyone.
druth Vlodovic: without the attempt the task can't be handled no matter what
Paradise Tennant: hiya roger :)
FcSeeker Resident: I think he felt like that little bird
Bertrum Resident: Hi Roger
Calvino Rabeni: To me that story recalls another saying - "The weakest step forward is stronger than the strongest storm"
FcSeeker Resident: <3
Roger Ormenthal: Hi Paradise, Bertrum, all.
Calvino Rabeni: Good evening Roger :)
Roger Ormenthal: Hi Calvino.
--BELL--

Calvino Rabeni: Another saying for the story - "God helps those who help themselves" - except, the parrot was helping others, which worked even more to bring help
FcSeeker Resident: he also helped himself :)
FcSeeker Resident: (he felt must to do so)
Calvino Rabeni: Yes
FcSeeker Resident: to me the story tells also about those beings beyond
FcSeeker Resident: how they neither always know what to do
FcSeeker Resident: (having no idea if anybody here feels interest to those beings)
Calvino Rabeni: I'm on that
druth Vlodovic: I'm not sure I understand fc
FcSeeker Resident: well...meat such beings that I know to be beyond, but helping people
FcSeeker Resident: meant
Calvino Rabeni: It makes me consider, not to rest on comfort and success, with powers, but to give them to some place they are needed.
druth Vlodovic: they'd ned reason to help, the parot's reason was in his character, and his doctrine of what is "right"
FcSeeker Resident: that he was and did
FcSeeker Resident: they also need advises often
druth Vlodovic: I'd think being "beyond" they might have a hard time knowing earthly right or wrong
FcSeeker Resident: I know more of such people who believe those beings to know everything...
Calvino Rabeni: The story seems also about prayer through action
FcSeeker Resident: yes druth, and specially when people are not clear with their wishes
iwandertoo Resident: (waves...best to everyone)
FcSeeker Resident: waves
Calvino Rabeni: There's a similar famous quote from Goethe
Bertrum Resident: bye Susab
Calvino Rabeni: TC Susan
druth Vlodovic: yes?
Paradise Tennant: sweet dreams susan :)
Calvino Rabeni:

A well-known quote by Goethe:

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and endless plans. That the moment one definitely commits oneself then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise occurred. A whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents, and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
Begin it now.

--BELL--

Paradise Tennant: wow very laggy ..
Paradise Tennant: love that quote cal .. the universe / providence moves to your intent
Bertrum Resident: Have a good evening everyone
FcSeeker Resident: waves to Bertrum
Calvino Rabeni: Sleep well, Bertrum :)
Paradise Tennant: good nite bertrum :)
Paradise Tennant: what would we begin now :)) if time were not a constraint?
druth Vlodovic: time is hardly a constraint here :)
Calvino Rabeni: Well, it's summer time, and the doors and windows let in the sounds of the neighborhood, and there is some well-played jazz piano music wafting through the neighborhood, and I admire it, and remember from long ago when that piano could barely play scales ....
Calvino Rabeni: See, I think of time as a constraint, in learning to play music for example, it takes years
Paradise Tennant: maybe another way of saying it .. is what would be the dream?` Lovely seeing talent blossom
druth Vlodovic: you live in each moment of your lessons and practices
druth Vlodovic: is that bad?
FcSeeker Resident: only if one has no skill to learn to play piano
Calvino Rabeni: Blossom, yes: "To plant a tree, is to have faith in the future"
druth Vlodovic: it is hard to do something you are bad at, but how else to get good at anything?
FcSeeker Resident: not asking if the future is for one's self or for somebody else to see the tree to blossom :)
Calvino Rabeni: Heh yes
FcSeeker Resident: one can become an awesome cook if cannot learn to play piano
FcSeeker Resident: so why to weist time to something that cannot be fruitfull...
druth Vlodovic: that leads to floundering
druth Vlodovic: trying this, trying that
Calvino Rabeni: Having learned one thing well gives the knowledge or experience for other learning journeys
druth Vlodovic: until you hit upoikn the "natural" thing you need never learn to do
druth Vlodovic: lol
FcSeeker Resident: mostly there is still some learning even with natural things...
druth Vlodovic: I was watching a show on a "child prodigy" and said to myself "anybody could play that well at such a young age if they practised 6 hours a day"
Calvino Rabeni: heh yes
druth Vlodovic: then I thought "anybody could play that well if they practised 6 hours a day"
druth Vlodovic: and the two statements were entirely different
FcSeeker Resident: imo the most urgent question to begin something is to ask "is this something I would like to do"
Calvino Rabeni: Like they say ... that it is hard for adults to learn a new language -- but before deciding that, let's see them practice it for 16 hours a day every day like a child, and then see how well they do.
FcSeeker Resident: because normally people want to do something they are skilled to
druth Vlodovic: "why am I doing this?" "what do I want?" "where do I wish to go?"
FcSeeker Resident: so very good questions
--BELL--

Paradise Tennant: sorry going to have to excuse my self .. did a hot yoga class and I am afraid I am bit sleepy from it :) ... thank you and namaste :)
Calvino Rabeni: _/!\_
Calvino Rabeni: Brave one
Paradise Tennant: smiles :) sweet dreams ..that blossom :)
Calvino Rabeni: TY Paradise
Roger Ormenthal: Goodnight everyone.
FcSeeker Resident: takes a humble bow
Calvino Rabeni: Good night Roger :)
druth Vlodovic: are we breaking up?
FcSeeker Resident: namaste
Calvino Rabeni: Hm
Calvino Rabeni: Or maybe a second wind will arise
druth Vlodovic: good night
Calvino Rabeni: _/!\_
Calvino Rabeni: Take care, druth
--BELL--

Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Cal
Calvino Rabeni: Good evening Aphrodite :)
Aphrodite Macbain: GTSY
Aphrodite Macbain: Thought I'd drop in to see if anyone was here
Calvino Rabeni: They were ... then there was a sudden exodus
Aphrodite Macbain: !!
Aphrodite Macbain: Call of the sandman