2012.02.06 07:00 - Gem-filled Storm Clouds (Happiness Session)

The Guardian for this meeting was Eliza Madrigal. The comments are by Eliza Madrigal.

It is only with the heart that one can see
rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
-Antoine de Saint Exupéry
 

Eliza Madrigal: Hi Bruce!
Eliza Madrigal: I made it :)
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Eliza.
Bruce Mowbray: If you have other business, I'm happy to take this session for you.
Bruce Mowbray: Otherwise. . .
Bruce Mowbray is wondering whether to skip on over for morning meditation for 20 mins.
Eliza Madrigal: Thanks so much for offering but yes, please feel free :)
Eliza Madrigal: really appreciate the gesture
Bruce Mowbray: OK.. Thanks. I will be back in 20 mins.
Bruce Mowbray: bye for now.
Eliza Madrigal waves
Eliza Madrigal: Hello 0 and Zen :)
Zen Arado: Hi Eliza and Sam :)

--BELL--

Zen Arado: wasn't sure you would make it Eliza
Eliza Madrigal: thank you for being here, nor was I :)
oO0Oo Resident: Hi Eliza.. Hi Zen
Zen Arado: I was making something for Happiness thingie
Eliza Madrigal: yes?
Zen Arado: just using something I saw on Facebook
Eliza Madrigal: image, poem?
Eliza Madrigal: oh... see you are rezzing
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: sounds like a lot of cleaning to do
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Luci :))
Lucinda Lavender: HI Eliza:)
Lucinda Lavender: suprised to see you:)
oO0Oo Resident: Hi Luci

Zen Arado: I wanted Buddha face but it is a bit weak?
Zen Arado: Hi Luci
Eliza Madrigal: ahh when you point it out it is clear
Zen Arado: well I think happiness is more about removing things
Eliza Madrigal: I signed on early this morning thinking to work on my project but instead seemed to do a dozen other things
Eliza Madrigal: in part I think it was because the word itself can be sort of vague
Lucinda Lavender: smiles
Zen Arado: I have so much to do too
Zen Arado: yes just a concept
Eliza Madrigal: so I talked to Wester for a bit, which helped a lot, then read the session from yesterday...
Eliza Madrigal: one thing I missed before about it ... gratitude
Zen Arado: hmmm yes
Zen Arado: Hi Pema
Eliza Madrigal: Eos used to quote "Gratitude is heaven itself" a lot
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Pema :)
Lucinda Lavender: nice to see you all, can not really stay but was checking to see if some one was needed...
Eliza Madrigal: I made it, thanks so much Luci
Pema Pera: hi everybody!
Eliza Madrigal: wow I feel very cared for... everyone seeing about the session...
oO0Oo Resident: Luci :) ty
Pema Pera: (also dropping by only briefly :-)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
oO0Oo Resident: Hi Pema

Eliza Madrigal: we were beginning to carry over the happiness theme from yesterday Pema...
Eliza Madrigal: are you in a train?
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Pema Pera: no, in my office right now
Pema Pera: happily so :)
Eliza Madrigal: :))
Eliza Madrigal: "happily dwelling conduct"
Pema Pera: how did yesterday's meeting go?
Eliza Madrigal: Zen you were there... like to give a recap? I read it and found it fun
Zen Arado: I only was tthere for half

Eliza Madrigal: Wol Euler: a byproduct of being fully engaged in the moment

Pema Pera: nice!
Zen Arado: if it's a good moment :)
Pema Pera: also if it's not
Pema Pera: perhaps?
Eliza Madrigal grateful for the present moment
Zen Arado: can't make a suffering moment happy?
Pema Pera: as for happiness beyond the usual distinctions between happy and not-happy
Zen Arado: maybe lessen suffering tho
Pema Pera: more than lessen, in principle at least
Eliza Madrigal waves to observerm
Pema Pera: like in seeing through completely
Pema Pera: hi Obs!
Zen Arado: Hi Observerm

--BELL--

observerm Resident waves
Zen Arado: if you don't gauge state is that happiness?
Pema Pera: like in letting the sacred shine through, when stated in more religious terms -- which reminds me of the session one and a half days ago; Sam wrote " all labels some other sacredness.. yet the heart so filled with longing" upon which I responded " yes, the sacred shines through as soon as we let go of labels . . ." but Sam had just left at that point, at the end of the hour -- perhaps we can pick up that theme again?

Eliza Madrigal: please do :)
Eliza Madrigal: Wester and I touched on this a bit this morning too... what we felt was that *joy* rings more deeply as not conditional
Zen Arado: I don't know if I am happy
Pema Pera: Sam, I guess you didn't see my last line, last time?
Zen Arado: I'm just.....
oO0Oo Resident: I did read it after Pema.. ty
Pema Pera: can you say more about the longing you talked about?
Pema Pera: hi Bruce!
Zen Arado: Hi Bruce :)
Bruce Mowbray waves hello and listens to catch the drift.
Eliza Madrigal: Welcome back Bruce :)
oO0Oo Resident: not a lot to add.. Perhaps one resonates or not with that longing.. or a longing.. and one can say too much
Lucinda Lavender: Luci listens between her prep for the day:)
oO0Oo Resident: wb Bruce
Bruce Mowbray: ty!

Zen Arado: maybe we have different set points for happiness
Pema Pera: yes, it's so hard to put into words what goes beyond the usual needs-driven expression . . .
Pema Pera: like happy and unhappy as the usual polarization
Zen Arado: my usual state might seem unhappy to aother?

Pema Pera: and then there is that altogether different happiness that is totally independent of circumstances
Bruce Mowbray wonders if "longing" is related to nostalgia . . .
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: I was thinking about that too... the blessing and wish "May all beings be happy" ...
Eliza Madrigal: includes so many things but surely what one is wishing dives deeper than branch matters... while including them too...
Eliza Madrigal: that wish could be called a longing?

Bruce Mowbray: I missed out on the discussion prior to my arrival, but "longing" seems to bend backward into nostalgia, and "yearning" seems to bend forward into hope. . .
Zen Arado: unhappiness seems from resistance to what is?
Bruce Mowbray: both are causes of suffering.
Zen Arado: both are wanting something not here
Bruce Mowbray: yes, agrees with Zen.

Eliza Madrigal: Pema's session on Saturday night was deeply moving...
Zen Arado: is there too much emphasis on happiness in our society?
Eliza Madrigal: seemed to have both nostalgia and gratitude at once
Eliza Madrigal: remembering loved ones           (see  2012.02.04 19:00 - Eden's Garden )

Pema Pera: (sorry, work calling)
Eliza Madrigal: bye Pema :) thanks
oO0Oo Resident: Pema :)
Bruce Mowbray: bye Pema!
Pema Pera: (bye everybody, great to see you, if only briefly)
Zen Arado: bye Pema
Lucinda Lavender: bye Pema :)
Zen Arado: :)
oO0Oo Resident: Likewise

--BELL--

Bruce Mowbray: For me, gratitude is an antidote to both longing and yearning.
Eliza Madrigal listens
Bruce Mowbray: My current physical condition does not permit me to hike in the forests, or to travel to adventuresome place. . . For a while I was griefy (and longing) about that. Then I switched to gratitude for what I've been able to do my whole life. . . and POOF, the suffering disappeared.
Eliza Madrigal: :) POOF
Bruce Mowbray: ;-) yeppers.
Zen Arado: old age does that to everyone at last
Zen Arado: restricts us
Eliza Madrigal: feels like popping holes in a heavy cloud... poof poof poof

Bruce Mowbray: Inside those heavy clouds are gems.
Bruce Mowbray: poffing the clouds to let out the gems.
Bruce Mowbray: popping (poofing) - same.

Eliza Madrigal: "Gratitude is heaven itself"
Eliza Madrigal: raining gems
Eliza Madrigal: thank you Bruce
Bruce Mowbray: Oh Eliza! You must have also had this experience, then.!
Zen Arado: maybe happiness is not worrying about happiness
Eliza Madrigal: had a strong moment with this yesterday.. but didn't realize it until today really....

Bruce Mowbray: again, agrees with Zen. Happiness seems to emerge when we're doing other worthwhile things -- as Wol said yesterday at the 13:00 session.
Bruce Mowbray: Happiness arises as a secondary experience. . . not the one directly pursued.
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Bruce Mowbray sits on hands and takes a deep breath.

Lucinda Lavender: nodding to all said:)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: there is another point too.... that we already have all the 'material' we could ever wish for in some sense... and don't know what to do with it
Eliza Madrigal: personally but also collectively or maybe vice versa
Bruce Mowbray: (pop the cloud, Eliza?)
Bruce Mowbray: raining gems, then?
Eliza Madrigal: and gratitude seems to be about uncovering that :)
Eliza Madrigal: maybe the happiness that Zen points to being sort of sold as an ideal is more the contrived feeling
Eliza Madrigal sits on hands... still processing... wanting to make a project this time :)

Eliza Madrigal: ((((Luci)))) thanks for being here
Bruce Mowbray: bye, Luci!
Zen Arado: bye Luci
oO0Oo Resident: Luci.. Take care.. :)
Lucinda Lavender: Thanks for carrying it all:)
Lucinda Lavender: the words:)
Lucinda Lavender: the ideas
Lucinda Lavender: appreciate listening...
Bruce Mowbray: seems to me that Happiness got kidnapped by advertising dudes and spin doctors. . .
Lucinda Lavender: bye for now all:)
Bruce Mowbray: bye Luci.
Eliza Madrigal: :) bye for now Luci, much love
Eliza Madrigal: yeah, what do we do about them Bruce?

Bruce Mowbray: Spin docs told us that Happiness could be found outside of our inside "material"
Bruce Mowbray: Happiness knew better, though.
Zen Arado: advertising industry
Zen Arado: so interested in us being happy
Bruce Mowbray: Happiness decided to hide INSIDE us, thinking, "The spin docs will never think of looking for me there!"
Eliza Madrigal smiles
oO0Oo Resident spins the mirror on the patient.. who looks suspiciously like the doctor
Zen Arado: buy a new car and you will be happy
Zen Arado: or a new computer :)
Bruce Mowbray: Perhaps the new cars makes the garage happy. . . . or the car salesman.
Eliza Madrigal: true.... and well... haha...

--BELL--

Bruce Mowbray: Perhaps our language betrays us when we think of these things.
Eliza Madrigal: amazing how this comes back to Zen's original point about less and less
Bruce Mowbray: "The pursuit of happiness. . . " etc. "Do this or that and it will MAKE you happy." Language is tricky, and deceiving.
Eliza Madrigal: though I feel it is more about contrivance than material itself
Eliza Madrigal: I can appreciate a good ad even        
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Bruce Mowbray: much drama about "getting" and "having."
Bruce Mowbray: You also see the "game level" clearly, Eliza.

Zen Arado: my material possessions make me UNhappy
Eliza Madrigal: which doesn't mean it has shed me yet Bruce
Zen Arado: gadgets breaking down...
Zen Arado: clutter...
Eliza Madrigal: :)

Bruce Mowbray: once again agrees with Zen. . . In fact, for the first time in 40 years, I have just ordered a dumpster to clear out all the STUFF from my house....
Eliza Madrigal: a house cluttered with paintings...
Eliza Madrigal: Nice :)
Zen Arado: yeh and painting materials
Eliza Madrigal removed 1200 items from inventory yesterday
Eliza Madrigal: was getting too close to 10000 things
Zen Arado: how many now?
Bruce Mowbray: wow!
Eliza Madrigal: 8327
Zen Arado: I try to keep below 9,000
Bruce Mowbray checks his inventory.
Bruce Mowbray: 4731
Zen Arado: 8844
Eliza Madrigal: at some point it flips and all was seen to be preparation
Eliza Madrigal giggles
Zen Arado: paintings and textures again

Bruce Mowbray: It will be interesting to see what folks pull out of their inventories for the Art as Being project this month.
Bruce Mowbray: Happiness as Being.
Eliza Madrigal: :) curious too
Bruce Mowbray looks for gem-filled storm clouds in his inventory.

Eliza Madrigal: what i think Wester and I were looking at this morning was hm... does happiness include sadness ... because trying to get rid of sadness doesn't seem a path to happiness...
Eliza Madrigal: but joy encompasses them both
Zen Arado: sadness can be kinda happy too
Zen Arado: like watching a sad movie
Eliza Madrigal: hm
Bruce Mowbray: A memorial service is not transformative if it only tries to get rid of sadness. . . . A memorial service (or funeral) needs also to be a celebration. == a JOYOUS occasion.

oO0Oo Resident: back to Pema's distinction there maybe.. Sad movie may yield conditional happiness.. But ..if one is genuinely and thoroughly sad.. I think a different kind of happiness can be there too.
Zen Arado: a genuineness?
Eliza Madrigal: touches gratitude again perhaps,,, yes.... a decent sad movie points to something authentic and there is some relief
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: relief at facing sadness instead of covering it up
Eliza Madrigal: yes!
Bruce Mowbray feels that the only way to poof the sadness clouds is to go genuinely and thoroughly INTO them. . (I think this is an essential practice for Buddhists, too.)
Zen Arado: yes Bruce
Zen Arado: or not evading anyway
Eliza Madrigal: sometimes still best bit by bit, poof poof poof
Zen Arado: or noticing when we do evade
Bruce Mowbray: poof by poof, as it were.
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Zen Arado: yes
Bruce Mowbray: :)
oO0Oo Resident: it is enough to be sad or happy... "evading" and "relief" are secondary
Zen Arado: better go set up this thing
Bruce Mowbray: I must self-poof now. THANKS, Zen, 0, and Eliza.
Zen Arado: :)
Eliza Madrigal: Thank you all so much

--BELL--

oO0Oo Resident: Bye Zen and Bruce
Zen Arado: byee all
Eliza Madrigal: Thanks for being here 0, very cute look btw
oO0Oo Resident: Thanks for being here Eliza.. You look cute too. Fun outfit!
Eliza Madrigal: thanks :) happy clothes I suppose
Eliza Madrigal: Bye for now
oO0Oo Resident: 〜waves〜
oO0Oo Resident: ☻/
oO0Oo Resident: /▌
oO0Oo Resident: / \

--BELL--

oO0Oo Resident: . http://is.gd/DgHXet http://is.gd/bOWlV5