2013.01.10 07:00 - Equanimity and compassion

The Guardian for this meeting was Storm Nordwind. The comments are by Storm Nordwind.
Storm apologizes if any of his comments seem dogmatic or proselytizing; that is certainly not his intent.

Hat

Bleu Oleander: 's current display-name is "Bleu".
Bleu Oleander: hiya Storm :)
Storm Nordwind: Good morning Bleu!
Bleu Oleander: what is that on your head? hehe
Storm Nordwind: Just a football fan hat ^{http://is.gd/wGyXJw} :)
Bleu Oleander: hehe

Snow in the desert

Bleu Oleander: it's supposed to snow here this weekend lol
Storm Nordwind: Oh really?! Here too. But I guess it doesn't snow much where you are normally.
Bleu Oleander: hardly ever!
Bleu Oleander: not good for tourism!
Storm Nordwind: So people are not used to it, and crash their cars?
Bleu Oleander: hmmm let's hope not :)
Storm Nordwind: Indeed
Bleu Oleander: but yes, def not used to it!
Bleu Oleander: dogs will love it
Storm Nordwind: We have more snowplows here than I've seen anywhere, so hopefully there will be no problems
Bleu Oleander: well you're in snow country
Bleu Oleander: we're the Valley of the Sun haha!

Lag

Catrinamonblue Resident: 's current display-name is "Catrinamonblue".
Bleu Oleander: hi Cat :)
Storm Nordwind: Hello Cat
Catrinamonblue Resident: differnet computer super lag :)
Catrinamonblue Resident: may not be able to stay online :)
Bleu Oleander: awww are you on a laptop?
Catrinamonblue Resident: work computer :) which I thought was better than my laptop but seems to be much slower
Bleu Oleander: a lot depends on the graphics card I think
Storm Nordwind: Perhaps you might turn off the particles. That will make it faster
Catrinamonblue Resident: just turned the graphics to the lowest settings and seems to be better
Bleu Oleander: :)
Storm Nordwind: You can toggle the particles on and off with Ctrl Shift Alt =
Catrinamonblue Resident: k
Catrinamonblue Resident: thanks :)
Storm Nordwind: However, the sim itself is laggy this morning, and is reporting "too many physical objects"
Bleu Oleander: stops snowing ... would be great to have in rl :)
Xirana Oximoxi: 's current display-name is "Xirana".
Bleu Oleander: my stats are fairly good this morning
Bleu Oleander: hi Xiri :)
Xirana Oximoxi: hello Storm, Bleu, Cat :)
Catrinamonblue Resident: Good Morning Xira
Bleu Oleander: 30 fps
Storm Nordwind: And then "too many scripted objects" and then "too high network traffic" ... so the server is struggling. The problem may not be all at your end.
Storm Nordwind: Hi Xirana!
Catrinamonblue Resident: :)
--BELL--
Storm Nordwind: Good morning Riddle :)
Bleu Oleander: hi Riddle :)
Riddle Sideways: Hi Xir Bleu Cat Storm
Xirana Oximoxi: hello Rid! :)
Catrinamonblue Resident: Hi Riddle
Riddle Sideways: the snow rez was really neato

Equanimity - what is it?

Storm Nordwind notices the week's topic is "Equanimity" and wonders what has developed in discussion so far
Yakuzza Lethecus: 's current display-name is "Yaku".
Bleu Oleander: hey Yaku :)
Riddle Sideways: /listens
Riddle Sideways: Hi Yak
Xirana Oximoxi: hi Yaku! :)
Catrinamonblue Resident: Hi Yaku
Storm Nordwind: Hi Yaku
Yakuzza Lethecus: hey everyone
Yakuzza Lethecus: heavy snowfall in colorado ?
Storm Nordwind: Some forecast tomorrow, though not heavy
Riddle Sideways: staying calm while it is snowing all around you
Riddle Sideways: equanimity
Bleu Oleander: even supposed to snow here!
Riddle Sideways: we got hail (our form of snow) last night
Catrinamonblue Resident: I'm new to the idea of equanimity
Catrinamonblue Resident: would love to learn more about it
Storm Nordwind: Do people here have personal definitions we could offer Cat?
Catrinamonblue Resident: I understand it's about balance?
Bleu Oleander: composure?
Xirana Oximoxi: I have not a 'clear' idea about it...and yes...maybe I understand it related to balance
Riddle Sideways: personal calmness amist chaos
Bleu Oleander: isn't there a Buddhist meaning also?
Storm Nordwind: There is Bleu. Mine would say: Not developing attachment or aversion towards anyone. Not feeling close to some but distant from others. Not prefering some people over others. All beings are equally precious and important to us. No attachment or aversion to people or perceptions. Inwardly poised.
Storm Nordwind: One might add: Fearlessness, and therefore of greater help to others in crisis.
Bleu Oleander: sounds like that would be good advice to anyone :)

Hard to achieve?

Catrinamonblue Resident: sounds very hard to achieve at least from a newcomers perspective
Storm Nordwind: I suspect equanimity is a desirable trait! :) It's sometimes confused with indifference, but it's very different.
Bleu Oleander: although hard to not feel closer to some more than others
Xirana Oximoxi: very difficuklt advice....it's not easy to approach everyone the same way...you feel more easily connected to ones and less to others...maybe a matter of personality, or tastes, or sensitivity....and that does not mean you don't respect otheres
Storm Nordwind: I think it starts with compassion. Equanimity is founded on loving kindness, sympathetic joy, and compassion. Loving kindness is founded on compassion. Sympathetic joy is founded on compassion. So in my view, it all starts with compassion.
Riddle Sideways: Equanimity is the main study of Aikido
Bleu Oleander: compassion yes

The effect of distance

Bleu Oleander: so does distance lessen compassion?
Storm Nordwind: distance?
Bleu Oleander: is it possible to be compassionate to everyone?
Riddle Sideways: remaining calm in control, loving, not stressed when somebody with a sword is attacking you
Storm Nordwind: I believe it's possible Bleu
Xirana Oximoxi: which would you say are the most important differences between equanimity and indifference, Storm? :)
Bleu Oleander: i.e. is it possible to feel compassionate towards people who live far away and are essentially unknown to you?
--BELL--
Storm Nordwind: Indifference would be lack of concern for others. Equanimity, since it is based on compassion, does not show lack of concern
Xirana Oximoxi: I understand it's very different, yes!

Compassion meditations at the small Lokeskvara Temple, 12:45am, 6:45am, 12:45pm, and 6:45pm every day. The temple is at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bieup/10/96 just 70 meters northwest of the PaB pavilion.

Storm Nordwind: It is normal to be compassionate to those whom one knows and perhaps indifferent to those more distant. But it is possible to train oneself to have wider reaching compassion. And compassion meditation sessions on my guardian plot 4 times a day are to do with training in exactly that way.^{* see above}
Xirana Oximoxi: maybe a training is needed to keep calm and in control when you feel attacked
Storm Nordwind: Yes that is certainly possible Xirana :)

Repercussions

Catrinamonblue Resident: Compassion is hard when someone is hurting you, when they are aware of the hurt and continue anyways, and you know they are hurting also but compassion is so very hard just then
Storm Nordwind: And if you see that they will undoubtedly experience future hurt because of their hurtful actions, compassion comes a little easier.
Storm Nordwind: For example, the petulant child is tiresome, but you persevere with them out of affection because you know that the world will be very difficult for them if they grow up like that!
Catrinamonblue Resident: nods

Can it lead to action?

Bleu Oleander: I think it is possible to widen your circle of compassion, not sure how wide is possible though and whether or not all compassion can lead to action
Xirana Oximoxi: sometimes one has the feeling that people acting in a hurtful way will not feel future hurt
Storm Nordwind: if nothing else Bleu, it will affect your own composure. Thus you will benefit and at the very least those immediately around you will also benefit
Bleu Oleander: yes, true
Bleu Oleander: this was an interesting article ...
Bleu Oleander: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com...it_ty_20130107
Xirana Oximoxi: thanks Bleu, I'll read it later :)
Bleu Oleander: interesting to read the comments too
Storm Nordwind: Well Xirana, the notion of karma - popular in many eastern religious systems - reassures people that their actions will rebound on them. It's a personal belief of course, but many do believe it. Not saying, of course, that you should! :)
Xirana Oximoxi: in some way I do also beleive it :)
Bleu Oleander: would that necessitate having belief in reincarnation for karma to work?
Storm Nordwind: The two beliefs do tend to go hand-in-hand in practice.
Storm Nordwind: But you don't need either to experience lasting equanimity
Xirana Oximoxi: not necessary... I believe you can perceive it in present life....
Ewan Bonham: 's current display-name is "Ewan".
Bleu Oleander: could some kind of karma act within a lifetime?
Storm Nordwind: Hello Ewan
Xirana Oximoxi: hello Ewan
Bleu Oleander: hi Ewan
Catrinamonblue Resident: I think so Bleu
Yakuzza Lethecus: hello ewan
Riddle Sideways: Hi Ewan
Catrinamonblue Resident: Hi ewan
Ewan Bonham: Hi Folks...:)
Storm Nordwind: yes Bleu
Catrinamonblue Resident: I've seen karma at work in my life
Storm Nordwind: According to the theory, it "ripens" when the conditions become right
Bleu Oleander: what goes around, comes around?
Catrinamonblue Resident: others treat you as you treat them

Recipe for happiness: "Be kind. Put others before self - constantly. Have compassion for all - constantly. And when constantly is hard - as much as you can, more and more." ~ Lokeshvara*

Storm Nordwind: But if you act simply from the selfish desire to be happy, as much as possible and for as much as possible, then compassion seems to me to be the very best way, and hence equanimity follows suit.
Catrinamonblue Resident: compassion with yourself as well?
Storm Nordwind: or even if you put the cart before the horse, and aim for equanimity as bringing you imperturbable happiness, then compassion also follows suit! ;)
Storm Nordwind: yes indeed Cat
--BELL--
Bleu Oleander: aiming for being compassionate and happiness will follow?
Bleu Oleander: desire to be happy ... not sure we always know what will make us happy
Bleu Oleander: hard to judge a future state in that sense
Storm Nordwind: In my experience, the recipe for happiness (on my profile)^{* see above} always works :)
Bleu Oleander looking :)
Xirana Oximoxi checks :)
Catrinamonblue Resident: looked
Bleu Oleander: indeed!
Storm Nordwind: For those who wonder where the "recipe" comes from, I remember a discussion in which Boxy commented that, as a cook, I had a lot of recipes and he wondered whether I had a recipe for happiness! It may have been a joke question, but I asked my teacher, and the recipe is what my teacher told me. :)

Definition

Xirana Oximoxi: I think that 'compassion' must be understood in a 'special' meaning....I remember when we had it as a topic, and it can have very different meaning
Ewan Bonham: it seems to me the concept of Happiness needs to reflective definition..
Xirana Oximoxi: compassion = moving with others ...more or less
Xirana Oximoxi: not, feeling sorry for others
Ewan Bonham: Similar to Empathy?
Catrinamonblue Resident: understanding their pain?
Xirana Oximoxi: com·pas·sion (km-pshn) n. Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.
Xirana Oximoxi: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/compassion
Ewan Bonham: Is a wish an intent?
Storm Nordwind: It can become so Ewan
Storm Nordwind: If you choose it to be
Bleu Oleander: nice when it leads to action
Ewan Bonham: nod
Storm Nordwind: Without that, then how could it lead to equanimity?

Partings

Catrinamonblue Resident: I have to run now but just want to thank you all for this time together, I'm learning so much here at PaB and growing much as well :)
Bleu Oleander: thanks for the conversation ... have a great day all :)
Storm Nordwind: Bye for now!
Xirana Oximoxi: bye bye Cat, have a nice day and see you soon!! I also learn a lot here :)
Ewan Bonham: Bye Cat..
Bleu Oleander: bye ... take care :)
Xirana Oximoxi: bye Bleu
Riddle Sideways: bye all and thanks
Storm Nordwind waves
Xirana Oximoxi: bye bye Rid! :-)
Yakuzza Lethecus: thx everyone
Ewan Bonham: Thank you all... interesting thoughts to bring to life..
Xirana Oximoxi: I will also go...thanks for sharing your ideas Storm :)
Xirana Oximoxi: takce care and see you soon! :-)
Storm Nordwind: Take care :)
Xirana Oximoxi: :)

It all begins and ends with the hat!

Yakuzza Lethecus: the logo on ur baseballcap ?
Storm Nordwind: It is the Denver Broncos football team :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: ah, never saw the logo before
Storm Nordwind: http://www.denverbroncos.com/
Yakuzza Lethecus: thx, have a good thursday
Storm Nordwind: You too my friend :)