The Guardian for this meeting was Zen Arado. The comments are by Zen Arado.

Zen Arado: Hi Sunji :)
szavanna Resident: ding dong °͜°
Zen Arado: how are you?
szavanna Resident: I am doing well ty
szavanna Resident: eating a peanutbutter sammich :)
szavanna Resident: how are you doing :)
Zen Arado: ok I was eading a book about mweditation
szavanna Resident: eating or reading?
szavanna Resident: @@
Zen Arado: reading :)
szavanna Resident: what did it say
szavanna Resident: good advice?
Zen Arado: I don't eat between meals
szavanna Resident: ah kk
Zen Arado: interesting book
szavanna Resident: I eat smaller amounts I don't have bigger meals
Zen Arado: he starts by talking about how Buddhism has evolved in the West
szavanna Resident: kk
szavanna Resident: its becoming very popular
Zen Arado: about mindfulness etc
Zen Arado: yeh
szavanna Resident: and what does it say about meditation
szavanna Resident: ah this week's topic is timelessness?
Zen Arado: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Evolving-Dha...volving+dharma
szavanna Resident: checking
Zen Arado: well he syas we have ignored the quest for enlightenmnet
Zen Arado: in favur of looking for stress reduction
Zen Arado: and lesser benefits
szavanna Resident: hmm yes first step is to leave all the stress
szavanna Resident: not easy at all
Zen Arado: but most never go any further
Zen Arado: he talks about mystical experiences
Zen Arado: jhanas
szavanna Resident: hmm like?
szavanna Resident: http://www.dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=9_Jhanas
szavanna Resident: reading this
szavanna Resident: :)

Zen Arado: The jhanas are states of heightened consciousness, brought on by intense concentration, that have been cultivated by Hindus and Buddhists for three thousand years. They are altered states, full of bliss and a sense of the sublime/ numinous/ holy, and they play a central role in the Buddha’s Eightfold Path.

Michaelson, Jay (2013-10-15). Evolving Dharma: Meditation, Buddhism, and the Next Generation of Enlightenment (p. 78). North Atlantic Books. Kindle Edition.

Zen Arado: yes I knew about them before but have not experienced
szavanna Resident: hmm interesting I wonder how it feels if you experience one
Zen Arado: it needs lots of hard intense practice
Zen Arado: and concentration
Zen Arado: maybe need to be at retreat
Zen Arado: I'm not good at concentration
szavanna Resident: hmm not easy with the kids around
szavanna Resident: so much happening
Zen Arado: no even without kids is hard
szavanna Resident: grrr so what do I do ;p
Zen Arado: you need freedom from distractions
szavanna Resident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3lyYz19mEU
szavanna Resident: here is something that feels so peaceful
Zen Arado: get someone to look after the kids :)
szavanna Resident: lol
szavanna Resident: hmm :)
szavanna Resident: brb :)
szavanna Resident: back °͜°
Zen Arado: wb :)
szavanna Resident: ( kids °͜°
Zen Arado: nice music
szavanna Resident: so it seems as a mom - better make kids times meditation too
Zen Arado: no music at retreats

szavanna Resident: yes that would be strange if they had music
Zen Arado: everyone needs to be free from disttactions not only moms
szavanna Resident: Osho has these dynamic meditations where you dance first
Zen Arado: that's what retreats are for
szavanna Resident: heh I'd like a meditation class especially for moms
Zen Arado: if you didn't have kids you would create other distractions
szavanna Resident: hmm yes I have so many apart from the kids
Zen Arado: it is hard to just sit and be silent
Zen Arado: and face your thoughts
szavanna Resident: brb
Zen Arado: I have been neglecting meditation a bit
Zen Arado: but getting back to it
szavanna Resident: back °͜° ( kids hehe ;)
Zen Arado: wb again :)
szavanna Resident: ah you are refocusing again?
Zen Arado: spending too much time learning DAW
szavanna Resident: its fun
Zen Arado: yes
szavanna Resident: I am learning fractals again
Zen Arado: fascinating
Zen Arado: but need some balance
szavanna Resident: I am learning to use this software
szavanna Resident: apophysis
Zen Arado: I see
szavanna Resident: http://apophysis.org/downloads.html
szavanna Resident: free :)
Zen Arado: I have to confess I am not so 9nterested in particles and stuff like that
Zen Arado: I prefer real physical pant
Zen Arado: paint
Zen Arado: to do that
szavanna Resident: ah yes
Zen Arado: it seems too like foreworks to me
szavanna Resident: for me its interesting - all the different ways it combines shapes
szavanna Resident: fractals?
Zen Arado: well particles anyway
szavanna Resident: I just found some fractal artists in SL
szavanna Resident: they make flower fractals
szavanna Resident: http://amanda-moore.artistwebsites.com/index.html
szavanna Resident: like this
Zen Arado: I am funny...I love colour in paintings but I never liked fireworks much
szavanna Resident: °͜° I am gonna do some fireworks at sunvibes - we will celebrate diwali
szavanna Resident: hehe
Zen Arado: those are paintings though?
szavanna Resident: no they are not
Zen Arado: but very geometric
szavanna Resident: they are digital images
szavanna Resident: yes
Zen Arado: why does it say pPastels then?
szavanna Resident: some might be paintings
szavanna Resident: those are not only fractals
Zen Arado: I have painted flowers in pastel
Zen Arado: but prefer more natural feel
Zen Arado: though the colours are beautiful in thoses
szavanna Resident: °͜° its totally different from painting yourself
szavanna Resident: but I enjoy the process of playing with the software
szavanna Resident: very relaxing
szavanna Resident: :)
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: they are nice
Zen Arado: just feel a little inhuman or something
Zen Arado: hard to describe
szavanna Resident: yes true

szavanna Resident: digital
Zen Arado: yes
szavanna Resident: its totally different from painting yourself
Zen Arado: it's like in DAWS they make the notes not line up too well with a grid because it sounds too ribotic
Zen Arado: robotic
Zen Arado: they actually move the notes away from the grid lines a bit
szavanna Resident: oh really
szavanna Resident: :)
Zen Arado: gives a more 'human' feel
szavanna Resident: even in sl they try to create "imperfect" builds ... which feels more "real"
Zen Arado: so it's like these paintings are too perfect
szavanna Resident: more human
Zen Arado: yes exactly
szavanna Resident: yes
szavanna Resident: °͜°
szavanna Resident: there must be a balance between digital world and the non digital world
Zen Arado: a sort of cold austere beauty
Zen Arado: yes
szavanna Resident: not easy since we use the pc for sooo many things
szavanna Resident: it needs special focus I think
szavanna Resident: to create that balance
Zen Arado: some say music from a DAW isn't real music
Zen Arado: but if you compose and play sampled notes
Zen Arado: what's the difference?
szavanna Resident: hmm its a new tool
szavanna Resident: for creating sounds
Zen Arado: except that you can edit
szavanna Resident: yes hmm I think - everything you hear with your ears - is sounds and music hehe
Zen Arado: but if a musician plays music they usually edit that too in a studio
Zen Arado: for a recording I mean
Zen Arado: a DAW is just a recording studio on a computer
szavanna Resident: yes these days all music is in digital format
Zen Arado: and you can play an instrument into it as well
Zen Arado: have you ever played violin parts in a DAW?
Zen Arado: just need a microphone
szavanna Resident: no
szavanna Resident: I haven't been focusing on that
szavanna Resident: if I play I just play normally
szavanna Resident: :)
Zen Arado: you coud record a violin part and then add other instruments
szavanna Resident: yes wait let me show you something
Zen Arado: or record many violin parts and have an orchestra
szavanna Resident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBFHQVv0lTQ
szavanna Resident: check how voodoo does it
Zen Arado: he is using a step sequencer and recording into it
szavanna Resident: interesting
Zen Arado: I saw a young guy do that playing a guitar
szavanna Resident: :))
szavanna Resident: he play ssooo many instruments alone
szavanna Resident: magic :)
Zen Arado: classical guitar is nice
szavanna Resident: yes
szavanna Resident: :))
szavanna Resident: tap tap
szavanna Resident: must go to an event ..someone DJing
szavanna Resident: come if you are in the mood :)
Zen Arado: kk I better post log
szavanna Resident: ok great to chat a bit ;))
Zen Arado: I have to do some work on my course
szavanna Resident: see you on Friday for party :)
szavanna Resident: ah kk
Zen Arado: yes ty for coming Sunji
szavanna Resident: °͜° hugs <3
Zen Arado: hugs
Zen Arado: :)
szavanna Resident: see you soon :))
Zen Arado: byee
szavanna Resident: yay :))
szavanna Resident: don't work too hard :)
Zen Arado: :))
szavanna Resident: practise doing nothing hehe

szavanna Resident: byebyeee :)
Zen Arado: byee