2014.07.24 13:00 - Ego and angels

2014.07.24 13:00 - Ego and angels

The Guardian for this meeting was Aphrodite Macbain. The comments are by Aphrodite Macbain.

Aphrodite Macbain: Sitting here in the sun with a nice hot cup of Eliza's tea
Bleu Oleander: hi Aph :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Bleu!
Aphrodite Macbain: What a nice surprise
Bleu Oleander: yes, for me too
Bleu Oleander: found myself not so busy today :)
Bleu Oleander: how are you?
Aphrodite Macbain: Help yourself to tea. Eliza kindly left her pot behind
Bleu Oleander: yes, I had some delish chocolate tea the other day
Aphrodite Macbain tries to imagine chocolate tea
Aphrodite Macbain: mmmm
Bleu Oleander: yummy
Aphrodite Macbain: nummy
Aphrodite Macbain: snap
Bleu Oleander: :)

Phenomenology, philosophy and the ego

Aphrodite Macbain: I am enjoying reading the email discussion
Aphrodite Macbain: with you, Pema et al
Bleu Oleander: yes, they're always fun
Bleu Oleander: I wish some others would join in
Aphrodite Macbain: I feel that in order to join in I would have to do some research first!
Aphrodite Macbain: and a lot of thinking...
Bleu Oleander: no! just thinking :)
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
Bleu Oleander: I really don't know much about phenomenology except via PaB
Aphrodite Macbain: I get a feeling that everyone is starting from very different understanding of phenomena
Bleu Oleander: not an easy concept
Aphrodite Macbain: no
Bleu Oleander: and yes many different ideas
Aphrodite Macbain: I am trying to integrate the stuff I am reading with what you are saying...
Aphrodite Macbain: and I find it hard
Bleu Oleander: what are you reading?
Aphrodite Macbain: Philosophy as a Way of Life, by P Hadot
Bleu Oleander: good?
Aphrodite Macbain: Becoming Bamboo: Western and Eastern Explorations of the Meaning of Life!
Aphrodite Macbain: yes
Aphrodite Macbain: both are
Aphrodite Macbain: both also come from different perspectives on how to think about things
Bleu Oleander: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/19/us...ious.html?_r=2
Bleu Oleander: I was just reading this
Aphrodite Macbain: Becoming Bamboo guides the reader into a more collective (eastern) way of thinking
Aphrodite Macbain: Ohh thanks. I'll read it.
Bleu Oleander: what makes eastern better for you?
Aphrodite Macbain: its removal of the ego
Aphrodite Macbain: providing a perspective that connects us to a wider world
Bleu Oleander: I'm not sure we can ever get rid of the ego (whatever that is)
Aphrodite Macbain: The Philosophy as a way of life touches on this too
Bleu Oleander: what is the ego for you?
Aphrodite Macbain: It is a finite, strong sense of self, distinct and unchanging
Aphrodite Macbain: that has agency, will, direction
Bleu Oleander: I have not experienced that in anyone
Bleu Oleander: to me everyone is changing all the time
Aphrodite Macbain: yes
Bleu Oleander: and everyone seems to have a pretty good sense of self
Aphrodite Macbain: but you recognize them despite their changes
Bleu Oleander: well yes
Bleu Oleander: age changes people the most I think
Aphrodite Macbain: My last paper was on the history of self!
Bleu Oleander: really? where did you start?
Aphrodite Macbain: from early Greek times until now!
Aphrodite Macbain: lol
Bleu Oleander: well there was quite a history prior to the Greeks!
Aphrodite Macbain: Yes- there was - but I thought a 3000 year survey was enough to find a pattern
Aphrodite Macbain: I got so tired of the West's fascination with self
Bleu Oleander: actually I was reading that even the c elgins worm has a gene to differentiate itself from other
Bleu Oleander: I think the east has a fascination with the self too ... even obsessed with it
Aphrodite Macbain: oh?
Aphrodite Macbain: why do you say that?
Bleu Oleander: obsessed with getting rid of it
Aphrodite Macbain: lol
Bleu Oleander: too much emphasis for me
Aphrodite Macbain: obsessed?
Aphrodite Macbain: Buddhism is very much about losing the self and of connecting to a larger whole
Bleu Oleander: well maybe too strong a word, but yes too preoccupied with loosing the self

Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: hello
Aphrodite Macbain: Hello !
Bleu Oleander: hi Curious
Aphrodite Macbain: Thanks for joining us
Bleu Oleander: nice to see you

Aphrodite Macbain: we are talking about, among other things, our notions of self
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: you too,i glad i accidently come on right time
Aphrodite Macbain: Please help yourself to tea Curious
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: oh thank you, i am on water right now, maybe next time

Bleu Oleander: I'm curious, Curious, what are you curious about?
Aphrodite Macbain: Yes, what are you curious about? What are you trying to make sense of?
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: about everything :)
Bleu Oleander: nice :)
Aphrodite Macbain: smiles
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: we must keep child in us as long as we can
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: i am just wandering worlds, meeting new people, simple stuff
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: and you?
Aphrodite Macbain: We are discussing who we are... what makes us who we are? what distinguishes us from other things, people, phenomena
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: like individuals?
Aphrodite Macbain: Is the world just in our heads? do we create the world from within?
Aphrodite Macbain: or are we part of something much bigger -which could make us question whether we exist as separate beings
Aphrodite Macbain: stuff like that... *smiles*

The size of the universe

Bleu Oleander: the universe is pretty big
Bleu Oleander: and we are part of it
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: there are thousands answers on that question,we will all see answer one day, i personally think this life is only a beginning of a ride
Aphrodite Macbain: how do we know the universe is pretty big?
Bleu Oleander: I'm not sure we can even get our minds around how big it is :)
Aphrodite Macbain: perhaps it is tiny and it only appears big to us
Bleu Oleander: we've been able to measure some of it
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: now we can say, well maybe it's just an illusion
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: or a dream
Aphrodite Macbain: nods
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: or hologram
Aphrodite Macbain: My dreams seem real till I wake up
Aphrodite Macbain: Last night  (in my dream) I was walking along a mountain path and got lost
Aphrodite Macbain: That seemed very real to me
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: so many theories, or religious truths...
Aphrodite Macbain: nods
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: dreams are interesting to me
Aphrodite Macbain: why Curious?
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: it's the altered state which we all use
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: love when colour is inside, my dreams are very rare in colour

Comparing memories

Aphrodite Macbain: Curious, I now remember meeting you in a completely different sim.
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: where?
Aphrodite Macbain: As real as this one!
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: maybe there more south
Aphrodite Macbain: I cant remember, but we talked a bit as i was interested in your being a Mediterranean Monk seal !!
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: hm...probably,i remember your profile, about bird watching, maybe i asked you- can you recommend some sims

Aphrodite Macbain: Funny what we remember! Bleu - I wonder what the advantage or purpose it is to feel/be part of the cosmos as opposed to being a separate entity....
Aphrodite Macbain: why do you think some people are obsessed with losing their oneness?
Bleu Oleander: (sorry I had an rl call)
Aphrodite Macbain: np
Aphrodite Macbain: 90 second drop...
Bleu Oleander: sorry need to go
Bleu Oleander: got busy all of a sudden :)
Bleu Oleander: byeee
Aphrodite Macbain: thanks for dropping in Bleu
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: byee
Aphrodite Macbain: bye
 

Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: we have a good memory
Aphrodite Macbain: for interesting things
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: yes, imagine if we would remember everything...tze,tze
Aphrodite Macbain: we have monk seals here where I live
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: usa ?
Aphrodite Macbain: or maybe they are harbour seals
Aphrodite Macbain: Canada
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: i remember now, i contacted you and you were far
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: you gave me some links
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- I remember that too. Did you follow any of them?
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: yes,i went to that i think it was winter moon, very nice
Aphrodite Macbain: Wonderful!
Aphrodite Macbain: your face is still grey but the rest of you is black and white
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: and you gave me some Buddhist place also
Aphrodite Macbain: good
Aphrodite Macbain: did you go?
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: yes,it was interesting
Aphrodite Macbain: where do you spend most of your time now?
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: right now going through museums with my friend
Aphrodite Macbain: which museums?
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: at angel manor, space 4 art
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: aakriti
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: i love rose theatre and classical music there
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- it's beautiful
Aphrodite Macbain: there is also the Royal Opera House
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: very relaxing, and you?
Aphrodite Macbain: ? what is very relaxing?
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: i am also in photography
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: classical music in that sim
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: angel manor
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: rose theatre
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: it's very nice, you should visit it
Aphrodite Macbain: are there angels?
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: i havent seen any unfortunately but you never know :)
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
Aphrodite Macbain: I wonder why the call it Angel Manor?
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: owner and builder is called Kaya Angel
Aphrodite Macbain: ah- (looks it up) it's part of the Rose Theatre sim...there are also gardens I see Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: yes, very nice gardens, just recently one is opened

Aphrodite Macbain: Thank you for joining us here. Please come again! I must run I'm afraid. Goodbye!
Mediterraneanmonkseal Resident: oh ok, it was nice meeting you...again :)