07 - 09 Agatha

Here (at last) are Aggers' scribblings for September. It seemed quite a trawl to find much of interest this month - perhaps the summer holidays were still taking their toll?

2010.09.07 01:00 - Just me and the birds
This was a silent meditation by Wester :) [in Dutch???]


2010.09.07 07:00 - The Title is you (so see yourself)
Yakuzza Lethecus: good morning eos
Riddle Sideways: Hi Eos
Eos Amaterasu: hi riddle, yak
Riddle Sideways: I have been in the woods the last 5 days.
Eos Amaterasu: are you lost?
     Not a retreat.  But, maybe retreat is the correct word.  For 21 years, (son was 2 years old the first time) my family have spent Labor Day weekend at a blue-grass-ish music/camping festival (www.strawberrymusic.com)
     Spent a long weekend in the Redwoods and Pines.  Camping close to 5,000 of my new closest friends.  Go to a high Sierra meadow for a concert by Arlo Guthrie, Keb Mo, Tommy Emmanuel, Carolyn Wonderland, Martin Sexton, The Tuttles, Del Castello, Railroad Earth, et.al.
    There are 13,653 pickers at Strawberry that are better then me, but I still love them all.  Most will still jam with me.

Well, I *have* heard of Arlo Guthrie, but the rest I'm sorry to say are a mystery to me!

Yakuzza Lethecus: i do not particularly like my own level in contemplative subjects so i try to just read most of the time
     /me thinks of the "leveling up" Avs.  (Hopefully you do NOT know to what I refer)

'Levelling up' is something that I have a lot of experience in with Final Fantasy let me say :).  Yaku goes on to explain how PaB helps his struggle against 'inner demons' (TM)

Yakuzza Lethecus: it´s a tricky thing, i mean i really put myself down a bit since i have the feeling that i am not stupid but i have stupid habits and chains of thought, then i think what´s envrionmental and what´s maybe bio me
Yakuzza Lethecus: so finding good groups of individuals whom actually try to really communicate is a good step for me, still how not only to take
Yakuzza Lethecus: how much can i share while me is an extremly selfpitty me
Yakuzza Lethecus: nobody likes to talk against this selfpitty misantropic stuff, still i believe that there is truth in positive psych
Yakuzza Lethecus: but hell, i don´t like overconfident ppl :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: it´s tricky, i simply try to learn how to preserve the ability to communicate everything on my mind, but usually i hope that others are asking my questions
Yakuzza Lethecus: because once a picture is burned in, it´s hard to change it and i dislike usually to give an actual picture of me
Yakuzza Lethecus: i lost 5 years of school btw because i initially wanted to to attend college but didn´t do it after i was terrible in math and electical engineering, i was never great in the humanities...
Yakuzza Lethecus: so i am scared to start anything that cost me more years and actually i see happyness related to the fact of being able to communicate everything that goes through my mind in an elaborated way and bring these thoughts to actuality
Yakuzza Lethecus: hmm, maybe a lot of words for selffullfillment :P

Yes, we all have 'stupid habits and chains of thought'!

Riddle Sideways: I can agree AND argue with all that you have just said
Riddle Sideways: which shall we do?

Yakuzza Lethecus: hehe, of course argue :)

I loved the next bits...
Near Yosemite you can stare up past the tops of Sequoia (the tree giants) to the dots in the sky. [some say the sky's fabric is so old that it has moth holes in it that the astrophysics call stars).

"Dance beneath the Diamond Sky, with one hand waving free" - Dylan

These are camps of Religious fanatics that have found kindred spirits.  They play their music throughout the night.  Working up a furvor that shall carry them another year.
The entity that I have joined goes with a group.  We become a group of 10-20 (ever changing) gorilla harmonizers.  We charge into a camp for peaceful religious musicians doing what they do in their drug/alcohal/joyious/long-day induced psycho state of ../
And we sing one chorus of what they are doing.  Harmonizing the best we con.  If we know not.  If we can not guess the closest.  If it does not 'come' to one of us.   We sing "Meow, meow, meow, moew, meow..." then leave that camp for the next.
On (who knows) the tenth (maybe) camp, we hit the Broadway musical camp.  They sing (what they collectively/collaboritively remember) of all Broadway hit songs.  They are finishing one.  They look at us (maybe 17 of us) jumping into the midst of their 10 with deer in headlights eyes.  A stereo-typed Jew is starting Fiddler on the Roof's "If I were a rich Man".  We (group) have arrived.  I (as Jew and Broadway/Movie goer) know all the words/dance/feeling join in.  Sing to the heavens.  Dance as if no tomorrow. Dance/Sing/shout/Do/Be in that moment.  To hell with any other.  No Judgement.  No Restraint.  It is "Now".  This "Dance". This Being. This is "IT".

 If you do not know what the previous means...

Then spend a really long Time on the Mantra,

"I don't waaaant a Pickle...
Jusst wanta ride on my Mootoor Cycle".

"It will do your soul good".

Oh thank you *so much* for that, Riddle :) .........


2010.09.07 13:00 - E-ducated learning
Mickorod Renard: hi Adoro
adoro Rhapsody: hi mickorod
Mickorod Renard: quiet here at the moment
Mickorod Renard: I think many go to dreams
adoro Rhapsody: indeed
adoro Rhapsody: sharing silence
adoro Rhapsody: can make friends too
Mickorod Renard: yes, quite nice in a way
adoro Rhapsody: sure
Mickorod Renard: it was my first day back at work after the school hols
adoro Rhapsody: ok
adoro Rhapsody: u r a teacher ?
Mickorod Renard: so a bit of peace is well
Mickorod Renard: stricktly speaking no
adoro Rhapsody: me too havy day
Mickorod Renard: yes?
adoro Rhapsody: so formaly no teacher but in practice real teacher ?
Mickorod Renard: he he ,,yes
adoro Rhapsody: ok
adoro Rhapsody: i work at dutch ministery of education
adoro Rhapsody: we fund schools
Mickorod Renard: I am short of certain qualifications,,but I am technicaly blessed and that works well in design and technology
adoro Rhapsody: so i like education
Mickorod Renard: nice,,money is everything in schools now

Not *just* in schools Mick :(


2010.09.07 19:00 - Faith Hope Love Lab
Eliza Madrigal: Sometimes our experiments take on minds of their own...
SophiaSharon Larnia: yes, they do :)
stevenaia Michinaga: I think that is the point
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eos Amaterasu: :-)
stevenaia Michinaga: I am always amazed that the outcome comes without expectation
Aphrodite Macbain: what is the point?
stevenaia Michinaga: unexpected outcomes
stevenaia Michinaga: dropping expectations
Calvino Rabeni: You are allowed to have expectations and study those too :)
Aphrodite Macbain: sorry just asked for an explanation!
SophiaSharon Larnia: smiles
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Calvino Rabeni: Expectations - can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em ...

SophiaSharon Larnia: trust and faith are wrapped pretty tightly together

Pila Mulligan: the expectations - disppointment equation is a tough lesson -- Eos touched on it in his 'what you need' lyric
Pila Mulligan: optimism and enthusiasm get such good press and such often worrisome results

2010.09.08 01:00 - Just me and the fountain
The Guardian for this meeting was Bolonath Crystal. The comments are by Bolonath Crystal.
I sat on my own and listened to the fountain

2010.09.08 07:00 - A Lovely Day
Gaya Ethaniel: I'm well thanks, weather's been quite strange last few days.
Eliza Madrigal: how so?
Gaya Ethaniel: Hard to explain ... I see many people feeling low.
Eliza Madrigal: interesting... in London or do you see a wider pattern?
Gaya Ethaniel: Just here ... around London :)
Eliza Madrigal: are you very sensitive to weather personally?
Gaya Ethaniel: I think we all are ... to a various extent.
Gaya Ethaniel: Hello Sharon :)
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Sharon :))
Eliza Madrigal: I can say that I'm generally happy when there is a breeze about...
Eliza Madrigal: especially a cool one
Gaya Ethaniel: :)

Gaya Ethaniel: So weather affects you more these days? How do you work with it Eliza?
Gaya Ethaniel will go and see the cube after :)
Eliza Madrigal: Well, I'm not sure that it affects me more... but I notice it more
Gaya Ethaniel: ah
Eliza Madrigal: It rains every afternoon here... nearly. I take it as a time to switch gears... make tea, etc
Bleu Oleander: I actually notice weather less these days
Eliza Madrigal: begin to settle
SophiaSharon Larnia: every afternoon? wow
Gaya Ethaniel: Interesting :)
Eliza Madrigal: yes, tropical conditions :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: predictable, likea time to take a break :)
Gaya Ethaniel: Do you know how that came about Bleu?
Bleu Oleander: I think it's a self defense move
Gaya Ethaniel: I also like hot drinks when it rains as well :)
Gaya Ethaniel: eh, really?
Eliza Madrigal: yes, nice when we can find little touchstones like that.. but hard not to be thrown when they aren't reliable too... so... can only pay attention and try to be adaptable I guess?
Bleu Oleander: so many days over 100 .... after a while you just start to ignore it
Eliza Madrigal: oooh, yes
Eliza Madrigal relates :)
Gaya Ethaniel: ah ...
Eliza Madrigal: but that is your excuse for having wonderful adobe houses :))
Bleu Oleander: becomes the wallpaper of Phoenix
SophiaSharon Larnia: I'm sure I am lost :)
Bleu Oleander: don't have one of those wonderful adobe houses though :)
Eliza Madrigal: haha
Eliza Madrigal: does it get cool in phoenix at night, Bleu? Like in California?
Bleu Oleander: eventually
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: :)
Bleu Oleander: it was 84 early this am
Gaya Ethaniel: Is it humid or dry heat?
Bleu Oleander: dry heat
Eliza Madrigal: yes, that's the difference between us Bleu

Gaya Ethaniel: Was it Lawrence of Arabia ... he likes deserts because of dry heat of desert cleansing everything.
Bleu Oleander: relates to Lawrence
Eliza Madrigal: mm yes I think so
SophiaSharon Larnia: baked clean under the sun

I always related to TE Lawrence too, from the first time I saw the film and read the Seven Pillars of Wisdom.  Quite a guy.


2010.09.08 13:00 - Lost, Drowsy, Cloudy, and Mindful

Bruce's travels continue
Aphrodite Macbain: What do you plan to do in NYC?
Bruce Mowbray: Ahhhh. . . Well, I am taking my neighbor to NYC and we will do whatever he wants to do.
Aphrodite Macbain: does he know what is available?
Bruce Mowbray: The first day or so, we will take tours so he can get the lay of the land and know how to find his way around.
Bruce Mowbray: Then, depending on what he wants to do - and whether he wants to do it alone or with me - we'll do whatever he wants.
Aphrodite Macbain: I hope you'll show him your favorites
Bruce Mowbray: I will show him my favorites --- but I have SO MANY favorites, we will have to pick and choose.
Aphrodite Macbain: Have you ever been to the Cloisters, north of Harlem?  beautiful. medieval garden
Bruce Mowbray: Mostly, I am interested in teaching him how to get around in the city and how to be confident there.
Bruce Mowbray: He's a country boy, you know - and says he's a bit afraid - even though he's 32 years old.
Bruce Mowbray: I have not been to the Cloisters yet, no.
Bruce Mowbray: Many have told me that I should go there.
Aphrodite Macbain: definitely worth a trip - you can take the subway
Aphrodite Macbain: take a picnic lunch and eat it in the garden
Bruce Mowbray: sure. Did you know that there is no point in Manhattan that is more than four blocks from a subway entrance?

Pema arrives and, as always, comes out with all the best quotes
Pema Pera: actually I find naps good opportunities for practice
Bruce Mowbray: Well, I almost never take naps -- but today - having been in the sun picking up litter most of the day, then coming back home and drinking wine...
Bruce Mowbray: well. . . . . sort of sleepy now.
morgano Bravin: oh yes, i see what u mean
Pema Pera: any opportunity to explore the intermediate areas between sleeping in dreaming
Pema Pera: jet lag
Pema Pera: naps
Bruce Mowbray: I should have drunk coffee instead, perhaps.
Pema Pera: waking up for a while in de middle of the night
morgano Bravin: jet lag can be weird
Bruce Mowbray: Oh yes --- I was wondering how you handled the jet lag, Pema.
Pema Pera: it all gives chances to look at the world in different ways
Pema Pera: and looking at the world, at the same time we look at consciousness
Bruce Mowbray: exactly so. I also feel that way about minor illness.
Pema Pera: so jet lag is like visiting a gallery

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pema Pera: another way of putting it, Bruce, is that the main problem in any kind of exploration is that we want to "do" too much, and thereby try to size it down to our own size -- and being just too sleepy we're more likely to let the Universe/Being "do" it rather than the small self -- with sometimes rather unexpected bonus outcomes :-)

2010.09.08 19:00 - L'Shonah Tova
Dream Wrexan: L'shanah tovah
stevenaia Michinaga: smiles
Dream Wrexan: I find it interesting that different cultures celebrate the new year not only in different ways, but also at different times
Dream Wrexan: There's something magical about starting over.
stevenaia Michinaga: and for different reasons, I am surprised that everyone agrees what a rear is [eh?]
stevenaia Michinaga: Year is [oh]
Dream Wrexan: knew that :-)
Dream Wrexan: hehe
stevenaia Michinaga: once around the sun
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
Dream Wrexan: or the moon
stevenaia Michinaga: even by counting the moon phases
stevenaia Michinaga: nods
Dream Wrexan: and even for western cultures, there are many different rituals

Ewan Bonham: Well, i am intrigued with both the concept of a new year and its freshness...as well as forgiveness that goes with it..
Ewan Bonham: It's like wiping a preverbal slate clean..
Dream Wrexan: forgiveness - yes!
Dream Wrexan: I believe that is why New Years is so special...
Dream Wrexan: even new moon can be special
Dream Wrexan: I've done many new moon rituals to put forth new energy
Ewan Bonham: Yes, and it also wipes a mind clean
Dream Wrexan: I wish more cultures devoted effort to forgiveness
Dream Wrexan: It is such an important concept
Dream Wrexan: Without forgiveness, we carry forth old baggage
Dream Wrexan: and who needs that in a New Year?
Ewan Bonham: I is the only way to have energy to move on..
Dream Wrexan: yes, precisely
Dream Wrexan: We are often so caught up in being 'right' that we forget to be happy



2010.09.09 01:00 - Thinking About Meditation
Zen Arado: I was at a zen retreat last week
Zen Arado: wed to Sunday
Archmage Atlantis: Tell me about it, if you would.....I am interested
Zen Arado: what do you want to know?
Zen Arado: Hi Cal :)
Archmage Atlantis: Your impression of it's value,,,,,did you get any revelations">,,,,,that sort of thing
Calvino Rabeni: Hi zen and archmage
Archmage Atlantis: Hi Cal
Zen Arado: hmmm....nothing outstanding
Zen Arado: think it has long term value though
Zen Arado: when I first started doing retreats I expected some great enlightenment experience
Zen Arado: but you just do the practice and see what happens
Archmage Atlantis: Thinks a moment
Zen Arado: I used to feel so calm after a retreat but I don't really notice that now
Zen Arado: perhaps my general level of calmness is greater now
Archmage Atlantis: That was my thought
Archmage Atlantis: But not all of it
Archmage Atlantis: My second thought
Archmage Atlantis: is that there is a learning beyond the calmness
Zen Arado: it's the same way we start meditation practice - we think 'what am I going to get out of doing this'
Archmage Atlantis: agree
Zen Arado: there is a learning process but I think it is very long term and subtle
Zen Arado: it's funny but I don't think you always notice that you have awakened to an extent
Archmage Atlantis: When I go into the garden each day, the plants and animals have changed,,,,I think it may be subtle in that way,,,,,sane garden, different composition

Zen Arado: yes - if there is less mind chatter we notice things around us so much more
Calvino Rabeni: I think one notices more if one is receptive
Archmage Atlantis: Many persons have told me of the chatter in the mind
Zen Arado: I'm reading a book about awakening experience at the moment
Calvino Rabeni: A dull mind may be relatively free of chatter, yet notice very little
Zen Arado: yes Cal - a different kind of switching off I guess
Calvino Rabeni: What's going on other than noticing, and other than "chatter", I wonder?
Archmage Atlantis: For me, there is no chatter,,,only ovservation
Archmage Atlantis: That was a difficult sentence
Zen Arado: don't know Cal
Zen Arado: you are fortunate then Arch
Zen Arado: I think most of us suffer from it
Zen Arado: you don't see it until you start to meditate
Archmage Atlantis: Since my hearing has been going in the last few mohts, I have to ask ppl to repeat with my ears turned toward them
Calvino Rabeni: What different kinds of mental phenomena do you label as "chatter", Zen?
Zen Arado: just the usual churning over things that are important to me in my life
Zen Arado: I say 'churning' because a lot of it is repetitive and useless
Zen Arado: worrying about things
Zen Arado: or thinking about what I did or said in the recent past
Archmage Atlantis: My eX-partner would sometimes say that there were conversations in hin head'
Calvino Rabeni: what is it like as content, is what I am curious - words, feelings, images, movements, sounds, random shifts in attention?
Zen Arado: mostly words I think

Zen Arado: the author of book I am reading (Waking From Sleep by Steve Taylor) says we 'desensitize' ourselves to reality
Zen Arado: to reduce the psychic energy needed for perception
Calvino Rabeni: What does that mean, exactly?
Archmage Atlantis: Reality is another quite large topic



2010.09.09 07:00 - Fry your spices
The Guardian for this meeting was Storm Nordwind. This log was posted 56 sessions after the event. The memory of it has faded so Storm has left it without comment.

Bruce Mowbray: I've read your messages about cutting back on costs at PaB and also about recruiting donations -- and fully support both efforts, and am grateful to Storm for doing all this WORK.

Yay!

Storm Nordwind: It's interesting. Why do people build anything here? Lots of reasons I can think of... fun, artistic beauty, utility... i wonder if there are any more
Bruce Mowbray: Hello, Eliza.
Storm Nordwind: Good morning Eliza
Qt Core: the feeling of god-like powers ?
Qt Core: hi Eliza
Storm Nordwind: Or goddess in Eliza's case :)

Qt Core: or build a replica of the Titanic with toothpicks

Archmage Atlantis: Yes, but what happens suddenly is long in the making

Alfred Kelberry: "The wind horse is an allegory for the human soul in the shamanistic tradition of Central Asia." - now i see the reason behind the word. horses were very important in central asian steppe.
 

Oh, those Mongols!  :)))

2010.09.09 13:00 - Play as Being thru Software
Pema Pera: another aspect of the importance of software, these days
Pema Pera: is the fact that in the last 35 years or so
Pema Pera: the way the world looks like, in developed countries at least, has hardly changed
Pema Pera: if you would take a snapshot of what life looks like, whether on the street, showing cars, or trains or jet planes -- it all pretty much looks the same now as it did in 1975, whereas if you go back more steps of 35 years, to 1940, or 1915, or 1880, each time everything looked quite different -- perhaps most dramatically on the level of airplanes, but also on the level of cars, motorcycles, you name it
Pema Pera: so the change has turned inward, you could say
Pema Pera: the main diffierence is that people now talk in small hand-held gadgets on the street :-)
Pema Pera: and spend time actively interacting with screens at home, rather than watching tv
Pema Pera: so the forefront of technology has move to information rather than speed and power
Pema Pera: and the complexity of information mostly resides in software
Pema Pera: even designing hardware is 99% a software job
Pema Pera: I'll stop here

2010.09.09 19:00 - Pursuit of Happyness

And to end on a lighter note...
Calvino Rabeni: Bruce, cinda, steve, minus Cinda - hello
stevenaia Michinaga: what happened to Lucinda
Bruce Mowbray: I think you scared Luci away, Cal.
Bruce Mowbray: scared.
Calvino Rabeni: Yep
stevenaia Michinaga: happens a lot
Bruce Mowbray: When she pops back in, steve, she will probably arrive on top of you.
stevenaia Michinaga: how many is a throng?
Calvino Rabeni: that's what I was thinking
Calvino Rabeni: A sarong?
Bruce Mowbray considers quantifying "throng."
Calvino Rabeni: two's company, three's a throng
Bruce Mowbray: Then, that makes us a throng.
stevenaia Michinaga: no wikipidia entry, but there are definitions
stevenaia Michinaga: I don;t think we quality
Bruce Mowbray: Don't forget to include Blub in the census.
Calvino Rabeni: Why are fishes so intelligent ... because they're aways in school
Bruce Mowbray: ha ha ha!!
Bruce Mowbray: Good one!

: DDD