Table of contents
No headers The Guardian for this meeting was Quen Oh, the comments are hers.
A lot of this session was about the following poem:
Guest House
by Rumi
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
Some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and attend them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture, still,
treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
Welcome difficulty.
Learn the alchemy True Human Beings know:
the moment you accept what troubles
you’ve been given, the door opens.
Welcome difficulty as a familiar
comrade. Joke with torment
brought by the Friend.
Sorrows are the rags of old clothes
and jackets that serve to cover,
and then are taken off.
That undressing, and the beautiful
naked body
underneath,
is the sweetness
that comes
after grief.
(translated by Coleman Barks)
First there were greetings and the poem was mentioned:
Susi Alcott: hi Fael
Fael Illyar: Hi susi :)
Fael Illyar: brb :)
Fael Illyar: Hi Pema :)
Susi Alcott: hi Pema
Fael Illyar: Hi Moon :)
Susi Alcott: hi Moon
Pema Pera: Hi Fael and Susi and Moon!
Pema Pera: Hi Adams!
Fael Illyar: Hi Adams :)
Susi Alcott: hi Adams
Adams Rubble: Hello Pema, Fael, Susi and Moon :)
Adams Rubble wonders if Pema notices I am wearing a Turkish outfit to go with the poem he sent
Pema Pera: oh, how nice!
Pema Pera: I hadn't made the connection :)
Susi Alcott: _/!\_
Adams Rubble: Hello Quen :)
Fael Illyar: with the poem?
Susi Alcott: hi quen
Fael Illyar: Hi Quen :)
Pema Pera: Hi Quen!
Adams Rubble: Pema sent me Rumi's The Guest House
quen Oh: hi Susi, Feal, Adams and Pema!
Adams Rubble: to help me see that my experience with emotions was not as odd as it appeared to me
Adams Rubble: It was a nice gift
quen Oh: sorry am late, had trouble logging in, it was froze during the process
Susi Alcott: _/!\_
Fael Illyar smiles 'Truly, nothing is as odd as it seems.'
Pema Pera: http://www.panhala.net/Archive/The_Guest_House.html is one place on the web
quen Oh: hey Moon!
quen Oh: nice crowd
Pema Pera: but I see that is not the complete poem . . .
Pema Pera: Quen, Adams just brought up Rumi
Pema Pera: and she even dressed appropriately!
Adams Rubble: I put what you sent up on my blog
Moon Fargis: hi quen
quen Oh: nice, what is Rumi?
Adams Rubble: Fael, that is quite a neat outfit :)
Moon Fargis: ah and hi adams :)
Fael Illyar smiles 'Thank you Adams.'
Adams Rubble: Fael can protect us from maruaders
Adams Rubble: marauders
Fael Illyar: Do we get those?
The above poem was in Adams' blog.
Pema Pera: ah! here it is then: http://rubblebornthoughts.wordpress....i-guest-house/
quen Oh: both Adams and Fael look charming today!
Fael Illyar: You do look nice yourself today, Adams :)
Adams Rubble: I was a bit inspired by something else this morning
Adams Rubble: I read the log of the 1 am session
Adams Rubble: where Wol quoted Stim about some exercises
Adams Rubble: and Stim netioned to look at the distractions compassionately
Adams Rubble: I love the connection between appreciation and compassion
Adams Rubble: It follows so nicely on the Rumi poem for me
quen Oh: nice Poem Adams
Adams Rubble: Pema sent it to me yesterday morning
Pema Pera: (probably a good idea to add the name of the translator, Coleman Barks, to the web site, for completeness)
Adams Rubble: OK :)
Pema Pera: Yes, this poem has inspired me over the years
Pema Pera: ever since I heard Coleman Barks give a Rumi poetry reading in Atlanta, twelve years or so ago
Fael Illyar ponders 'Is compassion that you don't see that something as
something separate and unwelcome but instead as a part of you and
welcome?'
Fael Illyar: (that being whatever it is that you feel compassion about)
quen Oh: and it seems to hint at learning from problems, seeing them as guides
Pema Pera: yes, I think that's a great angle on compassion, Fael
Pema Pera: there are many angles, I think
Adams Rubble: I lked the idea that it simply raises the idea of compassion
Pema Pera: we have to start somewhere, and the further we follow our
natural angle, the closer everything comes to an integration:
compassion, appreciation, openness, freedom
Pema Pera: they then can't be separated anymore, or even considered separately
Adams Rubble: That in learning to be compassionate with our thoughts that it might become habit forming :)
Pema Pera: you mean, to form the habit of then being compassionate for both yourself and others?
Adams Rubble: that is what initially struck me :)
Fael Illyar: Hi Tarmel :)
Pema Pera: yes, the poem offers such a gentle way in, and such a simple way . . .
Tarmel (would soon crash but come back) and also Adelene came by, it was getting nicely crowded!
Pema Pera: Hi Tarmel!
Adams Rubble: I have been watching my thoughts, etc. and it has been a very self-centered activity
Adams Rubble: Hi tarmel :)
Moon Fargis: hi tarmel ^^
quen Oh: hello Tarmel!
Pema Pera: Tarmel, we are talking about Rumi: http://rubblebornthoughts.wordpress....i-guest-house/
Pema Pera: What happened when you saw that, Adams?
Adams Rubble: Well, I have been worndering for a while when this might spread outward
Adams Rubble: I have been wondering about HOW
Fael Illyar: Hi Adele :)
Adams Rubble: It seems to be a slow process for me
Susi Alcott: hi armel
Susi Alcott: Tarmel
Adams Rubble: Hello Adelene :)
Pema Pera: hi Adelene!
Adelene Dawner: Hi, all. ^.^
quen Oh: it's so weird we often forget that the one thing which is really rewarding is helping otheres and being compassionate..
Susi Alcott: sorry; was reading the poem :)
Susi Alcott: hi Ade
Adams Rubble: :)
quen Oh: and yet it is so easy to get trapped in the delusions of self-centeredness....
Adams Rubble: wb Fael :)
Susi Alcott: wb Fael
quen Oh: welcome back Fael!
Moon Fargis: wb
Moon Fargis: Welcome back!
Adams Rubble: It seems we have to start by looking at ourselves
Moon Fargis: hi ade
quen Oh: maybe we shouldn't.. I am thinking that could be a delusion..
quen Oh: hi Adelene!
Adelene Dawner: Hi Quen!
quen Oh: wb Tarmel
Adams Rubble: wb Tarmel
Fael Illyar: whatever it is that you examine, it can help you to see more clearly.
Tarmel Udimo: hi folks took a while to get in
Fael Illyar: wb Tarmel :)
Tarmel Udimo: ty
quen Oh: SL seems difficult today, I also found that
Adelene Dawner: Yeah.
Tarmel Udimo: yes I was here but then was not :-)
Pema Pera finally being able to cross his legs, after trying for half an hour . . . SL must be sluggish indeed!
Adelene Dawner thought that just happened to her - guess not. It did eat what I said, tho.
Adelene Dawner: "Maybe it's less what you look at, and more how you look... and learning to look properly ^.^"
Tarmel Udimo: hummm I have been meditating more which has really helped
Pema Pera: Interesting, Adams and Quen: starting by looking at ourselves, what that could mean . . . .
Moon Fargis wondersi f there is another reason why pema couldnt cross his legs :)
Tarmel Udimo: not with getting into sl though:-)
Pema Pera: :)
Adams Rubble: :)
Pema Pera: not getting in may give you time to meditate though!
Tarmel Udimo: true enough
Tarmel Udimo: but it does stop all the BS
Moon Fargis: bs?
Tarmel Udimo: meditating I mean:-)
Tarmel Udimo: bull shit
Moon Fargis: ahh
Moon Fargis: noo but you wont care about it then weh nyou step in
quen Oh: the idea of looking how you look at things, and what plays a part fascinates me
Pema Pera: [7:21] Adams Rubble: It seems we have to start by looking at
ourselves ; [7:22] quen Oh: maybe we shouldn't.. I am thinking that
could be a delusion..
Pema Pera: in what way, Quen?
quen Oh: if you can get a better look on that.. it might broaden your views, get them more open..
quen Oh: well in a way we take with us all past experience and the way
we interrelated all we 'know' and that influences how you look at new
things
Tarmel Udimo: yes and then eventually even that drops away
quen Oh: if we could somehow be more aware of how we did that, and how
relative our way of looking is, and how to change it or vary we seem
more free and open
Adams Rubble: But that is starting with ourselves
Adams Rubble: then working outward
Adams Rubble: Maybe we need to welcome the need to look at ourselves first
quen Oh: not meaning you should forget what you collected, in contrary keep it fresh and reuse in new ways
quen Oh: maybe that varies per person... i get depressed and uncertain when I start with 'me' wouldn't know where to begin
Adams Rubble: we need to learn to see past our own delusions
Tarmel Udimo: all of ourselves will always be with us
Tarmel Udimo: and they all want to be free
Adams Rubble: :)
Tarmel Udimo: and that is our job in this present life
Tarmel Udimo: will we try anyway:-)
quen Oh: ;-) so I better start to look at Adams perhaps
Pema Pera: question is "who are we", "who am I" . . .
Adams Rubble looks back at Quen :)
Ricky and buddha joined too! Nice to welcome Ricky as it is his first visit to us.
Adams Rubble: Hello Ricky and buddha :)
Fael Illyar: Hi Buddha, Ricky :)
Susi Alcott: hi buddha
Susi Alcott: hi Ricky
Pema Pera: the PaB idea to drop what we have to see what we are may help there
buddha Nirvana: HI everyone :))
Pema Pera: hi Buddha and Ricky!
quen Oh: hello buddha and Ricky!
Moon Fargis: hi ricky and buddha
quen Oh: gosh two weeks ago I sat here alone, and now we have a full pavillion! nice!
Tarmel Udimo: :-)
Adams Rubble: :)
Tarmel Udimo: it comes and goes:-)
quen Oh: have you good experience with asking the question 'who are we' and 'who am I' Pema? do you think you know more now?
Fael Illyar is sitting in the midst of clouds here it seems.
Pema Pera: Ricky, have you visited us here before?
Ricky Bowdit: No I aM new
Pema Pera: perhaps I know less now, Quen :)
quen Oh nods...
Adams Rubble: subtraction :)
Tarmel Udimo: in fact its no longer important:-)
quen Oh: shall I give you a notecard Ricky?
Tarmel Udimo: who I am
Adams Rubble: Maybe the idea of "Who am I" becoming less important is a sign of looking outward more?
Pema Pera: I have learned a lot, I've learned to see better, and every
day I feel I'm seeing more clearly . . . but it is a funny kind of
learning, indeed, a kind of subtracting more than accumulating
Tarmel Udimo: perhaps adams, and yes pema
Pema Pera: In "who am I" what is most important is "am", Adams
Tarmel Udimo: dropping as you always say
In order not to dazzle completely Ricky Pema explains what we are doing (I sent him too a notecard)
Ricky Bowdit: I have received the notecard, it is taking a while to load
quen Oh: anyway, welcome Ricky!
Pema Pera: Ricky in short: we get together a few times a day to chat
about the nature of reality, and everything else, and we have a wiki
http://playasbeing.wik.is/ -- We record our conversations there. Do you
mind being included in our blogs?
Pema Pera: (the notecard will give a bit more info)
Pema Pera: and feel free to join us, today or at other occasions
Pema Pera: we get together here four times a day
Pema Pera: So in "who am I" the "I" is not important, nor the who, only
the core sense of "am" -- when we can really focus on what that means,
the doors of Being open . . . .
Pema Pera: to see the "is" or "am", we seem to have to drop the obscurations of what we have . . . have rather than are
Ricky Bowdit: I will assume that I could learn a few things here, but would like to understand why we are here
Pema Pera: and to learn to see and drop, we first have to stop . . . stopping what we are caught up in -- hence the 9-sec
Pema Pera: Ricky, we talk about how to see more of what is real
Pema Pera: if that makes any sense :)
quen Oh: well besides from getting a little depressed by how little we
know, it is also fascinating and beautiful to see the miracles of what
is around and in people
Pema Pera: does it?
Pema Pera: (does it? -> Rick)
Ricky Bowdit: I am just gonna say that I think we are on different wave
lenghts, I may not completely understand, but will try to learn
Buddha and alas me too and later Pema have to leave..
buddha Nirvana: excuse me all _/\_
Adams Rubble: It has taken me a long to understand at all Rick :)
Adelene Dawner: cya, Buddha :)
Adams Rubble: bye buddha :)
Pema Pera: Can you tell us what you are interested in, Ricky,
concerning what this world really is, -- or is that not an interesting
question for you, perhaps?
Susi Alcott: _/!\_
Pema Pera: Bye bye Buddha!
Pema Pera loves alliteration
Fael Illyar ruffles Adele's hair.
Adams Rubble: :)
Ricky Bowdit: I really do not know what I am interested in, While I
will not say my life is complete, I do think that I am in the place
where I am supposed to be.
Pema Pera: that's great, Ricky!
Adams Rubble ruffles Quen's hair and then looks at Moon
quen Oh: (very sorry have to go too, rl calls, look forward to see how this ends and will put it in blog asap, bye all!!)
Pema Pera: thanks, Quen!
Adams Rubble: bye Quen :)
Tarmel Udimo: bye quen
Pema Pera: In fact, RL is calling for me too -- will have to leave as well
Adams Rubble: Thanks for sharing :)
quen Oh waves
Ricky Bowdit: bye Quen, it was a pleaseure meeting you
Susi Alcott: _/!\_
Adams Rubble: bye Pema :)
Pema Pera: Good seeing you all, and nice to meet you Ricky!
Ricky Bowdit: nice meeting all of you
Moon Fargis: See you later!
Susi Alcott: _/!\_
Tarmel Udimo: bye
quen Oh: likewise Ricky!
And the rest would be the interesting part I am dying to read, as I obviously missed it:
Ricky Bowdit: I will try to come back more often, I would really like to learn more of what you guys and gals do.
Adams Rubble: You are always welcome Ricky
Tarmel Udimo: have to go too folks, its about 2:45 am on saturday, time for bed
Adams Rubble: night Tarmel :)
Ricky Bowdit: gn Tarmel
Susi Alcott: _/!\_
Tarmel Udimo: nice to see you all...
Moon Fargis: bye tarmel
Adelene Dawner: 'night Tarmel :)
Ricky Bowdit: How do I bookmark this spot so that I may return
Fael Illyar: World -> Create Landmark
Adams Rubble: Go to the World tab above and click "Create Landmark Here"
Adams Rubble: :)
Fael Illyar: alternatively you ca click one of the info dispensers and they'll give you one with a notecard with some info
Ricky Bowdit: I am assuming that is all I have to do??
Adams Rubble: That will go into your inventory under landmarks
Fael Illyar: well, when you want to return, find the landmark from your inventory and double click :)
Adams Rubble: To come back just double click on it
Adams Rubble: :) Fael
Ricky Bowdit: Well, I do appreciate everyone being so friendly. I look forward to meeting you all here again.
Ricky Bowdit: Bye for now
Adams Rubble: Take good care Ricky :)
Susi Alcott: _/!\_
Moon Fargis: bye ricky
Fael Illyar: See you later Ricky :)
Adams Rubble enjoying Moon's dharma wheel this morning. It has been awhile :)
Moon Fargis: ^^
Moon Fargis: youre getting sleepy..
Moon Fargis: verry sleepy
Adams Rubble: hehe
Moon Fargis: your eyes getting heavy
Adams Rubble: I am feeling compassionate :)
Moon Fargis: ^^
Moon Fargis: ahh wet pillows
Susi Alcott: _/!\_
Adams Rubble: :)
Fael Illyar pokes a pillow 'Yep, wet.'
Adams Rubble: magic at work
Adelene Dawner: Moon-onna-stick!
Moon Fargis: whehheee
Fael Illyar: onna?
Adelene Dawner: 'on a'
Susi Alcott: _/!\:_
Fael Illyar: ah
Adelene Dawner is all glittery now ^.^
Fael Illyar: Well, other than for Mon, everyone else is still a cloud.
Adams Rubble: Oh my Fael
Adams Rubble: Does that help?
Moon Fargis: *giggles*
Fael Illyar: Yes, thank you :)
Fael Illyar: that leaves just Adele now :)
Moon Fargis: hmhm well i need a reboot cus of something to fix
Moon Fargis: brb
Moon Fargis: (atleast i hope )
Adams Rubble: great view from up here
Adams Rubble: I better get back to RL :)
Fael Illyar: Ah, Adele is showing up too :)
Fael Illyar: See you later Adams :)
Adams Rubble: bye Fael and Adelene :)
Adelene Dawner: cya, Adams ^.^
