2018.06.05 - Day 83

It would be nice to have a creative writing group in pab but probably not enough would be interested. I did an Open University module on it in 2013 and it would be good to revise the course materials: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-Writing-Linda-Anderson/dp/0415372437/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1528190674&sr=1-1&keywords=creative+writing+open+university

Eliza: Maybe it would be good to have a session on recurrent patterns we have found in dreams? I have noticed some in mine too.

Tart talks about the ideal requirements for a teacher and admits they are rarely met in reality. They should ‘be someone who is completely awake, who self-remembers every moment... Practically, the basic requirement for a useful teacher is that he or she be fairly awake and developed with respect to the level of his or her students.’

Tart, Charles T.. Waking Up: Overcoming the Obstacles to Human Potential (Kindle Locations 4776-4777). Fearless Books. Kindle Edition

I wonder how you know? I used to think my Zen teacher was just playing a role. Easy to act well at a retreat but I wonder what they are like in daily life. But maybe I project my own shortcomings onto them. I am suspicious of people who wear special robes to differentiate themselves. Wearing golden robes with a huge hat like they do in the Church of England just looks silly to me.

A few weeks of 'recurring patterns and dream interpretation in a light/easy way' - seems like a good theme for early summer?

Summer is for me, a lot like late winter is for those who live in much colder climates, when heat lamps are broken out to counter the effects of SAD. Even very early in the morning and very late in the day, the sunshine is intensely bright, so I calculate carefully to see how much is too much risk. This year, my investment is sun block shirts, to go with my already quite nice collection of hats, but honestly it is discouraging sometimes, that things like walking the dog take so much energy and to be in sleeves and coverings while everyone is running half naked. ;-) Unlearning isolation is mostly about cracking open certain mindsets, but being realistic about challenges is important to factor, too. edited 15:55, 5 Jun 2018

After a relentlessly withering critique of the 19th century, Huizinga moves on to his final chapter of Homo Ludens entitled "The play-element in contemporary civilization." He observes the sublimation of the play instinct into ball games. "Thus England became the cradle and focus of modern sporting life." But he also opines that the play spirit can be lost with increasing ability and movement into professional sport, "it is lacking in spontaneity and carelessness."

Further, he says "The ability of modern social techniques to stage mass demonstrations with the maximum of outward show in the field of athletics does not alter the fact that neither the Olympiads nor the organized sports of American Universities nor the loudly trumpeted international contests have, in the smallest degree, raised sport to the level of a culture-creating activity. However important it may be for the players or spectators, it remains sterile. The old play-factor has undergone almost complete atrophy."

He anticipates the reader's reaction but he's adamant about this! He continues: "This view will probably run counter to the popular feeling of to-day, according to which sport is the apotheosis of the play-element in our civilization. Nevertheless popular feeling is wrong."

Thank you Storm, Zen, and Eliza for your comments on my dream both here and in the dream group today. I didn't have time to post anything yesterday, but I did read and appreciate your responses.

After wading through some tedious details pertaining to an outdated controversy in psychology, William James' introspective analysis of will is becoming quite interesting, and might even help in understanding why it is so easy to lose the thread of self-remembering through the day.

An incredible and illuminating dream, Alma. I'm sure there is more to unfold there!

Zen's comments on teachers sparks a favorite story.

(first some background)
With a deep need to have beliefs and try a Religion, the pilgrim Riddle went questing through every one that could be found. Research often turned up the faults of some and the right-on-ness of others. Trials for some period of time showed most as not long term full solutions. There was turning out to be no one religion that satisfied.
A long detailed list of the great things that were liked about each was documented.
Applying some creative writing turned the checkpoints and bullet points into a Personal Religion doctrine. That lasted for many many years and became the foundation of what is practiced today.
One day, stopping into a Library book sale, a plain little book attached itself. For a quarter it went home. A person looking through the stack of books opened the little book, sat, read a bit, exclaimed that it was the same as the made up Religion. Read it through. Then read it again and wrote notes.
It was written by a lady that had channeled it.
Looked her up and subscribed to her newsletter.
A couple years later went walkabout, only it was on a bicycle. Many adventures. One was to visit the lady who edited the book. Luckily there was to be a retreat weekend.

(now, finally the teacher part)
Got there on a Thursday and could spend a day and a half with her before going to the retreat.
Probably was expecting to be able to have one-on-one time deep in teachings. Was expecting purple robes, feathers, incense filled house and the great and wondrous Oz who would gift all the secrets of the many Universes.
Arrived at a little cottage. The door was answered by a little grandmother type who bustled around into the kitchen where we made ginger cookies (a scene that years later was stolen by the movie "The Matrix" as meeting the Oracle). Out into the garden to pull some weeds and collect ingredients for diner. Later two neighbors came by and we sat breathing for an hour.
She taught that she spends an hour a day in spiritual and maybe an hour in office/mail/business/writing. so, helped her with that the next day. The only 'teachings' were the reading of a letter and discussing how to answer it.
We traveled to the retreat center and everybody treated her as the great one. However, she did not put on any green robe or sit special or really seem to except adoration. She laughed a lot and fully, but she had done that when finding the matching napkins for diner. All those people came to see, hear and learn from her and she let them tell their stories and pass on their lessons. Then would ask somebody else how that related to them.
All departed, agreeing it was the greatest weekend of their lives. The great wisdoms they had received and how great a Teacher she was.
She had that huge great smile of true happiness. Perhaps so happy in knowing she had helped some in some way.
That same happiness smile at baked cookies and a ripe tomato.

Most Teachers are the same in everyday or ceremonies. Or they are completely different on what each occasion needs. It just depends on your point of viewing them.

Beautiful writing today, Riddle. Here, and on other pages. In fact I'd love to see the above made into a film. :)

Thank you.

Oh my word, Riddle. What writing! I can learn so much from your stories, both what you write about and also about how to write. Please give us more! /your greedy fan