B. Gaya

Gaya Ethaniel and I (Corvi) met on her Guardian Plot. A small Buddha and a mottled silver sphere overlook an irregular meadow of flowers and grasses. She and I arrange ourselves on pillows, me with a book, her with a pad of drawing paper and a pencil... she begins to draw a rose.

Corvuscorva Nightfire: When did you build the plot we're sitting in, Gaya?
Gaya Ethaniel: Let me check...
Gaya Ethaniel: 18 Aug it says.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: What made you decide to build?
Gaya Ethaniel: Mainly because I wanted to make something in SL.
Gaya Ethaniel: Having my own place was a strong motivation to learn to build although basic skills I used here.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Tell me about that sphere behind me?
Gaya Ethaniel: That was the first thing that came to me when I was thinking about what to build here.
Gaya Ethaniel: It can have one person sitting inside.
Gaya Ethaniel: I didn't want to build a house but... something to signify a residence.
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Gaya Ethaniel: People draw different ideas about that sphere it seems...
Corvuscorva Nightfire: like what?
Gaya Ethaniel: One says a womb, a mother's womb.
Corvuscorva Nightfire smiles.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: what else?
Gaya Ethaniel: Another said water.

Moon Fargis is a fellow guardian, a builder, landlord for many PaB guardians, and a shape shifter.  His avatar has shown up to the meetings as a Buddhist monk, a singing angel and an extremely playful teddy bear.

Gaya Ethaniel: My original idea began with Moon but added water sound as I went along. Bascially it was Moon Fargis who made it happen (Thanks Moon!).
Gaya Ethaniel: Began with Moon as the Moon*
Corvuscorva Nightfire grins.
Gaya Ethaniel: Not our Moon Fargis
Gaya Ethaniel: Confusing XD
Corvuscorva Nightfire: hahaha.

Corvuscorva Nightfire: When did you start in SL?
Gaya Ethaniel: 17 of June 08
Corvuscorva Nightfire: what brought you here?
Gaya Ethaniel: I was exploring various online environments for marketing opportunities on a project I've been working on in RL.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: How did you come to find out about Play as Being?
Gaya Ethaniel: I began SL with exploring 'Asian' places and came by Zen Retreat of Dakini Rhode.
Gaya Ethaniel: After a while sitting by the tea house, I took a chance and teleported to the old PlayasBeing pavilion.
Gaya Ethaniel: That's how I came across PaB.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: the retreat had not had any people in it?
Gaya Ethaniel: No, I was around during very early hours in SL because I am based in UK.
Gaya Ethaniel: The regular zazen sessions I found out later are held in the middle of my RL night.

Corvuscorva Nightfire: so when you wandered to the pavilion it was empty?
Gaya Ethaniel: When I got to the PaB pavilion, I found Fael and Bertrum Quan talking after a session.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: You came back...why?
Gaya Ethaniel: Both Fael and Burt befriended me then. They are my first friends in SL.
Gaya Ethaniel: And I was curious about the group as well.
Gaya Ethaniel: It was very soon after I started in SL so I thought of it as a good start for my exploration of SL.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: what about it made it seem so?
Gaya Ethaniel: I spent about 10 days in SL before I came across PaB. Parts of SL I saw were mostly deserted until I found the group. And personally I am interested in 'spirituality' so it seemed a good fit.

Corvuscorva Nightfire: what was PaB like when you came across it?
Gaya Ethaniel smiles and thinks...
Gaya Ethaniel: Small, friendly and somewhat strange/eccentric.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: In what way?
Gaya Ethaniel: You mean 'strange/eccentric'?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: mmhmm
Gaya Ethaniel: It took me a while to realise what the group was about. Some terms Pema used confused me as well, such as 'lab'.
Gaya Ethaniel: I could understand sometimes yet sometimes not very well what was discussed.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: You have a background in meditation, I think....can you tell me more about that?
Gaya Ethaniel: I got interested in meditation back in 2003 and learned the basics of it from a Zen monk.
Gaya Ethaniel: Mother is a Buddhist so I'm not a total stranger to Buddhism.
Gaya Ethaniel: I read some more literature since then but my practice has always been very simple, sitting mainly and sometimes walking.
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Gaya Ethaniel: But I have also been interested in Catholicism.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: So the buddhist or zen language used at PaB was familiar but the "science" analogies were not?
Gaya Ethaniel: Well... I used to an avid reader of a Japanese magazine called 'Newton' back in Korea so I'm not a total stranger to science.
Gaya Ethaniel: But the 'multi-disciplinary' approach of PaB on spirituality was unique for me and unfamiliar.
Gaya Ethaniel: It was obvious that PaB isn't another Scientology but something quite different.... and 'positive'.
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods, thoughtfully. Can you tell me more about that?
Gaya Ethaniel: People at PaB have a diverse background. I've seen scientists who follow Zen practice or Catholic who meditate yet PaB seemed to be something I've never seen before. It was all very intruiging..
Gaya Ethaniel: Stopping, pausing isn't new but I was mainly fascinated by people at PaB.
Gaya Ethaniel: And I wondered what drew such a group of different people to PaB.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: What do you think it was/is?
Gaya Ethaniel: It's more or less flat in structure and largely open (as flat and open as a group can be).
Corvuscorva Nightfire: But the structure of the group can't be all that attracts the individuals to it?
Gaya Ethaniel: PaB is a 'spirituality' group so together with those traits make an interesting group to be part of for many I think.

Corvuscorva Nightfire: What have you learned during your time at PaB?
Gaya Ethaniel: I've learnt to listen to myself more.
Gaya Ethaniel: I've also learnt to be ok with what I am, what I have and so on.
Gaya Ethaniel: PaB and friends from the group gave me many hours to ponder about things... that's been a very good thing for me.

Corvuscorva Nightfire: So how has PaB changed since you began?
Gaya Ethaniel: We moved to the new place which is a big change.
Gaya Ethaniel: We have many new members and a few old friends moved away too.

Corvuscorva Nightfire: Has the tone of the conversations changed?
Gaya Ethaniel: mm... 'tone' is more or less same to me.
Gaya Ethaniel: We have more of a variety of activities and voices perhaps.

Corvuscorva Nightfire: Have the kinds of questions explored changed?
Gaya Ethaniel: That largely depends on who's in a session...
Gaya Ethaniel: I mean, there are distinctive characteristics/what's discussed in a particular GoC session so my answer would be no, it hasn't changed much.
Gaya Ethaniel: With new members and GoC, it's changing slightly perhaps.
Gaya Ethaniel: Each of us has particular favourite topics I think.

Corvuscorva Nightfire: tell me what topics have most intrigued you?
Gaya Ethaniel: Being, love, trust, acceptance... those stay with me.

Corvuscorva Nightfire: What have I not asked that I should have?
Gaya Ethaniel thinks.
Gaya Ethaniel: You mentioned you may ask about RL impact.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: What real life impact it has had?
Gaya Ethaniel: SL is an extension of my RL. I mean it is a part of my life.
Gaya Ethaniel: In the beginning for many months, I used to come to PaB session each day.
Gaya Ethaniel: And talked to PaB friends each day also outside session.
Gaya Ethaniel: So through those sessions and friendly conversations, I've learnt a lot and in a way 'grew up'.
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods, grins.
Gaya Ethaniel: Now that I'm beginning to step outside of PaB/PaB friends as I explore the 'wider world' both in RL/SL, I don't spend as much time around them.
Gaya Ethaniel: But always come back for PaB/PaB friends as they are my SL home as my RL home provides me a secure place to explore the world.

Corvuscorva Nightfire: I can say as one of those friends, that you have helped to provide a secure place in this world, too. And that your explorations, and your help in opening my explorations was a big part of what drew me to and keeps me in, PaB.
Gaya Ethaniel smiles.
Gaya Ethaniel: You're stuck with me.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I'm delighted.
Gaya Ethaniel giggles.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: (lets keep that in!! *grins big and hugs you hard!*)
Gaya Ethaniel: *hug*
Gaya Ethaniel: Thanks.