That evening, when I walked into the tea room, I found Stim already waiting there. Maxine would join us soon afterward.
Pema Pera: Hi Stim!
Stim Morane: Hi Pema!
Pema Pera: How are things? busy, I take it?
Stim Morane: sometimes
Pema Pera: Hi Maxine!
Stim Morane: How are you doing?
Maxine Walden: hi Pema and Stim
Stim Morane: Hi Maxine!
Maxine Walden: sorry I just accepted a couple of things, clothes that Dakini gave me, and I have to accept them..who knows I may come dressed more elegantly next time
Pema Pera: after accepting them, you still have to wear them.
Stim Morane: Pema, would it be possible for me to sit in on one of the astronomy sessions in second life?
Pema Pera: of course!
Pema Pera: anyone is welcome
Maxine Walden: I would enjoy that too, the astronomy
Stim Morane: Would be interesting to see how that works
Pema Pera: Max, accepting means it goes into your inventory
Pema Pera: then you have to go in their to choose what to wear
Maxine Walden: oh, I can do that now..know about my inventory!!
Maxine Walden: oh, yes, will do that too
I told about my astronomy work in SL, centered around MICA, the Meta Institute for Computational Astrophysics
Pema Pera: http://www.physics.drexel.edu/mica/ has all the info for astronomy programs
Pema Pera: feel free to drop by at any of the activities
Stim Morane: Good, thanks!
Pema Pera: for example, the half hour coffee time every morning at 7:30 SL time
Pema Pera: and popular talks, etc
Stim Morane: It would be interesting to compare the ways in which that sort of activity benefits from this environment, versus the more experiential emphasis here in PaB.
Maxine Walden: yes, thanks great
Maxine Walden: I agree
Pema Pera: yes, it is interesting
Pema Pera: still early days of course, like here
Stim Morane: yes, of course
Maxine Walden: how many come to those meetings typically?
Pema Pera: to the popular talks, about 60 or so
Maxine Walden: wow!!
Pema Pera: to other meetings in between 1 and 15 or so
Pema Pera: fluctuating
Pema Pera: the popular talks are well advertised
Pema Pera: in several SL groups
Stim in turn asked me about my view of PaB, and just at that time Jack walked in, soon followed by Stevenaia.
Stim Morane: So since you are here, Pema, it would be good to get your current perspective on Play.
Maxine Walden: that would be interesting
Pema Pera: Hi Jack!
Maxine Walden: hello, Jack
Jack Milgrom: Hi Pera
Stim Morane: Hi
Pema Pera: Welcome back
Jack Milgrom: Thank you
Pema Pera: You haven’t met Maxine and Stim yet, I guess?
Jack Milgrom: No I haven’t
Stim Morane: nice to meet you.
Pema Pera: they are regulars here
Maxine Walden: pleased to meet you
Pema Pera: Jack is here for the second time
Pema Pera: Hi Steve!
Jack Milgrom: A pleasure to meet you too
stevenaia Michinaga: mind if I join you
Pema Pera: Great seeing you here again!
Pema Pera: of course not!
Maxine Walden: oh, nice
Pema Pera: please do
Maxine Walden: hello Stevenaia
stevenaia Michinaga: thanks
Stim Morane: yes, please have a seat
stevenaia Michinaga: when I see one, I will… thanks
Pema Pera: Steve, meet Jack, he met us by chance yesterday.
Pema Pera: haha
Jack Milgrom: Hello Steve
Pema Pera: rezzing is slow in SL these days . . . . .
stevenaia Michinaga: I live in eternal lag
Maxine Walden: I know that feeling…eternal lag
I returned to the topic of conversation.
Pema Pera: Well, while you’re rezzing
Pema Pera: let me answer Stim’s question
Pema Pera: He asked me what my evoluation was of PaB, Play as Being, what we are doing here.
Pema Pera: Basically, I’m very happy and encouraged to see so much response:
Pema Pera: about a hundred people who have visited since we started six weeks ago
Stim Morane: good
Pema Pera: half of them come back sometimes
Pema Pera: about twenty or so quite frequently
Pema Pera: As a second point:
Pema Pera: I am delighted that many people have reported that the 9-sec practice actually worked
Pema Pera: in the sense of making a difference in their lives
Pema Pera: which is stunning, given how little times is involved.
stevenaia Michinaga: 9-sec practice ?
Pema Pera: ah, the core of what we are doing here is to talk about our 9-sec practice, as the foundation of Play as Being
Pema Pera: http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/ is the web site
Pema Pera: we spend 9 sec every fifteen minutes, during a couple hours or more a day
Pema Pera: to stop and drop what we do
Pema Pera: in RL
Pema Pera: and then we talk about that here in SL
Pema Pera: but much of our talk is general banter ;>)
Pema Pera: So the third point I’d like to mention
Pema Pera: is the community that is springing up around PaB
Pema Pera: the forest, the guardians, the various structures that are growing
Pema Pera: So to sum up, Stim, I’m happy with those three things: visitors, practice, and community
Pema Pera: But it is still very early, and we’ll have to see where it all will go
Stim Morane: surprises?
Pema Pera: all three :-)
Stim Morane: yes
Pema Pera: so many people coming by; that the practice works; that we are already building a real community in 6 weeks
I then summarized our PaB explorations.
Pema Pera: Steve and Jack, I’m happy to talk more about this 9-sec practice
Pema Pera: I have not made a note card
Pema Pera: perhaps I should
Jack Milgrom: I would like to learn more about it.
Pema Pera: but http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/ has the details
stevenaia Michinaga: all ears
Stim Morane: yes that would be helpful
stevenaia Michinaga: reading that now
Pema Pera: and the drawback of a note card is that they contain frozen words
Pema Pera: I prefer to talk freshly each time.
Pema Pera: Very briefly:
Pema Pera: after learning to meditate, the most difficult thing is then to integrate what you learned into daily life
Pema Pera: we put things here in the other order
Pema Pera: we start by integrating (almost nothing) and then take it from there.
Pema Pera: Integration is by paying a 1 % time tax:
Pema Pera: every fifteen minutes (900 seconds) we spend 9 seconds dropping what we have in order to see what we are.
Pema Pera: That’s all.
Jack Milgrom: So you spend the 9 seconds in self-contemplation
Pema Pera: what do you mean with “self” here ?
Pema Pera: by yourself?
Jack Milgrom: I’m just trying to understand what is done in the 9 sec.
Pema Pera: yes, sorry, I have been very brief, and I’m more than happy to expand.
Pema Pera: basically, I want to let everybody free to do what they want
Pema Pera: the frequency is more important than the actual content of the practice
Pema Pera: but if people ask me for advice, for suggestions
Pema Pera: I can come up with many ideas
Pema Pera: like taking a breath
Pema Pera: looking around
Pema Pera: dropping what you were preoccupied with
Pema Pera: and seeing whether you can open up in a natural way
Pema Pera: or you can chant a brief mantra, if that is your practice, or anything else.
Jack Milgrom: So its mainly shifting your perception away from what occupies most of our time?
Pema Pera: yes, Jack, sort of like shooting holes in the cover we have all put over reality
Pema Pera: letting the light of a wider perspective shine in
Maxine Walden: the opening feels like what occurs when one pauses at least for me
Pema Pera: can you say more, Maxine? You’ve been doing this now for quite a while very diligently
We looked at the practice from various directions.
Maxine Walden: oh, not to interrupt, but yes I find when I pause for the 9 sec the experience is like taking a breath and opening…may not seem dramatic, and indeed it is not, but it is a gentle way to be with oneslef aside from that focused preoccupation
stevenaia Michinaga: is this your own “9 sec” or is it taken from another source, Pema?
Pema Pera: it is my own idea
stevenaia Michinaga: the method, not the time
Pema Pera: but it is in line with various traditional practices
Pema Pera: Stim knows more about that — do you want to comment, Stim?
Stim Morane: no need here.
Maxine Walden: am aware that different people of course have very different experiences, was just mentioning my own
Pema Pera: The freeness of the free form is mine
Stim Morane: right
Pema Pera: Traditionally it would be more structured
Pema Pera: but here in SL, and in the spirit of our times, Play seems essential
Stim Morane: yes it fits
Pema Pera: Being is old, the Play element is a new variation
Jack Milgrom: Play would be essential. Without play there could also be no work, as the two are two sides of the coin.
Pema Pera: yes, Maxine, and that is the beauty of what we are doing here, that everyone has quite different responses to report, to the 9-sec practice
Maxine Walden: agree, and we can all learn from each other and do, I do
Pema Pera: indeed, Jack
stevenaia Michinaga: interesting, certain computer programs I used to sue required me to “sigh” about every 15 minuite so I would remind myself to save or backup my work… my moment of reflection to save what was valulable the past 15 minutes of my work..(now it;s automatic so I done subconciously sigh anymore) perhaps I should do this again for your instant of reflection
Stim Morane: why not?
Pema Pera: great idea, Steve!
Maxine Walden: might be very interesting
Pema Pera: I love to hear next time how that will work out
stevenaia Michinaga: I programmed my body
Pema Pera: so you have been doing that now for a long time?
stevenaia Michinaga: not needed now as it autmatically backs up now (new version of the software)
Pema Pera: a pity perhaps :-)
stevenaia Michinaga: but will rethink now
Pema Pera: let us know how it will go!
Solo joined us, and with the five of us we began to fill up the small tea house. I had seen Solo sitting in the outdoor meditation area where Dakini holds her daily 6 pm sessions. However, I had not wanted to disturb him, when I walked into the tea house.
Pema Pera: Hi Solo!
Stim Morane: Hi
Pema Pera: Did you have a good sit?
Solobill Laville: hey, friends
Solobill Laville: yes
Maxine Walden: hi, Solo
Pema Pera: you looked very content out there
stevenaia Michinaga: will do, I used to similar things in my youth only woke myself up in the middle of the night to write in my journal after a dream
Pema Pera: yes, that is related
Solobill Laville: it actually is good to sit here is SL
stevenaia Michinaga: interessting what you can adjust your body to do
stevenaia Michinaga: if only I can convice myself to type better
Pema Pera: Yes, Steve, such writing helps form a bridge between two realms of awareness, dreams and normal waking life — while the 9-sec practice forms a similar bridge, between normal awareness and something far more open
Pema Pera: yes, Solo, isn’t that fascinating?
stevenaia Michinaga: good point
Pema Pera: I love to attend Dakini’s sessions
Solobill Laville: Not much different than PaB
Pema Pera: Solo, Jack is here for the second time, and Steve is also relatively new. Perhaps you can tell something about your PaB experiences, to give them a flavor?
Solo gave us a nice overview of his work with PaB.
Solobill Laville: Okay
Solobill Laville: I actually “practice” PaB about 6 - 12 times a day
Solobill Laville: Not every 15 minutes, but as it occurs to me
Solobill Laville: so I guess I have a “natural” approach!
Solobill Laville: lol
Solobill Laville: but I also try to make it last as long as it feels appropriate
Solobill Laville: more like 30 - 60 seconnds
Solobill Laville: sometimes focusing on my breath
Solobill Laville: sometimes just stopping
Solobill Laville: sometimes, most often. practicing on letting go
Solobill Laville: I want to experience
Solobill Laville: the sessions “bleeding” into each other
Solobill Laville: so that ultimately, I can
Solobill Laville: try to reach a real state
Solobill Laville: of right mindfulness
Pema Pera: glad to hear that, Solo, that you freely adapt it to your own sense of what fits best! The whole idea is to make it playful, and 9 seconds was just a starting suggestion
Solobill Laville: I’ve heard some folks suggest maybe setting an alarm
Solobill Laville: to remind
Solobill Laville: but I like my way for me
Pema Pera: For some that may work better, for others not
Solobill Laville: right
Jack Milgrom: It sounds like a practice I do called “looking at atoms”, although I’ve never put a specific time to it.
Maxine Walden: Solo, are you aware of any specific types of experience during your practice, surprise, as Pema has mentioned or other flavors of experience?
Solobill Laville: Max, with these shorter bits, I expereince relaxation, and renewed focus, i have
Solobill Laville: experienced that, (if I understand what you speak of) but not with PaB…yet!!!
I was intrigued by Jack’s mentioning of atoms, so I asked him to expand a bit. Soon afterward, Theorphrastus walked in, for the first time.
Pema Pera: Jack, can you say more about “looking at atoms”?
Jack Milgrom: In quantum physics, you learn that most of what we see in the real world is actually composed of empty space.
Jack Milgrom: Each atom is small particles with a lot of empty space between them.
Jack Milgrom: The practice is to shift your perception, rather than looking at what is around you, to look at the space in the atom.
Jack Milgrom: Obviously you’re not actually seeing an atom, but the idea is that since all atoms are mostly empty space, by looking at the atom…
Jack Milgrom: you can’t really see where one ends and another begins, so what you actually focus on is the interconnectedness of all things.
Pema Pera: That is an interesting idea — did you design that kind of exploration yourself, or did you read/hear it somewhere? ANd what happens when you do it?
Pema Pera: Hi Theophrastus, welcome!
Maxine Walden: hi, Theophrastus
Solobill Laville: Hello, Theo
Theophrastus Nikolaidis: hi everyone. study group. discussion group?
Pema Pera: all of that and more :>)
Pema Pera: we’re having fun while also exploring the nature of reality
Stim Morane: Sorry I have to go just to this point, I enjoyed spending the time with each of you.
Pema Pera: but not in an intellectual way, or mostly not, at least, more directly, tryign to “see”
Maxine Walden: bye Stim
Solobill Laville: Bye, Stim
Stim Morane: bye
Theophrastus Nikolaidis: reality. okay. my fascination is with “time” I suppose the two are closely linked.
That immediately caught my attention, since it is about the most interesting topic for me too. However, I did not want to drop the thread of our conversation.
Pema Pera: I will say a bit more, Theo, but to finish our previous part of the conversation, let me add this:
Pema Pera: there is one important element that we have not talked about much: taking notes. I see us treating our life like a laboratory here — and that implies a lab journal. I have found it very helpful, for many reasons, to write down a few words in a journal (could be a piece of paper in my pocket) after each 9-sec practice
Pema Pera: So what we are doing, Theo, is described on http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/
Pema Pera: and yes, time is central
Pema Pera: essential
stevenaia Michinaga: can you give us an example of your written moment Pema?
Pema Pera: we haven’t talked much about that yet, but I expect we will
Maxine Walden: an example of one of my notes might be ’seeing slate blue’
stevenaia Michinaga: thanks Maxine
Pema Pera: for me, Steve, they come in many forms
Pema Pera: very many, so any pick would be biased
Pema Pera: a single impression, a single insight, or a tumble of ideas or just a sense of openness
Pema Pera: and each one reflected in haiku/telegram style
Solobill Laville: Mine too
Maxine Walden: same here
Solobill Laville: Since I strive for emptiness, my language reflects that
Pema Pera: like “Bells from our street’s festival” or “everything so fragile, so rich” . . . . etc
stevenaia Michinaga: sound perfect of a computer note log, since I live with my laptop
Pema Pera: (I’m in Kyoto right now, and our neighborhood has its annual festival)
Pema Pera: me too!
Pema Pera: yes, I do it on my laptop
Pema Pera: In fact, I have one larger slot for a paragraph for each hour
Maxine Walden: yes as well
Pema Pera: and then four one-liner slots for each quarter of an hour
Maxine Walden: oh, that is interesting do you find your mind adhering to the space you give for each timeslot and then the hourly paragraph?
Pema Pera: the hourly paragraph is separate, more a reflection on my life and what has been going on; more indirect, a part of my daily journal — in contrast the 9-sec openings are very direct and non-rational
Maxine Walden: thanks, Pema
Jack had disappeared, but was now back again.
Pema Pera: Jack, sorry that your connection crashed.
Pema Pera: Do you want to say something more?
Jack Milgrom: Not your fault.
Jack Milgrom: That’s okay, I lost my train of thought when I had to reboot.
Pema Pera: I asked “That is an interesting idea — did you design that kind of exploration yourself, or did you read/hear it somewhere? ANd what happens when you do it?”
Jack Milgrom: I developed it when I was in college. Whay happens in that I feel a sense of connectedness
Jack Milgrom: I feel that nothing is too small or too big, but everything has place.
Jack Milgrom: I find that very comforting.
Pema Pera: That’s interesting, Jack!
Pema Pera: Always a great idea to develop your own form of practice
Pema Pera: and to explore that directly.
Pema Pera: Well, I’m afraid I have to go now
Pema Pera: have to take a train from Kyoto to Tokyo
Maxine Walden: yes, me to. Nice conversation
Pema Pera: but great seeing you all here!
stevenaia Michinaga: nice to see you again, enjoy the festival
Maxine Walden: bye all
Pema Pera: thanks!
Solobill Laville: Nice to meet you new folks
Jack Milgrom: A pleasure to meet everyone.
Pema Pera: y’all come back
Pema Pera: and of course feel free to stay here
Pema Pera: to continue talking !
Pema Pera: we meet every day here
Pema Pera: at 1 and 7 both am and pm
Theophrastus Nikolaidis: at this time?
Pema Pera: four times a day
Pema Pera: it is now 8 am
Pema Pera: SL time
Pema Pera: we started an hour ago
Theophrastus Nikolaidis: is there a group that I can join so I can get notices?
Solobill Laville: 1, 7, 1, 7 - SLT
Pema Pera: so you have four chances a day to drop by :>)
Pema Pera: no group no notices
Theophrastus Nikolaidis: no problem
Pema Pera: just every day
Pema Pera: 1 am 7 am 1 pm 7 pm
Pema Pera: and the blog http://playasbeing.wordpress.com/
Pema Pera: has further information
Pema Pera: including the location
Theophrastus Nikolaidis: bookmarked it. thanks
Pema Pera: but if you set a landmark here — right.
Pema Pera: see you!