2011.06.06 19:00 - A Meeting

The Guardian for this meeting was SophiaSharon Larnia. The comments are by SophiaSharon Larnia. This session was attended by Stevenaia, Storm, Samúð, and later Bleu. I didn't mean to take up the entire session talking about my recent experience but am grateful to the others for listening.

SophiaSharon Larnia: hi Storm, Hi Stevenaia :)
stevenaia Michinaga: hi Sophia
stevenaia Michinaga: ho Storm
stevenaia Michinaga: Storm

--BELL--

Storm Nordwind: Hi there both :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: Nice to see you both descend on the pvilion at the same time :D
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: smiles at STorm's shirt "ask me about June 12th"
Storm Nordwind: And Bleu's instruction for me to refer all questions to her!
stevenaia Michinaga: but what more can you than wait and see
SophiaSharon Larnia: i know, I read that in the logs, so much in the logs makes me laugh or smile
stevenaia Michinaga: be there or be square
SophiaSharon Larnia: i may be square then :/
Storm Nordwind: Indeed Steve - though I expect that idiom is "square" too ;)
SophiaSharon Larnia: hehe
SophiaSharon Larnia: i still say it
Storm Nordwind: What is this? An old fogies' get together? ;)
SophiaSharon Larnia: hey :) I'm just square, not necessarily an old fogie
stevenaia Michinaga: comforting to know we know
Storm Nordwind chuckles
Storm Nordwind: Yes Sharon we can look up to Steve in seniority :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: laughs
stevenaia Michinaga: what determines senioroiy?
SophiaSharon Larnia: (I suspect just an old fogie knows what an old fogie is? ) :)
stevenaia Michinaga: notches on your tunk
stevenaia Michinaga: trunk
Storm Nordwind: I was going to ask what a "tunk" was! Sounded interesting :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: heh
SophiaSharon Larnia: nice, thanks for whoever changed it to grass
stevenaia Michinaga: was thinking somewhere around one's midsection
Storm Nordwind: So simple, and yet so relaxing
SophiaSharon Larnia: yes

SophiaSharon Larnia: I do have something to share, and I'm a little embarrassed to say this after all this time
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, great job, Storm
stevenaia Michinaga: ...listens
Storm Nordwind: Oh! Sharon please do if you feel comfortable
SophiaSharon Larnia: I finally went to my first RL buddhist gathering, very close to my house
SophiaSharon Larnia: I finally got out of the car :/
SophiaSharon Larnia: i know it sounds silly to say it
stevenaia Michinaga: not silly at all
SophiaSharon Larnia: I was so frightened to go for so long
Storm Nordwind has heard nothing silly so far!
stevenaia Michinaga: fear of what?
SophiaSharon Larnia: things that make no sense
SophiaSharon Larnia: afraid of being so fidgetity I would disturb other people, for starters
SophiaSharon Larnia: was my main concern
stevenaia Michinaga: more Buddists there than you can shake a stick at
stevenaia Michinaga: looks at Storm
Storm Nordwind: There are so many different flavors of Buddhism, you can always go away and not come back if you don't like it - or try another
SophiaSharon Larnia: yes
Storm Nordwind: And at least with Buddhism they're not trying to convert you or instill the fear of something nasty. So you can take what you want and leave the rest :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: smiles
Storm Nordwind: And were you fidgetity? :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: and all this time Ive been meditating in a chair, preferably the rocking chair on my porch
stevenaia Michinaga: would love to hear about your experience
Storm Nordwind: Nice - a rocking chair - that sounds wonderful!
SophiaSharon Larnia: yes I love to sit in the morning and evening and listen to the birds
SophiaSharon Larnia: preferably sunrise, sunset is nice too
stevenaia Michinaga: the birds torment my cat
Storm Nordwind: It's their role in creation
Storm Nordwind: They didn't dare with my skogkatt!
SophiaSharon Larnia: well, it was an opening ritual, a reading, a 25 min meditation, a 10 min (ended up longer) walking meditation, and then sit for 10 more mins, then a dharma discussion (which reminded me of a quaker style sharing)

--BELL--

Storm Nordwind: Wow that sounds quite involved for your first time!
SophiaSharon Larnia: some singing and mantra, not as much as I thought there'd be
stevenaia Michinaga: dharma discussion?
SophiaSharon Larnia: yes, that is what they called it, but in practice was silence and then sharing something that moved you during the week
SophiaSharon Larnia: people speaking if they wanted to
Storm Nordwind: Hmmm - yes, very Quakeresque
SophiaSharon Larnia: (sorry bell ;/)
Storm Nordwind: The bell tells me that it forgives you :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: I always think people wont like me and think I dont belong
stevenaia Michinaga: :0
SophiaSharon Larnia: but that is personal stuff that has no place in the logs, really :)
stevenaia Michinaga: heh, doubtful
SophiaSharon Larnia: but may have to learn how to sit on the floor!
SophiaSharon Larnia: giggles
stevenaia Michinaga: pillows?
Storm Nordwind: No!!!
SophiaSharon Larnia: although some used chairs
SophiaSharon Larnia: pillows, yes, on the floor :D
Storm Nordwind never sits on the floor at Buddhist meetings :|-)
SophiaSharon Larnia: :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: i have no excuse not to, may as well do it
oO0Oo Resident: hi Stevenaia, SSL, Storm :))
SophiaSharon Larnia: hi Samúð :)
Storm Nordwind: Hi Sam!
stevenaia Michinaga: hi Samúð
Storm Nordwind fishes out his eths
SophiaSharon Larnia: but I can tell you this, although it will sound weird
oO0Oo Resident: ;) hehe thanks Storm
stevenaia Michinaga: so Sophia, what made it "Buddhist
SophiaSharon Larnia: seeing how people meditate in rl, is sort of like seeing in what order they wash in the shower  (comment to explain this a little furthur: I meant that this felt to me like a very, very personal thing, and the fact that it sounds uncomfortable to others to compare it to that conveys my level of 'personal' about it)
SophiaSharon Larnia: laughs
SophiaSharon Larnia: hold on
Storm Nordwind tries not imagine too much about the shower
SophiaSharon Larnia: http://www.willowbranch.org/
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, that's a show stoper
SophiaSharon Larnia: I know Storm, but it popped in my head
Storm Nordwind: hehe
Storm Nordwind: Ah Thich Nhat Hanh
SophiaSharon Larnia: yes
Storm Nordwind: (Buddhists immediately seek out the lineages I guess!)
SophiaSharon Larnia: yes and although I do understand in part why that is, it does seem strange to me at times
SophiaSharon Larnia: you want an pure dharma perhaps?

SophiaSharon Larnia: hello *** (Gun-toting avatar)
Storm Nordwind: Different lineages emphasize different things. They cater for different cultures or approaches. For example, one will be more scholarly and another may be for yogis
***: I think I'm at the wrong place
SophiaSharon Larnia: this is a group called play as being *** :)
Storm Nordwind: What were you looking for?
***: Really, I'm just explorin'
SophiaSharon Larnia: yes STorm, I am aware of that, although I didn't include that
SophiaSharon Larnia: there is an information card about our group here in the stand with an I over it
SophiaSharon Larnia: ***
Storm Nordwind: Lots of meditation stuff around here *** - you know temples, discussion groups etc. and some art displays. Plenty of that in these sims. Not much else sorry!
***: Ok, I'll be on my way then. Carry on....
Storm Nordwind waves
SophiaSharon Larnia: bye
Storm Nordwind: Thank you for your polite company :)
oO0Oo Resident: thanks for the site link SSL..
oO0Oo Resident: tc ***
SophiaSharon Larnia: ok, he really was in the wrong place
SophiaSharon Larnia: giggles
oO0Oo Resident: ya never know
Storm Nordwind: But courteous :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: youre right, but the gun would need to be chancked at the door i think
SophiaSharon Larnia: checked*
oO0Oo Resident: seeds are being planted all the time
stevenaia Michinaga: nods
Storm Nordwind had the stop scripts checkbox under the mouse pointer :) Just in case
SophiaSharon Larnia: ah
oO0Oo Resident: :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: hi observerm
stevenaia Michinaga: waves at Observerm
oO0Oo Resident: hello observerm
observerm Resident waves

--BELL--

SophiaSharon Larnia: observerm, we were talking about me going to rl buddhist meeting, but perhaps the topic has changed :)
Storm Nordwind was waiting patiently and listening further
oO0Oo Resident: just enjoying the image gallery from the site
stevenaia Michinaga: picture many apprehensive attendees circling the meeting every week
SophiaSharon Larnia: well, as steps go, its a baby step, but I am content that at least i can take them
oO0Oo Resident: baby steps remind me of baby giggles.. all about them ;)
SophiaSharon Larnia: maybe just me Steve, I passed it many times
SophiaSharon Larnia giggles  
oO0Oo Resident giggles
Storm Nordwind: How many people arrive at this pavilion, I wonder, with their hearts similarly in their mouths?
SophiaSharon Larnia: yes indeed
oO0Oo Resident: true.. so true
SophiaSharon Larnia: (and I almost tripped over a little alter in my nervousness)

SophiaSharon Larnia: I asked for the 'program' so I could find and learn all the songs, and someone gave me a whole book
Storm Nordwind: :)
oO0Oo Resident: aw
SophiaSharon Larnia: I know, just walking off the street and loaning me an at least 40$ book
SophiaSharon Larnia: now I have to go back! frins
SophiaSharon Larnia: grins*
Storm Nordwind remembers first reading about Thich Nhat Hanh in that excellent book "Buddhism for Dummies" :)
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
oO0Oo Resident: sensing as i do your priceless nature maybe
SophiaSharon Larnia: as is yours! everyone is priceless :D
SophiaSharon Larnia: and just your statement alone created at least a week work of topics to talk about, arise
Storm Nordwind: How did they know you were not a buddha in disguise? Of course they gave you the book! :)
oO0Oo Resident: :)!
stevenaia Michinaga: laughs
SophiaSharon Larnia: weeks worth, but work too

SophiaSharon Larnia: when I first started going to folk festivals years ago
SophiaSharon Larnia: I sort of expected the people to be as nice there, as they were in that meeting
SophiaSharon Larnia: and that is something strange to try to explain
Storm Nordwind: Ah yes... hmmm... I remember those expectations from around 1970!
SophiaSharon Larnia: hi Bleu
SophiaSharon Larnia: it wasnt 1970, but it was over 20 yrs ago
oO0Oo Resident: hi Bleu :)
Storm Nordwind: Hi very blue Bleu!
SophiaSharon Larnia: :)
Bleu Oleander: haha :)
SophiaSharon Larnia: the topic Bleu was that I went to a rl buddhist meeting, and have been talking about it for a while, sorry to take the whole time
Bleu Oleander: ah nice ... i'll read the log
Storm Nordwind has found it fascinating - and is so grateful you are sharing it :)
Bleu Oleander: i look forward to reading about it
SophiaSharon Larnia: it took place in the most beautiful old barn/building you ever saw
oO0Oo Resident: likewise.. glad to hear about and also see the site
Bleu Oleander: where?
SophiaSharon Larnia: I havent seen a building that was used like that around here
SophiaSharon Larnia: near my home

--BELL--

SophiaSharon Larnia: :) got quiet
Bleu Oleander ⊱ smiles ⊰
SophiaSharon Larnia: hi Malinson
Malinson Bloobury: hello all
oO0Oo Resident: hi Malinson
Malinson Bloobury: may I sit before your fountain?
SophiaSharon Larnia: sure :) anytime Malinson
SophiaSharon Larnia: we've been quiet for a while now Malinson, topic-wise

--BELL--

Malinson Bloobury: one must re-frame from random irresponsible speak if this excersise is to have any meaning.
SophiaSharon Larnia: I do have an early day tomorrow, and have a few things to do before bed :)
Storm Nordwind must depart too. Thank you for your company!
SophiaSharon Larnia: thank you so much for listening
Bleu Oleander: bye Storm
Storm Nordwind waves
Bleu Oleander: bye Sharon
stevenaia Michinaga: night friends
SophiaSharon Larnia: bye Storm, and everyone!! take care
Bleu Oleander: nite all
Bleu Oleander: take care
Malinson Bloobury: nite
oO0Oo Resident: bye SSL, Storm
oO0Oo Resident: and Bleu.. tc Bleu
stevenaia Michinaga: night dear ones
oO0Oo Resident smiles.. night dear
Malinson Bloobury: it is just us I see
oO0Oo Resident looks openly at Malinson
Malinson Bloobury: have we spoken in the past?
oO0Oo Resident: we have been at the pavilion together before. I don't recall us talking too much to each other
Malinson Bloobury: In this realm it is very difficult to remeber people places and events so crowed with all things happing to me.
oO0Oo Resident nods

--BELL--

Malinson Bloobury: How long have you been involved with this project?
oO0Oo Resident: a few months.. I don't remember exactly
Malinson Bloobury: Did you join SL for the first time this year?
oO0Oo Resident: It was in Nov, or Dec of last year that I joined
Malinson Bloobury: Okay, well I wont grill you with questions about it.
oO0Oo Resident: It is understandable to be curious, and I ask the same questions to others too
Malinson Bloobury: I question not for curiosity sake, but to spark conversations of insightful reflection.
Malinson Bloobury: My IM's are getting crouded.
Malinson Bloobury: I am afraid I will have to depart
oO0Oo Resident: ok Malinson.. ntsy
Malinson Bloobury: until another time...good nite
oO0Oo Resident: good nite :)