When I landed in front of the tea house, I saw a familiar figure: Dakini! We had all missed her this last week — especially Bunan and Isen who were given the daunting challenge of replacing her presence in leading the zazen sessions at 6 pm, just to the west of the tea house. It’s amazing how time has a different feel in SL. The day lasts only four hours; friendships are formed, and sometimes dissolved, at a far greater pace than in RL. And a week’s absence of a friend feels like more than a month.
Dakini spoke about her trip, while we relaxed in the tea house. I talked about my plans to open a type of bar or cafe, on the plot of land just around the corner that I had bought in an auction, a couple weeks ago. Still have to found a good name: I’ve been toying with Be Bar and Storm has suggested Be Inn. Dakini came up with Bar Be Que. That suggested to me a variation: a bar where we can give each other cues about how to Be. Bar Be Cue?
In any case, being next door would make it easy to move between bar and tea house, while keeping an eye out for stragglers at the other place. We could then keep the Hall of Appearance for larger scheduled events and for other functions, such as a library.
While we were musing, Types came in, this type once again in a new shape, a lovely angelic white form complete with large gossamer wings but with a body more like a mermaid than an angel, a surprisingly good combination. To my surprise, Dakini and Types had not met yet, even though Types had been roaming around in Rieul quite frequently: I had met him a few times in March already, and one late evening we had quite a nice conversation, well before the Play as Being sessions started.
Pema Pera: Dakini invited me here
Pema Pera: She built this tea house
Types Sideways: oh
Types Sideways: I love the tea pot in the center like that
Dakini Rhode: if you focus on it the whole world spins
Types Sideways: oh yeah
Types Sideways: like a planet?
Pema Pera: most planets don’t change their mind about the direction in which they spin . . .
Types Sideways: :))
Dakini Rhode: sometimes in SL your frame of reference shifts to what your cursor focuses on
Dakini Rhode: I’m sure there
Dakini Rhode: ’s a RL parallel to that
Types Sideways: I have been trying a new meditation technique lately
Pema Pera: yes?
Types Sideways: you know how they say to get between the words?
Types Sideways: well it occurred to me that that can be done with a book
Types Sideways: you literally read btween the words
Types Sideways: and the silence is there
Types Sideways: look at the spaces on the page between each word
Pema Pera: nice idea ;>)
Pema Pera: would seem hard not to read the words
Types Sideways: takes a little practice
Types Sideways: but once you do it the silence rushes in
Pema Pera: in between the words or in between the lines?
Types Sideways: between each word at the same pace as if you were reading the book
Pema Pera: hmmm, would have to start with a large font, I guess, or a very foreign language ;>)
Types Sideways: not as hard as it ssounds
Dakini Rhode: or the cover page :-)
Types Sideways: yes
Pema Pera: I’m trying to do it just now in the Local Chat window . . . not too much success yet
Types Sideways: an alternative would be to buy a blank journal and look at each page
Pema Pera: yes, like a white wall
Types Sideways: yep
Types Sideways: and it give the so called doer something to do
Pema Pera: haha, yes
Dakini Rhode: do you write anything on the blank page, or do you unwrite ?
Types Sideways: if you use the journal, just leave it blank
Types Sideways: and look
Types Sideways: page by page
Types Sideways: unwrite
Types Sideways: thats good
Dakini Rhode: my journal has been blank for days
Types Sideways: lol
Types Sideways: well said
I told Dakini about Types’ many forms.
Pema Pera: Dakini, Types is a shapeshifter, has come here as a monkey, a koala bear, a green alien, a sun, a colorful bird . . . .
Dakini Rhode: Types, your appearance tonight is fantastic!
Types Sideways: ty
Types Sideways: what money can buy
Types Sideways: thought a human would confuse you
Pema Pera: haha
Pema Pera: yes, you always jump right away to the absolute position, puzzling many of the other guests here
Pema Pera: not too human
Types Sideways: hahaha
Types Sideways: so you build asian structures?
Dakini Rhode: I’ve built this structure which appears Asian to my mind… but I’ve not been there so I don’t know
Pema Pera: oh, it’s very Asian all right!
Pema Pera: Very Japanese in fact
Types Sideways: bamboo matting and all
Dakini Rhode: I’ve always had an affinity for Zen - It’s like being a Puritan
Types Sideways: yes
Dakini Rhode: My Puritan roots run deep
Pema Pera: Well, Types types zen
Types Sideways: lol
Pema Pera: no person no time no identity
Types Sideways: not me or mine
Pema Pera: that’s what I like to point to here, all in due time, but he’s way ahead of me ;>)
Types Sideways: not really
Types Sideways: we are all it already
Pema Pera: you see! you see!!
Pema Pera: there he goes again
Pema Pera: haha!
Pema Pera: love it
Dakini Rhode: lol
Types Sideways: :))
Types Sideways: want it to stop?
Pema Pera: oh no
Pema Pera: perfect
Dakini Rhode: Once it starts, I believe there is no stopping it
Types Sideways: true
Types Sideways: couldnt stop it before either
Dakini Rhode: maybe a stroke would do it
Dakini Rhode: not sure
Dakini Rhode: not typing
Types Sideways: lol
Types Sideways: typing too
Dakini Rhode: I have had the appearance of writing a book - but not sure why
Types Sideways: appearance?
Dakini Rhode: the typing animation starts up - maybe I’m hovering over my touchpad
[pema] [trying] [to] [type] [in] [between] [the] [words] [...]
Dakini Rhode: that does stop me, Pema
Pema Pera: good!
Pema Pera: what fun
Types Sideways: actually stopping is the easiest thing
Types Sideways: everything else is hard
Pema Pera: yes
Pema Pera: beyond easy and hard
Types Sideways: true
Types Sideways: conceptually speaking
Types Sideways: which is the only way we can speak
Dakini Rhode: I will see things differently the next time I listen to a slow talker
Types Sideways: hahaha
Pema Pera: listening in between the words?
Types Sideways: its actually before the words
Types Sideways: always there
Dakini Rhode: My dad is beginning to struggle to find words…. Listening between the words seems like a good practice
Types Sideways: but like all meditation techniques its just an expediaent
Types Sideways: crutch
At this point Tara dropped by.
Pema Pera: Hi Tara!
Pema Pera: welcome back!
Tara Farmer: hello, thank you very much
Dakini Rhode: Hello, Tara :-)
Types Sideways: hi
Tara Farmer: HI DAKINI
Tara Farmer: something we should have done before you went away
Types Sideways: how are you Tara
Tara Farmer: i am doing well, and how are you tonight?
Types Sideways: good thanks
Tara Farmer: what is on the table tongiht?
Types Sideways: hear that silence?
Types Sideways: that
Dakini Rhode: haha
Tara Farmer: ahhh so being
Tara Farmer: i hear the crickets
Types Sideways: lol
Tara Farmer: perhaps they know something of being
Tara Farmer: their sound certainly always brings me into the present tense
Types Sideways: yes
Tara Farmer: i love the sounds of crickets
Tara Farmer: it reminds me that everything is a cycle
Dakini Rhode: you must have not had one in your basement
Types Sideways: especially at spring
Pema Pera: haha!
Types Sideways: lol
Dakini Rhode: haha waking you up all night
Tara Farmer: yeah right :)
Tara Farmer: ha ha actually i used to have a lizard and a couple escaped once (his food)
Tara Farmer: and drove me crazy!
Tara Farmer: again, it is all about perspective
Dakini Rhode: yes, I think I like to control my wakeup calls to”my” waking hours
Dakini Rhode: control freak
Tara Farmer: dakini, how were your travels?
Dakini Rhode: lots of fun!
Tara Farmer: fantastic
Dakini Rhode: except the travelling part
The conversation shifted to Dakini’s name.
Tara Farmer: so dakini, what does dakini mean? is it a wise woman?
Tara Farmer: a witch?
Tara Farmer: a goddess?
Types Sideways: :))
Tara Farmer: it means something
Dakini Rhode: yes maam
Dakini Rhode: the Dakini is a Tibetan sort of being
Dakini Rhode: A “sky dancer”
Tara Farmer: neat
Dakini Rhode: Sort of like an angel, a leprechaun, or a muse
Types Sideways: like a bird?
Tara Farmer: I see
Dakini Rhode: or a fairy
Pema Pera: helps people
Pema Pera: very appropriate
Dakini Rhode: Usually, they appear to “inspire” the spiritual aspirant
Dakini Rhode: And often in wrathful form
Tara Farmer: yaya!
Tara Farmer: like the wraitful red tara?
Tara Farmer: he he
For good measure, at this point Types shifted shape to become a tiny fairy, first, and then a type of Caribou, but with a tiny-type body. Sitting on the cushion, at first only his head with antlers was visible. He then brought out a special chair for tinies, and Dakini showed off how she could fold her body onto a tiny’s cushion. With all this cheer the evening came to an end.
