The Guardian for this meeting was Zen Arado. The comments are by Zen Arado. Present were Archmage Atlantis, FcSeeker Resident, Paradise Tennant, Qt Core, Stevenaia Michiniga and myself

Appearances and powerchairs:

FcSeeker Resident: Hello Zen
FcSeeker Resident: Hello Arch
Zen Arado: morning Fc :)
Zen Arado: Hi Arch
Archmage Atlantis: ello Zen, Fc
Archmage Atlantis: New look
Zen Arado: who me?
FcSeeker Resident: <3
Archmage Atlantis: Yea, u
Zen Arado: just changed hair
Archmage Atlantis: And face and the power of the body
Zen Arado: nearer the right colour anyway :)
Zen Arado: face and body are the same
Zen Arado: amazing waht a difference hair makes to appearance
Archmage Atlantis: Ok, if you choose not to see the other things.....not my issue
FcSeeker Resident: it truly effects to look of the face too
Zen Arado: I haven't changed my face for a while
FcSeeker Resident: understand
Zen Arado: the hair makes it look different
Zen Arado: think I'll grow hair longer in RL too
Zen Arado: I still have some :)
FcSeeker Resident: <3:)
Zen Arado: they are removing scaffolding from outside my apartment I am glad to say
Zen Arado: remember I had a problem with water ingress FC?
Zen Arado: they have fixed it now (I hope)
Zen Arado: had scaffolding up for 3 months
FcSeeker Resident: ahhh
Archmage Atlantis: Zen, I am not a particularly private person
Archmage Atlantis: I do often say things that are in my mind
Zen Arado: best way Arch
Archmage Atlantis: Zen, you have told me things that are in my mind
Archmage Atlantis: about chairs
Zen Arado: chairs ?
Zen Arado: :)
Archmage Atlantis: I have had my powerchair, a Hoverond, for over a month now
Zen Arado: ah powerchairs
Zen Arado: and?
Zen Arado: it helps?
Archmage Atlantis: and I still walk with a cane
Archmage Atlantis: It is insurance
Zen Arado: do you use it much Arch
Zen Arado: ?
Archmage Atlantis: In physical life, no, in emotional life, yes
Zen Arado: well...best to use them now and then to preserve the batteries
Archmage Atlantis: yes
Zen Arado: they can be expensive to buy for a good one
Archmage Atlantis: I cannot take it outside as I have no ramps
Zen Arado: could you go shopping in it if you could get out?
Archmage Atlantis: The USA is a car place
Archmage Atlantis: I see ppl tryng to use chairs
Zen Arado: no sidewalks often
Archmage Atlantis: They look like they will be run into
FcSeeker Resident: what emotions does it bring to you Arch ?
Zen Arado: yeh
FcSeeker Resident: to have that chair I mean
Zen Arado: I moved to my present apartment because it is close to shops and amenities
Zen Arado: where I was was at the top of a hill and a mile from shops
Zen Arado: I always had to plan ahead
Zen Arado: had to leave a house with staits
Zen Arado: moved to a single story place and then apartment
Zen Arado: stairs*
Archmage Atlantis: I know
Archmage Atlantis: There are ppl who are blind here in sl
FcSeeker Resident: Hello steve :)
Zen Arado: Hi Steve :)
Zen Arado: yes?
Archmage Atlantis: overcoming is living
stevenaia Michinaga: morning
stevenaia Michinaga: (very early for me)
Zen Arado: can see the attraction for deaf people but not visually impaired
Zen Arado: wonder how you cope if you can't see the screen
Archmage Atlantis: Yet, here they are
Zen Arado: I am in a disabled group in SL VAI
Zen Arado: Virtual Ability Inc
Archmage Atlantis: I cannot see into the infrared
Zen Arado: lots of deaf people
Archmage Atlantis: Still that visual spectrum exists
Zen Arado: you would need to see the text?
Zen Arado: text is still primary in SL
Zen Arado: primary communication mode
FcSeeker Resident: it is voice to deaf people
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: how are things with yo Steve?
Zen Arado: nice outfit
Zen Arado: love the colours
stevenaia Michinaga: not sure, as if by magic, my radio came on and woke me up... so here I am
Qt Core: hi All
stevenaia Michinaga: thanks
Zen Arado: Hi Qt :)
stevenaia Michinaga: hi qt
Archmage Atlantis: A movie
FcSeeker Resident: yr a mairmade now ? :))))
Archmage Atlantis: In Queue Rate 5 starsRate 4 starsRate 3 starsRate 2 starsRate 1 star. The Diving Bell and the ButterflyLe Scaphandre et le papillon(2007) PG-13
FcSeeker Resident: Hello Qt
Zen Arado: is it good Arch?
stevenaia Michinaga: thinking about breakfast
Archmage Atlantis: The concept is a challenge
Zen Arado: I saw a movie last week called 'The Tree of Life'
Archmage Atlantis: Breaking the fast sounds good
Zen Arado: it was ok I guess

Riots and causes:

Zen Arado: lots of trouble here in London atm
Zen Arado: and lots of soul searching
Archmage Atlantis: I know Zen
Zen Arado: 'why are they riotting' ?
Archmage Atlantis: London is burning
Archmage Atlantis: It is dificult
Zen Arado: the media get very excited about it
Archmage Atlantis: Even for us patriotic Americans
Zen Arado: the media loves trouble
Zen Arado: otherwise they have little to report
Archmage Atlantis: Well, Kate didn't do Diana......and Pippa just was herself
Archmage Atlantis: Not much scandal
Zen Arado: so much looting
Archmage Atlantis: Reminds me of the LA riots
Zen Arado: yeh
Zen Arado: think that's what they copy
Zen Arado: material goods are most important thing in young peole's lives
Archmage Atlantis: The answer is not more aggression...
Zen Arado: in N.Ireland there was little looting
Zen Arado: it was a political thing
Archmage Atlantis: Yes, Zen.....my mother''s ppl were from Ireland
Zen Arado: so waht is the answer ?
Archmage Atlantis: Scotch-Ireish, so they say.......tho both sides have been here since the 1400s
Zen Arado: you sure?
Archmage Atlantis: The answer is the one we ignore
Zen Arado: didn't think America was setled as early as that
Archmage Atlantis: Missed a digit
Archmage Atlantis: First ship manifest dates from the 1500s
Zen Arado: was it the Pilgrim Fathers?
Archmage Atlantis: No....Pilgrims.....oy vey
Zen Arado: 1620
Archmage Atlantis: NY, NJ then NC
Zen Arado: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk...im-Fathers.htm
Zen Arado: native Americans never riot do they?
Archmage Atlantis: No
Zen Arado: they fought fiercde wars way back though
Archmage Atlantis: They just create casinos for money
Zen Arado: or was that just in Western movies?
Archmage Atlantis: Yes
Zen Arado: they are basically peaceful people
Zen Arado: whire races more agressive
Archmage Atlantis: Indians, as they were called at the time, fought
Archmage Atlantis: even among themselves
Zen Arado: oh?
Archmage Atlantis: yes
Zen Arado: maybe we are all the same
Archmage Atlantis: Light goes on :)
Zen Arado: :)
Archmage Atlantis: yes, we are all human
Zen Arado: but white men of Northern races travelled the globe and plundered other countries
Archmage Atlantis: That is true, Zen
Zen Arado: the legacy of that lives on
Zen Arado: we imposed our way of life on other races
Archmage Atlantis: And some Black skinned ppls sold other black skinned ppls as slave
Zen Arado: still doing it I guess
Archmage Atlantis: Forget race
Zen Arado: yeh but maybe they learned that from us
FcSeeker Resident: also white people sell white people to slaves still...
Archmage Atlantis: Forget species
Archmage Atlantis: Celebrate life
FcSeeker Resident: specially women
Zen Arado: well if we want to understand why we have problems we can't ignore it
Zen Arado: yes true Fc
Archmage Atlantis: Agree FC
Zen Arado: mabe multiculturalism doesn't work
Archmage Atlantis: The slave trade in humans is still very much active
FcSeeker Resident: ...many spirits do the same things from life to life...
Archmage Atlantis: And my cats tell me, we humans don't do so good by them either
Zen Arado: hmmm...think they do ok by us :)
Zen Arado: they just lie arond and sleep and we feed and house them
Zen Arado: :)
FcSeeker Resident: they heal with their purring...
Zen Arado: yeh
Zen Arado: but think they get the best end of the deal
Qt Core: rl calls, bye all (and love to cats... and humans too)
Zen Arado: bye t:)
Archmage Atlantis: Right, Zen, .......declaw, desex...die, then leave them in a house
FcSeeker Resident: waves to Qt
Zen Arado: do you have a cat Fc?
FcSeeker Resident: have had many
FcSeeker Resident: not for years anymore
Zen Arado: yeh me too
Zen Arado: pet ownership is debatable
FcSeeker Resident: sometimes I still get the deep longing to take a cat, but I have not such home anymore that I could have a cat
Zen Arado: yeh me too
Zen Arado: need the right conditins
FcSeeker Resident: yes
Zen Arado: I have a ground floor apartment
Zen Arado: but too near a majot road
Zen Arado: Hi Paradise :)
Zen Arado: long time no see
FcSeeker Resident: Hello Paradise
Paradise Tennant: smiles hello Zen, Fc, Stev :) good morning :)
Zen Arado: we're just chatting aimlessly about race riots and cats :)
Zen Arado: don't know how we got to cat ownership from race riots though
FcSeeker Resident: Arch told about his cats teaching :)
Paradise Tennant: waves at arch ..sorry did not see you :)
Zen Arado: I think peole have pets as a substitute for human companionship soemtimes
Paradise Tennant: smiles yes they are easier :)
Zen Arado: and petes are more controllable and dependent
Zen Arado: pats
Zen Arado: pets
Archmage Atlantis: It, to me, is about seeing and learning......Blessings and namaste
Zen Arado: drat !!
Zen Arado: yeh
Zen Arado: bye Arch
Zen Arado: that is a hard philosophical view
Zen Arado: we prefer our illusions
Zen Arado: and cats are warm and cuddly
Zen Arado: :)
Zen Arado: no logic for that
Paradise Tennant: take care arch
Zen Arado: you there Steve?
Paradise Tennant: brb going to pour coffee :) 5 am here :)
Zen Arado: sure :)
FcSeeker Resident: maybe steve dont only think the breakfast :)
Zen Arado: yes thought he might
Zen Arado: was going to ask him about Taoism
FcSeeker Resident: <3
Zen Arado: I have never been to the 7pm session
Zen Arado: it is at 3am for me
Zen Arado: too late to stay up and too early to get up for
stevenaia Michinaga: sorry, I am back
Zen Arado: np
Paradise Tennant: smiles yes
stevenaia Michinaga: cats and tao, how can I help you
Paradise Tennant: smiles stev is an expert on both :)

Taoism and Zen:

Zen Arado: somebody at Ways of Knowing meeting was asking me if there were any people there who practiced Taoism
FcSeeker Resident: wb steve
stevenaia Michinaga: smiles, well my cat is an expert on both
Zen Arado: I don't know how you do that
Zen Arado: I mentioned that Zen is a mixture of Buddhism and Taoism
Zen Arado: cos I read that somewhere
stevenaia Michinaga: my understanding histoically was that Buddhism was much earlier
Zen Arado: oh yes
Zen Arado: but when Buddhism got to China...or was it Japan? it was mixed with Taoism
stevenaia Michinaga: and they influences the monestaryies in china, which resulted in the martial forms of kung fu and Tai Chi
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: Buddhism adopts the culture it comes to
stevenaia Michinaga: but I am nit sure I see the Zen link
Zen Arado: adapts to it
Zen Arado: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tao_of_Zen
stevenaia Michinaga: intersting, there are truly many many aspects of Buddism around the worls, at least from my readings and museum visits, seem to be a place for it in every culture, where as the jews adapt their culture to wheever they are and remain true to their original faith
stevenaia Michinaga: yet their architecture is quite emersive
stevenaia Michinaga: or adaptive
Paradise Tennant: can you say more stev :)
FcSeeker Resident: well...when the culture aims to true respect of other beings also, think it' s natural to it to adapt to other cultures...
stevenaia Michinaga: jsut an odservation on how religions adapt to their surroundings, which aspect they absorb
Zen Arado: hmmm yes...maybe some religions are lees adaptive to other cultures
FcSeeker Resident: in the end, it's humans who make the culture to come true...or not
Zen Arado: Zen is about dismantling belief systems though
stevenaia Michinaga: I spent much time in the Met Museum in NYC, their Asian wing is full of the many varieties of Buddhism though art
Paradise Tennant: sighs and is jealous :)
Zen Arado: so maybe that factor makes it easier assimilated by members of other religions
FcSeeker Resident: ohhh
stevenaia Michinaga: smiles
FcSeeker Resident: to what are you jealous Paradise ?
stevenaia Michinaga: (she isn;t going to NYC museums)
Paradise Tennant: of spending much time in the Met Museum in NYC :)
FcSeeker Resident: aha
stevenaia Michinaga: you can get lost in many cultures there
FcSeeker Resident: you can 'travel' there in your mind looking for pictures from it ...
Paradise Tennant: only have had a couple of days there all in :) it is such a big place with so much to see ... all of which takes time to truly absorb )
Zen Arado: many museaums can be viewed online nowadays
Paradise Tennant: smiles at FC thank you what a lovely idea
Zen Arado: art galleries in London are online I think
Paradise Tennant: can you say a bit more about zen being based on the dismantling of belief systems
Zen Arado: but so nice to see the real thing
Zen Arado: that's what koans are about
Zen Arado: we get so attached to our concepts and fixed ideas
stevenaia Michinaga: sorry, zen I did take us away from your original Zen/Tao direction
Paradise Tennant: yes something about being present with it in the room art is so much more than just a flat rectangle
Zen Arado: np it was intersting :)
stevenaia Michinaga: I seem to be waking up
Zen Arado: Zen is more about experiencing reality directly
Zen Arado: direct experience
Paradise Tennant: listens :)
stevenaia Michinaga: I ahve just a rudimentry exposure to Taoism, but there is something attractive there for me
stevenaia Michinaga: and even less w/ zen
stevenaia Michinaga: so I am intersted in the connection
stevenaia Michinaga: as you se eit
stevenaia Michinaga: it
stevenaia Michinaga: wasn't zen buddhism a later developemnt?
Zen Arado: well if you read the Tao Te Ching you see so many similarities to zen teaching
stevenaia Michinaga: I know I have little sence of either timeline
Zen Arado: yes
stevenaia Michinaga: such a simple (short) book :)
Zen Arado: I though Zen was the result of a leavening of Buddhism by Taoism
stevenaia Michinaga: yes the buddist teachings can be weighty
Zen Arado: but I would need to research that further
Zen Arado: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religi...ns/zen_1.shtml
Zen Arado: that's a good intro to Zen I think
Zen Arado: first line 'Zen Buddhism is a mixture of Indian Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism'
stevenaia Michinaga: nods, interesting...reading
Zen Arado: the problem with zen is that is is hard to put into words
stevenaia Michinaga: so it says...
stevenaia Michinaga: more of a state of mind
Zen Arado: since that kind of defining and categorizing is what it is attempting to get away from
stevenaia Michinaga: oops
Zen Arado: that is why in so many koans the young monk asks teh master ;what is zen'? and the master answers...3 pounds of flax ' or something equally ridiculous
Zen Arado: we are always trying to pin things down into a system or scheme when reality is impermanent and changing
stevenaia Michinaga: things like that do create furtile place for thought to merge
stevenaia Michinaga: there is always a connection, morso in the rediculous
Zen Arado: yeh
stevenaia Michinaga: finding that connection in yourself is a creative excerise
Zen Arado: connection?
Zen Arado: or freeing yourself from connections
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, from... "what is zen'? and the master answers...3 pounds of flax ' or something equally ridiculous"
Zen Arado: ah yes
stevenaia Michinaga: that connection can only be found within you
stevenaia Michinaga: (and good luck)
Zen Arado: 'what is the nature of ultimate reality?'.......'It just changed'
Zen Arado: :)
stevenaia Michinaga: so as soon as you know.. it's different
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: and our minds have well established habits of thinking
Zen Arado: we love our handles on reality
stevenaia Michinaga: yet are increadibly adaptable to new ways
Zen Arado: our happy illusions
Zen Arado: though they also cause us to suffer
Paradise Tennant: smiles our comfortable dream
Zen Arado: consensual illusions too
stevenaia Michinaga: ooo sunrise, brb time to put food in front of me
Zen Arado: yeh I have to go too
Paradise Tennant: thin pink glow here
Paradise Tennant: thank you Zen :)
Zen Arado: thank you for coming :)
Zen Arado: FC, Steve and Paradise
Zen Arado: byeee
Paradise Tennant: smiles I should go too .. dog is looking at the door :) thank you FC Stev ..very enjoyable session :)
FcSeeker Resident: waves
Paradise Tennant: namaste my friends :)
stevenaia Michinaga: bye Paradise
stevenaia Michinaga: enjoy your day
FcSeeker Resident: namaste
stevenaia Michinaga: night Fc
FcSeeker Resident: night :)