The Suchness Dimension

That evening, when I walked up to the tea house, I ran into Nate.

Pema Pera: Hi Nate!
Nate Bouras: hello
Pema Pera: Wanna join us for a cup of tea?
Pema Pera: We get together here in this tea house a few times a day
Nate Bouras: that’s cool, I’ve been by once or twice before.. :)
Pema Pera: we are just starting on the minute right now :-)
Pema Pera: good timing
Nate Bouras: great

We had walked into the tea house, just when Hotaru showed up as well. And she remembered that it was not evening for me, in Japan!

Pema Pera: Hi Hotaru!
Pema Pera: Meet Nate
Pema Pera: Nate, Hotaru!
Hotaru Myoo: Morning Pema!
Nate Bouras: hello hotaru
Hotaru Myoo: Hi Nate!
Hotaru Myoo: Buenos dias
Pema Pera: You have been in this area a few times, you said, Nate?
Nate Bouras: a couple at most, sat with Dakini Rhode before
Pema Pera: we gather here four times a day, a new initiative, to talk about the nature of reality
Pema Pera: in a very playful and informal way
Nate Bouras: ah
Pema Pera: complementary in many ways to what Dakini does
Pema Pera: she invited me to use this tea house that she built
Pema Pera: We have a blog on https://playasbeing.wordpress.com/
Nate Bouras: very cool, she’s been nice the couple times I talked with her
Pema Pera: yes, she’s great, gentle yet focused
Nate Bouras: :)
Nate Bouras: I blog at wordpress too
Pema Pera: yes, I just started looking at it, through your profile — will have a better look later
Nate Bouras: I’d check your out but my computer can’t handle a browse and SL at the same time without laggin badly

I gave a quick summary of our schedule.

Pema Pera: what we do is in RL to spend a few hours every day to engage in a few 9-second meditations, four times an hour, for a total of one or two minutes a day, about the time you need to brush your teeth
Pema Pera: then we meet in SL four times a day, to talk about our experiences
Pema Pera: at 1 am 7 am 1 pm 7 pm SL time
Nate Bouras: wow, that’s quite the SL commitment eh? I haven’t been on for a couple weeks I think… :)
Pema Pera: we make sure there is always one of us at least at each meeting
Pema Pera: haha
Pema Pera: we are spreading the commitment
Pema Pera: most of us have just one slot
Pema Pera: once a week
Pema Pera: but many of us come far more often
Hotaru Myoo: Pema has them all
Nate Bouras: lol
Hotaru Myoo: or so it seems
Hotaru Myoo: haha
Hotaru Myoo: his baby
Nate Bouras: lol
Hotaru Myoo: spread across the lot of us

Stim joined us, followed closely by Trevor.

Pema Pera: Hi Stim!
Stim Morane: Hi Pema!
Hotaru Myoo: Hiya
Pema Pera: well, I started this, but quickly it spread like a little wild fire ;>)
Hotaru Myoo: Pema?
Stim Morane: Hi all!
Hotaru Myoo: You play Go?
Pema Pera: yes, I do
Nate Bouras: it’s an interesting idea
Pema Pera: Stim, meet Nate!
Stim Morane: Hi Nate!
Nate Bouras: ‘lo Stim
Pema Pera: He has been to this area a few times, sitting with Dakini
Hotaru Myoo: Now that is a fun thing to do/talk about in the context of PaB
Pema Pera: how so?
Hotaru Myoo: the strategy of movement
Pema Pera: Hi Trevor!
Trevor Berensohn: Huloo LL
Pema Pera: ah, yes, go is wonderful in that sense!
Hotaru Myoo: Hi treavor
Pema Pera: art and math and strategy and balance, you name it
Nate Bouras: hi trevor
Hotaru Myoo: yes
Hotaru Myoo: beauty in its patterns
Stim Morane: Hi Trevor
Trevor Berensohn: Hi all. I can’t stay something’s come up with work but will see you all soon =)
Hotaru Myoo: the way it touches space and time
Pema Pera: Trevor, meet Nate, first time here, but he has joined Dakini’s sitting group a few times
Hotaru Myoo: Didn’t see you slip in
Pema Pera: hello and goodbye, Trev!

While Trevor left, Thorberg walked in.

Thorberg Nordlicht: hello, everyone
Trevor Berensohn: Will see u soon guys
Hotaru Myoo: Hi Thor!
Trevor Berensohn: Ah I got to do that earlier.
Hotaru Myoo: Nice of him to do the 9 secs here
Pema Pera: hahaha
Nate Bouras: are you all logging the 9 seconds that people come here?
Pema Pera: lol
Thorberg Nordlicht: i’m here in body, but not in spirit; be right back
Pema Pera: Hi Thor!
Hotaru Myoo: hmmm
Hotaru Myoo: contagious
Pema Pera: hehe
Hotaru Myoo: another 9 sec particpant
Hotaru Myoo: bet he’s back in 15
Pema Pera: lol, Hotaru!
Hotaru Myoo: must be tonight’s flavor
Pema Pera: hahaha
Pema Pera: yeah, one of those nights

Now that I’m preparing this chat text for the blog, I have to laugh out loudly again. Hotaru’s humor is certainly contagious (^_^).

Pema Pera: What we log in our blog, Nate, are snippets from our conversations
Pema Pera: to keep the continuity
Nate Bouras: ah ok
Nate Bouras: got it
Pema Pera: so that people can read what we discuss here, even when they’re not hear for some of the sessions
Nate Bouras: will check the blog out most definitely!
Pema Pera: Do you have a kind of practice, Buddhist or otherwise, if I may ask?
Nate Bouras: you should all see the small place I have some time, you are welcome to drop by it anytime
Pema Pera: thanks! Where is that?
Hotaru Myoo: got an lm?
Nate Bouras: I wish… I try to basically just be a kind person and know the consequences of certain actions
Nate Bouras: yes
Pema Pera: sounds wonderful all in itself Nate!
Pema Pera: we are not sectarian here
Hotaru Myoo: ah thanks Nate
Pema Pera: For example, I don’t consider myself a Buddhist, though I am very sympathetic to Buddhism
Nate Bouras: that’s cool
Pema Pera: but also to many other orientations
Pema Pera: I consider “waking up”, “realizing” as much a science as an art as something spiritual/religuous
Hotaru Myoo: Isn’t it interesting how the practice of PaB helps us to focus in on those orientations
Pema Pera: just reality — as it is
Hotaru Myoo: and find meaning through them

We talked about habits.

Nate Bouras: Buddhism is what I guess I would be closest too if I had to choose a persuasion, but I am far from how a “buddhist” is supposed to be, lots of work to do! :)
Pema Pera: lots of work to drop, perhaps :-)
Nate Bouras: to drop as well, either way things need a fixin, habits broken, etc
Nate Bouras: habits as in changing patterns based on habitual actions
Pema Pera: yes, and the question is how to fix: by doing or by letting go / dropping / letting be — subtle points . . . .
Nate Bouras: wow, never thought of that… how to fix it is what I’m trying to figure out. :)
Pema Pera: I think that spirituality is mostly and most purely about subtraction rather than addition
Nate Bouras: that makes sense though
Pema Pera: about not-doing rathere than doing
Nate Bouras: right
Pema Pera: at first a bit tricky to learn what that means
Pema Pera: then the most simple and easy and natural thing in the world
Pema Pera: we call our approach here Play as Being
Pema Pera: Being is what is,
Pema Pera: play is an easy way to shed
Pema Pera: to led go of our too-serious too-frozen habits
Pema Pera: does that feel right to you too?
Hotaru Myoo: always
Hotaru Myoo: Play is the essence of life
Hotaru Myoo: we begin our lives playing
Nate Bouras: kind of, I don’t think some are necessarily frozen, but changeable once a person realizes the re-action to things is based on habitual patterns we’ve grown accustomed to… so if that sounds like babble, getting late and brain is going to mush right now
Hotaru Myoo: and increasingly so ..
Hotaru Myoo: lose that
Hotaru Myoo: ability to play
Pema Pera: yes, I agree Nate — I just gave a rough sketch but indeed, habits are not necessarily bad
Pema Pera: keeping it playful and fluid is important, but habits are important too

It was time for Nate to leave, and we realized we had just lost Thorberg as well.

Nate Bouras: well I hate to say it, but I have to run soon too
Hotaru Myoo: would you argue that the antithesis is play?
Pema Pera: np, Nate
Nate Bouras: I will definitely be back again, this was great and is good chatting!
Pema Pera: Thanks for dropping by, and now you know where to find us
Pema Pera: Hotaru, roles are important parts of play
Pema Pera: and roles and habits may be related
Pema Pera: so not so much antithesis, I’d say
Pema Pera: or did I misread what you hinted at?
Pema Pera: Bye, Nate!
Stim Morane: Bye Nate!
Hotaru Myoo: Bye Nate
Pema Pera: And then there were three :-)
Hotaru Myoo: I think they are interconnected
Pema Pera: Thor must have crashed
Hotaru Myoo: haha
Hotaru Myoo: poof
Pema Pera: is there an English word for cushion that sounds like poof?
Pema Pera: or only in Dutch?
Pema Pera: it would be appropriate
Hotaru Myoo: whoopie
Hotaru Myoo: haha
Pema Pera: We spell it “poef”, actually what is underneath a cushion, a bit like an Ottoman, pronounced “poof”
Pema Pera: must be a very early tp device :-)
Hotaru Myoo: lol

We continued talking about habits.

Pema Pera: Stim, what is your view of habits
Pema Pera: ?
Stim Morane: habits? THat’s a very broad question.
Pema Pera: most of our questions here are :-)
Stim Morane: Yes, perhaps necessarily so. You mean habits related to Play?
Pema Pera: for example; Hotaru, would you like to say more about antithesis — was that about habits?
Pema Pera: or did I misunderstand?
Hotaru Myoo: well
Hotaru Myoo: play just seems to be more nonlinear
Pema Pera: yes
Hotaru Myoo: habits repeat
Hotaru Myoo: and are sequential
Hotaru Myoo: with a pattern emerging
Hotaru Myoo: play dances
Hotaru Myoo: so a rhythm might occur
Stim Morane: That’s interesting.
Hotaru Myoo: and a pattern settle in
Pema Pera: yes, and perhaps the emerging comes out of the play where habits are often more programmed — yes
Hotaru Myoo: so maybe it is just two different approaches that converge somewher
Pema Pera: but play can then lead to new habits
Hotaru Myoo: exactly
Pema Pera: and habits can provide new roles for play
Hotaru Myoo: sine/cosine
Pema Pera: yup
Hotaru Myoo: they weave
Pema Pera: ups & downs
Hotaru Myoo: ins and outs
Pema Pera: woove & warp — no how do you spell that?
Stim Morane: woof
Pema Pera: thnx!
Stim Morane: weft

Hotaru brought up her conversation with Isen recently, see our earlier Life is Wobbly session.

Hotaru Myoo: Isen said something to me today that I find interesting …
Hotaru Myoo: and it weaves into this conversation to a degree
Hotaru Myoo: about dukka
Hotaru Myoo: and the original sanskrit
Stim Morane: duhkha? I must have missed that part of the discussion.
Pema Pera: what did Isen say?
Hotaru Myoo: [15:18] Isen Enzo: A literal definition of “dukka! [15:18] Hotaru Myoo: get out! [15:18] Isen Enzo: from classic sanskrit.. [15:18] Hotaru Myoo: you read sanskrit? [15:18] Isen Enzo: means literaly, “wobbly axle” [15:19] Hotaru Myoo: haha [15:19] Hotaru Myoo: that has many applications [15:19] Isen Enzo: I got the info from “comp idiot g/t buddhism” and wikipedia… [15:19] Hotaru Myoo: oh…deep research [15:20] Isen Enzo: orig sanskrit allusion is from a potters wheel… [15:20] Hotaru Myoo: I like that image [15:20] Isen Enzo: chinese allusion was a wheel on a cart that was not exact… [15:20] Hotaru Myoo: huh [15:20] Isen Enzo: both allude to ‘wobbliness”
Stim Morane: oh yes, I remember that comment.
Pema Pera: yes, off balance, out of wack
Hotaru Myoo: weaving in and out of center
Hotaru Myoo: pattern and chaos
Stim Morane: I think play could be almost anything, even just looking out the window or walking down the street.
Hotaru Myoo: sure
Stim Morane: I am a fairly lazy person, so my sense of play is not very demanding, I’m afraid.
Hotaru Myoo: not the work hard /play hard type ?
Stim Morane: But in a spiritual sense, I hope that play can relate to celebration and expression
Hotaru Myoo: oh …I like your way of thinking!
Stim Morane: perhaps the work hard etc model you mention is itself play
Hotaru Myoo: yes
Hotaru Myoo: depending on your passions
Stim Morane: expression of what jumps the bounds of our local preoccupations
Hotaru Myoo: work is play
Hotaru Myoo: so true Stim
Stim Morane: yes, it should involve passion too, that is both gripping and yet not imprisoning
Hotaru Myoo: right

Hotaru and Stim continued talking about playing.

Stim Morane: enthusiasm is a related thing for me
Hotaru Myoo: if something to us has relevance
Hotaru Myoo: usually passion follows
Hotaru Myoo: and a meshing of work/play
Stim Morane: yes
Stim Morane: “driven by the presence of a god”
Hotaru Myoo: yes…a purpose
Stim Morane: yes
Stim Morane: higher purpose, and free too
Hotaru Myoo: yes…
Stim Morane: young creatures play to learn, to acquire motor skills & cognitive ones etc. But what does play mean as we grow?
Stim Morane: This is what we’re talking about, I guess
Hotaru Myoo: intentional release?
Stim Morane: that goes back to Pema’s point about subtracting
Hotaru Myoo: yes
Hotaru Myoo: paring down to the essential
Hotaru Myoo: speaking of paring …
Hotaru Myoo: I must take my leave you two..
Stim Morane: what would be an example of the play that involves rhythm etc? Oh, you have to leave. Well, another time!
Hotaru Myoo giggles
Hotaru Myoo: good to see and be here with you
Pema Pera: Thanks for dropping by, Hotaru!
Stim Morane: Yes, thanks!
Pema Pera: let’s continue this discussion some time soon!
Hotaru Myoo: the pleasure is all mine!
Hotaru Myoo: thank you!
Hotaru Myoo: cioa for now
Pema Pera: and all ours too at the same time :-)
Stim Morane: Bye!
Pema Pera: c u !

Stim and I were left, and continued the threads of the conversation.

Pema Pera: great conversation — and fascinating point, the question of what play is for adults
Pema Pera: perhaps we are all still growing up :-)
Stim Morane: I could have asked what “adults” are. Or should be.
Pema Pera: with respect to learning to deal with Being
Stim Morane: Yes
Stim Morane: I spent a lot of time pondering that question.
Pema Pera: can you say more?
Stim Morane: I never wanted to be an adult, until I realized there were hardly any around.
Stim Morane: Then I became interested.
Pema Pera: hahaha
Stim Morane: So there really aren’t many models for real maturity, and the issue of play as being consistent with maturation is not well understood.
Pema Pera: traditionally, maturation probably meant settling into the way of things — but our society’s patterns themselves change so dramatically on time scales of a decade or even less . . . .
Pema Pera: As for me, I felt I was growing older until I reached 23, early graduate days, and I felt comfortably staying there — still feel like about 23 :-)
Stim Morane: I know what you mean. And I agree re the conventional significance of play.
Stim Morane: I look forward to learning more about how participants of PaB understand play.
Pema Pera: we will help each other to understand
Pema Pera: that’s the beauty of PaB
Stim Morane: Yes, that’s a great opportunity, singled out here.
Stim Morane: Do some people feel like tossing the issue out?
Stim Morane: I mean, skipping it?
Pema Pera: don’t think so
Stim Morane: Good
Pema Pera: more a sense of meandering, in a good way
Pema Pera: exploring
Stim Morane: Yes, that’s preferable, all things considered.
Pema Pera: sniffing
Pema Pera: like dogs ;-)
Pema Pera: something new, what’s this ?!?

We continued talking about the idea of play.

Stim Morane: It’s certainly worth noting how little this point is explored in the traditions.
Pema Pera: can you say more?
Stim Morane: It’s mentioned, but not unpacked
Stim Morane: You are starting something new in that sense
Stim Morane: Of course things like taichi could be considered play, but here you’re looking at something much broader
Pema Pera: oh ya, much much less structured
Pema Pera: at least to start with
Pema Pera: though structure may emerge
Pema Pera: already happening: forest, building plans, guardian groups . . . .
Pema Pera: all totally unpremeditated
Stim Morane: Yes. But either way, placing so much on play is new
Pema Pera: interesting, I hadn’t conciously compared my intuition with the traditions . . . .
Stim Morane: practice in the traditional sense has to be put in the context of a view. i think the same applies to play, although only in a very open sense. I look forward to seeing what view emerges.
Pema Pera: . . . just seemed right for this day and age and for me myself :-)
Pema Pera: Yes, without a connection with Being I could not possible let this all flower the way it does
Pema Pera: and I feel on two minds, in some sense
Pema Pera: on the one hand, I see little point in stressing that, since it is so hard to put in words
Pema Pera: on the other hand, it is so essential that I’m not fully honest in a way if I don’t mention it
Pema Pera: quite a tricky situation
Stim Morane: Good luck with that one.
Pema Pera: I hope to express it in other ways besides words
Pema Pera: in all that I do — and don’t do, like not putting up rules and regulations ;-)
Pema Pera: But for me Being is like what the Time, Space, and Knowledge book points to — that book is not the only inspiration for me, but of all the books I’ve been influenced by the most direct one.
Stim Morane: As I’ve indicated in RL, I’m happiest with letting PaB be free of the traditional standard associated with Being, since that’s very advanced.
Pema Pera: But that may be just my personal trajectory, contingently so . . .
Pema Pera: . . . so while the TSK book itself is already outside any and all traditions, perhaps there is no need to invoke TSK — instead we can similarly start outside all traditions, including even TSK.

Talking about Being, Stim stressed how radically different Being is from anything else we tend to deal with.

Stim Morane: yes.
Stim Morane: they are not present in Being anyway
Pema Pera: Yes, and there are many other voices
Pema Pera: like Nisargadatta, whom Sky likes so much, and me too,
Stim Morane: yes. But he is not present in Being either.
Pema Pera: and many others, who each point to Being in their own very different way
Pema Pera: Indeed, the fact that Being does not include beings will the one of the hardest things to convey
Pema Pera: Just recently the topic came to that point
Pema Pera: perhaps for the first time since we started PaB
Stim Morane: they are not excluded, but they are not the center of what it Is.
Pema Pera: and they should never be the leverage point, the point of view, the place to look out from — something we’ve been trained to do our whole life . . . .
Stim Morane: Yes, that’s a point I try to encourage people to consider.
Pema Pera: To just BE without being a being, that’s all we need to learn . . . . even though that sentence already compromises since there is no need, no us, no learning no time to learn in . . . that’s why it’s almost impossible to speak about PaB and playing is easier :-)
Stim Morane: probably.
Pema Pera: But as an approximation, I could say, I think:
Pema Pera: As long as we think we are beings, we’ve missed to boat, and if we can just BE in a world without beings, we’re there — playing in a world in which Being plays, as Being, in Being, for Being . . . .
Pema Pera: The only question then is,
Pema Pera: a rather tricky questions,
Pema Pera: is it okay — close enough — to say:
Pema Pera: Being is playing beings?
Pema Pera: Beings is showing itself in a play of beings
Pema Pera: like you and me and everybody and everything we know?
Pema Pera: I know that has the danger of sounding as if Being is a type of Creator-God
Pema Pera: which would miss the point
Pema Pera: since nothing has ever been created . . . .
Pema Pera: and there is not even time in which to create anything . . . .
Pema Pera: Well, how would you phrase it?

Stim mentioned how hard it is to speak about Being in a positive way; much easier to talk negatively, stressing what it is not.

Stim Morane: the points you raise are the ones I’ve mentioned many times in previous discussions with you. But it’s not so easy to add more. My concern in the past was a “critical” one, to avoid attaching to ordinary structures and assumptions that don’t apply.
Stim Morane: To comment in a positive vein is more difficult _verbally_. It’s probably where play comes in.
Pema Pera: Concretely, if I say in a first approximation:
Pema Pera: “our goal is to play as Being, i.e. each of us can play as if we are not the little being we normally think we are and instead we can play-pretend to be Being . . . .”
Pema Pera: that would be a start
Pema Pera: and then I could immediately add:
Pema Pera: “but in fact, Being is already playing us — each of us are being played by Being”
Pema Pera: implying that in fact PaB means Being playing beings playing Being
Pema Pera: how close does that come? what is missed out there?
Stim Morane: I really think each of us, while unborn, is thereby the totality of Being
Stim Morane: I don’t think Being is playing us.
Pema Pera: how would you rephrase my few-sentence summary?
Stim Morane: well, this brings us back … there’s the time and causation problems, and the puppet-master image, etc. … things I would prefer not to invoke.
Stim Morane: In the unborn nature of beings etc., exactly There there is the totality, without creature or creator.
Pema Pera: but as an approximation, what would you say?
Stim Morane: you mean, in addition?
Pema Pera: that even phenomena are illusory?
Stim Morane: those are the same
Stim Morane: no, in the Suchness dimension they are unborn, and thus authentically present too.
Stim Morane: So they are the totality
Pema Pera: Yes, I can feel the force of that statement

I felt we were coming closer to the core of the question of Being, as the two of us had done at many occasions in conversations in RL, over the last few years.

Stim Morane: as objects (apparently) of a mind used by a subject to observe, they are not Being
Stim Morane: But then we are talking about something much more hypothetical, less directly So.
Pema Pera: but not outside Being either . . .
Pema Pera: they appear . . . .
Pema Pera: or . . . ?
Stim Morane: I would just say the scenario you posit has never Actually obtained
Stim Morane: this requires a stretch…
Stim Morane: there are not two cases
Pema Pera: So there is only Being, a tautology in a sense, the unborn, outside all of our categories including time, identity, beings, experience, even phenomena . . . .
Stim Morane: No
Stim Morane: It too has never Actually obtained.
Stim Morane: In that is the real Being
Stim Morane: I notice something is lighting up our little tea house.
Pema Pera: Your “No” refered to my “So there is only Being” ?
Stim Morane: yes
Pema Pera: You mean, “there is” is already wrong?
Stim Morane: yes
Pema Pera: Light changes in mysterious ways here :-)
Stim Morane: in the fact that that has never obtained, is the real Being
Pema Pera: So the “there” is wrong, only IS ?
Stim Morane: but once we start setting up abstractions as though they are Actual, then we have all sorts of problems
Pema Pera: “there” still implying location in time and space, subtly?
Pema Pera: yes, that I what I meant when I commented on the force of one of your statements above.
Stim Morane: re your comment, yes, talking tends to invoke claims like that … i wonder if play will jump people out?
Pema Pera: might, yes
Pema Pera: let people jump out of being people, lol
Pema Pera: me out of being me
Pema Pera: you out of being you

Yes, I continued to feel the force of what we were talking about, in a guts kind of way.

Stim Morane: I said play didn’t figure much in the traditions. Perhaps it would have been fairer to say that it only tended to be used in the highest part of things like Ch’an/Zen. That’s what we’re discussing now too.
Pema Pera: yeah, and the crazy Mahasiddhas perhaps
Pema Pera: seemingly crazy
Stim Morane: yeah, and thereby being really true to ourselves
Stim Morane: absolutely
Pema Pera: Milarepa bursting out in song
Stim Morane: oh, he made songs about all sorts of things. But they usually had a teaching emphasis.
Pema Pera: or Shabkar
Pema Pera: or Tilopa
Stim Morane: I’m curious about that light? Would you mind if I went to see what it is?
Pema Pera: sure
Pema Pera: and I can show you the Hall of Appearance, very appropriate in our discussion :-)
Stim Morane: oh good
Pema Pera: across the bridge, then to your left
Pema Pera: I emailed instructions just an hour ago
Pema Pera: but can show it right here now
Stim Morane: yes i saw them
Pema Pera: ah, okay
Stim Morane: but let’s take a look now
Pema Pera: just across the bridge, then left and straight
Pema Pera: you’ll run into the Hall

We had started to walk toward the Hall of Appearance.

Stim Morane: continue?
Pema Pera: behind the Peace Pagoda
Pema Pera: yes
Stim Morane: ah, I actually found something. A rare event!
Pema Pera: haha, the exploration is beginning!
Stim Morane: now I’m getting excited!
Pema Pera: if you walk through to the largest room at the end
Pema Pera: and turn right
Pema Pera: you have a view of the forest
Pema Pera: Here is where we have our guardian meetings
Pema Pera: Sunday morning 7:30 am for you
Stim Morane: yes, I’ll be there
Stim Morane: thanks for the help!
Pema Pera: so if you go through this door
Pema Pera: in front of me, you’ll see the forest — have you been there?
Stim Morane: no

To our pleasant surprise, we found Stevenaia walking around in the Hall.

Pema Pera: Hi Steve!
stevenaia Michinaga: evening
Pema Pera: have you met Stim yet?
Stim Morane: Hi
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, he was here yesterday
Pema Pera: I’m showing Stim the area
Pema Pera: Stim, why don’t you walk through the door
stevenaia Michinaga: how was tonight?
Pema Pera: in front of you
Pema Pera: great, Steve!
Pema Pera: we talked about Being
Pema Pera: very very directly
Pema Pera: will put up the log soon

Meanwhile we had walked up to the waterfall. Stim had sat down on the grass, and I was trying to sit nearby, which took me a few tries before I faced in the right direction.

Pema Pera: hard to sit on the grass correctly!
Stim Morane: yes
Stim Morane: it’s an advanced yogic skill
Pema Pera: there! done!
Stim Morane: since I have already used up all my luck just sitting down, perhaps I should quit while I’m ahead. I’ll see you both on Sunday!
Pema Pera: the problem here, Stim, is that outdoors if you are more than about 20 meters away from each other, you can’t “hear” each other anymore.
Stim Morane: I see. That’s helpful to know.
Pema Pera: so we have to be careful to either shout or use IMs to communicate, unless we are really close
Stim Morane: ah
Pema Pera: do you know about shouting?
Stim Morane: no
Pema Pera: hit control I think on a pc while hitting return
You shout: like this
Pema Pera: that last sentence should be heard over I guess 100 meter or so
Pema Pera: can you try it Stim?
Stim Morane shouts: OK, this is a shout!
Pema Pera: yes
Stim Morane: Hmm
Pema Pera: so when someone is walking near the tea house
Pema Pera: and we want to make sure to tell that person he/she is welcome to come in
Pema Pera: it is good to shout
Pema Pera: or to use an IM
Pema Pera: unless they are really nearby
Stim Morane: I see. I’ll remember.
Stim Morane: Thanks

Stim and I were both about to leave, but I first wanted to show the tavern.

Pema Pera: Well, I have to get going soon too.
Pema Pera: Stevenaia, where you just walking around?
Stim Morane: I should go now, but thanks for the nice chat!
stevenaia Michinaga: night pema, thx for the emails
Pema Pera: same here!
Pema Pera: Good to touch base about Being :-)
Stim Morane: nice place
Pema Pera: sure, let me know if there is any problem
Pema Pera: yes, Stim, Storm did all this
Pema Pera: singlehandedly
Stim Morane: yes, I gathered that. Amazing
Pema Pera: oh, do you have one minute, Stim?
Stim Morane: ok
stevenaia Michinaga: I had a fleeting Being moment today, but like a dream it’s been forgotten
Pema Pera: just wanna show the house here too, a kind of tavern
stevenaia Michinaga: take care
Stim Morane: thanks! Bye!
Pema Pera: Stim?
Pema Pera: Steve?
Pema Pera: So this is one kind of pub
Pema Pera: what do you think?
Stim Morane: un huh
Pema Pera: Yesterday we were playing darts here :-)
stevenaia Michinaga: is that a go board
Pema Pera: old british style
Stim Morane: I like the basic materials.
Pema Pera: hmm, could be go board, but probably not
Pema Pera: have to ask Storm
Pema Pera: ah!
Pema Pera: it does say 9×9 GO
Pema Pera: coloration a bit odd, white squares instead of blond wood
Pema Pera: well, we can try some other time!
Stim Morane: I look forward to a game sometime

And so it was, a real go board, albeit much smaller than the regular 19×19 boards.

Pema Pera: Sorry, Steve, didn’t mean to cut you off
stevenaia Michinaga: no it was a complete thought
Pema Pera: You said “stevenaia Michinaga: I had a fleeting Being moment today, but like a dream it’s been forgotten”
Pema Pera: yes, I know how that feels!
Stim Morane: yes, I should leave now. Let you get on with your chat!
Pema Pera: most moments are like that
Pema Pera: bye Stim!
Stim Morane: Bye Pema and Steve!
stevenaia Michinaga: bye Stim, nice seeing you again
stevenaia Michinaga: you heading out too?
Pema Pera: in a minute, yes
Pema Pera: lunch time in Kyoto!
stevenaia Michinaga: awww, nice
Pema Pera: But if there is something you’d like to say, by all means!
stevenaia Michinaga: you working there?
Pema Pera: yup
stevenaia Michinaga: no I just signed on
Pema Pera: one of the great pleasures of SL — you just sign on, from any place on Earth at any time, and you’re likely to find at least a few friends online as well
stevenaia Michinaga: yes
Pema Pera: well, I have to leave now
stevenaia Michinaga: no problem
stevenaia Michinaga: see you soon
Pema Pera: great running into you again, Steve!
Pema Pera: bfn
stevenaia Michinaga: always

A Calm Day

That afternoon, Solobill was the guardian. He later wrote me the following summary.

I arrived just before 1:00pm SLT to see Isen chatting with Zorbeklegras by the great wooden Buddha. Not wanting to interrupt, I went into the tea house and sat. A very calm day compared to my last hosting session; perhaps a deep breath of our little PaB world here. I took the time to catch up on posts to the blog, and see that Pema is still buying land. Wonderful! The tea was delicious! Looking forward to seeing my friends, old and new, soon!

Three Continents

Another morning in Rieul, with Maxine and Moon arriving at the tea house around the same time I did.

Pema Pera: Hi there, Maxine!
Maxine Walden: hi, Pema
Maxine Walden: nice morning..or evening
Pema Pera: Evening here in Kyoto, and yes, nice indeed!
Moon Fargis: hello everyone
Pema Pera: Hi Moon!
Maxine Walden: yes, again the different times zones and yet we are here…hello Moon
Pema Pera: Fun to have the three of us here in one room in SL, while we are on three different continents in RL !
Maxine Walden: amazing!
Pema Pera: Have you two met before?
Maxine Walden: I don’t think so…nice to meet you Moon
Moon Fargis: nice to meet you too maxine:)
Pema Pera: So it is early morning for Max, mid afternoon for Moon, and late evening here for me :-)
Moon Fargis: ahh hi storm!
Maxine Walden: spanning to globe…
Maxine Walden: hi, Storm, very nice to see you!

Storm was the second European RL resident joining us, and Riddle the second North Amercian RL resident.

Storm Nordwind: Hi everyone
Pema Pera: Hi Storm!
Storm Nordwind: Thank you
Pema Pera: And hi Riddle!
Moon Fargis: hi riddle
Storm Nordwind: I wasn’t expecting to be here
Pema Pera: So two of us in the US, two in Europe, and me in Asia, wow!
Riddle Sideways: good morning all
Maxine Walden: Storm, saw the big old tree you created, and one of its roots reminded me of the Loch Ness Monster, very Scottish monster, you know!
Maxine Walden: hi, Riddle
Storm Nordwind: Haha!. I’m so glad it is evocative!
Maxine Walden: oh, yes, very evocative!
Storm Nordwind: I may not stay long. Jobe and i are sick. I am mapping the lands at the moment. We were going to a festival today but we have stayed at home so as not to spread the illness around
Pema Pera: Sorry to hear that, Storm, I hope nothing serious!
Maxine Walden: sorry about your both not feeling well
Riddle Sideways: pleas get well
Storm Nordwind: Thank you for your concern. Much apprectiated.It’s a kind of bronchial flu. We’ll be OK.
Storm Nordwind: Didn’t want any of the 3000 people there to get it. Especially our 77 year old teacher!
Maxine Walden: still, bronchial can feel pretty debilitating while it has its grip
Pema Pera: Sounds like something you want to be careful with — please try to take it easy!
Maxine Walden: yes, huge gathering!
Storm Nordwind: We shall. Jobe is resting now.
Moon Fargis: ere my friend take a tea ..tea is always good :)
Maxine Walden: good
Storm Nordwind: Thank you Moon!
Riddle Sideways: TY
Pema Pera: and take out a cup for Jobe!
Storm Nordwind: I shall!
green tea Bizen whispers: Thank you
Maxine Walden: oh, yes, both of you will take our warmest wishes as well as the tea
Storm Nordwind: Thank you so very much! :)

Riddle hadn’t visited for a while, so I mentioned the forest that Storm has started to create.

Pema Pera: Riddle, have you seen the new forest?
Riddle Sideways: no, I have not
Pema Pera: when you get a chance, do have a look — it’s coming along very nicely, thanks to Storm’s efforts
Pema Pera: and skills!
Maxine Walden: yes, it very nice and evidence of a lot of work and dedication
Riddle Sideways: please remind me where it is
Pema Pera: It’s in the middle of the sim to the North of here, Magoja
Riddle Sideways: TY
Storm Nordwind: Have any of you visited the Inn there recently?
Maxine Walden: I was there a few days ago with others, not since
Pema Pera: not in the last few days, since we had our party there — yes, like Max
Pema Pera: you mentioned having introduced games?
Pema Pera: we need a go board there . . . .
Storm Nordwind: I still have to make the sitting on the chairs better. But there are two games there now and some – er – refreshments, although I need to swap the beverage glasses for a new one I’m making
Maxine Walden: steins of beer available?
Storm Nordwind: And it needs an Inn sign
Moon Fargis: ohoh.. this timing is awfull i got a issue in sl wich i have to clear… sorry my friends i have to leave ;(
Pema Pera: np
Pema Pera: thanks for stopping by Moon!
Maxine Walden: sorry, Moon, take care
Riddle Sideways: np
Moon Fargis: ok see you later
Storm Nordwind: Great to see you
Maxine Walden: ( can stay another 10-12 minutes, just mentioning)

Moon left, and we focused on how to drink our beer.

Storm Nordwind: So which tankard do you prefer Maxine, the brass or the pewter? (in front of you)
Maxine Walden: oh, the brass, I think
Maxine Walden: (magic to have those right here to choose from)
Maxine Walden: but what thoughts do others have? Know in RL pewter is not so good for the system, but in olden days folks did not know that so they were popular in pubs, etc
Storm Nordwind: Yes that is so
Storm Nordwind: Pewter is still the most easy to get
Pema Pera: I’m happy to follow Maxine’s choice, cheerful color too!
Maxine Walden: then maybe we should go for that; SL and RL do have differences…
Storm Nordwind: I agree! Then I will incorporate that into the barrel system. The default glass is not so nice!
Riddle Sideways: either choice should not effect the taste of the brew in SL
Maxine Walden: right, the taste will remain great in SL
Storm Nordwind: Yes! I always think that the taste is modified by the friends you have around you. :))
Maxine Walden: oh, yes, isn’t that so!
Maxine Walden: friends and atmosphere affect so much of experience
Storm Nordwind: Especially when there are common threads between us, such as we are developing here
Maxine Walden: the continuing weave of threads, more and more

We talked about the different times slots in our PaB activities.

Storm Nordwind: Yesterday, when doing the guardian slot, I actually had someone turn up. It was Isen and he was on a roll. Wonderful conversation!
Maxine Walden: oh, great, I look forward to reading it in the blog; not many folk drop by when you are guardian?
Pema Pera: ((It will be up in half a day or so))
Storm Nordwind: It’s often a dead time at 1pm SLT
Riddle Sideways: today was a test of whether I could get in before the top of the hour
Pema Pera: and at 1 am SLT even more so :-)
Riddle Sideways: didnt make it
Maxine Walden: I see,
Pema Pera: Still busy in RL, hey, Riddle, I take it?
Maxine Walden: yes, those may be the most difficult times for folks to come, the 1am, 1pm times…
Pema Pera: How is the new product launch going?
Riddle Sideways: I get daugther out at 7am
Pema Pera: ah!
Riddle Sideways: then try to get in SL
Maxine Walden: yes, can appreciate the family RL priorities
Riddle Sideways: software is in Beta and lots of testers are turning up bugs
Storm Nordwind: By the way, I will have a new land map available on the groups website later today.
Riddle Sideways: good, TY
Maxine Walden: wonderful, Storm, and Riddle, is it good to have the testers turn up bugs, or a mixed picture?
Riddle Sideways: ha, I would like to have bug-less sw and on-time children
Storm Nordwind thinks it’s always good to have testers turn up bugs! Sooner rather than later.
Pema Pera: Thanks a lot, Storm, looking forward to seeing the new map!
Maxine Walden: a perfect world it would be with on-time kids and bug-less software!!, yes, looking forward to seeing the map as well, Storm

Amidst the visions of a perfect world, Showshow showed up.

Pema Pera: Hi Showshow!
showshow Camel: hi all
Pema Pera: good seeing you here again.
Riddle Sideways: hi showshow
Maxine Walden: hi, showshow, nice to meet you
Storm Nordwind: Nice to meet you Showshow
showshow Camel: nice to meet u 2
Maxine Walden: or do you prefer Camel?
showshow Camel: Please call me showshow
Pema Pera: Showshow, you are also in Japan right now, aren’t you?
showshow Camel: Yeah
Maxine Walden: OK
showshow Camel: I’m japanese
Maxine Walden: ah
Pema Pera: I am in Kyoto now :-)
showshow Camel: wow
Pema Pera: And Storm is in Europe (almost: in Scotland)
Maxine Walden: have to leave soon, minute or so
Pema Pera: and Maxine and Riddle are in the US

The question came up as to what part of the UK lies in Europe :-)

Storm Nordwind: haha! Scotland IS part of Europe!
Riddle Sideways: LOL
Pema Pera: well . . . . .
Storm Nordwind: It’s just that English never think so!
Pema Pera: I’ve heard other opinions . . . .
Pema Pera: ah!
Pema Pera: a landbridge?
Maxine Walden: always wondered about that; the UK feeling itself as part of Europe or not, and of course whether the Scots consider themselves part of the UK!
Storm Nordwind: Exactly so. The Scots want independence and are closer to Europe than England
Maxine Walden: so interesting!!
Maxine Walden: have to go in a moment, hate to leave this interesting conversation
Storm Nordwind: And of course when there is a sport event between, say, France and England, the Scots support the French! (not that I follow sport myself!)
Maxine Walden: bet that gets riots near to brewing in the football fans
Pema Pera: It’s half past, shall we take a quick 3-minute look at the forest, to show it to Riddle and Showshow?
Storm Nordwind: In Scotland, football is not only a religion, it also reflects the religion you follow!
Storm Nordwind: Sure
Riddle Sideways: yes, then I need to go
Pema Pera: 新しい森を作ります。
Maxine Walden: have to go…see you all later, give the forest and the Loch Ness Monster my best. bye
Pema Pera: okay!
Storm Nordwind: Bye Maxine!
Pema Pera: bye Maxine!
Riddle Sideways: bye maxine

After Maxine had left, we walked over to the forest. I told Showshow that Storm had created the forest over the last couple weeks, and Showshow kindly correctly some details in my Japanese, while we splashed around in the water, before going to the pub.

showshow Camel: 日本語わかりますか？
Pema Pera: はい！
Pema Pera: はい，そうです。
Pema Pera: 綺麗ですよね。
Riddle Sideways: oooooo very nice
showshow Camel: yeah
Pema Pera: Stormさんは全部作た
Pema Pera: 二週間で
Storm Nordwind: You can dry off in the Inn Riddle!
showshow Camel: Storm さんが、全部作った。
Riddle Sideways: TY
Pema Pera: ah, yes, let’s have a look at the Inn!
Pema Pera: どうもどうも
Storm Nordwind: The blue and white posts mark where the river will continue
Storm Nordwind: Please enter
Riddle Sideways: ah, very nice
No room to sit here, try another spot.
Storm Nordwind: At the moment you have to aim exactly on the edge!
Storm Nordwind: Careful if you sit on a chair
Storm Nordwind: Anyone for darts?

I had mentioned darts for fun, as an appropriate asset for a British pub, and to my surprise Storm had indeed got a set!

Pema Pera: darts? Wow
Pema Pera: you added those?
Storm Nordwind: Come over here
Storm Nordwind: Let me open the cupboard
Storm Nordwind: Touch the box underneath to play
Pema Pera: I hope nobody will hit the beer barrel by mistake . . . ..
Renouf Dart Dispenser: Wear the dart in your Right Hand. Enter Mouselook to Shoot.
Renouf Dart Dispenser owned by Storm Nordwind gave you ‘Renouf Dart Thrower 2’ ( http://slurl.com/secondlife/Magoja/63/104/60 ).
Storm Nordwind: They will be banned!
Storm Nordwind: You can go up to the line on the floor if you wish
Renouf Dart Dispenser: Wear the dart in your Right Hand. Enter Mouselook to Shoot.
Renouf Dart Thrower 2 whispers: Use Mouselook (press ‘M’) to throw darts.
Renouf Dart Thrower 2 whispers: Choose ‘Detach’ from my menu to take me off.
Storm Nordwind: You go first!
Pema Pera: hmmm
Storm Nordwind: Go to mouselook first
Storm Nordwind: aim
Storm Nordwind: then click
Storm Nordwind: not bad!
Storm Nordwind: Let me try too
Pema Pera: What fun!
Pema Pera: But I have not had beer yet
Storm Nordwind: haha!
Pema Pera: so this is not fair :-)
Riddle Sideways: LOL
Storm Nordwind: I obviously have!
Storm Nordwind: Grab a glass from the big barrel. The glasses are crude at the moment

I guess I was just lucky in my first try. But alas, I had to go to an astronomy meeting, also in SL.

Pema Pera: I’m afraid I have to leave now, Storm; an astronomy meeting going on — I almost forgot about it
Pema Pera: having so much fun here.
Storm Nordwind: Oh OK!
Riddle Sideways: TY very much Storm
Pema Pera: Good seeing you both here — I guess Showshow left already?
Riddle Sideways: I too must leave
Pema Pera: Yes, thanks a lot Storm!
Storm Nordwind: No problem. Before you go, just look at the end of the table
Pema Pera: c u and get well soon — say hi to Jobe for us!
Riddle Sideways: I can see I need to be in SL and practice more
Riddle Sideways: hope you get better
Storm Nordwind: Thank you both!

Heian Kimonos

That morning, at 1 am, I met Joseph and Vera, when I rezzed into SL in front of my house.

joseph Ruhig: Hello, Pema!!!
Vera Jonson: hey there
joseph Ruhig: how are you?
Pema Pera: I’m fine
Pema Pera: Hi there!
Pema Pera: Hi Vera!
Vera Jonson: wanted to ask you something pema it’s you choice and you’re students to input into it
joseph Ruhig: I have to ask.. Yre you “he” or “she”?
Pema Pera: sure, please go ahead!
joseph Ruhig: wir sehen uns spät!
Pema Pera: well, the answer you can find out very easily by clicking on my profile
joseph Ruhig: ok..
joseph Ruhig: :-)
Pema Pera: I am Piet Hut
Pema Pera: a “he” :>)
Pema Pera: astronomer, from Holland, now working in the US
Pema Pera: Do you know how to click on a profile?
Vera Jonson: you see i’m going around the ochyas and offering people the possibility to contribute into having kimonos made and put into a shop of the traditional to the unorthodoxy to bizarre
joseph Ruhig: yes.
Vera Jonson: so one of these places was my stop
joseph Ruhig: so. I´m going, friend
joseph Ruhig: bye!
Pema Pera: By Joseph
Vera Jonson: byes

Joseph left, and Vera and I talked a bit more.

Pema Pera: Vera, are you interested in things Japanese?
Vera Jonson: yes which is why i’m doing this
Vera Jonson: well the unique kimono ideas that is ^^
Pema Pera: sounds fascinating!
Vera Jonson: have you had any ideas you wanted to contribute so far i have one female one and one furry neko one
Pema Pera: oh, I don’t know much about kimonos . . . .
Pema Pera: . . . but I would love to have a kimono from way back when
Pema Pera: from Heian jidai
Pema Pera: the Heian period
Pema Pera: in Kyoto, 800 – 1200
Pema Pera: very different from later kimonos we normally associate with Japan
Vera Jonson: i see hmm
Pema Pera: do you know what they look like?
Vera Jonson: hesian period you say?
Pema Pera: Heian
Vera Jonson: heian oh
Pema Pera: before samurai, before tea ceremony, before zen
Pema Pera: a part of Japanese history most people know little about
Pema Pera: fascinating time though
Pema Pera: women could own property
Pema Pera: lived in their own houses
Vera Jonson: sounds like you might have something sl has neglected
Pema Pera: (^_^)
Pema Pera: Did Joseph bring you here?
Vera Jonson: nope like i said earlier this was one of my stops as i go around the ochyas
Pema Pera: ah, and Joseph just happened to be here?
Vera Jonson: yup
Pema Pera: Sorry, I just logged in, this is my little hut here
Pema Pera: and I found both of you, so didn’t know the context

I mentioned our PaB activities.

Vera Jonson: nice ^^
Pema Pera: oh very simple
Pema Pera: we have large plans to make a forest
Pema Pera: spanning many sims
Pema Pera: parts of a dozen sims
Pema Pera: with various buildings
Pema Pera: ponds, rivers, retreat huts
Pema Pera: It is part of an activity called “Play as Being” see https://playasbeing.wordpress.com/
Vera Jonson: never heard of it
Pema Pera: it’s new ;>)
Pema Pera: we started last month
Pema Pera: here in Rieul
Pema Pera: The basic idea is to explore reality
Pema Pera: in new non-traditional way
Vera Jonson: you could try for rainforesty kind of
Pema Pera: borrowing from contemplative approaches, such as Buddhism, but not restricting ourselves to any particular approach
Pema Pera: sure
Pema Pera: we have bits and pieces of land
Pema Pera: all the way from here to the sea in the West
Vera Jonson: do you have any furry students or do you allow any?
Pema Pera: were we may plant a Mangrove forest
Pema Pera: we allow anyone and everyone
Pema Pera: unless they bother others, of course — no griefers ;>)
Pema Pera: actually, we get together every day
Pema Pera: four times a day
Pema Pera: every four hours
Pema Pera: 1 am 7 am 1 pm 7 pm SL time
Pema Pera: which happens to be right now
Pema Pera: so I will walk over to the tea house where we meet
Pema Pera: if you like to keep talking, please come along, it is just around the corner

We both walked over to the tea house, a mere 150 meters or so. We found the tea house empty.

Vera Jonson: maybe everyone is sleeping?
Pema Pera: please make yourself comfortable!
Pema Pera: yes, I think many people are sleeping
Vera Jonson: ah well
Pema Pera: we have a system in which we make sure that at least someone is here each time, during the four slots each day
Pema Pera: it is my turn right now
Vera Jonson: have to take care of rl first before second life
Vera Jonson: no sense in hurting yourself but i do appreciate someone being here
Pema Pera: hurting yourself? in what way?
Vera Jonson: staying awake too late or eyestrain XD
Pema Pera: oh, haha, I am in Japan right now, in Kyoto
Pema Pera: I will go to dinner soon
Pema Pera: so no problem :-)
Vera Jonson: near harajuku japan?
Pema Pera: no, Harajuku is in Tokyo in RL
Vera Jonson: ah
Pema Pera: And Kyoto, where I am now in RL, is a few hundred miles away
Vera Jonson: x_x
Pema Pera: Have you been in Japan?
Vera Jonson: no but i would LOVE to go someday =(
Pema Pera: I’m sure you’d like it, yes
Pema Pera: I come here every year for my work

I gave a brief summary of Play as Being.

Pema Pera: by the way, what we are doing in the group of people who gather here, a few dozen people in total who come regularly
Pema Pera: is that we try out some very very short type of mediations
Pema Pera: 9 seconds each time
Pema Pera: once every 15 minutes
Pema Pera: for a few hours each day in RL
Pema Pera: and then here in SL we talk about our experiences
Pema Pera: see also my blog https://playasbeing.wordpress.com/
Vera Jonson: if you would like to submit you’re heian unique kimono as a notecard feel free to do so everyone is welcome to sumbit stuffs and if you feel so inclined you may send a bulletin to you’re group
Vera Jonson: ok?
Pema Pera: Well, I am not quite sure how to describe it
Pema Pera: there are many ways to go about it
Pema Pera: and many different styles . . . .
Pema Pera: .. . . . if you do a google on Heian you will get the idea, I’m sure

We talked about various other aspects of Vera’s adventures, and then it became time for me to leave.

Pema Pera: I have to be off to dinner now, in RL, here in Kyoto
Pema Pera: Feel free to drop by here, whenever you like
Pema Pera: this is the most quite time
Pema Pera: at 7 pm SL time, there are often 6 to 10 people or more
Pema Pera: all very friendly :-)
Vera Jonson: i found some heian kimonos do you have an email i could send them to
Pema Pera: sure, piet@ias.edu
Pema Pera: also on my web site, which is listed on my profile, and also on our https://playasbeing.wordpress.com/ web site
Pema Pera: see you, and good luck with your kimonos!
Vera Jonson: if you would still like to send a kimono idea in or can feel free
Pema Pera: okay, will do!
Pema Pera: take care!