2009.12.03 - Workshop 36

The following is the transcript for the workshop of Dec 3rd 2009.

Gaya Ethaniel: Hello Stim :)
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Stim:)
Gaya Ethaniel: Hello Eliza :)
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Stim, Scath, Gaya, Justine :)
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Eliza:)
Stim Morane: Hi Gaya, Scathach, Eliza!
Justine Rhapsody: Hi Eliza :)
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Timbo:)
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Tim...think I saw right through you before :)
Gaya Ethaniel: Hello Tim :)
Timbo Quan: hello everyone
Stim Morane: Hi Timbo
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Pila!
Gaya Ethaniel: Hello Pila :)
Pila Mulligan: greetings freinds
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Pila:0
Timbo Quan: Hello Pila
Justine Rhapsody: Hello Pila
Stim Morane: Hi Pila!
Eliza Madrigal: greetings and felicitations
Pila Mulligan: hi Tarmel
Gaya Ethaniel: Hello Tarmel :)
Tarmel Udimo: Hi all!
Eliza Madrigal: Hello again Tarmel, Kaju
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Tarmel:)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Stim Morane: Hey Tarmel!
Tarmel Udimo: Finally a day I can make it
Timbo Quan: Hi Tarmel
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Justine Rhapsody: Hello Tarmel
Tarmel Udimo: Stim you've changed:)
Gaya Ethaniel: Hello Calvino :)
Pila Mulligan: hi Calvino
Calvino Rabeni: greetings Gaya :)
Stim Morane: Hi Justine, Calvino
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Calvino!
Tarmel Udimo: Hi again Calvino
Timbo Quan: Hello Calvino
Calvino Rabeni: :) Scath, everyone
Justine Rhapsody: hello Calvino
Gaya Ethaniel: Hello Storm :)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: Hello Calvino, Storm
Tarmel Udimo: hello storm, nice entrance
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Storm:)
Timbo Quan: Hello Storm
Storm Nordwind grins
Tarmel Udimo: good, content
Pila Mulligan: hi Storm
Storm Nordwind: 5.6, 5.7, 5.4
Stim Morane: Hi Storm
Storm Nordwind: Hi all
Gaya Ethaniel: Hello Dao :)
Dao Yheng: Hi! Still rezzing chairs :)
Timbo Quan: Hi Storm, Dao
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Stim Morane: Hi Dao :)
Pila Mulligan: hi Dao
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Dao:)
Tarmel Udimo: Hi Dao
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Dao :)
Stim Morane: My Thanks to those of you who contributed personal reflections to our wiki over the past week.
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Stim Morane: All of them were helpful to me, and some were quite amusing too.
Stim Morane: :)
Gaya Ethaniel is curious ... :P
Stim Morane: curious?
Gaya Ethaniel: What was amusing I mean :)
Stim Morane: well, Dao has quite a sly sense of humor, for instance.
Scathach Rhiadra: :)
Gaya Ethaniel: I like Dao's report too. Quite interesting ... very different from what I know :)
Eliza Madrigal nods, smiling
Stim Morane: :)
Stim Morane: They were all valuable ...
Dao Yheng: Hey, picking on the lagging one today!
Gaya Ethaniel: heheheh
Dao Yheng: :)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Stim Morane: So did any of you get a sense of either of the two emphases from last week, human nature or "aliveness" nature?
Stim Morane: Either by their presence or relative absense?
Gaya Ethaniel: I guess going through being sick was some sort of seeing being 'alive' ...
Stim Morane: Yes
Stim Morane: How are you now?
Gaya Ethaniel: Well now thanks :)
Stim Morane: Great
Gaya Ethaniel: I didn't push too much to get back to things ... was careful.
Stim Morane: Sure, best approach
Stim Morane: Many people I know now have the flu ... a tricky one.
Stim Morane: So Gaya, you're certainly exempt from "7 days of homework" ...
Gaya Ethaniel: :) though I was sick more from being stressed for previous few weeks rather than flu.
Calvino Rabeni: I put my attention into "tiredness" and found it rather deliciously "alive". So it's not what I'm used to thinking.
Gaya Ethaniel: ?
Stim Morane: This surprises you?
Gaya Ethaniel: mhm
Stim Morane: But the point is, in part, that everything has this aliveness in it, when seen more directly.
Gaya Ethaniel: Though this time I did see being sick isn't being down ... tricky.
Gaya Ethaniel: ok
Stim Morane: darkness, obstacles, sickness, etc.
Gaya Ethaniel: I guess ... had to eat more. I got sick of eating!
Stim Morane: illness is certainly an opportunity, not that I'm hoping any of you will suffer ...
Stim Morane: :)
Stim Morane: oh well, you can stop eating for a while then
Gaya Ethaniel: yes :)
Stim Morane: OK ...
Stim Morane: so, other responses re the two natures I mentioned?
Dao Yheng: I was surprised I did feel a sense of aliveness over the holidays, but the hard time was the bad phone call
Stim Morane: ah
Stim Morane: that played out for quite a while?
Stim Morane: Eliza, you mentioned a number of points that are relevant to our discussion, one way or another?
Stim Morane: Are there any further observations along those lines?
Eliza Madrigal: Hm, not sure which aspects... I found it helpful to go from watching/walking around with energy... into noticing aliveness...
Stim Morane: Are you still "cleaning out"?
Eliza Madrigal: and experiencing turbulence while at the same time doing that...
Eliza Madrigal: Oh yes indeed
Eliza Madrigal: :) Storm and I even had a pab session on this today... decluttering :))))
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Storm Nordwind chuckles
Stim Morane: aliveness has a complex dynamic character, with many subfunctions.
Stim Morane: Decluttering PaB?
Gaya Ethaniel: lol
Stim Morane: :)
Eliza Madrigal: :) Well, we talked about decluttering and kindness... but you know there is something about rearranging things and organizing...
Eliza Madrigal: frees up energy
Stim Morane: yes
Stim Morane: As I started to mention, it's one of the key subfunctions ...
Stim Morane: we can't just keep taking things in ...
Stim Morane: OK ... well, so have any of you found some activities that seem to bring out or highlight the kinds of things we discussed last time?
Eliza Madrigal: stuff, is often stuff I've deferred dealing with... so there comes emotion, too
Stim Morane: yes, exactly
Stim Morane: I was somewhat fascinated by my teachers, who had only about as many personal items as you could put in a trunk ...
Eliza Madrigal: I'm liking that idea very much! :)
Stim Morane: this was not just because they were poor ...
Stim Morane: they had obviously made a practice of keeping things within certain limits
Stim Morane: very light
Gaya Ethaniel: So ... physical things can weigh on us as well as mental things?
Stim Morane: we become buried by our possessions
Gaya Ethaniel: Perhaps the distinction isn't helpful ... not sure.
Stim Morane: yes
Gaya Ethaniel: ok
Storm Nordwind recalls that emigrating and giving nearly all my stuff away beforehand was a nice freeing experience
Eliza Madrigal: yes, and have to find a balance with others' posessions, too
Stim Morane: yes
Tarmel Udimo: nods
Gaya Ethaniel: Why?
Tarmel Udimo: in the process of decluttering myself
Eliza Madrigal: I can imagine it would be, Storm
Dao Yheng: In our small kitchen, we had a hard time cleaning up after a large meal -- had to move one thing to put down another, but then where to put down this other thing?
Gaya Ethaniel: I can guess ... Feng sui and all that but please tell us from your point of view Stim.
Stim Morane: Yes, Dao, I know the feeling!
Stim Morane: Gaya, it all comes down to the issue of direct awareness
Cup Of Green Tea whispers: Ah! Steaming Green Tea!
Stim Morane: direct awareness appreciates the fullness of things and the emptiness of things, and is also immediately expressed in our actions
Stim Morane: without direct awareness and its expression, we acquire but don't see and don't "empty"
Stim Morane: we leave no room to live
Eliza Madrigal: Hmm, nods
Tarmel Udimo: nods
Stim Morane: we possess but don't appreciate
Gaya Ethaniel: Is it like similar to me registering things by senses even without intention, hence reducing space?
Stim Morane: we are hindered by things that do have a value but whose value is not appreciated and acted upon
Stim Morane: Gaya, there are many possibilities.
Storm Nordwind: And these are "things" can be other than material objects too
Stim Morane: I'm basically talking about immediate appreciation, action, and moving on ...
Tarmel Udimo: agree storm
Gaya Ethaniel: ok
Stim Morane: yes, Storm
Stim Morane: Ideas, notes, book entries, commitments, ...
Gaya Ethaniel: ok
Stim Morane: Not that I'm any good at what I'm talking about ... :)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Stim Morane: But it is part of the overall understanding of direct awareness
Tarmel Udimo: we do our best:)
Gaya Ethaniel: So respecting limit and helping ourselves along ...
Stim Morane: yes, Tarmel ... I hope that can someday be said of even me.
Stim Morane: :)
Tarmel Udimo: how can it be otherwise
Stim Morane: it's all about expressing reality ...
Stim Morane: reality doesn't have clutter and isn't encumbered
Stim Morane: you could follow Eliza's experiment with a similar one of your own.
Tarmel Udimo: ( I meant about you doing your best:)
Stim Morane: And then please come over to my house too ... :)
Gaya Ethaniel: I like getting things in order, throwing things out/away ... I understand it but atm, it's a bit confusing how that has anything to do with reality.
Stim Morane: So what about aliveness? Any other observations?
Stim Morane: oh, Gaya, this is interesting
Stim Morane: You're saying you don't feel being boxed in by clutter? ANd that that feeling doesn't constrict your awareness and appropriate action towards others?
Gaya Ethaniel: I does affect me yes.
Stim Morane: Does it affect your "reality sense", your engagement with reality?
Gaya Ethaniel: Well, I never go too long without tidying up ... so can't be too sure.
Gaya Ethaniel: Brought up that way.
Stim Morane: ah
Stim Morane: OK
Eliza Madrigal: our minds get quite cluttered too... with little loops of thoughts
Gaya Ethaniel: More room to breath, think ... when it's all nice and tidy :)
Gaya Ethaniel: More productive ... etc
Storm Nordwind has moved house many times (over 40 "permanent" addresses). I found that in my attic were boxes of things that I only ever looked at each time I moved!! Needless to say, this time I was ruthless, and they've gone forever. :)
Stim Morane: Eliza, yes, the same point applies on that level. I think Storm implied this too.
Stim Morane: :)
Eliza Madrigal is learning to be lovingly ruthless
Stim Morane: Direct awareness is ruthless, in a sense.
Stim Morane: So what about "aliveness"? I'm still chasing that point ... I'm hesitant to suggest formal exercises, but I will if you wish.
Calvino Rabeni: Connecting with environment aound seems part of aliveness
Stim Morane: yes, Calvino
Stim Morane: that is a crucial aspect of the issue
Stim Morane: have you been a boy in the trees at some point? :)
Calvino Rabeni: :) yes
Gaya Ethaniel: What is 'a boy in the trees'?
Stim Morane: a Calvino novel
Gaya Ethaniel: I mean :) What does he do?
Stim Morane: he stays there
Stim Morane: we are not literally in the trees, but in another sense, we are in more of Nature than we usually explicitly appreciate
Stim Morane: anyway, it's the contextual issue that Calvino raises, and it's important.
Gaya Ethaniel: So ... how does human nature fit into all this?
Calvino Rabeni: The idea of Nature as a getaway is romantic
Stim Morane: the "human nature" is another thing to cultivate, to find within ourselves, and to express actively in life
Calvino Rabeni: But not where we live
Stim Morane: Yes, Calvino, we don't need that romantic aspect
Calvino Rabeni: Here / now can be primordial
Stim Morane: yes, it Is
Stim Morane: Here's an exercise for aliveness:
Stim Morane: pick a day when you have a couple of hours free ...
Stim Morane: I hope somewhere in your schedules this is possible
Stim Morane: :)
Stim Morane: when the time comes, just get a sheet of paper, and write out a hundred words on how your life seems to you
Stim Morane: the world, circumstances, your sense of self ...
Stim Morane: then put it aside, sit in a comfy chair (not in some formal crosslegged posture), and just settle into breathing.
Stim Morane: Spend time just converging on being breathing ...
Stim Morane: not a formal practice, not a technique, but just what it actually is, what is actually present ...
Stim Morane: and include everything else that arises too, thoughts, emotions, MEMORIES, etc
Stim Morane: but stay with the breathing aspect, and let it open up (not be constrained by your ideas of what breathing is).
Stim Morane: we talked about this before, in a previous session
Stim Morane: but do this for several hours!
Stim Morane: you can wriggle around, stand up if necessary, even walk a bit, relax, and then sit down again and continue.
Gaya Ethaniel: So start sitting once I spit everything out on the paper?
Stim Morane: 100 words, then sit and breath, with little breaks, for several hours.
Stim Morane: Yes
Gaya Ethaniel: ah ok
Stim Morane: THEN get another sheet of paper ...
Stim Morane: write out how life, the world, your circumstances then and there, etc seem to you.
Stim Morane: 100 wordxs
Stim Morane: words
Stim Morane: :)
Stim Morane: then compare the two accounts
Gaya Ethaniel: I could cheat by photocopying the first one :P
Pila Mulligan: or less by then maybe :)
Stim Morane: :)
Stim Morane: I know ...
Stim Morane: :)
Stim Morane: well, perhaps they won't be identical.
Stim Morane: :)
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Storm Nordwind: So effectively 3 exercises
Stim Morane: Look at the differences.
Stim Morane: Yes, three exercises, really
Stim Morane: Consider the differences carefull
Stim Morane: carefully
Gaya Ethaniel: Anything to remember during writing? Would be like meditating as well?
Stim Morane: just write
Gaya Ethaniel: ok
Stim Morane: no promeditation
Stim Morane: write from how you feel in each case
Stim Morane: then describe the differences to yourself ...
Stim Morane: this is basically another exercise ... articulate the diffs
Stim Morane: then drop it all for the day and go have fun
Scathach Rhiadra: :)
Storm Nordwind: You mean we're not allowed to have fun during the exercises? ;)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Stim Morane: you have what you have, what you see there
Stim Morane: that could well be very fun
Stim Morane: but it might also be very sad, or uncertain, or angry ...
Stim Morane: :)
Stim Morane: we are usually lost in the story of the ordinary sense of self, and have basically no connection to our living natures.
Stim Morane: this can be regained, a little, even in this one several hour session.
Stim Morane: with some care about being explicit re what you were, then shifted to, diffs etc
Stim Morane: this is not a meditation practice in the ordinary sense.
Stim Morane: Clear enuf?
Eliza Madrigal: yes
Gaya Ethaniel: yes
Scathach Rhiadra nods
Calvino Rabeni: good
Stim Morane: it's a one shot deal
Stim Morane: then, of course, please come back. We need to chat ... :)
Gaya Ethaniel: heheheh
Stim Morane: I want to talk to the "living being" in you.
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Gaya Ethaniel: See you in a few years time for that Stim :P
Stim Morane: yes, that''s fine, Gaya.
idanthology Sandalwood: interesting...could i ask what the general trend of the differences were when u did this exercise, stim?
Stim Morane: :)
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Stim Morane: idanthology, do you have some suspicions re this?
Gaya Ethaniel: lol
idanthology Sandalwood: after a bought of meditation...more @ peace, a bit more comfortable w/ the world & how to manage it?
Stim Morane: yes, possible ...
Stim Morane: but what I'm angling for is a new take on what you are.
Stim Morane: this is different from a new experience, it's a new discovery of what is there, usually covered over.
Stim Morane: the clutter gets in the way
Stim Morane: the clutter even redefines "living nature"
Tarmel Udimo: by dumping the personality or thoughts we have about ourselves we can access more freely the 'authentic self'
Tarmel Udimo: or living nature
Pila Mulligan: another aspect of this exercise may be having a particularly signifcant insight during the sitting/breathing time
Tarmel Udimo: yes when connected to the less cluttered self
Stim Morane: Tarmel, you are free to go that route, but I'm only asking for a chance for the living nature to emerge ... if you also want to dump a few things, fine
Stim Morane: Yes, Pila
Stim Morane: this is very basic stuff I'm talking about ...
Tarmel Udimo: OK my misunderstanding
Stim Morane: but most human beings will never do it
Tarmel Udimo: I thought that what was happening during the first exercise
Stim Morane: Tarmel, no misunderstanding
Calvino Rabeni: basic is good
Eliza Madrigal nods
Stim Morane: I doubt that you would ever really misunderstand me, Tarmel.
Stim Morane: :)
Tarmel Udimo: hehehe
Gaya Ethaniel: wow ... this is basic?! *sigh* I feel very thick.
Stim Morane: so I'm descrbing a basic one-time practice, yes.
Stim Morane: very basic
Stim Morane: in several senses
Stim Morane: but you actually HAVE TO DO IT
Stim Morane: :)
Calvino Rabeni: : u say tat everytime :)
Stim Morane: :)
Stim Morane: it's not about using up your time with "practices"
Storm Nordwind: Zie homeverk gestapo knows ver your guardian pot iz
Gaya Ethaniel: Do you really think Stim I will be able to see something emerging from one-time practice like this?
Stim Morane: it's about encouraging you to dedicate your time to what you are ...
Stim Morane: Yes, Gaya
Gaya Ethaniel: ok
Stim Morane: you will see something that I, at least, would value greatly.
Eliza Madrigal: stirring the embers
Gaya Ethaniel: I am looking forward to doing it but would be nice to have less doubt :)
Stim Morane: Of course, I'm notoriously easy to satisfy.
Gaya Ethaniel: ok :)
Tarmel Udimo: grins
Stim Morane: so if you don't like it, give it to me.
Gaya Ethaniel: ok
Stim Morane: it would be fun to see some of those little 100-word pieces too ...
Stim Morane: but you can keep them private if you want.
Tarmel Udimo: that could be opeing a huge whirling pot Stim
Stim Morane: yes, I know.
Stim Morane: If you get swallowed up, call me. I'm in the phone book, probably.
Tarmel Udimo: hahaha
Eliza Madrigal: hahaha
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Storm Nordwind: Look up "maelstrom" :)
Stim Morane: :)
Tarmel Udimo: hahaha
Eliza Madrigal: :)))
Stim Morane: OK, almost time to go...
Tarmel Udimo: nice to have a good laugh in the moring to start the day:)
Stim Morane: questions, extreme objections?
Tarmel Udimo: *morning
Stim Morane: yes Tarmel
Stim Morane: when you finish the little exercise, pass results on to Pila and he will grade them
Eliza Madrigal: :)))
Pila Mulligan: alll A +
Stim Morane: :)
Tarmel Udimo: :)))))
Gaya Ethaniel: :)
Calvino Rabeni: Pila will do more than that :)
Stim Morane: Yes.
Tarmel Udimo: :)
Stim Morane: :)
Stim Morane: OK ... that's it.
Stim Morane: See you next time!
Eliza Madrigal: What a nice session, Thank you Stim. Thanks everyone, too!
Pila Mulligan: bye for now Stim
Gaya Ethaniel: Thank you :)
Tarmel Udimo: nice to see you Stim,
Stim Morane: bye everyone!
Eliza Madrigal runs back to chores
Scathach Rhiadra: good night Stim, thank you:)
Eliza Madrigal: hehe
Stim Morane: Nice to see you, Tarmel
Tarmel Udimo: bye
idanthology Sandalwood: later...take care, y'all
Dao Yheng: have a good evening!
Tarmel Udimo: bye for now all......
Timbo Quan: bye all
Calvino Rabeni: Bye T
Pila Mulligan: bye for now
Gaya Ethaniel waves.
Scathach Rhiadra: good night all:)