Fireside III
It is to the Village Square that the townspeople come to exchange views and thoughts on their beloved spiritual philosophy, learning from each other in kindness and wisdom. Then when their minds have been filled, they retire to the tavern on the western side of the square where they share in social discussion, learning of each other’s events and challenges, happinesses and sometimes sadnesses, too. With a mug or glass in hand, they collect in front of the great Fireplace that dominates the long wall. Benches and chairs are often filled on market day with those who have come from farther away, bringing news of events and views the local people delight in hearing.
If you are feeling disoriented by all the philosophical talk by the fountain in the Village Square, then come sit down on the bench here with us for a while just to soothe your mind and share a mug of tea or coffee. Let’s all make sure the conversation is quiet and simple, caring and thougtful, exactly the kind of talk you might have around a warm hearth, the only light filling the room coming from the fireplace.
This is the third installment in the Fireside discussion series. After we reach 900 comments, the page takes too long to load on your computer, and so we start another fresh page. To review previous discussions, we keep the old pages (Fireside I and Fireside II) which you can find under the ‘Village’ tab on the navigation bar at the top of screen under the image of the tree.
me, me – (: it’s all about me (:
love ya (:,
a
And the number 1 position goes to a* congratulations…applause…whistles….the crowd does the wave….(-:
I think a* needs a gravatar. Who would like to propose one for him?
What fun to wake up to the wave!
I love when you get all playful a*…if you post right after me you can be number 5 too another fantastic number!
(:
I think no one’s posting, Annie, the crowd under Pam’s superb direction is doing the wave, and waiting for me to post (:
Came back to see if you might be around and ya I kinda didn’t think about how my comment would keep the crowds going (: good thing you showed up when you did…we’re exhausted!!!!
(:
ps. On another note, just bought Patrick Miller’s “History of the Course” (it’s actually called something else – (it’s in the bedroom and I’m on a business call, so can’t go fetch it now) – the 1997 edition was called that – this one is the 2008 edition – its very witty. Helen and Bill certainly had a wonderful wit !
I’m off to walk the local hills with some girlfriends (my Tuesday morning ritual) I’ll check back with you all later today.
…singing…
I feel pretty
Oh so pretty
I feel pretty and witty and gay
Tuesday is your day off, Annie ?
Bernard, brother – the gravatar idea has been floating around for a while – i just can’t bring myself to set-up another log-in, and another account, and another “thing” to manage in my “digital life”, as they call it (:
(Annie even once sent me a potential gravatar, all dressed up and ready to go – and even then I couldn’t bring myself to do it @! ):
Is there a way to just remove the “placeholder” icon (for me), so you don’t have to stare at the empty frame ? (perhaps that’s whats prompting your suggestion today ? (:
Off to bed now. Ciao.
a
am loving this place …
each contribution …
the funny stuff …
all wonderful …
annie off on her walk …
am about to go out and about on my trail park walk …
(sung to the tune of these are a few of my favorite things)
bunnies and lizards
blue birds and squirrels,
butterflies and lady bugs
a view of the world
lilac trees and duck ponds connected by trails
these are the reasons why I love this walk
~~~~
it’s a lively lovely morning here in southern california
sunny and bright and filled with so many birds singing all at once!!
~~~~
a* did the best beginning to our fresh new fireside gathering
annie began the most wonderful wave
this place is too much fun
am thankful and happy and truly appreciate this village and the villagers and especially our gracious and gorgeous mayor
have loved the sharing of the youtube sites … loved the maru japanese cat sliding through the box, loved the kitten and the tennis ball, loved the hugging healing all the anger video … each sharing is a joy
last night I saw the movie I AM … it’s amazing
how we are all connected and that there is no separation
the people and books that get mentioned here have all been wonderful explorations … loved being introduced to jan frazier and all the mentionings that happen around here
so much thanks to all the goings on
am loving it all so very much and with happy appreciation
hi pam … I see that you started the grand wave … it was fun!! thank you pam … annie was such an enthusiastic participant, I thought she started it … she certainly added the spark that kept it going and ignited it!!
Hi guys….. it is so lovely to see all the high spirits here….. Hello Zafu so nice to see you and read your lovely post… i loved seeing your recent photo with Bernard and thinking of our happy interactions in Temecula….I will look out for that movie…
big hugs to all
Hi Zafu. Yes that was fun and it lasted for so long too. Longest crowd wave ever!
Let’s see if we can do a record book crowd chant– 7 days–Lawrence! Lawrence! Lawrence!…….I must be reliving my concert going days.((-;
Hi Pam –
You’re the bestest concert-goer, wave-creator, crowd-chanter ever @!! (:
……..Lawrence, Lawrence, Lawrence !! (:
Hi Zafu –
When can I get to taste some of your delicious cranberry cookies ?? (: love the peacefulness of your messages here.
love ya all,
a
Requesting that Pam lead us in a global Village wave, starting in Nebraska, making its way through Kansas, down, to la Paz, up to California, rolling on up to Lethbridge, Canada, then waving over to Singapore, surfing down to Australia, making its huge wave-way over to Switzerland, up to Finland, flowing down to Norway, France, over to the UK and Scotland, then finally over the Atlantic to New York. All that brilliant movement…
Yes Bernard, and now Lawrence will know that we called his name and call him back here, all the way through all those territories and landscapes ( I just caught a critter who said, “and what if he does not?”) sorry, just a bit of guilt-bag-grabbing. It’s over now.
love and huge hugs to all
Good news Nina! You caught the critter!!!
Don’t you be sorry-that’s another reason to keep doing the wave (:
Well Ms. Pam the music is alive and well in you – I love what you started!!!
Looks like all this contemplative energy is finding its release in the funnest, safest and kindest way across the globe.
And Zafu I can’t recall any of your posts not including all the great outdoors sounds and sights. You must spend more of your time outside than inside – except for when your baking scrumptious cookies. Which by the way I must now confess that Bernard saved two cookies for me and yes a* sooooooo good!!! Please feel free to include the recipe (:
Yesterday was a nature day for me and I’m not a nature girl. L.A. surprisingly has wildlife and I’m not just talking about the Venice boardwalk. The South West hillsides here in the San Fernando Valley are called the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy and are home to all sorts of critters. So on my walk yesterday we came across a momma deer and a younging just prancing right down the middle of the road-it was so amazing that we stopped in our tracks hoping they would pass us by. I guess they didn’t care to get a better look at us so they turned up toward the hillside and bounced their way out of sight. I still can’t believe we coexist with such large wildlife and that they have enough to eat out there. Although I have heard people complain about their prized rosebushes being destroyed by deer…still how can one get mad they really are beautiful and elegant looking creatures.
I would love to rattle on but I came here first today instead of my usual routine of reading/listening to the Course. So before my morning escapes me I better do a bit of grounding work…before I go to work. (I’m one of those spoiled people who only works 3 days a week usually M W F) but I act like I’m working two jobs the way I crash and burn when I get home. I know its because I try to do everything using my own strength instead of tapping into the Holy Spirits current and riding that wave. I always try and visualize that scene in the movie “Finding Nemo” when he hooks up with the sea turtles and rides the current …do you remember that scene? That’s what I think HS is all about and I haven’t yet figured out how to just enjoy the ride.
Catch ya later and hang loose people its almost summer time!
WOO HOOOO Here goes the wave and the chant, don’t furgit to light your lighters (click,click, click) Lawrence! Lawerence! Lawrence! ::giggle::
got it Pam…Wooo HOOO
Lawrence-Lawrence-Lawrence…
click,click,click…
::giggle:::giggle:::giggle::
stomping my feet … waving my iphone lighter … chanting chanting …. lawrence lawrence … entering the trance … gathering energy as it builds and grows and total strangers join in … soon the next village and the next …
Here I was…doing this boring job…when this fanning motion came over me…sort of like someone trying to lean me one way and then over to the
other side. Sorta like a wave? Why I thought this was any different than the wind gusts that we’ve been getting here on the plains of Kansas…I don’t know? And then…softly…the sound…lawrence…lawrence…Lawrence…Lawrence…LAWRENCE!
So I had to investigate this phenomenon…and here I am! (Not in Kansas anymore. 🙂
Hugs!
Yes, I am in the wave too! Up to Olympia, Washington (one hour away from Seattle, WA). Lawrence…Lawrence.
I hope you guys know that I am here with you most every day loving the sharing so very much. With my life the way it is these days with my lessons loving a busy 10 year old daughter who I like to be devoted to and all the rest…it seems that reading is my connection for now. When I used to write a lot back at the Monastory days I was very ill physically and in bed a lot of the time. Now days my body is quite healthy in form and my lessons are still around but you loved ones still mean so much to me. Who knows, I may be able to share more soon-maybe this summer. Until then, just know I am with you most days and your loving sharing with eachother is a light in our minds that is not a little gift.
Hugs and love, Your friend and villager, Kendall
Kendall, great to hear from you, and looking forward to hear more. So great to hear about your health – and it sounds like you are enjoying life! You are never out of our minds anyway. No chance.
Love and hugs
nina
YEAAA!! {{{Kendall}}}
Hi Nina! Hi Pam! Thanks lovelies. {{{Village}}}
Catching the wave from Kendall and bringing it a little farther north and east to my stomping ground. Not very good with the lighter so I’ll try the iphone lighter instead. Yup I can manage that. We get a lot of wind from the west and I wnat’s that I hear ……Lawrence, Lawrence
got the wave,Pam…Wooo HOOO
Lawrence-Lawrence-Lawrence…
click,click,click…
::giggle:::giggle:::giggle::
(to quote our Annie~!)
Hurray for Kendall’s healing!!! Love the spring coming to the great Northwest!!
I see a*’s gravatar as a being of white light shining his true Self at us – no form but the one we want to see as a person type form. By the way, I notice that he and Bev are exactly alike !!!
Dear Lawrence,
Please start with a story. “As I sat at the kitchen table, blue book creaking open . . . ‘This is a course in Miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary …’ and you chose NOW”.
Bless us everyone, hugs — katrina
We waited patiently and truly, did you notice we waited??
Hello Katrina and I’m glad to see you-was gonna start a chant for you soon. (:
Great idea about Lawrence starting with a story …. he must have collected a few great ones in 2010 not to mention the treasure trove of stories he already has. Sure hope he was typing them out all year long so all he has to do is cut and paste. No Pressure Papa Lawrence no pressure at all (:
{{{Kendall}}} I look forward to your sharings and insights. And where did I get the idea you lived in Africa? I’m so confused…but I’ll wait …up to a year (that’s our limit here at the Village) for your story. Big hugs to you and Grace.
And one more thing … I love your explaination Katrina of the gravatars of white light representing some of our fellow Villagers. I can totally accept that – infact now it seems rather brilliant! We should call you Dr. Spin (: It’s not the first time your perceptions have relieved some unconscious anxieties with a simple shift in outlook. I’ve noticed thats a gift the Irish seem to have cornered.
Love to All
Hi Annie, Hi Katrina, Hi Bev, Hi everyone! That’s funny you thought I lived in Africa Annie. Nope, just up the road from you in WA in good ol’ USA. I’m looking forward to writing and sharing more with you guys when the time is right.
One thing I notice lately…in my so called waking life I seem to be remembering a lot lately to forgive even with what the world would see as pretty darn challenging happenings. But, during my dreams while I’m asleep things seem more intense and over-the-top devistating, victimized me than usual. I wake up tired and dazed. Interesting? I do feel happy in the morning to realize it is just ego business as usual, no big deal.
Hi everyone! Really nice, loving and helpful posts. Winnie!!! I think you pictured perfectly the experiences and thoughts all of us have in one way or another. We are not walking alone, we are all walking toward the same goal. And the notice of the proximity of Lawrence’s return!!!! We are waiting for you here Lawrence, Lawrence, Lawrence!!!
Lots of hugs to you all,
Lisi
Hi Kendal, so great to see your smiling face again! Just a little thing I read this morning from my notes with Ken. This guy was asking about night time dreams, and Ken said that we don’t allow ourselves to see the full extent of the ego during our day time dreams, but we do allows ourselves to see it it in all its gory glory during our night time dreams. I thought that was interesting. Nice comments, hope to see you again soon.
Hi Bernard,Yes-your notes from Ken on night time dreams are helpful. I knew it must be something like that.
I am realizing lately, I used to be bummed out that I could not spend more time meditating and being in peace. Now days I understand more that the times I remember to forgive (i.e.-I’m not upset for the reason I think, etc.) while things are not peaceful is important.
Meditating and feeling peaceful is still something I want but now I notice I have dropped my guilt about not meditating enough.
PS-I enjoyed seeing the lovely pictures of you (Bernard) and your wife and Annie and her hub and you with Ken. I’m happy that you got to be there with Ken. Also, I thought your writing on the Far Shore was excellent-thanks for writing and sharing.
Joining the Wave Pam began……….
Wooo HOOO
Lawrence-Lawrence-Lawrence…
click,click,click…
::giggle:::giggle:::giggle::
Today’s lesson, as I jog FULLSPEED thru Ken’s Journey. (I had a flat on face failure during the last volume and have like 20 lessons ear marked to go back to on ‘slow’ days – hah! It is physically impossible to read 20 pages of commentary on some stray day.) But back to todays that I somehow have to explain why I’m actually on Lesson 160 — “I am at home. Fear is the stranger here.”
Ken’s commentary says, “Fear and grief are your GUESTS!!!!” (T-11.III.4:4) And I flashed on these two thugs elbowing in my door, yelling to close the skylight – too bright, no where to hide out — and pulling out all these action figures, dictating a script of all the special characters, but – lucky me – I get this starring role as the Madonna, and these precious little holy child beings that I CAN protect – er, somehow . . . And I get into the whole thing, believing it.
MY guessts? Now, hold on, I am not being pushed around like this, and I’m FLAPPING open that skylight. If we’re going to have characters flying around here, I think I’ll whup up the violet flame, and Michael the archangel, and a Buddha, and a chinese dragon, and an owl feather, too. There now, you shadows of fear and grief can go wrestle with that crowd. I’m just going to stand, still, and bright, and lovely, and let the light pour in.
Here’s the thing about Ken’s commentary on the lessons. In an 8 page commentary, (I counted) there are 20 excerpts from the text. If the text, at ~700 pages, has ~5 paras per page, that is ~3500 paragraphs. If his commentary has ~300 lessons @ 20 excerpts per, that’s ~6000 excerpts. He is basically interjecting the whole damn (hee, hee) text into the year of lessons. Pretty sneaking, eh?
I meant sneaky.
Katrina, I feel all warm and cosy that you are posting again. I really miss you and Laura when you are not here. Oh, thanks foe everything all you guys write that makes me remember it is not serious, it is a dream
… a poem by Rumi:
THE GUEST HOUSE
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought,
the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
Rumi
Katrina…(Post 35) I got a big laugh out of the “sneaky Ken” theory. Do you feel like the little kid who didn’t want to eat vegetables but found out later they were in the casserole? It’s like…ha! Fooled! This so
reminds me of my classroom yesterday. A former significant other called
me at work asking for information that I gave. Then when it concluded, I
had the distinct impression I had just been “sneaked.” That the reason
the person called me was not what it was made out to be. Now, is that anything to get wired about? No. But maybe it was the authority problem that made me start analyzing it and analying it until I became miffed and more and more put out about it. Now, why would this matter to anyone? Why did it matter to me? As far as I can tell, it struck at
the heart of my desire to be in control…not let anything or anyone get
anything over on me. Would that mean that I am wanting to be my own god?
Want to be special that I control my destiny and not someone calling on the phone using false pretenses? I asked Pam to hear all the junk I was
thinking on this. She is a good listener…and gives great guidance! Then I forgave the whole thing. And I felt pretty silly afterward. J
assured me it was okay to feel that…and if you look at it another way,
it was a gift. The gift was for me to encounter this authority problem
I have and forgive it. And yes, while I’m at it, thanks Ken W for the
Course text hidden in the lessons! Hurray!
Hugs!
wow Laura****blushing and laughing**** thanks for the compliment.
Kendall, lovely to see that forgiveness is taking a bigger place in your life. It really is the heart and soul of this process. It actually leads us to another place that meditation cannot really take us to. It is a little like meditation in action – finding that calm and quiet place not at home, but within the crazy perceptions that our eyes bring back to us as we scurry around the world. Then the scurrying becomes less and less hurried and agitated and just a peaceful stroll through the craziness that just doesn’t seem to be so bothersome anymore. Ken said in his last academy that the Course is not about meditation because of the depth of the psychology it presents. My take on this is that it allows us to observe and work through our perceptions rather than keep them on the back burner, but I’m open to suggestions.
Katrina, lovely, funny comment. I’ll have to go to the ‘Journey’ to see exactly what Ken means, but I’ve often heard him say that fear and grief, as well as guilt, anger and downright pain are experiences that we invite and cherish, that we literally delight in. That’s why they are there. For me, this is really the core of the Course, understanding that absolutely nothing outside of us is causing us to feel anything at all. Everything comes from our choice. It all comes back to choice. It’s just that we really don’t see that we are doing any kind of choosing whatsoever, so we can easily pay lip service to this kind of idea thrown out by Ken.
It really seems as if there is some interaction going on between me and the outside world, that if x or y were not happening, then I would feel very different. Dr Ken is telling us this is not really true, that’s not what’s going on. (He might actually say that it’s ‘bull’ – hehe) It’s just that we really haven’t wanted to get in touch with the part of us that is actively and decisively choosing everything we feel, even this minute now. That’s not because we’re stupid or bad, but simply because we know on some deep level that if we did, the whole shooting match would be over.
Our whole identity depends on there being things out there that affect me in some way or another. If everything really comes from me, then that means the world counts for diddly-squat, and then the figure in the mirror staring back at me suddenly is a heck of a lot less important. Now I’m sure you know all this but it helps me also really get the basics down solidly.
We might want to ask how we can start to really see how it’s possible that we’re actually choosing these experiences that seem to come so involuntarily. How to see that actually happening. How we can become more aware of this insanity. Any ideas anyone?
Someone who works at the Foundation told me just the other day that the ‘Journey’ is probably to date Ken’s most important work. I think you’re right, that when you’ve gone through the whole series of books, that you’ve pretty much done all that’s important in the text, too.
Oh, hi Laura! Didn’t see you got in there as I was writing.
Great, lovely poem, Zafu! Rumi was really into the experience of Oneness, his stuff is excellent.
Zafu – lovely selection from Rumi. thanks !!
So i’m sitting here in this great metropolis by the ocean- one of those 10 most global cities in the world (the usual list of NYC, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, London, Rio, etc, etc), and it’s late at night, and…
surely I’m in Asia.
But reading Annie’s Garden ponder this evening, followed by Nina’s comment and Pam’s comment, it’s hard to feel like we’re not in the same place. Like literally.
My mind “tells” me we’re all in the same physical place. (It seems to be in the US, which is crazy because Nina is in Norway, and Pam is in Nebraska, and even in the US, I don’t think we have more than any two of us in the same US state(let alone the same city), and the US is a vast country).
And still….
it’s almost impossible for me to feel, even as I write this, that we are scattered in so many places around the globe. I really feel, viscerally, in my mind, whatever, my mind is *locked* into the idea for all this past 10 minutes, and now, that we’re all in the same physical location !!
Don’t know to make of this illusory thought (: —
But there it is (:
It’s quite late at night, but I have just awoken from a late evening nap – not feeling upto the mark during the day, and to cut a long story short, in that borderland between sleep and non-sleep @ 10:33 pm.
I re-read your ponder Bernard,(#41) the one I had to skim through last night, because I’d been out of the Village for over 24 hours, and that hasn’t happened in a long time – so I was eager to read all the comments asap, and skimmed through yours (and the others) — the Rumi poem came to mind again a few times this morning. It was a truly helpful selection for me to continue to acknowleding all my “shadow” feelings.
And unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately !), Bernard, I have no ideas on that question – on how we can “see” more in real-time, how it is that we continue to “invite/choose/etc” these feelings that seem to come involuntarily ?
I did, however, unrelated to the question above come across a very helpful sentence from the latest book that I finished last night, and for reasons unknown to me feel like I want to quote it here –
“…., we use the ideas of time and space to organize our realities, but they are not realities in themselves.”
Truly, (for me), an exceptional line that succintly points to something/someway/somehow to “look” past this illusion.
Katrina and Kendall – was good to see you both here. You were both gone so long ! It was nice to read your thoughts again.
(and Kendall, I had no idea that you have always been here, just silent – and as someone else pointed out, am happy to read your thoughts whenever you feel the time is right to write. Also, it was very kind and thoughtful to offering time, help, thoughts with my transition to parenthood – it’s been an unusually fulfilling and challenging 6 months, and I can hardly imagine where I’ll be when my son completes 10 years like your Grace)
G’night all,
a
Bernard: We might want to ask how we can start to really see how it’s possible that we’re actually choosing these experiences that seem to come so involuntarily. How to see that actually happening. How we can become more aware of this insanity. Any ideas anyone?
Wonderful, thought provoking post Bernard. I think forgiveness is the way to become more aware of this insanity.
Real original answer – right?! 😉
Lol….. for myself, trusting in the process – looking….waiting……and judging not – or watching myself judge…..is the only way. It can seem very tedious, and it can seem as if nothing is happening – however what “seems to be” is always a lie!
One problem – One Answer – and the process of really knowing it can *****seem****** to take forever!
“The slow way is the fast way.”~Ken Wapnick
Dear a, Maybe you just had an experience of ‘seeing” through the illusion and “feeling” that we are all in the same physical space is symbolic of our one mind being unified and always in the same “non-space” location.
That’s how it “impressed” me anyway.
Hey Melody, Here goes that “same time” pondering again.(-:
Annie, I wanted to thank you for a lovely, flowing and soothing post the other day. I can’t remember now where you posted it, but I’m saying thank you here. I hope all is well in your world and that you remember to come here to your friends if there is anything that needs to be shared.
A*, grazie mille for another wonderful, spontaneous story-pondering… I could really feel that we are all one, in the same place. That’s the most remarkable thing, for me, about participating in this site, for those of us who come here often. It becomes a real home, a real place of Love, and yet is totally fictive, a pure product of our thoughts and love. Isn’t that a lovely thought, that we need nothing than our thoughts, our love, our intention to be perfectly together, joined in that place outside of time and space, never apart. Nothing can separate us.
Dear Pam – I think you’re right. It was a very peaceful and “solid” feeling !! (:
Bernard, dear brother – You’re very welcome sir. You say it well – all we need are our thoughts of peace, our love, our Source — (and should anything appear to disturb us, may we be guided, in any which way, to have our thoughts return us to that Source)
Dear Bev, kendall, leni and Zafu- may I have please have your mail addresses? if yes, please write to leelah11 and the gmail thing –
thanks
Nina