Hey,

Inspired by Buddhist Geeks doing something like this, I was thinking that perhaps it would be fun to have Google Hangouts at times where DhO people got together and talked about whatever over video and perhaps record it for YouTube. Something scheduled, perhaps regularly, or just spontaneously, both would be fun. Could create DhO Circles, etc.

Any interest?

Daniel

BTW: on google hangouts, I am daniel_ingram [at] interactivebuddha {dot} com or dr daniel m ingram [at} gmail [dot] com without the spaces and substituting appropriate punctuation.

I think that's a great idea. I am interested. Thanks.

Same here.

I'm interested.

I have put these together many times on another forum, so I am in if you guys are doing them.

That would be nice!

just try and keep me away

It sure would be interesting. I think identifying a specific subject to be discuss at each session would make those discussion more valuable.

I'm in!

me too.

Sounds good.

All good for me if timing works

I also would like to participate in such a thing

Well then, next steps:

1) Specify times and topics you would want to see discussed then.
2) Post those things somewhere like here.
3) Actually do it.

Daniel

Matthew Horn had "Random Questions" last week. I'd be interested to start with some of those.

Keen for this too.

Definitely interested!

@Russell (or anyone qualified to answer)
would you mind letting us all know what (if any) prerequisites are for Google Hangouts?

I believe Google has a group calendaring / planner function too: is that integrated in the Hangout space to enable group scheduling?

are the Hangout moderated such that the moderator can control the speaker or is it free for all and sort of "roberts rules"?

are there limits (practical or technical) to these meetups?

tom

ps I'm in europe so will just try to fit in with the centroid of the time scatter graph

This sounds fun, I'd like to stop by if I can!

Just throwing out some topics-

-Could be a big can of worms, but... AF discussion would be interesting... what is it, how does it relate to the practice in MCTB, comparing it to traditional attainments

-Practice tips and techniques, new tweaks and shortcuts, practice philosophy, the hierarchy of practice in an insight cycle, maybe some tips on getting PCE's (I've seen instructions but some are contradictory, some seem vague, some seem to just land me in 3rd jhana)

-If anyone is also interested in gaining some insight (no pun intended), retreat advice, advice on getting stream entry/2nd/3rd/4th path

-Tips on the watcher, non-dual practice, how to use the watcher to move through insight stages

-Discussion of path moments, fruitions, how they might be experienced, re-experienced

-Integration of insight in daily life

-How jhana might be used in insight practice

-Any new interesting meditation science

-Any interesting meditation experiences people are having

-Difficulties in practice/daily life related to practice, possibly DN discussion

That's just a few things that come off the top of my head, if anyone is also interested in those things at this point in time.


(edit: ha ha, my post is in the shape of the state I live in!)

Since I have held these before. Here are some potential guidelines.

9 people max in a hangout. (At least the last time I did it) much more than that gets ridiculous anyways.

The first time doing is good for intros etc and free flow to see how it all works. Eg- hi my name is X I've been practicing for X my teacher is x I am currently struggling with/ experiencing y. Etc.

This usually gets thing moving for the first one.

Just a suggestion. I have done free flow talk ones and guided meditations ones. Hangouts are a great medium for both.

I am free the afternoon, evening and night of the 19th Central Time, if anyone is free during any of that.

Let me know, and I will start a hangout then. Let's try to converge on a time. I like the proposed topics listed above. Should be fun.

Here's a list of questions that anyone can edit. I prefer 6 CDT since it's the earliest I can get out of work, but feel free to start earlier. More than 9 yogis have expressed interest in attending, but if we get more than 9, you can use Hangouts on Air to broadcast the session to Youtube.

6 pm CDT this Wed 19th Jul works for me.

I'm free every evening between 5pm and 9pm Central time.

Me, too.

Cool, great idea! We've been using the Communities feature of G+ to organize (at least part of) the Buddhist Geeks Community. You may also find that a helpful tool.

They need me to cover the night shift tonight, so I won't be able to be here today. I will be available next week.

Daniel

Everyone else: should we do it anyway? How do we go about setting up a hangout? (Never used one.)

Sure, have we got a time scheduled yet?

Otherwise, I suggest using a website such as Doodle to find a time where the most people can participate.

I never used Google Hangouts before, but I do know that first you must have a Google+ account and, second, you must download the software (available HERE)

I created one example of the Doodle service I mentioned above: http://www.doodle.com/rpc9uf2whzivhey6
If you use it, remember to use your DhO forum nickname.

We should definitely try it out....how about just a non-formal test run...
I just created a DhO hangout.. time is 9:41 pst
I'll be in and out all day
have fun
~D

John, the time we've been working with so far is 6pm CDT this evening. Of course, it's all just penciled in.

Hey Dreamwalker, I think you forgot to give a link to the Hangout or whatever you are supposed to give when doing these.


Also, I'm aware a lot of people are from different timezones, so I just wanted to give a tip:
You can easily use wolfram alpha to calculate the right time, it will automatically detect your timezone and convert it. As an example, see this query: https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=time+9%3A41+pst.

PS: Also, as far as I know, that Doodle website also takes care of timezones when needed

I created a public hangout called - DhO
I think you just search for DhO and you will find it....first time for me...so just trying it out
Update-
sometimes it stops working and I have to reboot my computer to get it working again.
to seach for DhO go to the google plus page and click on more then select hangouts and search for DhO....you should find it

How do I find the DhO hangout? Searching for DhO on google plus brings up a lot of unrelated stuff. Searching for Dharma Overground brings up something relevant, but it doesn't offer any obvious entry to a hangout.

Alright, we started the hangout already.

Just search for DhO as instructed by Dream Walker above.

Hey, try this link and see if it works
https://plus.google.com/hangouts/_/5f710661ec5784347f9ab2911750d80958ae51bd?authuser=0&hl=pt-BR

OK, I followed those instructions, I'm getting 'No results for "DhO"' and 'No results for "Dharma Overground"' when I search for those terms in Hangouts on the the Google Plus page.

Thanks, that appears to be working.

I just created the Dharma Overground Community on Google +.

Send me an email if you want an invite: dr daniel m ingram [at} gmail *dot) com obviously put in normal form

Daniel

To me, that was a really interesting first meeting. I fell asleep and woke up thinking about how people are practicing right now (including how people are falling asleep...) and how people are approaching the practice from different angles at the moment: via khandas, music, food, bare sensate awareness, the means for letting the mind ease into fourth jhana, body responses to the jhanas (expansions, limitedlessness...); some definition and taxonomy questions (nirodh, dharmacakku)....

Anyway, these are just some things I remembered this morning. I do have this feeling of wanting to hear everyone give a short dharma talk at the beginning (may seem contrived), to see more clearly what people are doing at present, how they came to it, how it's working for them...


I'm looking forward to more.

Yeah, that was good. Would do it again.

That was a great test run. Thanks for everyone who showed up and participated. There were some good topics and it was interesting to hear everyone's understanding of the dharma. I can't wait to have some more advanced practitioners to join so we can get some of the more advanced topics covered. Thanks Daniel for creating the DhO community

As it is what I'm practicing at the moment, I was curious who else is approaching practice via the s/k(h)andas or aggregates?

I won't hijack the thread by going into details here but if anyone wants to compare notes please feel free to email me at (email address redacted) or post a thread on the topic or point me to an existing thread if I missed it

Thanks
Craig

This talk by Thanissaro is an example of the aggregates in terms of feeding, like I mentioned in the Hangout meeting yesterday. (First explicit mention of aggregates around 1 min 50s.) Later in the talk, he discusses fabrication of skillful forms of the aggregates in terms of jhana as a form of feeding.

I have been for awhile now. It has been one of the most rewarding of practices. But it is a different approach to pure actualist practice. What makes you think it will help it? Start the thread if you wish to discuss it.

Nick

Thank Vince Horn for helping me create both and for everyone who participates and makes this place what it is.

I'm up to meet again this week, if anybody is interested. Wednesday at 6 CDT is still good for me.

Daniel,
What is the protocol for scheduling an event? Can anyone start one? The create event button seems to work for me....

(must resist pressing button....How can he possibly resist the diabolical urge to push the button. Will his tortured mind give in to its uncontrollable desires? Can he resist the temptation to push the button that, even now, beckons him even closer? At the MERE...PUSH...of a SINGLE...BUTTON! The beeyootiful SHINY button! The jolly CANDY-LIKE button! Will he hold out, folks? CAN he hold out?)

It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt,
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills,
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter.


(Copyright 19.., J.R.R. Tolkien, The (Button) Hobbit, unpublished)


Press it.

:]