mich:

David is here for our next workshop

mich:

Hi David!

gordita:

Hey David

can:

Why Hide the Work?

davidc:

so "why hide the work"

davidc:

this is the "why hide the work" workshop

davidc:

and since it's a workshop

davidc:

it means we get to build something together

davidc:

of course, we build

davidc:

the workshop experience itself

davidc:

that's our immediate invocational activity

davidc:

but we also might build an artifact

davidc:

-- the residue of the workshop

davidc:

something we leave behind

davidc:

saying "we were here"

davidc:

in iven's workshop yesterday

davidc:

the poetic results of the writing circle

davidc:

would be posted somewhere on the web

davidc:

so i would like

davidc:

to take the results of this workshop

davidc:

which will be an exploration,

davidc:

a discourse

davidc:

in which we contribute our stories and ideas

davidc:

and organize them into a few web pages

davidc:

related to the question

davidc:

"Why hide the Work"

davidc:

and we'll see where those pages go.

davidc:

Sound good?

can:

yes

tm:

y

cy:

k

eric:

k

gordita:

k

can:

sounds great

Guest 7:

k

davidc:

when Yanesh

davidc:

the can-girl

davidc:

asked we what kind of session

gordita:

:?

davidc:

i'd like to lead

davidc:

and i heard the theme was

davidc:

"the hidden work"

davidc:

my immediate response

davidc:

the subject which lept to mind

davidc:

was "why hide the work?"

davidc:

which might seem kind of silly

davidc:

or even smart-alecky

davidc:

but it's actually a good question

eric:

david,

davidc:

to zero in on

davidc:

yes

eric:

this question has two

eric:

very differnt possible meanings...

davidc:

go for it

eric:

k

gordita::

at least

eric:

one is

eric:

why we *should hide the work

eric:

and the other is

eric:

why bother hiding the work

eric:

.

davidc:

ok, that's great...

davidc:

because my first question to us is...

davidc:

what does that title possibly mean?

davidc:

at least two possibilities

cy:

The work that has yet to be uncovered

cy:

is a possiblity

cy:

"The Hidden Work"

cy:

end

davidc:

it has been hidden

davidc:

maybe by someone else

gordita:

Hide from self

eric:

maybe hidden from us by ourselves

gordita:

so ou don't get too scared at first

cy:

hidden from selves for the reasons covered

gordita:

and from others because pogroms aren't fun

cy:

in the Recurrence" wrkshp

eric:

hbm may not wanna know nuthin bout it...

davidc:

sure, i know i've denied for years

davidc:

knowing some things

davidc:

i accept now

davidc:

denial works...

davidc:

and pogroms are a drag...

tm:

y

cy:

pograms?

cy:

pogroms?

davidc:

not computer pogroms

davidc:

but you know

gordita:

slaughter of believers for recrational purposes

davidc:

religious cleansing

cy:

ok

tm:

y, when i co-opened an ALchemist Traders Shop with objects

tm:

from the institute

tm:

the newspaper

tm:

ran an article on the Satanists on main st.

davidc:

makes you want to light your torches...

tm:

it was somewhat

tm:

scary. yes

eric:

were they referring to you?

tm:

yes

cy:

"well isn't that special"

eric:

hmmmm

cy:

-church lady

davidc:

as i tried to formulate this workshop

tm:

yes i always thought i was...

davidc:

one formulation is

davidc:

"why hide the work in our own lives"

davidc:

this is a good example

davidc:

although it's not always this extreme

davidc:

so do we have any other nice little stories like that?

davidc:

life on the planet

gordita:

EJ took his family

gordita:

and me to a big Catholic

gordita:

festival. He was in a navy blue

gordita:

cleric:al collar and outfit

gordita:

just like lots of the RC priests there.

gordita:

He made a point of hugging his wife several times.

gordita:

The fear/hostility was palpable.

gordita:

end

davidc:

don't you love it when people start to drift away...

davidc:

like you're a danger zone...

can:

when we go out with the ceramics I get asked questions referring to my "spiritual practice of choice"

can:

I just play dumb

can:

don't know what you're talking about...

can:

mostly because I don't know how to answer that question

can:

this work, for me has no "name"

can:

is not easy to describe

can:

like Buddists

can:

or Yogi

can:

or Muslim

can:

whatever

so I say nothing

davidc:

and that certainly has been one of ej's instructions

cy:

those who know me

davidc:

on life on the planet

cy:

have gotten used to

cy:

not asking me questions

cy:

about my spiritua;

cy:

life because

eric:

i think the answer might change depending on

eric:

the questioner

cy:

i've been

cy:

on this quest for so long now

cy:

and

cy:

those who don't

cy:

know me

cy:

see an african amer

cy:

actress and

cy:

figure i'm eccentric

cy:

anyway

cy:

end

davidc:

yes, eccentric is one of the cards i play

cy:

it works

davidc:

i can't really turn off this work thingee

davidc:

but in my line of work as a programmer

davidc:

there is this perception

davidc:

that intelligent people are sometime eccentric

davidc:

and need to be tolerated or humored

cy:

y

gordita:

guess you don't get a lot of "sister are you saved?" in NYC?

cy:

nah

cy:

that's for

cy:

when i visit

cy:

my mom in

cy:

AL

cy:

oh boy!

gordita:

yes...

davidc:

a great case study...

davidc:

how can you respond?

tm:

To me, the involvement in this 'work' has altered profoundly

tm:

the basis of my relationships with people.

tm:

It is clearly not organized on my personal affinities

tm:

and time after time, those I thought

tm:

would respond because of my connection with them,

tm:

didn't. And those I was most intimate with, had intensely hostile respones.

tm:

It was usually an unknown person,

tm:

who had a unexpected connection. end

cy:

yes, when I did tell

cy:

my Bible thumping mother

cy:

where my spiritual

cy:

quest had taken

cy:

me, she surprised

cy:

me with a genuine

cy:

acceptence

cy:

of my choice and the place where I've

chosen to live

cy:

I'd dreaded

cy:

addressing this subject

cy:

but .. there you are

cy:

you just never

cy:

know how people will rect

cy:

react

cy:

end

i'm not sure who said

eric:

it

eric:

but someone said

eric:

that "the work"

eric:

brings out both the best and the worst

eric:

inpeople.

y

gordita:

As far as "are you saved"; after the recurrence workshop, I'll have to say, "you betcha, thank God"

eric:

ctrl+s

cy:

so true

tm:

David said that it's more a matter of 'hiding from the work'...boy is that true!

tm:

i spent more time hiding from it then hiding it!

gordita:

:]

eric:

absolutely

davidc:

so another question to work with...

davidc:

related directly to our line or march here...

davidc:

this prayer-absolute thingee

davidc:

i re-read the hidden work before this workshop

davidc:

and it's pretty sweeping

davidc:

downright overwhelming sometimes

can:

yes

davidc:

but i'm always looking for

davidc:

"how can i use this?"

davidc:

so the question

davidc:

how do we use

davidc:

or perform

davidc:

prayer absolute

davidc:

in our ordinary lives?

davidc:

which also opens the question

gordita:

hmm hidden prayer

davidc:

what is prayer absolute

ga:

maybe, related to what we were saying,

ga:

being in the moment with someone

ga:

without our dogma

ga:

might be a start?

tm:

y

Guest 7:

y

eric:

something we do for the Absoulte...

davidc:

ok

davidc:

right, like why does the absolute need us?

davidc:

how can being with someone do that?

gordita:

alleviate suffering

ga:

y

eric:

somehow the prayer, performed by awakened three centered being, helps......

cy:

how do we alleviate the suffering of the Absolute?

cy:

what do we need to do?

gordita:

nursing people

gordita:

you can make them more comfortable

gordita:

stop pain

gordita:

etc

ga:

more into the present

gordita:

but what I notice is

gordita:

the suffering doesn't ease

eric:

helping higher than ourseleves, somehow....

gordita:

until you are really there

gordita:

Right ther

gordita:

where they are

with them

cy:

y

gordita:

takes attention

gordita:

takes time

gordita:

takes effort

gordita:

Way beyond comfort

gordita:

end

cy:

kewlio

davidc:

i work with this idea of "bringing the world alive"

davidc:

it's part of how i understand alleviating absolute suffering

davidc:

so putting attention on someone

davidc:

being with them while they're facing the absolute

davidc:

that's great

davidc:

nursing is a great line of work

davidc:

i use this eccentric thing

davidc:

to build a little center of life

davidc:

which people respond to

davidc:

even with little props

davidc:

i wear an assortment of hats

Guest 7:

(literally)

can:

yes

davidc:

to my workspace

davidc:

even customers and tradeshows

davidc:

its kind of a signpost

davidc:

"something might be different here..."

davidc:

end

cy:

unprompted my acting students have begun calling me there labyrinth guide.

gordita:

keeping it under your hat?

cy:

we work with

speaking from the Being

cy:

through their characters

cy:

...the work

cy:

wow,neat

cy:

deguised

gordita:

ah

Guest 7:

the work comes thru by how we act, treat others

Guest 7:

not by description

can:

yes

gordita:

y

can:

it seems so

davidc:

so it's hidden in how we act

davidc:

how we relate to the world

Guest 7:

y

Guest 7:

whatever works

cy:

y

ga:

can be anywhere

Guest 7:

y

davidc:

anymore "how it hid the work in my life and lived to tell it?" stories?

gordita:

The Gnosis letters

gordita:

which expressed "fear of being conned" so well;

gordita:

EJ has said

tm:

.

gordita:

that you build in lots of reasons

gordita:

people can reject you

gordita:

so if they stick

gordita:

it's for a strong reason

gordita:

This helps protect the work

gordita:

and work technology

gordita:

from dabblers

gordita:

and the self serving

gordita:

end

cy:

mmmm

can:

grant, you are a fairly public figure...any tales crom the crypt?

ga:

I was thinking about working fairs

ga:

and when we were

ga:

showing the bardo video

ga:

at a fair and I was grandly elucidating

ga:

all the fine points of the

ga:

bardo etc

ga:

and one gut just went into a tirade

ga:

guy

ga:

and it was a real learning experience

ga:

so now we just let the videos play

ga:

in the background

ga:

any one who is interested

ga:

we will talk to

ga:

jus to describe...

tm:

just ask judy if you want the real scoop. Grant and i both endangered

tm:

our jobs last time we hosted Pat workshop. end

gordita:

yep. Beings who don't want to wake up, play rough.

Guest 7:

how?

can:

ga, were you done?

ga:

yeah, but the value of street work cant be underestimated

davidc:

and our jobs are part of our "street work"

ga:

y

Guest 7:

it's back to being there, rather than describing

ga:

y

can:

y

cy:

yep

gordita:

"real emotions are not communicated by words"

davidc:

i think we're going to have to wrap this up soon...

davidc:

so last call for contributions here...

cy:

well

can:

E.J. was just here saying he has just sent out a new orb

cy:

although i'm not

can:

to be tested

can:

go ahead cyn

cy:

"teaching" the Work

cy:

to my acting students

cy:

I think

cy:

I've planted some interesting seeds

cy:

for them

cy:

to ponder some day

cy:

end

cy:

.

davidc:

when i visit with my nephews and nieces

davidc:

as the crazy uncle

davidc:

the one they can talk to

can:

;)

cy:

y

davidc:

we never talk about the work

davidc:

but its always there

y

davidc:

especially in the jokes

tm:

y

davidc:

its always amazing how much you can say

davidc:

if people think you're just joking

davidc:

and being weird

y

cy:

so true!

ga:

great

gordita:

Yes, and the stories. Thanks Dave.

can:

clever and cunning

davidc:

you can actually tell the truth as you see it

davidc:

and watch who's listening

davidc:

and move on...

cy:

yes, one young woman

cy:

about 20

cy:

asked me after

cy:

class "what do you really mean when

cy:

say speak from your Being"

cy:

I told my understanding

cy:

and she went off

cy:

to thnk i gues

cy:

end

ga:

tm, did you use the "crazy artists "posture

can:

YAY!!!

tm:

no but crazy therapist works.

gordita:

hey 10

ga:

whern the article came out?

ga:

k

Guest 10:

hello

can:

This has been a great workshop, David, thank-you very much

Guest 7:

hi

gordita:

thanks David

can:

hi guest 10, who is there

cy:

thanks david

Guest 7:

Thanks Uncle Dave

ga:

thankyou David

spaniard:

thank you

Guest 7:

Please do another one next month

Guest 10:

chris in winnipeg

tm:

thank you mucho

davidc:

thanks all for your work here...

can:

are you able to do another workshop next month

Guest 7:

(this is Megan)

davidc:

love to...