The world is virtual, this sangha is real

[Ishin]

Hello all

I don't necessarily think that there is anything WRONG with someone who does not like crowds of people. Social anxiety disorder is a known condition. I like going to parties and meeting people, but I must say being in large throngs of people at theme parks or even the mall is very exhausting to me. Not liking crowds of people, isn't the same as not liking people in general. Of course we know many buddhist lived and live as hermits, and this is how they feel their practice works for them.

As far as us being all one; this extends far beyond US just as people as Nengyo described. We don't give up OURSELVES to realize that we are part of a much bigger picture, but perhaps something about "Ourselves" changes with this realization. Each leaf of the tree is very different. Each leaf of the tree is a perfect leaf. Yet without the leaves as a collective, there can be no tree.

It is my experience that we can't be happy with ourselves, unless we behave as though we are part of the tree. Being alone on our own branch doesn't mean we are not contributing to the tree in our own way, yet we are still as necessary to the tree, as the trunk and the roots and the rain and sun are necessary to us.

Maybe that is all just a pile of compost

Gassho
C

[Jundo]

Two posts on 3-D advances that, within a few years, will begin to radically change the "online Zendo" experience ... and I expect that, in the near future, the device will be smaller, perhaps even like a contact lens. Because the entire field of vision is replaced (unlike when merely watching a screen at a distance), the brain can be actually fooled into believing that what it is seeing is actual sight!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHfZKfLSjaY

... and for another of the senses ...

Japanese firm showcases ‘touchable’ 3-D technology

Unveiling technology that generates touchable 3-D imagery, developers said Monday objects that only exist in the virtual world could be manipulated as if they were real ... “Touching is an important part of human communication, but until now virtual reality has lacked it,” Chief Executive Natsuo Koda said.

“This technology will give you a sense that you can touch objects in the 3-D world,” said Koda, a former virtual reality researcher for Sony Corp.

It works by fooling the brain, blending what the eye sees with different patterns of vibration created by a small fingertip device, said Norio Nakamura, the inventor of so-called 3D-Haptics Technology and chief technical officer at the firm.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/09/02/business/tech/japanese-firm-showcases-touchable-3-d-technology/#.VAZ8E_l_t8E

Gassho, J

[Byokan]

Yikes! The future is here. Awesomely awesome. Thanks for sharing this, Jundo!

Gassho
Lisa

[Kyonin]

Over the next couple of years we'll start seeing a revival of virtual reality, like in the 90's.

Only this time we have the technology, band with and programming tools to make it happen. A few companies like Oculus, Sony and Samsung are developing headsets that will put you inside movies, games and educational stuff.

Sadly, armies around the world are interested too

Still, it's good news. I'd love to sit zazenkai jacked into a headset and have a nice virtual reality experience.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oculus_Rift

*********EDIT**********

Like I said, Samsung has developed a VR headset... that will work with a smartphone!!

That is awesome because VR can hit all markets without super expensive hardware to boot. So far is just an experiment, but looks promising. Here's more info and a nice video.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/09/03/samsung-reveals-gear-vr-mobile-virtual-reality-headset

[Daitetsu]

This is one of my favourite TED talks on the topic. It's from 2009, but still amazing IMHO:

https://www.ted.com/talks/pranav_mistry_the_thrilling_potential_of_sixthsense_technology#t-462000

Gassho,

Daitetsu

[Oukan]

Love it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tai Shi]

The development of the next generation computers looks promising if the technology can come forth to give accurate representation of color and shape. From what I see this technology in truly in it's infancy. Current color and shape of photographs surpasses what I see on sheets of paper, and as a photographer, I wonder at the current quality of this new device.

Tai Shi
sts
Gassho

[Adee1970]

Thanks for sharing...

[DGF]

Diana
SatLAH

[michaelw]

I would love to know the process by which this wonderful sanga came into being? Perhaps from a zen perspective it has always been there in the ether it just took us so long to realise that you 'bang the rocks together' to make it manifest.
Jundo did you have to pitch the idea for funding or were the facilities available being under used to actually get online?

Re earlier discussion 'feeling alone in a crowd' totally agree but often the best place to hide. From the New Agers Handbook for those of a certain age 'members of the same family rarely grow up under the same roof'.
I meet new people and they are like old friends while some others including family members are not.
I feel welcome here.

[Jundo]

I would love to know the process by which this wonderful sanga came into being? Perhaps from a zen perspective it has always been there in the ether it just took us so long to realise that you 'bang the rocks together' to make it manifest.
Jundo did you have to pitch the idea for funding or were the facilities available being under used to actually get online?

Re earlier discussion 'feeling alone in a crowd' totally agree but often the best place to hide. From the New Agers Handbook for those of a certain age 'members of the same family rarely grow up under the same roof'.
I meet new people and they are like old friends while some others including family members are not.
I feel welcome here.

Hi Matsukaze:

Hah, no pitch for funding, and we never solicit donations (although they are welcome if someone wishes). No real facilities beyond what the internet allowed back in 2006. Early netcasting or conferencing services: Ustream, Justin.tv, mogulus ... and our original platform: Operator11 ... they have gone to the data stream beyond ... !



My biographical information tells a little about how this place came about. It renews and is new every day.

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?19160-Treeleaf-s-Priests-and-Novice-Priests&p=292603&viewfull=1#post292603

Because my mother was sick, I started to come back to America for three or four months at a time (returning to Japan for three or four months, then back to America), and became the assisting priest in Florida to Mitch Doshin Cantor of Maezumi Roshi's "White Plum" lineage. Mitch taught me how to run a Western style Sangha (much of what we are doing at Treeleaf is borrowed directly from my experiences at Doshin's Sangha), a lot about bowing and incense lighting and basic ceremonies (even an iconoclast like me needs such skills: don't reject or seek to adapt/change something before you actually know what it is and how to do it!) Doshin gave me my first chance to lead groups and give Zen Talks after Nishijima bestowed Dharma Transmission. Furthermore, he introduced me to something very much present in Western Buddhism but sorely lacking in Japan: immersion in the diverse ideas of Buddhism. A Soto teacher in Japan would likely have little knowledge or interest in what the Rinzai fellow is doing down the street, let alone in the Vipassana school, Vedanta, the writings of Lama Suria Das and Dzogchen. That is not the case in the West.)...

... Treeleaf was started because I needed to go back and forth from Japan to Florida (my mother's home) as she became sicker. Soon, we were spending alternate 3 months in each place, but I found that I was able still to do my work as a Japanese translator thanks to this new amazing thing called a "computer" and the "internet." This familiarized me with much of the technology available that became the basis for Treeleaf. As well, when I was an assisting priest to Doshin Cantor, I saw several members of that Sangha who ... due to age, work, family and health issues ... had to stop attending sittings. I thought that a shame, and that is from where the idea for Treeleaf came. You can listen to a podcast about Treeleaf and its origins on "Buddhist Geeks" here...

https://podtail.com/en/podcast/buddhist-geeks/virtual-zen-dropping-here-and-now/

Fellow named John Simon was the original designer of Treeleaf 1.0, back in the day. We had only one way netcasting back then, and a forum.

Gassho, Jundo

SatTodayLAH


PS - Matsukaze, would you mind to sign your posts with a human first name, and when you can, to add a human face photo? It helps keep things warmer and more human round here. Thank you. You can find information on the photo here:

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?12837-Often-Asked-How-to-Add-an-Avatar-Photo

[Kaye]

Hi. This is Kaye in Gainesville, Florida. I am so grateful for this opportunity to share and participate online. Thank you. Sending virtual hugs and gratitude.

[Bion]

Hi. This is Kaye in Gainesville, Florida. I am so grateful for this opportunity to share and participate online. Thank you. Sending virtual hugs and gratitude.

Right back at you, friend and it’s great to have you around! We like to be friendly around here so, as you can see, among other things not common in other internet places, we try to show ourselves by using profile pictures. It makes the experience that much more pleasant and expresses our belief in the undeniable reality of this sangha! We’d love to put a face to your name as well, Kaye! [emoji1]

[emoji1374] Sat Today

[Ryumon]

I've been reading Reality+ by David Chalmers, who questions whether we are in a simulation (we can't know if we are), and what reality is. He claims that our virtual experiences are as real as our face-to-face experiences, and says that we should not separate the two.

https://amzn.to/3S22L2U

Fascinating book, which is interesting to read considering some Buddhist thought about reality (which he mentions).

Gassho,

Ryūmon (Kirk)

sat

[Jundo]

I've been reading Reality+ by David Chalmers, who questions whether we are in a simulation (we can't know if we are), and what reality is. He claims that our virtual experiences are as real as our face-to-face experiences, and says that we should not separate the two.

https://amzn.to/3S22L2U

Fascinating book, which is interesting to read considering some Buddhist thought about reality (which he mentions).

Gassho,

Ryūmon (Kirk)

sat

I started reading it yesterday on your recommendation.

Gassho, J

STLah