08.55
Monasterio Nuestra Senora De Los Angeles (Monjas Dominicas),
San Cugat, Spain.
A wonderful dream with the Minx. Her husband was an opera singer, delivering Vilja from The Merry Widow while traversing something like a circuit around the stage / theatre area, arriving back at the beginning-space towards the end of the song; to find that the Minx was his female lead! But that was the end of the act, so we didn't get to sing together. It was fab to be with my Wife, and she would have been impressed at the quality of my singing. Then I got up to visit the small room: it was 02.00.
Rising at 06.15. Morning Sitting at 07.15.
Breakfast at 08.00. Comments and observations invited. The Master Kabusacki instructed us by his silence.
Hernan enquired as to what happened after he went to bed, early last night. Two comments on being in the Guitar Circle for the first time – fun, wished to not be there, preferred to listen – and one from a Crafty of the early days, 26 years ago, whose first course was GC II. So, comments from the first time, and the as-if for the first time.
10.23 Guitar Meeting at 09.45 or those with an established practice.
Attention to the soles of the feet; the top of the head; and what is in between.
And what is in-between is quite a lot.
Firstly, the sensation of the presence of life within the body.
Then, the feelings, in themselves also quite a lot. Perhaps, in the centre of the breast, we become aware of Wish.
And in the head is our knowing, the seat of Direction, of holding the form within which the Action takes place.
Then, moving our attention from inside the body, from the soles of the feet to the top of the head, to outside the body, and inside the whole of the room.
Then, returning the attention to within the body and the right hand.
Three times around the Circle, with attention in the right hand.
Three times around the Circle, with attention in the right foot.
Three times around the Circle, with attention in the left foot.
Three times around the Circle, with attention in the left hand.
Then, part of the attention to the centre of the breast, becoming aware of Wish. While holding Wish, bringing attention into the right hand, then the right foot, then the left foot, then the left hand.
Adding guitar: holding Wish constant, sensation in the right hand, three times around the Circle;
right foot, three times around the Circle;
left foot, three times around the Circle;
left hand, three times around the Circle.
The external action is clear.
When an external action is married to an internal action, all the rules change.
Without Wish, who are we?
Without Presence, we are not.
Without Direction, we are lost.
Returning part of our attention to the soles of the feet, to the top of the head, and to what is in between.
Then, outside us to the whole of the room.
Returning, part of the attention to the right hand.
The seating was configured for two Circles and the House of Guitars at 10.30.
11.16 House of Guitars 10.30.
Six in the inner circle; 23 in the outer.
Four left to prepare lunch c. 10.58.
The e-configured seating: 7 inner, 18 outer.
Outer Circle, when ready please begin. C. 7 minutes.
Inner Circle, when ready please begin. C. 6 minutes.
Please play everything you know about the guitar in one minute, following a count of 4. 1,2,3,4… one minute.
Meeting-With-Beginners called for noon to address Primaries and beginning-work in the Circle. There may be some who do not consider themselves to be Beginners. If in doubt, please knock loudly on the door of Sr. Nunez and solicit his opinion.
12.22 Meeting with the Beginners: 12 in the Circle. Basic circulating, tightening the already-tight lips, then to smiling at my pal in the Circle. Moving to the right hand, and the artistic gestures which are not actually of much use in playing one note.
The Four Buddies are each available to three Beginners.
16.56 Comments at lunch.
In the Circles, a beginner wanted one of the other players to stop playing. In this, they had my sympathy.
Another had difficulty keeping part of the attention in the hand while playing. Is this possible? Is this a fiction? So, what does go on inside, while a musician is playing? If nothing is going on inside, this is terrifying. And an empty experience. Stories told of TTA in Seattle two weeks ago; the high spot Walking-In, the low spot Eye Of The Needle while sleeping in the garden.
At tea, and chocolates, walnuts cheese, a door slammed: the Master Kabusacki instructed us by his laughter.
18.45 Five Personal meetings beginning at 17.00. Good matters addressed.
Then to the Chapel, for an introduction to the Morning Sitting.
20.04 Dinner at 19.00. Several comments presented on our work today.
Fernando K., when in the Orchestra meeting this morning, had no idea what to play, and then remembered: If I am present and holding Wish... and recounted an event with The Electric Gauchos, a Gauchos Alemanos cover band, of playing in a bar with an inattentive, noisy, drinking audience: I can’t ask the audience to be present if I am not myself present. Focusing, becoming present, the behavior of the audience changed directly.
Mariana is now in business as an Oracle and will be pinning a sign-up sheet to the board.
Suggestions on our work this evening: Whizzing; circulating in different meters; Calling out instructions such as Help! Mother! What am I doing here! Perhaps we might put away the chairs and wander around, even handing out whisky and cigarettes.
Eventually the Master Kabusacki was invited to tell us all what to do - House of Guitars at 21.15. The Master has spoken. It will be so.
Immediately prior, I am meeting with Modest Plus Guitar Skills in The Room Without Dancing at 20.45.
22.15 The Modest Plus presentation for c. 15 minutes, then distributing new parts to most of those present.
House of Guitars / Orchestra at 21.15. Ten in the inner circle, 20 in the outer.
We know all-that-we-need-to-know to participate honourably. The question is, will we act on that knowledge? We may have part of our attention on the soles of the feet, the top of our head, and know that something is in-between. We may extend our attention outwards to the whole of this room, knowing that the others here are not apart from me: I am them, and they are me. I might return part of my attention to my breast, and Wish for the Good, the Real and the True, while maintaining part of my attention in the right hand; and then begin, when I am ready.
C. 22 minutes.
Circulation based – 6 minutes, ending. Kinda beginning-again c. 10 minutes.
Then, finally, c. 10 minutes with whizzing eruptions. A sudden ending, with humour.
Monasterio Nuestra Senora De Los Angeles (Monjas Dominicas),
San Cugat, Spain.
A wonderful dream with the Minx. Her husband was an opera singer, delivering Vilja from The Merry Widow while traversing something like a circuit around the stage / theatre area, arriving back at the beginning-space towards the end of the song; to find that the Minx was his female lead! But that was the end of the act, so we didn't get to sing together. It was fab to be with my Wife, and she would have been impressed at the quality of my singing. Then I got up to visit the small room: it was 02.00.
Rising at 06.15. Morning Sitting at 07.15.
Breakfast at 08.00. Comments and observations invited. The Master Kabusacki instructed us by his silence.
Hernan enquired as to what happened after he went to bed, early last night. Two comments on being in the Guitar Circle for the first time – fun, wished to not be there, preferred to listen – and one from a Crafty of the early days, 26 years ago, whose first course was GC II. So, comments from the first time, and the as-if for the first time.
10.23 Guitar Meeting at 09.45 or those with an established practice.
Attention to the soles of the feet; the top of the head; and what is in between.
And what is in-between is quite a lot.
Firstly, the sensation of the presence of life within the body.
Then, the feelings, in themselves also quite a lot. Perhaps, in the centre of the breast, we become aware of Wish.
And in the head is our knowing, the seat of Direction, of holding the form within which the Action takes place.
Then, moving our attention from inside the body, from the soles of the feet to the top of the head, to outside the body, and inside the whole of the room.
Then, returning the attention to within the body and the right hand.
Three times around the Circle, with attention in the right hand.
Three times around the Circle, with attention in the right foot.
Three times around the Circle, with attention in the left foot.
Three times around the Circle, with attention in the left hand.
Then, part of the attention to the centre of the breast, becoming aware of Wish. While holding Wish, bringing attention into the right hand, then the right foot, then the left foot, then the left hand.
Adding guitar: holding Wish constant, sensation in the right hand, three times around the Circle;
right foot, three times around the Circle;
left foot, three times around the Circle;
left hand, three times around the Circle.
The external action is clear.
When an external action is married to an internal action, all the rules change.
Without Wish, who are we?
Without Presence, we are not.
Without Direction, we are lost.
Returning part of our attention to the soles of the feet, to the top of the head, and to what is in between.
Then, outside us to the whole of the room.
Returning, part of the attention to the right hand.
The seating was configured for two Circles and the House of Guitars at 10.30.
11.16 House of Guitars 10.30.
Six in the inner circle; 23 in the outer.
Four left to prepare lunch c. 10.58.
The e-configured seating: 7 inner, 18 outer.
Outer Circle, when ready please begin. C. 7 minutes.
Inner Circle, when ready please begin. C. 6 minutes.
Please play everything you know about the guitar in one minute, following a count of 4. 1,2,3,4… one minute.
Meeting-With-Beginners called for noon to address Primaries and beginning-work in the Circle. There may be some who do not consider themselves to be Beginners. If in doubt, please knock loudly on the door of Sr. Nunez and solicit his opinion.
12.22 Meeting with the Beginners: 12 in the Circle. Basic circulating, tightening the already-tight lips, then to smiling at my pal in the Circle. Moving to the right hand, and the artistic gestures which are not actually of much use in playing one note.
The Four Buddies are each available to three Beginners.
16.56 Comments at lunch.
In the Circles, a beginner wanted one of the other players to stop playing. In this, they had my sympathy.
Another had difficulty keeping part of the attention in the hand while playing. Is this possible? Is this a fiction? So, what does go on inside, while a musician is playing? If nothing is going on inside, this is terrifying. And an empty experience. Stories told of TTA in Seattle two weeks ago; the high spot Walking-In, the low spot Eye Of The Needle while sleeping in the garden.
At tea, and chocolates, walnuts cheese, a door slammed: the Master Kabusacki instructed us by his laughter.
18.45 Five Personal meetings beginning at 17.00. Good matters addressed.
Then to the Chapel, for an introduction to the Morning Sitting.
20.04 Dinner at 19.00. Several comments presented on our work today.
Fernando K., when in the Orchestra meeting this morning, had no idea what to play, and then remembered: If I am present and holding Wish... and recounted an event with The Electric Gauchos, a Gauchos Alemanos cover band, of playing in a bar with an inattentive, noisy, drinking audience: I can’t ask the audience to be present if I am not myself present. Focusing, becoming present, the behavior of the audience changed directly.
Mariana is now in business as an Oracle and will be pinning a sign-up sheet to the board.
Suggestions on our work this evening: Whizzing; circulating in different meters; Calling out instructions such as Help! Mother! What am I doing here! Perhaps we might put away the chairs and wander around, even handing out whisky and cigarettes.
Eventually the Master Kabusacki was invited to tell us all what to do - House of Guitars at 21.15. The Master has spoken. It will be so.
Immediately prior, I am meeting with Modest Plus Guitar Skills in The Room Without Dancing at 20.45.
22.15 The Modest Plus presentation for c. 15 minutes, then distributing new parts to most of those present.
House of Guitars / Orchestra at 21.15. Ten in the inner circle, 20 in the outer.
We know all-that-we-need-to-know to participate honourably. The question is, will we act on that knowledge? We may have part of our attention on the soles of the feet, the top of our head, and know that something is in-between. We may extend our attention outwards to the whole of this room, knowing that the others here are not apart from me: I am them, and they are me. I might return part of my attention to my breast, and Wish for the Good, the Real and the True, while maintaining part of my attention in the right hand; and then begin, when I am ready.
C. 22 minutes.
Circulation based – 6 minutes, ending. Kinda beginning-again c. 10 minutes.
Then, finally, c. 10 minutes with whizzing eruptions. A sudden ending, with humour.
