Quinta Tonantzin Retreat House Tepoztlan
09.18
Quinta Tonantzin Retreat House, Tepoztlan, Cuernavaca, México.
Head moving towards the pillow c. 01.47.
Rising 06.15.
Morning Sitting in the Chapel at 07.15.
Breakfast at 08.00.
Rodrigo the Groover left. He has located a local bar that opens early, and anticipates seeing us here next year.
Chris was asked how he felt about the Excellent Adventure last night. Chris reported that the instruction given, for the entrance to the ballroom from the Paradise Garden, was (after Frank Sheldon): Play any note you like, providing it is the wrong note. We wondered whether the sequel is likely to be Chris Doering’s Bogus Journey: entrance from the Paradise Garden playing all the right notes, and then into the piece, playing all the wrong notes (or, to an English person, all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order).
An exercise is to be presented in the ballroom at 10.00 for all those who will be continuing here for the day (all the Kitchen Team and maybe a small number of the Intro Team).
I have not been able to present more than outline reports of what we have done this week, of which I only know a fraction in any case; nor convey much of the insightful and experiential comments presented; nor the quality of Silence that has been visiting us; nor the abiding Presence within the Chapel when I enter for the Morning Sitting. But, even were I to have the words, it would not be the experience. But even my few and inadequate words may hopefully be a flag waving to anyone who has a sense this might be for them.
11.05 The Shop was open between 09.15 and 09.45 with many must-have items for sale by their originators I…
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Stepping towards the ballroom c. 09.50 I…
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Photo time! Not everyone from the course is present, but enough for a frame or two I…
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A word with Chris Doering on the Bogus Journey.
Into the Ballroom at 10.00 for The Exercise Of Qualitative Endeavour. This has not been shown recently because it was not taken seriously.
A quality is ungovernable by number. Those who read cosmological and metaphysical tomes may be familiar with notions of the Unconditioned and Conditioned Worlds. A vehicle is needed to bring the two together. And today, that’s us! Simply, we chose one small piece of work and discharge it superbly.
The preparatory stage consists of four steps:
1. What will I do? This must be available to simple definition.
2. Why? Is this useful? Does this, in some way, serve Order?
3. Assuming the positive, how do I do this?
4. Will I do this? If I have a sense that this small piece of work is not for me today, I choose another.
Then, with the simple task defined, the second stage is application. The third and final stage is verification by a person/s competent to judge, in the ballroom at a time of Curt’s choosing.
Definition.
Application.
Verification.
The criterion applied to the quality of our application: if God were standing in the corner of the Ballroom when we present our work, God would be a Happy Boy.
Then, we have a taste of a qualitative endeavour that we can apply to other areas of our life. A quality spreads. We place our sense of a quality-action, our Right Action, Right Work, alongside a more lumpy undertaking. Like, dirty laundry in the bottom of the closet. What is the aim of keeping dirty laundry? Is it useful to have a pile of dirty laundry at the bottom of the cupboard for a week?
And a little fun, moving within the Circle, with my pal Fernando.
11.41 A meeting with Leo, discussing Leo’s upcoming solo work and the seven-week Mexico course in July.
Packing, and a swelling inbox.
12.55 A visit from Luciano and Leo to discuss ordering and systematising of the Primary and Secondary Exercises through combination, extrapolation, development and variation.
For example: the First Primary (of the 24 combinations of four fingers) may be developed through “importing” other Primary Exercises; eg the Finger Pivot (Seventh Primary), the Anchor (Sixth Primary).
The First Secondary may itself be viewed as an extrapolation from the First Primary of all two finger combinations (there are six), and categorised in two parts:
Part One: two-finger combinations.
Part Two: three-finger combinations.
These may be developed by “importing” the Finger Pivot, Vertical Fingering and the Anchor; and variegated; from which development and variations we may extrapolate, develop and variegate further.
We may develop by combination; extrapolate by taking out smaller elements or units within the whole of an Exercise; variegate by changing the combinations or elements; and develop by extension, variegation and combination.
13.52 Lunch at 13.00.
As Curt was calling the verification stage of the Exercise of Qualitative Endeavour for later this afternoon, Curt referred to the Middle. This is where we feel abandoned by what has brought us to this point. I stood, called out Goodbye! and left.
Now back in the room, packing and organising.
16.40 Chris Doering’s Bogus Journey was premiered at 15.45. Much like the Excellent Adventure, but Bogus. A triumph IMO. Two new classics for the repertoire.
Final packing and computing. About to close down for a 17.00 departure in the LeoMobile.
20.20 AeroMexico Lounge, Mexico City Airport.
Various Team members showed up to make sure I was leaving I…
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… and off…
… through town I…
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Conversing to the airport I…
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Leo escorted me to the various places that authoritative people steered us towards, several of whom were lying to us. Straightforward through procedures and into this modest but acceptable lounge. Now computing with wifi constantly dropping out.
What care I for that? An excellent course, and now I am going home to the Minx and WillyFred. A fortunate boy, am I.
24.56 AM7.
Boarding I…
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… for a long flight to London.
