the Buddhist sim project!

1-should be a part of the mainland or new continent. Because if it was an isolated island, it would project the wrong image. Buddhism has to be part of the world, not separated from it.

2-all land on the sim should be shared and accessible by all members of the group. That's the ideal situation. The reality would be that some unscrupulous members would take advantage of this "free land". Thus a clear set of rules for land usage should be written and enforced by the officers of the group.

3-financing of the sim should be an ongoing voluntary contribution from all members. A financial secretary should deal with this by creating an account into which money would be deposited by members through paypal. A daily or weekly financial statement would be made available to the members. Updates and messaging to be used to inform the members that funding for the current monthly fee is not met and more donations are required urgently. A reserve of a minimum of 1 month sim fee should be maintained to prevent financial crisis.

4- If financing by voluntary donations does not succeed, then alternative ways to raise funds should be considered. Fundraiser events, paid classes, flea markets, etc...

5- if financing is viable and stable, the content of the sim should be related to some form of buddhism expression. Temple replicas of existing temples would provide historical background and provide gathering places. Lecture halls, meditation halls, libraries and sutra repositories are essential tools to spread the Dharma and can be used by anyone who are curious about buddhism and also by those who want to dig deeper.

6-The sim must serve as a center of knowledge and focal point for learning. As such, it should be planned for the long term and any major building should be an enduring symbol. What I mean is, to be a credible reference point for all people, it must be stable and consistent in time. It should not change appearance all the time so that it will serve as a landmark. Consider the "Tower of Primitive" as example. Enduring presence has made it a landmark through which thousands of people have visited and learned invaluable knowledge. A buddhism sim should contain a majority of buildings or area with the same enduring presence to have credibility.

7-even if several different form of buddhism are expressed throughout the sim, the ultimate goal for all the members is the same, the liberation of all sentient beings from suffering and illusions. All members must keep this goal foremost in all their activities. Thus, any content created for the sim by members must reflect this goal.

8-people who are not practitioner of buddhism in RL would find it difficult to base their activities according to item 7. This may be a source of difficulties if they become members and are allowed to create content on their own. This may be resolved by the creation of work teams. These teams would have projects to work on. A team supervisor would be directing and distributing tasks to each member of the team. This is how monasteries and communal farms function in RL. The aim of this system is to keep order and direct individual energy toward a common goal without falling into anarchy. It is also an essential tool for learning the meaning of selflessness. Giving one's own time and effort to a community is as good if not better than just giving money.

9-We are not creating anything new by wanting to build a buddhism center. This is done in RL most anywhere there are enough people to support such centers. So we have many models to learn from and be inspired from. All we have to do is to adapt and apply the relevant RL means to the particular situations of SL. The ultimate goal is the same. SL is a communication tool, like books, audio and video medias etc... As such, it is neither good or bad. It falls on us to use this tool in an efficient manner to make the Dharma available to people.

these are my ideas on this matter. I put them down for everyone to share and build on this. I am not an expert on project planning or management. These ideas seem self-evident to me, but are inevitably not complete. This is a huge project that will require lots of efforts by numerous people. It is essential to start by the establishment of a working structure, one that will serve as a template for all projects within the buddhism sim. If this is started and we fall into disarray and chaos, what will the consequence be? We will have showed the people that buddhism cannot get things done, and this will turn people away from the true Dharma. The damage will be impossible to fathom. The search for enlightenment is a matter of life and death, it must not be taken lightly. Of course we can still have fun while teaching, building or creating content. But bringing a project to fruition requires discipline and intelligent planning. Wasting time and resources by running left and right without clear goals and purpose is not serving the Dharma.

Gassho...

or if I may be so bold, turn a whole sim into a giant mandala! tallest building in the center, lowest building on the perimeter, gradually lowering building height from center to outer perimeter. The mandala would be painted on the roof of the various buildings. Or change the elevation of the land to make it higher in the middle... you get the picture? What an attraction this would be! that's what I consider an "expedient mean" to express buddhist belief. No?

I think everything that Pratyeka wrote is great. All important points. I too have been thinking about a 3D mandala and went and bought SL's highest peak (in Tethys) for the Milarepa Land Trust last month for that purpose. Just haven't gotten around to building it yet!

A Buddhist sim in Second Life is no small undertaking, as Pratyeka wrote. This is partially because Buddhism itself has been an accelerated experiment in the West and no small amount of real world (RL) discussion and controversy has taken place already, all evident in magazines, books, and online forums. Some of these challenges and concerns apply to Second Life as well, I would argue, partially because the consciousnesses (and personalities) in this virtual world are most definitely real.

So RL is SL in my view of Buddhist practice. One does not meditate online per se, but since mind here is the only real thing -- again, how perfect for Buddhists! -- then it is incumbent upon practitioners and students, especially those who would lead, manage or facilitate SL Buddhist activities to take note of lessons and concerns that have surfaced in RL as we embark on expansion in both land and membership.

That said, a few points:
1) Accessibility. Pratyeka make the important point that any Buddhist sim not be isolated, theme-park style, from the mainland. This is a value statement: SL is full of clubs and cliques and groups with inaccessible land. And any decent temple or monastery in RL will be public, at least part of the time. To be of service and to better one's practice, total accessibility is crucial.

2) Balancing equality with organization and quality control. Pratyeka noted that builds should be landmarks, not mish-mash experiments. Yet the overall project would need to accommodate practitioners of all talents and persuasions. The spirit of equality should prevail at a proper Buddhist sim, as should respect for established teachings and traditions. There is a responsibility to dharma by ensuring that there is accuracy, good intent and good action onsite. As my lama says, a crooked Buddha will result in a crooked student! He's not really joking either: while Buddhism rightfully claims to be empirical -- one is free to follow whatever path works or doesn't work in the quest for higher realization and liberation for all -- the paths themselves are often somewhat fixed, based in lineages and teachers passed down over many generations, some following tried-and-true methods, others observing respect for various established traditions as part of core belief system that span back to Buddhist prehistory.

3) Responsibility to accuracy and traditions. One should protect Buddhist teachings, symbols and traditions from misuse while attempting to creatively respond and engage with today's world, both in RL and SL. This has perhaps been one of the biggest challenges for western Buddhists, negotiating the need for authentic dharma in a very impermanent world. Not to suggest that oldest and most feudal aspects of a tradition are the best, but it is clear to me that the New Age movement (borrowing randomly from "exotic" belief systems) and self-styled spiritual leaders (with products, books and workshops to sell) have not well served Buddhism in recent years. I had the chance to interview Penor Rinpoche, the tacit head of one of Tibet's Nyingma lineage, a few years back. “It’s important to check your teacher,” said the Rinpoche. “Broken saymaya (commitment), damaged transmission -- if the seed is rotten, you’re not going to get a flower.” And these days, it’s buyer beware.

In short, those who propagate dharma, have responsibilities, both to the teachers and traditions that have given them refuge, as well as the people they might influence in their lives, even as strangers, family or spiritual friends. And they have a responsibility to choose and question dharma, in all its facets, as well, giving new energy and creativity.

In Second Life, the longstanding Buddhist tension between tradition, accuracy, interpretation and innovation should be an acknowledged challenge -- we won't solve it ourselves overnight.

4) Membership and dispute resolution. How do decisions get made or disputes/disagreements get resolved? This is especially important if you subscribe to the notion that SL is RL in Buddhism. Real people, real minds deserve treatment that is fair and consistent. And who gets membership (which inevitably confers some decision-making influence)? Self-identified Buddhists, curious non-Buddhists, spiritual enthusiasts of all stripes? In any event, real commitment is important since owning as much land as a sim in SL is definitely a commitment.

5) Specific questions of conduct. Is it proper to sell dharma products or charge or classes or events? Or do you do everything for free and accept donations? I very much advocate the latter: selling teachings directly, fee-for-service, is just not cool. Profiting from dharma is even worse. Retail and retail services are king in SL; transactions define the place and, as with RL, money inevitably impact outcomes and intentions: I say let's try to do things differently. An exclusive donation-based system of service doesn't seem very SL in some ways, but it is simple, accessible to all and has the most credibility.

6) If you don't teach in RL, or are have not been trained do so, should you teach in SL? I would say no, since misrepresenting one's abilities is wrong in RL and SL. However, the peer-to-peer model of Support for Healing Island, for example, is a great SL sim model -- no experts, professionals, just people being supportive and giving advice. Until real roshis, geshes and lamas start rezzing in SL, we're on our own and should stay honest about our abilities. There are countless recordings, books and DVDs with highly-qualified teachers in RL; but community-building and peer-driven events like meditation workshops and immersive builds that foster everyone's Buddha aspirations, these are potential strengths within SL.

7) At the risk of being ponderous, there are The Ten Virtuous Actions, which one would hope would more or less prevail within a Buddhist sim:



So to finish my longest SL post ever, I agree with everything Pratyeka said, plus an extra proviso: a Buddhist sim in SL should be considered a RL space with special social and creative potential, not an interpretation of Buddhism, nor a role-playing opportunity. If that value is commonly held, regardless of tradition, background or experience, then I'm in very much in favor of an all-purpose Buddhist sim in SL.

And if it would help, I could see if land could be made available from the Milarepa Land Trust to a partnership group of SL Buddhists. We do not have a whole sim, but we do have, in particular, roughly 1/3 of a terraform sim in Zoe, one of the few in SL that will allow custom mountains and terrain outside of a private island. Adjoining parcels within that sim or nearby could be added over time, which would soften the financial hit of monthly tier as the group would not be paying full sim tier right away. Our other contiguous space in Tehtys -- SL's highest mountain! -- has adjoining available land that would amount to at least 1/2 of a sim.

Starting without a full sim has some benefits, not the least getting started with less financial strain. SL does not yet offer incentives to in-world non-profits -- RL registered non-profits can get a break on the cost of a sim and monthly tier. So we'd be operating under the same economic rules as casinos and malls, which is to say that incentives and relief applies to those who can play in the escalating dwell competition. There are valid reasons not to get into too much land in SL if you're not all about profits, as I'm finding with the Milarepa land trust. Plus duplication of resources and people is a concern of mine: SL Buddhists thus far are roughly 30 people in a world of approx. 93,000 -- so I believe that all resources should be conserved to ensure long-term sustainability.

Sorry again for the long post. Tashi Delek!

hi, I've moved Pratyeka Muromachi's great post and subsequent contributions to this thread, named to invite general discussion on the topic. Please give us your thoughts on if, when, where and how there should be a Buddhist sim or HQ in Second Life. Tashi Delek!

Thank you Tenzin, I think we see eye to eye on this, which is an auspicious sign of great things coming.

going slowly at first should make it easier for everyone, including myself. I have some land in Myajima on which I am building the Horyuji pagoda, so I'm already paying as much tier as my budget allows. That being said, my time in SL is flexible and I want to use it to propagate the Dharma any way I can.

If we can assemble a core of dedicated people, the proverbial ball will start rolling, or in our case, the wheel will be set in motion.

Gassho

I really like this idea, myself. It's simple and has one basic purpose. I think we should explore this a bit further.

While I don't personally agree with everything you said in your list (e.g., that the land can't be separate from the main continent -- particularly with P2P teleporting, that makes little difference, IMO), you gave us quite a few things to think about, and that is much appreciated. I hope more of you chime in with input on this, and as time allows, I'll respond more in detail with my own thoughts on the points you raised.

Thanks for taking the time you did on this!

small update: the Milarepa Land Trust is selling Tethys. Too much tier for poor monks! Special discount for SL's highest peak to good Buddhist group or project. All other Milarepa projects are either on-track (ok, maybe a little behind schedule) or completed.

I agree that P2P makes any place in SL accessible. My statement was oriented more on the visual and ideological perception. an isolated region which need some kind of technological feat (teleportation) to reach it immediately creates a psychological barrier. It says "you can't just walk up to me" to the unconscious mind of ordinary people.

But if anyone can "just walk up to it" from neighbouring land, then the perception is the same as in RL; it is easy to reach, anyone can walk up to it.

Which would project the proper image to ordinary people; that Buddhism is reachable by anyone, no matter if you just walk up to it, fly, P2P... See what I mean?

I just wanted to clarify what I meant. I welcome your excellent point of view.

Gassho.

I thought about this for a while, and came to the conclusion that maybe it does affect some people this way, although I'm not one of them. In other words, I'm not saying you're wrong, only that I don't see it that way.

For example, Spirit of Healing is an island. Personally, I like that precisely because it's set off from the mainland. It seems more protected, more sacred. The fact that I can just go there with the click of a mouse completely negates any feeling I might have of there being any barrier. So why do I like it that it's not attached to the mainland? Because I know that the people who go there are likely to be more intentional about it, so the people I meet there are more likely to be interested in what I'm interested in, and therefore, it turns out to be a very welcoming place to me.

That's not to say that others aren't welcome, because they are, of course. But like at a monastery, or at a place like 10,000 Buddhas, the place itself becomes sacred because the land is treated as sacred (no strip malls, no gambling casinos, etc.).

I'm kind of thinking out loud, so if I'm missing something, please feel free to tell me.
Well, you may be right about this as far as the general population goes, so I'll just say that the idea of a more controlled environment, although with completely open access, appeals to me. Maybe that's just the hermit in me? lol

I like this discussion, very well thought out responses.

I would guess it comes down to personal preferences. But before deciding on how a buddhist themed sim should be located and built, we should lay down the goals and purposes of such a huge project. Then from that the actual expression of the sim should evolve naturally, instead of being influenced by individual preferences.

We are exploring a new world here in SL, we should take advantage of all that is possible to do and let our true nature find something truly different than what has ever been done in RL to "actualize" buddhist life.

I have a few ideas cooking that involve 3D representations of the "ten bulls" zen story. It would be something that you would walk through and interact with. The "ten bulls" story depicts the stages of spiritual progress in the search for enlightment.

anyway, I'm still throwing ideas around. I hope more of us will add their own ideas and that something will grow from this.
Gassho

Exactly! Our creative potential for teaching the Dharma is almost unlimited in SL. I can't wait to see how we end up using it!

Oh, that would be incredible! I hope you do it! I thought of something like that with the Four Noble Truths -- something in picture format. THIS is the kind of thing I was thinking would be great in a Buddhist sim, but of course, it can be done anywhere in SL.

I too appreciate all the comments. I will add my small contribution.

I think that we benefit from the symbolic inclusion of a buddhist sim on the main grid. Yes P2P can take us anywhere, but I thnk being on an Island will create a perception the community "you can only go there if you are Buddhist." I think we want to welcome non-buddhists because we have done nothing if we do not foster a better understanding of our beleifs among each other and among non-buddhists as well.

My thought on teaching is that everyone should be direct about thier abilites. Honesty will make it simple-if you are not a lama, then do not say you are one. (Although SL will allow you to be a LLama if you wish). But I also think as Buddhists we are always both teachers and students, and the sahring of expereiences or opinions may very well appear to some as teaching. I would not want lack of formal credentials to cause me to miss a lesson.

Sometimes a master can appear in an unexpected form. I am reminded of Ikkyu who went to a banquet in rags, and was sent away, he returned in his priestly robes and was invited in and treate well. Ikkyu then took off his robes and left, for he felt that the host had invited the robes and not the person.

jake, that is true! Dharma is not all about credentials. I guess we just have to do our best and contribute what we think is appropriate and enriching. I'd be a little nervous trying to bring a real lama into SL -- things aren't always so civil here as everyone knows -- so it's pretty much whoever shows up in-world. And hopefully people represent themselves in good faith.

Gassho to all!

I'm taking some time during my vacation in the Philippines to check out the forum scene. I'm having a good time visiting my wife's family.

teaching is hard in SL. The chat mode of communication is awkward at best. Because of this, I am more inclined to build buddhist inspired creation that can convey a dharma content. Or give a dharma related lecture followed by a question period, and maybe a notecard with web links to buddhist site.

In other word, use SL capabilities to introduce people to basic buddhist principles and if they are interested, direct them to serious websites on the subject.

For my part, I am not a trained teacher, I make this clear whenever someone new asks me questions. But I have some experience in dharma duels and lots of experience in zazen meditation. I lay no claim to enlightenment, but many have told me that I am. I prefer to let people make their own mind after they have a deep talk with me.

I can't wait to come back home and resume my SL life. But in the meantime, I'm enjoying my off time away from most everything. It helps me find my true center to be in a country like the Philippines. Like when the proverbial bucket looses it's bottom, I'm now that thought that has nothing to support it.

May you all find happiness and the root of happiness.

Pratyeka, I've been thinking the same thing lately. Best to make dharma that stands alone in SL -- I tackle ungainly Tibetan temples modelled from RL, for example -- and perhaps will provide some benefit to people on their journey. Or as Zafu has done, incorporate Buddhism into a specific community application that provides specific benefit.

One thing I'm careful about is not to over-package Buddhism as a fashion or New Age it into mystical and too-simple devolutions structured around people's expectations of Buddhism. This is why I like my RL lama so much: he practices and teaches in the traditional without fanfare, marketing or products. And sadly this is the norm within the high-tech industry that spawned SL, as well as a big part of its online culture -- part mega-mall, part High School popularity contest, part blind desire, at least sometimes.

I'm thinking the Buddhist sim idea will have to sit for awhile, if only because of the four of us that have posted here, two have already maxed out their tier (including myself).

Instead, perhaps we could construct a script or notecard that would give people a series of up-to-date linked teleport destinations -- a virtual circumambulation of SL Buddhist sites. This is different than a directory: I'm talking about a self-guided, semi-automated pilgrimage, via teleports. Pilgrimage is one of my favourite things about Tibet and something generally central to many Buddhist traditions: the act of mindful travel, visualizing the destination and then connecting with the site or power place are powerful, karmically beneficial practices in RL. (Some siddhas and yogis gained enlightenment simply by being dedicated and skilled pilgrims, for example.)

Any ideas on how to get this done in SL?

Hope your trip goes well!

That is a most excellent idea! When I get back from vacation, I will look into this.

Gassho...

Enlightened? Did I read correct? If so, nice work!

But how does one know for sure...hehe

The people that call me that have no idea what enlightment is, and I don't either.
They ask me questions, and they seem to be happy with the answers I give them.
It's really funny sometime, the answer I give them is never the one they expect, but they realise after a while that I gave them the answer they really needed.
Usually, it is enough for them, and it changes their attitude toward life in general, as if a bit of dirt was removed from their windshield and they start to see the road ahead a little better.

Gassho...

Hello everyone,

...have just noticed that we have not updated this forum in some time.

We have an Island that was purchased on November 1, 2006.
Thank you to all who have donated time, energy and $L.

Many people have been communicating in the forums located at;

http://66.219.59.152/dharmaforum/

Or visit the brand new Web page located at;

http://www.bodhisim.org/

Come join us.... this is the beginning of an adventure.