Friends are obsessed, Burning Man spirituality crap.

[blyslv]

The Seven Ages of a Buhner:

1. Never Been: sort of curious, do some research, heard some stories, some some pictures. A friend. or lover convinces you to go.

2. Newbie: Running around in your favorite avatar, drinking absinthe in the new day sun. Barking mad and loving it. Sense of discomfort caused by non-contributing status of a first year attendee (caveats apply!).

3. Second yearitis: Makes friends among attendees, causes family and colleagues to roll eyes anytime they hear "This one time at BM..." You decide that fake fur is your fashion statement and giving away a $1000 worth of booze is fun.

4. This is the year you're going to do an big installation on the playa! You get 40 or 50 of your best friends to help, take a welding class and brush up on your Serban-Croat grammar (just in case). You are on the early arrival list. Toward the end of the week you find yourself wandering through a strange and foreign center camp during a white-out. Your respirator makes conversation difficult, and you have a hard time relating to people rolling in the dust. The thought of the installation you worked on alternately brings tears to your eyes or makes you question your sanity.

5. You go, but you don't do much except drink. You're pretty bored and what's worse ... boring. Maybe you bring some newbie friends and you get the spark going that way.

6. You stay at home and are wistful.

7. You stay at home and spark a wonderful spiritual party experience, and make plans to go next year.


YMMV

[ALICEtheGOON]

When I was a child my parents took me camping in the mountains,(1971 ,Big Bear California). We camped next to some hippies. That afternoon a whole slew of Hell's Angels rolled up to the hippie camp. They made a big mud pit and had a tug-0-war . One angel was so drunk a friend had to save him from drowning in one inch of water.They had so much fun and were so free...

I told myself when I grow up I wanna drown in an inch of water.

ALICE

[MikeVDS]

I too have seen and even participated in the "cult like" behavior. I don't go to do drugs (or even drink much) or to have sex with random people. I go to nerd out. Have you noticed all the amazing engineering projects people bring out there? Have you noticed the logistics required to set up and prepare some of these camps? The "cult like" behavior I experience most people call passion. I'm passionate about wonderful, amazing, smart and creative things. Sure there is a lot of junk out there, sure a lot of things out there are a waste of my time if I let them be, but there is so much out there that is amazing, there are so many amazing people that I don't have the time or will to spend my time on the aspects of the event that I would otherwise dislike. Sure many of the people out there have passions that differ from mine. Some like to do drugs and dance all night, others like to hook up with random people. So what? How's that effect you? If you're so worried about what other people are doing *YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT*. If you can't find anything fun and exciting to do out there I'd like to know exactly what it is you like doing. Do your own thing and stop bitching about what others do. If your own thing happens to be staying away from burningman, fine.

[HughMungus]

Burning man is now something else to add to your life that differenties you from someone else. Another way in a way to put another human down who does not get it.

Wow you have some shitty friends.

[space monk]

please keep coming, we love the taste of your spiritual blood :twisted:

[Guest]

[quote="HughMungus"][quote="mensen"]Burning man is now something else to add to your life that differenties you from someone else. Another way in a way to put another human down who does not get it.[/quote]

Wow you have some shitty friends.[/quote]

Yes. I am sorry I made a rude response in this post to you. I apologize.

Yes, shitty friends. You are right about this, and I am realizing that it is time to move on and find new friends. I am not against drugs as a way to nirvana, this is why drugs are here on Earth anyway. And it does take a month to prepare for burning man. To weather the elements, you know the story.

Unfortuntely. 8 years in a row with these people and now I realize that I have to move on. 2007 was a different year. One guy groped my wife's breasts. He was very drunk. The funny thing is if he would of asked, she would of said ok. If he is that desperate to touch a woman's breast, then be it.

I've spent a lot of time and effort in 8 years at burning man. My camp is always full. Music, love, kindness, respect, true gifting, hot men and women to look at.

Kind of reminds me of the story where a young man travels from Chicago to India and asks his "teacher" where to find bliss. The young man has travelled thousands of miles, climbed many mountains, met many teachers. The teacher says go back to Chicago.

[HughMungus]

Yes. I am sorry I made a rude response in this post to you. I apologize.

Yes, shitty friends. You are right about this, and I am realizing that it is time to move on and find new friends. I am not against drugs as a way to nirvana, this is why drugs are here on Earth anyway. And it does take a month to prepare for burning man. To weather the elements, you know the story.

Unfortuntely. 8 years in a row with these people and now I realize that I have to move on. 2007 was a different year. One guy groped my wife's breasts. He was very drunk. The funny thing is if he would of asked, she would of said ok. If he is that desperate to touch a woman's breast, then be it.

I've spent a lot of time and effort in 8 years at burning man. My camp is always full. Music, love, kindness, respect, true gifting, hot men and women to look at.

Kind of reminds me of the story where a young man travels from Chicago to India and asks his "teacher" where to find bliss. The young man has travelled thousands of miles, climbed many mountains, met many teachers. The teacher says go back to Chicago.

1. Hey do what I did: get new friends. It changed my life.

2. About the long time spent planning and preparing: I'm not sure if I speak for everyone but that's part of the fun. If that's not fun for you, see #1.

I wish you luck. Don't give up!

[Alchemy]

THIS message is brought to you by the HOLYIER THAN FUCKING THOU participants of My Burn..
the veiws expressed here are not yours or the veiws of maybe six of the citizens who live the dream 24-7-but are those of MOST hard core burners who feel intitled but suffer Playa guilt cuz we all could burn a little truer huh?
and those harshity uppity tirades expressed here are not the ideas or the words chosen or even condoned by ANYONE affilliated with a BM paycheck UNLESS THEY SAY SO..so if you are offended call a waaaaaaa-ambulance and stay home while we burn a little hotter in your abscence..
BUT BITCH YA"LL CAN QUOTE ME and skoff at my spelling anywho..
We are holyier than thou cuz we burn brighter and harder for the simmmmmmple reason that..

"Uh......We are the Chosen Ones.."
you are a noob..and are ..obviously not
YOU are watering down MY experiance with your septic sceptic peptic hoopty..while ou snivel at our dedication with blissy rewards
while you admit to not embracing Burningman as your lifestyle..and wonder wheres the Spiritual "beef" we are all
soooo thrilled about..
You are obviously in the wrong place.
your harshing my mellow..
you are a living testimate to my MANtra "DID YOU READ THE MANual?"(ie do your home work?

shut up. AND.read the manual
All the recipes for the how and why..the purity of the flame is IN THE TEXTS(puddin) written by the participants who found treasure..
truth and wisdom of it all..simply
If your not there to make miracles
make art
or make me personally fucking entertained
then explain to the class WHY THE FUCK you ARE there..
What the fuck are you expect(ator)ing?

sobscribe to our ethic artfully and humbley written out for you in the web sight..
OR>> spend your time away from selling out to the 9-5: and doing your well earned vacation 'in say ..a hip resort like Disney world.or even gulp Ibisa!!.(ew! burn! )

Its not the drugs you do ..or see ..Dippity doo.
.(thats your playa name?Have been named YET? awww nooo Im bein a bully right here...dont cry Baby! Its done with love..)

its not the poly pagan sexual freedom that is more contageous than
stray glitter off a strippers cleavageand as common place as art cars..

Its not the this or that.. ITS THE sum of ALL of it.. thats where the common experiances breech devine actions..
its so HUGELY spiritual you have to get involved deeply-utilize the culture!!
make the connections and express your perspective boldly in a way that makes you privy to the big message..perhaps if you put on some veiwing goggles that dont include a funny nose and mustache?DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE IN THE SCOPE OF YOUR LIFE>>what are you doing with this life?
who ARE YOU?
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO REVEAL?
WHAT IS INSIDE?
SHOW US SOMETHIN BUSTER>>WE ARE READY!!

HUH?? You say..
Crap! ..taddah yaddah..you say..?
If you and your tiny little soul think that
beauty and bliss on the level or magnitude presentied with in the BM event.. is souly created by random sex and or drugs..or any orher one surface detail at BM you might suggest to define the lifestyle or what-ever you WITNESSed..(spectator..)
youve got work to do..Ill toss you a bone but
WHAT part of RADICLE self reliance did you not understand?
I cant do it for you
you gotta want to find the bliss
you gotta do the work-enspouse the doctrines as a
method to experiance the result we acheive.
We see it and live it thru gifting..
thru trying new things and testing our limits..
its a "soul college" that we are inrolled in.. my blind clueless friend..and seemingly a sheep in the flock of Fuck Ewes-
Doomed from choosing to sit on the fence
with out commiting to trying out the lifestyle ...you dont
get the benifit of its experiances..
perhaps than..
missing the sacred purpose of your souls path ( other than tempting me to type for well over an hour ripping you an ass-by baiting me so..oh the folly!!)).
WHY are you just kinda burning?.cuz like you heard its cool to go?
...cuz like you expect revelation and epiphany to come in your Events booklet with your sticker? hmmm?.
The magic of the burn is revealed in the moments of making-giving-testing-expressing and attempting.Reflection .
Your interaction with the spirit and god are personal..
but WE ALL KNOW THIS!! HAHA!!
you didnt get the memo !
get on the mailing list and youll get updates so you too can be HOLYIER than thou..

on playa
or off playa..
making a difference by your actions-playing nice-working well with others -being open to miraculous happenstance
..being familiar with the traditions of spiritual enlightenment and
have a grasp of its timeless symptoms..
To
play colorfully with others- as upposed to playing in neutrals..ugh!
A "beige experiance "is the end result of " beige commitment.".beige sucks!!
defining life with your true self flagrantly in defyiance of the obsticles set to test your metal-divert your path..
AND -in the face of riddicule ( yep you can use four letter words or tell me to fuck off and .define it ( Your Experiances)your fucking self Hippy spectator)
I encourage you to do so..IF you FEEL it!
AND FOR THE RECORD..
DID you read the What is BM in prep pages on this or ANY web site before you went?
AFTER??
bring or make shit on the Playa?
try living nakid ?
test your boundies?..
OR..
.meet any artists while they were makin shit?
Were you at any time ..Victemized by the antics of Paul - Dork Maul -Addic the " Judas Askariott of BM 2007?
Bonus question..
Do you even know who the cracked ass is?
Or why' what he did was important..
or why he did it?
Know what he did, even?


ARE you a follower of ANY religeous practice at anytime?

are you
trolling? (heehee im on hook..yup)
ARE YOU an rv user or a camping gear camper?
Do you know why this makes a significant diff in your burn?
theme camper or open camper?
An all weeker
or a Weak ender?
The deeper you swim into Burning culture..with This fishy school..
The deeper youll fathom
what most of us know and are blathering like drooling fanatics about!
youll also swim with us freaks.. into the mystick and magic..
and see for your self
( its like the magic poster pictures that came out years ago..picture hidden in a pattern..in 3-d)
BUT!!----
IF you wade in the shallow water like a little pussy....dont bitch about your petri dish experiance at the Lake of Fire...or your bladder infection from sitting in the piss end of the spiritual kids pool...
HEY! DIVE IN !! How else can you know depth ?
God/dess and the Eternals in every form- are there. on the playa..all around you..in you..thru you..
You are initiated into the fold of the gathering tribes when you arrived- or didnt you know that?
haha your soaking in it!
READ YOUR MANual....
you risk death to go...
As do all initiates THRU TIME
read the verses of vs.
subtle traditional sacred rites transpire to slap the materialistic crap right outta you and get you prepped and on the path you bought a ticket to.. for hearing the messages The devine want you to hear
thru the grandure and ridiculous ..
For Christ sake.!!.Santa-the Easter Bunny- AND Every icon and God are present in form or disquise at The Burn. SEEN THEM?
Why are they there/
EVER WONDER?
What is the consequence of their presence..to you?
to the world?
ahhh its all crap! just look away...
They all come for the titties and sex and drugs like you did..but THEY ARE SO WAY WAY HOLYIER than you.. so THEY
ALL told me..to tell you some stuff ..
Get a pencil..
Its the memo...!!!
they said-
THAT YOU NEED TO
quit bitchin and expecting us to hand you the keys to the kingdom & in some sensible..scheduled little package you can take a tourist photo with and BUY a sooooveneeer t-shirt at the gift shop about.thats not how they roll fucko..!
. 2-
The Gods dont speak in english..its too limited..altho they dig wordplay and adjectives!! You cant cram devine message into simple terms just look at the bible! What a fucked up deal that mess created simply because the translation into language fouled the message it sought to convey!!!..left too much to the literal and now its all gossip and fish hooks...

3-
The Eternals-GIA_spirits-THE GREAT SPIRIT..
They dont use Day planners..or adhere to time constraints used here in this dimension..so dont dimension it!..but will get your attention in a puctual fashion thru some unscheduled weather events..and the yearly "at the burn" celestial event..isnt that cosmic hmm? start with that..
$-
They dont come to BM with out costumes.( nor should you ).cuz to see them in their true form would be too much for the kids in the spectator seats to endure..
besides you guys wouldnt appriciate it anyway ..
4-
.Their Rave Camp is too noisy..the divine can be found in sound..
you need to listen..to the playa with your whole body
They also said IF YOU MUST deplete the consorted effort with your complete apathetic lack of preparedness..at least

5 cover your corporate crap asswipes
6 drink water..
7 quit pissing on the playa its sacred...
8 bring gifts
9 preform some act that is unlike yourself
or take a crazy risk pussy!
10 and read the fucking manual - over and over..and do the work intailed..TRY IT!!
follow the threads where they take you and shove those mardi gras beads up your ass.
11 volunteer..

.
Lastly your art car sucks,, ( a joke about your real car that is UNDER dressed for the event..read the histories)
Finally ..The Gods want you to consider..THAT>>
if all you really get outta this is-
SEX _DRUGS and Show me The Miracles!!
!!!! STAY THE FUCK HOME in default land..where ever you live and savor reality. Burningman for you will never be more than watching special effects in a C.G -movie you paid for..to see..
No miricles here..
...save your hard earned greenbacks..
and trick or treat for the office halloween party mixer..in a store bought and created costume...Tell all you know and anyone who you meet. and agrees that BM is a drug indused excuse to get naked and have kinky sex with strangers to stay home too..cuz
WE ARE HOLYIER THAN YOU!!
EARN your BURN bitches..
This has been a public service Denouncement..
go sell snivel to your mommy..
and god says fuck your burn!..

[Alchemy]

Yes. I am sorry I made a rude response in this post to you. I apologize.

Waaaaaaaaaa call a wambulance.
mamby pamby..if your gonna vent..do it
in boots God Damn it!!
I respect strong opinion and intention..
And if you took anything i wasted hours to write cuz God told me too..well than
...savor my balls
and touch my breasts!!
this was a memo..

[mike/gomonk+]

>> Kind of reminds me of the story where a young man travels from Chicago
>> to India and asks his "teacher" where to find bliss. The young man has
>> travelled thousands of miles, climbed many mountains, met many teachers.
>> The teacher says go back to Chicago.


i LOVE chicago!



mike/gomonk+

(originally from there)





. . .

[ultraaman]

[b]HughMungus said that mensen said:[/b] [i]Burning man is now something else to add to your life that differenties you from someone else. Another way in a way to put another human down who does not get it.[/i]

[b]Wow you have some shitty friends.[/b]

I agree to some with Mensen and HughMungus. This was my first Burn but I am no stranger to communal events. I can only liken his unpleasant experience to what I've experienced sometimes in naturists groups I've belonged to. There was this attitude, not prevalent on the Playa but definitely palatable, like what he describes - namely if you aren't as enlightened/intouch/intune then you are derided and looked down on (in the naturists case, it's directed at people who wear clothes and are not accepting of nudity). I'm kind of a quiet guy and not prone to putting it all out there. In addition, I felt no need to shed/burn anything while I was at BM or to set myself free from some perceived bondage stemming from my consumerist industrialize lifestyle. I don't feel bound up in my life so I have nothing to escape. I've also shed all the trappings that existed in my world that I want to shed and didn't see a need to perform some token gesture while on the Playa. Some people perceived that as something to be called out, like I wasn't in touch with myself or was being held down by "the man" or some other dipshit crap like that, and I saw that attitude leveled at me more than once on the Playa.

I felt some pity for these people than anything but it was not my place to say such a thing to anyone. However, I could definitely one up any of them in being an ass if I wanted to. It would have been so easy look down at my nose at all every one who can't lead a happy fulfilling life in the real world and who have this need to let it all out for a week in the desert because they are too afraid, or just too stupid, to figure out a way to do it the other 51 weeks of the year. But I'm not an ass - unless you're a rude SOB then all bets are off - and if BM is the only way for some to get that feeling of freedom, better that than nothing at all.

As for my BM experience, luckily I had a camp of vets that was into all things Burning, who wanted to include me, and was ok with me grooving at my own speed. I didn't spend 4 months on costumes like they did but I never felt put down upon from them for my not wanting to. At one point I brought that up and collectively they told me that I needed to have my own experience at BM. As long as I was having fun it didn't matter to them if I wanted to play dress-up with them, tag along as myself, or go do my own thing.

That's why I agree with HughMungus too. A camp should be about creating one's own little community in the great sea of the Burn for all who are in the camp. From Mensen's description it appears his group was more focused on making themselves feel good even at the (intentional) expense of others. So ya, it does seem that Mensen has some shitty friends.

[mdmf007]

BM is what you make it - some of my most spiritual moments have been there.

Some of my most drunkest stumpling around moments have been there as well. As a community BRC is supposed ot be that way. I would like to see some more city planning in the way of districts. Dont get me wrong BM does agreta job with infrastructure plannning, id just like to see districts more differentiated.

EIther ways brilliant - i love it.

[philosopher]

Some people are better at hiding their condescending pity than others.

[Zulegoona]

BM is what you make it - some of my most spiritual moments have been there.

Some of my most drunkest stumpling around moments have been there as well. As a community BRC is supposed ot be that way. I would like to see some more city planning in the way of districts. Dont get me wrong BM does agreta job with infrastructure plannning, id just like to see districts more differentiated.

EIther ways brilliant - i love it.

I rather appreciate there not being much in the way of delineated districts beyond kidsville, hushville and walk in camping. It makes for some amazing discoveries while on the way to something you had thought you wanted to do. It also helps facilitate the mixing together of all the different subsets of Burners. I’m in favor of doing away with the things that divide us and “defineâ€

[mdmf007]

Good point Zule - I like wandering around as well. Every year though there is tons of stuff I miss. just thnking aloud.

[Simon of the Playa]

"Aside from a few Asian and a handful of Black attendees it is as racially pure as a Hitler Youth rally. "


LOVE LOVE LOVE the UNIFORMS!

HATE HATE HATE the IDEOLOGY!

damn, scratch that theme camp theme.....


oh well, i'll keep my sexy hitler w/ fishnet stockings costume to myself.....

[Finnegan]

Alchemy, that was a Joyce-worthy rant, indeed!

Poster: If you don't come next year, I will be heartbroken. Wait; now I'm over it.

[mdmf007]

I see more racial diversity at BM, than in the default world.

imho

[Apollonaris Zeus]

[quote="Anonymous"]I love burning man. Except my friends are now obsessed about burning man several months out of the year and one month prior to the event they do nothing except prepare for the event. What I am seeing is that they have developed this attitude of "holier than though" with me, as if I am not "getting" what burning man is about. What I saw was a lot of drug use, plenty of sex (stories about sex), and pure hedonistic behaviors. I guess spirituality is found in the abuse of your body and sex. Who knows? It is that because I am not participating enough, I am not getting it. I am participating, not in the drugs or sex, though I had many opportunities. Look, I am saying to call it what it is, a place where mostly white trash kids party hard for one week. It would be like calling a tailgate party at a baseball game a spiritual experience. For that matter, everything is a spiritual experience but I am sick of someone using it against me, identifying so much with burning man that they become real jerks.

Do you know why so many people hate burners? Because they tell everyone who has not gone or visited that they have seen the light, have experienced something extraordinary. When in fact, they were high 90% of the time, had unprotected sex, and stunk to no end. What a bunch of losers, in the end. Great art, but the attitude has got to go. And you wonder why there is a culture war going on in this country, because people come back from burning man saying that they saw Jesus ride the magic carpet ride, but for the rest of the year, they lack compassion, are liars, can give a damn about other people, and pride themselves on being above everyone else who does not get it.

Hypocrites to no end. I am there with them but I am belittled too. Time to get new friends. This is what I don’t get, why add the “what a spiritual experience it isâ€

[Rolan Headon]

Love those old dead threads...
Hey if yer looking thru a dirty, skinny little 4" wide window the world ain't all that impressive!

[Donna Matrix]

Burning man sucks.

Don't go.

[Ugly Dougly]

Burning Man spirituality is like a water fountain. It's the pure stuff, and you make of it what you wish. What are the many uses humans make out of water? But in the end, it winds up in the porta-potty, or evaporates as sweat.

[spectabillis]

(insert_objective_variable) is what you make of it

so i can make it into disneyland? neptonian surface ice landscape with low gravity? a meeting place for the successful revolutionary succession of hawaii into our own private country? right, so much for that theory.

will always be limited by the reality of the surrounding environment, period.

[Ugly Dougly]

(insert_objective_variable) is what you make of it

so i can make it into disneyland? neptonian surface ice landscape with low gravity? a meeting place for the successful revolutionary succession of hawaii into our own private country? right, so much for that theory.

will always be limited by the reality of the surrounding environment, period.

We've both seen all of this on the playa, and more.

[Simon of the Playa]

specta, as i'm sure you are aware, that's what LSD is for....

last year i spent an hour and a half at the liberace museum in vegas...




only thing was, i was in a porta pottie at 10th and c....go figure.

[Jew Boy]

The hairy fat naked guys alone are worth the price of admission.

[erri2000]

If I "found" spirituality at Burning Man it was something that I always had. The Burn did not change me and I can not explain to anyone what I went through.

Burning man allowed me to ignite my own fire. No one can spark you. It is something you need to do yourself. I believe the feeling of "spirituality" comes from the freedom to explore your own being who you really are. Enlightenment to ones self is pretty "sexy".

And to be completely "real" for a second, to quote Simon of the Playa, burning man "IS" just a camping trip.

What has the burn brought out in me.

I am QUITING smoking. I started working out again. I am confident in myself for the first time. I have a greater appreciation for the simple things.

The list goes on.

And the best thing is, the only thing that was offered to me was the chance to pull myself up from my boot straps without anyone knocking me down. That was sweet.

[cosmicvibrations]

i haven't been to the burn yet, but i plan to this year.

firstly i'd like to mention that psychedelic drugs in particular do not "abuse your body". second, i want to mention that whether or not you happen to be at burning man when ingesting them, they seem to have quite a propensity for inducing "spiritual" experiences, even just after one try.

maybe try to comprehend the idea that spirituality is subjective & that we all define it for ourselves? just because you didn't see what your friends saw, doesn't make them inherently wrong. :]

food for thought.

<3
L

[LeChatNoir]

Read this a few issues back...

http://discovermagazine.com/2006/oct/ps ... s-mystical

[LeChatNoir]

If I "found" spirituality at Burning Man it was something that I always had. The Burn did not change me and I can not explain to anyone what I went through.

I felt that it didn't change me, but rather just turned up the volume on who I already was and told me it was ok to be that way.