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interpaul
USA
551 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 14 2020 : 4:06:22 PM
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| I've often been curious how others came up with their online name.I have to admit I am a bit disappointed I hadn't given more thought to my choice when I came up with interpaul. At the time I needed a name and wanted it to be anonymous. When I was in middle school I had to choose a name for spanish class and I picked Pablo. When asked to give a name on an online site years ago I combined the word internet with a western version of pablo, paul and that was it (interpablo didn't sound right to me) |
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k.cherry
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - Dec 14 2020 : 7:26:50 PM
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Interesting! Up until the online retreat a month or so ago I had assumed your real name was probably Paul. Interpaul makes sense, though.
k.cherry is a sort of phonetic play on the kechari mudra. I'm drawn to it even though I can't get past stage 1 yet. I had a dream once where I had to cook this dish called "kechari" that was made from the ground up bodies of dead butterflies. Come to think of it, I had a dream about kechari mudra the other night as well!
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Dec 14 2020 : 8:57:45 PM
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Very interesting Interpaul & k.cherry.
I had been visiting and reading the forum for few years with no intention of signing up or posting. This was the phase where I was integrating the awakening. One day there was an inspiration to sign up. The mind was completely Still those days, no thoughts and from Silence/Stillness, the name Sunyata surfaced. |
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interpaul
USA
551 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 12:37:52 AM
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K.cherry, I would have never guessed your name was derived from kechari, clever.
Sunyata, That's the type of story I'd like to tell, it's a nice name. |
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Cato
Germany
239 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 03:20:47 AM
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The time I stumbled upon AYP, I was very interested in ethics and especially in ethics of the ancient greek Stoics. As is probably obvious, Cato is borrowed from Cato the Elder, the ancient Roman senator. So it is not very creative but it was the best I could come up with when being asked for an online name. Cato is a very impressive character that lived stoic philosophy thoroughly. He was an influential politician and did never stop to teach himself humility. A central concept of Stoic thought was that men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them. Cato implemented that in daily life by wearing badly inapproriate clothes, refusing his social privileges and so on. Those things might seem trivial but test it by challenging social standards. Tie a banana to a leash and walk through the pedestrian zone for example. Nothing can happen, right? I think it is easier said than done and it is even more impressive back then for an influential senator.
Marcus Aurelius was another famous Stoic (and Roman emperor of course). He wrote the "Meditations", a journal to himself, that was published after his death . You will find deep wisdom in there, I like many quotes a lot.
- The quality of our life depends upon the quality of our thoughts.
- You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.
- The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts.
Epicetus:
- If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.
- He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.
- Don’t demand or expect that events happen as you would wish them do. Accept events as they actually happen. That way, peace is possible. |
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Blanche
USA
873 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 07:23:47 AM
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Thank you for sharing the history of your forum name. Names are not as random as they may seem to be. My first forum name came from the name I choose for myself in the English class in grade school - Dhyana. I have read the forum for a couple of years before I started to post, and then I kept forgetting my forum name and password. Eventually, I decided to use my real name, assuming that it will be taken as a made up name anyway. Well, at least I remember this one  |
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Dogboy
USA
2294 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 07:39:31 AM
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| A Dogboy is a human/canine hybrid; I am in a pack of Dogboys, a group of friends who, on the full moon, go into the ancient New England woods, gather around a fire, and howl at the moon. This has been ongoing for more than thirty five years. |
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Charliedog
1625 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 07:41:29 AM
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| Charlie was my dog, he past away in 2013. |
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 12:09:39 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by interpaul
Sunyata, That's the type of story I'd like to tell, it's a nice name.
Thank you, interpaul. I found your story behind your name unique and creative. |
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Running Water
Belgium
18 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 3:03:32 PM
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| My name is inspired on a saying of my favorite philosopher (Herakleitos) "Panta Rhei " or "you can never step in the same river" . Water is always running , life is always chaninging , so I chose Running Water |
Edited by - Running Water on Dec 15 2020 3:49:44 PM |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 3:50:24 PM
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Blue Raincoat is Leonard Cohen's metaphor for emptiness (Sunyata ).
There's really nothing inside the coat and because it's blue, it will not be visible against the sky.
At least that's my understanding of the metaphor - I don't know if L. Cohen ever explained his poetry. There is a line about planning to "go clear" in the song and "living for nothing". So several clues pointing in the direction of "emptiness". |
Edited by - BlueRaincoat on Dec 15 2020 3:53:35 PM |
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Dogboy
USA
2294 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 4:04:16 PM
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| I do believe he was a meditator, but I am be mistaken. |
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interpaul
USA
551 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 4:14:55 PM
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| I am so glad I put the question out there. I have so enjoyed interacting with many of you and it is very satisfying hearing some of these back stories. |
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 4:20:44 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat
Blue Raincoat is Leonard Cohen's metaphor for emptiness (Sunyata ).
There's really nothing inside the coat and because it's blue, it will not be visible against the sky.
At least that's my understanding of the metaphor - I don't know if L. Cohen ever explained his poetry. There is a line about planning to "go clear" in the song and "living for nothing". So several clues pointing in the direction of "emptiness".
This is awesome BlueRaincoat! You're my long lost twin. |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 4:21:53 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Dogboy
I do believe he was a meditator, but I am be mistaken.
Buddhism, I think. |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 4:23:54 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by sunyata
This is awesome BlueRaincoat! You're my long lost twin.
Of course  |
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 4:35:06 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat
quote:
Originally posted by sunyata
This is awesome BlueRaincoat! You're my long lost twin.
Of course
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 4:36:58 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Cato
Cato is borrowed from Cato the Elder, the ancient Roman senator.
Greek philosophy (at least some of it) is the visible counterpart of spiritual practices. The practices themselves were secret (spiritual traditions in Ancient Greece were called "Mysteries"), but it is known that Stoicism had a spiritual core. This is from Wikipedia:
quote:
Philosophy for a Stoic is not just a set of beliefs or ethical claims; it is a way of life involving constant practice and training (or "askçsis"). Stoic philosophical and spiritual practices included logic, Socratic dialogue and self-dialogue, contemplation of death, mortality salience, training attention to remain in the present moment (similar to mindfulness and some forms of Buddhist meditation),
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zamolxes
Romania
93 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 5:39:15 PM
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Well good question
In my case, zamolxis, was a Dacian king and also the name they had for god. There are many legends and stories so no one know really what it was. The Dacians were some of the first to realize that God is One, and at the same time it seems probable that the king Zamolxis was a yogi that managed to become one with god.
As for why I chose it, is because I come from Transilvanian mountains, a place full of energy and spiritual inspiration, and after some hikings into Bucegi mountains, a place where the Dacs used to live and pray I seemed to connect with their spiritual idol. Also there is a sphinx up there formed from rock, amd it surely is amazing.
Also, there is a custom there, that each year on 28 November some mystical events happen, people burning with ecstasy, some healing in a matter of minutes. And of course after my first visit on that day, I felt some peculiat energy passing through me as I ascended the mountain. It also happened that it was full of snow, and some clouds decided to cover me. So I was walking through heaven, all white around me. When closing my eyes I could feel the whole mountain as alive and in touch with my being. It was almos agressive. Then that night, the energy in the place was so thick that you could almost feel it with your hands, almost becoming gross. Passing through my body more intensely than kundalini. Oh and the love and openess. Truly magical and insipring. After that I felt connectes to that intelligence that lingers up there in the mountains. And to my ancient culture that seems mystical in nature. |
Edited by - zamolxes on Dec 15 2020 5:58:36 PM |
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k.cherry
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - Dec 15 2020 : 6:18:56 PM
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I love reading these stories so much Thank you for starting this, Interpaul
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Zaelithe
United Kingdom
33 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2020 : 06:26:14 AM
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When I was in my teens and just getting really interested in spirituality, I decided to give myself a secret name which I would tell no one ever. My youthful idea was that if anyone ever addressed me by that name or I read something related to it, it would somehow be really important to me (yeah, I know ). Well, the decades went on, the name was never used and I went down many spiritual pathways and blind alleys - and then I arrived at AYP. Like others, I lurked awhile, just reading and absorbing. Then one day I decided to register and in that moment knew I had found the place where I could express myself without reservation or fear. And so Zaelithe it is........ |
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Blanche
USA
873 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2020 : 08:05:50 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat
quote:
Originally posted by Dogboy
I do believe he was a meditator, but I am be mistaken.
Buddhism, I think.
Leonard Cohen was following the Buddhist Zen tradition. He was a student of Roshi Kyozan Joshu Sasaki of the Rinzai school, which emphasizes the seated meditation on koans to attain kensho (seeing into one's true nature) as a way to enlightenment. There are some moving accounts of Cohen's care for his very old teacher. |
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kumar ul islam
United Kingdom
791 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2020 : 12:30:41 PM
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| my online name is name given to me by the imam at the mosque when i was married ,my wifes family are from Zimbabwe with very mixed heritage African ,Indian ,and welsh ,my name means light of islam or light of the moon or moonlight maybe reflection of light ,my wife family refer to me as quamar and my family as Mark two identities rather fun really same me different name . |
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interpaul
USA
551 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2020 : 1:55:46 PM
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| Thank you all for sharing so openly. It is quite enjoyable hearing the different ways people have chosen their online names. After my meditation this morning I came up with a new name that resonates more with where I am now, Samyaman. Samyama has come to mean so much to me as a practice and way of being in the world (thank you dogboy for encouraging me to explore samyama early in my practices when I was struggling) |
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Dogboy
USA
2294 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2020 : 8:29:42 PM
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1571 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2020 : 11:13:08 PM
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I am convinced I was a witch in my previous live. I once visited Carcasonne , medieval city in France and immediately felt at home there. I dreamed of that place as it used to be and of me picking herbs outside its walls. As a child I was never interested in the Princesses but was always wondering what the witches were brewing in that cauldron.
Plus I was often told I was “bewitching” . 
So Sey (Seychelles) sorciere (witch) was born.
Sey  |
Edited by - SeySorciere on Dec 16 2020 11:15:15 PM |
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How did you pick your online name?
