The Potjie Button

In a recent post written in an attempt to promote meaningful communication on this site, the necessity of balancing manifestation and liberation, responsibility and membership, and autonomy and community as they arise in communication, was looked at.

With this in mind, a variety of suggestions were made by a number of members of this community.  The discussions that arose looked at the qualities needed for and promoted by good discussion, as well as a number of technological tools that could authenticate and add to the quality of our discussions as we engage in agency and communion.

In an attempt to integrate the above-mentioned suggestions and to promote unity in diversity, what follows is a summary of all the offerings:

Qualities:

Hospitality, restraint, structure, responsibility, patience, respect, an understanding of different “types”.

Tools:

-A Shadow Meter which would allow the collective to begin to offer some technology intermediated cues about what they perceive in the members’ posts.

-A Translator Button or access to a “translator” which could be used when one is unable to understand what the other is attempting to convey.

-Decentralized moderation constituting a form of positive peer pressure.

-The use of Real Names to promote transparency and authenticity.

-Different Gift Groups/Boxes to bring about social organization; a facebook-like social organizing internet tagging.

-The Couch, a space where one could join in the art of free associating.

-A Tutorial on using the technology and tools currently available.

-A communal way of making Connections among all the posts and blogs; an integral form of communication that transcends and includes all the posts, blogs and media.

-The Babel Fish/Babble Fish, a USB port-like implant which would enable us to “hear” all participants simultaneously or narrow down the frequency to just one thought if necessary.  This would enable networking at the speed of thought, and also enable one to decipher intention, implication and emotional states.

More detail and discussion of all the above can be found in the original post.

There was certainly no lack of imagination in these contributions and as I strove to visualize what had happened, I was particularly drawn to a photo of a tapestry that formed part of a community tapestry project in which members were all given the opportunity to take a turn at weaving.  This weaving of threads coming together in a work of art depicts for me what is happening here at Integral Life.

“But what has all of this to do with a ‘Potjie Button’?” is what you are most likely thinking at this stage.

Well, visualizing got me thinking about the senses and what could be done to incorporate all of them in our posts.  We utilize touch as we type on our keyboards; we see as we read what the other has to say or look at the visuals they include; we hear as we listen to the audio offerings on this site or listen to the “Youtube” links that many make; and if you consider intuition to be a sense, a lot of that is often necessary.  But how could smell and taste be incorporated?

This got me thinking about how the projected body is being re-owned in the times we live in.  We are beginning to realize that matter really matters as we become aware not only of our ecology, but also of the importance of our own bodies and their proper cae.

The importance of correct nourishment is reflected in the increased number of cooking programmes on TV.  Cooking has become an art, and I would like to venture, a special form of “Integral Art” as it is one of the art forms that incorporates the majority of our senses.

This thought, in turn, brought me back to thinking about how one could incorporate smell and taste on this site.

I have seen forums which invite members to rate their threads by using pictures of fruits, vegetables or even cocktails to set the tone of the thread, invite the type of communication they would like to have happen or introduce a particular theme.  This rating is not obligatory in any way but is most definitely a helpful tool.

 Allow me to introduce “The Potjie Button”.

A potjie (pronounced; poy as in boy, key) is a round three-legged cast iron pot used to cook outdoors in Africa.

In it, the most wonderful stews can be prepared and slow-cooked. The end result is called “potjiekos” – literally “pot food”.

The three legs could be symbolic of the “I, We and It”, the “Good, True and Beautiful”, the “3 Faces of Spirit” and the various concepts of a trinity as found in various religions.

 It is said that the ingredients of the potjie should never be stirred as the lid keeps all the flavours circulating – what a perfect depiction of individual members, each with their own flavour, and the community as they manifest and liberate!

We would of course need a page which would suggest the type of potjies on offer and explain what tone each one would set, or which theme it would introduce, when attached to a thread.  More than one potjie could be chosen if so desired.

This is where you all come in.  I would like to start the ball rolling by making two suggestions, but then I invite you all to don your chef hats and bring out your culinary skills to make further suggestions and evoke various smells and tastes.  (Attached graphics are optional).

The Curry Potjie

This potjie has as its spices, turmeric, coriander, cumin, masala and chilli powder.  It indicates a potentially controversial topic which could lead to a heated discussion.  You might come away from this discussion with tears in your eyes.  Agency is the focus and you can expect to be criticized.

The Seafood Potjie

With its main ingredients being crayfish, mussels, prawns and calamari strips, the end product of this potjie is a work of art.  It introduces all topics related to art and music that seek the integral way forward.

So, don’t be shy.  Remember that our descendants, whether they be human or of artificial intelligence might look back at this one day and say,

“Those were the days when they still had to invent all those tools!”

Enjoy.