Ready for it

[Socadiva]

LU is focused guiding for seeing there is no real, inherent 'self' - what do you understand by this? I understand that we are comprised of habits and beliefs. There is only awareness and there is no sense of an individual. I have touched on this a few times in my life and I am intending a permanent knowing.

What are you looking for at LU? I am looking for a guide to help me walk through the gate. I have tried to do this on my own and although I am there intellectually, I need to be there experientially. I am looking to solidify my next step in my journey.

What do you expect from a guided conversation? I expect toughness and for that person to be determined as I am to see that I walk through. Of course I know that ultimately I have to do the work but I have a great desire. I know that there may a period of doubt after so perhaps someone willing to follow up to make sure that I don't have that sense of me left.

What is your experience in terms of spiritual practices, seeking and inquiry? Hundreds of books, multiple retreats and courses. I decided to stop seeking last year and really dive in and focus on what is most important.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how willing are you to question any currently held beliefs about 'self? 10

[Anastacia42]

My name is Stacy and I can be your guide, if you would like.

It sounds like you're in a good place to do this.

One thing that is helpful is to come to this forum
& post every day. Sometimes the site goes down. It will be back. Just come back later.

Yes, if once in a while you must post later, please post a note telling me when you will return.

If you haven't already read the disclaimer, please read it now and just confirm to me that you have read it. Here is the link.

http://liberationunleashed.com/disclaimer-2/

Also please read “Liberation Unleashed is not …” in the FAQ’s of LU. Here is the link.

http://liberationunleashed.com/about/faq/#faq-1041

Some housekeeping guidelines:

1. Post at least once a day, or every second day. If you need more time, or are unable to post for several days, just write a quick post on your thread to let me know please.

2. There is no one judging answers given, so please be 100% honest in your answers and inquiry.

3. This exploration is based on actual experience (AE) - smell, taste, sound, sensation, color and observed thoughts. Long-winded analytical and philosophical answers are best avoided and may even hinder progress. This is not a self-improvement process. There is no ‘self’ to improve.

4. Put aside all other teachings, philosophies, rituals, practices, books/reading and so on for the remainder of this investigation. Really put all your effort and attention in to seeing this reality, as it is. If you have a daily meditation practice, it is fine to continue that but is not necessary for this exploration.

Technology is not perfect and sometimes there is a glitch which can wipe out your responses. It is advisable that you copy and paste questions asked into Word, answer them there and then copy and paste them to your thread. Always save a copy of what you have done, it will save time in the long run!

To begin with, so that we both become aware of what your expectations are about this exploration. In your own words (not from actual experience, but just honest answers), could you please answer the 4 following questions:

How will life change?
How will you change?
What will be different?
What is missing?

Throughout this exploration I would like you to answer all questions that I have written in blue text. Please answer all questions even if I miss using the blue text.

Please answer questions individually, remembering to use the quote function to highlight the question being answered.

Below is a link to the video with instructions on using the Quote Function. Please watch it. Use the PREVIEW button to make sure your text looks right before you hit "SUBMIT."

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=660

What would you like for me to call you? What time zone are you in, please?


Loving,

[Socadiva]

What would you like for me to call you? What time zone are you in, please?

Hello Stacey, lovely to meet you. You can call me Dawn, I am in MST time zone.

If you haven't already read the disclaimer, please read it now and just confirm to me that you have read it. Here is the link.

I acknowledge and confirm.

Also please read “Liberation Unleashed is not …” in the FAQ’s of LU. Here is the link.

Read it.

How will life change?

I expect that my life will not change. The day to day grind will continue.

How will you change?

I will not change. The only thing will be the confirmed knowing that there is no self, so really nothing to change.

What will be different?

Now I am not sure but I will be sure of no self and be able to see clearly.

What is missing?

Right now nothing is missing.

[Anastacia42]

Thank you.

I'm in Longmont. Colorado. near Boulder, for 2 me wells until we move to Texas. Are you close?

Now what comes up when reading that there is no separate self, never has been, and never will be? That the whole thing was a made up story that we believed.

Lowing

[Socadiva]

I'm in Longmont. Colorado. near Boulder, for 2 me wells until we move to Texas. Are you close?

Very close, I'm in Lakewood - We can almost do this in person.

[Anastacia42]

Thank you.

Please review the Quote video. We want questions in the Quote box.

Please answer questions individually, remembering to use the quote function to highlight the question being answered.

Below is a link to the video with instructions on using the Quote Function. Please watch it. Use the PREVIEW button to make sure your text looks right before you hit "SUBMIT."

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=660

What would you like for me to call you? What time zone are you in, please?

Thank you

[Anastacia42]

Yes, almost. Except, sadly, I'm moving next week.

This is how to LOOK for no self in the exercises - we call them "pointers' - that we will be doing here:

Colored Socks

There is a big difference between knowing that there is nothing to give up and seeing that there is nothing to give up.

Here is an example to illustrate the difference:

If I ask you what color socks you are wearing right now you have two ways to come up with an answer:

• You can think about it, you can think back to this morning and try to remember putting your socks on, and you can probably tell me what color you think they are.

• Alternatively, you can take a quick look at your socks and tell me what color they actually are!

Hopefully you would agree that you can only be 100% certain by looking.

For the purpose of seeing this "no self" idea, it is very important that you are clear about this difference.

Knowing is about knowledge which is all in the mind and we are not interested in that

We are only interested in looking at and seeing what is actually going on in your present moment-to-moment experience. We are only interested in your Direct Experience in the moment..

Direct or Actual Experience is

Seeing
Hearing
Feeling (Sensation, not emotion. Emotion is Sensation plus made-up thoughts & labels)
Tasting
Smelling
Thoughts Arising (but not their content)

Please let me know if you are clear about this or if you would like any further clarification.



Loving,

[Socadiva]

Now what comes up when reading that there is no separate self, never has been, and never will be? That the whole thing was a made up story that we believed.

Honestly the first thought/reaction when I read that is a little bit of fear. I know intellectually that there is no seperate self but I still had a twinge of fear.

[Socadiva]

Please let me know if you are clear about this or if you would like any further clarification.

I believe I am clear on this.

[Socadiva]

Just following up, I have not heard from you in a while. I'm guessing the move has you pretty occupied.

[Anastacia42]

Sorry, yes. Ping me if you don't hear. I arrived at midnight last night. Unloading truck still.


Direct Experience - Labeling Daily Activities

Here's an exercise that I would like you to try as many times throughout the day as you can. Label daily activities simply color/image, sound, smell, taste, sensation, thought.

So for example, when having breakfast, become aware of:

Seeing a cup, simply= image/color
Smelling coffee, simply = smell
Feeling the warmth of the coffee cup, simply = sensation
Tasting the coffee, simply = taste
Hearing the spoon stirring the coffee, simply = sound
Thought about drinking the coffee, simply = thought

Just break down daily activities into these categories (which are all Actual/Direct Experience) and report back with lists exactly like the one above.

Post several of your own observations in a list *exactly* like the one above, please.

Refer to the green list of Actual/Direct Experience in the prior post if that helps. Those are the only items any experience can be.

Loving,

[Socadiva]

Post several of your own observations in a list *exactly* like the one above, please.

I have been diligent everyday doing this exercise, I just posted a few of my observations.
Seeing the bowl, seeing the colors: image/color
Feeling the warm bowl: sensation
Seeing the rice, beans and chicken (peleau) in the bowl: color
Heating up my lunch in microwave: sound and sight
Thinking about offering some to a coworker: thought
Tasting the chewiness of the rice = taste
Feeling the heat of the rice=sensation
Smelling the peleau: smell
Looking at the beans in the peleau: image
Thought about what I am doing: thought
Hearing the phone ring: Sound
Feeling the phone in my hands: sensation
Having a conversation with the vendor: sound
Having thoughts about the conversation: thoughts
Thinking about taking my multivitamins: Thought

Smelling my multivitamin: Smell
Thinking about how terrible they smell: thought
Swallowing my multivitamin: taste
Pouring tea from my thermos to my mug: sound
Looking at my thermos: color/image sight
Feeling the non slip exterior of thermos: sensation
Seeing the tea and mug: color
Drinking the tea: taste
Putting the mug down on the table: sound
Hearing the clinking of the utensil against the bowl: sound

[Anastacia42]

Good. You've got it. That pointer is to separate thoughts arising from content of thought. Here's the next pointer:



Mind Labeling Experience

Here is an exercise which examines the way in which the mind labels experience - it takes about 20 minutes and you will need a pen a paper.

This exercise is broken into 10 minute lots. For each 10 minute period pay attention to any bodily sensation i.e. is there any tightening, or any relaxing?

For the first ten minutes write down what you are experiencing right now using the word “I”.

For example:

I am sitting on a chair,
I am hearing a clock ticking,
I am looking at a computer screen,
I am feeling hungry.

Get right to the point, no past or future fantasy, just a plain description of your experience right here and now.

Then for the next ten minutes continue writing down what you are experiencing but this time without using the word “I”. Just describe the experience as it is happening using verbs.

For example:

Sitting on a chair,
typing,
breathing,
blinking,
hearing the clock.

(Again, watch what is happening in the body.)

At the end of the twenty minutes compare the two ways in which the experience was labelled and answer the following four questions:

1. Is one truer than the other, and If so, which one?

2. What is here without labels?

3. Do labels affect the experience or just describe it?

4. Did you notice any differences in the body?

Loving

[Anastacia42]

Hi Dawn,

Are you ghosting or still there?

Loving,

[Socadiva]

Are you ghosting or still there?

No sorry, I had to take a brief stop last week due to personal issues. I will complete this.