Someone to guide me please!

[abp]

Hello, I feel ready for this. Would some willing guy/gal help me through? no preferences. Thank you!

[JonathanR]

Hello abp,

Welcome to Liberation Unleashed. My name is Jonathan. I'm willing to guide you.

Please let me know a little about yourself, how you come to arrive here and your journey so far towards this point. What might you hope to gain? what are your hopes or expectations of this process? What might it mean to you? How might things be different afterwords?


Warm regards,

Jonathan

[abp]

Hi Jonathan,
Firstly let me thank you for your kind reply and willingness.
I arrived here past July while browsing the net searching for sites related to the “direct path” and after reading Greg Goode's book on the subject. At that time wasn't ready to take the move.

How come you arrived here and your journey so far toward this point?
For the last 3 years I had been a searcher with a burning desire for truth. I enrolled on a two years on-line Buddhism foundation course and currently am finishing the first of a two and a half years LamRim course. I also read extensively on Vedantic material, specially non-duality/direct path.

What might you hope to gain? What are your hopes and expectations on this process? What it might mean to you?.
I wish to try out your method on directing people toward an insightful integrated vision with no hopes or expectations. It might mean the possibility of me helping out other beings, the same as you wonderful people do.

Best wishes,
Antonio

[JonathanR]

Hi Antonio,

Firstly let me thank you for your kind reply and willingness.

You are very welocome.

It sounds as though you have been doing quite a lotg of 'groundwork' already. Your lack of expectations is good,

I wish to try out your method on directing people toward an insightful integrated vision with no hopes or expectations. It might mean the possibility of me helping out other beings, the same as you wonderful people do.

Good. And entirely realistic.

You and I will simply have a conversation, the aim of which will be for you to make the realisation that there is no 'self'. That will be our focus. I will tend to ask various questions and set you some exercises, but nobody will be judging you. You can't get this wrong.

This process is a guided inquiry where specific areas can be examined. I am not a teacher. This is YOUR inquiry. I will not be giving you new ideas and beliefs; only assisting you in examining and questioning the ones that you already have.

Before we start, let’s get through a few formalities first:
If you haven't already seen it, there is introductory info here, the disclaimer and a short video too.
http://www.liberationunleashed.com/

Please read an agree to the following ground rules...
1. Post at least once a day, if you cannot post, or need more time, let me know.
2. Be 100% honest in your answers and inquiry.
3. Answer only from direct experience (felt senses and observed thoughts). Longwinded, analytical and philosophical answers are best avoided and may even hinder progress.
4. Put aside all other teachings, philosophies and such 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 and essential meditation practice, it is fine to continue that.
5. Understand that I will be guiding you, rather than teaching you, and the more you put into this process the more you will get out of it.

A few other things...

- You can reply to this thread by pushing the purple-orange coloured button 'Post Reply" at the left bottom of this page.
- You can learn to use the quote function, instructions are located in the link below this line:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=660
- Please click the 'subscribe topic' link at the very bottom of the page to ensure you get an email whenever a reply comes in.


If you are happy to agree to the above and have me your guide, we can start the process?

Looking forward to hearing from you. I will usually post at least once a day, more often if time allows. By the way, I am in the UK. What time zone are you?


Warm regards,

Jonathan

[abp]

[/quote]Please read an agree to the following ground rules...[/quote]
I have no problems with the rules. They seem quite fair, am happy with them and I agree on you Jonathan being my guide. Already navigated the introductory info.

I live in Caracas, Venezuela --UTC -04:30 hrs-- (gosh, Britain center of the world!) and could accommodate to your time zone if required, no problems here.

Thank you Jonathan, lets do this!

Best wishes,
Antonio

[abp]

Please read an agree to the following ground rules

guess quote function not working for me...
A.

[abp]

Ok..got it, sry.

[JonathanR]

Hi Antonio,

Thanks for agreeing to ground rules.

Canada eh?

I tend to log on and read new posts first thing and then reply later in the day. 'First thing' for me is about 7.30GMT.

Ok. Let's get started.

Please tell me what you think 'you' are?


Jonathan

[abp]

I am that who experiences what is conveyed by the senses. I am the unabashed apprehender, the unbiased knower.

[JonathanR]

That is interesting.

Is there one that experiences this knowing? If so where is the 'experiencer' located?

If 'senses convey' what is the 'I' that 'experiences'?

[abp]

This is an easy question.
Yes, there is one that experience the knowing.
It is located nowhere and everywhere and the "I" that experiences manifest as a presence.

[JonathanR]

Hi Antonio,

Apologies. I have just noticed that you said Venezuela. For some reason I read 'Vancouver', hence my refdrence to Canada...

Yes, there is one that experience the knowing.
It is located nowhere and everywhere and the "I" that experiences manifest as a presence.

Within this, is there an experience of thoughts that come and go?

If yes, do these thoughts appear to have content? In other words, are the thoughts ABOUT something? Are there ideas about events, people, things, for example?


Jon.

[abp]

Jon,
Yes, there is an flowing experience of thoughts with diverse content that appear as being thought out.
You are getting at something here very quick.

[JonathanR]

Hi Antonio,

Yes, there is an flowing experience of thoughts with diverse content that appear as being thought out.

Good.

Right here and now, is there a 'thinker of thoughts'?

Is it possible to prevent a thought from appearing?

Is there a 'self' that could prevent a thought from appearing, including the thought 'I'?

Jon.

[JonathanR]

Hi Antonio,

Yes, there is an flowing experience of thoughts with diverse content that appear as being thought out.

Good.

Right here and now, is there a 'thinker of thoughts'?

Is it possible to prevent a thought from appearing?

Is there a 'self' that could prevent a thought from appearing, including the thought 'I'?

Jon.