Liberation - Help me see through it

[seeker03]

Hi Stacy,
Here is my observations:

First, can you remember a time when you lied to someone you loved?

I remember once I lied to my mother. She called once and asked me where am I.. I said, I am with a my friend but I was with my girl friend and I didn't wanted my mother to know that I have been secretly meeting a girl and loving her. I really felt bad while telling lie, I was an intentional lie.

Then scan your body for any Sensation (DE or Direct Experience), particularly in the gut or maybe the heart. Check very closely.
What is found?

I feel the sensation in my gut and heart. I am feeling my tightness in heart. yes, it's not peaceful.

Do you see that?

Yes, I can feel the sensation. I can see how the body is reacting.

But this feeling of uncomfortable I am feeling because the mind knows it's a lie which I am telling knowingly. Why the same feeling when when I (not feeling to use 'I' because I know now that this I is a lie, but using to express myself) searched for 'I' but didn't find it.. is my mind is scared of reveling the truth ?

OM SHANTI !
Thank you

[Anastacia42]

Om Shanti

"I" is a lie. You'll always feel tense about it.

The story "deeply rooted" is just a thought & not true. Check your gut feeling.

Next, try this one:

Actual/Direct Experience - Apple

Have a look at an apple (or any fruit you like.) If you have a ‘real’ apple, you can use it for this exercise. Google for a picture of an apple.



When looking at an apple, there's color; a thought saying ‘apple’; and maybe a thought saying, "I'm looking at an apple."

What is known for sure? Color is known and thoughts are known.

What about the content of thoughts, what they describe?

Actual experience does not refer to thoughts ABOUT something…because that is only just more thought.

Actual experience is sound, thought, color, smell, taste, sensation and the fact of thought arising, but not its content.

Is there really an ‘apple’ here, or only color and a thought ABOUT ‘apple’?

Can ‘apple’ be found in actual experience?

While these thoughts are known, what they talk ABOUT can't be found in actual experience.

This is what is meant by "looking in actual experience." What you know for sure, and, is always here.

Taste labeled ‘apple’ is known
Color labeled ‘apple’ is known
Sensation labeled ‘apple’ is known (when apple is touched)
Smell labeled ‘apple’ is known
Thought about/of an ‘apple’ is known

However, is an apple actually known?

Have fun and let me know what you find out.

Loving,

[seeker03]

Hi Stacy,

You have just opened something in me from inside. I am feeling like "Eureka moment".. yes.. apple is just a label like my name is a label. In reality there is only color, taste, shape but our thought is giving it a name apple because somebody have told us that an apple looks like this, taste like this blah.. blah.. you get it.

We label everything and that give birth to it's story.. thought story.. it's so simple I have never saw it like this before.

Can ‘apple’ be found in actual experience?

No.. apple is not found in actual experience. Here and now there is only color, taste, smell and thought is known.. no apple.

Thank you so much.. I can clearly see now.. a drop of water is the water itself.. There is only buildings, no schools or home or hospitals.. and there is no apple is actual experience it's just a made up label our thought is giving.

OM SHANTI !
Thank you

[Anastacia42]

Yes! Good. Exactly!

How does it FEEL to see this?

Loving,

[seeker03]

Hi Stacy,
Please accept my apologies for delay in giving the reply. I was not available and kind of busy because of family functions and office work. But I will be consistent from now on.

How does it FEEL to see this?

To see this it feels amazing. It's like truth is reveling itself. I can clearly see now there is only different sizes, colors, taste but not a label that we give it. It makes things very ordinary now.. I mean there is no specialty which our mind/thought perceive for it.

I might be not able to express how it feels but in some words I wanted to say that I feel distant myself now from the objects instead of me giving it a label and call it this and that. I just see it now as it is. This truth is settling.. I can see the reality of thing when ever I want.

OM SHANTI !
Thank you

[Anastacia42]

Om shanti, indeed.

There is one more pointer I'd like you to do. Then we have some checkpoint questions for you. Other guides will read those and may have questions.

Palm Flipping Exercise

1. Hold a hand in front of you; palm turned down.

2. Now turn the palm up. And down...and up and so on.

Watch like a hawk.

Don't go to thoughts – examine your direct experience.

Do this as many times as you like, and each time inquire:

How is the movement controlled?

Does a thought control it?

Can a ‘controller’ of any description be located?

How is the decision made to turn the hand over?

Track any decision point when a thought MADE THE DECISION to turn the hand over and the hand turns over immediately.

Who or what ​ chose which hand - the left or right hand for the exercise?

Can you find a separate individual or anything that is choosing when to turn the palm up or down?

Loving,

[seeker03]

Hi Stacy,
This exercise was really interesting. Initially I wasn't able to look deeply and it was coming that I am doing the hand flipping over up and down. But I was like there must be something I am not looking so did the exercise with several other things for example sitting on my work chair.. I was rolling the paperweight for sometime and started seeing what's happening.. same with the pen, the mobile.. you get it. And here is what finally I was able to see:

How is the movement controlled?

It's controlled by thought. I mean a thought of need is arising to flip the hand and then the body acts like that.

Does a thought control it?

yes. It's controlled by the thought but the mind label it with 'I'.. that I am doing it but on seeing minutely.. a thought is arising as need to flip the hand over and then the body does it.

Can a ‘controller’ of any description be located?

thought is the controller.

How is the decision made to turn the hand over?

As i mentioned earlier what I observe is that a thought of need is arising to flip the hand over or roll the paperweight and body is acting over it. But if I want, I can also ignore the thought because I am able to see the thought getting arose at a distance without being involved in the thought..

Who or what ​ chose which hand - the left or right hand for the exercise?

I would say the habit or learned skill.. I mean, I am right handed person so I will without a second thought will chose my right hand for any activity.

Can you find a separate individual or anything that is choosing when to turn the palm up or down?

This is amazing.. I mean defiantly on seeing deeply, I do not find any 'I' doing it.. It seems like I am doing but it's all thought that is arising at that moment which make the body moves voluntarily.

Let me know if my observations are in correct direction.

Thank you !

[Anastacia42]

I'm so sorry. It's not controlled by thought at all. That's the illusion, the made up story.

LOOK some more.

Do you find times the hand (or whatever) moves before you think of it?

Loving,

[seeker03]

Hi Stacy,

"I had posted my answer for this but today I see when I didn't receive any reply from you, it's not get posted. May be I forgot to click Submit button. Anyway, I am posting my answer again."

Thank you for seeing my illusion and pointing me to the right direction. Yes, it's not controlled by thought rather no one is controlling it. It's just happening. I see just body doing the action. I am doing it is an illusion.

Thought doesn't control anything. It's just like cloud comes and disappear. Awareness of thought is just happening, once we get aware of the thought it just disappears.

OM SHANTI !

Thank you,

[Anastacia42]

It happens.

Good. Thought controls nothing.


So, here is a pointer that may force you to look, not think:

ButtChair

Please LOOK for any place where your butt ends & the chair begins.

Is there any clear dividing line between them? Or only the Sensation with no clear division?


It is simple direct & nonverbal. Just LOOK.

Then write what is true.

Loving,

[seeker03]

Hi Stacy,

I am sitting on a chair and I feel the sensation that my butt is pressed against the chair so I can say that after that the chair beings. I am seeing at my sensation but there isn't any clear diving line. It's just the sensation that I am feeling.

OM SHANTI !

[Anastacia42]

Good. Meditate on that.

This pointer is enough to show you there's no separate "self. "

Loving,

[seeker03]

Hi Stacy,

sorry if I may sound like dumb. Please guide me how to meditate. What shall I try to see while meditating ? Shall I try to see who is setting on the chair ? or you want me to see where is the diving line between my butt and chair and how does it lead to show there is no separate 'self' ? What should I do, I am confused, please guide me.


OM SHANTI !

[Anastacia42]

Okay. In this case, you don't "try" anything. Like Yoda, you know. Have you seen "Star Wars?"

https://youtu.be/BQ4yd2W50No?si=7XZw_lBFJiAIcTbF

Yoda is right. No trying. Simply follow the instructions given in the pointer.

ButtChair

Please LOOK for any place where your butt ends & the chair begins.

Is there any clear dividing line between them? Or only the Sensation with no clear division?


It is simple direct & nonverbal. Just LOOK.

Then write what is true.

It is the LOOKING and ignoring thought's content that is helpful. Relax and let go. If you stress and strain, that will prevent SEEING.

how does it lead to show there is no separate 'self' ?

This is not like problem-solving with thinking, with the mind. It is the opposite. Just allow. Just relax. Let thoughts flow in and out. "How?" cannot be answered. We do not know. It is a mystery. It just happens. Really.

"Enlightenment is an accident. Meditation makes you accident prone."

~Sunryu Suzuki

There are videos and books and audios on "how to meditate." There are hundreds of ways to talk about it. But don't talk about it. Just sit there, relaxed and let experience arise. That's one way to describe meditation. It isn't about achieving anything or making sense.

Does that help at all?

When you wrote this:

To see this it feels amazing. It's like truth is revealing itself. I can clearly see now there is only different sizes, colors, taste but not a label that we give it. It makes things very ordinary now.. I mean there is no specialty which our mind/thought perceive for it.

THAT is what we wanted. A shift in perception. You were meditating.

Can you say after this above experience that 100% there is no separate "self?"

Loving,

[Anastacia42]

Google "Alan Watts How to Meditate"

The AI summary is good.

Then try some of the video links.

Also, try these. Be sure to listen to the Introduction.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ksba3zhi9uuz ... hsk1a?dl=0

Loving