Thank you so much for all of your time, patience and very, very helpful questioning. It is an incredibly generous thing you are doing, for which I am very grateful.

Sorry if I wasn't clear earlier.

Intention guides choice.

Where is intention from?

Arising out of awareness of potential results of actions/speech/seeing etc.

Is there a 'me' that is aware? No - no separate being, just being.

1) Is there a separate entity 'self', 'me' 'I', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there
ever?
No. Only existed through thoughts within and also external expressions of separation from others.

2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it ...

None whatsoever.

Nothing -
space -
more space-
light -
free falling -
nothing

What is seen is what is there - just now, looking out the window, seeing birds on the bird feeder, roses standing up in the rain, looking ahead at the screen, fingers typing and words appearing onscreen. All without (to the extent possible) a 'me' or a 'them' or an 'us' in the absolute sense. Just ...

Disorientation is a feeling, a sense of being in a familar place, or with known people, but seeing with different eyes. There is a certain sense of 'spaceyness' - perhaps allowing this new seeing to occur.

Tightness in the chest when writing this - of excitement rather than fear. It is soft, it is ...

Thank you for this response. It makes sense to an extent, although in fact Buddhism is about direct experience. But putting aside its language and filters, which may cloud the experiencing.

Are there any doubts at all about seeing through the illusion of the separate self?

Doubts that this is ...

Thank you for bringing the exploration back down to earth. It was feeling wordy.

Have been coursing the somewhat bumpy road of just being, not A being. The just being, yes. that's all there is. And starting to get a sense that just being can guide or direct. If the just being is allowed to be ...

Are YOU the thinker of thoughts?


As with seeing and hearing, there is thinking but not an 'I' who thinks. There is a being who observes them and can direct them, even choosing to an extent. For example, when falling asleep, the mind can go towards lists of things to do. A recognition of the ...

Hi Dyann
Thanks for checking back. My partner had to go back to hospital (A&E) yesterday but fortunately is home again.

Within all this, the questions asked have been present.

To the first two, the Bahiya Sutta quote comes up: 'In the seen, only the seen, in the heard, only the heard'. And later ...

can you find a separate self, a "me" or an "I"

Hi Dyann

Finding, identifying, feeling, seeing - all there in terms of sensing energy, quite literally seeing physical pieces and effects of their actions -

but what seems to be the key point here is 'separate' (as well as direct)

or 'unique ...

Hi Dyann - apologies for the slow response, am nursing a post-appendicitis partner!

Answering with complete honesty - I was slightly surprised at a question about 'expectations' as there is an understanding of dropping attachment to expectations. But there is also a knowing (versus understanding ...

Thanks, Dyann, for your post and the guidelines.

Liberation: spacious, free, playful, breadth of perspective but connected to right now.
How will it change me? Further expand those nascent qualities in me - a looser, lighter 'me'

- intrigued by fellow practitioners finding it of use - and my own sense of opening further in exploration

- have been exploring spiritual paths for 30+ years, especially monastic contexts (Catholic, Buddhist). Have spent the past 30+ years on the Buddhist path

- a new approach, an opening ...