Hi Dridhamati,

Many apologies for my late reply.

I am going to answer these questions all at once.

Basically there is no point at which an entity called "the self" makes a choice. It cannot found. There is tasting, walking, hearing, but there isnt any self controlling this. There isnt also a past ...

Hi there,

Regarding five skandhas.

There is sensate experience. Form. This experience is the result of past action. Where " i" am now is the result of past action. choice manifests through volitional tendencies which arrise in dependence upon the sensate experience happening now. The choice that ...

Hello Dridhamati,

There is no self that is spiritually ignorant. No self that is responsible for being aware. We can talk though about "presence". Being present that is. In this presense is a receptivity to what is arrising. You could say it is a natural quality of mind. At any point that ...

Hi Dridhamati,

Sorry for delay.

1) there has never been an entity called the " self" in any shape or form, it is a creative fiction.

2) as I have observed the illusion if self happens through naming and judging experience. There is intial contact with sensate experience then, formed around that ...

Hi Dridhamati,

The self is a fiction. Its created through thoughts arrising from and constellating sensate experience. Perception itself is image making. The self is what is imagined in a perceptual situation, which has a subject/object polarity..

Within this imagined polarity are volitional ...

Hi Dridhamati,

Have sent the email on. Thanks for notifying me about the list.

Have been looking at the naming of what is pleasurable and painful.

Pain or pleasure actually is a texture. It is tight, or soft, or warm. Etc. What renders it painful or pleasurable is a judgement on that experience ...

Hello Dridhamati,

I seem to be not doing this daily, though I am keeping up with the reflections and grateful fo makesr your guidance.

What is in the thoughts that makes them pleasurable etc?

The thoughts are impressions. There are different levels of thoughts. There are undercurrents of thoughts ...

Hi Dridhamati,

Unfortunately I have sinusitis this past day or so.

What kind of sensations are recieved via the mind sense?

The mind sense is thoughts. These thoughts have a hedonic tone. Painful, pleasurable and neutral. It can be a " background noise" or commentary in the "head". It is ...

Hello Dridhamati,

This is just a quick reply. I shall answer more of the questions tomorrow.

I just want to say a little about how my meditation is going.

There is much more space opening up. Im hav some interesting experiences coming from observing experience without it having a centre, which ...

Hi Dridhamati.

Experienced directly, the experienced sensations are more real. The identity grows around these sensations. It tightens around a constellation of sensations and forms an image out of them. Then this image starts to judge these sensations as good and bad, or even doubt the sensations ...

Hi Dridhamati,

Im now entrenched in Devon for a week or so. Listening to rain outside, not so common in Spain.

On to questions.

Is this "i" in control when not observing?

No. The "i" or "me"or "mine" forms around impressions. The image I have is like cling film. A sense of will trying to form an ...

Hi there,

This is just to say thanks for email and will reply soon. Am traveling to England today. Will reply later this evening or tomorrow.

Best

Sinhendra

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Hello Dridhamati,

I have been just "scanning" as you mentioned, through the six senses.

Starting with the mind sense. thoughts arrise and there is consciousness of them. "I " am not in control of that when simply observing.

Then there is consciousness of sound. Someone in the street. There is no ...

Hi Dridhamati,

I have been away as o stated in previous mail, and now have slight cold, though I shall endeavor to answer these questions...

Who or what does the "my" refer to when finding tge centre.

My, refers to that which has ownership. That, when looking decides what is or isn't part of the ...

Hello Dridhamati,

Sorry not to respond earlier. I am on my way to a weekend retreat, si wint be able to write back until next Tuesday. Thank you for these questions, I shall take them away with me!

Best wishes,

Sinhendra

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