Thank you Floris, for your wonderful guidance and patience :-)

You were a very important part of my journey and I will always remember that

Just to be precise and leave no room for doubts and such: So is it completely clear that there is no separate self?

Yes, it is completely clear now

How are you doing these days? And can you say with 100% certainty that there is no separate self as thought describes it?

Things have definitely changed.

There have some ‘difficult’ situations, conversations, moments like there were before, but these things are not felt to be as personal as ...

Yes I know what you're getting at. A little more precise might be to say that a thought does not literally contain another thought, as thought is not a container where things can be put into. But thoughts, especially about 'persons', come with a whole context, story or meaning (basically more ...

a) Are thoughts living entities and aware? If not then how do thoughts understand other thoughts?

No, thoughts have no awareness of their own. A thought might contain a memory of another thought, along with some sort of analysis or sense of 'understanding'. But there is no real understanding from ...

I'll respond when I have a respons from another guide who read your answers:)

Ok, thank you!

1) Is there a separate entity 'self', 'me' 'I', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever?
No. There still seems to be a consistency of experience, but upon examination, there is no entity ever to be found. Just thoughts.

Was there ever? As far as "I" can see, there is only now ...

Hi Floris,

So sorry for the delay in responding.

I think I'm ready for the final questions.

Could we begin that process now?

Thanks again for all of your help along the journey,

Gobs

yes, you might even have created a story of a 'me' or 'floris' with which you're talking, while what you read here are just some words on a screen, and they can't be found to come from anywhere (or anyone).


Yes, there is still some illusion of separation between the two of us, but the more I ...

Identity seems only (or mostly) to exist as a way to deal with others, and it is always generated by contrasting your perception of yourself with that of other(s). Can you see this? It can be a useful story/model/lens.

Yes, I think I can kind of see this. Every thought of identity is a sort of ...

No one, but suffering already never happened for a someone. But maybe it can be completely eradicated, I don't know, but also don't find it important.

I agree, thank you for your insight.

So what hopes and/or fears are still running that keep the peace from being there? Is there a belief that ...

Just that the assumption that looking for the one who is suffering, might not always take away the suffering. Just like seeing that identity is false, doesn't eliminate it completely.

But then who suffers?

And if the searching for lasting peace or happiness would be released too, would that ...

Btw, can a thought ever cause something? Does an appearance cause another appearance?

No, the thought contains the suffering. It is one appearance.

Were you referring with 'this process of seeing' with the kind of questions I qouted above?

Yes

Is there a hope or expectations that this ...

what do you think that would make one believe in a seperate self or I?

I suppose if there was a thought that could not be seen through as an illusion. So far, since we have begun our conversation, I have seen through every thought that I have investigated... but I fear that this process of seeing ...

Good answers. It's important thought that this comes from your understanding or experience, and that the answers don't come because you think it's the right answer. Can you respond to this? I need to check, be honest:)

Yes, at the time when I answered the questions, it was my honest experience ...