Hello Stacy

Thank you for guiding through this - it is much appreciated. I'm familiar with the fetters model and will follow this up.

Much metta

Nagamani

Hello Stacy

Like this?

1) Is there a separate entity ‘self’, ‘me’ ‘I’, at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever?

No and no. The idea or thought of a separate self existed, and following that the idea or thought that it does not exist also existed. And of course, neither of ...

Hello Stacy

Decision, intention, free will, choice, control – are all thoughts.

5) Describe decision & give examples from experience.

Decision – a thought labelled ‘insert decision’ in recognition of something already past.

Decision to plant basil = thought labelled ‘I will plant basil’ in ...

Hello Stacy

I am back from the Hungarian woodlands.

In step 1 when thinking about their respective qualities, did you ‘choose’ the qualities? Or did they kind of appear by themselves? If some preferences manifested, did you ‘choose’ these preferences? Or did they just pop up by themselves ...

Hello Stacy

Here are my responses before I disappear into the woods...


1) Is there a separate entity ‘self’, ‘me’ ‘I’, at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever?

No and no. The idea or thought of a separate self existed, and following that the idea or thought that it does not ...

Hello Stacy

I will respond as soon as I can. Just to note that I'm working in the Hungarian woods all next week with limited time and limited access to the internet - I'll respond as best I can.

With metta

Nagamani

Hello Stacy

How does it FEEL to see this? Body Sensations.

Body sensations feel unified, flowing, unbounded, unrestricted, free, calmly pleasurable.

With metta

Nagamani

Hello Stacy

Can you find any separate self?

Short answer = no

There are sensations and thoughts labelled as self, but when sought for it cannot be found. These sensations and thoughts labelled as self ebb and flow, are not fixed or constant.

With metta

Nagamani

Hello Stacy

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?

Sensations are present labelled pressure
Sensations are present labelled cloud of sensations
Sensations are present ...

Hello Stacy

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

There are sensations without a clear end/beginning.

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

There is no exact dividing line...only a field of sensation with no ...

Hello Stacy

How does it FEEL to see this?

Quiet; calm.

With metta

Nagamani

Hello Stacy

How is the movement controlled?

It's not controlled, it feels natural - instinctive.

Does a thought control it?

No, it tries to but cannot.

Can a ‘controller’ of any description be located?

No

How is the decision made to turn the hand over?

It feels instinctive, then the ...

Hello Stacy

What about the content of thoughts, what they describe?

Thoughts are just ideas.

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

No apple, only experience.

Can ‘apple’ be found in actual experience?

No

However, is an apple actually known?

No ...

Hello Stacy

When you look at the word label ‘GREEN' , what is the actual experience?

There is an in interpretation in the mind – the seeing is interpreted into a thought about what is being seen.

Is the color red ‘experienced’, or is the color green ‘experienced’ as the label suggests ...

Hello Stacy

1. Is one truer than the other, and If so, which one?

The second exercise is truer than the first. The second exercise has the sense of primary experience (mostly), whereas the first is much more mixed primary experience with laying of ideas, thinking, emotions, etc on top. In the ...