Hi Pete,

here are the answers to your final questions.

Always from direct experience.

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

No, there is no separate 'self', 'me' nor an 'I' in any way, shape or form. There never was.

2 ...

Hi Pete,

yesterday I was trying to explain to a friend what I was doing (or not-doing) regarding this inquiry into direct experience. After a few sentences she (Asian) nodded and pointed out how she preferred to live life accepting things as they came naturally. She then said it would mean not ...

Hi Pete,

another day has passed. It was quite 'ordinary'. 'I' went to work. At times 'I' became aware of walking, working, thinking, labeling, sensing... and so on. In its 'thusness' everything was unforeseen, spontaneously arising, flowing.

I agree, or better: there is agreement with your ...

Hello Pete,

our dialogue reminds me of a 'Strickliesel'. That's German for 'Knitting Jenny'. The version of my childhood was a hollow wooden doll which, by way of circular knitting, produced a long fluffy string. In the same way our exchange is turning out to become a sort of Knitting Goodness Sock ...

Hello Pete,

I hope you spent an enjoyable weekend in London. In the meantime I took the opportunity to ponder over our previous exchange.

There is no 'I' to be found in direct experience that does any directing or controlling. Objects just arise in awareness.

"Who knows how this all happens. It ...

Hi Pete,

this time your pointing and questioning is spot on.

I wrote: "When directing some awareness to an action I realized how an 'I' or the aspect of 'not me' is added the moment I think about or identify with any kind of activity or object..."

You are asking:

"Who or what does the directing ...

Hello again Pete,

you made me chuckle by not wanting to get seduced by compliments. That wasn't my intention and if it had been the case, there probably was no seducer either.

Joking aside. Can 'I' confirm there is no 'I' in any of those sense experiences? Yes. Today I became aware - as I was ...

Hi Pete,

thank you for your patience and your efforts to guide me through this process. I am especially grateful that you are doing this with Buddhist concepts as this helps to put things heard in the past into perspective.

I do realize that it is in thoughts and only in thoughts that 'I' ever ...

Dear Pete,

thanks for your reply. I will answer your questions.

"Moving on towards the core of this work - just look at the following statement, and ponder it every which way you can:

Nothing exists outside the present moment.

Can you find anything, anything at all, that does?"

No not really ...

Hello Pete,

thank you for your quick reply and your willingness to help out. It's only a few minutes since I discovered your message... may have to check the mail function or just log in habitually.

I understand the conditions you lined out and I will do my best to follow them in due course.

I am ...

Hello, I would be grateful for some guidance. I spent my holiday reading the ebook "Gateless Gatecrashers". Intellectually, "no self" makes sense. However, I seem to struggle to find an adequate emotional equivalent i.e. a deeper realization of this understanding. I took notes of many key statements ...