Xain, thank you so much for your help! It is amazing that you do this for so many people! It's definitely clear that this only the very beginning:)

Aoife

Sorry about the delay in replying!

Ok, you are explaining what appears to happen - But what is actually happening? What I mean to say is, in this example, who is getting upset and who or what has a fixed identity?

There were certain thoughts and physical sensations (ie. upset) happening but they ...

4) Say someone had never heard of this 'illusion of the separate self'. Could you explain in detail what it is, when it starts and how it works from your own experience. Describe it fully as you understand it now.


There is walking but there’s the thought that says ‘I’m walking’, walking just ...

What is your opinion on what I wrote?

This bit is very interesting, I hadn’t considered it,
“To say it is a perspective would be to allow the idea that there might be other ways of perceiving things. That there might be this 'one perspective' and there are others. This is a thought - An idea ...

Hi Xain,

These answers are taking quite a while, I need a bit more time!

Thanks,
Aoife.

Is it clear to you that 'other perspectives' don't appear - It is just a thought about something else that may be going on? All there is, is 'experience' - This experience right now? 'Other perspectives' and 'Other experiences' appear only as a thought/idea - Is this fair to say?


yes.

Great ...

How are they 'your thoughts'? Who or what exactly is the owner?

I meant that they were thoughts experienced from this perspective. No owner.

How are awareness and the body linked? If I may, I will add together 'awareness' and 'experience' as they point to the same thing. So 'the body' creates ...

There's a separate body and thoughts that only this awareness has access to.
How do you know this is the case? How do you know about 'other awarenesses'?
So the body doesn't have senses and thoughts, it is awareness that has these?


I’m experiencing ‘my’ thoughts but I’m not experiencing anyone ...

Is there an 'Aoife' here right now (in other words, what is considered to be 'I', 'me', the separate self)?

The separate self is only found in thought. There's a separate body and thoughts that only this awareness has access to. There are actions and thoughts arising by themselves. There's no ...

Sorry I missed yesterday!

What can you know about 'others'?
Can you know any truth about 'others' or just beliefs? Thoughts and ideas?
'Others' is for 'further looking' - All we do here in LU is look into 'I'.

Just thoughts.


Is there an 'I' reading this sentence right now?
Is there an 'I ...

So does 'the body' perform any of the senses?

No.


Is there an 'I' who thinks? Can you locate one?

No.

Do you experience a body that does 'thinking'? Or are there just 'thoughts' appearing?

No, just thoughts appearing.

Is there a separate self, an 'I' that you can locate that ...

Well . . . 'seeing' is an experience. Isn't it true that experience is always 'on'.
If you cover your eyes, you see blackness but you don't stop seeing do you?

Yeah, good point.


Look and examine your own experience carefully - Right here and now.
Do you experience a body 'seeing'? Or is there ...

'I dream' - What is that one - The one that dreams?
'I realise' - What is 'I', the one that realises they are dreaming?
Have a look into your experience right now and try to locate this 'I' that could know if 'dreaming' or not?
Or are these just thoughts placed on experience?

I was going to say ...

I need a little bit more time, I will answer the questions tomorrow.

Aoife.

Examine experience. This sentence is being seen. Can you determine what is doing it? Is the body doing it?
Perhaps you may consider saying 'my eyes see the sentence' - Is this actual experience? Do you experience a pair of eyes seeing the screen? Or is that a thought about what is happening ...