Hi bonnie just checking -- you say "There is no 'me' so there is responsibility" -- did you mean to say "There is no 'me' so there is NO responsibility"? thanks.

Oops, sorry, typo. Yes I meant to say NO responsibility.

Who/what is the 'me' that has the ability to work on anything?

OK, the me is not there, its an illusion. The idea that there is anything to work on is just a thought form. There isn't anything to work on, (because that would imply a me that continues through time) and no one to work on it!


Is ...

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

I can't see a separate self. I don't believe in the delusion of it any longer and it's never been there anyway, I only thought it was, before these dialogues.

2) Explain in detail what ...

Hiya

I'm looking at the questions you sent earlier. Need some time to answer fully, so will ponder and get back when ready. Thanks
B

What is it that needs to relax, exactly? What is it that needs to “see” emotion as energy? Look closely – is this not just a thought story about “what needs to happen in the future”? Can you drop expectations and just let go into whatever presents itself in the moment?

Ok, the bit about ...

So can you say that you have SEEN that 'self' is an illusion? Is 'sense of self' a problem?

Yes, when I sit and connect with the open space of awareness, of direct experience, it's clear that self is an illusion. But in everyday life it comes like a mirage - it's not really there but looks ...

So where is this ‘sense of self’ now? Is ‘sense of self’ something that can be ‘broken’? What is it that could do this?

In direct experience the sense of self disappears, but it reasserts itself in ordinary life, though now in lesser ways.

The word 'broken' I see now as an aspect of the ...

Can you find a 'self' choosing to act in a certain way? If not, how do actions take place.

Choice in direct experience just seems to happen. No controller, no I or me. Just a clearly defined energy or urge that chooses when to act. Things just seem to happen.

For example, today I planned to take ...

How about 'other people'? Let's have a quick look here too. What is direct experience of 'others'?

Moving shapes and colours and sizes. It was tempting to say "they must be just like me" but that wouldn't do would it!

They don't have a self any more than I have a self, though conventionally they ...

PS. I'm really sorry I didn't get back very promptly and have missed a few days. But on the other hand it's been very fruitful to have the extra time on this particular question.

Thanks
B

What does "I" actually refer to in direct experience?

In direct experience, "I" is a wide open space in which senses, thoughts, feelings, flit about and move on. It has no substance, just moving, or rather, fleeting sensations. So really, in direct experience, the term "I" has no meaning at all ...

Body – tactile sensations, ‘space’ of body. Experientially, is the body solid? Noticing the ‘space’ that the body occupies, are there perceptible boundaries between body/not body? Does the body have a particular shape or size

The body is not solid, it doesn't have a defined boundary. The more ...

find that aware space – Is it like a container that somehow holds experience? Does it have dimensions at all? Can you find a boundary anywhere?
The aware space is limitless, no dimension, no boundary. Therefore it's not like a container and so can't hold anything.

In direct experience is there ...

Can you find 'views' outside of thought?
No, I can't find them outside of thought.

Are thoughts self-aware? Do thoughts themselves 'know' anything?
No, I don't see thoughts as self-aware. Thoughts just arise, they can carry information, but they don't 'know' anything. I've been thinking about ...

Hi there

Today has been rather full, lots of things coming and going, so I need more time to really look with these enquiries. I'll respond in full tomorrow.

Thanks
B