Thank you very much for taking your time to guide me Fred. Couldn't have done it without you. =)

The expression ’the no self’ seems to point to some kind of new entity, as though there is a hole or emptiness where the self was.

Would you say that there is a definite thing called ‘no self’ to be seen? Or is it more that you have not found any self, anywhere?

Oh yeah, it's just a phrase I use ...

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

There is never a separate entity. The self, me, I only exist only as a thought content/label.

2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works ...

What do you say?

Sure thing. =)

1) Would you like to show me the other perspective?

Nevermind. It is what it is.

2) How do you react when such thoughts/doubts come up?

Hmm … sometimes I remind myself that they're just thought contents - nothing more and then let it go. Sometimes I would tell myself that whatever comes up ...

Are there any other doubts or issues you would like to bring up at this stage?

Not really. I do feel like I need some time for things to sink in deeper though.

Do you have any doubt that the illusion of the separate self has been seen through?

Nope. I can see it clearly from one perspective ...

Hi Fred.

Would you like to explore this together?

Sure. I was planning to ask you if we were going to ignore examining these doubts. =)

Is the absence of ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘self’ a verifiable fact or is it a belief?
Have you checked for yourself or have you taken someone else’s word for it? It’s ...

Would it be ok if such thoughts continued to come and go, like clouds in the sky, like trains in a station? Who needs to board the train?

Sure. It would be okay.

‘The mind is still having some doubts, the mind does not feel free…’. Bring this back to this moment and stay with your direct experience, how would you describe the mind? Is it some entity, some container of thoughts? What is its reality? Is it just the current thought?

Okay. So it's just ...

Hi Fred.

So, having checked into your direct experience, what would you reply to these questions:

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

No, there isn't and there wasn't ever.

Is there a ‘you’ doing this investigation or does ...

Hi Fred.

Look at your direct experience and consider this one question: have you ever experienced an alternative to what is?

 

Nope. That is why earlier I said from one perspective I can see this as true. =)

This is exactly where we need to look now. You are relying on thought content as an accurate representation of what is.
Explore that thought: ‘Some enlightened masters might be able to quench their thirst by thought’. Bring it back to your bare experience of this moment, see if there is any ...

Look for a ‘me’, point to it. where is the evidence? Can you show me?

Yeah, I can already see that there is no evidence of a "me".

If you were in a desert, close to die of thirst, could you quench your thirst just by thinking about water (thoughts) or would you need to drink the ‘real’ water ...

Is it a special state you are looking for, or is it what is already always the case, before any state?

I don't know actually. I am looking for liberation. You tell me what it is.

If I ask you whether your keys are in your pocket right now, do you rummage through your memories of when you last ...

Mhm I would not call that a 'heartfelt yes or no'.
From which perspective is it not seen that what is is all there is?

Just that I have read and heard people talking about different states they have been in so I feel like my current state may not be all there is. So I don't know if what is here ...