Open invitation - You then decide what to do

[Mark]

Thoughts arise "This isn't it", "I'll keep on looking", "There has to be more to do". These are just thoughts appearing to no one. They aren't talking about anything true.

[Yari]

Thoughts arise "This isn't it", "I'll keep on looking", "There has to be more to do". These are just thoughts appearing to no one. They aren't talking about anything true.

Right.
Who is "keeping on looking"? who is making the effort to "trying to do more"?
Can you see its the mind talking to itself? You claim so.

If you see it, it means you can observe your mind and seeing it while producing these statements.

So Mark, you 're able to observe that in your mind, the thoughts "the sky is blue", "I like cookies" and "this isnt it, there has to be more to do", are just 3 unsubstantial thoughts, but you're paying attention to some of those concerning "liberation, keeping looking, no-one..." and so on...

Correct? So what more is it to be discovered?

[Mark]

"Who is "keeping on looking"?"

No one is "keeping on looking".

" who is making the effort to "trying to do more"?"

There is no entity making an effort to do anything.

"Can you see its the mind talking to itself? You claim so."

Yes.

Correct?

Yes.

"So what more is it to be discovered?[/quote]"

There is nothing to discover. There's no one to discover any thing. Everything is exactly as it is.

[Yari]

You showed up here saying:

"I'm quite new here but very interested in engaging this process. Please let me know how to begin. Thank you in advance."

and now you say that "There is nothing to discover. There's no one to discover any thing. Everything is exactly as it is."


So, what process is it Mark?

[Mark]

Hi Yari,

You showed up here saying:

"I'm quite new here but very interested in engaging this process. Please let me know how to begin. Thank you in advance."

and now you say that "There is nothing to discover. There's no one to discover any thing. Everything is exactly as it is."


So, what process is it Mark?

There is no process. There is a thought "I need to figure out who I am" and similar other thoughts, but upon looking, they do not refer to anything, there is no movement and nothing changes. There is the activity of the present moment appearing, including thoughts, but there is no thing to move, change, or act.

Mark

[Yari]

Very good.
So as you see the thought "I need to figure out who I am" is the mind talking to itself...you wanted to figure out who YOU are? A brain. That's it.

Clear, any questions?

[Mark]

Very good.
So as you see the thought "I need to figure out who I am" is the mind talking to itself...you wanted to figure out who YOU are? A brain. That's it.

Clear, any questions?

Yari,

No. It's clear that the I is a thought and thoughts have no agency, control, consciousness or reality. Thanks very much for the concise pointing.

Mark

[Yari]

Ok Mark, cool.
Now would you answer these 5 questions of how you see reality after seeing the illusion of self?


1) Is there a 'me', at all, anywhere, in any way? Was there ever?

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

3) How does it feel to see this?

4) How would you describe it to somebody who has never heard about this illusion.

5) What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look?

[Mark]

Ok Mark, cool.
Now would you answer these 5 questions of how you see reality after seeing the illusion of self?

1) Is there a 'me', at all, anywhere, in any way? Was there ever?

No. There is no me in reality. It arises solely as a thought in reference to other thought. And thoughts have no reality, no existence. There never was a "me" or "I" and there never will be one in reality.

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

The illusion of a separate self is simply thoughts arising postulating the existence of a separate agent existing in the universe. It is mechanical thought conditioning which purports to attach an independent object (eg, "I") to the experience of reality. Reality is always ever just happening, and the "I" arises as mechanical, trained thought patterns allegedly describing reality, agency, ownership, control. The "I" does not exist in reality. There is no separate self.

3) How does it feel to see this?

There is a feeling of a weight lifted off the shoulders. It's a relief, like exhaling a breath held for a long time. There is infinite space. It also very much much feels no different than prior to the understanding. Everything is exactly as it always has been, essentially.

4) How would you describe it to somebody who has never heard about this illusion.

I would tell him/her that it is just about looking honestly at what we have been trained to believe ourselves to be; that upon accurate investigation, it is clear that this notion is just a thought our heads. I would ask him/her to tell me who/what they take themselves to be. Then I would ask them to look and see if it can honestly be said that such concept/belief/notion is anything but a thought in the head.

5) What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look?

It was your insistence on really stopping and looking at what is true right now. Thank you!

Mark