Curious to learn more

[Bambaji]

Good morning, good morning!

Can now see that thoughts referred to as memories , are just thoughts .
Thoughts just come and go , telling a story like listening to the radio on low volume ..continually without any prompts
Floating past, Fading , soon to be replaced by another thought .
At times with a visual image , but not always matching the thought .
Then periods of just nothing ... silence ...followed by another image , thought

This is a lovely description, I feel very peaceful reading it. What is your feeling with this?

Let us revisit time, gently and giving the experience plenty of room.

Sitting quietly, please watch your thoughts about time, and then look deeper at your direct experience of time. Same questions as before:

Is there an experience that the ’now’ is moving along the line of time?
Any experience of one ‘moment’ giving way to the next?
A direct experience of one event following another?
How fast is the ‘present moment’ actually moving?
Just look at 'this moment', can you find a point where it began?
How long does the ‘now’ last?
Where does the ‘now’ start, and where does it end?
When does the ‘now’ exactly become the 'past'?
So is there actual experience of ‘time’ or thoughts about ‘time’?

Have a look at the second hand on a clock. It seems to be changing. But can you find 10 seconds ago in your direct experience? 5 seconds? 1 second? Keep noticing that change is always only a story about some experience "prior to this". But only *this* can be found. How could there have been another experience at all? Where has it gone to?

If you get that feeling of bafflement again, no worries, just sit with it. This is a new idea for you, a new area of experience, it is not unexpected that you will come across some resistance. Sit quietly, watch it come and go, see if thought is labelling it. Maybe give yourself some time away from the looking, wander around the garden, turn your face to the sun and experience that for a while.

Much love

Fran x

[Bambaji]

Hi Helene

Is all well?

Love

Fran x

[Bambaji]

Good morning Helene

Please could you check in and let me know you are ok?

No pressure here, just concern

Fran x

[Helene]

Hello fran
Sorry I haven't been logging in , but haven't felt too great following my spinal surgery on Wednesday.
Think I'm now feeling a little more human and ready to pick up where I left you .
Do hope that you are keeping well , and gave had a pleasant few days .
Helene x

[Bambaji]

Dear Helene

How are you feeling? Any kind of surgery is rough on the body, I hope you are soon fully recovered.

We can pick up whenever you are ready, just go back to last Tuesday's post and see how you get on.

Take care

Fran x

[Helene]

Hello fran
Not feeling to great at the moment , but each day is a little easier thank you .
Not sure what I did last week , as I was convinced that I responded to Tuesdays post .
Have to say , did have a blip with the updates on the I pad ...

Excercise .
Having repeated the excercise , could not identify one moment following another , or have any awareness of how fast the present moment was actually moving .
No idea where a thought began or the duration at all . It can't be pin pointed .
In a nutshell , it's only a thoughts about time , the only thing that vapcsn be directly experienced is the actual moment .

Do hope that you have had a pleasant weekend .
Really appreciate your patience .
Helene

[Bambaji]

Hi

Thanks for redoing the exercise. Have a look at the second part and see what you come up with:

Have a look at the second hand on a clock. It seems to be changing. But can you find 10 seconds ago in your direct experience? 5 seconds? 1 second? Keep noticing that change is always only a story about some experience "prior to this". But only *this* can be found. How could there have been another experience at all? Where has it gone to?

There are some exercises that use discomfort in the body as a way to directly experience what is happening - would you like to try that? As you are in some discomfort right now it might be a good opportunity!

It's been a good weekend thank you, the sun is starting to feel really warm now and I love it :) I hope you are having plenty of space to recuperate.

Love

Fran x

[Helene]

Good evening

[quote Have a look at the second hand on a clock. It seems to be changing. But can you find 10 seconds ago in your direct experience? 5 seconds? 1 second? Keep noticing that change is always only a story about some experience "prior to this". But only *this* can be found. How could there have been another experience at all? Where has it gone ?[/quote]

Think the I pad is playing tricks , I wrote about the clock experience , but may be it was not posted .

Sat watching the clock , its impossible to find 10 seconds ago in my direct experience .
Only a visual objects ticking away whilst the rest of the room in silence .
Just looking
Listening
Waiting
Breathing
Blinking
The direct experience is what is felt , observed , noticed , right there .
Each experience followed by another , then another all unique , different forming the story that was experienced .

There are some exercises that use discomfort in the body as a way to directly experience what is happening - would you like to try that? As you are in some discomfort right now it might be a good opportunity!

That would be really helpful to try some of the excercises that use discomfort .
Still experiencing a lot of discomfort , so would be the best time to have a go .

Best wishes
Helene x

[Bambaji]

Hiya

Thank you for reposting the clock exercise - I wonder where that ended up?!

Discomfort then. This exercise is not necessarily to minimise it or remove it, though that may happen, but more to use it as a tool to explore what is really happening. As with all these exercises, try to forget what you know and ignore memory/thought and go with the Direct Experience.

Find a comfortable position, sitting or lying, and close your eyes. Notice the discomfort.
Can you feel it without labelling it?
Can you feel it without assigning it to a particular part of the body? (just 'discomfort' as opposed to 'discomfort in my back')
Is there anywhere in your Direct Experience that this discomfort is not happening?
In your Direct Experience, is there any evidence of a 'back' that is experiencing discomfort?
In your Direct Experience, is there any evidence of a body at all?
Is 'discomfort' real or a label for a sensation?

As always, go gently with this and report when you feel ready. I am very appreciative that you are carrying on with this when you have so recently been through surgery. Thank you for your commitment :)

Love

Fran x

[Helene]

Hello fran
I have no idea .... I think I must of had a blip with submitting as the iPad was updating as I'd written my nites in my little journal .
Never mind the joys of technology .

Thank you for requesting that I complete another excercise .

can you feel it without labelling it ?

Yes , discomfort can be felt without giving it a label .

can you feel it without assigning it to a particular part of the body ?

Yes , the sensation can be felt. The discomfort / sensation can be recognised in different areas . Focussing my awareness across different sections of the body , allowed me to notice the differences at that time .

is there anywhere in your direct experience that this discomfort is not happening ?

Yes .. the sensations were not present in other areas such as my feet , lower legs , chest , neck , head

in your direct experience , is there any evidence of 'back ' that is experiencing discomfort ?

No , only if 'back' is labelled. Sensations and discomfort experienced , noted , without judgement . Awareness moving on to focus upon other areas where a different sensation could be expereienced with no intention of changing it right now .

In your direct experience is there any evidence of body at all ?

No , just sensations , sounds , visual flashes ... colours , images passing by .

is 'discomfort' real or a label for a sensation ?

Discomfort is again a label to describe the sensation that is felt.

It was really useful carrying out this excercise fran , big thank you .

Good night
Helene

[Bambaji]

Good morning

Thank you for your post, that was a great report. Isn't it amazing what we take on without looking/questioning, and how we "think" we feel without actually checking!?

is there anywhere in your direct experience that this discomfort is not happening ?

Yes .. the sensations were not present in other areas such as my feet , lower legs , chest , neck , head

Just go back to this one....check again with your eyes closed - no thought, just direct experience, sink into the sensation. Report again. Are there separate areas?

It is the same exercise that you did with hearing really, when you had the experience of just hearing. Make no assumptions (and they can be really subtle), just look.

Go back to the experience you had in the garden: is there a boundary between you and "everything else"?

Much love

x

[Helene]

Evening Fran
It is amazing what is taken in without thinking or looking . Something that that is so natural but not encouraged enough within this world .

[Just go back to this one....check again with your eyes closed - no thought, just direct experience, sink into the sensation. Report again. Are there separate areas?/quote]
Without thought or using labels sensations can be felt in separate areas .
Not sure whether this is because of years of conditioning or the inability to see it right now .
Without labels , It can only be described as the awareness of differring sensations felt in various places , changing dependent where I zoom my imaginary torch too . Feeling continuously , awareness of temperature , pressure .

is there a boundary between you and 'everything 'else ?

No .... no way of determining this, other than using 'thoughts ' to confirm , question ,or query the perception of where the boundary could be .
I needed to comp,tee this a few times as I just wasn't getting it .
So used to the reliance of using labels and conditioned thinking to make assumptions ...eeeek
Night fran
Helene x

[Bambaji]

Good morning

Excellent! You are breaking some very old patterns and habits and it can take a bit of repetition. After all, we usually have to repeat things in order for them to become a habit in the first place, so it kind of makes sense that we have to do the same to dismantle them.

Just a couple of questions today, more repetition but it's for clarity for me to see where you are:

Is it clear now that, not only is there is no self, but that there is no doer either?

Can it be seen clearly that all decisions and choices happen somehow but the notion of a director that makes choices or decisions is simply an idea?

Please sit with these questions and report. As always, rely on your Direct Experience rather than memory, thought or intellect.

I hope you are feeling better every day :)

Love

Fran x

[Helene]

Hello fran
I'm feeling a bit better in myself thank you , just very tired and in a lot of discomfort .
Been a long journey really ... but that another story .

is it clear now,not only isthere is no self , but no doer either

Yes I think it's at last sinking in .. no doer , no controller ect just everything occurring without thinking .

can it be seen clearly that all decisions and choices happen somewhere but the notion of a director that makes choices or decisions is simply an idea ?

Yes I can see this now , but am struggling to get my head around how this occurs and varies for each Individual , trying to see where this happens .. haven't got this quiet yet . Grasped that decisions are clearly an idea based upon a previous thought .
It's so hard to not bring previous learnt knowledge and experience into this , when trying to give an explanation .
Within direct experience , life just flows. The account of all events is just a narrative of personal perception at the time which can not be changed .learning occurs following every direct experience , to equip us with the skills /competence to deal and navigate ourself through further expetiences as they arise .
Maybe sometimes we look for answers that are not there , and struggle to process the unknown . Concentrating on direct experience alone , the unknown is not threatening or fearful .
Best wishes
Helene

[Bambaji]

Good evening Helene

Yes I think it's at last sinking in .. no doer , no controller ect just everything occurring without thinking

Lovely. It sinks in and it settles.

but am struggling to get my head around how this occurs and varies for each Individual

In direct experience, what is this struggle? Is it real or a thought that is arising?
And what individual would that be?! What is there that is separate?
Again, in your direct experience, what can you know about how this occurs and varies?
And does it even matter?! Lol :)

When 'story' thoughts arise, check them against your direct experience.

Concentrating on direct experience alone , the unknown is not threatening or fearful

Yes, keep coming back to this Helene. Concentrate on Direct Experience. What else is there?!

Love

Fran x