New member, please show me the way to the gate

[Patrick]

Thanks for the very clear description of the experience. Well done. You can do this for every sensation.

There are many spiritual experiences, but they have in common that they come and go.
Passing the gateless gate can be or not accompanied by experiences but the main event or non-event is that the sense of self falls away. There is clearly seen that it never existed, that it was only a construct from the mind. When this is fully seen it never comes back. It may happen that the mind tries to doubt this for a while but it doesn’t stick anymore. It is immediately seen for what it is: an illusion from the mind.

Continue to see how the mind wants to keep the sense of self in place by giving it attention (energy) in all possible ways. See how the resistance, the feelings, the emotions, the sensations, are happening, even the thoughts about emotions labeling them as ‘negative’ are happening.
You are not creating them. They have no power.
Just see how life unfolds and folds in every moment.
Nothing is independent, nothing is permanent.

[zomajo]

Hi Patrick,

Right I have been observing or trying to observe at least and a few things have come up.

1. Choice - In a situation where a choice is presented say if you are in a restaurant and have to choose from the menu, who makes the choice? Now I can accept that a thought arises as a result of an experience, but when you enter a restaurant for the first time you do not know what is on the menu and when you read the menu I would then make a choice based on what is on offer and what are my likes/dislikes etc. Who makes this choice if it is not me?

2. Mirror image - Each morning I get up and look in the mirror, who is looking back at me I ask? Well my form is in the mirror, but my mind immediately takes over with things like, I need a shave, I have a spot on my nose etc. I find it very difficult in this situation to disassociate from "me". I am looking at myself in the mirror and just cannot seem to do that without thinking/judging etc.

3. Babies - I have an 11month old son who I love to observe as he is yet to be totally conditioned by the mind. One example of something I have observed however is when he gets tired he gets upset, but the more tired he gets the more he fights sleep, why? Why would something so seemingly simple as sleeping when the body is tired not taking place? If he is not making the decision for himself that he does not want to sleep as he wants to continue playing for example then why would whoever or whatever makes the decisions or controls the flow of life cause amy son not to sleep when they are tired?

I hope these questions come across as I mean them too. I am still identified with "me" as from observing as you have instructed I see things that my mind cannot accept as just happening without input from the individual.

More guidance please :-/

[Patrick]

All your questions about choice and decisions are coming from the assumption that you have an ‘I’ that has the power to influence, to control, to direct experiences.

When looking at the menu the character is playing his role with his like and dislikes.
An impulse arises to order food because that is the play in a restaurant. Normally you don’t start playing football in a restaurant. Following the sensations in the body and the feelings at that moment something is ordered. Afterwards at thought arises: ‘that’s what I like, nice choice from me’. It is again just a thought. Notice this and don’t believe that this thought is ‘you’.

Look at the feeling to have a sense of self, to be an ‘I’ that takes decisions.
The feeling that an I is present is a thought fixated on a feeling.
Notice the thought ’I am feeling as I am present’ and notice that ‘you’ are not that thought.
The thought is just a thought.
Notice also that ‘you’ are not that feeling.
The feeling was only labeled as an evidence of ‘you’.

You are not a thought.
You are not a feeling.
Experiences happen.
You are not.

[zomajo]

OK I see that. I just applied what you said to an experience.

When I got up from my desk as I need then toielt, which just happened I did not choose it, hunger arose and then the thought arose that I will eat some cassava crisps, but I can now see that I did not choose them the thought arose as I am going to eat them therefore the choice was already made and not by me I just experienced a thought as a result of this process.

One interesting thing I listened to this morning whilst doing some gardening was a comment from Thich Naht Hanh who casually mentioned the 6 senses, sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing and thought or sensory experience. That struck a chord with me that thought is just another sense that is experienced.

I will apply this to my experiences today to test your statements of
You are not a thought.
You are not a feeling.
Experiences happen.
You are not.

[Patrick]

What is the result of the test?