Hi Jon,
Yes, Past and future they are merely thoughts , there is nothing in them. Future cannot be predicated, It is just thoughts, nothing in real. Only Imagination. So we just cant know what might or might not happen in future.
How could what happens next be known? Until its 'Now' (and actually happening)?
Yes, absolutely true, only now can be known. What i going to happen in future is just another thought passing by.
In a practical sense though it is a good idea to look and look again for 'self', 'doer' and also at what's actually happening, what IS. After a while, maybe months, noticing these things becomes so natural that it may seem that no one has to make any effort.
Yes, it is seen that it is somewhat becoming natural or a little easy to notice the absence of doer or Self. When incidents are happening, life is unfolding itself.
1) Is there a separate entity 'self', 'me' 'I', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever?
2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works from your own experience. Describe it ufully as you see it now.
3) How does it feel to see this? What is the difference from before you started this dialogue? Please report fro
1) No there is no separate entity at all anywhere in any way, shape or form, and there was never a one.
2) The illusion of separate self is that there is no self in reality . Nothing is present there, but it feels that there is an entity " Self " inside the body which controls everything happening inside the body and to the body. But actually there is no one there when you search for it. It is just an illusion.
It all starts by birth of a human body. at birth there is no such illusion. When the body is a baby there is no self. No me, No I, there is only reaction to AE ( Touch, Smell etc..) As the baby become two to two and half years old it is introduced to an " I " by parents, relatives, society, religion etc...from there the roots of a false identification begins to take hold. and all through out till death the false identification is there . ( Unless it is questioned and seen clearly).
But as you search for the self, me, I or try to find it, it is not found. This is because it dose not exist at all . It is not real. You raise a question about it and there is nothing, it just disappears . In reality there is no Self, Me, or I present there, only thoughts about it, and thoughts are also not realm So there is a Big Illusion of a Self and it is being blindly followed, and this is the actual root cause of all sufferings, and this has been seen through clearly. ( the pointers you pointed out were of a grate help in seeing it clearly) Now at present it is very clear (crystal clear) that there is no " I ", " Self ", " ME " present. Things are happening on their own. Life is unfolding itself and there is no one to do anything and it has been seen very clearly.
3) There is a feeling of Joy, a feeling of liberation after seeing this. Nothing has changed physically or mentally, everything is as it was. Only the way of looking at things have changed. There is no attachment at all to whatever is happening and there is no one to control things that are happening.
Before the dialogue with you there was intellectual understanding about no self. But sill there was no clarity about it. I knew that I did not exist. But at the same time there was I who was doing all the work. But now after this dialogue it is very crystal clear that there is nothing such thing as I ", " Self ", " ME "and this has been seen not only intellectually but with your help there was actual experience of the reality.
Past few days there was shifting in seeing things. The BIG illusion was seen and the process of seeing it was a lovely one (lovely one - only label) . Nothing has changed but still everything is fresh and new every moment.
What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look?
The exercise we did of looking for an edge in experience beyond which I am and beyond which lies everything else. This was the Jackpot, this just pushed me over. As it was clearly seen and also known in AE that everything is one and the same. All is manifestation of life. Nothing is owned there is no owner, there is no one in there only living happening. That was grate just awesome. There are no words to describe it. Just wondering how to thank you for such a grate experience.
Can you talk about decision, intention, free will, choice and control? What makes things happen? How does it work? What are you responsible for? Give examples from experience.
There is no one to make a decision or to decide anything. Things happen but there is no one to make a decision on it. There is only thought that a decision has to be taken, but it is not taken by self. me of I, none of it. Another incident happens and then there is a label to that incident as a decision to the previous happening. You think you made a decision but you are not present in reality, so how can you make a decision. eg. we cannot make a decision to breath or not to breath , it is happening on its own.
Freewill is just an illusion . there is no free will. You think you have the free will to chose but in reality choice is made by thoughts, conditions previous memories stored in brain. There is a choice made by you and then you are not in control of the result of your choice. and the action of making choice is also not done by anyone it just depends on the conditions before the choice is made.
Nothing makes things happen there is no one to make anything happen. everything is happening on its own in the flow of life and that what is happening is manifestation of life. There is stimulus in the form of sound, touch taste, thought and there is reaction to this stimulus from life and an action happens, It is all happening in awareness.
I am not responsible for anything happening as I am not there, I am not the doer, I am only a thought, an illusion, a false identification, as things are happening on their own... Just as replying to this post. Its just happening on its own without anyone doing it. there is no one to be held responsible for anything at all.....
Frankly speaking as these words were in the flow . It is just a miracle that I ( I- Just for the sake of communication ) have typed all these words . It was just done. There was literally no one doing it.
Thanking you with all my heart
with a big hug :)
looking forward
Ravi.,.:)
