The 10 fetters

[Jaisalmer]

LU is focused guiding for seeing there is no real, inherent 'self' - what do you understand by this?
That I believe that I am a separate, independent, isolated person that's going around the world fighting and fearing it. This provoke endless suffering and now I am aware that it also cause suffering to other people, mostly the closer ones.

What are you looking for at LU?
I have been doing self enquiry for years in the way of Ramana Maharshi teachings, but I get lost very soon. I have been with a teacher but it didn't work for me. Now I got in contact with the 10 fetters work and Dr Pernille Damore channel and I deeply resonate with it because it feels that there is a method or at least something I can do to see through the ego structure and get some freedom from suffering.

What do you expect from a guided conversation?
I expect help and guidance to see and recognise my beliefs, structures of ego, blind spots, etc; all kind of stuff in my mind I can't really see on my own. I guess I need to focus in a clear path or structured method rather than being picking up things from here and there and getting more and more confused everytime.

What is your experience in terms of spiritual practices, seeking and inquiry?
I first started like 10 years ago with self enquiry after meeting the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. That's quite late in my life because now I am in my early 60s; I have attend some retreats to learn buddhist meditation although I am not a good meditator. I have been involved with a spiritual community and a teacher that turned out to be a bit misleading. Now I am on my own and not really going anywhere.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how willing are you to question any currently held beliefs about 'self?
10

[MerlinC]

Hey how are you I will try to help your inquiry by first asking you are you alive? Simple question just a yes or no.

[Jaisalmer]

Yes

[MerlinC]

where is that life?

[Jaisalmer]

where is that life?

I am that life.
I am having experiences I am aware of.
So being aware means I am alive and that life is here and now every moment.

[MerlinC]

Thats right we are always here no matter the thoughts and emotions say. The path of enlightenment is the falling away of untruth in ourselves which is a natural process, you yourself must have used to believe in things that fell away and you were better for it like say stewing over an argument you had when you were younger. The anger was real but it dropped away because you felt it fully. Its the same way now only we think we can fix everything without having to deal with it as adults we think we are being strong by letting things not get to us so we ignore our inner state which you probably know gets very crowded with thoughts and emotions all asking for your time just as that argument I mentioned but as adults we feel we dont have time for ourselves we put other things first, but we need to heal that split between us and life. Does that make sence to you?

[Jaisalmer]

Sorry; I don’t get what you mean.

[MerlinC]

If you marinate in the sensation of life/truth it wittles away at untruth in you, we have to feel it to heal it. so are you suffering from an over active mind or just a spiritual practitioner or both?

[Jaisalmer]

Thank you!
I would say ultimately it’s an overactive mind.

[MerlinC]

Do you do thinking?

[Jaisalmer]

No, I don’t.
I can’t control it.

[MerlinC]

And what is the "'I'' refering to?

[Jaisalmer]

I have been doing self-enquiry for years in the way Ramana Maharshi taught.
There’s still strong identification with the “I”.
It looks like I’m stuck and nothing shifts.

[MerlinC]

Well the name of the game is being present to thoughts and emotions, in that way your indentity with them will fall away but you must see them, The mind thinks it needs to do something to be aware or be still but you are already their because of your discountentment with them. Abiding as the self he put it. Sometimes the self is filled to the brim and thats ok we are not all sages that took the time to digest their emotional stuff that is why the stuff keeps repeating but again all our job is to abide as the self. So easy it is when we are not distracting ourself from ourselves. Those hermits that lived up in the mountains had no distractions from the self so they had no choice but to '' abide as the self'' question is how dedicated are you in the pursute of purifying? Feeling whats inside unflinchingly is a hard job are you up for that? So have you found a degree of inner space?

[Jaisalmer]

Hi,
Thank you for your answer.
This deeply resonates. It’s a great pointer!
Not enough presence. Always trying to avoid painful experiences, emotions… it’s automatic.
You are very right; it’s a hard job.

Could you explain a bit this sentence in your answer:“The mind thinks it needs to do something to be aware or be still but you are already their because of your discountentment with them”.

About your last question, I’m afraid I haven’t found a “degree of inner space”. I don’t really understand what you mean.

Thank you for being there; I really appreciate it.
Great post.