Here

[heijahup]

Hi,

Hope all is well with the baby. It would be good if you could continue to practice everyday and report here daily or at least every other day.


Here is another exercise that makes it even clearer that labels are not the things they refer to. They are merely the content of thought that we made up.

Label-Reality Correlation

There is a belief that labels have a one-to-one correspondence with something called "reality." But there isn’t. Just like it is a generally accepted belief that labels like "good" and "bad" are inherent characteristics of "things." But actually, they are not.

When you look at the word label ‘GREEN’, what is the actual experience?

The actual experience of color is the color red, although I see the word green, the experience is red.

Is the red color "experienced" or is color green "experienced" as the label suggests?

Red is experienced

Do the labels have a one-to-one correspondence with "reality?"

No, they're just made up concepts

Or do the labels suggest something else other than what is here now (red color)?

The label suggests green, but the color experienced in direct experience is the color red.

Is green-ness an inherent attribute of the "experience" of the red color; or is green just a word label on the experience of the red color?

It's just a word label on the experience of the red color.

If the label ‘GREEN’ is replaced with the label ‘GOOD’ or ‘BAD’, is the redness affected in any way as the labels suggests?

No, the experience is still of the color red.

Does redness become "good" or "bad," or do the labels have no effect whatsoever on ‘reality’?

No, it's still just merely the color.
Loving,

[Anastacia42]

Hi,

I think we already go your answers to the RED/GREEN pointer. Also, please pay attention to the Quote function. Quote one question, then write one answer. Quote another question, then write another answer. You were doing it correctly before.

Use the PREVIEW button to see how it looks before posting.

Try this pointer:


Sports Exercise

Please note that you will have to check the link when using this exercise, to make sure it is still viable, as sometimes they are removed from Youtube.

The following link is a 7 minute clip of a soccer game. If you prefer another sport…please feel free to find one to do this exercise with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy5pL-myDzw

1. Watch one minute with the sound turned OFF, watching ‘people’ messing about with a round thing on a field, up and down, up and down. Let it sink in, the whole experience.

2. Once the first minute is completed, now watch another whole minute with the commentary turned ON.

Notice the differences.

Notice how the commentator (thought) offers lots of know-how, even advice. It seems to feel as though they can influence, somehow, what is going on, as though one outcome is much preferred to the opposite outcome. The commentary may seem to heighten any supporter feelings which are there, and call for an identification with one team or other, and with the importance of the game itself.

3. Now turn the volume OFF AGAIN and just watch the action with NO audible commentary, the shapes moving around on the screen etc. Again notice all the differences in what is appearing as experience.

4. Now turn the volume ON again and ignore what you think you know thought is talking about, and just notice it as sound.

What did you find when doing this exercise? Is the commentary on the soccer game a necessity for the play to happen?

And in the same way, is the inner narration of thought a necessity for the play of life to happen?

Loving,

[heijahup]

What did you find when doing this exercise? Is the commentary on the soccer game a necessity for the play to happen?

No, the game just happens and life just happens without the commentary. It is a bit hard to hear the commentary as just sound, I'm so conditioned to process the words and their relative meaning as they happen but I get the point.

And in the same way, is the inner narration of thought a necessity for the play of life to happen?

No, life just happens. I can't really control my thoughts, if I'm faced with a decision the commentary will automatically happen. I can see that there's a lot of commentary that the mind is just identifying with because it's a habit even though life would be perfectly fine going on without the commentary.

[Anastacia42]

Good!

Here's a pointer to help you with Hearing as just what is heard. Pay attention to how it FEELS.

Hearing Exercise

Find somewhere quiet to sit. Rest for a moment and listen to the sounds in the room where you are, or sounds from outside. Whatever it is, I'll just refer to it as 'what can be heard'.

1) In 'hearing' can anything be found other than 'what can be heard'?

2) Can what is doing the hearing be found? Or is there only 'what can be heard'?

3) An 'I'? a 'body'? a 'person'? a brain? a pair of ears? Can these be found doing the hearing? Or is there just 'what can be heard'? What do you find?

Can an INHERENT HEARER be found?

Would anything that is suggested as the hearer, be anything other than a concept/idea/thought?


Loving

[heijahup]

1) In 'hearing' can anything be found other than 'what can be heard'?

No, it seems to be just the sounds coming and going.

2) Can what is doing the hearing be found? Or is there only 'what can be heard'?

Only what is heard can be found. I can conceptually go to my mind and reference thoughts about the biology of how hearing works, but that can't be found in direct experience, only in conceptual thoughts.

3) An 'I'? a 'body'? a 'person'? a brain? a pair of ears? Can these be found doing the hearing? Or is there just 'what can be heard'? What do you find?

No, if I put my attention on the sounds, there's only the sounds, none of those listed are in the sounds.

Can an INHERENT HEARER be found?

No, not in the sound. I would have to go back into the mind and the world of conceptual thoughts to reference a thought of an inherent hearer.

Would anything that is suggested as the hearer, be anything other than a concept/idea/thought?

No, not in direct experience, it would just be a concept/thought.

[Anastacia42]

Good!

How does it FEEL to notice this?

Loving

[heijahup]

How does it FEEL to notice this?

It feels more immediate, there's less to process, it's just now whatever sound is happening.

[Anastacia42]

Great. Yes.

Hope all is well with the baby!

i am sorry it took me a few days to reply. I missed your answer. Feel free to post again so I can see you replied.

Palm Flipping Exercise

1. Hold a hand in front of you; palm turned down.

2. Now turn the palm up. And down...and up and so on.

Watch like a hawk.

Don't go to thoughts – examine your direct experience.

Do this as many times as you like, and each time inquire:

How is the movement controlled?

Does a thought control it?

Can a ‘controller’ of any description be located?

How is the decision made to turn the hand over? Track any decision point when a thought MADE THE DECISION to turn the hand over and the hand turns over immediately.

Who or what chose which hand - the left or right hand for the exercise?

Can you find a separate individual or anything that is choosing when to turn the palm up or down?

Loving,

[heijahup]

The baby is healthy.
We're all facing the night sleeping challenges, thinking isn't as sharp as a rested brain/body, but frequency of naps is increasing for all of us. It's both difficult and joyful. Appreciate you asking.

How is the movement controlled?

It feels like the question asking me to do the exercise started the movement, once the rotations started I have no idea how it's controlled. It feels like it might be some habitual kinesthetic bodily thing happening, but that's a thought about how it might be controlled, I have no idea, it's just happening.

Does a thought control it?

It's just happening, it seems to be happening on its own, so no a thought doesn't control it.
I will say, if a narrative thought occurs, "I'm going to stop this motion", it does stop, but when it was going, no thoughts were giving orders or controlling it.

Can a ‘controller’ of any description be located?

No. Even when the thought occurs to stop the motion, a controller can not be found. There might be a thought taking ownership of the thought to stop the motion claiming to be the controller, but it's just another thought.

How is the decision made to turn the hand over? Track any decision point when a thought MADE THE DECISION to turn the hand over and the hand turns over immediately.

I don't know, I can't find a decision points, it's just happening. It's like walking, during walking there's no decisions to move each body part involved in a stepping gate, it's just walking happening. There might be a thought to stop walking or change direction, but no entity can be found in experience that did that decision, it just happened.

Who or what chose which hand - the left or right hand for the exercise?

I don't know, it just happened. On the relative consensus world level, it would seem this body/mind I appear as did the choosing. In direct experience I have no idea who or what chose the hand, it just happened.

Can you find a separate individual or anything that is choosing when to turn the palm up or down?

Nope.


This exercise took an added layer of relation to my current life, as recently our baby has been staring with a look of fascination at his hand while it's turning left and right, like he doesn't understand how it's happening, it's just happening! 😆 He's already demonstrating this exercise to me, the synchronicity of this is something else!

[Anastacia42]

Good morning!

This exercise took an added layer of relation to my current life, as recently our baby has been staring with a look of fascination at his hand while it's turning left and right, like he doesn't understand how it's happening, it's just happening! 😆 He's already demonstrating this exercise to me, the synchronicity of this is something else!

That is SO sweet!

Yes, the baby has not been taught "I" or separation yet. He? She? is still in a state of wonder. This is what you find again when you LOOK.

Can you find any separate "self" anywhere? Can you say 100% that there's no separate "I?"

Are you still seeking anything?

Loving,

[heijahup]

Can you find any separate "self" anywhere? Can you say 100% that there's no separate "I?"

Baby boy.

No, just the conceptual self, but I'm seeing more now that that's just a thought. I'll refer to the conceptual self at work etc. But I feel the insight getting clearer around seeing that conceptual self for what it actually is, a thought-beleif-concept, only mind stuff.

Are you still seeking anything?

I feel I'm at a good launch spot.
Like you asked, can I see 100%, yes, but I also feel there's more clarity around that, more integrating that into my moment to moment experience.

I'll keep inquiring, noticing I'm aware of sensations, feelings, thoughts, I am not them, I'm what is aware of them, and inquiring and looking for that I that is aware of everything. I feel the more I look for that and don't find it, that the insight will become clearer and clearer.

One thing came up when inquiring that I'm what is aware. Seeing I'm what is aware of thoughts seems easier to see than seeing I'm what is aware of the body.
I actually can feel pretty directly that I'm what is aware of the body, but I could see how a person would default to the head/eyes and say, I'm in the head and eyes and I'm looking at the body, so I'm in here (head/eyes) and aware of the body there.

Is it to see that it's just more of a subtle thought believing I'm in the head/eyes looking at said object? When maybe it's just all sensory experience happening. Again this isn't super sticky for me but I could see how a person would go there, so maybe it's faintly sticky for me.

Anyways, I don't know if you might have anything to say around that?

Thank you so very much for all the teachings and your time and interest in our baby. I won't hold it in mind as an achievement that I'll get to reach to be more present and patient with our baby, but if that happens as I continue practicing, great.

Loving,

[Anastacia42]

Hi Josh & baby boy,

There will be a lot of integration for years to come.

Some people pursue 10 fetters work which goes into different aspects of seeing no self and life experience.. You can look it up on Wikipedia & YouTube. I can connect you to a group that meets here on zoom.

Meanwhile, we have some traditional final questions. It doesn't mean you're done. It just means you have seen that there is no self and you're beginning the work of integrating that knowing.

Would you like to try those?

Loving,

[Anastacia42]

These videos may be helpful:

There's likely to.be a "honeymoon period," and then what we call, "got it, lost it," as untrue beliefs come up to be questioned.

Watch this, please:

https://youtu.be/vJQcD588g2w

and

https://youtu.be/PUDzrCLlrj4

[heijahup]

Would you like to try those?

Yes, that sounds great.

I'll check into the Fetters

[Anastacia42]

Here you go:



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 fully 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 from the past few days.

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

5) Describe decision & give examples from experience.

Describe intention & give examples from experience.

Describe free will & give examples from experience.

Describe choice & give examples from experience.

Describe control & give examples from experience.

What makes things happen? How does it work?

What are you responsible for? Give examples from experience.

6) Anything to add?

Loving,