Non-seeker seeks a guide to nowhere

[LVUSLF]

LU is focused guiding for seeing there is no real, inherent 'self' - what do you understand by this?
"I" isn't something substantial and there is no "somewhere" where "i" is found. Hearing happens. Seeing happens. Tasting happens. Smelling happens. Touching happens. Feelings happen. Thinking happens. Experiencing happens. One consciousness, one Great Mystery expressing through multiplicity of form: 1, not 2.

What are you looking for at LU?
Looking for a guide to facilitate a non-seeker who is openly curious to explore "this." I've typed 96 characters and, therefore, not meeting the required 200 words so I will simply type and type and type until the requirement has been met! Yay!

What do you expect from a guided conversation?
I expect to be respectfully challenged and to discover and clarify areas of confusion.

I have only typed 120 words and at least 200 are required. Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream . . . merrily, merrily, merrily merrily, life is but a dream. Bravo!

-

What is your experience in terms of spiritual practices, seeking and inquiry?
Ongoing practice: Being present to/aware of what is actual; sinking into the such-ness of "this," welcoming whatever arises,
leaning INTO discomfort rather than moving away from it. I'm attending 2-3 meetings weekly with Vince, working privately with Ilona (1x/week) and participating in the fetters with Todd and Pernille.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how willing are you to question any currently held beliefs about 'self? 11

[Canfora]

Hello LVUSLF and welcome to the LU forum. I can be your guide if that is ok with you.

I'm attending 2-3 meetings weekly with Vince, working privately with Ilona (1x/week) and participating in the fetters with Todd and Pernille.

That's a lot of work.

If you are being guided by Ilona, why do you think you need other guide to see that a self is an illusion?

Have you been instructed about how to inquire if a self is real?

Ongoing practice: Being present to/aware of what is actual; sinking into the such-ness of "this," welcoming whatever arises,
leaning INTO discomfort rather than moving away from it.

Sounds good. Would you say that when you look, you can see what is here now, as close to how it is presented as possible?

Looking forward to your answer.

[LVUSLF]

Hello LVUSLF and welcome to the LU forum. I can be your guide if that is ok with you.

Yes, thank you!

I'm attending 2-3 meetings weekly with Vince, working privately with Ilona (1x/week) and participating in the fetters with Todd and Pernille.

That's a lot of work.

It’s a lot if play!

If you are being guided by Ilona, why do you think you need other guide to see that a self is an illusion?

I see that the self is an illusion. I would like to explore blind spots. I’m not well-versed in inquiry, and I’m loving how vastly different guides are in their pointing and how different guides bring out different facets wanting to be seen.

Have you been instructed about how to inquire if a self is real?
I had a session with Fred Davis in 2015. He is a neti-neti teacher. It became apparent during that session that I did not exist in the way I thought I did. I have not had formal training.

Ongoing practice: Being present to/aware of what is actual; sinking into the such-ness of "this," welcoming whatever arises,
leaning INTO discomfort rather than moving away from it.

Sounds good. Would you say that when you look, you can see what is here now, as close to how it is presented as possible?

Yes, although I’m a newbie here. I’ve just begun being present with what is actual. There is a lot of conditioning unwinding.

Looking forward to your answer.

Thank you!

[Canfora]

Hi again and thank you for your answer.

I see that the self is an illusion.

Tell me more about this. How do you see that a self is an illusion?

I’ve just begun being present with what is actual. There is a lot of conditioning unwinding.

That's ok, it seems it's a life's work.

If needed there is a How to use the quote function here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=660

[LVUSLF]

Hi again and thank you for your answer.

I see that the self is an illusion.

Tell me more about this. How do you see that a self is an illusion?

I have looked for a “me” Inside the body and can’t find one. I have looked for a “me” Inside the brain and can’t find one there either. “Me” Is nowhere to be found. Seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing, feeling and thoughts arising continue to happen in the absence of identification. I do not know what I am. There is a body and a brain operating here and the Irene unit seems to carry on with its functioning. Choosing continues to happen in the absence of a chooser. There is a sense of “me-ness” ~ airy, cloud-like and unsubstantial. When self-ing happens I drop the narrative and feel what is arising in the body. Attention (whose attention it is, is beyond my pay grade) is primarily focused on what is actual, recognizes when the conceptual has taken hold, and redirects itself to the actual - or not.

I’ve just begun being present with what is actual. There is a lot of conditioning unwinding.

That's ok, it seems it's a life's work.

If needed there is a How to use the quote function here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=660

[Canfora]

Hi Irene and thank you for your answer.

What do you mean by

I have looked for a “me”

How would you explain to someone what looking for a me is?

Take care

[LVUSLF]

Hi Irene and thank you for your answer.

What do you mean by

I have looked for a “me”

How would you explain to someone what looking for a me is?

Take care

Looking for a "me" was the act of investigating the “myself” I had assumed myself to be. What’s been seen is that this “myself” with which I was identified was a mental/social construct, much like an operating system. Inherent to this conditioned system were assumptions and beliefs, and one of the primary ones facilitating the experience of suffering was the belief that it was separate and alone. There existed a simple and innocent misunderstanding in consciousness in the form of an identification with this operating system. What I am—whatever that is—recognizes this operating system and has brought it into conscious awareness, allowing it to continue doing its thing without it being problematic.

[LVUSLF]

Hi Irene and thank you for your answer.

What do you mean by

I have looked for a “me”

How would you explain to someone what looking for a me is?

Take care

Looking for a "me" was the act of investigating the “myself” I had assumed myself to be. What’s been seen is that this “myself” with which I was identified was a mental/social construct, much like an operating system. Inherent to this conditioned system were assumptions and beliefs, and one of the primary ones facilitating the experience of suffering was the belief that it was separate and alone. There existed a simple and innocent misunderstanding in consciousness in the form of an identification with this operating system. What I am—whatever that is—recognizes this operating system and has brought it into conscious awareness, allowing it to continue doing its thing without it being problematic.

[Canfora]

Looking for a "me" was the act of investigating the “myself” I had assumed myself to be.

And how do you investigate? What do you do - here and now - if you want to see if a self is an illusion?

Take care,
S

[Canfora]

The intervals between your answers, after only a few inicial posts, make me think you aren't really interested in doing this. If you aren't, it would be nice if you let me know.

[LVUSLF]

The intervals between your answers, after only a few inicial posts, make me think you aren't really interested in doing this. If you aren't, it would be nice if you let me know.

Thank you for bringing this up, as I was going to share that this format isn’t working well for me. It’s not that I’m not interested; I’m attending Vince’s meetups as well as Todd and Pernille’s. This written format just isn’t working for me. I am grateful for your time and support. Thank you.

[Canfora]

You're welcome, take care.

[LVUSLF]

The intervals between your answers, after only a few inicial posts, make me think you aren't really interested in doing this. If you aren't, it would be nice if you let me know.

I posted something a couple of days ago, but don't see it here now.

Thank you for your message. It's not that I'm not interested; the format is perhaps too challenging or not a good fit at this time. I will continue attending Vince's meetups and working one-on-one with Ilona. I appreciate your time and consideration. Thank You.