Guide for Liberation Unleashed

[zosiaty]

LU is focused guiding for seeing there is no real, inherent 'self' - what do you understand by this?
I understand that by focused guidance, I will see that the self I believe in is only a construct of conditioning, belief system and stories created by my mind.

What are you looking for at LU?
I want to be free from the false sense of self that creates suffering for myself and others. I get caught in the stories the mind produces and react in an emotional and destructive way, I hope by seeing these are not real I will be able to drop them without feeding them and reacting to them.

What do you expect from a guided conversation?
I expect the guide to assist me in the process of liberation from the false sense of self, help me find clarity in this process, and see the blindspots I may not be able to recognise myself. I expect honest and open communication.

What is your experience in terms of spiritual practices, seeking and inquiry?
Over a decade of self-inquiry, meditation, Buddhist teachings (on and off), a couple of 10-day Vipassana retreats and many Buddhist meditation retreats.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how willing are you to question any currently held beliefs about 'self? 9

[Anastacia42]

Good morning,

My name is Stacy and I can be your guide, if you would like.

One thing that is helpful is to come to this forum & post every day. Sometimes the site goes down. It will be back. Just come back later.

Yes, if once in a while you must post later, please post a note telling me when you will return.

If you haven't already read the disclaimer, please read it now and just confirm to me that you have read it. Here is the link.

http://liberationunleashed.com/disclaimer-2/

Also please read “Liberation Unleashed is not …” in the FAQ’s of LU. Here is the link.

http://liberationunleashed.com/about/faq/#faq-1041

Some housekeeping guidelines:

1. Post at least once a day, or every second day. If you need more time, or are unable to post for several days, just write a quick post on your thread to let me know please.

2. There is no one judging answers given, so please be 100% honest in your answers and inquiry.

3. This exploration is based on actual experience (AE) - smell, taste, sound, sensation, color and observed thoughts. Long-winded analytical and philosophical answers are best avoided and may even hinder progress. This is not a self-improvement process. There is no ‘self’ to improve.

4. Put aside all other teachings, philosophies, rituals, practices, books/reading and so on for the remainder of this investigation. Really put all your effort and attention in to seeing this reality, as it is. If you have a daily meditation practice, it is fine to continue that but is not necessary for this exploration.

Technology is not perfect and sometimes there is a glitch which can wipe out your responses. It is advisable that you copy and paste questions asked into Word, answer them there and then copy and paste them to your thread. Always save a copy of what you have done, it will save time in the long run!

To begin with, so that we both become aware of what your expectations are about this exploration. In your own words (not from actual experience, but just honest answers), could you please answer the 4 following questions:

How will life change?
How will you change?
What will be different?
What is missing?

Throughout this exploration I would like you to answer all questions that I have written in blue text. Please answer all questions even if I miss using the blue text.

Please answer questions individually, remembering to use the quote function to highlight the question being answered.

Below is a link to the video with instructions on using the Quote Function. Please watch it. Use the PREVIEW button to make sure your text looks right before you hit "SUBMIT."

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=660

What would you like for me to call you? What time zone are you in, please?


Loving,

[zosiaty]

Dear Stacy,

Thank you for your reply and an invitation to be my guide. I’m happy to start the process with you. I have a very busy schedule but I will do my best to post everyday or every other day or let you know if there is a delay.

I’ve read the connected links you’ve suggested. Here are my answers to your questions:

How will life change?

Life won’t change.

How will you change?

I won’t change.

What will be different?

I will realise the self is an illusion.

What is missing?

Nothing.

What would you like for me to call you? What time zone are you in, please?

Please call me Zosia, I’m in London, UK.

Thank you.
Zosia

[Anastacia42]

Great answers, Zosia.

I'm near Boulder, Colorado, in the US. Mountain Time

Now what comes up when reading that there is no separate self, never has been, and never will be? That the whole thing was a made up story that we believed.


Loving,

[zosiaty]

Hi Stacey,
Thank you.

Now what comes up when reading that there is no separate self, never has been, and never will be? That the whole thing was a made up story that we believed.

What comes up is a sense of sadness and heaviness in my chest and also sense of some space in the background, behind me. There is a mix of resistance and disbelief with gentle sense of lightness rising up.

Zosia

[Anastacia42]

Hi,

First, there is no "e" in my name. Not a big deal, but wanted to point that out.

What comes up is a sense of sadness and heaviness in my chest and also sense of some space in the background, behind me. There is a mix of resistance and disbelief with gentle sense of lightness rising up.

Excellent awareness of Sensation!

Yes. Okay, so sadness happens when we mentally argue with reality, aka "what is." We want it different, and it isn't.

Heaviness - we get that when we are lying. That's a strong word, but that's what it is. There is a pointer for that, but let's get some basics done first. Resistance and disbelief are just thoughts, labels. That will make more sense shortly.

The lightness is how it feels when something is true.

Okay, so take a look at this:

This is how to LOOK for no self in the exercises - we call them "pointers' - that we will be doing here:

Colored Socks

There is a big difference between knowing that there is nothing to give up and seeing that there is nothing to give up.

Here is an example to illustrate the difference:

If I ask you what color socks you are wearing right now you have two ways to come up with an answer:

• You can think about it, you can think back to this morning and try to remember putting your socks on, and you can probably tell me what color you think they are.

• Alternatively, you can take a quick look at your socks and tell me what color they actually are!

Hopefully you would agree that you can only be 100% certain by looking.

For the purpose of seeing this "no self" idea, it is very important that you are clear about this difference.

Knowing is about knowledge which is all in the mind and we are not interested in that

We are only interested in looking at and seeing what is actually going on in your present moment-to-moment experience. We are only interested in your Direct Experience in the moment..

Direct or Actual Experience is

Seeing
Hearing
Feeling (Sensation, not emotion. Emotion is Sensation plus made-up thoughts & labels)
Tasting
Smelling
Thoughts Arising (but not their content)

Please let me know if you are clear about this or if you would like any further clarification.


Loving,

[zosiaty]

Hi Stacy,

Please let me know if you are clear about this or if you would like any further clarification.

Could you please explain more how to distinguish sensations from emotions?

Zosia

[Anastacia42]

Yes. Sensations are body feelings only. Hot, cold, tight, loose, heavy, light. Things like that. No "meaning," just the simple Sensation.

Tightness in your stomach is a Sensation. Fear is a label, just a thought added to it. Together they're an emotion.

An expansive feeling in your face (a smile) is a Sensation. Happy is a thought. Together they're an emotion.

Give me a few of your own. Let's see if you've got it.

Loving

[zosiaty]

So for example tightness around my head and heaviness in my eyes are sensations, tiredness is a thought and together they are emotion.

Heaviness in my chest and pulling down in my face are sensations, sadness is a thought and together they are emotion.

Do I get it right?

Zosia

[zosiaty]

Hi Stacy,

Please let me know if you are clear about this or if you would like any further clarification.

Yes it is clear now what the Direct Experience mean and that we are only interested in that way of seeing.

Zosia

[Anastacia42]

Yes. Very good. You got it right.

Now a little practice.

Direct Experience - Labeling Daily Activities

Here's an exercise that I would like you to try as many times throughout the day as you can. Label daily activities simply color/image, sound, smell, taste, sensation, thought.

So for example, when having breakfast, become aware of:

Seeing a cup, simply= image/color
Smelling coffee, simply = smell
Feeling the warmth of the coffee cup, simply = sensation
Tasting the coffee, simply = taste
Hearing the spoon stirring the coffee, simply = sound
Thought about drinking the coffee, simply = thought

Just break down daily activities into these categories (which are all Actual/Direct Experience) and report back with lists exactly like the one above.

Post several of your own observations in a list *exactly* like the one above, please.

Refer to the green list of Actual/Direct Experience in the prior post if that helps. Those are the only items any experience can be.

Loving,

[zosiaty]

Hi Stacy,

Post several of your own observations in a list *exactly* like the one above, please.

Here are my examples from daily practice:

Traveling on the coach:
Feeling body’s connection with the seat, simply= sensation
Seeing traffic ahead, simply=image
Hearing the engine, simply= sound
Feeling the warm air blowing, simply=sensation
Thinking about the conversation I’ve had, simply=thought

Relaxing in bed with the music on headphones:
Feeling the comfort of the pillow, simply=sensation
Feeling the warmth of the blanket, simply=sensation
Hearing the music, simply= sound
Testing the lunch I’ve just head, simply=taste
Seeing the blue sky outside the window, simply =image/color
Smelling the incense, simply=smell

Sitting in the garden:
Warmth of the sun on my skin, simply=sensation
Feeling the body’s contact with the chair, simply=sensation
Seeing the light under closed eyelids, simply=color
Smelling the smoke from friend’s cigarette, simply=smell
Hearing the birds singing, simply=sound

Best,
Zofia

[Anastacia42]

Excellent. Now take the next step:


Mind Labeling Experience

Here is an exercise which examines the way in which the mind labels experience - it takes about 20 minutes and you will need a pen a paper.

This exercise is broken into 10 minute lots. For each 10 minute period pay attention to any bodily sensation i.e. is there any tightening, or any relaxing?

For the first ten minutes write down what you are experiencing right now using the word “I”.

For example:

I am sitting on a chair,
I am hearing a clock ticking,
I am looking at a computer screen,
I am feeling hungry.

Get right to the point, no past or future fantasy, just a plain description of your experience right here and now.

Then for the next ten minutes continue writing down what you are experiencing but this time without using the word “I”. Just describe the experience as it is happening using verbs.

For example:

Sitting on a chair,
typing,
breathing,
blinking,
hearing the clock.

(Again, watch what is happening in the body.)

At the end of the twenty minutes compare the two ways in which the experience was labelled and answer the following four questions:

1. Is one truer than the other, and If so, which one?

2. What is here without labels?

3. Do labels affect the experience or just describe it?

4. Did you notice any differences in the body?

Loving,

[zosiaty]

1.Is one truer than the other, and If so, which one?

The second one is truer than the first one.

2. What is here without labels?

The action/experience is happening by itself.

3. Do labels affect the experience or just describe it?

Yes, they affect the experience.

4. Did you notice any differences in the body?

I noticed heaviness and tiredness in the first experience, the sense of restlessness. In the second one, there was a sense of rising lightness, deeper breathing, relaxation in my back and a gentle smile.

Zosia

[Anastacia42]

Good. Mostly correct looking.

While #2 is correct, what's there is Direct Experience. Refer to the list in Colored Socks.

I'll give you a pointer for #3.

#4 Yes. Heaviness happens when we lie. Lightness & relaxation when there is truth.

So... first, let's look at this. Do labels affect anything?


Label-Reality Correlation

There is a belief that labels have a one-to-one correspondence with ‘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?

Is the color red ‘experienced’, or is the color green ‘experienced’ as the label suggests?

Does the label ‘GREEN’ have a one-to-one correspondence with ‘reality’? Or does the label suggest something else other than what is here now (red colour)?

Is 'green' associated in any way with the experience of the colour red; or is green just a label that overlays the actual experience of red?

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

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

Let me know what is SEEN.

Loving,