Drink Exercise
The aim of the following exercise is to discover whether the function of choice can really be found or confirmed in actual experience. The idea of making ‘choices‘ is a very clear example of a function that we wrongly identify as the basis of our identity.
Here's what’s needed - a chair, a table and two different drinks. Any two drinks you like are okay for this: coffee, tea, milk, water, juices, smoothies, beer, wine, etc.
Preparation - Place the two drinks side by side on the table in front of you, sit comfortably on the chair and mentally label them as drink A and drink B.
Experiment - Finding the function of choice
Sit for a few moments, take a few relaxed breaths and let the dust settle. When you feel ready:
1. Look at drink A and at drink B. Think about their respective qualities, the things you like about them, compare and weigh the pros and cons of each. See if a preference is manifesting for one or the other.
2. Count to 5.
3. Choose one of the drinks. Pick it up and take a sip.
Questions:
Remember that we’re looking for some kind of function, a something, an ‘I’ which is doing the ‘choosing’.
In step 1 when thinking about their respective qualities, did you ‘choose’ the qualities? Or did they kind of appear by themselves? If some preferences manifested, did you ‘choose’ these preferences? Or did they just pop up by themselves?
In step 2 when you counted to 5, if the preferences took the back seat while the numbers took the front seat, did you ‘choose’ this sequence of event? Did you ‘choose’ to shut down the preferences to give way to the counting? Did you directly experience a mental function or faculty doing the ‘choosing’? Have you seen this function in action?
In step 3 where you made a choice, did you actually witness or directly experience a mental function or faculty doing the ‘choosing’? Did anything arise that announced, ‘I am the chooser’? If so, what does this function look like?
Sometimes we describe this sense of choosing as a ‘feeling’: It feels like ‘I’ did the ‘choosing’. But the question is, can a feeling ‘choose’? Is it in the nature of a feeling to ‘choose’?
Guide request
Re: Guide request
With love,
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Re: Guide request
Looks like the exercise you meant to send didn't paste. (Will send my real update later)
Re: Guide request
Never-mind it went to a new page and I didn't see it I'm silly, cool will do.
Re: Guide request
🙌
With love,
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Re: Guide request
> Is it all ready recognized or not? If not, what is not clear?
Hmm I don't think I'm intuitively convinced yet, probably need more experience in it. I still have to "work" to notice how the self/watcher stuff is just sensations. If I could "glance" and see how it's all an illusion that'd be better, and if I was always aware of the illusion that would be the best. I guess how often & how fully you recognize it can be a kind of spectrum. This might be too much theorizing though hmm, you asked "What is not clear" good question, cutting to the actual thing. Hmm. I'm not sure.
Doing the exercise: It's late (bad time management) so I'm not going to follow it exactly (I'll use my different shirts instead of drinks)
First attempt: I calm myself, look at my blue and red shirts, I have a perference for the blue color; but my partner complimented the red... It feels like the qualities and preferences are arising by themselves, I just looked at the shirts and didn't do anything and stuff came up. I pick up the blue one, the sense of "I" pick it up is pretty diminished but I do still feel some of it without seeing it as raw sensations.
Second attempt: Oops I forgot to count. Meant to do it multiple times anyway. Now, between my white and black sweaters... Very close, I count to 5, pick the white one.
The qualities, preferences poped up by themselves, I didn't choose to shut down the preferences to give way to the counting, the faculty doing the "choosing"... I think was just sensations? I'm hesitant to say it was ONLY experienced as sensations because I'm afraid of falsely thinking I'm further along than I am. Also feels like, if this is it there's definitely a lot more to do.
Idk if that made any sense haha. I think I'm making progress but I don't want to think about what level I'm on much, I did too much of that in the past :P
Right now I don't feel a controller, I feel a little bit of a watcher but actually now it's gone after examining it. I don't know, it comes and goes, sometimes I feel strong selfy-watchery feelings and am not recognizing them as sensations, sometimes I am recognizing them as sensations, and sometimes the selfy-watchery feelings are just small. All sorts of configurations happen.
PS: Tomorrow (May 20th) I'm going to my meditation retreat, and depending on the computer rules/recommendations I might not post updates here for a week. I'm going to keep looking at self though, on top of the TWIM meditation I signed up for :)
Hmm I don't think I'm intuitively convinced yet, probably need more experience in it. I still have to "work" to notice how the self/watcher stuff is just sensations. If I could "glance" and see how it's all an illusion that'd be better, and if I was always aware of the illusion that would be the best. I guess how often & how fully you recognize it can be a kind of spectrum. This might be too much theorizing though hmm, you asked "What is not clear" good question, cutting to the actual thing. Hmm. I'm not sure.
Doing the exercise: It's late (bad time management) so I'm not going to follow it exactly (I'll use my different shirts instead of drinks)
First attempt: I calm myself, look at my blue and red shirts, I have a perference for the blue color; but my partner complimented the red... It feels like the qualities and preferences are arising by themselves, I just looked at the shirts and didn't do anything and stuff came up. I pick up the blue one, the sense of "I" pick it up is pretty diminished but I do still feel some of it without seeing it as raw sensations.
Second attempt: Oops I forgot to count. Meant to do it multiple times anyway. Now, between my white and black sweaters... Very close, I count to 5, pick the white one.
The qualities, preferences poped up by themselves, I didn't choose to shut down the preferences to give way to the counting, the faculty doing the "choosing"... I think was just sensations? I'm hesitant to say it was ONLY experienced as sensations because I'm afraid of falsely thinking I'm further along than I am. Also feels like, if this is it there's definitely a lot more to do.
Idk if that made any sense haha. I think I'm making progress but I don't want to think about what level I'm on much, I did too much of that in the past :P
Right now I don't feel a controller, I feel a little bit of a watcher but actually now it's gone after examining it. I don't know, it comes and goes, sometimes I feel strong selfy-watchery feelings and am not recognizing them as sensations, sometimes I am recognizing them as sensations, and sometimes the selfy-watchery feelings are just small. All sorts of configurations happen.
PS: Tomorrow (May 20th) I'm going to my meditation retreat, and depending on the computer rules/recommendations I might not post updates here for a week. I'm going to keep looking at self though, on top of the TWIM meditation I signed up for :)
Re: Guide request
> Is it all ready recognized or not? If not, what is not clear?
Hmm I don't think I'm intuitively convinced yet, probably need more experience in it. I still have to "work" to notice how the self/watcher stuff is just sensations. If I could "glance" and see how it's all an illusion that'd be better, and if I was always aware of the illusion that would be the best. I guess how often & how fully you recognize it can be a kind of spectrum. This might be too much theorizing though hmm, you asked "What is not clear" good question, cutting to the actual thing. Hmm. I'm not sure.
Doing the exercise: It's late (bad time management) so I'm not going to follow it exactly (I'll use my different shirts instead of drinks)
First attempt: I calm myself, look at my blue and red shirts, I have a perference for the blue color; but my partner complimented the red... It feels like the qualities and preferences are arising by themselves, I just looked at the shirts and didn't do anything and stuff came up. I pick up the blue one, the sense of "I" pick it up is pretty diminished but I do still feel some of it without seeing it as raw sensations.
Second attempt: Oops I forgot to count. Meant to do it multiple times anyway. Now, between my white and black sweaters... Very close, I count to 5, pick the white one.
The qualities, preferences poped up by themselves, I didn't choose to shut down the preferences to give way to the counting, the faculty doing the "choosing"... I think was just sensations? I'm hesitant to say it was ONLY experienced as sensations because I'm afraid of falsely thinking I'm further along than I am. Also feels like, if this is it there's definitely a lot more to do.
Idk if that made any sense haha. I think I'm making progress but I don't want to think about what level I'm on much, I did too much of that in the past :P
Right now I don't feel a controller, I feel a little bit of a watcher but actually now it's gone after examining it. I don't know, it comes and goes, sometimes I feel strong selfy-watchery feelings and am not recognizing them as sensations, sometimes I am recognizing them as sensations, and sometimes the selfy-watchery feelings are just small. All sorts of configurations happen.
PS: Tomorrow (May 20th) I'm going to my meditation retreat, and depending on the computer rules/recommendations I might not post updates here for a week. I'm going to keep looking at self though, on top of the TWIM meditation I signed up for :)
Hmm I don't think I'm intuitively convinced yet, probably need more experience in it. I still have to "work" to notice how the self/watcher stuff is just sensations. If I could "glance" and see how it's all an illusion that'd be better, and if I was always aware of the illusion that would be the best. I guess how often & how fully you recognize it can be a kind of spectrum. This might be too much theorizing though hmm, you asked "What is not clear" good question, cutting to the actual thing. Hmm. I'm not sure.
Doing the exercise: It's late (bad time management) so I'm not going to follow it exactly (I'll use my different shirts instead of drinks)
First attempt: I calm myself, look at my blue and red shirts, I have a perference for the blue color; but my partner complimented the red... It feels like the qualities and preferences are arising by themselves, I just looked at the shirts and didn't do anything and stuff came up. I pick up the blue one, the sense of "I" pick it up is pretty diminished but I do still feel some of it without seeing it as raw sensations.
Second attempt: Oops I forgot to count. Meant to do it multiple times anyway. Now, between my white and black sweaters... Very close, I count to 5, pick the white one.
The qualities, preferences poped up by themselves, I didn't choose to shut down the preferences to give way to the counting, the faculty doing the "choosing"... I think was just sensations? I'm hesitant to say it was ONLY experienced as sensations because I'm afraid of falsely thinking I'm further along than I am. Also feels like, if this is it there's definitely a lot more to do.
Idk if that made any sense haha. I think I'm making progress but I don't want to think about what level I'm on much, I did too much of that in the past :P
Right now I don't feel a controller, I feel a little bit of a watcher but actually now it's gone after examining it. I don't know, it comes and goes, sometimes I feel strong selfy-watchery feelings and am not recognizing them as sensations, sometimes I am recognizing them as sensations, and sometimes the selfy-watchery feelings are just small. All sorts of configurations happen.
PS: Tomorrow (May 20th) I'm going to my meditation retreat, and depending on the computer rules/recommendations I might not post updates here for a week. I'm going to keep looking at self though, on top of the TWIM meditation I signed up for :)
Re: Guide request
> Is it all ready recognized or not? If not, what is not clear?
Hmm I don't think I'm intuitively convinced yet, probably need more experience in it. I still have to "work" to notice how the self/watcher stuff is just sensations. If I could "glance" and see how it's all an illusion that'd be better, and if I was always aware of the illusion that would be the best. I guess how often & how fully you recognize it can be a kind of spectrum. This might be too much theorizing though hmm, you asked "What is not clear" good question, cutting to the actual thing. Hmm. I'm not sure.
Doing the exercise: It's late (bad time management) so I'm not going to follow it exactly (I'll use my different shirts instead of drinks)
First attempt: I calm myself, look at my blue and red shirts, I have a perference for the blue color; but my partner complimented the red... It feels like the qualities and preferences are arising by themselves, I just looked at the shirts and didn't do anything and stuff came up. I pick up the blue one, the sense of "I" pick it up is pretty diminished but I do still feel some of it without seeing it as raw sensations.
Second attempt: Oops I forgot to count. Meant to do it multiple times anyway. Now, between my white and black sweaters... Very close, I count to 5, pick the white one.
The qualities, preferences poped up by themselves, I didn't choose to shut down the preferences to give way to the counting, the faculty doing the "choosing"... I think was just sensations? I'm hesitant to say it was ONLY experienced as sensations because I'm afraid of falsely thinking I'm further along than I am. Also feels like, if this is it there's definitely a lot more to do.
Idk if that made any sense haha. I think I'm making progress but I don't want to think about what level I'm on much, I did too much of that in the past :P
Right now I don't feel a controller, I feel a little bit of a watcher but actually now it's gone after examining it. I don't know, it comes and goes, sometimes I feel strong selfy-watchery feelings and am not recognizing them as sensations, sometimes I am recognizing them as sensations, and sometimes the selfy-watchery feelings are just small. All sorts of configurations happen.
PS: Tomorrow (May 20th) I'm going to my meditation retreat, and depending on the computer rules/recommendations I might not post updates here for a week. I'm going to keep looking at self though, on top of the TWIM meditation I signed up for :)
Hmm I don't think I'm intuitively convinced yet, probably need more experience in it. I still have to "work" to notice how the self/watcher stuff is just sensations. If I could "glance" and see how it's all an illusion that'd be better, and if I was always aware of the illusion that would be the best. I guess how often & how fully you recognize it can be a kind of spectrum. This might be too much theorizing though hmm, you asked "What is not clear" good question, cutting to the actual thing. Hmm. I'm not sure.
Doing the exercise: It's late (bad time management) so I'm not going to follow it exactly (I'll use my different shirts instead of drinks)
First attempt: I calm myself, look at my blue and red shirts, I have a perference for the blue color; but my partner complimented the red... It feels like the qualities and preferences are arising by themselves, I just looked at the shirts and didn't do anything and stuff came up. I pick up the blue one, the sense of "I" pick it up is pretty diminished but I do still feel some of it without seeing it as raw sensations.
Second attempt: Oops I forgot to count. Meant to do it multiple times anyway. Now, between my white and black sweaters... Very close, I count to 5, pick the white one.
The qualities, preferences poped up by themselves, I didn't choose to shut down the preferences to give way to the counting, the faculty doing the "choosing"... I think was just sensations? I'm hesitant to say it was ONLY experienced as sensations because I'm afraid of falsely thinking I'm further along than I am. Also feels like, if this is it there's definitely a lot more to do.
Idk if that made any sense haha. I think I'm making progress but I don't want to think about what level I'm on much, I did too much of that in the past :P
Right now I don't feel a controller, I feel a little bit of a watcher but actually now it's gone after examining it. I don't know, it comes and goes, sometimes I feel strong selfy-watchery feelings and am not recognizing them as sensations, sometimes I am recognizing them as sensations, and sometimes the selfy-watchery feelings are just small. All sorts of configurations happen.
PS: Tomorrow (May 20th) I'm going to my meditation retreat, and depending on the computer rules/recommendations I might not post updates here for a week. I'm going to keep looking at self though, on top of the TWIM meditation I signed up for :)
Re: Guide request
Website froze on submit and triple-sent OOPS sorry for the email spam 😔
Re: Guide request
Good.
Your main hindrances now are:
1) evaluating where you are at instead of staying focused on what is seen now.
2) evaluating how it feels instead of staying focused on what is seen now.
Please notice that it happens by itself without choice or self and please notice it recreates a story of a self that is or isn't awake - also happening by itself without self. So this seemingly knowing evaluating "you" is where expectations (illusion) rather then pure looking is being recreated moment by moment in a hidden way. Look to see this clearly.
Awaiting to hear from you again front/after the retreat before further instruction. Have a good retreat if we don't continue until after.
Your main hindrances now are:
1) evaluating where you are at instead of staying focused on what is seen now.
2) evaluating how it feels instead of staying focused on what is seen now.
Please notice that it happens by itself without choice or self and please notice it recreates a story of a self that is or isn't awake - also happening by itself without self. So this seemingly knowing evaluating "you" is where expectations (illusion) rather then pure looking is being recreated moment by moment in a hidden way. Look to see this clearly.
Awaiting to hear from you again front/after the retreat before further instruction. Have a good retreat if we don't continue until after.
With love,
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Re: Guide request
Read a little about TWIM. Wish you benefit and courage to discover for yourself, moment by moment, questioning all beliefs, not taking any system (TWIM, Liberation Unleashed, whatever) as authority, discovering for yourself.
With love,
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Re: Guide request
Hi Uli, it's been a while, how is the process unfolding?
With love,
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Re: Guide request
Dear guidees,
I will be taking a month of vacation, including from guiding, from May 26th to June 27th. You might want to use the time until May 26th to inquire with great wholeheartedness and beginners mind, maybe "the Gateless Gate will be passed". You might also want to update both of us on where you are in the process, and what is experienced as your wishes and needs now, if any - happy to hear from you before I leave. If during my vacation you feel a need to be supported by an LU guide, two of my trusted fellow guides will be available. During that period, contacting them might also be an opportunity to the get a different input - we never know what input, what energy, will suddenly make what is clear clear.
Fellow guides:
Alan: alan.home.mailbox@gmail.com
Becca: becca@supportedawakening.com
🙏
I will be taking a month of vacation, including from guiding, from May 26th to June 27th. You might want to use the time until May 26th to inquire with great wholeheartedness and beginners mind, maybe "the Gateless Gate will be passed". You might also want to update both of us on where you are in the process, and what is experienced as your wishes and needs now, if any - happy to hear from you before I leave. If during my vacation you feel a need to be supported by an LU guide, two of my trusted fellow guides will be available. During that period, contacting them might also be an opportunity to the get a different input - we never know what input, what energy, will suddenly make what is clear clear.
Fellow guides:
Alan: alan.home.mailbox@gmail.com
Becca: becca@supportedawakening.com
🙏
With love,
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
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