Requesting a guide.

[IainB]

Jon

Great to hear from you. I'm visiting family.

I am / will continue to look at the contrast of direct experience and thought content.

And in particular when it comes to thought content to looking at how the me thought or thoughts about Iain are no different to the many other random thoughts appearing. Identical in that they are all thought content.

I am using this as a pointer: Let's take the stance that ME is all assumption. A cunning one. A lived one. Even a useful one at times. But all assumption nonetheless. We don't take this as truth, but we are going to give it the status of Strong Possibility.

This reinforces this distinction.

with love

[IainB]

Jon

It is particularly striking that there is no choice to be, no choice that a body/being is the ongoing link here and no choice around the appearing dynamics of experience, other characters, inseparable environment and thought content that coalesces here.

Life/unfolding experience simply is. I don't know why it shows up as it does. Thought content stands by ready to placate and explain away but if this is ignored, there is a warmth. Analogous to as you say how the separate person may equally be seen as illusory as taken to be distinct, thought waves may be not fought against and seen as amorphous as they roll in and seen as empty in the rear view mirror when passed, equally so as to invested in and given them credence.

This brings to mind Tony's analogy of this/me being a dream state governed by opposites equally balanced by positives. There is a zipped up whole inclusive Alive with no gaps to see through and thoughts that when believed hold the dream together. I'm rambling.

with thanks

[JonathanR]

Hi Ian

It’s ok to ramble. You seem to be rambling in a good direction in any case.

Life/unfolding experience simply is. I don't know why it shows up as it does.

Yes! Same here.

There’s an old Buddhist image of many clouds crossing an otherwise clear blue sky. Thoughts are likened to clouds and even stormy grey clouds can’t really affect the clear blue sky.


Love

Jon

[IainB]

Jon,

Best wishes this weekend.

I'm fatigued but keeping focused on the choicelessness of being this character, alongside this world (this can be quite potent, quite upsetting of the normal and conventional that is accented too). Also non-separation, always knowable when looked to, always there for the knowing.

even stormy grey clouds can’t really affect the clear blue sky.

okay

with love

[IainB]

Jon

it’s possible to speak and think in terms of a self. It’s possible not to notice that there isn’t one of these [...]
Equally it is possible to see that there never was a self, a separate entity that is “me”.

I love this quote of yours, the simplicity of it. It seems to hang on that 'Equally'.

I was musing this morning how the same may apply to seeking. Seeking may manifest and be indulged in, or simply not be attended to or bothered about and dissipate.

with love

[JonathanR]

Hi Ian

Sorry for taking a few days to reply.

I love this quote of yours, the simplicity of it. It seems to hang on that 'Equally'.

I was musing this morning how the same may apply to seeking. Seeking may manifest and be indulged in, or simply not be attended to or bothered about and dissipate.

Yes, absolutely! This is quite liberating. Either way there’s no self that indulges or has to be liberated. There’s flow. Flow like this, flow like that. Sometimes it’s flow that looks like a character seeking but it’s all water, mysterious and unobstructed.


Love

Jon

[JonathanR]

Hi Ian

How is it going?

I’m in France for a few days, where it was 40C yesterday!

Let me know how you are getting on?


Jon

[IainB]

Jon

Thinking of you in that heat. Being away for me can bring a focus to looking towards what I am and what is here.

it’s flow that looks like a character seeking but it’s all water, mysterious and unobstructed.

The character is equally here (when imagined) and seen as a magical flow.

I've settled upon the above, and If me is imagined, there is nothing to even look for to run with.

much love

[JonathanR]

Hi Ian

We are doing a runner back from 40C mid-France. It’s already cooler now we are at Chartres.

Yes, staying next to a river among many trees was very beautiful. Very peaceful.

I've settled upon the above, and If me is imagined, there is nothing to even look for to run with.

Well, at some point looking for becomes seeing. A mirage can be seen but can it have problems?

Much love

Jon

[IainB]

Dear Jon,

A mirage can be seen but can it have problems?

Any suggestion of problem is simply more mirage, part of the mirage.

I was also offered...

[Separation is] not richness at all. It's more like an old chewing gum, that is long time out of juice, and if that is not the juice, then where is it?

The chewing has continued automatically, by habit. The chewing can pause, its unnecessariness be seen, and the wider picture of completeness be rested in.

with love

[IainB]

Hi Jon,

How are you?

I'm greatful for your time, presence and support here. Ilona also. I'm doing her eight week Awakening Now small group course and in answering one of her questions, Looked and was pushed over the edge.

I'm Home, in as much as Seeing.

with love,

[JonathanR]

Hi Iain

I’m so delighted to hear that! That’s tremendous.

How does it feel / seem now? What is different?

It was great to see you the other day.

Love

Jon

[IainB]

Hi Jon,

Delightful to spend time in the sun with you likewise.

How does it feel / seem now? What is different?

There was briefly some fear, how thought known and believed had ruled the roost. It felt so exposing. With no control over what thought said there was an endless rabbit hole of side to side bouncing.

Later it felt as though stuck in small cage with face pressed up against thought, rather like a cartoon character prison victim and gremlin like thought. It was shocking there had been so much stuckness and so much victimhood going on.

But in general there is a warmth. It can be seen when Looked, and remembered, that what is here is an empty vessel. Absent of the character that might appear in thought / be referenced. Thought is attended to, but after each passes it can be Known tangibly and warmly. Periods of forgetfulness yes, but the door is open. That's the difference.

much love

[JonathanR]

Hi Ian

It’s great to hear you speak this way. There’s definitely a “no ground to stand on” quality to these breakthroughs , or at least, moments of that.

It’s good to hear you speak of warmth. And of “door is open”.

I wonder if you’ll find that other insights follow? It’s probably different for everyone but I can remember all sorts of habitual assumptions started to fall away. A belief in Time, Past and Future, for instance. The assumed separateness of “Others” too, “Objects” and so on.


With love

Jon

[IainB]

Hi Jon,

There's a gentle but firm not going to thought with whatever comment, suggestion or scenario it might be offering up. Or if found in thought, the default is to release to the openess that is absent of the addition of thought.

This brings focus and appreciation to that other than thought. The ever changing happening of sensation is appreciated and welcomed. In being there, there is no not allowing of it, or move to thought to provide some alternative fabrication.

Being as/with what is is undivided, whole, simple.

with thanks