Me: There is exclusive coupling of what I am calling ‘needs’ to a physical entity.
You: Right now, in immediate experience, where is the “physical entity” apart from sensation + image + thought-label?
Apart from all measures by which something is experienced (sensation, image, thought) it does not exist.
I see how this points toward the concept of non-existence of all things; beginning with our own body.
I feel I had a clearer understanding of this a week ago, yet it’s feeling foggy now. I’m not fully settled in my understanding. My counter to this is, “Well, of course if you remove all ways by which something is experienced, it obviously isn’t experienced and therefore doesn’t exist.”
I suppose I’m missing the deeper point of your question.
Am I to uncouple the sensations of experiencing a body from the body? And (for more reflection) what is doing this coupling and uncoupling?
Are we to uncouple the felt sensations of experiencing a sunrise from the sun? -- OK. I believe I just answered the body question :)
Of course the sensations are not the sun, nor owned by or belong to the sun, just as the sensations are not the body. They may be representative of what is currently perceived about the body compared to all other remembered or imagined states of it — just as the sunrise represents a momentary perception of the sun in relation to all other remembered or imagined states of it.
OK, I think I get it.
So now, without thought referring to “my body”, is there an owner of sensation anywhere? Or only sensation appearing?
Shot answer: No. There is only sensation appearing.
Long answer: I reflected on the meaning of “ownership”, and the concept of something “belonging” to us. A commonality among living things is the desire to protect and have some control over what we identify as belonging to us. A house, a hive, offspring, food, money, a body and the sensations and emotions that occur ‘within’ it. (I believe this is what you’re getting at with your first question – an relinquishing of sensations as belonging to the body). Even if these sensations or emotions are labeled ‘bad’ or ‘unwanted’, we still want to control them, to make them go away, or change their intensity, to transform them into some other sensation. It is all control. And the only way to control something is to hold on to it, while we attempt to shape it into something else. This points to a cause of much suffering. The desire to control and reshape what is “ours” into something it is not. (Or should I say, something 'we' are not). If sensation is not ours to hold on to, to control, then it is simply passing through, entering awareness and exiting awareness, perhaps remaining as long as it needs to inform us of why it’s there. Greater suffering arises when we don't allow it to pass because we have other plans for it.
Does the sensation itself claim ownership, or is that added afterward by thought?
No. The sensation does not claim ownership. It just is. The thought of ownership or belonging is added afterwards.
Me: …have you ever felt that this is exhausting?”
You: On a psychological level ‘exhausting’ is a story. . . One to be explored. So, what are you experiencing?
This observation was written during a very busy work week, after a very long day, after a couple of hours devoted to reflecting on these questions. I do very much enjoy the process, yet the sensations I experienced at that point were what I would label as “tired”, “fatigue”, (I did indeed develop a headache for a day and half during and after reflecting), a heaviness of the body and a lacking of energy to both move with vigor and to continue focused awareness on the questions.
Basically, I believe focused thinking, reflecting, is work. Due to the sensations that arose while involved in the process. Sensations I associated with and labeled exhaustion. I suppose there is the possibility of an effortless reflecting process in my future. I do tend to grip quite tightly to tasks that could be held gently and still accomplished.
Thank you, Becca.
