Hi Kent,
But someone had to attend to the dealings (dealing with the attorneys, making decisions) didn't they? I guess one could say this human attended to these issues but not this fictional character labeled Kent. I am trying to get "there" (for a lack of better term).
Yes, but isn't that just part of the story of Kent. In pure awareness is there a Kent ? or a self ? The past is dead, when looked at it is purely subjective. That's why when a policeman questions witnesses's at the scene of a crime, even if they all saw the same thing it will be different. One man will say he had a blue wool hat and another women will say he had a soft red hat, he was 6 foot tall. Etc. The minute something happens it dies and is continually reborn to NOW. The future is just a projection or speculation based on what has already happened. Not real is it? Exercise: Try to remember someone's face you haven't seen in awhile. How clear can it get to in your mind?
Because my definition of a friend is someone who at least listens to you, does not say one thing and then do another and totally backstabs you, then tell you "it happened in a void". Of course the you I refer to is that troublesome "I" we have been working to see through so there is conflict within me about this.
The friends that are spoken of, don't have a self either. They are not doers, they don't make decisions do they? They act on conditioned response , biological instinct. Awareness is just life living itself isn't it? Events seemingly flow and awareness is there. Life just keeps on living itself through all things.
Just a question for exploration, looking around is there an awareness of anything mirrored of thoughts in the surroundings? If it is true that there is only awareness, a playing out of energy what is logically occurring? No need to answer that one, it is just for contemplation.
In other words, there was conditioning and a story happening in awareness through their persons and in their conditioning they decided to go a certain way in this play but it was the only way they could go (given their conditioning) so the deciding really never took place with them.
There was no " I " to decide, think about the video for a sec. The decision was already made before the man was even aware of it. It took so many seconds for the man to even know a decision had been made. Who or what made it ? Yes, just stories happening that our minds make up on past experiences and memory and events in the now, but it is all a story.
One example I find interesting. Of how the mind works. a man walking in the woods was bitten by a poison snake, he thought it was just a twig because he didn't see the snake, so he didn't have much pain, then he collapsed. He made it to the hospital and survived. He was walking in the woods with friends again and a twig brushed the same spot, he was suddenly thrown down with horrible pain in that leg. But nothing had really happened. Similar to phantom leg pain. Pure conditioning and it is made stronger by trauma, fear of some kind, or strong emotions.
So the million dollar question, is there a self? Okay, sorry, no million dollars, but..... Love, Metta
