tittytola

[Nemo]

This one is for you.

[tittytola]

Hi Nemo,

Last time I said I'm looking to see what's beyond me...me this physical person that I know. It's difficult to write stuff down cos I feel connected to lots of insights and yet I don't know how or why I have this connection, and it's confusing me. Maybe it's not necessary to know, perhaps I needn't even bark up that tree just continue to allow my intuition to sort out the truth. Actually, I think what want to do is to be able to sustain these insights and create a path with them. One which will enable me to be really confident in giving over control to them and to intuition.

I would appreciate your thoughts please, thanks.

[Nemo]

Hey there, apologies for the delay in response, we're having crazy weather out here and the electricity has been down.

Insights are glimpses into truth, right? And so the urge is there to sustain these insights. But the truth is the truth regardless, it doesn't need anything from you to sustain it. The truth is the truth. Once you have seen it, it can never be unseen. However, holding on to something that happened in the past will only blind you to the present. It's important to approach the now with a clean slate, be open to all possibilities, always. Be open to the possibility that you could be wrong, about everything. It keeps you honest, keeps things real.

What is self to you? When you say "I" what are you referring to?

[tittytola]

I'm referring to responses i have through thought and feeling when i get new information. Sometime 'I' is also when i just know what actions/decisions i need to make - what i define as intuition - guides me. I take your point that the past is just the past and that those experiences are not necessarily important in the present, on the other hand in my thoughts i hold those experiences as evidence to myself that when i allow my intuition to guide me the result is beneficial. Whereas when i ignore and allow my interlect to rule over intuition, its a mess ! I've always thought of truth as being something you know instinctively, even when you don't like it cos it's not what you want to see or hear, and you can't hide from it because as you said Nemo, once it's seen it can't be unseen.
I find the idea of possibly being wrong about 'everything' challenging, because in my life i've most often responded to intuition and looking back i wouldn't change those responses even though some were not the easiest to go along with for one reason or another. So what is self to me ? Mm, it's the mind and body that thinks and breathes and gets on with the 'dallies' and it's something else too. An intuitive, spiritual,creative source that is with me,but not in any tangible sense, and yet it seems to fulfill itself through me. I'm really fine with all that because it's been that way for as long as i can remember. My question here is, is it possible for this 'intangible self' to become more dominant to allow me to use its energies more usefully ?

[Nemo]

I'm referring to responses i have through thought and feeling when i get new information. Sometime 'I' is also when i just know what actions/decisions i need to make - what i define as intuition - guides me.

Can you define "I" without using "I" in the definition?

I find the idea of possibly being wrong about 'everything' challenging, because in my life i've most often responded to intuition and looking back i wouldn't change those responses even though some were not the easiest to go along with for one reason or another.

The point of this is to challenge beliefs. I'm not speaking about being wrong about past decisions, only about beliefs in the now - and only about open to the possibility that they are wrong. Nothing can ever be known 100% for certain. And as soon as you are absolutely sure you know something, you become rigid, stagnant, closed off to all other possibilities. This serves as a reminder to stay innocent, humble, honest and open.

For example. Are you open to the possibility that there is no you? Have you ever questioned this lifelong assumption?

[tittytola]

Can you define 'I' without using 'I' in the definition ? Okay It's possible to say self, but isn't that really the same thing?

I'm open to the possibility, but how can that be - 'no you' ?




.

[Nemo]

Well, sure you could say self, but that's a synonym, not a description. It's a bit like trying to explain what "rock" means using the word rock in the explanation, or saying it's a stone... it doesn't really say what a rock is.

No-you sounds pretty crazy huh? It's actually, traditionally speaking, the Buddha's realisation of "Anatta". In fact all the enlightened masters, old and modern, speak of it. I can go into a lengthy explanation here but I recommend that you check out some of the conversations around this forum perhaps, read some of the blogs and things on our blogroll at http://liberationunleashed.com/
Then, try actually looking for a self, and seeing what comes up. I'll be here when you are ready to work!