The Gate

And are any of these sensations separate from the experience of them?

Is there anything that 'perceives' these sensations?

No separation between sensations and the experience of sensation

There is a thought that there is a perceiver but the perceiver cannot be found.

Hi Samantha

Are you answering from looking / 'seeing', or from what you already learned?

Jon

Hi Jon,

Are you answering from looking / 'seeing', or from what you already learned?

That’s a really good question! It is from looking and it is from thinking and it’s from what has been learnt. To separate these out in percentages is unclear to me.

Thinking is quite active. Looking for a self in experience is also happening. Unlike a tree or bird, a self cannot be found in direct experience.

Really been looking into thought content to see clearly its emptiness. There has been a belief that thought content exists but am seeing more and more this is not the case. Also that a thinker cannot be found in looking.

I hope this is clear!

💗 Samantha

Hi Samantha

. There has been a belief that thought content exists but am seeing more and more this is not the case. Also that a thinker cannot be found in looking.

Who, or what, is 'seeing'?

Hi Jon,

Who, or what, is 'seeing'?

It’s not clear who or what is seeing. Life seemed to be chopped up and divided. Now it seems more like only one thing. Thoughts and apparent looking is just what is happening.

Samantha

Hi Samantha

. Life seemed to be chopped up and divided. Now it seems more like only one thing

Can you say more? What the difference is?

Thank you

Jon

Hi Jon,

Can you say more? What the difference is?

Yes. The difference is that experience, for most of my life, is there is a self and all this stuff happening. It’s like chopped up in separate things...a me, tree, bird, a road. Like there is volition and I can change what is Then there is just what is. No division. Just what’s happening. Even the seeming someone looking is just looking with a thought of someone looking. More like one movement/thing. No volition.

I have looked and looked for a separate self in DE. I can’t locate it.

Hi Samantha

. I have looked and looked for a separate self in DE. I can’t locate it.

Can you say confidently that you are not what you thought that you were and that the illusion of separate self, how it works, is seen?

Jon,

Can you say confidently that you are not what you thought that you were and that the illusion of separate self, how it works, is

No. I think the entanglement is tied to thinking or knowing thoughts.

(We just lost one of our dogs unexpectedly yesterday. I will write more later this weekend or beginning of the week.)

Samantha

Hi Sananths,

I'm so sorry to hear about loosing one of your dogs. They are so close to us.

Love

Jon

Hi Jon,

Just noticing identification with thought. Intellectually i get thought Is imaginary. A unicorn is not known in DE even though a thought or an image of a unicorn may be present. You can’t eat an image of an apple.


When I look at a sensation and a thought about it another thought comes in and indicates that’s me. When I look at sensation and a thought and don’t buy into the thought that says that’s me it’s just what’s happening. The latter feels better.

That’s it for now.

Samantha

Hi Samantha

. When I look at a sensation and a thought about it another thought comes in and indicates that’s me.

Very likely. Is something wrong about this? Mustn't it happen?

Is there a belief that this must be avoided?

. When I look at sensation and a thought and don’t buy into the thought that says that’s me it’s just what’s happening. The latter feels better.

Yes but "buying in" is part of what happens.. So why not relax about the purchase, which has already happened (and need not continue to happen from the very moment that its seen)?

Love

Jon

Even the 'buying into' happens or appears in a kind of space. See if its possible to notice a space or a peace which does not change.

Jon

The other possibility is that there is an expectation that something must happen? That there's waiting for something to 'change'.

Are you waiting for a change that basically gets rid of 'me' thoughts and leaves a more-or -less pleasant, thought-free experience thereafter?

Hi Jon,

Your questions are great ones!

(My statement; When I look at a sensation and a thought about it another thought comes in and indicates that’s me.)

Very likely. Is something wrong about this? Mustn't it happen?

Not really (that something is wrong about this). Funny, I guess i assumed it shouldn’t happen. Lol

Is there a belief that this must be avoided?

I think I thought it should be different. it relaxes just having the question, though.

The other possibility is that there is an expectation that something must happen? That there's waiting for something to 'change'.

Are you waiting for a change that basically gets rid of 'me' thoughts and leaves a more-or -less pleasant, thought-free experience thereafter?

Yep, exactly. Wow! Yes, that is has to be different than it is or I haven’t seen it clearly. AGAIN, great questions!

Even the 'buying into' happens or appears in a kind of space. See if its possible to notice a space or a peace which does not change.

Will get back with you on this. I looked a bit this morning for this space and peace. I noticed looking into sensations. I also noticed that when thoughts are not believed it seems a lot more peaceful. Not sure if that is what you mean.

💗samantha