Mumon-kan

[Artst]

Hi, arcturus,

That phenomenon just happens, and there is no "I".

Interesting, right? It starts to reveal something...

However, when I look at my own body, I still feel "this is MY body".

By "feel," do you mean have the thought or is there some physical feeling you are describing? It would be helpful for this dialogue for you to use the word "think" when it's a thought and "feel" when it's a body sensation or an emotion, ok?

Assuming you mean literally looking at your body, is there someone looking at "your" body or is there just the seeing happening?

I look forward to your answer.

Sending love,

Robyn

[arcturus]

Dear robyn

By "feel," do you mean have the thought or is there some physical feeling you are describing?

I thought "This is my body".

Because only I can receive information from the senses that this body feels.

Assuming you mean literally looking at your body, is there someone looking at "your" body or is there just the seeing happening?

There is just the seeing happening.

Regards,
Arcturus

[Artst]

Dear Arcturus,

I thought "This is my body".

Great. So, it was a thought.Thoughts exist.
In "I thought," is there an I thinking or is there just the thought?
In the thought, "This is my body," does "my" refer to anything other than a thought?

Because only I can receive information from the senses that this body feels.

Is there really an I that receives information or are there simply sensations happening?

You're doing great, Arcturus. Keep looking -- leave out the reasoning. The point here is to stick to direct experience. When there is a thought "Because...," you're reporting a thought,not looking directly.

Sending love,

Robyn

[arcturus]

Dear Robyn

In "I thought," is there an I thinking or is there just the thought?

There is just the thought.
Sometimes, that thought happens, then it disappears.

In the thought, "This is my body," does "my" refer to anything other than a thought?

"MY" is a just thought.

However this thought points to a strong attachment to this body. When I say "MY", I feel a strong attachment.

Is there really an I that receives information or are there simply sensations happening?

Ah…There are simply sensations happening.

I have a strong attachment to that sensations, and it seems to me that I call this attachment "I" or "MY".

The point here is to stick to direct experience.
When there is a thought "Because...," you're reporting a thought,not looking directly.

OK. I understood that point.

Regards,
Arcturus

[Artst]

Dear Arcturus,

There is just the thought.

Beautiful!

"MY" is a just thought.

Nice.

However this thought points to a strong attachment to this body.

Do thoughts point? Are all thoughts true, to be believed?
Is there some entity that is attached to this other thing called this body?

When I say "MY", I feel a strong attachment.

Ok, you have already seen that "my" is simply a thought. Is there a feeling in your body or an emotion that arises when you say "my" or "my body?"

One other thing - do you have the expectation that when you see through the illusion of I, you will feel different? Arcturus, even with the realization that I doesn't exist, it may still seem the same; all that may be different is that you will know that I is an illusion. As with Santa Claus -- you will still see someone dressed up to be Santa, but will know that there is no real Santa Claus.

You're doing great, Arcturus. You are examining long and strongly-held beliefs.

Sending love,

Robyn

[arcturus]

Dear Robyn

Do thoughts point?
Are all thoughts true, to be believed?

No. When I looked deeply, the words "I" and "MY" are not related to that attachment.

Is there some entity that is attached to this other thing called this body?

Attachment seems to exist by itself.

Is there a feeling in your body or an emotion that arises when you say "my" or "my body?"

When I say "MY" or "MY body", there is a feeling like an adhesive bond that connecting my body, and five senses, and feelings, and thinking.

One other thing - do you have the expectation that when you see through the illusion of I, you will feel different?

No. I don't have that expectation.

You're doing great, Arcturus. You are examining long and strongly-held beliefs.

I appreciate your encouragement.


Regards,
Arcturus

[Artst]

Hi, Arcturus,

When I say "MY" or "MY body", there is a feeling like an adhesive bond that connecting my body, and five senses, and feelings, and thinking.

Where is this feeling specifically?
Are you saying that this feeling is I? Or that the body with senses, feelings and thoughts are I?

Here's an exercise for you to try: Sit quietly and simply lift and lower your arm repeatedly, at least 25 times. As the arm lifts, focus on whether or not "you" are moving your arm or exactly what is happening. See if there's an I moving the arm. Particularly pay attention to the temporality of the thought to lift the arm and the arm lifting.

Sending love,

Robyn

[arcturus]

Dear Robyn

Where is this feeling specifically?

Sometimes I felt in the abdomen, sometimes whole body, sometimes in the space around the body.

Are you saying that this feeling is I? Or that the body with senses, feelings and thoughts are I?

None of them are "I". They will happen and disappear.

As the arm lifts, focus on whether or not "you" are moving your arm or exactly what is happening.

It is just happening to lift an arm. It seems that there is a will on the arm itself.

See if there's an I moving the arm.

There is not an "I" moving the arm.

Particularly pay attention to the temporality of the thought to lift the arm and the arm lifting.

There is not the thought to lift the arm.


Regards,
Arcturus

[Artst]

Dear Arcturus,

Great job!

So -- can you say with a great big fat yes that there is no I?

Love,

Robyn

[arcturus]

Dear Robyn

So -- can you say with a great big fat yes that there is no I?

umm…That's exactly the point.

At the beginning of dialogue with you, I wrote that "Maybe there is I" but now I write that "Maybe there is not I".

Changes are indeed occurring.

However, "Maybe" do not go somewhere.


Regards,
Arcturus

[arcturus]

"there is I"/"there is not I"…Both of these are just thoughts.

When I realized this, I laughed a little.

The change is continuing.

[Artst]

Beautiful, Arcturus!

"there is I"/"there is not I"…Both of these are just thoughts.

When I realized this, I laughed a little.

Is there any doubt left for you that there is no I?

That there is no I running things?

We can keep looking until you're solid.

With love,

Robyn

[arcturus]

Dear Robyn

Is there any doubt left for you that there is no I?

"I" and "MY" are just labels.

However, sometimes I will paste that label on thinking, emotion, body with sensation, and looking.

When I look it deeply, it peels off.

That there is no I running things?

There are no decision makers about minor actions in daily life.--I realized that.

However, I am not sure about important decisions.

My current state is like a child who suspects that Santa Claus's identity is his father, yet he still suspects that there is a real Santa Claus somewhere.

Or it's like that I can not take my hand off the steering wheel even though I am riding in an automated driving car.

We can keep looking until you're solid.

I hope so.


Regard,
Arcturus

[Artst]

Dear Arcturus,

I appreciate your candor.

My current state is like a child who suspects that Santa Claus's identity is his father, yet he still suspects that there is a real Santa Claus somewhere.

This made me smile, Arcturus.

"I" thoughts and thoughts of doubt can happen and continue to happen even after seeing there is no I. This is ok and perfectly natural and normal. As you have been doing, all there is to do is to look at direct experience.

However, sometimes I will paste that label on thinking, emotion, body with sensation, and looking.

Is there really an I doing this?

However, I am not sure about important decisions.

Ok. Look into this. Is there a difference between little choices and big ones in terms of what is causing them? Or more fundamentally -- what is "I am not sure about important decisions?"

Enjoy!

Sending love,

Robyn

[arcturus]

Dear Robyn

However, sometimes I will paste that label on thinking, emotion, body with sensation, and looking.

Is there really an I doing this?

No, the label itself will occur and disappear.

Ok. Look into this. Is there a difference between little choices and big ones in terms of what is causing them?

Thought is doing choices (sometimes emotion do). There may be a label of "I" attached to that thought or emotion, but it is just label.

Today, I had to decide an important thing on business.
And I looked that the thought deciding by own logic without "I".

Or more fundamentally -- what is "I am not sure about important decisions?"

There is not "I" who do not understand or understand something. Understanding is a business of thought, and sometime labels of "I" is pasted there.


Regards,
Arcturus