The Gate

You're welcome :-)

You've been great to work with, I have particularly appreciated your dogged determination to keep at it in spite of the discomfort!

Let's see what the others think....


Perry

Hi Diane,

One of the guides would like you to expand a bit on the theme of 'responsibility' (from the 5th question).

It is a bit of an ambiguous word, with at least two strands of meaning:

• one sense is: "I am responsible for cleaning this mess up, even though I did not create it" - a duty has been allocated
• another sense is: "You are responsible for this mess, because you chose to make it!" - there is culpability and blame

The question is .... if there is no self, and therefore no separate agent exercising 'free will', then in what sense is there responsibility?

Best wishes,

Perry

Hi Perry

What are you responsible for?

It has been helpful to look more closely at direct experience and responsibility.

In direct experience there is no 'I', or 'me' who is responsible If a thought arose 'You are responsible', it would be a thought. If a thought arose 'its time to take the rubbish out'. The resulting willed action 'the rubbish being taken out' would just happen. There is no 'I' directing the action of 'taking rubbish out'. If after the rubbish has been collected and tins are left scattered around the path and a thought arose 'tidy up the rubbish'. That would be a responsible willed action without a 'me' being responsible.

Best wishes
Diane

Hi Diane,

Christiane tells me that you would like to continue looking into our friend 'the illusion of self'. I'm happy to do that with you here if you like.

All the best, Ratnapani

Hi Ratnapani

I have completed fetters 1-3 and wanting to start 3-4. Are we able to do that?

Many thanks for your help.

Best wishes
Diane

Hi Diane,

Right, let me readjust ! Sure we can look into 4/5. Let me send you an email
' Perry' will give me your address, he's just messaged me.
Small world eh?

Cheers, Ratnapani.