But you can be AWARE of many different perceptions in a non-conceptual way at each moment. This means you can put your conceptual efforts into writing while at the same time you are aware of your physical sensations. You don't think about these sensations, you are simply aware of them.
Either I'm missing something trivial or perhaps there's something wrong with how I'm built, but I can't think of one example where I'm aware of more than one thing at a time. I'm sure multiple things might get registered unconsciously, but "my" surface awareness (for lack of a better term) is limited to the thing being focusing on at a given moment. For all practical purposes, other things don't exist until attention is drawn to them. Isn't this the basis of what entertainment magicians do - draw attention to something so that another thing will disappear from awareness?
The real luck or maybe we should call it grace, is that you question this concept/belief in the first place.
I'll step down a bit as the character wants to have his say... :-)
There a huge difference between luck and grace in the way I perceive it. Grace implies benevolence, compassion, generosity. Luck implies none of that: One gets liberated because that's how their dice rolled while another rots in suffering because theirs rolled differently. From this perspective this game seems like a cruel hoax. Also, it's only good luck to question beliefs if it ends with liberation from them, otherwise total ignorance is much more rewarding, but then again, the dice will decide that, won't they?
...end of rant
Actually, for many years I've identified with this angry and sarcastic view but luckily (haha...) have outgrown it - well, for the most part, when it does pop up I let it have it's little rant, say thank you for sharing and move on... The way I see it now, this argument is valid only for someone who gives much importance to the object they believe themselves to be. Though I'm not free from this belief yet, it appears it's hold is lessening a bit.
Yes... the ego wants to win in the lottery. The price is death! Do you think the ego really wants to win?
Unlike Buddha, as long as it doesn't cause suffering to people I care about (e.g leaving for a very long time, becoming mentally or physically incapacitated etc.) I'm ready to do whatever it takes to see truth and don't care what the ego wants or doesn't want. Of course, unlike missions in duality in which I don't stop until I reach the goal, the situation here is that I don't see the goal and that any attempt to reach it or "do" anything just takes it further away, so mostly I feel like I'm fumbling in the dark.
So, please show me this "anyone that believes they are a being that experiences anything". Where is it?
Look for it right now and don't just think "Yes, I know its just a thought. I know but it doesn't help so why look again?"
I'm really at a loss here - how can I show a process? I can't show this "me" that's writing these words since as you said, it's only a bunch of conditioned beliefs, some conceptual structures - there's no way to show it, but that doesn't mean these beliefs and structures don't exist or have any effects. Indeed they are what make up the character required to generate these words. Now, is this character what I am? My intellect and intuition points otherwise, but I'd be lying if I'd say this is known beyond a shadow of a doubt.
You are already lucky - you are upgraded to the max.
Upgraded to the max in my book is for example someone with the ability that you mentioned to remain continuously lucid in the waking state, in the dream state and in the transition between them. I have a higher probability to break the world record in running a marathon than ever achieving this (and I'm not even a runner...)
Ok... so who or what is this "I" that knows?
If you would have to describe it right now, in this moment, what is this I that is not the character?
Try to put it into words and don't worry about the knowledge that states "words will never grasp it" - try describing it anyway.
I can try and describe it, with the caveat that this could just be my imagination or wishful thinking, but here goes:
In clearer moments, there's this understanding that what I usually take to be me is not really that important. This is not a feeling of self criticism but rather a realisation that it doesn't really matter what happens to this character as nothing can harm the entirety which is all there is and which is the only thing that can ever be, and thus the source of any I. In these moments fear of death or worry of the future loses much of it's power.
Other times, it's in noticing thoughts about thoughts - not thinking thoughts about thoughts but actually seeing these thoughts as just more perceivable happenings, just like objects, sensations etc. Then there's the realization of all of these and everything else imaginable, conceptual or not being able to be perceived while there is no real perceiver anywhere.
Lest it would appear that I'm far wiser than I really am, the above are only tiny and rare flickers of understanding in an otherwise dark landscape where I'm usually to be found, so I'm really not holding my breath until everything will start falling into place...
