The Gate

There seems to be peace in actual experience. Pure, rich aliveness.

Absolutely!

The "I" thought is constant, all the time. It can seem like a problem to which there is no solution.

What has that problem?

Today's mantra:
"I is a thought"

Does this need to be a mantra?
What else could it be?

So. Holding things lightly today.

What has that problem?

So it seems it is thought that has the problem. You are guiding me around this from each angle so there is no hiding that all "ME" is, is thinking.

It's only thinking about "ME" that a perceived problem arises. There a thinking about how this "ME" is feeling or are there good thoughts happening and is experience aligned with how an expectation of no stress or happiness.

All there is is what's happening now. Everything else is fiction.

There is a sense that this is far simpler than I am making it but your patience in guiding me to seeing is deeply appreciated.

Right now, reading this post there is a commentary about how it is unfolding, what else could be written to share the experience with you. There is the soundscape, temperature of the room, the breeze, the sensations both pleasant and unpleasant and there is the story of what is happening. Lying on a bed after yoga and shower about to go out for a meal with my wife, on holiday, mildly irritated at her non stop talking and idle chatter about nothing in particular lovely though she is, the three days we have left before going home, the restaurant to find tonight for eating xx all of this is a story and thought based. It's happening but it's only happening in thought so ..... It isn't happening to me, it can't be, it's all just thinking and thinking has no substantially and cannot be a seperate ME.

Sounds very good. Thanks for sharing!

So it seems it is thought that has the problem.

Can a thought have a problem?
Can "I" have a problem?
Can "me" be in trouble?

There is the soundscape, temperature of the room, the breeze......

Yes, there is a lot of happening.
All this happening is observed.
Can a separate self be observed within or without that happening?

There is a sense that this is far simpler than I am making it

It is actually amazingly simple!
Have a look behind those unending thoughts.
What can be found behind them.
Is there an actual entity producing them?
What can be found there.
Some actual "one" or actual "thing"? Or just more thoughts? Absolutely nothing. Absolutly no one.

It's been a few days. I was away travelling. A busy few days but looking kept happening.

Can a thought have a problem?
Can "I" have a problem?
Can "me" be in trouble?

A thought cannot have a problem. Another thought about a thought having a problem can arise but that is all it is. A thought about a thought having a problem.

It can seem like "I" have a problem but refer to the above, all it is, is a thought about a perceived "I" having a problem.

"Me" being in trouble is a story. It can seem like there is a "ME" that is in trouble but all it is, is a collection of thoughts.

As those words were written there was a sense of release in the body and it was like the meaning of that was felt deeply. All it is is a collection of thoughts.

Can a separate self be observed within or without that happening?

It can feel like there is a self there experiencing all of this at some level but it is seen that this is just collections of thoughts and stories about.

It is actually amazingly simple!
Have a look behind those unending thoughts.
What can be found behind them.
Is there an actual entity producing them?
What can be found there.
Some actual "one" or actual "thing"? Or just more thoughts? Absolutely nothing. Absolutely no one.

So what was found this morning was the undeniable aliveness that is always present. Take colour and the seeing of colour. Green is known as green immediately pre-thought and before the word green is applied.Same with any colour. There is a platform of aliveness which is always here. In a sense this is what I am if anything. The "I" that I thought I was is just that... a collection of thoughts and stories.


So there is still "ME-Ing" going on but it is being seen as just chatter.

How does this sound?

Much gratitude
Rob

"Me" being in trouble is a story

How does it feel to see all this?

the undeniable aliveness that is always present

Yes, beautifully put!

Green is known as green immediately pre-thought

Look just a little closer here:
Does the pure seen provide the information "green"?
Are "green" or "red" inherent in the raw seen?

Aren't "green" , "red" and so on also just labels?

If ALL terms, thoughts, words, labels would subside.
What can be SEEN?

Does the pure seen provide the information "green"?
Are "green" or "red" inherent in the raw seen?

Nope. Green is a concept, a label as you say, a name we use language for to describe a colour. This all happens after seeing. It's pasted on, labelled afterwards. In the immediate seeing there is different colours seen but without the labels. There's just this and all it's different forms, shapes etc. It just is. There is light, shade, movement, colour etc but none of it needs to be named. That comes afterwards.

If ALL terms, thoughts, words, labels would subside.
What can be SEEN?

Woh, this pointers going to be fun ! I'll come back. Initial reply would be, one-ness, this, me, by that I mean the same stuff as me, connection. But that all sounds a bit grand and woo woo but... if the ALL the terms, words, thoughts, labels all subside then there is just a magical playground of oneness, completeness.

I'll look more

"Me" being in trouble is a story
How does it feel to see all this?

It's going to take some getting used to. It's all been a story, that's all.
"I" wishes it would stop", more story :-) "I wish "I" would stop creating the story" .... more story there.

Yes, you already saw where the journey is going to ; )

"The seen", "The heard", "The tasted", "The smelled", "The sensed", "The cognised" are also just words.
Just labels.
Labels for what?

What remains here when even those labels are gone?

In your very own words!
Take your time to relax into it.

Thank you for being there.

A difference between
Seeing Vs Looking
Hearing Vs listening


It follows on from the "green" is a word, a label used by language to name green. It isn't green though. It is applied after that specific seen experience of green is seen. In sight different colours are seen instantly before labelling. All of the sightscape is there instantly, immediately.

There is an underlying immediacy to experience.

What remains here when even those labels are gone?

Just one big happening of which I am included in.

Sitting here, sensations in body are happening with sounds at the same time almost "to nobody". It's like subjectivity and objectivity blend or dissolve.

Im traveling for work. Had breakfast alone in a very busy cafe this morning. It allowed me to look into our latest pointers. There was sounds, movement, all happening like a big dance. It was like one big happening. Waitresses carrying big trays of 6 plates of food to tables, they were carrying them balanced one handed up high. Beautiful to watch their skill. They made it look easy. Watching the mind came in with wow that's impressive, what if they drop them etc. I realised, just thinking coming in and adding too. It was all just happening they were using gravity and balance and timing. Gravity, balance and timing are also just words to describe something that just is. Human body and mind is adaptive and shapes to whatever we do.

There's a growing sense of being simply part of something wonderful. You could almost say, creation. That sounds a bit strong, but there just a wowness to the seeing of it.

It hasn't lasted and back at hotel room

What is called for is to LOOK into immediate experience.


I had a question about the pointer

"The seen", "The heard", "The tasted", "The smelled", "The sensed", "The cognised" are also just words.
Just labels.
Labels for what?

When you say " Labels for what" are you asking "what" is the object that is using the labels, or doing the labeling?

Thank you so much Matthew

Labels for "what" just meant: What is being labelled with the terms "seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, sensation and thought"?
You saw that accurately.

Just one big happening of which I am included in.

It is experience as one whole.

Is there any unclarity left concerning the innocent error of a separate self?
It does not seem so.

It hasn't lasted

Are you sure? ;-)
Have a look!
Was it ever any different?
Could it ever be any different?

It hasn't lasted
Are you sure? ;-)
Have a look!
Was it ever any different?
Could it ever be any different?

It just takes looking again. It did feel like I'd seen through a big hole in the fabric of how I see the world. This then seemed to close up and back to living in story about. But your pointer helped me stop and go back over the looking and there it all is again. It has always been here.

Was it ever any different?
Could it ever be any different?

It's always been here, right here, all the time. Just needed to stop and look.

Is there any unclarity left concerning the innocent error of a separate self?

Recurring thoughts about mood and well, happiness I guess. Earlier today mood was bouyant and high. Currently its flat.

To do with some things going on in life.
I guess this is all playing out in this one expansive happening and not to be bothered about?
Maybe a mild expectation to feel that great all the time.

Any pointer or words?

Such gratitude. Thank you

Just sitting here looking out of hotel window onto street below. Interesting to see how the mind can "objectify" what is seen. It is this objectification that causes the sense of seperateness and individuality. Or at least it's the way of seeing that accompanies this sense of seperateness. This is the labelling right?

Upon dropping into direct experience this seeing with objectivity falls away and there is the seeing of all as one.

There is yoyo-ing going on today. In and out of ways of seeing. Not sure if that makes sense?

As you said previously. Relax. Easy. Burning down.

Thank you

Exactly. There is not a lot to add here.

There is yoyo-ing going on today.

This is a well known appearance after seeing clearly for the first time.
Enjoy even this, it'll soon be over.

Maybe a mild expectation to feel that great all the time.

Could it be that this is also just a story arising in this?

A story about a someone, who is hoping for "it" to stay that way?

Have a look! ;-)

It is this objectification that causes the sense of seperateness and individuality.

Sort of. Thought enriches experience with immeasurable richness.
It gives names to raw experience and tells a story about them.
Although this richness does not exist outside of a thought story, it is quite entertaining, isn't it?

Apparent separeteness is caused by those thoughts, which give a sense of "Here is a separate observer looking at a separate world out there".
Also this notion only exists in thought.

Have a look:

Does pure seeing tell anything about "here and there"?
Does pure seeing tell anything about "me" or "not me"?

Back home now and pleased to get a bit of space for some looking.

Does pure seeing tell anything about "here and there"?
Does pure seeing tell anything about "me" or "not me"?

Upon looking just now here's what arose to these questions.
Pure seeing does not involve here and there, me or not me. When these concepts are activated, pure seeing is lost.

Have been looking at the "me" story unfolding today. There's still this residing in the story habit, happening. When in the story pure seeing is lost.

When connecting with actual immediate experience combining body sensations, sounds, smells etc it's possible to, well, just be a part of it all.

So a flop flopping between seeing and not seeing. Wondering how I can shift to seeing all the time. This wondering how to shift to seeing all the time must be thought or a story and the very thing I need to look at. I guess?

When these concepts are activated, pure seeing is lost.

Is that true?
What do these concepts consist of?

When in the story pure seeing is lost.

Is that true?
What is either within or without the story?

Wondering how I can shift to seeing all the time.

Exactly. That's just another story.
What does not see clearly?