The Gate

What exactly gives that object it's 'chairness'?

Just a thought.

When exactly did the components become 'chair'

The components never actually become a chair. Chair is just a generally accepted label for the definition/function of what it does.

What makes them all 'chairs'?

The belief/idea of the label.

When with a group of people in conversation, what makes them all 'I'?
Tell me what comes up.

Everyones reference to an "I/me" is just their mind referencing a particular component/sensation happening to their body/mind.

Thanks
Kerry

Hi Kerry
Do you see that there is an analogy between the labels "chair" and "I/me"?
xx

Hi Sioned,

Yes. They are just beliefs. A thought.

Kerry

Fabulous! More in the morning xx

:)

Good Morning Kerry,
Lie on your back and relax. Have a look at the ceiling.
There is thought to be a distance between that what is thought to be known as ‘body’ and that what is labelled ‘ceiling’.

Close your eyes. Now focus on the space between body and ceiling.
Take your time, breathe in and out and simply look. Keep the eyes shut.
What do you notice?
Is there a body? Is there a ceiling? Is there a distance?

xx

Hi Sioned,

Close your eyes. Now focus on the space between body and ceiling.
Take your time, breathe in and out and simply look. Keep the eyes shut.
What do you notice?

Since i can feel my body, I have to use my imagination to be the space between both.

Is there a body? Is there a ceiling? Is there a distance?

My direct experience I feel my body and breathing, but there is no ceiling and distance. There is just infinite space as far as I can sense. The ceiling and distance has to come from imagination. If i sit in the space between using imagination, there is no body, ceiling or distance unless I imagine them.

Kerry

Hi
Can you repeat this one, this time just noticing what you find if you put imagination to one side? Explore using direct experience only
xxx

Ok.

When my eyes are open, I sense my body and see the ceiling. The distance between the seeing and the ceiling is thought to be distance in the sense that in order to touch it, the body would have to move.

Close your eyes. Now focus on the space between body and ceiling.
What do you notice?
Is there a body? Is there a ceiling? Is there a distance?

I just notice various sensations. No body, ceiling or distance.

Great, Kerry. Perfect!
I'm not well, so may not manage to post much more for a day or two
Xxx

No worries Sioned. I hope you feel better soon and thanks for all your guidance.

Hi Kerry
I'm a bit better this morning, so...
For this exercise you will need to sit yourself near a clock that has an audible second hand.
Allow your eyes to close gently.
Listen to the sound. “Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock”
Focus on the tick tock. Attune to the sound itself. IGNORE any explanatory thoughts about what must be creating the sound.
Try to find the clock.
1. Going just by the tick tock sound, do you find a clock present?
2. Is there any direct/actual experience of a clock in the sound?
3. Does the sound come self-labelled as originating from the clock?
4. Do you find a clock hidden in the sound?
5. Do you find a clock beyond the sound?
6. In your direct/actual experience of the sound, do you find any evidence that the sound is caused by a clock?
Allow your eyes to open.
Were you able to establish that in your direct/actual experience of the tick tock sound, that there was a clock?
Were you able to find a division between hearing and sound?
Were you able to establish where hearing ended and sound begin, or was there just pure experience labelled as sound?
For a sound to be ‘known’ then there must be a ‘knowing’ (experience) of sound! Can a dividing line be found between the ‘knowing’ (experience) of the sound and the sound (known) itself? Or is there only ‘knowingknown’?

xx

Hi Sioned,

1. Going just by the tick tock sound, do you find a clock present?

no

2. Is there any direct/actual experience of a clock in the sound?

no

3. Does the sound come self-labelled as originating from the clock?

yes if i think about it and no from just actual experience.

4. Do you find a clock hidden in the sound?

no

5. Do you find a clock beyond the sound?

no

6. In your direct/actual experience of the sound, do you find any evidence that the sound is caused by a clock?

no

Were you able to establish that in your direct/actual experience of the tick tock sound, that there was a clock?

no i could not

Were you able to find a division between hearing and sound?

no i could not

Were you able to establish where hearing ended and sound begin, or was there just pure experience labelled as sound?

there is just the pure experience of sound. no gaps.

For a sound to be ‘known’ then there must be a ‘knowing’ (experience) of sound! Can a dividing line be found between the ‘knowing’ (experience) of the sound and the sound (known) itself? Or is there only ‘knowingknown’?

I like this question. There is no dividing line. There is just the knowing known. the the knowing and sound are one.

I will be traveling for the next day, so my reply might be a little delayed.

Many Thanks
Kerry

Hi Kerry
Really lovely replies: great!
Ok, let’s continue with the clock and try to find a sound...if sound is actually heard.

Again focus on the experience of the tick tock sound. Set aside all thought, images, ideas or theories about what must be going on. Attune to the sounds themselves.
Going by hearing alone, do you directly experience a sound apart from your sense of hearing?
Do you experience a sound getting closer to your range of hearing before you actually hear it?
Do you experience a sound after you hear it?
Do you experience an unheard sound of any kind?
Allow your eyes to open.
Were you able to establish, in your direct experience of hearing, that sounds enter your sense of hearing. In other words, in direct/actual experience is there a hearer AND sound?

xx

Going by hearing alone, do you directly experience a sound apart from your sense of hearing?

There is just the hearing

Do you experience a sound getting closer to your range of hearing before you actually hear it?

The sound is just heard when it’s heard.

Do you experience a sound after you hear it?

No

Do you experience an unheard sound of any kind?

Just silence if that counts as unheard.

Were you able to establish, in your direct experience of hearing, that sounds enter your sense of hearing. In other words, in direct/actual experience is there a hearer AND sound?

There is just the hearer. There is no sound coming and going.
Thanks Sioned