Hopefully I can catch you before you go to the void we called sleep :)
Yes... I can see this. This morning I woke up and my mind was super quiet. I couldn't find a self all morning, but there were a few hiccups of thoughts trigger certain sensations and a regular discomfort I feel in the morning - i call these morning arisings - lol. These morning arisings trigger further resistance, a sort of 'it shouldn't feel like this' which leads to doubt and thoughts that there still is a 'self'. I kept looking and just simply looking and all there is just experience, albeit in the morning there is a lot of discomfort. I keep doing the loop:Yes. There will be flow of the things always. Even after the real seeing, or real insight into things can be some thoughts and feelings shadowing realization. So, it is kind of process. And it is good to know and to have some experiential assuredness that what is real is and will unfold, but that whole the organism needs to adjust. And to recognise that thoughts are always just that – thoughts and that they don't need to be believed in. And that changes whole the mechanism of thoughts triggering sensations and repeating the same experiencing.
- simple seeing, and perhaps basic labelling (seeing, hearing, sensing, perception, I am presence, thoughts), which is just experience
- and always checking if there is anyone doing the experience or experiencing the experience.
this simple loops seems to dismantle any resistance or seeking or self-hood and i'm able to relax more fully into it.
I get what you mean by the organism adjusting, there does seem to be a process. sort of an opening of clear seeing and flowing, and of a few bumps, which are also seen as just part of the flow, and then return to the flow, then some doubts and thoughts and a sel... wait no... just more experiece. I will keep at this simple circular process. thoughts, especially the ones that come in the morning following discomfort and doubt are also seen as that, just a thought, another experience. this helps tremendously.
In response to the first question there is a sense of no-shape and no-borderness. It doesn't necessarily feel infinite, but it just feels ike the question fades away, but with it also arise certain bubbles and blots of more 'solid material', which also, because of me not paying any real attention or reaction to it, just fade away in to nothing. It doesn't seem to have any border, but there is the seeming that it arises from somewhere in the body. this is seen as just a thought as well and there is resting in this 'awareness' which is like a sea of changing forms. it's hard to separate awareness from the forms (lol - form is emptiness, emptiness is form), but sometimes it is crystal clear (almost) and other times a mix of this and that, but when not labelled and just left there is just a silent sea... so more experience flowing and fluctuating.Thoughts and beliefs certainly create our experience. But what is also available always and already here right now is the awareness. Through which is possible whole the creation of the mind and thoughts. That same consciousness or awareness that is looking right now through your eyes. And that is also here when you close eyes.
Does it have shape or form? Borders?
Personal identity before the thoughts come in?
The 'seeming it's coming from the body' is a persistant arising... that keeps popping up almost nagging for a thought to claim it... but when I just let it be with no labelling (which I will practice right now for 2 minutes), then it seems to flow more. I ask where is the beginning of this discomfort in the body and where does it end the answer is 'Right Now', and then it feels I am holding on to this part of experience, clinging to it, because there is a deep dissatisfaction with this type of experience (sensation, discomfort, whatever), but it is also realized that holding on to it is what is keeping it seemingly so solid, real and uncomfortable. then i question 'who is holding in to what?' and the answer seems to cancel itself out, bringing a deeper relaxing and calmness. this stomach knot that i've been rambling about has been present for ages, and I guess there is this story about it, and under the story a discomfort and a clinging. I will work with this more deeply as it seems to be a persistent group of arisings with a lot of reactivity.
In response to the second question, the question seems to confuse me a little, but the simple answer is there is no personal identity or even question about a personal identity before the thought comes in. It's only after the thought comes in that there is a sense of it, and this is usually the "I am presence" with some other body-based sensations which are further seen through rather quickly. I guess the organisms natural brain-wired response is to keep this 'self assertion' and whatever habits its picked up constantly going... it seems like I lapse in and out of a dream - it's a very subtle sense of this lapsing... but it's kind of funny and wierd.
Yes I understand. I have been feeling this initial shift occuring, but I guess there is still an expectation that the initial permenant realization will be something that will become a center where I can operate from, and maybe that needs to be also dropped, because like you say, and i'm starting to see... is there really a center?! Seems like there isn't, but there is a natural tendency to find one and stay there.Sure. Why I told you in the beginning that your expectations are a bit beyond scope of this forum is because for the most people I have seen here it was more like the beginning of the awakening. There was a shift in perception regarding background belief in some solid center of life, but with still whole way to go to unfold real freedom.
I understand that patterns and emotions and such will still arise due to whatever karmic-momentum or whatever, but I feel the permanent realization should destroy the impulse to seek and change and become... perhaps that is also just another thought to be dropped and seen through? I know that one thing that I keep reading is, including my horoscope yesterday (Free Will Astrology - Virgo), is drop all expectations!! I guess I can't wait till the seeker drops so I can actually finally start to dive in and fall in deeper and deeper.
Yes... this simple return to Now and looking, and questioning of is there a looker/doer is my simple constant practice that seems to be canceling itself out. And yes... I miss that radiant wakefulness, but I'm willing to drop that expectation too and stay dedicated to the process, to simplicity.That’s ok. Moods change. But once you see transience of all experiences and more and more often always come back to simple here and now, to questioning reality of thoughts that color experience, letting all the feelings unfold, wakefulness becomes more natural and more radiant as you also talked about.
Thanks for the articles, I read and contemplate them as I go.
I will keep giving whatever arises space, and looking at it simply. Can you explain further what you mean by contemplation in a bigger context in nature/social interacitons? Do you mean looking at the doubt/hesitation while around nature/people?Maybe just being with it, meeting it with this awareness make it dissolves back. Magic of awareness.
It might be also good to look at all this and to contemplate in a bigger context in nature and in social interactions. If and when you feel so.
I'll read on this. Do you mean keep looking till there IS clarity? or am I not understanding this?It is kind of spiritual autolysis (interactive one :) if you have read Jed McKenna.
Keep looking and writing till there isn’t satisfying clarity.
Yes... I am anxious to just fall without needing a center :P but that idea also produces a sense of terror, excited terror!!What we are will never be possible to find, or find out. And this is about seeing what we are not although it is consciously or unconsciously believed in.
Much Love.

