Looking for guidance

[islander]

Hi Paulo,

I’m afraid I don’t have much to write this evening. The questions have gone. The angst is gone. The looking and wanting is gone. It’s been a very quiet day. Ordinary but not usual. Dare I say, everything makes sense.

So ask me something. 8)

Cynthia

[Paulo]

How about I ask you seven somethings?

1) Is there a separate entity 'self', 'me' 'I', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever?

2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works. Describe it fully as you see it now.

3) How does it feel to see this? What is the difference from before you started this dialogue? Please report from the past few days.

4) How would you describe it to somebody who has never heard about this illusion but is curious about it.

5) What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look?

6) Do you decide, intend, choose, control events in Life? Do you make anything happen? Give examples from your experience.

7) Do you have anything to add?

----------------------------------------------------------------

Respond in your own time and your own way Cynthia, maybe one question a day, or all together of you feel so inspired.

Paulo :-)

[islander]

Dear Paulo,

Thanks for the questions....gives me something to write about. ;)

Is there a separate entity 'self', 'me' 'I', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever?

No. Self is a word, a concept that doesn’t actually point to anything. It’s a label for a concept, not a thing.

Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works. Describe it fully as you see it now.

It starts with a thought and remains as thoughts. The illusion only exists as a thought. It’s hard to conjure it up right now! A thought arises that takes a position of a “me”, then other thoughts follow using the same premise. And then they’re gone and there’s no illusion. And what I am never changed, never moved.

How does it feel to see this? What is the difference from before you started this dialogue? Please report from the past few days.

It feels calm, free of tension, more alert, interested in life but not grasping. It feels alive, bright, sensual. Before, even though I had realized there was no self at some level, I couldn't see the "I" being created by thought. It was as if the "I" was before thought. Now I see that what I am is truly before thought, but there is no separate self there. Now there is everything, the thoughts and everything else that arises. All of it. Just no one having an experience. I've become a verb and not a noun.

How would you describe it to somebody who has never heard about this illusion but is curious about it.

I don’t know if I would start describing this to anyone right now. It’s hard to describe the most ordinary view of reality. I would instead ask people to look again at what they think they “are”. Look and keep looking, turn over all your assumptions. Forget about concepts and mental processing, and look at your thoughts, look at what you think a self is. Just look. Find what is thinking. Pull back the curtain and find the wizard pulling the levers. Reality is already present. You can’t miss it if you REALLY look.

What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look?

Confronting the doubt. Since I couldn’t “analyze” the doubt with a mind I had to get up close to it. It felt like facing it in a tangible way, coming face to face with it and just standing there. When I finally had the courage to do that, it was immediately obvious what it was – it was an illusion! There was nothing there. It was as if something flipped and perception changed. I laughed a lot that day….

Do you decide, intend, choose, control events in Life? Do you make anything happen? Give examples from your experience.

No. I engage, play, respond, create, be in Life. I don’t “make” things happen, but I am in the flow of what’s happening. If anything, I have noticed in just the last few days that I can’t plan – planning requires buying into made up ideas about what’s going to happen in the future. I think this is just a newness, but I am curious how this works. Ideas about what to do, what I could do, just arise – I can’t control them and I can’t make them happen. If they’re not there, I can’t pretend. Seems like maybe there’s a new level of awareness that needs to be explored, a kind of intuitive sense that guides.

Do you have anything to add?

There really is a gateless gate. You can’t not know. In fact, it’s not even knowing anymore, it just is. Lovely to have one’s mind blown to smithereens…. 8)

with infinite gratitude,
Cynthia

[Paulo]

Thank you for your responses Cynthia, very nice indeed. I know how fond you are of questions (ha), so we’ll look a little deeper at some of your responses –

Looking at question 2 –

And what I am never changed, never moved.

And at question 3 –

Now I see that what I am is truly before thought, but there is no separate self there.

What is it that you are?

And, question 6 –

I don’t “make” things happen, but I am in the flow of what’s happening.

Is there an ‘I’ in the flow or just the flow?

Enjoy, Paulo :-)

[islander]

Hi Paulo,

I know how fond you are of questions

I am fond of the truth and your questions are excellent pointers. 8)

I've been away all day but will respond first thing in the morning.

Cynthia

[Paulo]

Thanks Cynthia, I always look forward to your responses, keep looking, deeper and deeper.

Paulo :-)

[islander]

What is it that you are?
Is there an ‘I’ in the flow or just the flow?

Thank you for pushing on this. Not a lot of sleep, but beautiful awareness. Then I received an email this morning from my son at college who wrote on his birthday: “having your love has turned me into someone with a universe of possibilities.”….to which I replied, “You are the universe of possibilities. Just look.” 8)

I am the universe of possibility. Infinite, boundless stillness. There is only the universe of possibility and I am that.

There is no “I”, and there is no flow actually. There is no thing happening.

fondly....cynthia

[Paulo]

Then I received an email this morning from my son at college who wrote on his birthday: “having your love has turned me into someone with a universe of possibilities.”….to which I replied, “You are the universe of possibilities. Just look.” 8)

Wow, goosebumps here ... that's definitely going in my quote collection!!! Such a nice thing for your son to say, you've got a good one there Cyntha, you must be very proud.

------------------------------------------------------------------

In this process so far you have walked over hot coals, swan through raging torrents, and climbed snow peaked mountains. The next step is for me to share this thread with our other guides to see if they have any further questions for you. This part of the process may take some time, but I will keep you informed as we progress.

Thank you so much for allowing me to guide you, I feel very fortunate to have shared this dialogue with you,

Love, Paulo.

[Paulo]

Hi Cynthia, one of our other guides has questions for you -

How do you experience the universe of possibility?

When you say 'I am everything', how do you experience this?

Paulo.

[islander]

How do you experience the universe of possibility?

When you say 'I am everything', how do you experience this?

Hmmm. It isn’t really an experience. It doesn’t start or end or come or go. There is just being. There’s no direction, no purpose, no movement, no next, empty but not missing anything. And yet anything seems possible – there is a capacity for every possibility. That’s everything. And that’s who "I am."

with love,
cynthia

[Paulo]

Thank you Cynyhia, there are no further questions for you from our guides, so our dialogue here is concluded.

You will be recieving a PM shortly from our admins giving you some details of what happens next.

Paulo.