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[garybeale]

I've read one of adyashanti's books. Just out of interest, why him?

My Facebook account won't let me in, so I'm in the process of setting another one up. I guess you'll know if I'm successful.

[garybeale]

I can't find you on Facebook. I'm searching Bezuda. Facebook is the one thing that sends me way off centre. I can never make it work.

[Bezuda]

Because i like him a lot.

https://www.facebook.com/joao.barbosa.927

[garybeale]

My Facebook name is Scott Gary, I THINK that I've sent you a friend request, if that's what one does. Scott Gray? You'll have to ask Facebook, I don't know why.

[garybeale]

*Scott Gray.... autocorrect.

[Bezuda]

I have some more questions for you. So your doubts go away.


Is choice anything more than an idea / a thought?
Is there a chooser to be found?

[garybeale]

I would say that choice is either just a simple thought, or it can be a series of thoughts. A choice between peanut butter and jam is a simple one, therefore a simple thought. I've noticed that if the choice is more complicated, like choosing a route to take on a journey (if you're not using a satnav), then the mind seems to trawl through a series of thoughts, gradually (in thought time) rejecting options until a route is decided upon. Other times the choice is made before the thought even arises. I used to do computer programming, and the decision making process can be very similar sometimes to watching a program running at reduced speed. As to what is watching, well, there is just watching.

If anything can be said to choose, then it would have to be the mind, although the word "choose" may be wrong. It arrives at the result, it doesn't really choose. There can BE no choice, or chooser, without free will, and we've already spoken about that.

[Bezuda]

Good.

What are all these thoughts... do they come from a mind or do they just arise and vanish?

Are they any more than "meaning making"

[garybeale]

Well, 'mind' is just a word used to indicate the location of where the thoughts come from. It's a label. Yes, thoughts arise and they vanish, but the same could be said for anything. All thoughts, whether they are deliberate or not, just arise, and of course they then vanish.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'meaning making'. I'll assume a context and answer that.

As I said before, there are different types of thoughts. The ones that just bubble up and then vanish don't generally mean anything. I could be driving and thoughts of spotted dolphins would appear, but they don't mean anything. I could be consciously thinking on answers to a question, and some thoughts will have meaning and some not. I could be wondering ( thinking) how much money there is in my wallet, but it means nothing, because only looking in the wallet will give me the answer.

It seems that not having the illusion of self exposes a lot of the tricks of the mind. With the illusion of a self, the mind can indulge in its delusion of control. Without it, when the mind wants thinks its thoughts of control that's all they are, thoughts. They mean nothing.

[garybeale]

OK, this is nuts. As far as I can see, there is no mind as such. There is no place where the mind is. The mind IS the thoughts. Happy thoughts, sad thoughts, creative thoughts, fearful thoughts. All of them based on previous thoughts or experience. So, himself, no ego, no mind. Just being and thoughts. Crazy man :) who would have think it!

[garybeale]

* not himself, no-self.

[garybeale]

Even the terms happy, sad, fearful are thoughts. They are thoughts of judgement based on previous experience and held as expectation. Still just thoughts. Programming. There is a feeling of coming unravelled right now. A sort of falling away.