Clarity

[Plant31]

No. Yes I can see the difference. The self is an imagined thought.


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[Seamist]

Doing well, Becca!
Self is imagined. You can look for the real self, but can it be found?
xx

[Plant31]

No, I look but nothing can ever been found. There is a physical body that resembles me. But a separate self identity cannot be found.


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[Seamist]

Good
There is a big difference between knowing that there is nothing to give up and seeing that there is nothing to give up.
Here is an example to illustrate the difference:
If I ask you what colour socks you are wearing right now you have two ways to come up with an answer:
• You can have a think about it, you can think back to this morning and try to remember putting your socks on, and you can probably tell me what colour you think they are.
Alternatively, you can take a quick look at your socks and tell me what colour they actually are!
Hopefully you would agree that you can only be 100% certain by looking.
For the purpose of our dialogue together, it is going to be very important that you are clear about this difference. Knowing is about knowledge which is all in the mind and we are not interested in that. We are only interested in looking at and seeing what is actually going on in your present moment to moment experience. We are only interested in your direct experience in the moment.
Does that make sense?

x

[Plant31]

Yes definitely. I will make sure that I use my direct experience to answer each question.


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[Seamist]

Fab
Similarly:

Sitting in a room, curtains closed, you wonder what the weather is like outside. You can think about it, look it up on the internet, watch the forecast on TV, call your mother and ask her - or you can simply open the curtains and have a look

[Plant31]

Yes. Got it! x


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[Seamist]

Just need a "yes" or "makes sense" (or not!) to that last one

[Seamist]

You beat me to it!
Sit quietly and relax, take your time just looking at what is in front of you for awhile.
Observe how the mind is dividing and labelling every thing into objects and is embellishing them with stories about what they are.
Give it some time
Then, stop watching the objects as labelled objects. Just look at the seeing itself. Observe the pure process of seeing. This is direct experience (DE).

xx

[Plant31]

Ok. It makes sense.


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[Seamist]

Spend some time on that last one - at least 10 minutes xx

[Plant31]

Thanks Sioned. That was an interesting exercise. So many labelling thoughts and then stories. Was difficult to stay with the direct experience of the actually objects without the stories.


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[Seamist]

good
Here's an exercise that I would like you to try as many times throughout the day as you can. Label daily activities simply colour/image, sound, smell, taste, sensation, thought.
So for example, when having breakfast, become aware of:-
Seeing a cup, simply= image/colour
Smelling coffee, simply = smell
Feeling the warmth of the coffee cup, simply = sensation
Tasting the coffee, simply = taste
Hearing the spoon stirring the coffee, simply = sound
Thought about drinking the coffee, simply = thought
Just break down daily activities into these categories (which are all actual/direct experience) and report back how you go.

xx

[Plant31]

Hi Sioned,
I tried this throughout today. The sensations such as a cool breeze or clothes on my skin were felt and noises/sounds were heard. Objects were seen but there was no-one to be found seeing. As my focus was on each object, thoughts would automatically arise. There was no one in control of these thoughts arising and passing. No one in control of what thoughts would arise. Awareness was always present as a constant, unchanging.


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[Seamist]

That's great noticing, Becca, lovely
Have a look at an apple. If you have a ‘real’ apple, you can use it for this exercise.
http://www.maryshomestead.com/sitebuild ... /fruit.gif

When looking at an apple, there's colour; a thought saying ‘apple’; and maybe a thought saying, "I'm looking at an apple."
What is known for sure? Colour is known and thoughts are known.

What about the content of thoughts, what they describe?
Actual experience does not refer to thoughts ABOUT something…because that is only just more thought. Actual experience is sound, thought, colour, smell, taste, sensation.

Is there really an ‘apple’ here, or only colour and a thought ABOUT ‘apple’?
Can ‘apple’ be found in actual experience?

While these thoughts are known, what they talk ABOUT can't be found in actual experience.

This is what is meant by ‘looking in actual experience ‘. What you know for sure, and, is always here.

Taste labelled ‘apple’ is known
Colour labelled ‘apple’ is known
Sensation labelled ‘apple’ is known (when apple is touched)
Smell labelled ‘apple’ is known
Thought about/of an ‘apple’ is known
However, is an apple actually known?

x Sioned