The Gate

Hello Stacy!

So, when the view on the right is seen, do you have the ‘choice’ not to see? I’m not asking can you ‘choose’ to see something else like another view or ‘black space’ if you close your eyes. The question is; can you turn seeing off? Can you NOT see what is seen?

Do not have the choice to not see. This is seen very clearly.

Same thing with the view on the left, can you NOT see the view on the left?

The same on the left.

Same thing with the view in front with closed eyes, can you NOT see the ‘black space’?

Same when eyes are closed. There is seeing of black space.

Can you turn off seeing?

Nope. Cant turn it off.

What did the 'chooser' choose? Did a 'self' choose something?

There is seeing. No ’chooser’ that decided to see. No ’chooser’ that can choose not to see.

If you are unable to choose what you're aware of, then what else is there to choose?

Nothing.

Well that was some nice answers, but there is something I am not getting here. Gonna repeat the exercises. A bit like a slippery soap something is seen and then...gone.

Happy Christmas!

/Mike

Good morning,

Yes. Right answers.

Well that was some nice answers, but there is something I am not getting here. Gonna repeat the exercises. A bit like a slippery soap something is seen and then...gone.

Good that you recognize this. Yes. Your answers are "right" but they're not coming from only LOOKING. When you SEE the answers rather then think them, a shift will be obvious. It can be subtle or it can hit you like a ton of bricks. But it's obvious.

"Enlightenment is an accident. Meditation makes us accident prone."

~ Suzuki (probably, although I've seen this credited to others)

Remember, it's the LOOKING that matters, not the answers. Relax & soften your gaze. Let seeing happen. It's already there.

You can also try this one:

Look for the place where your butt meets the chair. Relax. Can you find any division? Any hard line that says this is where you stop & chair begins? Allow seeing to come to you. It's right there.

Happy Christmas to you, too!

Hello again Stacy,

Remember, it's the LOOKING that matters, not the answers. Relax & soften your gaze. Let seeing happen. It's already there.

Yes, been working hard at not working hard. Not trying to explain it all the time. Getting better at relaxing. ”Soften the gaze”, will try that more.

Look for the place where your butt meets the chair. Relax. Can you find any division? Any hard line that says this is where you stop & chair begins? Allow seeing to come to you. It's right there.

No, there is no obvious surface or division. There is sensations of pressure and warmth.

Not seeing it. There is this tendency to try to ”explain it”. Been sitting a lot today just observing what’s going on. Kind of the only thing I wanna do at the moment. Been quite something. So I can see the there is only direct experience going on. And it is a lot. When I then try to fit me on top of it, and all that goes along with ”me”, it seems silly. Like ”I” cant carry all that is going on. The idea of me cant carry all this. And on what will it carry it? That was something that came up today. I will keep looking. So, relax, look with a soft gaze. Allow seeing to come to you. Yes. Haha its a bit tricky this, working hard at not working hard business. I am really enjoying this :)

/Mike

Merry Christmas & Happy Holly Daze!

Look for the place where your butt meets the chair. Relax. Can you find any division? Any hard line that says this is where you stop & chair begins? Allow seeing to come to you. It's right there.
No, there is no obvious surface or division. There is sensations of pressure and warmth.

Not seeing it. There is this tendency to try to ”explain it”. Been sitting a lot today just observing what’s going on. Kind of the only thing I wanna do at the moment. Been quite something. So I can see the there is only direct experience going on. And it is a lot. When I then try to fit me on top of it, and all that goes along with ”me”, it seems silly. Like ”I” cant carry all that is going on. The idea of me cant carry all this. And on what will it carry it? That was something that came up today. I will keep looking. So, relax, look with a soft gaze. Allow seeing to come to you. Yes. Haha its a bit tricky this, working hard at not working hard business. I am really enjoying this :)

Beautiful. This was good to read that you are enjoying it playing with it. Yes Sensations of pressure and warmth. Good!

When I then try to fit me on top of it, and all that goes along with ”me”, it seems silly.

Loving this. So true. Just keep doing what you are doing. This is how to LOOK.

You say this is the only thing you wanna do at the moment. Perfect! Keep doing that. So glad you are enjoying it.

Let me know how it is going or if you have any shifts or questions.


Loving,

Hello again Stacy,

Still workin on it. Today something happened that tend to happen after I gotten ”deeper” in mediation. There is a kickback, anger, irritation, thoughts racing and so forth. Been there before, enjoying watching the storm haha.

Anyway, when just sitting, observing whats going on (what else is there), there is a lot going on, the vastness of sensations, and still cant see how something can contain it and carry it. Take ownership of it. There can only be thought about it and that is not truth.

I’ll keep looking.
/Mike

Hi Mike,

Thank you so much for continuing to post every day. So valuable to do that.

There are many more pointers I can offer, but you seem to be very into LOOKING for where you begin & chair ends, so yes keep LOOKING there for a while. That is all that is required.

This video points to that:

http://www.liberationunleashed.com/reso ... h-honesty/

Yes, emotions are Sensations plus a story, content of thought & not real, as you mentioned. Good attitude to just watch it go by.

Right. Nothing contains it. Nothing takes ownership. LOOK Who is there to do some thing called "take ownership?"

So much truer to let it all be the mystery that it is. No need to understand. Only LOOK.

Loving,

Hello again Stacy!

This video points to that:

http://www.liberationunleashed.com/reso ... h-honesty/

Thank you for that, it was helpful.

So this is was has been going on since yesterday. Keeping on looking. A lot of meditation, sensations coming and going, taste (a lot of taste going on), hearing sounds, smelling stuff. A big vast big space with sensations. Simultaneous sameness and uniqueness (best words to describe it). Been smiling a lot. Been able to "unhook" trains of thought. Still thoughts that want to explain, well that's is what they want to do.

Just want to keep staying with direct experience. Liked the idea of that seeing is a fire that burns, from the video. want to do some more burning.

/Mike

Good, Mike!

I totally support you in continuing to LOOK.

The pointers are just a way to get you there & suggest certain aspects of LOOKING.

(Later we can look at decisions. time, body, memory, etc. )

You're doing the LOOKING. & posting daily. Perfect.

Loving,

Hello again Stacy,

Hope you doing well.

Another day off looking. Going well. Tomorrow I will write more in detail about what is going on.

/Mike

Hi Mike,

Yes, very well. Sounds like you are, too.

It would be helpful if you write something about what you SEE in Actual Experience (remember Colored Socks).

Much love,

Hello again Stacy,

A bit tricky to describe what's going on but also helpful as quite often hidden assumptions and ideas brought to light when having to write stuff down. Anyway, here it comes :)

So there is a sense of switching between two different ”poles” of experience. Open and closed.

Open is direct experience. Vast. There are sensations. Its like it is all happening in a vast space and it is very not ordinary, yet there all the time. In this stories don’t fit, they seem silly. A seeing that the stories of ”me” is not fitting with was is going on. A recognition of it being thought content. There is nothing for it to stick to.

Closed experience is very different. Example; lost in thoughts, an experience of just ”being” the thought content. Believing stories about ”myself”. I am this and I am that. I need this, I deserve that. And thoughts about others being like this and that. There is sensations of tightness and a narrowing of felt sensations in general.

The image of the old/young lady optical illusion keeps coming bak to me. The "shift" between "poles" feels similar to when one flips between old/young lady. Got a very strong memory of this happening about 10 years ago, sitting in a room with two other persons talking about mindfulness and the mind…then shift..vastness…no filter on direct experience…sat like that quiet for a couple of minutes but it was to strong and it left me confused and a bit scared. I keep remembering this, its something about it always being there.

/Mike

Good morning, Mike,

It sounds like the beginnings of SEEING there is no self.

It IS hard to describe because the minute you do, it's a lie. Words aren't the thing itself. They're made up.

Can you give a big, fat "no" when asked: Is there a self? Has there ever been?

Write what is true for you.

Loving,

Hello again Stacy,

Can you give a big, fat "no" when asked: Is there a self? Has there ever been?

There is no self. There has never been a self. There is awareness going on. Nobody that is aware. There is no self that can witness, carry or be the awareness. For there to be a self to be able to do that, it is not possible.

/Mike

Hi Mike,

All true.

There's another aspect we like to look at here. If there is no "self," what happens to the concepts of control, intention, free will & decision making?

There are exercises to check this or you may not need them.

Just LOOK as you have been doing. If you'd like some pointers, I'll be happy to guide with those. They're kind of fun.

Loving,

Hello again Stacy,

That sounds very good. Would be happy to do some exercises.

/Mike