Keen to have a good hard look

[Anastacia42]

By the way...

Vince's meeting is tomorrow. I think the time change affected it. Check with him, please.

There are 3 meetings & a set of 5 videos you're invited to attend:

Thursday Meetings.

Hi Guys,

we are Luchana & Lubo, guides at LU.

Here is an invitation for you:

Join us each Thursday, 6 pm CET, UTC+1
and let's explore together what is already here.
Let's enjoy together this beauty called Life
MEETINGS ARE ON ZOOM and LIVE on youtube.

To participate in the meetings, send a request to luchanauzunova@gmail.com

You will receive an e-mail confirming your participation and a link to join.

Looking forward to seeing YOU!
Luchana & Lubo
__________________________________________________

Meet up with vince (For LU seekers & guides)

Monday August 14

6 am Sydney (est) Australia
Every 2 weeks after that.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86991485768?p ... 12Um5DQT09

Meeting ID: 869 9148 5768
Passcode: 083035

Let him know if you want email reminders.

Vinceschubert@gmail.com

__________________________________________________

Ilona's Meetings

Next group meeting on Zoom is on the 4th of September. (There was one October 9. Not sure when next one is. )

To register send Ilona an email to

admin@ilonaciunaite.com

Looking forward :)


__________________________________________________

(videos)

Hi everyone.

Starting on 15th of October for 5 weeks I will post a new video of guiding sessions we had with Jim.
Here is a link to the first one.

https://youtu.be/gb6FwZ6PlI4

Liberation Unleashed Direct Pointing - The Gateless Gate

Ilona

__________________________________________________

Have fun with these. Looking forward to next reply.

Loving,

[GaryBee]

Thanks Stacy,

What would it take to put all the fear & "resistance" to rest?

This has caused a lot of confusion. I have the intellectual belief that the self is an illusion. I have the hand flipping exercise which clearly shows nobody is doing anything, in a very direct way and yet somehow the illusion manages to hang on. I guess what is needed is to lose all belief in the self. Like the Santa analogy. I don’t spend any time worrying about that. I never get upset if something about Santa is challenged.

Metta, Gary.

[Anastacia42]

I guess what is needed is to lose all belief in the self

Okay, then, LOOK. If you can't see, hear, feel, taste or smell any "self," what's left holding it on place? Just a thought. right? This really IS like Santa Claus... just a belief. Once the red suit is off, there's no "self" at all.

LOOK with your eyes.

Explore ‘Sense of Self’

Let’s say that you have lost your keys and you swear that you left them in your coat. You go to look and check all the pockets - the keys are not there. You swear they must be as that was the last place you remember them. You have a vivid memory of putting them there after you left the house. But when you check they are not there. At this point you can keep believing that the keys are in your pocket, or you can admit you were mistaken.

This is just like that. You may see clearly that the self is an illusion but still feel a sense of self - just like the keys. But feeling something to be true and seeing that it is or is not is different. This is why we may find ourselves coming back to your expectations at the start and at the end.

Now, I’d like to ask you to explore this SENSE of self very-very thoroughly. Not by thinking about it, but by FEELING it. Keep the focus of attention on the sense of self and inquire:

Does the sense of self have a location?

Does the sense of self have a shape or a size?

Does the sense of self say or communicate anything?

If the answer is yes, how does the sense do this exactly?

Does the sense of self have any characteristics or attributes?

What is the sense of self ‘made of’? An image? Sound? Taste? Smell? Sensation? Thought?

What is found?

You don't have to do them again, but LOOK. What do they point to? [/color]

Loving,

[GaryBee]

Hi Stacy,

Not had chance to do this justice today. I will do tomorrow. Hope this is OK.

Metta, Gary.

[Anastacia42]

Okay.

Much love,

[GaryBee]

Hi Stacy,
I’m pretty sure some of these answers will be wrong, because I am confused, but here goes.

Does the sense of self have a location?

There is a sense it’s in the middle of my head, but this could just be an illusion based on where the eyes are. I see the world from here, therefore that must be (an assumption), where “I”, am. But then when I look there is just space (headlessness) there.

Does the sense of self have a shape or a size?

Sometimes it feels like a pinpoint in my head, sometimes the whole body, sometimes it isn’t there. So no not consistently.

Does the sense of self say or communicate anything?

Without believing in thought, very little. There is a sense that there is something existing, there is awareness. When I look this doesn’t seem to be any different from generalised being.

If the answer is yes, how does the sense do this exactly?

I exist, because there is sight, sound, touch, etc. available in this place.

Does the sense of self have any characteristics or attributes?

Not beyond what I said above. It seems like it is the same as space. Sadness arises as I type this, like something is being lost. But if the self was real, you wouldn’t be able to lose it! Yet sadness with a touch of fear remain.

What is the sense of self ‘made of’? An image? Sound? Taste? Smell? Sensation? Thought?

An assumption that having the senses all together in one place with a body, experienced in/as space, bound together by thought.

What is found?

A set of localised experiences that constitute “beingness?”, has thoughts wrapped around that try and solidify it into a thing that exists, but this thing when looked for changes, moves and eventually can’t be found. The feelings whilst doing this are of someone being forced to do a job they hate, but that is what I signed up for.

You don't have to do them again, but LOOK. What do they point to?

The sense of self has no form, says nothing and is just thought hijacking other elements of experience to make itself appear to be something.

Trying hard to answer from experience, rather than what I think you want to hear.

Metta, Gary.

[Anastacia42]

Hi Gary,

I don't "want" to hear anything, but the truth & your present experience (which may or may not be true).

Remember this from a few days back?

The story of a separate "self" is a lie.

This is the lie you came here to see through. Therefore, it is helpful to notice the body Sensation of lying as one of the tools for finding the truth of no self.

You want to be in touch with body Sensations & able to clearly express them in words. This will help.

Lies are usually felt in the heart or solar plexus as a contraction that we may label as tight, heavy or tense.

In contrast, truth is usually expansive. We may call it loose, light or relaxed.

Okay, with that and your practice of Direct Experience...

Direct or Actual Experience is

Seeing
Hearing
Feeling (Sensation, not emotion. Emotion is Sensation plus made-up thoughts & labels)
Tasting
Smelling
Thoughts Arising (but not their content)

Can you find *anything* in Direct Experience that is a "self?" LOOK with your eyes. Where is it?

Or can you find only thoughts?


Loving,

[GaryBee]

Hi Stacy,

Present experience.

Can you find *anything* in Direct Experience that is a "self?" LOOK with your eyes. Where is it?

With focus on direct experience, seeing happens without effort or will, it is just there. There is no self in that, it just is. Hearing, tasing and smelling are the same. Feeling, without labels or thoughts is just pressure, temperature, and energy. Sensations in the body usually related to emotions, but as pure sensations, are tightness and tension, but without thoughts quickly break up into energy patterns.

Or can you find only thoughts?

As I read this the thought “I am seeing”, arises, but this feels odd, an unnecessary addition when all the senses were working fine without that thought. A heaviness returns and the body is less comfortable. It does feel similar to a lie. If the self was real and “me,” why does its presence feel worse than its absence? That does not make any sense. I can’t find the self in anything except thought. When I sit like this it seems like a lie. I will try and do this more during my work day tomorrow.

Thanks, for your help.

Metta, Gary.

[Anastacia42]

Good!

Don't try to reason.

Just LOOK!

Find what's true.

Loving,

[GaryBee]

Working on looking today whenever I remembered to. There saw seeing, hearing, tension, head acing, talking, thinking, sensation. The direct experience was of these things as the are, open, clear, transparent almost. I also tried to look for the experiencer of these experiences, peak behind the curtain to see what was experiencing these things. Of course I could find nothing in direct experience that is anything like a self. The thoughts pushing back against this seeing seem to be reducing also. The sensations labelled fear still comes and goes, but not as strongly as before. I will do more tomorrow.

Metta, Gary

[Anastacia42]

Good. That sounds like good practicing. Keep it up. Really LOOK only at DE.

Much love,

[GaryBee]

I have been only looking at direct experience today. I dropped the looking for the self part, I assume that’s what you meant. In any case, pretty confident I’m not going to find a self there anyway, so why bother. Turned out to be a very pleasant day focussing on DE. I also had the day off work, but it felt like it was more than just that, more free. In a weird kind of a way I am forgetting about the self more than seeing through it. At least that’s what it feels like today.

Metta, Gary.

[GaryBee]

I’ve continued to focus on DE. The flow is still enjoyable, things just happen one after the other without having to worry about them. I also noticed a couple of times today when seeing the scene and part of the body was in visible, it seemed to be part of the view. The experience is one of simplicity and wholeness.

[Anastacia42]

Has seeking dropped away?

Can you say with 100% certainty there is no separate "self?"

Loving,

[GaryBee]

Hi Stacy,

Hope you are doing well.

Has seeking dropped away?

I've certainly felt quite good since Friday, there doesn't seem to be any seeking here.

Can you say with 100% certainty there is no separate "self?"

This is trickier. I don't feel that much different. When I ask myself this question I don't get the fear or sadness anymore, but I don't get a clear answer either. In fact I have been getting silence and stillness. This is nice, but isn't really the same as certainty. Does this affect anything else, for instance I still think there are other people. I have failed to find a self in DE. The self found in thoughts is contracted and dark, like a lie. I still feel like "I", (whatever that means) still have control, is that part of this stage or does it come later?

Sorry for the confusion, I guess that's why I need a guide.

Metta, Gary.