The Gate

This is important. Keep looking for Sensations in your gut & let me know if any come up.

Okey I will keep looking and let you know if any comes up.

Seeing is literally SEEING with your eyes. Exactly as was described in Colored Socks. Not difficult or mysterious. Very simple.

Again, your only problem is that you believe your thoughts & you don't LOOK with your eyes

.
I see.

Direct Experience was explicitly defined in Colored Socks. Here it is again:

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)

It doesn't get any easier than that.

I got it, tyvm.

Love

Ico

You're welcome.

Please write about ButtChair.

This isn't about getting correct answers.

This is about meditating on what is found to be true. That's what opens up the clear perspective on what else is true.

How does it FEEL?

Loving,

Stacy

When I sit on a chair
I feel an integrated sensation
where no clear division between my butt and the chair can be made.

A feeling of pressure on the butt.
This is all I feel.

Yes, good. That is LOOKING & you reported Direct Experience of Sensation.

Keep practicing ButtChair. As I may have mentioned, I did only that for 2 or 3 months, then I saw no self.

This can work beautifully.

Keep reporting your experience, even if it seems the same. No thinking. Just LOOKING.

Loving

Stacy

Keep practicing ButtChair. As I may have mentioned, I did only that for 2 or 3 months, then I saw no self.

Hmm, that sounds interesting. Then I'll continue doing this exercise too, and will continue reporting.

Love

Ico

I continue doing the ButtChair exercise.

I feel the pressure on the butt.

Thoughts arise about it. I ignore them.

I return to looking at the sensation: it's pressure.

Good! Keep looking & feelng!!

Good! Keep looking & feelng!!

Ok:)

You can try this one, too. It is similar.

url]Hand on Desk[/url]

Please close your eyes for this exercise, just notice any ‘mental’ images or thoughts that appear and put them aside.

Place a hand on a desk or table (flat surface) - Close your eyes.

Now 'go to' the Sensation which we would normally refer to as 'hand on desk' and answer from what you can FIND.

1) How many things do you find? Are there two things (hand and desk) or is there one thing – AE of sensation.

2) Do you notice 'one thing feeling another thing'? Or is there just 'a sensation'?

3) Do you find an 'I', a body, a hand 'feeling' . . . or is there just 'a sensation'?

Look very carefully. Where does ‘feeling’ end and Sensation begin? Can a dividing line between ‘feeling’ and sensation be found? Or is there just sensation?

Can a ‘feeler’ ever be found in 'what is being felt' – AE sensation?

If that is all, and no INHERENT FEELER is found . . . would anything that is suggested as the feeler be other than a concept/idea/thought?


You can try this with your eyes open. If you can let go of the "separate hand" story, it can be very interesting.

Loving,

~ Stacy

Hi Stacy,
I will do the hands on a desk exercise a few times until I feel it and report at the first opportunity.
Love
Ico

How many things do you find? Are there two things (hand and desk) or is there one thing – AE of sensation.

It cannot be counted. There is just the sensation.

Do you notice 'one thing feeling another thing'? Or is there just 'a sensation'?

In direct experience, there is just sensation.

Do you find an 'I', a body, a hand 'feeling' . . . or is there just 'a sensation'?

'I', a body, a hand 'feeling' exist in the mind, not in the direct experience.

Look very carefully. Where does ‘feeling’ end and Sensation begin? Can a dividing line between ‘feeling’ and sensation be found? Or is there just sensation?

There is no such dividing line between feeling and sensation. There is just sensation.

Can a ‘feeler’ ever be found in 'what is being felt' – AE sensation?

No.

If that is all, and no INHERENT FEELER is found . . . would anything that is suggested as the feeler be other than a concept/idea/thought?

The feeler is an idea. In DE there is only sensation.

Beautiful.Ico.

How does it FEEL to see this?



I have some recordings of some pointers in my DropBox. If you'll PM me an email address, I'll share those.

You're doing great.

Meanwhile, have I shared this one?

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]

When you see there is no Santa Claus, there's no need to keep going back to check. You see. You're done. That's it

Loving,

Meeting with Ilona. You're invited.

Sunday, October 9 at 7 to 9 pm Mauritius Time, UTC +4
On Zoom

Here is an invitation to meet on Zoom and be together.
Whatever you bring - a question, an emotion, or tension is welcome. There is something very powerful about having a welcoming space in a group where you can explore safely and feel supported.

You are very welcome to join, just email me for a link on admin@ilonaciunaite.com. Same link for all meetings.

See you there! ❤️
Ilona

Tyvm for sharing information on Ilona's zoom meeting, I look forward to attendiing it.

Hi Stacy,

I will meditate on the questions you sent, and respond at the first opportunity, possibly in about a week.

Love

Ico