The Gate

Can you say 100% there's no separate "self?"

Yes, I can say this. But I behave as it is :)

Good.

Do you feel like you've had a shift in perception? Like Ilona described?

Maybe this...

calm, maybe slightly lighter than usual.

If so. we have some traditional checkpoint questions. w

Loving,

Not sure. The lightness and calm are not permanent, they come and go. Now I’m feeling pretty ordinary. Maybe I need time to observe.

Watch these, please:

https://youtu.be/vJQcD588g2w

and

https://youtu.be/PUDzrCLlrj4

This is just a beginning.

Loving

Thank you for the reminder.
Yes, I expected that something would change in me permanently. What a silly thought to expect permanence where everything is impermanent.

Any time you believer an untrue thought. you'll tense up &"lose it."

Question those thoughts. The Work of Byron Katie is excellent for this.

www.thework.org

We have some traditional checkpoint questions. Other guides will read them and may have questions. Would you like to answer those?

Loving

Yes, let's do it

Here you go:

1) Is there a separate entity 'self', 'me' 'I', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever?

2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works from your own experience. Describe it fully as you see it now.

3) How does it feel to see this? What is the difference from before you started this dialogue? Please report from the past few days.

4) What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look?

5) Describe decision & give examples from experience.

Describe intention & give examples from experience.

Describe free will & give examples from experience.

Describe choice & give examples from experience.

Describe control & give examples from experience.

What makes things happen? How does it work?

What are you responsible for? Give examples from experience.

6) Anything to add?

Loving,

I'm in the process of writing answers. Will come back to you tomorrow.

Ok

1) Is there a separate entity 'self', 'me' 'I', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever?'

No, there is no such thing and never was.

2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works from your own experience. Describe it fully as you see it now.

The illusion of a separate self is rooted in the origin of thought and language. Each thought is a label of something that is not something else. This creates an illusion of the existence of separate entities. When a person starts using the word "I", the illusion of the separate entity extends to it. Later, it becomes stronger because emotions, desires, decisions and other stuff become associated with the non-existent entity.

3) How does it feel to see this? What is the difference from before you started this dialogue? Please report from the past few days.

It is pretty ordinary :) The main difference is that, previously, I expected that this realisation would change something in me, and now I see that it is not about changes in personality but about opening a different perspective on it.

4) What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look?

I do not remember that I have a last bit. I guess I have known the truth for a very long time, but I didn’t accept that that’s all that needs to be known.

5) Describe decision & give examples from experience.

For example, I decided to skip yoga class today. I was busy in the garden in the morning when a thought came - yoga class soon, and I still have work to do. Then, more thoughts came, discussing if I should skip class or not, and tension in the body rose; then the thought " I will skip the class today" came, and tension was gone. This is how a decision is made - a flow of thought and sensations.

Describe intention & give examples from experience.

For example, I have the intention to stand up. It appears as a thought and tension in the body. In the next moment, tension is released, sensation of standing body comes, and a new thought comes - 'I stood up"

Describe free will & give examples from experience

Free will is a way of labeling unpredictability of our own actions. But because there is no entity that possesses the will, there is no point of calling it free or not free.

Describe choice & give examples from experience

I was choosing which grass-cutter machine to buy. I read about different models, their technical parameters compared them with my preferences. Then I chose one model. But “I” is only a way of talking. There is no reader or chooser - everything is flow of experience : reading about different models, comparing them, choosing…

Describe control & give examples from experience

I was boiling milk and I needed to control that it will not boil over. “I” here is just a label. Everything happens without “me” - seeing the milk slowly boiling, feeling sensations of body doing his job, experiencing thoughts about the process of boiling.

What makes things happen? How does it work?

It’s just happening. There’s nothing that makes it happen, or I can say everything makes it happen. Both statements are true and untrue in the same time.

What are you responsible for? Give examples from experience.

Responsibility is a way of talking. For example at work I responsible for delivering working pieces of software to our customers. Basically it means that everybody expecting this from me. But this is just thoughts about other thoughts. There is no separate “I” that can be responsible or have any other qualities.

6) Anything to add?

Thank you for guidance. I really appreciate it.

Excellent.

Your answers will be shared with other guides who may have questions. Stay tuned here.

Loving,

I think everyone is on vacation. Traditionally we wait for at least 3 guides to read your thread. Then the admin turns your name blue & sends you a confirmation email.

2 guides have read it. Others may be having trouble with the site. I'm working on it.

Thank you for your patience

Loving

Thank you