Postby Justina » Tue Oct 09, 2012 5:11 pm
Hello.
Here comes the answers.
"1) Is there a 'me', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever? how about self, is there anything that is separate from everything else?"
No. The "me" is a thought pointing to nothing. It has never pointed to something. The thought "me", "I", "Self" does not mean anything. There is no me at all, and never was.
!2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works."
It is thought about there being a self or a entity separated from everything else. The thought "I" or "me" creates sensations and feelings that then are believed to be pointing at something.This is never really looked at or questioned although it is all out in the open. There are thought "protecting" other thoughts about the story about me.
It starts as soon as the body is born and given a name. With the name comes the story of a separate self. A baby does not see itself as separate from everything else but is taught from begining. We learn to point to a me, to the body, we learn that we have to protect this me from other "me´s" it is all in the language we speak. And as we grow older this gets more and more important, our whole society is built around this separation and that it is so important to build a strong me, be a better me, be a free me and so on. But although we are so stuck in this illusion we feel that something is not right and it creates the need to search for ourselfs in making us better persons or having more money,more things, better realshionships, or a God, love, spirituality and so on . But we never look for the most obvious because this belief is so strong and to even question this seems to be a safe ticket to the loony bin.
"3) How does it feel to see this? describe in detail."
It is a huge relief. Experience is not filtered by this sensation and thought about a me, it gives feeling of directness and intimacy. It feels like realty is being deconstructed, the storys about me, about time, about life, a world...everything that was being assumed to be true is now shaky and loose. It is like a house of cards is being blown out in slow motion. It is intense. Feels like the work has just begun now when the biggest illusion has been seen throu. The mind and body is doing it´s things as usual. From the "outside" nothing is different but the experience is that it is just happening, like it shuld at by itself and it flows freely.
"4) How would you describe it to somebody who has never heard about this illusion but is curious about it."
Only if they asked, then I would make them point out the "I" and see that it is actually not pointing to anything, there is nothing there, just a thought. I would like to show them that a a thought is not aware, a thought can´t think, or see. A thougth is just a thought and you cannot be a thought. I would ask them to find the one who is thinking, seeing and experiencing.
But as I know how strong this belief is, I would suggest the go to the LU site to guided by someone that has the experience.
"5) What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look? was there a specific moment when seeing happened or was it gradual? what exactly happened?"
I would say that it has been gradual but that there was a moment when it was truly seen that the thought "I" did not point to anything. That it was just a thought. That felt almost embarrassing and comic because it was so obvious and I couldn´t even believe that I could believe it, that I hadn´t seen this. How come it never was questioned before? Of course there is nothing there! How could there be? The language is not easy to get around, I need to use the word "i" and "me" but now it sometimes makes me laugh.
Much love
