The Gate

Answers..........

1.No, there is no separate self anywhere. No there never was one.
2. The illusion of the separate self starts as soon as you start learning, you are conditioned to see a separate self. First your parents, then your general environment promote the idea of a separate self.
3. It feels freeing, if there is no separate self then there is no need to worry about what other people think of the illusionary self. They are not separate selves either. :-)
4. The pointing exercise was very revealing, changing focus and noting the change when pointing at the illusionary self.
5. I used to think so, but not now. Life happens is the best description I can think of.
6. I can't think of anything to add, except gratitude to Smudge , who doesn't have a separate self either.

Hi Destiny,

These replies are very short, I need much more detail, as they stand they do not make sense, for example

The illusion of the separate self starts as soon as you start learning

if there's no you what starts learning?

you are conditioned to see a separate self. First your parents, then your general environment promote the idea of a separate self.

Are you? how? explain fully. Do YOU HAVE a general environment in DE?

no separate self

So is there a self thats there but not separate? explain and describe fully.

I used to think so,

WHAT YOU!!!????? Where? Describe???

Focus and really look DEEPLY at DIRECT EXPERIENCE. What you have given is confused storys which is not what this is about. See the difference between story and DE. There is no you except in a story, look! only reply when you have fully investigated all of the above and report back in DETAIL please.

With an encouraging push, Smudge x

Hi Smudge,

2.There is no separation, no self and no others. Just what is Now. Of course there is no one to learn, no general environment, no parents, no birth, no death and no society.
There is not any self anywhere at anytime, ever!!!!

LOL, sorry to be confusing, it was a before and after story. Perhaps I interpeted question number 2 incorrectly. I thought what was wanted was a description of the illusion .

The last few days have been very simple, just being, just awareness. Realization that there is no I or self to make any decisions or take control of anything. There is just awareness and that is as simple and freeing as it gets. There is seeing,smelling, feeling, hearing, and tasting now. There is no one to have a past or have a future. There is just this.

There is no I or self to decide anything, it just happens. An example of not controlling or deciding, hmmm. If there is no I or self, then how can I describe a self that is not controlling? There is only the Awareness of directly experiencing now as it unfolds. I hope this explains more fully. D

Thanks Destiny for clarifying, we will see if the other guides have anymore questions now, so I will get back to you when I hear from them,

Warm wishes
Smudge

Smudge,
Thanks so much, sorry if I am not wordier, that's just me. Any more questions fire away. Words are so inadequate sometimes to describe things. Smile...... Destiny

No more questions Destiny.
It has been a pleasure working with you and I wish you all the best with further explorations, this is only the beginning!
You will soon be invited to aftercare groups.
Warmest wishes
Smudge xx

Thanks, for your help and it was a pleasure to talk with you and learn too. :-) Destiny

Hi Destiny,

In the completion process concern that Q5 has not been answered fully from examples from your experience has arisen,
Do you decide, intend, choose, control events in Life? Do you make anything happen? Give examples from your experience.

Thanks Smudge

Hi Smudge, There is no self, so how is it possible to decide, lol? Hmm, a co-worker on the job is annoying, there is no decision to be annoyed, it is just the awareness of the thoughts that arise during the day. It is the ongoing awareness of DE as it progresses. There isn't any decision to not be annoyed either ,it just happens as it happens as events unfold. There is no I to chose to be annoyed, it is just the experience of a feeling labeled as annoyance. There is no I , events continue to unfold as they do without control or decisions . It just is. Ex: There is the awareness of hunger as DE, then no decision is made, just the action of getting a salad.

Thanks Destiny,
Remember the sultana exercise and how clearly that highlights the difference between DE and concepts and intellectualisation about it.Please, in detail, describe your direct experience of decisions happening.
Thanks
S.

Sultana exercise?? could you tell me again, I am not familair with that name. thank you, smudge. You mean the one about pointing outside and pointing in?

There is no experience of decision making, because no one is there to make any decisions. It just happens. There are no decsions being made, there is only awareness as it is of experience happening. But give me the exercise and I will do it and report back.

hahaha, there is no experience of decision making.

Its is on page 1, you said you did it more than once, did you actually do it or think about doing it? I am surprised you have forgotten as it is pretty key in know the difference between what the difference is between thinking and DE and may explain how we are re looking at this.