The Gate

Hi Wilhelm,

Thanks.

For the first time in a long time there are experiences of effortlesness, and the understanding that the self identification is absent in those emoments. Very freeing. Just genuine authenticity in daily actions. Thought is occuring, but it diminishes upon its arising.

Lovely. I know what you mean about feeling freer and your observation about authenticity. Roughly parphrasing a Zen master;

'I chop wood and carry water.
Wonderous being'.

What about your emotional life? How do you feel?

Peace, joy, gratitude, love, happiness. Any of these increasing? What about negative emotions - any changes?

Warmly,

Michael

Hi Michael,

What about your emotional life? How do you feel?

Peace, joy, gratitude, love, happiness. Any of these increasing? What about negative emotions - any changes?

More peaceful, more relaxed, more joyful, more loving. Fearful trigger thoughts have no impact, they are just noticed as thoughts, and they cease again. There is no identification with the thoughts when paying attention to their arising. Not that anyone is paying attention. Happy emotions/positive emotions are just felt as energy in the body. That must be the most hippy thing I’ve ever written.

I am the happiest I’ve ever been, and I am very grateful, this has turned a lot of things around. Thank you so much for your help x)

I do not know if I’m through “The Gate,” though. I have no point of referance.

Vilhelm

Hi Wilhelm,

What about your emotional life? How do you feel?

Peace, joy, gratitude, love, happiness. Any of these increasing? What about negative emotions - any changes?
More peaceful, more relaxed, more joyful, more loving. Fearful trigger thoughts have no impact, they are just noticed as thoughts, and they cease again. There is no identification with the thoughts when paying attention to their arising. Not that anyone is paying attention. Happy emotions/positive emotions are just felt as energy in the body. That must be the most hippy thing I’ve ever written.

I am the happiest I’ve ever been, and I am very grateful, this has turned a lot of things around. Thank you so much for your help x)

Wilhelm - that is lovely and a real joy to read. I too was the happiest I had ever been. I am still very happy but it is quieter and more peaceful now as the euphoria and joy 'settled'.

I do not know if I’m through “The Gate,” though. I have no point of referance.

From my perspective it looks like there has been a big shift but only you can really tell. The Gate only really has meaning from a Buddhist perspective and then only within Zen culture. Ultimately it is a bit of a joke because if you think about it now nothing has been passed through and there is no one to pass through anyway! The cosmic joke.

I will now take this back to Kay. Generally (as you would imagine) it is a very good indicator of seeing no-self if the 'person' has shifted into feeling freer and is much happier and more positive emotionally. If someone has just seen intelectually they don't shift into happiness and freedom. Anyway I am babbling on in just the way guides are not supposed to so as I said I will re=present this to Kay and we will take it from there.

Please don't be upset if Kay has other questions. She is a much more experienced guide than me so if she has further questions let's simply take it as her helping us to see more clearly.

Yours,

Michael

Hey Wilhelm,

Bingo!

Congratulations on being an Awakened being!

Kay really loved your description of how you are now and laughed at your hippy comment!

Keep a lookout both on this thread and your email as you will be sent a letter (it is lovely and also useful) and you will be sent invites to two facebook groups especially for newly gated folks to explore their new perspectives. Very valuable. From the groups you will see that there is a whole 'non-dual' worlds out there with many different approaches.

Lots to explore if you want to.

I am always happy to help you so if you want to become friends on facebook my name is Kevin Michael Donovan. There is no pressure to do anything though - just do what feels best for you.

With love,

Michael

Hello Michael,

Bingo!

Congratulations on being an Awakened being!

Sounds official. The ego likes this one :)

Keep a lookout both on this thread and your email as you will be sent a letter (it is lovely and also useful) and you will be sent invites to two facebook groups especially for newly gated folks to explore their new perspectives. Very valuable. From the groups you will see that there is a whole 'non-dual' worlds out there with many different approaches.

Lots to explore if you want to.

I will be sure to check whatever is sent. I have become very interested in Dzogchen recently, and would like to deepen the insight in that tradition. But I am open to other suggestions.
Thank you again. This insight wouldn’t have been so clear, and freeing, if you hadn’t helped me.

Vilhelm.

Hi Vilhelm,

Bingo!

Congratulations on being an Awakened being!
Sounds official. The ego likes this one :)

Glad to see you are already making non-duality jokes! Always a good sign :)

If you want to explore Dzogchen it is worth checking out Jackson Peterson. It is not an area I have studied or practiced but I am in this group as he gives regular blasts of very clear Dharma. It is called Transparent Being. Here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/436183323088781/

Sorry I can't be of more help on the Dzogchen front. One of my pals is involved in that scene more but he has just started a months solitary so is offline.

Yours,

Michael

I like Jackson Peterson a lot. Been listening to him for a while :)

Hello Michael,

Should we continue on this post, or start a new one? :D Not sure to be honest.

Lovingly,
Vilhelm

As I wrote to you, I am in the system again, and would like to see the truth again. Thank you for being willing to continue this endeavor with me :)

Hi Vilhelm,

Glad you are back on board.

Looks like notifications are working which is a promising start!

We need to begin again but let's continue with this thread so that all our dialogue is in one place.

Why don't you start by telling me why you believe you have a seperate self?

What is it?

Where is it located?

:)

Michael

Hi Michael,

Good to hear from you again, I miss these back-and-forth style conversations with you :D
I am ready to get back to it!

Why don't you start by telling me why you believe you have a seperate self?

At the moment self just seems to be the default of how life is. Just me trying to do this thing again.
Just intellectualizing without really connecting to what is known to be the parthless path.

What is it?

The self is a label upon experience, which claims experience to be happening by someone. Then there is a self in addition to actions and thought, authoring actions and thinking thoughts. Not seeing that experience IS, and thought seemingly claims it, creates the illusion.

Where is it located?

Nowhere to be found at the moment :)

Thankful,
Vilhelm

Hi Vilhelm,

Thanks for your post.

The self is a label upon experience, which claims experience to be happening by someone.

Great.

Do you see clearly that it is thoughts that label and claim?

Is the content of thought real?

Is it to be believed?

Then there is a self in addition to actions and thought, authoring actions and thinking thoughts. Not seeing that experience IS, and thought seemingly claims it, creates the illusion.

Is there?

Look very closely indeed. Surely just more thoughts (about actions etc)?

Take your time. Try and notice each thought as they appear.

Are they 'yours' or do they just occur?

Michael.

Hello Michael,

Do you see clearly that it is thoughts that label and claim?

Yes, thoughts indicate there being a thinker of this arising thought, and writing this there is a label upon that experience as being done by me. Not that this is obvious, or even noticed to be the case all the time.

Is the content of thought real?

The content is imaginary, the thought self simply points at self, as a label upon a sensation, or refers to a thought about self or something. Thoughts can never make self real though. Every thought is imaginary, and not the real thing.

Is it to be believed?

No, just because it is trimmed down into the brain in every association with experience, doesn't make it a nessecity for life.

Then there is a self in addition to actions and thought, authoring actions and thinking thoughts. Not seeing that experience IS, and thought seemingly claims it, creates the illusion.

Is there?

There is never a real self, eventhough there is the experience of there seemingly being one.

Look very closely indeed. Surely just more thoughts (about actions etc)
Take your time. Try and notice each thought as they appear. ?

Just more thoughts about actions, and thoughts about thoughts.
It seemes less and less that they animate actions as this attention is had on experience.
Increasingly more thoughts noticed pointing back to some memory like "I was just doing this a moment ago." Just thought memories of past bodyself.

Are they 'yours' or do they just occur?

They just occur. Thoughts just arise and then disappear again.
The question "Are they yours?" is definitely an interesting one, and pointed out something about them being ownerless, and gave a looser grip on experience in some sense.

As always, this is very useful stuff,
Vilhelm

Hi Vilhelm,

Great answers so I won't comment on them individually,

Thoughts. Are they 'yours' or do they just occur?
They just occur. Thoughts just arise and then disappear again.
The question "Are they yours?" is definitely an interesting one, and pointed out something about them being ownerless, and gave a looser grip on experience in some sense.

Very good.

Find out please. Are thoughts yours or do they just occur?

Is there an owner of thought?

Find me anything that has a looser or tighter grip on experience!!!!!

Or is there just experience occurring?

Please take your time. Rushing will definitely not work. Look and see clearly.

Best wishes,

Michael.

Hello Michael,

Find out please. Are thoughts yours or do they just occur?
Is there an owner of thought?

I'll take my time with this, and report back when something becomes more clear.

Find me anything that has a looser or tighter grip on experience!!!!!
Or is there just experience occurring?

Nothing tightens the grip or loosens the grip on experience. It's just that experience "of holding energy" and then "releasing that energy" happens. There is still just experience occuring.

Vilhelm