Mask that we wear

[truthseeker7]

Hello Vivien,

So, is there anything that is not happening on autopilot? Anything at all?

No, there is nothing that is not happening by itself :)

Best wishes,
Chinni

[Vivien]

Hi Chinni,

Great :)

Whether we are conscious of it or not, we divide up the wholeness of our experience mentally into two categories. Me and not-me. We do this by mentally drawing a line, and everything inside the line is believed to be me, and everything outside of the line as not-me.

So where do you draw your line of inside-outside, me – not-me?

What is inside the line (what is me)?

And what is outside (not me)?

Please make sure that you don’t just think about it, but actually investigate this in your daily life so your reply comes from your experience.

Vivien

[truthseeker7]

Hello Vivien,

I'm continuing to look. Can you give me few more days to continue with this exercise?

Best Regards,
Chinni

[Vivien]

Of course, no problem. Just be thorough :)

[truthseeker7]

Hello Vivien,

So where do you draw your line of inside-outside, me – not-me?

There is no physical location for the "me". An no line can be drawn to separate the "me" from the "non-me".

What is inside the line (what is me)?

And what is outside (not me)?

Even the body is just an experience in awareness through the sense organs. Everything else beside this body is also an experience in awareness through the sense organs. Everything happens in awareness and there is no separation between the "me" and "non-me"

Best regards,
Chinni

[Vivien]

Hi Chinni,

Even the body is just an experience in awareness through the sense organs. Everything else beside this body is also an experience in awareness through the sense organs. Everything happens in awareness and there is no separation between the "me" and "non-me"

Is there a boundary between awareness/knowing and experience?

Is knowing separate from experience?

Vivien

[truthseeker7]

Hello Vivien,

I'm having trouble with this one.

Is there a boundary between awareness/knowing and experience?

I'm not sure...

Is knowing separate from experience?

It seems that they are separate... I have awareness of experience, but I also have awareness of no experience. For example, there is awareness of experience of sound, and there is awareness or knowing of experience of no sound... so awareness and experience seem to be different.

Looking forward to your reply,
Chinni

[Vivien]

Hi Chinni,

It seems that they are separate... I have awareness of experience, but I also have awareness of no experience. For example, there is awareness of experience of sound, and there is awareness or knowing of experience of no sound... so awareness and experience seem to be different.

Are you sure that the awareness of no sound is possible? Or the awareness of the lack of anything?

How do you experience no sound, without thinking that a moment ago there was a sound, but it’s not here anymore?
What do you know about the absence of a sound, if you don't think about it?

If knowing / awareness and sound would be different, then it would be super easy to separate the two when they are both present. So separate the present sound from the knowing of it. How do you do that?

Now separate the current thought from the knowing of it. What do you do to make that happen?

Vivien

[truthseeker7]

Hello Vivien,

Are you sure that the awareness of no sound is possible? Or the awareness of the lack of anything?

Hmm... awareness of lack of something is only possible after that something has been first experienced and stored in memory... only after something has been experienced, can the lack of something be known. So thought is needed to experience lack of something.

How do you experience no sound, without thinking that a moment ago there was a sound, but it’s not here anymore?
What do you know about the absence of a sound, if you don't think about it?

Very true... first there must be awareness of something and then a thought that talks about absence of that thing

If knowing / awareness and sound would be different, then it would be super easy to separate the two when they are both present. So separate the present sound from the knowing of it. How do you do that?

Ah! I see... it's not possible to separate the awareness of something from the experience of that thing. Awareness and experience happen at the same time.

Now separate the current thought from the knowing of it. What do you do to make that happen?

That cannot be done...

So, to answer your earlier questions:

Is there a boundary between awareness/knowing and experience?

No.. there is no boundary between awareness and experience

Is knowing separate from experience?

No, knowing and experience cannot be separated.

.... now, is knowing something and experiencing something the same concept, but we use different words for it?

Best Regards,
Chinni

[Vivien]

Hi Chinni,

Hmm... awareness of lack of something is only possible after that something has been first experienced and stored in memory... only after something has been experienced, can the lack of something be known. So thought is needed to experience lack of something.

Is it possible to experience the lack of something with a memory-thought?
HOW?

Can you experience the lack of a Unicorn in the room with you?
How do you experience that there is no Unicorn present?

.. now, is knowing something and experiencing something the same concept, but we use different words for it?
Look for yourself.

Is there a difference between knowing and experiencing?

And is there a knower or an experiencer?

Vivien

[truthseeker7]

Hello Vivien,

Is it possible to experience the lack of something with a memory-thought?
HOW?
Can you experience the lack of a Unicorn in the room with you?
How do you experience that there is no Unicorn present?

Wow.. that is a good point… so, awareness of something that does not exist now is not possible. Awareness and experience are the same.

And is there a knower or an experiencer?

No, there is no knower or experiencer. Only awareness/experience alone is there

Best Regards,
Chinni

[Vivien]

Hi Chinni,

What about a controller?

What is making the body move?
Is there someone inside moving it?

What is making thoughts happen?

Is there a decision maker?
Is there a chooser?

A feeler?

Experiencer?

Is there someone that life is happening to?

Vivien

[truthseeker7]

Hello Vivien,

What about a controller?

There is no controller. There is no thing that in charge

What is making the body move?

Actions happen by themselves, as do thoughts

Is there someone inside moving it?

No. no such thing or entity can be found

What is making thoughts happen?

Thoughts arise on their own - influenced by the input from the sense or other thoughts

Is there a decision maker?

No entity can be found that makes decisions. Decisions, like thoughts, happen spontaneously. Thoughts appear afterwards that might try to rationalize the decision

Is there a chooser?

no, no chooser

A feeler?

No feeler

Experiencer?

No experiencer!

Is there someone that life is happening to?

Wow... no...no entity for whom life is happening to. There is just experience/awareness.

Thank you!!!!!
With gratitude
Chinni

[Vivien]

Hi Chinni,

You did a nice inquiry :)

How does it feel to see all this? That there is no thinker, doer, experiencer, there is no-one life could happen to?

Is there any doubt?

Vivien

[truthseeker7]

Hello Vivien,

How does it feel to see all this? That there is no thinker, doer, experiencer, there is no-one life could happen to?

There is amazement and relief. Amazement at the this indescribable thing that is awareness, relief that this person that has been taken to be real so far is just thought and totally unreal. I keep going back to looking, and catching thoughts as they arise and seeing that “I” did not create them, and marveling at how it just came to be. And there is joy in knowing and seeing that.

Is there any doubt?

There is no doubt.

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for your patience and your guidance.

Much love and gratitude,
Chinni