Where to start

[Seekingstill]

In that moment is there anyone or anything which recognises the thought or is aware of it?

No

Can you see anything that is separate from the thought and does the thinking?

There is a space between thoughts

Where do thoughts appear from?

don't know

Do they appear randomly or in a structured way?

random

Is there anything that is responsible for the thoughts like a traffic cop saying which one to go and which one to stay?

No

Can the flow of thoughts be changed?

I can slow down or stop thought for a brief time period, but it takes effort

Write down a sequence of 5 thoughts in the order that they appear. Now check:

what is this? Where am I ?
Why am I typing? should i be writing this down? why not

Could you predict the order of their appearance?

no

Did you know which will be the second or the fourth?

no

Can you stop them midway?

yes

How long does that last? Test it for the fun of exploration.

a few seconds

Are they 100% true?

What are you, when you don't think about what you are?

an object

[CherylVT]

Dear Seekingstill,

Are your thoughts 100% true?

What are you, when you don't think about what you are?
an object

How do you know you are an object if there are no thoughts?
Please be specific.

love,
cheryl

[Seekingstill]

. Are your thoughts 100% true?

no

. How do you know you are an object if there are no thoughts?

I don’t, it’s inferred, the difference between me and an inanimate object is that I have thoughts. Once the thoughts are gone, then there is no me, only an object

[CherylVT]

Dear Seekingstill,

the thoughts are gone, then there is no me, only an object

How do you know there is an object?

the difference between me and an inanimate object is that I have thoughts.

How do you know there are any objects at all?
How do you know that objects exist?


Love,
Cheryl

[CherylVT]

Dear Seekingstill,

I will be traveling for the next 2 weeks, so i won't be as prompt in responding.

Thanks for your patience,
Cheryl

[Seekingstill]

How do you know there is an object?

seeing and touching

How do you know there are any objects at all?

I see them and I can touch them

How do you know that objects exist?

I see them and I can touch them

Enjoy your trip
Thanks for you help with your pointers

S.

[CherylVT]

Dear Seekingstill,

How do you know there is an object?
seeing and touching

Now be very specific with your answer.
For instance,
seeing=color and color only
seeing shape = labeling = concept = thinking
touching = feeling / sensation
touching object = label and concept = thinking

So where is the object?

How do you know that objects exist?

Love,
Cheryl

[Seekingstill]

So where is the object?

How do you know that objects exist?

I don't know where the object is. My mind perceives it as existing in this world.
I know objects exist because I see the brown color of the body, the skin feels soft.

[CherylVT]

Dear Seekingstill.

Let's trying this one more time.

How do you know that objects exist?
My mind perceives it as existing in this world.

Since the mind perceives it, then the object is a thought. Only a thought.

How do you know that an object (choose one, only one) exists?
Please use Direct Experience to walk me through your perception of an object.
Be very specific.

Break down "my mind perceives it" into tiny bits of Direct Experience.
Walk me through the tiny bits.

Love,
Cheryl

[Seekingstill]

. How do you know that an object (choose one, only one) exists?

I see my hand. It is brown. My eyes see it. I feel the air touch my hand. It feels cool. I now it exists because I see it and I feel it

[CherylVT]

Dear Seekingstill,

I am still seeking your Direct Experience! :)

I see my hand. It is brown. My eyes see it. I feel the air touch my hand. It feels cool. I now it exists because I see it and I feel it

While this description has several elements of DE,, it is all tangled up with thoughts and concepts and assumptions. These assumptions are what keep us locked in delusion.

So let's review Direct Experience, using your example.

Seeing (my hand is a thought, a concept)
Thinking (my = one concept)
Thinking (hand = another concept)
Seeing (brown).
Yes. Color is the only thing that is seen.
Thinking (my = concept)
Thinking (eyes = concept)
Thinking (it = concept)
Thinking (my eyes see it = concept)
Feeling--sensation = cool
Thinking (air = concept)
Thinking (air touches = concept)
Thinking (my = concept)
Thinking (hand = concept)
Thinking (i is one thought; "know" is another thought; "it" is another thought; "exists" is another thought--a very big assumption).

How do you know "my" exists?
You don't.
How do you know "hand" exists?
You don't.
These are assumptions you have been making since you were one year old.

Does a baby know "my"?
No. A baby is one with the world.
Does a baby know "hand"?
No.

We are still one with the world, though we left babyhood a long time ago.
Now we divide the world into dualities.
Direct Experience is a way to cut through the jungle of dualities: no my, no yours. No hand, no foot, no body.

How do you know anything?
How do you know that you know?


Love
Cheryl

[Seekingstill]

. How do you know anything?
How do you know that you know?

I don’t know, based on your last answer everything is a concept, everything I know is a concept, so I don’t know anything. I don’t know that I know, that’s why I’m still seeking. Conceptually I understand direct experience. But is anything I see, hear, feel, touch, etc real?

[CherylVT]

Dear Seekingstill,

I have returned from vacation, so now i can focus on your response.

is anything I see, hear, feel, touch, etc real?

Excellent question for your inquiry. It's useless for me to answer this question for you.

Let's move on to a Body Exercise.

Sit with eyes closed for about 15 minutes.
Paying attention only to the pure sensations, without relying on thoughts or mental images:
Can it be known how tall the body is?
Does the body have a weight or volume?
In the actual experience does the body have a shape or a form?
Is there a boundary between the body and the clothing?
Is there a boundary between the body and the chair?
Is there an inside or an outside?
If there is an inside - the inside of what exactly?
If there is an outside - the outside of what exactly?

What does the word/label ‘body’ ACTUALLY refer to?

What is the ACTUAL experience of the body?

Look very carefully, especially with the last question. Take your time, don’t rush. You can look several times during the day while doing other things (like washing hands, showering, having a short break from work, walking, etc) before replying.

Love,
Cheryl

[Seekingstill]

Can it be known how tall the body is?

The answer to all of these questions is a thought, thoughts are not real, they have no substance
Height 5’7’- thought

[Does the body have a weight or volume? [/quote]
Weight 188 pounds- thought

In the actual experience does the body have a shape or a form?

Body shaped like a human, thought

s there a boundary between the body and the clothing?
Is there a boundary between the body and the chair?

no
Boundary between me and the world- seeing me and seeing world, only tell by touch, both thoughts

. Is there an inside or an outside?

yes, inside this body and outside this body

. If there is an inside - the inside of what exactly?

Inside of body, nothing there, imagining empty space, thought

If there is an outside - the outside of what exactly?

Outside- is outside of body, seeing objects beyond body

What does the word/label ‘body’ ACTUALLY refer to?

something that is housing an awareness/consciousness/thought as me

. What is the ACTUAL experience of the body?

whatever the mind thinks/perceives/labels as inside-outside -shape-form-height-weight etc

[CherylVT]

Dear Seekingstill,

If there is an outside - the outside of what exactly?
Outside- is outside of body, seeing objects beyond body

Ha! No fair using a circular answer to a question. The outside is the outside, therefore it is the outside.

Does a baby perceive inside and outside of the body?

What does the word/label ‘body’ ACTUALLY refer to?
something that is housing an awareness/consciousness/thought as me

What is that "something?"
Is it a body?
If it's a body, how do you know it's a body?
How do you know awareness is "housed" inside the body?
Might awareness be outside the body?
Oooh. What if there's only "outside"? And no inside?

Love,
Cheryl