Great! Here are the final questions, please answer all in one message, give each answer clearly below the question for ease of reading for other guides. Answer only from direct experience, do not answer anything based on belief or memory of earlier experiences (except for the questions that directly ask for a memory). Enjoy:
1) Is there a separate entity 'self', 'me' 'I', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever?
ANSWER:
2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works from your own experience. Describe it fully as you see it now.
ANSWER:
3) How does it feel to see this? What is the difference from before we started this dialogue? Please report from the past couple of days.
ANSWER:
4) What was the last bit that pushed you over; made you look?
ANSWER:
5) Describe decision, intention, free will, choice and control.
ANSWER:
6) What makes things happen? How does it work?
ANSWER:
7) What are you responsible for? Give examples from experience.
ANSWER:
8) Anything to add?
ANSWER
2nd coming
Re: 2nd coming
With love,
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Re: 2nd coming
1) Is there a separate entity 'self', 'me' 'I', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever?
ANSWER: No, there is no separate self and it never existed, only as a thought.
2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works from your own experience. Describe it fully as you see it now.
ANSWER: The illusion of a separate self is a series of consistent thoughts that talk about a “me”: the body and the controller of the body, the thinker and the experiencer, the speaker and the decider are all “me”. These thoughts spin elaborate stories about the “me”, which are quite different from direct experience.
I can’t tell you how or when it starts from direct experience because I don’t remember.
The body moves and a thought says ‘I did it’. The body thinks and a thought says ‘I was thinking’. The body sees something, and a thought says ‘I can see it’. Everything points back to the “I”, the doer, thinker and experiencer, the liver of this life in time.
It is an illusion because this “I” is only a thought. The “I” that appears in thoughts is powerless – it cannot control anything – it is a phantom, pure imagination, an invention. The reality is that the body does everything on its own – the body experiences, the body thinks, the body moves.
3) How does it feel to see this? What is the difference from before we started this dialogue? Please report from the past couple of days.
ANSWER: The truth of no self was seen many months ago, but it couldn’t sink in fully then. Childhood trauma was blocking the way – the phantom “I” was holding onto a wound created in early childhood. Only after the trauma was released could the truth sink in more deeply.
There are no more doubts and there is no more seeking. No more books are read, no more videos are watched. There are no more questions. Everything feels neutral. The mind is quiet and feelings are weak. If a feeling appears, it is fully accepted and felt. Thoughts are not taken seriously and are often interrupted midway by silence.
4) What was the last bit that pushed you over; made you look?
ANSWER: The crucial bit was releasing the trauma, which was extremely painful. A big chunk of the “I” went with it. It was standing on very weak legs afterwards, and consistent self-inquiry destroyed it completely. The last bit that was hanging there was destroyed by the realization that the “I” was not the thinker and not the one who was listening to the thoughts either. There is simply no “I”. “I” or any kind of identity is always just a thought.
5) Describe decision, intention, free will, choice and control.
ANSWER: Decision: The thought that contains the decision appears in the mind by itself.
Intention appears in the mind by itself.
The “I” has no free will because it doesn’t exist. The body functions on its own, which the phantom “I” cannot influence. Belief in the “I”, however, can and does influence things, because it is part of the programme that runs the body. It can cause a lot of suffering.
6) What makes things happen? How does it work?
ANSWER: From direct experience I cannot tell you what makes things happen – the body and the mind just function on their own. I can only speculate about the “how”, but that is not relevant here.
7) What are you responsible for? Give examples from experience.
ANSWER: Because the “I” doesn’t exist, it cannot be responsible for anything. All the things the body said and did, it did on its own. That is true about other bodies too. There is no-one to blame for what bodies do. There is simply no-one.
8) Anything to add?
ANSWER I would like to express my gratitude to
Henri, my wonderful first LU guide who made me see for the first time
Vince, my 2nd LU guide, who helped me break through childhood trauma, and who continuously helps me through his active presence in his groups
Elad, my lovely 3rd LU guide, who has been patient and supportive.
Thank you guys!
avva
ANSWER: No, there is no separate self and it never existed, only as a thought.
2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works from your own experience. Describe it fully as you see it now.
ANSWER: The illusion of a separate self is a series of consistent thoughts that talk about a “me”: the body and the controller of the body, the thinker and the experiencer, the speaker and the decider are all “me”. These thoughts spin elaborate stories about the “me”, which are quite different from direct experience.
I can’t tell you how or when it starts from direct experience because I don’t remember.
The body moves and a thought says ‘I did it’. The body thinks and a thought says ‘I was thinking’. The body sees something, and a thought says ‘I can see it’. Everything points back to the “I”, the doer, thinker and experiencer, the liver of this life in time.
It is an illusion because this “I” is only a thought. The “I” that appears in thoughts is powerless – it cannot control anything – it is a phantom, pure imagination, an invention. The reality is that the body does everything on its own – the body experiences, the body thinks, the body moves.
3) How does it feel to see this? What is the difference from before we started this dialogue? Please report from the past couple of days.
ANSWER: The truth of no self was seen many months ago, but it couldn’t sink in fully then. Childhood trauma was blocking the way – the phantom “I” was holding onto a wound created in early childhood. Only after the trauma was released could the truth sink in more deeply.
There are no more doubts and there is no more seeking. No more books are read, no more videos are watched. There are no more questions. Everything feels neutral. The mind is quiet and feelings are weak. If a feeling appears, it is fully accepted and felt. Thoughts are not taken seriously and are often interrupted midway by silence.
4) What was the last bit that pushed you over; made you look?
ANSWER: The crucial bit was releasing the trauma, which was extremely painful. A big chunk of the “I” went with it. It was standing on very weak legs afterwards, and consistent self-inquiry destroyed it completely. The last bit that was hanging there was destroyed by the realization that the “I” was not the thinker and not the one who was listening to the thoughts either. There is simply no “I”. “I” or any kind of identity is always just a thought.
5) Describe decision, intention, free will, choice and control.
ANSWER: Decision: The thought that contains the decision appears in the mind by itself.
Intention appears in the mind by itself.
The “I” has no free will because it doesn’t exist. The body functions on its own, which the phantom “I” cannot influence. Belief in the “I”, however, can and does influence things, because it is part of the programme that runs the body. It can cause a lot of suffering.
6) What makes things happen? How does it work?
ANSWER: From direct experience I cannot tell you what makes things happen – the body and the mind just function on their own. I can only speculate about the “how”, but that is not relevant here.
7) What are you responsible for? Give examples from experience.
ANSWER: Because the “I” doesn’t exist, it cannot be responsible for anything. All the things the body said and did, it did on its own. That is true about other bodies too. There is no-one to blame for what bodies do. There is simply no-one.
8) Anything to add?
ANSWER I would like to express my gratitude to
Henri, my wonderful first LU guide who made me see for the first time
Vince, my 2nd LU guide, who helped me break through childhood trauma, and who continuously helps me through his active presence in his groups
Elad, my lovely 3rd LU guide, who has been patient and supportive.
Thank you guys!
avva
Re: 2nd coming
Beautiful Avva, thank you! Will get back to you as soon as I have responses from other guides.
With love,
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Re: 2nd coming
Dear Avva,
Several guides looked and had no questions, so looks like we will land it here for now. Let's give it a little more time though to see if someone asks something.
Meanwhile, I wanna suggest you consider becoming a guide at LU yourself. Now or later. I think the journey you have made, and the sincerity with which you have continued to aim for clarity would make for great guide ingredients, to meet others with clarity, compassion and curiosity. If you chose to do that at some point there are several senior guides that could mentor you.
Please stay in touch with me any time you want, you can write to eladexplore1111@gmail.com
It's been a pleasure to work with you :)
Several guides looked and had no questions, so looks like we will land it here for now. Let's give it a little more time though to see if someone asks something.
Meanwhile, I wanna suggest you consider becoming a guide at LU yourself. Now or later. I think the journey you have made, and the sincerity with which you have continued to aim for clarity would make for great guide ingredients, to meet others with clarity, compassion and curiosity. If you chose to do that at some point there are several senior guides that could mentor you.
Please stay in touch with me any time you want, you can write to eladexplore1111@gmail.com
It's been a pleasure to work with you :)
With love,
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Elad
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.
- Kahlil Gibran
One gets there by being there.
- Master Woof (Gilbert, Ta Hui)
Re: 2nd coming
Thank you, Elad. You're very kind. I might decide to guide later.
Wishing you all the best.
avva
Wishing you all the best.
avva
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