The Gate

Jim,

Based on what you've said in your responses, I'm going to post the final questions. In addition to that I've given you a few Direct Experience questions as well. Take your time, and thoroughly answer the questions using Direct Experience.

You've done some great work over the past few weeks, and it's been a pleasure working with you.

Here ya go:

1) Is there a 'me', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever? how about self, is there anything that is separate from everything else?

2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works.

3) How does it feel to see this? describe in detail.

4) How would you describe it to somebody who has never heard about this illusion but is curious about it.

5) What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look? was there a specific moment when seeing happened or was it gradual? what exactly happened?

6) When you say "I", what are you referring to?

7) Is there an experiencer experiencing, or is there only experience?

8) Actually look. Does experience belong to the body, or does the body belong to experience?

9) What did you experience at the moment you awoke?

10) Describe your experience in the hours and days following awakening.

Here's a couple of experiments for you:

1. Can you find a chooser in DE? What about Choices in everyday occurrences?

2. Using a bell or tuning fork (substitute with something similar), close your eyes and then ring the bell. Is there hearing of the sound? Just sound? Just hearing?

3. Close your eyes and within experience look to see if there is an inside and/or outside? Does the body exist in DE? Report what you find.

Jim, take your time and focus with the same desire that brought you to LU. This isn't a contest and the main purpose you're here is to see through the illusion of self. Take as long as you need my friend.

Looking forward to your responses.

_Love

Jim....How's everything?! :)

Sorry. I'm back.

That was a lot of questions and I answered them over the course of several days.

[quote1) Is there a 'me', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever? how about self, is there anything that is separate from everything else?][/quote]

No.  There is no "me".  Never was.  I'm not sure if I fully understand the question, "is there anything that is separate."  There is just experience.  

2) Explain in detail what the illusion of separate self is, when it starts and how it works.

The "separate self" is the illusion of control--that there is a separate "ME" doing and thinking and acting, rather that doing and thinking and acting merely taking place.  The illusion of the separate self takes place in thought.  The separate self is created in thought.  Thinking happens, and a subsequent thought says, "I am thinking".  The thought imagines or creates a thinker that is separate from the thought.  Once thought has created a separate "I" or "me", it becomes habitual for thoughts to reference this "self" attached to everything--MY thoughts, My body, etc.  

3) How does it feel to see this? describe in detail.

To me the feeling is calm relief.   It feels like surrender.  Like I am letting go of an idea that, somewhere, I knew was false, but I held on tight.  I would add that it feels like a beginning rather than completing or attaining something I was searching for.  By a beginning I mean that the sense of self is still fallling away.  As time passes, "I" become less attached to the ups and downs and anything else that I think of as "my" stuff.
 

4) How would you describe it to somebody who has never heard about this illusion but is curious about it.

That may be the most difficult question.  I have imagined trying to explain this to friends of family who are not at all familiar with any of it, and in my imagination they always end up thinking that I am nuts.  

5) What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look? was there a specific moment when seeing happened or was it gradual? what exactly happened?

Oh, this has been quite gradual.  I cannot think of one thing that "made all the difference".    All of the pointer that you, Art, have offered, and all of the direct Experience exercises have been wearing down my attachment to a separate self.  I think it is still happening.

6) When you say "I", what are you referring to?

"I" is a way to communicate.  I can't even communicate on this website without talking about "me" and "I".  But "I" and "me" are just ideas.  There is no REAL "I" or "me".

7) Is there an experiencer experiencing, or is there only experience?

Just experience.  There is no experiencer--just the one dimension of experience.

8) Actually look. Does experience belong to the body, or does the body belong to experience?

Yes.  I would  say that the body belongs to experience.  The body is only known through experience, just like anything else that I would have thought of as "outside" the body.  All of it--including the body--is experience.

9) What did you experience at the moment you awoke?

I don't really identify a moment.  As I said before, it feels calm.  This awakening seems to continue.  A couple steps forward, one or two steps back.

10) Describe your experience in the hours and days following awakening.

Calm, peaceful.  Nothing special really.  Thoughts and feelings are still there--sensations happen.  Not taking experience so personally has been different.  Even a headache is different--it's not MY headache anymore.

I will continue with the dE experiments/exercises.

Jim

Hi Jim,

Thanks for posting your answers...:)

I submitted them to the other guides for review. I'll let you know if they have any further questions.

Talk soon,

_Love

Jim,

A few questions from the other guides.

How would you explain this to an interested other (someone seeking for example), rather than family?

What do you notice now? Is anything different from before this guiding started?

Was there ever a me? How about self, is there anything that is separate from everything else?

Look forward to your answers.

_Love

Dear Art,

Thank you for your help in this process. You have been very helpful to me in this endeavor.

I feel as though I have lost some of focus and enthusiasm. It has been difficult to find the time to think about Liberation and topics discussed. Perhaps I will com back to it at another time, when I am more motivated.

love,

Jim

Jim,

You're welcome. I want to leave you a simple observation.

Tomas, has trained for his Olympic marathon race for over 8 years. He's spent countless days and nights in training regiments that tuned and toned his body like a machine. His pre-Olympic races were a stepping stone to evaluate his methodologies, strides, foot strike, pace, and body conditioning. Dietary planning was of the utmost importance as was efficient use of energy stores of the body.

Upon entering the Olympic trials, Tomas was considered a favorite to lead his country into the Olympics and quite possibly he could even take the Gold Medal.

Tomas' training was second to none, his confidence was high and the conditions served his style of running to a T. The setting of the stage was in place for that "day" in which Tomas would run for his life.

On this momentous day, culminating years of discipline and relentless training/diet. Tomas is considered the favorite to win. He leaves the starting line en mass with the other runners. The best of the best, set out on a run of 26.2 miles to determine the worlds premier long distance runner.

Tomas plays it safe for the first 10 miles of the race. Staying in the pack, reserving his energy. No need to break from the pack for the camera's sake, he thinks.

At around the 20 mile mark, the field is thinning. There are two break away runners from Kenya, that cause some concern for Tomas. He wonders if this is when he should charge ahead and break from the now, much smaller pack. He holds firm.

With less than 3 miles to go in the race, Tomas' coach bids him to unleash from the sidelines. This is where the rubber meets the road. Tomas elevates his game, and realizes he is only 1 minute behind the Kenyan's. His stride is strong, energy is good, pace is solid. He makes his break.

Upon catching up with the 2 Kenyan runners, Tomas notices their stride is one of struggle and he seems as though he's gliding effortlessly. With less than a mile to go, he slowly begins to separate from them and takes the lead.

With the finish line just about a mile ahead, Tomas can feel the energy of the growing crowd as they cheer him on.

This is his day, his run, the run of his life. Then a simple thought happens, and Tomas begins to look puzzled.

With just 200 yards till the finish line. Tomas just stops. He has the energy to go forward, the momentum, the crowd, the dream....everything to propel him across the line.

But

He

Just

Stops.

_Love

~Art