Good morning!
Can you see that this control thing may be viewed from several viewpoints?
Let's keep this simple.
In this forum, you are here to see no self. This includes seeing that there is no controller or decider and a few other things. We'll get to those.
To learn that, you are learning to recognize the only 6 things are Actual Experience: seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling, and thought arising but never the content of the thought which is always a story that we made up.
Therefore, from your comment above: control, viewed, several, and viewpoints are all content of thought. They are made up. They are story. Someone had to teach those to us. And we have to believe it. We cannot see it, hear it, feel it, taste it, or smell it.
If we actually look, and stop believing in them, they disappear.
And guess what? Fear is the same way!
Fear equals Sensation (AE) + Thought Arising (AE) + thought content that is believed (NOT AE).
Don't believe me. LOOK!
Here's an exercise for noticing this fact about fear.
Please make a list of the Body Sensations related to fear. Reply with that and I will give you a second step.
Regarding stories of viewpoints, anywhere else, and after you are finished here, you are welcome to entertain as many stories (viewpoints) as you like. But here, we have a specific goal and a specific context. To do otherwise will prevent you from reaching your goal.
My job is to help you reach the goal of seeing no self. Whatever it takes.
We are both here voluntarily. I am a volunteer. And you volunteered to be here. I'm not saying a choice was made. Yes, this is kind of a paradox. There is no body, but if I step out in front of a bus, I will die. We are not looking at that level here.
I agree with what Sam Harris say that I never Know what I am going to say or think next.
Waking Up is one of my favorite books. To agree with Sam Harris is generally to agree with the facts, to agree with reality, to see what is and not the lies we made up to believe in.
His statement of no choice goes beyond talking. I can't recall whether that's covered in the book, or just in the podcast that I've heard. But I'm pretty sure it's in both places.
However, this is not a course in Sam Harris. He has put out an app for meditation, but I've done through lesson 15 and it still isn't as direct as what we're doing here. His is made for people who've never meditated, so he starts way back at the beginning. Besides, while you're doing this, you have put aside everything except a meditation practice you already have.
I do appreciate that you are guiding me and I want to do the exercises as expected. I will try it again and just turn the damn palm.
Great, and thank you, but before we go back to the Palm exercise, we need to look at that fear. Please do the exercise above and report back with a list of Sensations that arise and are then labeled "fear."
Remember, I'm on your side. This works. But only if you follow the instructions.
Much love,
