Requesting a guide!

[lmellen]

Hi Sarah,

What is still caught up with ‘I’? See that it is just thinking happening.

Thought complaining about thought!

Can ‘you’ actually stop identifying? Try it! All that is required is to see and/or notice it when remembering happens – BE with what is – sensation – hearing, feeling, seeing etc. See thoughts trying to build story again

Thoughts are slippery little buggers!

Most of the time thought has been going on before seeing realizes it. Thought comments about everything!
It starts almost immediately, about anything, and it's almost constant.
Amazingly enough, if seeing is very close, identification starts to break down. If "I" generate a thought, something like "I'm watching thought", that's seen as just a thought. Nothing to identify with. No different that 2 + 2 = 4.

Thanks again -- Larryxxx

[Sarah7]

Hi Larry

Most of the time thought has been going on before seeing realizes it. Thought comments about everything! It starts almost immediately, about anything, and it's almost constant.

They do! But content is not what is needed to be seen – that’s story – all that’s needed is just seeing that thinking is happening.

Amazingly enough, if seeing is very close, identification starts to break down. If "I" generate a thought, something like "I'm watching thought", that's seen as just a thought. Nothing to identify with.

Exactly!!!!!! YES!!!!!!

No different that 2 + 2 = 4.

Does it! :)
Lots of Love Sarah xxx

[lmellen]

Hi Sarah,
What's next?

Thanks again -- Larryxxx

[Sarah7]

Hi Larry
Is anything else needed? Any more questions? Anything else needing to be looked at?

Do you feel the illusion of the self has been seen through? If so what remains?

So just to clarify a few things - as always with direct experience:

Have you been able to find, a ‘self’ that is the ‘experiencer’?
Or a self that is the doer, or can control what happens?
Or a self that ‘makes’ decisions?
Or a self who ‘does the thinking’?
Is the "body" just another thought label for sensations (namely tactile & kinesthetic)?
Are the five body senses made to arise or experienced by this ‘self’?
Is there a self ‘in here’ which is separate from the world and others ‘out there’?
Is there doubt or un-clarity that in all these cases the ‘self’ is nothing other than a mental fabrication?
Lots of Love Sarah xxx

[lmellen]

Hi Sarah,

Do you feel the illusion of the self has been seen through? If so what remains?

Yes
Actually everything that was here before is still here, just no one to own it.

Have you been able to find, a ‘self’ that is the ‘experiencer’?

No self or experiencer.

Or a self that is the doer, or can control what happens?

No doer or controller.

Or a self that ‘makes’ decisions?

No decision maker.

Or a self who ‘does the thinking’?

No thinker.

Is the "body" just another thought label for sensations (namely tactile & kinesthetic)?

Sarah, there is just the body. Doing DE there is still the body? Are you saying the body is not real? Is this question important?

Are the five body senses made to arise or experienced by this ‘self’?

No.

Is there a self ‘in here’ which is separate from the world and others ‘out there’?

No.
Sarah, what does "not separate from" actually mean?
Sometimes it seems that everything seen is connected by the space it's inside of, usually large areas like supermarkets. The cat on my lap is not separate from the seeing.

Is there doubt or un-clarity that in all these cases the ‘self’ is nothing other than a mental fabrication?

No

Thank you Sarah --Larryxxx

[Sarah7]

Hi Larry

Sarah7 wrote:Is the "body" just another thought label for sensations (namely tactile & kinesthetic)?

Sarah, there is just the body. Doing DE there is still the body? Are you saying the body is not real? Is this question important?

Sarah7 wrote:Is there a self ‘in here’ which is separate from the world and others ‘out there’?

No. Sarah, what does "not separate from" actually mean? Sometimes it seems that everything seen is connected by the space it's inside of, usually large areas like supermarkets. The cat on my lap is not separate from the seeing.

Yes – now look at the body – is the experience the same? Is the looking the same?
Lots of love Sarah xxx

[lmellen]

Hi sarah,

Is the "body" just another thought label for sensations (namely tactile & kinesthetic)?

Yes. Is it not still that which it is? This thing called a body.

Is there a self ‘in here’ which is separate from the world and others ‘out there’?

No. Sarah, what does "not separate from" actually mean? Sometimes it seems that everything seen is connected by the space it's inside of, usually large areas like supermarkets. The cat on my lap is not separate from the seeing.

Yes – now look at the body – is the experience the same? Is the looking the same?

Yes, this body is also not separate from anything that is being seen.
I've also just seen that the body operates on it's own. I've been watching my hands do the dishes for years, and it seems they move with a life of their own. It felt like I wasn't controlling them. The dishes got washed. I picked up a exercise in the posts from other guides requesting that when walking to see if the legs moved on their own. They do. So does the whole body. It feels weird!

Thank you Sarah -- Larryxxx

[Sarah7]

Hi Larry

Yes. Is it not still that which it is?

Well – how can you ‘know’? Any thoughts about it would be…….what? The body is not separate from seeing as you have seen – isn’t that all you can ‘know’?
Try this:
The Palm Exercise:
Bring your right-hand up and hold it naturally in front of your face, about 6 inches away, palm facing. Look at the palm, the lines, the differences in colour of the skin, the different kinds of lines, raised and lowered portions…look at the landscape of your palm. Notice the “I am looking out at the palm?” Just notice and enjoy this “you” looking out at the palm. Notice where the “you” that looks out seems to reside. Notice any sense-of-self, sense-of-you. Do that for a few minutes. Then, continue to do this, but switch the focus… Rather than “you looking out”, isn’t it the case that the eye is merely receiving reflected light bouncing of the palm? So, do what you need to do to shift the focus to being the receiver of light from the palm. Just receiving… And while receiving…notice if looking has stopped. And has the looker stopped? Explore…notice what you notice…the felt differences between these two modes.

Yes, this body is also not separate from anything that is being seen. I've also just seen that the body operates on it's own. I've been watching my hands do the dishes for years, and it seems they move with a life of their own. It felt like I wasn't controlling them. The dishes got washed. I picked up a exercise in the posts from other guides requesting that when walking to see if the legs moved on their own. They do. So does the whole body. It feels weird!

Are you clear with this now? Would you like to look at this some more?
Lots of Love Sarah xxx

[lmellen]

Is the "body" just another thought label for sensations (namely tactile & kinesthetic)?

and

Well – how can you ‘know’? Any thoughts about it would be…….what? The body is not separate from seeing as you have seen – isn’t that all you can ‘know’?

Yes it is, the sensations do point to something, but what that actually is, is not knowable. Finally got it!

Are you clear with this now? Would you like to look at this some more?

Yes I would.

Thanks for the palm exercise. I used it on the control panel to the elliptical in the gym. The focus switched very quickly and easily. I will play with this every time I'm in the gym. The hand will work fine at home.

Thank you Sarah -- Larryxxxx

[Sarah7]

Hi Larry
Ive pm’d you.

Yes it is, the sensations do point to something, but what that actually is, is not knowable. Finally got it!

Do you experience a sensation inside another sensation? Do you experience a perception inside another perception? A sensation inside a perception, a perception inside a sensation? Do you experience a body in the world and a mind in the body? How can a body be in the world and a mind in a body? Do you experience a thought inside a perception or a sensation? How can you experience a thought inside a body or inside the world? Experience has no inside or outside – it is just experience seamlessly experiencing.

Yes I would.

Stop looking at objects and focus only on space. Walk around for about 5 to 10 minutes and focus only on the space around you. Let you hands move around in the space as if they were disembodied from you, from your story, from your identity, from your family, from your past. Just hands dancing in and exploring the space. Explore the idea that your hands are just little sensitive objects in space, that they aren't inherently bound to or associated with a small self. Just expressions of nature's brilliance and beauty. How does it feel to be pure expression pre-identity? I should say, how do THEY feel to be dancing in the air? Any stress? Anxiety? Thoughts? Speak for them, how do they like the experience?
Love and hugs Sarahxxx

[lmellen]

Hi Sarah,

Really like the hand exercises, thanks.
I have the book, will start it soon.
Will post daily, and report on the exercises.
Enjoy your holidays!

Thank you -- Larryxxx

[Sarah7]

Keep looking for 'are you the body'!
Have fun Larry!
Love and hugs
Sarah xxx

[lmellen]

Hi Sarah,

Seems there is just the body, no one to be the body. Will keep looking.
The first hand exercise does a great job of seeing thought as labeler or commentator. Do this one a lot.
Not sure of the hands floating around in space.They like the space. I'm not sure who they belong to. They are just hands.
Hope you are enjoying the time off! -- Larryxxx

[Sarah7]

Hi Larry
Im off on holiday till Wednesday. However taking my iPad - so should be able to continue our conversation. OK!

Seems there is just the body, no one to be the body.

How is the body separate from the seeing of it? Isnt that thought that does that? Without thought what is actually experienced?

The first hand exercise does a great job of seeing thought as labeler or commentator. Do this one a lot.

Does the hand think then and label? Listen to your senses instead of labels. Also try with eyes shut.

Not sure of the hands floating around in space. They like the space. I'm not sure who they belong to.

Lovely!
Lots of love Sarah xxx

[lmellen]

Hi Sarah,

Nothing tonight, will write tomorrow.

Thanks -- Larryxxx