Well, reading the posts yesterday on the forum the first impression was fear and horror (which have been common in the past) in the mind and could feel it in the gut.
Fear in the gut, is an emotional response to digesting an idea. Bodies work very closely to the content of thought, and respond accordingly. There isn't a fictional 'you' needed in this context. All that is happening is thoughts reacting to a story and sense content following, for example, an animal may 'flinch' when frightened, this is for survival, it is direct experience of reality, and not the protection of the story of a ghost which lives inside a meat suit.
But now there is a sincere curiosity. Because ever since I got introduced to spirituality and no self, I have always thought about it from then onwards. But thinking about it in the sense of absolute zero, that I have NEVER existed makes the inquiry strange. Nway, If I have never existed, something yet has. What is that ?
There is no purpose in pretending as if body doesn't exist. It does. But it isn't a who, it isn't personal. There is even a sense of a self that is produced by body/brain. It isn't a soul though, it isn't even a spirit, it is absolutely not what it seems it is. It is just something that happens because there is a body/mind there. The brain creates a story of a 'you' based upon senses, thoughts, experiences. There is no you. It is not possible! All you have to do is LOOK at this, instead of THINK about this.
After the 'me' is created, you start to label actions: "i did this', "he did that", "I am awesome", "I am evil" etc. The truth of the matter is there is no 'you' which is anything at all. It is just a machine doing it's job. Life is not personal in reality.
Look for 'me' thoughts in between our next posts. To quote Ramana: "You may think you are the doer, but, I assure you, you have never done a thing". What Ramana is pointing to here, is not that life is an illusion, but rather the stories we tell about being these spirits that are good and evil, are complete lies. You are not the doer. You are not the experiencer, and you are not the knower. There isn't a you, anywhere, at all.
Now, please tell me how it is that 'you' exist. Not your hands, feet, head, or spine-these things are not worth debating the existence of. Body is clearly there, it can die, etc. We are not pointing to speculation here, we are looking at the most true truth there is. It IS scary at first! But on the other side of this truth is the most authentic living possible.
Show me that your 'you' exists. Show me the one who can go to hell or heaven. Show me the one who can be truly could be accused of a failure or who should be praised for good deeds. Does he exist in reality, or does he exist in 'your' story? :)
Sending much love,
Jeff