The Gate

LU is focused guiding for seeing there is no real, inherent 'self' - what do you understand by this? All characters in every story are fictitious. There is only seeing, hearing, sensing, and thinking. Most thoughts are thoughts about sensation or other thoughts. There is no reality to the world of thought and imagination. It is devised almost completely by the constructs of language. Language assumed an I for communication. There is no I.

What are you looking for at LU? A Community among Seers. I appreciate and value the company of those who have interest in their true nature. This is the most important interest for me, the purpose of being human and here. Being able to share at this level is a treasure.

What do you expect from a guided conversation? I suppose I only expect what arises in the moment, no big expectations. Fresh honesty would be highly valuable, yet we always “get” what we need. Allowing the moment happen as it will fulfills tge expectation.

What is your experience in terms of spiritual practices, seeking and inquiry? Many decades of spiritual study. Most recent 7 years have been devoted to A Course in Miracles, and Self-enquiry of Ramana Maharshi. I am also active in the Headless Way.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how willing are you to question any currently held beliefs about 'self?
10

Hi,

My name is Stacy and I can be your guide, if you would like.

One thing I want to make very clear up front is that with me, you must post every day. If you know yourself and your schedule are such that you cannot do this, tell me, "no," and someone else can guide you, please.

Yes, if once in a while you must post later, please post a note telling me when you will return.

If you haven't already read the disclaimer, please read it now and just confirm to me that you have read it. Here is the link.

http://liberationunleashed.com/disclaimer-2/

Also please read “Liberation Unleashed is not …” in the FAQ’s of LU. Here is the link.

http://liberationunleashed.com/about/faq/#faq-1041

Some housekeeping guidelines:

1. Post at least once a day, or every second day. If you need more time, or are unable to post for several days, just write a quick post on your thread to let me know please.

2. There is no one judging answers given, so please be 100% honest in your answers and inquiry.

3. This exploration is based on actual experience (AE) - smell, taste, sound, sensation, color and observed thoughts. Long-winded analytical and philosophical answers are best avoided and may even hinder progress. This is not a self-improvement process. There is no ‘self’ to improve.

4. Put aside all other teachings, philosophies, rituals, practices, books/reading and so on for the remainder of this investigation. Really put all your effort and attention in to seeing this reality, as it is. If you have a daily meditation practice, it is fine to continue that but is not necessary for this exploration.

Technology is not perfect and sometimes there is a glitch which can wipe out your responses. It is advisable that you copy and paste questions asked into Word, answer them there and then copy and paste them to your thread. Always save a copy of what you have done, it will save time in the long run!

I was a Course in Miracles student for 25 years. So we have that in common. My name is StacyC. Finding that amusing.

To begin with, so that we both become aware of what your expectations are about this exploration. In your own words (not from actual experience, but just honest answers), could you please answer the 4 following questions:

How will life change?
How will you change?
What will be different?
What is missing?

Throughout this exploration I would like you to answer all questions that I have written in blue text. Please answer all questions even if I miss using the blue text.

Please answer questions individually, remembering to use the quote function to highlight the question being answered.

Below is a link to the video with instructions on using the Quote Function. Please watch it. Use the PREVIEW button to make sure your text looks right before you hit "SUBMIT."

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=660

What would you like for me to call you? What time zone are you in, please?

Loving,

So grateful to have your response StacyC.

This invitation seems perfectly suited on many levels to include the amusement and humor of our first names and handle. Furthermore, I changed my name to Anastasia when I was in high school, just briefly for a year, preferring it’s femininity.

I just saw the post this morning as I had missed the initial notification. I’m heading to work in an hour so I wanted to respond that I agree to post daily and I will return in 8 hours or so to answer the following prompt:

To begin with, so that we both become aware of what your expectations are about this exploration. In your own words (not from actual experience, but just honest answers), could you please answer the 4 following questions:
How will life change?
How will you change?
What will be different?
What is missing?

I did read the disclaimer and fully agree. I also reviewed the FAQs.

Looking forward,
Stacy

Good morning,

Lovely. I'm near Boulder, Colorado, US. And you?

Looking forward to it. (Kind of silly, since there's only now, and now, and now)

Loving,

Dear Stacy,

Yes,

I’m in Northern AZ, so we’re now following PST. Yes, when I signed off, I was also noticing the implications of phrase

looking forward

Maybe 🤔 I should just speak simply: I’m enjoying this connection in contemplation today and am delighting in this Self-discovery with your Guidsnce.

This is more true.

Yours,
Stacy

To begin with, so that we both become aware of what your expectations are about this exploration. In your own words (not from actual experience, but just honest answers), could you please answer the 4 following questions:

How will life change?

In the words of the Buddha, “absolutely nothing will change.” So I have to ask myself, what is it that compels me to want to be free? I don’t know if that can be completely known. *Papagi says it’s Freedom Itself. That I feel. When what I am is clearly seen, that there is No One here anywhere, well I expect that I will have a natural sense of aliveness, sensing color as what I am, and sounds as myself, and sensation with curiosity, and thoughts with a grain of salt : ).

How will you change?

Honestly I imagine that I will be more present seeing through this imagined time space hologram. I will no longer be imagining any other time. I will always be here (as I have always been : ) So that’s not really a “change,” and yet it is. More clearly, I will be more fearlessly unattached to this body and all the common concerns about the inevitable death of this body. I will be free to experience every moment simply as it Is. I will be free to freely live completely in the present.

What will be different?

I will see that this world is the most magnificently orchestrated dream I have ever had. I will see all things as I see myself in a dream and see my relationship with this life as intimately as my own thoughts. I will challenge the dream of separation and return again and again to the only place I could ever be, home.

What is missing?

Seeing again and again and again and again. Holding myself in clear light to see clearly, as it Is. I am committing to see through imagined others, imagined storylines, imagined realities of “history.” I need to lovingly challenge these thoughts, and those about imagined cause and effect and how anything Should any be different than it Is.

Yours,
Stacy

Good morning,

Thank you for your replies.

Your expectations are somewhat strong. Yes, it will be somewhat like that some of the time. There's likely to be a honeymoon period when everything seems glorious. But at some point, when you believe something that isn't true, you'll *think* you've "lost it." Full, abiding realization is rare, if not non-existent. What does remain permanently is knowing the truth, even when you may not be feeling it strongly or directly at the moment. Nothing has been lost. The way out is to question your untrue thinking.

Only expectations & fear can prevent SEEEING.

What comes up when is read there is no "self," never has been & never will be? That "self" is a made-up story, a lie?


Loving,

What comes up when is read there is no "self," never has been & never will be? That "self" is a made-up story, a lie?

That’s the best news ever! What a relief! It feels like getting out of an uncomfortable, tight and ill-fitting, cramped, pinching costume. 🤡🤡🤡

I delight in the no-self because then there is no-self anywhere, I will never encounter a self 🤡; I never have and never will. I can see my thoughts (not the contents of) simply as thoughts arising in the clear open field of no-self. I become unattached to pronouns like me, my, & mine… they point to the no-self… they also are fictitious fabrications of language and thought.

I rejoice that I am immersed in no-self because all is happening from a no-self reality and always has. Every galaxy, star, and sun; every sky, tree, and flower; every life that flies, swims, runs, or crawls is clearly happening in this miraculous open and vast no-self. Therefore the self can be seen through, because it was never born; it will never die. The true ocean of awareness (also a thought, but points to This) also can never be born and will never die. It’s symmetrical.

I am actually just as I am, “I” am This, what is seen, heard, sensed, and thought.

Yours,
Stacy

What comes up when is read there is no "self," never has been & never will be? That "self" is a made-up story, a lie?

That’s the best news ever! What a relief! It feels like getting out of an uncomfortable, tight and ill-fitting, cramped, pinching costume. 🤡🤡🤡

I delight in the no-self because then there is no-self anywhere, I will never encounter a self 🤡; I never have and never will. I can see my thoughts (not the contents of) simply as thoughts arising in the clear open field of no-self. I become unattached to pronouns like me, my, & mine… they point to the no-self… they also are fictitious fabrications of language and thought.

I rejoice that I am immersed in no-self because all is happening from a no-self reality and always has. Every galaxy, star, and sun; every sky, tree, and flower; every life that flies, swims, runs, or crawls is clearly happening in this miraculous open and vast no-self. Therefore the self can be seen through, because it was never born; it will never die. The true ocean of awareness (also a thought, but points to This) also can never be born and will never die. It’s symmetrical.

I am actually just as I am, “I” am This, what is seen, heard, sensed, and thought.

Yours,
Stacy

What comes up when is read there is no "self," never has been & never will be? That "self" is a made-up story, a lie?

That’s the best news ever! What a relief! It feels like getting out of an uncomfortable, tight and ill-fitting, cramped, pinching costume. 🤡🤡🤡

I delight in the no-self because then there is no-self anywhere, I will never encounter a self 🤡; I never have and never will. I can see my thoughts (not the contents of) simply as thoughts arising in the clear open field of no-self. I become unattached to pronouns like me, my, & mine… they point to the no-self… they also are fictitious fabrications of language and thought.

I rejoice that I am immersed in no-self because all is happening from a no-self reality and always has. Every galaxy, star, and sun; every sky, tree, and flower; every life that flies, swims, runs, or crawls is clearly happening in this miraculous open and vast no-self. Therefore the self can be seen through, because it was never born; it will never die. The true ocean of awareness (also a thought, but points to This) also can never be born and will never die. It’s symmetrical.

I am actually just as I am, “I” am This, what is seen, heard, sensed, and thought.

Yours,
Stacy

Okay, now you will begin to post with less words, skipping all the ecstatic description. You'll learn to distinguish between the fact that thoughts arise & the content of thoughts ' the stories (lies) they tell.

This is how to LOOK for no self in the exercises - we call them "pointers' - that we will be doing here:

Colored Socks

There is a big difference between knowing that there is nothing to give up and seeing that there is nothing to give up.

Here is an example to illustrate the difference:

If I ask you what color socks you are wearing right now you have two ways to come up with an answer:

• You can think about it, you can think back to this morning and try to remember putting your socks on, and you can probably tell me what color you think they are.

• Alternatively, you can take a quick look at your socks and tell me what color they actually are!

Hopefully you would agree that you can only be 100% certain by looking.

For the purpose of seeing this "no self" idea, it is very important that you are clear about this difference.

Knowing is about knowledge which is all in the mind and we are not interested in that

We are only interested in looking at and seeing what is actually going on in your present moment-to-moment experience. We are only interested in your Direct Experience in the moment..

Direct or Actual Experience is

Seeing
Hearing
Feeling (Sensation, not emotion. Emotion is Sensation plus made-up thoughts & labels)
Tasting
Smelling
Thoughts Arising (but not their content)

Keep your posts very simple.

Please let me know if you are clear about this or if you would like any further clarification.


Loving,

I am clear.

Great. Here we go. This is the first pointer. Much like A Course in Miracles, don't try to include everything, but also don't exclude anything. Everything your attention lands on is fair game.


Direct Experience - Labeling Daily Activities

Here's an exercise that I would like you to try as many times throughout the day as you can. Label daily activities simply color/image, sound, smell, taste, sensation, thought.

So for example, when having breakfast, become aware of:

Seeing a cup, simply= image/color
Smelling coffee, simply = smell
Feeling the warmth of the coffee cup, simply = sensation
Tasting the coffee, simply = taste
Hearing the spoon stirring the coffee, simply = sound
Thought about drinking the coffee, simply = thought

Just break down daily activities into these categories (which are all Actual/Direct Experience) and report back with lists exactly like the one above.

Post several of your own observations in a list *exactly* like the one above, please.

Refer to the green list of Actual/Direct Experience in the prior post if that helps. Those are the only items any experience can be. Anything added is a made up story.

Loving,

Here's an exercise that I would like you to try as many times throughout the day as you can. Label daily activities simply color/image, sound, smell, taste, sensation, thought.

So for example, when having breakfast, become aware of:

Seeing a cup, simply= image/color
Smelling coffee, simply = smell
Feeling the warmth of the coffee cup, simply = sensation
Tasting the coffee, simply = taste
Hearing the spoon stirring the coffee, simply = sound
Thought about drinking the coffee, simply = thought

When brushing teeth, I am aware of:
Seeing my toothbrush, simply = image/color
Seeing my toothpaste, simply = image/color
Seeing the sink, simply = image/color
Seeing the faucet, simply = image/color
Feeling the toothbrush in my hand, simply =sensation
Feeling the brush across my teeth, simply = sensation
Feeling the bubbles foam in my mouth, simply = sensation
Tasting the toothpaste, simply = taste
Hearing the sound of water pour from faucet, simply = sound
Hearing the sounds of brush across teeth, simply = sound
Thoughts about brushing teeth, simply = thought

When petting puppy, I am aware of:
Seeing my puppy = image/color
Smelling his hair and breath, simply = smell
Feeling the softness of his fur, simply + sensation
No taste = haha
Hearing the sound of his vocal intonations, simply = sound
Thought about petting puppy, simply = thought

I could do more, but not sure how many examples you are wanting here.

Here's an exercise that I would like you to try as many times throughout the day as you can. Label daily activities simply color/image, sound, smell, taste, sensation, thought.

So for example, when having breakfast, become aware of:

Seeing a cup, simply= image/color
Smelling coffee, simply = smell
Feeling the warmth of the coffee cup, simply = sensation
Tasting the coffee, simply = taste
Hearing the spoon stirring the coffee, simply = sound
Thought about drinking the coffee, simply = thought

When washing my face:
Seeing the sink, simply = color /image
Seeing the faucet, simply = color /image
Hearing the sound of water, simply = sound
Sensing the temperature of the water, simply = sensation
Sensing the soap foam in my hands, simply = sensation
Sensing the soap upon my face, simply = sensation
Thinking about cleansing my face, simply = thought

I wanted to continue to write as I promised. Hoping all is well for you?

Yours,