LU is focused guiding for seeing there is no real, inherent 'self' - what do you understand by this?
That there is no fixed 'self'..all is process.
What are you looking for at LU?
To be guided to a more straight forward understanding of the way things really are.
The truth of existance..a fully rounded experience of life-flow..or energy that I experience 'myself' to be..To see if I am understanding the truth.
What do you expect from a guided conversation?
To be challenged in my views and assumptions about reality..my idea of who I am in truth.
To be guided by questioning that is helpful and kind..so I can see through the experience I have of 'myself'.
To clarify my experience.
What is your experience in terms of spiritual practices, seeking and inquiry?
I am an Order member in the Triratna tradition.
On a scale from 1 to 10, how willing are you to question any currently held beliefs about 'self?
10
Truth
Re: Truth
Hi Amrita,
Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate your help.
I am sorry for not responding sooner, I must have missed your reply, I was wondering why I had not heard back, I just found this.
I will not be available for a couple of weeks as I have a family funeral to go to next week, and my son is back from Bali for this also which means my time will be less available.
I want to be able to give this exploration my full attention and energy.
With best wishes,
Truth
Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate your help.
I am sorry for not responding sooner, I must have missed your reply, I was wondering why I had not heard back, I just found this.
I will not be available for a couple of weeks as I have a family funeral to go to next week, and my son is back from Bali for this also which means my time will be less available.
I want to be able to give this exploration my full attention and energy.
With best wishes,
Truth
Re: Truth
HI Truth,
Apologies for not seeing this sooner. Usually I get notified when a response on a thread appears but I didnt this time or I missed it.
In the guiding we use a practice of direct pointing to explore the nature of experience and "look" to see if there is a "Self" there. This usually takes the form of questions or exercises where you explore your experience of being alive and look to see if there is anything resembling a self there. It's important to understand that this is not a theoretical exercise. We are not asking you to belive anything that you cannot verify for yourself or to take on any new belief system. It is simply an exercise of looking into the nature of your experience. This takes the form of a dialogue between you and me where I ask you to look at specific aspects of your experience and you report back on here. It's good for both of us if we can post each day to keep the conversation alive as it were. Obviously life gets in the way of that sometimes but it is useful if we can make that commitment to each other. Also, you can message me if you want further information or if something has come up.
It's also really super useful if you can learn to use the quote function as it makes reading replies so much easier.
e.g.
With very best wishes
Amrita x
Apologies for not seeing this sooner. Usually I get notified when a response on a thread appears but I didnt this time or I missed it.
In the guiding we use a practice of direct pointing to explore the nature of experience and "look" to see if there is a "Self" there. This usually takes the form of questions or exercises where you explore your experience of being alive and look to see if there is anything resembling a self there. It's important to understand that this is not a theoretical exercise. We are not asking you to belive anything that you cannot verify for yourself or to take on any new belief system. It is simply an exercise of looking into the nature of your experience. This takes the form of a dialogue between you and me where I ask you to look at specific aspects of your experience and you report back on here. It's good for both of us if we can post each day to keep the conversation alive as it were. Obviously life gets in the way of that sometimes but it is useful if we can make that commitment to each other. Also, you can message me if you want further information or if something has come up.
It's also really super useful if you can learn to use the quote function as it makes reading replies so much easier.
e.g.
If that all makes sense and you are happy to go on let me know and we can begin our journey :)Thank you, yes i am well...thanks for getting back to me.
Lets go then.
With very best wishes
Amrita x
Re: Truth
That's great. Let's jump straight in and look at your expectations around this process.
In your own words what are your expectations for this process?
What is it that you are searching for?
How will you know that you found it?
How will this feel?
How will this change you?
Amrita
In your own words what are your expectations for this process?
What is it that you are searching for?
How will you know that you found it?
How will this feel?
How will this change you?
Amrita
Re: Truth
]Hi Amrita,
Thank you for getting back to me.
I don't know if I have expectations for this process, other than to see the truth and reduce suffering..which seems quite a big expectation on reflection.
I am looking to see the way things really are and to be fully alive and present to whatever arises.
To reduce suffering..being fully with whatever is in this moment.
Not past or future but NOW..however that is.
I will know I have found it when I am content with arisings as they happen, in this moment, pleasure and pain being just the way it is, not pushing away experience, or pulling towards, but resting in the present moment as best I can.
This will feel like a huge letting go..a relief from suffering, more feeling the flow of life as if happens without resistance, like swimming in a cool lake, breath and water together.
I will be changed by being accepting of stuff as it happens, relaxing in the present moment, without wanting things to be different than they are..that's just the way it is in this moment.
I suppose I will feel liberated from believing my thoughts as the truth, but just as process arising and falling..
That's great. Let's jump straight in and look at your expectations around this process.
In your own words what are your expectations for this process?
What is it that you are searching for?
How will you know that you found it?
How will this feel?
How will this change you?
Amrita
Re: Truth
Nice answers.
Let start with this.
When you read the following, pay attention to your reactions, especially to sensations arising in the body, feelings and also to thoughts that might come up.
There is no I, no self, nobody who is doing anything. There is nobody acting, creating or controlling. The seat behind the steering wheel is empty.
Please post back any reactions or responses to the above statement.
Amrita
Let start with this.
When you read the following, pay attention to your reactions, especially to sensations arising in the body, feelings and also to thoughts that might come up.
There is no I, no self, nobody who is doing anything. There is nobody acting, creating or controlling. The seat behind the steering wheel is empty.
Please post back any reactions or responses to the above statement.
Amrita
Re: Truth
Nice answers.
Let start with this.
When you read the following, pay attention to your reactions, especially to sensations arising in the body, feelings and also to thoughts that might come up.
There is no I, no self, nobody who is doing anything. There is nobody acting, creating or controlling. The seat behind the steering wheel is empty.
Please post back any reactions or responses to the above statement.
Amrita
Firstly a somatic response of relief in my experience, phew..
A essence of tightness falling away, nothing to hold on to, lightness and spaciousness arising.
A response in my heart and belly, yes, this is what is true.
A bit like the waves on the shore, flowing in and out, that is what it is, just life flowing, no one in charge, no one to manage it all.
And real sense of connectedness to the beauty of nature and beings..watching folk going by..I am that little boy with the scooter, that dog playing in the park, no separation between us, just life flow and energy...no hard edges.
Feeling of openness and relief of not having to 'drive'.
Truth
Re: Truth
Firstly a somatic response of relief in my experience, phew..
A essence of tightness falling away, nothing to hold on to, lightness and spaciousness arising.
A response in my heart and belly, yes, this is what is true.
A bit like the waves on the shore, flowing in and out, that is what it is, just life flowing, no one in charge, no one to manage it all.
And real sense of connectedness to the beauty of nature and beings..watching folk going by..I am that little boy with the scooter, that dog playing in the park, no separation between us, just life flow and energy...no hard edges.
Feeling of openness and relief of not having to 'drive'.
Truth
Re: Truth
Wow! Nice one.
Let's begin to explore your experience more fully in order to see there is no self anywhere to be found. In this we will be looking at experience in terms of the five sense bases, touch (sensations), sight (images/colours), hearing (sounds/speech) smells and taste as well as the mind element (thinking, choosing, labelling, mapping, interpreting etc).
Lets start with the body and physical sensations.
If you close your eyes and look at the sensations in your body can you find any self or I within any of those sensations? Do these sensations belong to you or are there just sensations?
With your eyes closed touch something. Can you describe what the sensations are like? If you push against something with your hand can you experience your hand separately from the thing you are pushing against or are there just sensations? Is there a self or I anywhere to be found in the sensations?
As you go about your daily life, try closing your eyes at different times of day whilst engaging in different activities and pay attention to the sensations. Can you find a separate self anywhere within the experience of physical sensations?
Amrita
Let's begin to explore your experience more fully in order to see there is no self anywhere to be found. In this we will be looking at experience in terms of the five sense bases, touch (sensations), sight (images/colours), hearing (sounds/speech) smells and taste as well as the mind element (thinking, choosing, labelling, mapping, interpreting etc).
Lets start with the body and physical sensations.
If you close your eyes and look at the sensations in your body can you find any self or I within any of those sensations? Do these sensations belong to you or are there just sensations?
With your eyes closed touch something. Can you describe what the sensations are like? If you push against something with your hand can you experience your hand separately from the thing you are pushing against or are there just sensations? Is there a self or I anywhere to be found in the sensations?
As you go about your daily life, try closing your eyes at different times of day whilst engaging in different activities and pay attention to the sensations. Can you find a separate self anywhere within the experience of physical sensations?
Amrita
Re: Truth
With my eyes closed, the sensations in the body are just sensations cold and warm, pressure and space..
They do not belong to 'me'.
As I press against something, there is no me to be found, just sensation...a rich texture of sensation, no self.
This happens a lot, as I go about my daily life, I there is vast spaciousness and a quality of awareness..interconnectedness, there is no separate self anywhere within the experience of physical sensations.
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