Seeking with playfulness and curiosity

[Sulochani]

LU is focused guiding for seeing there is no real, inherent 'self' - what do you understand by this?
For me, 'no real inherent self' points to the boundless space which I drop into when I am in a meditative state. I feel it beyond the boundary of my physical body and I feel it as an ever changing flow that has the quality of silence, lightness and aliveness. I feel like this is something I share with all whether conscious of it or not.

What are you looking for at LU?
I guess I'm hoping for an outside voice to help me keep focused in a state of mediation, to explore, let go and go deeper, with playfulness and curiosity. I hope that I will be free of any expectations for results but be in the energy and present for what is revealed in the moment. I hope for an honest encounter with what is present in myself in any moment.

What do you expect from a guided conversation?
I expect a respectful trusting relationship in which I can speak authentically without judgement. I hope that my guide can hold the space for me, help shine the light on that which I cannot see and gently navigate me back to authenticity if I stray. I will be present, honest and responsible for my own journey.

What is your experience in terms of spiritual practices, seeking and inquiry?
I have been involved in spiritual practices for about 13 years, starting with reiki, then vipassana meditation, OSHO active meditations, Family Constellations, breathwork, Primal work, hypnotherapy, Tai Chi, Tsi gong and yoga. I have recently taken a meditation workshop with Ilona in Bulgaria and became interested in the forum.

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

[JonathanR]

Hi Sulochani

Welcome to Liberation Unleashed. I read your lovely introduction. That's some great work that you have already been doing for 13 years.

If you are happy to start exploring right now we can get going?

May I ask you what is your current understanding of what 'you' are?


Warm regards

Jon

[JonathanR]

Hello Sulochani,

Please could you reply? I'm happy to offer to guide ym but if I don't hear from you soon I will have to move on to someone who is waiting.

Thank you.

Jon

[Sulochani]

Dear Jon,
I'm so sorry for the late response. I'm new to the forum and I just realised that all my emails from Liberation Unleashed were in my junk folder.

If you are still available, I would very much like to work with you. If you have moved on, I totally understand.

Thank you.
Sulochani

[JonathanR]

Hello Sulochani,

No, I'm delighted to hear from you. Yes we can get started as soon as you would like.?

Did you see my question to you? We can start with that or you might know what you'd like to investigate? We can have a conversation here, in which I can ask you some questions as we go along. These will be pointers towards no self.

Anyway, here is the question that I asked:

May I ask you what is your current understanding of what 'you' are?


Warm regards

Jon

[JonathanR]

Hello Sulochani.

Are you experiencing difficulty accessing LU Gate forum? I was unable to access the website yesterday, that's why I ask. But if you are able to log in please respond.

I was going to say in any case that it's traditional here to post to each other once a day (more often is fine too). This creates an important focus. Please let me know if you cannot do this?

Tbank you

Jon

[Sulochani]

Hello Jon
Thank you for your patience.

Yes, I am happy to begin with this question. Thank you. And I am happy to connect once a day.

Sulochani

[Sulochani]

Dear Jon

May I ask you what is your current understanding of what 'you' are?

I know this sounds like something out of many spiritual books but how to put it into words. I am a flow of energy, expanding beyond the physical and am part of a source of energy that we share. How I experience this is when I sit in meditation and connect and drop into myself. What I experience is different everytime in that energy is moving - one time in my head, then in my toes. What remains constant when I touch this space is a stillness which has a special quality of silence to it. Then things start to move with different sensations in my body and a sense of expanding beyond the body. There is a great sense of peace and a feeling that I don't want to leave this place. When I am not sitting in meditation, it is very easy for me to float into my mind and lose touch with that joyful peaceful space. Does this make sense?

Thank you Jon
Sulochani

[JonathanR]

Hi Sulochani

Yes. All of what you've said makes perfect sense. 😊

I noticed this:

. When I am not sitting in meditation, it is very easy for me to float into my mind and lose touch with that joyful peaceful space

I understand and this is a very common thing for many people.

Is it 'you' though, that 'floats into a mind' (that is 'yours')?

What is going on with that?

Where is that mind?


Love

Jon

[Sulochani]

Thank you Jon. Yes what mind :) the mind is a concept. I can't float into a mind. I am always here. Energy is always here.
Thoughts arise and they are part of me. The float into the space. Sometimes I get attached to the thought and lose sight of the rest beyond the thought.

Love Sulochani

[JonathanR]

Hi Sulochani

. Sometimes I get attached to the thought and lose sight of the rest beyond the thought.

May I haul you up right there please? It may only be the way you have worded this but what 'you' is 'getting attached'?

I understand there's an idea ABOUT an 'I' and and idea ABOUT attachment. But where is the thing that gets attached, and to what, exactly?

What if there, are just thoughts about attachment and then an illusion that 'something is attached' ?

Does it matter if this apparent attachment happens?

Love

Jon

[Sulochani]

Hello Jon

May I haul you up right there please? It may only be the way you have worded this but what 'you' is 'getting attached'?

Like all there is, is the thought in that moment. There is no awareness that there is a thought. When in a meditative state, there seems at times to be an awareness that a thought arises and passes.

Does it matter if this apparent attachment happens?

No, no thought lasts forever. It arises and passes at some point.

Is thought then just energy in another form? or does it even matter, what a thought is. It just is.

Love to you

[JonathanR]

Hello Sulochani,

I am sory for delay in replying. In spite of being stuck at home things here have been unexpectedly busy, on way and another.

May I haul you up right there please? It may only be the way you have worded this but what 'you' is 'getting attached'?
Like all there is, is the thought in that moment. There is no awareness that there is a thought. When in a meditative state, there seems at times to be an awareness that a thought arises and passes.

Nice answer. :-)

When in a meditative state is there a one that is 'in a meditative state'?

I know what you mean about an awareness, including awareness of thought appearing and passing. Would you say that you are awareness?

Is thought then just energy in another form? or does it even matter, what a thought is. It just is.

I know! Does it even matter?

It seems that thoughts do appear but what about their content, what they are ABOUT? (Tax return, dinner, whatever... or even 'I')?

Love

Jon

[Sulochani]

Yes, I understand the busyness Jon. My life is also very busy through these lock down days, in a lovely way.

When in a meditative state is there a one that is 'in a meditative state'?

No, there is no 'one' in a meditative state. It just is. And awareness is just another label for this state but it is almost a stateless state.

It seems that thoughts do appear but what about their content, what they are ABOUT? (Tax return, dinner, whatever... or even 'I')?

There are many varieties of thoughts - some are practical, useful reminders; some reflect past experience; some are daydreams and fantasy; some are inquiring. maybe like little post-it notes :)

[Sulochani]

Apologies Jon. I hit send before I had signed off.

With gratitude and love
Sulochani