Integrating freedom

[Marcus1144]

LU is focused guiding for seeing there is no real, inherent 'self' - what do you understand by this? That fundamental reality is not split into two and the self holds up that illusion

What are you looking for at LU? I have found writing to be one the most powerful ways of discovering the truth. I am hungry to feel the richness of a community dedicated to a practice that I developed over a number of years. I’m looking forward to contributing and being seen in my process of coming to truth.

What do you expect from a guided conversation? I try not to have many expectations but will lean into the experimence with open mindedness and open heartedness. I imagine that the guide will be testing my assumptions and possible illusions and attempting to help me see through what is not free.

What is your experience in terms of spiritual practices, seeking and inquiry? A good few years now of meditation and self-enquiry and committed dedication to the path of truth and freedom. Have been seeking answers through many traditions and now find solace in knowing indiscriminately all of life’s experiences as the greatest teacher

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

[warissem]

Hi

I am glad to walk with you to see through the illusion of a separate self.

There are some rules of the forum :

Come here once a day to give answers to the questions : if you cannot do it, let me know
Be honest when giving the answers : that is to be sure that the answer has been seen for yourself, not read in books or heard in audios or videos
Read the disclaimer text here : viewtopic.php?f=16&t=221
Learn how to use the quote function here : viewtopic.php?f=4&t=660

Let me know when ready

Best wishes

Warissem

[Marcus1144]

Okay I’m ready. Thank you! :)

[warissem]

Hi

What is going to change after having seen that there is no you, no separate self ?

What is missing right now ?

Best wishes

Warissem

[Marcus1144]

What is going to change? I can only imagine that I will be able to live life with less expectation, comparison, judgment, self-pity, fear of rejection. A greater ease and joy. Asking less of life but somehow gaining more. Knowing life as nothing other than it is.

What is missing? Right now I feel like I’m missing a life that doesn’t fulfil me. I feel purposeless, aimless and feel scared to engage with life fully.

What is missing? I can and have acknowledged true freedom, but find myself with the question of how to bring that off the meditation mat and into the daily actions.

[warissem]

Good morning

A little exercise to begin with :

Rewrite the last post without using "I" and let me know what is arising.

Best wishes

Warissem

[Marcus1144]

Rewrite the last post without using "I" and let me know what is arising.

What is going to change after seeing there is no 'you'? A greater chance of experiencing life/existence free of identification with what is happening and free of evaluating the why's/philosophies/meaning of existence. More directness, nakedness, wholeness and intimacy with life. A greater acceptance and allowance of the personality and humanness to be what it is.

What is missing? Initially confusion arises by the question, but as its placed into focus in the lens of consciousness it seems like it's pointing to a contemplation on what prevents the realisation from penetrating through into the lived experience.

I can acknowledge if true courage arises, there needn't be anything that is missing.

However, there seems to be fear that arises with the question (which feels like a choice to indulge).

A holding onto something, something safe and familiar.

The fear itself seems to manifest in a number of ways, sometimes there's a fear of the vulnerability of the openness, images of knives and guns and being attacked, a general feeling of not being safe as freedom.

Sometimes it manifests as like an intense focus of the body/personality/voice with a sense of distorted shame about when it's allowed to be what it is and not controlled or shaped by some personal agency.

Finally there arises some kind of unwillingness to accept that there is no me, which feels like a stubborn child unwilling to be taught by a teacher.

So there's an element of being unsure about the teaching, a wariness of cultishness, mind-control and disembodied spiritual teachings.

Thank you

[Marcus1144]

Rewrite the last post without using "I" and let me know what is arising.

What is going to change after seeing there is no 'you'? A greater chance of experiencing life/existence free of identification with what is happening and free of evaluating the why's/philosophies/meaning of existence. More directness, nakedness, wholeness and intimacy with life. A greater acceptance and allowance of the personality and humanness to be what it is.

What is missing? Initially confusion arises by the question, but as its placed into focus in the lens of consciousness it seems like it's pointing to a contemplation on what prevents the realisation from penetrating through into the lived experience.

Acknowledgemnet arising that if/when true courage arises, there needn't be anything that is missing.

However, there seems to be fear that arises with the question (which feels like a choice to indulge).

A holding onto something, something safe and familiar.

The fear itself seems to manifest in a number of ways, sometimes there's a fear of the vulnerability of the openness, images of knives and guns and being attacked, a general feeling of not being safe as freedom.

Sometimes it manifests as like an intense focus of the body/personality/voice with a sense of distorted shame about when it's allowed to be what it is and not controlled or shaped by some personal agency.

Finally there arises some kind of unwillingness to accept that there is no me, which feels like a stubborn child unwilling to be taught by a teacher.

So there's an element of being unsure about the teaching, a wariness of cultishness, mind-control and disembodied spiritual teachings.

Thank you

[Marcus1144]

Rewrite the last post without using "I" and let me know what is arising.

What is going to change after seeing there is no 'you'?

A greater chance of experiencing life/existence free of identification with what is happening and free of evaluating the why's/philosophies/meaning of existence. More directness, nakedness, wholeness and intimacy with life. A greater acceptance and allowance of the personality and humanness to be what it is.

What is missing?

Initially confusion arises by the question, but as its placed into focus in the lens of consciousness it seems like it's pointing to a contemplation on what prevents the realisation from penetrating through into the lived experience.

Acknowledgemnet arising that if/when true courage arises, there needn't be anything that is missing.

However, there seems to be fear that arises with the question (which feels like a choice to indulge).

A holding onto something, something safe and familiar.

The fear itself seems to manifest in a number of ways, sometimes there's a fear of the vulnerability of the openness, images of knives and guns and being attacked, a general feeling of not being safe as freedom.

Sometimes it manifests as like an intense focus of the body/personality/voice with a sense of distorted shame about when it's allowed to be what it is and not controlled or shaped by some personal agency.

Finally there arises some kind of unwillingness to accept that there is no me, which feels like a stubborn child unwilling to be taught by a teacher.

So there's an element of being unsure about the teaching, a wariness of cultishness, mind-control and disembodied spiritual teachings.

Thank you

[Marcus1144]

OOPS PLEASE READ LAST OF THREE POSTS, I THOUGHT I WAS MAKING EDITS BUT I WAS JUST DUPLICATING POSTS.... STILL LEARNING HOW TO USE THIS FORUM.

[warissem]

Hi Mikha

I saw that you have asked to be guided by video chat. Then, I consider this thread closed to avoid mis maching between guides.

Good luck

Warissem

[Marcus1144]

I wasn’t aware I couldn’t have both. Can I have both?

[warissem]

Hi

You can have both with the guide using video chat.

Kind regards

Warissem

[vinceschubert]

Hi Marcus, vince here. Sophie tells me that you're ready to dive right in.
So, let's start at the deep end.
Tell me, from the perspective of the organism with the label Marcus, what is actual and what is conceptual?

vince

[Marcus1144]

Tell me, from the perspective of the organism with the label Marcus, what is actual and what is conceptual?

Amazing Vince! Thanks you for your time and energy and presence.

Actual - 'Actual' points to something that is real and fundamental, unchanging in someway as it is forever here and beyond the time/space idea, therefore something that is always here pervading or appearing as all 'things'. Actual can be known naturally through the stripping back of the conceptual.

Conceptual - 'Conceptual' points to something that is not established in reality, i.e. it is transient, reducible and subjective, ideas, theories, beliefs, worldviews, labels, etc. Metaphorically speaking concepts are like the clouds and the actual is the sky, forever there. They can cloud our naked experience of 'reality' and can take us away if we give belief to them.

There is something fundamental about the chair in front of me but also something conceptual.

The word 'chair' itself is a concept, perhaps we have ideas and theories about chairs and a sense of self built in to preferences about chair types, but also there is something fundamental about the chair appearing in front of us as a chair. It's life 'chairing' somehow.

Marcus