Kernels

[robebor]

LU is focused guiding for seeing there is no real, inherent 'self' - what do you understand by this?
A bird chirping now outside my window even while eyes open and writing you is heard without a hearer, neither inside nor outside, or everything inside, yet there’s some slight labeling and seduction into the mystery and inquiry into presence. Nothing can push the sound away or bring it closer. It feels naked as me/not me.

What are you looking for at LU?
I’m looking to deepen not-self, pointing to and dissolving any remaining resistance to that understanding and challenging not-self as a realization or spiritual acquisition. I identify as a recovering addict to awakening, its strategies (reading and listening to dhamma talks) and supports (retreats). I think I’m still planning on being two cents more robust in my happiness.

What do you expect from a guided conversation?
I hope to hear helpful pointers to blind spots and friendly support. Ultimately I hope to hear myself articulate what living a fully liberated life means to me. Hopefully a guided conversation can begin by grounding ourselves in seeing as seeing and hearing as hearing at first. Ideally I’d like to work with someone who can articulate fetter work and has some understanding of my Theravadan background.

What is your experience in terms of spiritual practices, seeking and inquiry?
Temporal lobe epilepsy as a child/teenager made it difficult for me to associate bodily sensation in a container. My parents introduced me to meditation and yoga when I was 13 to help me cope with disruptive mystical visions, nondual experiences, and fear/uncertainty. As an adult I cultivated a Theravadan gradual path through numerous 1 month retreats, several 3 month retreats and a year-long Buddhist monastic ordination. Initially I began with Burmese Mahasi and U Pandita approaches and then I cultivated Sri Lankan (Bhante G) and Thai forest style approaches to various samadhi and jhanic states.

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