Caring Too Much About This?

[Riverexe]

Hi Stephen, thank you for your kind words. It was an absolute pleasure to walk this path with you. You have my email so ask questions if you feel the need.

Thank you Steve,

Is there a separate entity 'self', 'me' 'I', at all, anywhere, in any way, shape or form? Was there ever?

No and no. It is a no-thing invented by thought.

Explain in detail what the illusion of the separate self is, when it starts and how it worked from your own experience. Describe it fully as you see it now.

The illusory separate self is an idea. It began as a young child when an apparent separation was perceived or deduced. This self was a coping mechanism, a way to supposedly manage the physical world. It seemed like there was an isolated individual in here and an out-there world. The individual needed to behave in a certain way to get what it wanted and to avoid what it didn't want. It seemed like the world was wrong somehow, and that this separate me was also wrong in lots of ways. Stories of this separate me were repeatedly bought into, and became entrenched as a reality - a thought reality. Emotions like fear, anger, guilt, and shame were the result of buying into the thought stories (including the images and feelings that came with them). There was a point when following thoughts was believed to be the only acceptable way to navigate life. It is a self that is all about conditions and limitations, subjects and objects. It is an abstraction of reality, a blinkered viewpoint.

How does it feel to see this? What is the difference from before you started this dialogue? Please report from the past few days.

It feels a bit sad to remember the story of all those stories with their struggles, and yet it's a sweet relief to have really seen that this me never existed actually! The difference now is that the stories can't be fully bought any more - the apparent constriction is not so possible to maintain, because this being-awareness pops out of the story before too long. It recognises what it is (and that it was never really inside the story anyway).

What was the last bit that pushed you over, made you look?

This: There is no self, no doer, no controller and there never has been. Also the DE exercise before that helped me look properly and earnestly.

Describe decision & give examples from experience.

Decision is not a real thing, it's all just nature happening with no real cause or effect. For example grass grows, cows eat, people think, people act, and it's all one energy in flow and flux, not a decision. It's like saying the sky decided to rain - when and where was that decision taken?! It can't be found.

Describe intention & give examples from experience.

Intention is a commentary thought saying "I intend .... in future" or "I intended that ... in the past" and that's all. For example; I intended to go shopping but got distracted with work" - just commentary and labels about reality!

Describe free will & give examples from experience.

Free will is just another thought jumping onto reality and claiming it has some power. It's also just an illusion. For example; I use my free will to do yoga or go for a walk, but as with intention and decisions, these actions are the whole of nature happening, with no one in charge - at least no one that can be called the self, or myself.

Describe choice & give examples from experience.

Choice is the same illusion - no one decides to enjoy coffee with milk or without milk. It just is, there's no choice in that really. And it's the same with all apparent choice.

Describe control & give examples from experience.

Control is a description of an event or process. For example a footballer may control the ball, or a singer may control their vocal chords, but these are not personal achievements - because there is no separate person achieving them. As with every event or process, it's infinite being doing it.

What makes things happen? How does it work?

It's really a mystery. Not a clue.

What are you responsible for? Give examples from experience.

I am not responsible for anything because I have none of the above imagined abilities... Because I am not here. To quote Rowan Atkinson; finding the answer is a bit like the blind man...in the dark room... looking for the black cat... that isn't there.

Do you have anything to add?

Love and beauty are the default backdrop - in, through and around it all, which is the subtle difference, and a massive difference. Not needing to search is the enjoyable simplicity of this.

[Steve101]

Hi Stephen, yes, not needing to continue seeking is a huge relief….it was for me.

Three other guides have looked and confirmed seeing, they had no questions.

It was a pleasure to guide you and I am grateful that you allowed me to walk this path with you. I would just like to give you some final things to consider:

For the vast majority of us this is not the end of awakening. Deepening, clarifying and letting go continues. Doubt may or may not put in an appearance , this is normal. There can be adverse conditioned responses and old patterns that will get triggered when circumstances align. This doesn't mean that you have lost anything (you can't loose what you always are).

Paying it forward by guiding is a great way to 'deepen' and is a possibility that you may wish to consider.

You will be invited to the Unleashed FB group. You are encouraged to use it to communicate with others that have recently 'gated'. You are invited to any of 3 weekly free zoom groups where you can work on anything that comes up or support and guide people who "have not crossed the gateless gate". (for zoom meetings, email vinceschubert@gmail.com)

With future patterns and beliefs to be seen through, the same seeing that took you through the gate will put these in perspective too. The invitation is to walk lighter in the experiencing.

You have my email address and please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.

Steve