Tuesday, August 27, 2013

And I Feel Fine....

 
 
I'll be honest and say that I'm not sure how Liberation Unleashed guides continue to conjure up the energy and momentum it takes to repeatedly analyze and counter concepts seeker use in weaving a sustained entity called a self.  If guiding is done well, the sessions become a tango during which guide has to be willing to stay at least two steps ahead of the seeker.  This little dance becomes an even bigger challenge when the seeker has brought along preconceived notions of what this seeing will look like.  When that happens, they will want to lead even while holding their baggage.  Conversely, when they believe it's all about following the guide in order to earn enlightenment, they will want to go limp so that they can be dragged around the floor even while holding their baggage.


Tip:  Seeing through the illusion can't look any different than it does now.  That there is no inherent you is already the case.


I've done this dance for a while and find that I've recently begun to slow down.  As a guide, I've taken a sort of sabbatical.  While I still work with a few individuals here and there, I feel that for some, interest in learning the steps has waned.  And since it's a dance, I often end up feeling as though I'm the only one left on the floor.  Oddly, I'm beginning to prefer to be left just standing there for a while.

Why?

The further you get into this, the more it becomes evident that working to convince anyone of an idea or concept is not the endgame.  There's just no real point in injecting new thoughts in an effort to replace old ones.  On the other hand, I'll say that if someone is willing to work hard and throw caution to the wind, this process can often turn out really well.  But in those cases there isn't a 'me' trying to convince a 'you' of some new idea. 

It's actually 'you' trying to wrestle with yourself. 

Now...


Here's the bad news, (although you might just enjoy hearing it):   If the inquiry is done right, you won't win.  Neither will I.  We end up just sort of walking away from each other after a handshake and some well wishes.  We'll likely never speak to each other again.  You might contact me again if you've scurried along, content in thinking that the self will never ever return, only to become disillusioned when you later find that that sense of self is still there.

Another tip:  The sense of self, or Conventional Self, is not a problem.  If it's bothersome, it's because you're still standing on 'the wrong side of the gateless gate'.

As for my being left standing on the floor, it's understandable.  There are lots of people who believe they want to see through this illusion as a means to relieve personal suffering, but what they haven't yet bargained for are the implications of it.  Because if there's no You, then what do you suppose that'll mean for your ideas about those you love?  What does it mean for every other self you assume is there and has always been there? 

Before engaging in this inquiry, consider those two questions first.  Are you ready for the world as you know it to disappear? 

Why?


(And if you're one of the folks still working with me, you'll know this post isn't meant for you.  With a willing partner, I do love the dance.)



photo credit:  Gosh, My World by ahmedwkhan on DeviantArt

8 comments:

  1. MY compassion goes out to you Delma. I am glad your and my handshake wasn't just a handshake.

    I'm glad and gratuitous to call you a friend even if I have never met you and you live across the US from me haha.

    Blessings,
    Nick

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    1. It was my pleasure. And I mean that! There's nothing quite like watching this process and seeing that 'click'. It's not a prideful thing, but a sort of shared moment. I just smile wide, and the well wishes are heartfelt.

      I can't see that I'll grow tired of discussing this, but guides can sometimes hit the ground at 1000mph. A balancing is probably inevitable.

      Be well, Nick!

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    2. And when are you coming over to this coast for a visit? We can handshake IRL (grin)

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    3. Agreed!

      I definitely think that the balance inevitably will happen. As a guide it's a good lesson in dropping our expectation of an outcome with one who wants to see just as much as it is the one seeking to drop their expectation of what they are "suppose" to experience.

      The balance is always the tricky part.

      I would love to come over to see you! Financially I will have to be making something comfortable from internet endeavors. So that if i needed to pay for my lodging I could haha.

      I'd like to get Albert in on this action too! Remember when we were talking about that!? Having a meet up, we could get into all kinds of mischief together!

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  2. "The further you get into this, the more it becomes evident that working to convince anyone of an idea or concept is not the endgame. There's just no real point in injecting new thoughts in an effort to replace old ones."

    Isn't this different though? It's not replacing old thoughts with new thoughts - that's just a side effect, and of course doesn't do anything.

    Liberation is about recognizing a pattern that you've never seen before, which does have a real point.

    "As for my being left standing on the floor, it's understandable. There are lots of people who believe they want to see through this illusion as a means to relieve personal suffering, but what they haven't yet bargained for are the implications of it. Because if there's no You, then what do you suppose that'll mean for your ideas about those you love? What does it mean for every other self you assume is there and has always been there?"

    Was never that intense for me. Relationships with people I love are still the same.

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    1. You're right. I've oversimplified or miscommunicated about replacing old thoughts with new ones. The only time that's the case is when the actual breakthrough hasn't happened, and the understanding is only intellectual. And it's sometimes awfully hard to tell when that happens.

      If the realization does happen, yes, it's definitely about recognizing a pattern never seen before. Thought itself is seen through rather than replaced.

      To your second point, while relationships with people I love are still functioning as always, the undercurrent has changed for the better. It's more clear that they are reacting to the environment based on causes and conditions and not because there is a core self with unchanging traits. That's the good news. On the other hand, the fact that there's no inherent self there was initially disconcerting. If my husband was not 'my husband', who or what was he? Though outwardly everything remains the same, they are seen in a new light.

      Have you explored the idea that if there is no you then there are no 'others'? It's an interesting inquiry and is basically one that leads to compassion. I found it valuable.

      Thanks for the thoughtful comments, Hicq. Much appreciated!

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  3. i haven't spoke with you but I enjoy reading you blog and following some of your threads. At first i thought this was a 'thanks, i'm done' post. Glad it isn't, and i'm glad you enjoy it :)

    "Seeing through the illusion can't look any different than it does now. That there is no inherent you is already the case"

    Do you think there is a change in the brain when the gateless gate is crossed? I mean a physical change rather than just a drop in belief?

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    1. Hi and thanks for your comment!

      Relatively speaking, we could talk about the brain being the source of change when seeing through the illusion, but I don't have any knowledge of how that change would manifest.

      Though I've heard that meditation can change the brain, I don't know of any studies on brains pre and post 'gating'. Interesting question!

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thanks for the thoughts...