When You've Seen No Self then "Lost It"

The sudden realization of no separate self isn't as elusive as some like to pretend it is. Teachings have spread like wildfire through the internet and people are waking up after just weeks rather than years of seeking.  But the truth is that I've run into quite a few seekers who've quickly seen it then run back to the safety of selfing claiming that they haven't.  It's a fairly natural response.  After all, how many of us really want to be exposed as an elaborate work of fiction or nothing more than character in some fantastic story?

Then there are those who clearly see that there is no central controller "inside" and the revelation brings a tremendous sense of openness, freedom, and a lightness of being.  For the first time, they feel real joy. Unfortunately, the bliss of initial realization may wear off rather quickly, leaving the seeker with a sense that they've lost something precious.

But that just can't ever be true.

No matter how many times it's seen, of course the self comes back.  There's no reason for it not to as it's as natural a part of life's function as the fact that it was seen to be false.  As Liberation Unleashed co-founder Ilona Ciunate says in her "I think I haven't seen it" post, life doesn't stop.  It was life that created the sense of self in the first place!

That there isn't a You is a fact, not a state.  It's a fact that can be looked at through all of "your" history.  Examine it.  Has the you ever been there?  Is it here right now, ready to be pointed to?  If not, rest assured that nothing has changed and that a separate self hasn't suddenly popped into existence.

Do you feel a sense of self now?  Where?  Take a look to see whether it can be found in this moment, and if you need to do it again in the next moment, do so.

Has it been located yet?  No?  Keep checking until you stop looking over your shoulder.


photo credit:  Light and Sound by ahermin on deviantart