Enlightening Quotes

7/28/2019 Enlightening Quotes

1/126

Enlightening QuotesCompiled from

actual guiding sessions!

Liberation Unleashed

Warning: This eBook has the potential to change your life:

It is suggested that you read only one quoteper day to allow it to gestate.


2/126

Contents

Chapter 1 ..................................................................................................................... 3

Introduction....................................................................................................................... 3

Chapter 2 ................................................................................................................... 16

Expectations.................................................................................................................... 16

Chapter 3 ................................................................................................................... 29

Fear .................................................................................................................................... 29

Chapter 4 ................................................................................................................... 34

Direct Experience .......................................................................................................... 34

Chapter 5 ................................................................................................................... 47

Labelling & Language................................................................................................... 47

Chapter 6 ................................................................................................................... 60

Story .................................................................................................................................. 60

Chapter 7 ................................................................................................................... 86

Exercises .......................................................................................................................... 86

Chapter 8 ................................................................................................................... 96

Looking ............................................................................................................................. 96

Chapter 9 ................................................................................................................. 120

Gate ................................................................................................................................. 120

Chapter 10............................................................................................................... 123

After Gate ...................................................................................................................... 123


3/126

Chapter 1

Introduction

1. Welcome to Enlightening Quotes, fromLiberation Unleashed.

2. The whole thing is as simple as this:There is no I. There is just whats goingon, here and now.

3. The I is not. It isnt here. Its absent.Zero, nada, zilch.

4. Experiencing is happening. To no

one. It justis.

5. There is no self and never was. Thereis only life, arising or happening. You arenot who you think you are (literally).

You seem to exist because the thought

I appears. Then you believe it, then ithas a life, and then all of your life gets


4/126

created. But that life is not you, and it isnot who you really are.

In reality, you are nothing and no one.

Life is happening and there is nothingoutside of that. The illusion is that you

are personal. Yet nothing can happen toyou because there is no you. Youcant be harmed. The body can perish, but

its not your body any more than aflower is your body its the body oflife.

6. You are not your body. Not yourbrain. Not your mind. Not your thoughts.

7. The mind is playing a great trick, inwhich it appears that the individual is theauthor of their life.Have you ever directly looked to find this

you that is supposedly a separate entitythat controls and directs your life? Thisyou cannot be found. Life just happensby itself. You dont exist separate from lifeas a whole. There is no loss experiencedon seeing this.

8. You have been living your whole lifethinking that you are in control. The truth


5/126

is that you are notin control. Moreexactly, there is no you to be in control.Every action your body has taken, and

every thought that has arisen in yourmind, has happened without anyonebehind the curtains making it happen.Everything that is within your experienceis entirely a product of past events. Just as

your heart beats without anyonesapproval, so your mind thinks withoutanyones approval, and your body actswithout anyones approval. There is no

you back there making it all happen.There isnt even a you back therewatching it all happen. Awareness is

simply arising because the conditions arein place for awareness to arise.

9. The body and all physical objects exist

in reality. But self is not the body. It isnot an object; it does not exist in reality.There is no self separate from whats

happening, no little broken-off piece of lifethat is a special me that you own and

can direct and control, separate from thewhole.


6/126

10. There is no you at all nothing and noone behind experience, but always onlythe experience. There is no you out of

which everything emanates. You haveonly ever been an idea, a notion, createdout of nowhere.

11. We hold beliefs that we never evenstop to think about or call into question.

Often this is because we are not evenaware that these are our beliefs. They areso deeply rooted that we take them for

granted. Self is the Grand Poobah ofthese beliefs, the one that reigns over all

others. But not for much longer. We aregoing to hold it up to the light and see it

for what it really is.

12. There is no you here right now. Younever existed. There is a body and a brain.

That feeling of aliveness is not going to goaway. Life will go on as it always has. Thebelief that there is a you that controlslife can be seen as just that: simply abelief. Just as you no longer believe in

Santa, when it is seen that the self is a


7/126

fictional character, there will no longer bethe belief that it is a real entity.

13. If you grew up with the Santa story,

or some other magical story, do youremember how it was to realize the truth

that the magical character did not exist inreal life? That was seeing through illusionyour parents caused you to believe.

Similarly, this magical I or me cannotbe found, but people still believe in it.Seeing the truth is simply dropping that

belief. Life goes on as it always did, and nochange is going to happen other than in

the way life is perceived.14. How big of a lie would it have to be,

that billions of people throughout the ageswould fail to see through it, even after ithas been hinted at by countless spiritual

traditions? It would have to be the lastthing we would ever question anassumption we are so certain of that veryfew would have the nerve to question itscertainty. Do you want to know what the

lie is? Its you. You are the hypothesisthat cannot withstand direct observation.


8/126

15. This illusion is at the core of who youthink you are and how your world is. Itsbig! All the concepts you use every day

and take for granted will be seen in a newlight.

16. For an illusory separate self, there isloneliness, loss and suffering, as well asneediness and striving. So all our lives,

from early childhood, we may be searchingfor the oneness we lost by falling underthe illusion of being separate. We think

that we are the thinker or the doer in ourlives, not realizing that, like the rest of

reality, we are simply life expressing itself.The mighty ego is not really in charge, or

in control, or responsible for everything.The sages and teachers point the way, but

in our delusion we misunderstand.

17. There is nothing wrong with you. Theyou that you think you are, you are not.What you are is nameless. You could call it

life itself or existence or presence orawareness or nothing. You are already

free. It is only a matter of seeing throughthe thought-illusion that makes you think


9/126

you are in bondage. The bondage is notreal. It is just a story. And you are not astory.

18. There is so much pain in identifyingwith a separate self, in believing that the

story of you and your life has anysubstance worth holding on to. This makesmisery, not only in the mind, but also in

the body, because they are not separate.Untrue beliefs (such as believing in thevalue of worrying about the past or future)

contract the system, and the body paysthe price with tension and pain. Hell is not

some place we might go when we die. Hellis right now; hell is believing that the

stories in the mind are real. Relief fromhell is seeing that there is no one here to

take anything personally.

19. The key to eliminating suffering liesnot in analyzing the contents of thoughtsand feelings, nor in controlling, changing,or eliminating them. It is a matter ofseeing through the belief in a separate

self, which thinks it is having theexperience in the first place.


10/126

20. Seeing no-self is like suddenlylooking at your glass of wine, your bag ofcocaine, or your needle of heroin, and in a

moment of clarity thinking: Why on earthwould I want to do that? Its not good forme, then calmly putting down theintoxicant and walking away.

21. Creating an identity is a means to

navigate in society, but it has no otherpurpose. To awaken is to realize that thestories we obsess over are a waste of

energy.

22. A sense of self, like a sense of

balance, can be a useful tool. An organismcan orient in relation to complexenvironments, mapping danger andopportunity.

23. There is a sense of self, but that is allit is. After awakening, that sense remains,but you ultimately see through it as amind-created illusion. Its not you.

24. Everything we are attempting to

become and do, and all ways in which werelate to others and the world, assumethere is a separate self. This false


11/126

assumption is so deeply unconscious, andso central to our interpretation ofeverything that is happening to us, that

we are able to speak from its viewpoint atgreat length and still not see that webelieve something that is untrue. Thisassumption must become conscious and itmust be examined in the light of reality in

order for the truth to be seen.25. The brush cannot own the creation

of the painting. And all the different

brushes (humans) have their own uniqueways: the thoughts they believe and the

things they do. It brings such a beautifulpalette or tone to the painting. They are

choosing the colors to paint with, so tospeak, but simultaneously have no choice

in whats been chosen.

26. There is no me in any shape orform, in reality. There can be a thought-created I in a story told about me. Butthe thought-created I doesnt refer toanything at all. Its just a thought.

27. Without a me, there is no longerthe possibility of being hooked into the


12/126

story that the me thought is real. Withno I or me, there is peace andfreedom.

28. Thoughts build a small me, agrandiose me, a miserable me, an

awakened me. The variations are endless.And it doesnt stop. Just as optical illusionskeep working, the imaginary self keeps

getting built. But that doesnt make it real.

29. Realizing no-self means regaininginnocence seemingly lost when falling into

duality.

30. There is no self at all, already, andlife is going on perfectly. Nothing is goingto change here, because this is already thecase.

31. Life goes on. Everything arises and

passes away. Without identification,emotions pass more quickly, since they

are free. Meeting everything that comesup with openness and with no resistancemakes the whole experience of life a joyful

ride, rather than the hard work in trying tocontrol what is.


13/126

32. You will learn to observe howthoughts sculpt a self. Watching thishappen is a lot more fun than feeling you

are drowning in thoughts!33. Thoughts cannot be owned. In fact,

nothing can be owned, because there is noowner! The whole concept of ownership isa fallacy. The irony is that everyone

behaves like an owner.

34. The I imagines it is the perceiverbut we cannot locate this I anywhere,

because it is just a thought. So essentiallywe realize that there is no separate

perceiver, only perception itself. Theillusion of separation between perceptionand perceiver is only an idea in the mind.There is no me.

35. This isnt about making the sense ofbeing alive stronger or more clearlyexperienced. Its simply about seeing whatis real.

36. This is not deep. It is not a trick,

where looking means something out ofthe ordinary. It is just looking directly inyour experience to see if whether there is


14/126

a you doing the experiencing or whetherexperience is just being experienced.

37. Please dont believe anything, but

ruthlessly test it out for yourself. This isnot about replacing one set of beliefs with

another one. It is about checking out foryourself, in real life.What is it that actuallyexists?

38. We are not looking for a new beliefhere. We are pointing to an observablefact: that there is no you in reality. The

only place you will find a you is in astory.

39. Nothing that is untrue can withstandthe true it falls away.

40. Reality truth what is real can neverNOT be abiding. No matter what.

41. This is all about seeing the truth.Now. Look for truth every moment.

Scrutinize everything. Instead of planningand doing life, there is letting life unfold.Life invites you to a magnificent dance inevery moment. It is awesome. The danceof doing the laundry, the dance of washing


15/126

dirty feet, the dance of watching the newson television, all without resistance towhat is. Life itself is a beautiful dance

partner and the only guru you need.42. If youre interested, you can do this.

There is a way to look at your self fromevery angle until the inescapableconclusion is reached that the self is just

an idea. It isnt real and never was. Onceyou see this, its over for that belief. Thenyour human energy and body and brain

arent being consumed in the service of alie. Life feels better and easier. If you have

a sincere interest in this, you can do it.


16/126

Chapter 2

Expectations

43. What do you expect to happen?

44. Write down a list of everything youexpect from this process. How do youimagine the awakening will make you feel,what will it be like, and what do you want

it to be like?

45. It is good to recognize theexpectations you have for awakening. It

will be nothing like what you expect. Here

we are not looking for an experience or analtered mind-state. This is not a quick path

to eternal bliss or anything like that. Weare looking for a simple recognition ofreality. That is all.

46. This is not a project where yougather information, cover lots of different


17/126

angles, lay out the results, and drawconclusions. It is about looking within yourexperience to see what the I is. It is

about taking an honest look. Its not aboutthoughts.

47. While it is good to put a lot of energyinto this inquiry, it doesnt require quiettime. We are just observing normal life,

doing everyday activities.

48. There is nothing that needs tohappen. Expecting some grand realization

gets in the way of real seeing. Everythingalready is as it always is.

49. True nature or truth is thesimplest thing there is, but it gets lostunder the piles of crap that get heapedupon it. Then confusion happens. All you

need to do is let stuff go. Drop it. Clear theway. Wipe the sleep from your eyes.

50. Let go of all the beliefs, all the gurusor masters, all the books you have read orseminars you have followed. They wont

help here. This is not something learned; itis something to see. It comes in different


18/126

ways, but when you know it, you know it.The present moment is the only truth.

51. Dont look to liberated others to

define your own knowing. Everyone isdifferent, and every karma-stream is

different. With some there is a huge pop(like a champagne cork), and with others asoft pop. In the end, the knowing that you

have truly seen through self is truly yours.Otherwise this would be persuasion, notinvestigation.

52. This work does not aim to triggercertain types of altered states of

consciousness. These may happen (ornot), yet they are entirely beside thepoint. What these conversations areintended to do is invite you to simply lookdirectly at what is already the case right

now, regardless of whatever state ofconsciousness may be happening.

53. The wish for a final done issurprise, surprise a story of the final carrotto be reached, a reason for the fictional Ito try to get somewhere. Everything isconstantly changing, moving, and


19/126

interacting. There is no done in the realworld. If you want to be at home, be athome in the flow.

54. This isnt about making the sense ofbeing alive stronger or experienced more

clearly. Its simply about seeing what isreal when you are not subject to the Iillusion.

55. You do not have to have a spiritualhistory or a certain number of hours ofmeditation to see the truth. This has

nothing to do with enhanced states, nor isany prior knowledge needed. All you need

is the desire to see, no matter what, andthe will to engage with this inquiry fully.Honesty is your best friend.

56. The aim of this inquiry is not to give

security. It is to see through illusion toreality. And in that process, we find thatthe person looking for security doesntexist. Then the need for finding securityand the need for answers falls away, too.

57. Nothing changes after awakening. Itis just a way to see things differently,without a self involved, and without


20/126

thoughts gripping the mind for hoursabout who and how you are. This is apeace.

58. In awakening, the belief in a solid,controlling self is dropped. All of a sudden

it is seen there really wasnt anything todo, because nothing could be done. It isthe realizing that there is nothing to

realize. Thoughts arise, the body acts, andlife is lived, but it is not happening toanyone.

59. What we are doing here is not aboutstate of oneness. Its not about a fleeting

state that comes and goes. It does notrequire meditation or sitting in silence. Itis about showing the mind what is real andwhat is imaginary.

60. We are not going to take anythingaway. What you take to be your self is anillusion. We are simply going to see this.We will see how this delusion distortsreality and causes all of your suffering.

61. Can you remember some occasionwhen you realized that something youpreviously believed to be true, actually


21/126

wasnt? Have you ever come to realizethat your views on something preventedyou from seeing the thing as it is?

Probably yes. So how would the worldchange if you didnt exist? What ifeverything you had believed to be youwas be seen to be an illusion? Thats onedescription of awakening. You see that you

are not the body, feelings, or thoughts.62. Were not looking for a specific kind

of feeling, or even something out-of-the-

ordinary. Were looking to see what hasalways already been the case no

separation. No in here, no out there,no me here, the rest of the world out

there. Its always been like this and willalways be like this.

63. If there is no belief in a separate

you, then there are no expectations. Lifeis just experience unfolding. Expectationsare nothing more than thoughts.

64. All we are doing here is seeingthrough the illusion that there is aseparate self. You are not going to changeyour stripes for spots. You are not going to


22/126

become a saint. You will not disappear.You never were in the first place. Theworld will be the same world you are

experiencing now. The difference is thatthe story of self will be seen through; thechattering of mind that cries ownership willbe seen to be a lie; the thoughts thatbusily smooth over the holes in experience

will be seen to be fantasy. You will simplynotice that you have a new perspective,and that you no longer believe in aseparate self.

65. Look closely at the most precious

beliefs that are close to the heart, those inthe no-touch zone. They are the ones

that you really need to inspect up close.You will recognize them by the feeling of

resistance. Follow resistance. It is here to

let you know that another bit of the lie issitting somewhere, waiting to be noticed.

66. Realization feels like waking up in adream. You havent left the dream, andnothing looks any different, but there is a

feeling that whatever you are is vastlydifferent than what you have previously


23/126

taken yourself to be. This realizationcreates a feeling of wonder. You will see ata deeper level how powerful the illusion

created by the mind is.67. There really is no liberation as such.

Who is liberated? No one.

68. Awakening from the story of selfdoes not mean that all of a sudden all ofyour problems are going to vanish thatthere will suddenly be no more toughemotions or challenging situations. This is

not about getting away from difficulty,pain, and suffering. Not at all. These are,

and will remain, part of the drama of livinga human life. So please dont considerdifficult feelings and overwhelmingthoughts as a sign that youre never goingto get this, or youre doing things wrong.

69. Tell me, does a tree meananything? How about a bug, a bird, or aflower? Does life need a meaning to carryon life-ing? Do you see how humans seekfor a meaning and put one where it isnt

just to feel special? What is specialness?What if you are not special at all?


24/126

Uniqueness is at the core of everything.There are no two same leaves on a tree,no two same flowers, no two same

humans. Is uniqueness special? Do youneed to be special to be unique? Do youneed to seek meaning in order to beunique?

70. That restless, compulsive searching

for that one bit of knowledge that oneexperience, that one insight that will makeeverything okay is the condition a lot of

seekers are in, and it can go on fordecades, because there is literally nothing,

no bit of knowledge, no specific experiencenor insight, that will satisfy you. There is

no you. Dissatisfaction with what is, isthe essence of the illusory self. The self

exists (in appearance) due to that very

dissatisfaction.71. Seeing no-self is like getting the

diagnostic manual for suffering. One hasthe means to get to the root of the

problem which is only a thought.

72. It is as if you all your life thought youwere paralyzed, sitting in a wheelchair.


25/126

Then a doctor tells you that there hasbeen a diagnosis that actually you arehealthy. The doctor proves it, and you see

he is right. But you still have to get up andgo by yourself, instead of staying in thewheelchair and finding reasons why not.Actually, it is much easier than that. Thereis not even a wheelchair. You have been

walking yourself the whole time it was onlya hypnotically induced belief that madeyou think you were in a wheelchair!

73. When you mistake a rope for asnake, the rope is still a rope in reality,

and the fear is a bodily reaction to a wrongperception. When the rope is seen as a

rope, the fear is gone, together with theillusion of the snake. There is only a

change in perception when you really see

that the I is an illusion.74. The whole universe is one unified

existence that is in a constant state oftransformation and change and movementand functioning. So the change of seasons,

the transformation of forms, death andlife, and all the rest, are the functioning of


26/126

that oneness. It is a seamless flow offorms, as the continual creation of all.

75. Freedom does not mean freedom

from feelings, thoughts, judgments,obsessions, or experiences. All these are

part of the flow of life. Freedom consists ofrecognizing that all this is happening to noone.

76. The thought processes will keephappening for all eternity. That is whatshappening. The wind blows, and thought

processes happen. Sometimes you areaware of them immediately, sometimes

later. You dont expect them to stop, doyou?

77. Liberation is not a thought, feeling,or state. It is really so ordinary that we

have almost totally missed it. It is throughdirect experience that it is seen. Look withfresh eyes at the truth of commoneveryday experience. Its not hidden; its

just a shift in perspective. Each person isdifferent. So dont expect fireworks, asthey may not happen. All of the emotionswe have had in the past are still here; it


27/126

just seems there is much less stickiness tothem.

78. This is easier to approach from a

place of not-knowing. Some of what youexpect may occur. Our world reality does

not alter with our liberation; only ourperspective alters, our way of being in theworld.

79. Outside of your perception, nothingchanges with awakening. The world is aswonderfully ordinary as it was beforehand.

You just become more aware of it, asyoure no longer caught up in the stories

you tell yourself about yourself. Its likeexperiencing life directly, rather thanthrough a filter. Its as if everythingsuddenly becomes very simple. The worldof words and concepts no longer clutters

everything.

80. Imagine having blurry eyesight thatcame on so slowly you didnt notice youwerent seeing as clearly as before. Thensomeone hands you glasses with just theright prescription for you. Everything


28/126

appears different. Has anything changed?Absolutely not.

81. One person who saw no-self could

not stop laughing once she saw exactlyhow the mind was creating the story about

life, while life was just doing its thing. Shecould not stop laughing for days after this.It is that simple.


29/126

Chapter 3

Fear

82. Do you ever experience a sense ofterror when looking at reality too closelyas though youll discover something youdidnt want to know? Youre right! Thiswork is not easy. But why live in denial,

where all that straining causes yousuffering that doesnt need to be there?

83. For some people, this process can be

really intense. Dont fight it, allow it. Gowith it. Let it rip. Face it. Ask the question,

is it true that there is no separate selfwhatsoever in reality? Let the doubt in.Ask for the truth to be revealed.

84. Is the fear of freedom bigger than

the desire for freedom? Are you lettingfear win this game? Face it head on,without any reservations. Ask the fear


30/126

what precisely is it protecting. See if thereis anything that needs to be protected.What comes up here? Bring that fear

closer for examination. What is behind it?85. When you become aware of anxiety

about this process, the mind tends todistract itself away from the anxiety andthe hunting. Look directly at the anxiety.

Pinpoint its message. Is it If there is noself, I will disappear? Or Without a self, Iwill cease to exist? Sometimes its

Without a self, nothing will get done.Check and find out what the anxiety is.

Then ask, Is it true?86. You will not disappear. You cannot.

You never were in the first place.Existence exists and always has andalways will. What does not exist is this

you the imaginary ownership of a pieceof existence.

87. Let whatever comes, come. Just lookat it, even fear. Notice that the fear is theresult of what is being thought.

88. Consider any fear you have of no-selfto be a protective mechanism. It is doing


31/126


32/126

something that might happen if you seeclearly. What are the possibleconsequences if total dis-identification with

the story occurs? Do you think you aregoing to become an unmotivated zombieor something?

91. The next time fear arises, welcomeit. Bring that fear closer for examination.

Look at the mechanics of it. Observe andstudy how it works. What do you notice?Ask the fear to reveal its wisdom. Ask it

what it is protecting. Thank it for doing itsjob so perfectly.

92. We are afraid to lose our storybecause it has become so familiar anddear to us. What would we be without it?Its worth taking the time to find outbecause what you keep looking for (so you

can finally relax) is what you already are.No accomplishment, external fame,material stuff, or appreciation will everfulfill you.

93. Life is just life-ing. Anxiety mayappear from time to time, but there is noone there to attach to it. It is seen that


33/126

that me is just passing by as a thoughtin the thought-sensation stream.

94. Doubt is to be expected, And its not

an enemy. It only points to unresolvedstuff. Once seeing happens, the whole

structure of belief starts to fall likedominoes. Dont fear it; welcome it. Thereis no one to control it. Just trust the

process and let it be okay.


34/126

Chapter 4

Direct Experience

95. There are raw experiences: hearing,seeing, touching, smelling, and tasting.There are sensations in the body (hunger,thirst, or pain). This is what we refer to asdirect experience. This is the level of

experience of cats, dogs, birds, andnewborn babies. Then there are thoughts.

Thoughts layer concepts over these rawexperiences. A thought or concept or labelis never the actual. Some thoughts point

to the actual, and some point to otherthoughts. This is the realm of make-believe. This is the realm of I. Is there

an I in direct experience?

96. When you stay with your immediate,

direct experience, you perceive onlysights, sounds, smells, taste, sensations,


35/126

thoughts, and emotions. None of thoseexperiences belongs to you. They startbelonging to you only when a my or

mine arise.97. You can sense the environment. You

can sense aliveness. If you stop thinking,aliveness is still there. Being-ness is stillthere. We are talking about direct

experience here. Dont theorize. Look.

98. Stay with bare observation and whatis actually seen. Really try to describe

what that false sense of self is. Is it reallyfalse? Does it seem true? If this launches

you into a present-moment investigation,go with it. Act like your own scientist.Verify whatever you can by observation.

99. Try to keep an open mind. Look at

direct experience. How do you choosewhich thoughts come into existence? Andwhere do thoughts come from? Then startlooking at the rest of the illusion of selfemotions and sensations in the body. Didyou bring them into existence? What aboutthe story of you. Is it real?


36/126

100. What happens as you directlyobserve thoughts and actions is verysimple. Life carries on without thoughts

about it. Movement occurs before itsappropriation in thought the my-ificationof pretty much everything. An I getsattached to everything in my world.

101. Is it not possible that all this

happens without an I attached? It is ahabit and language is like a rutted road. Ithas an I buried so deeply in each

narrative and story and generalassumption that it is difficult to get the

wheels out of the rut and drive on theroad!

102. What is the I, the self? Take alook and see if you can find a self. Is it

you that is thinking? Watch your

thoughts, and see if you can find thethinker. Watch your actions, and look forthe doer. You will start to realize thatthinking is happening on its own, thathaving control of thoughts is another

illusion. Thoughts arise from your mind,which has a lifetime of training in how to


37/126

think, what is important to pay attentionto, as well as all the information from thepast and hopes or fears for future, and

attention to how others are possiblyperceiving you. This large and complexprogram is running itself. There is no Imaking it happen. Actions arise on theirown, too. There is no doer deciding what

to do, even though it appears as if thereis. Doing happens, walking happens,speaking happens no doer involved. And ifthere is no self, there is also no other.There is just life in another embodiment,the same life that is expressing itselfthrough you.

103. Close your eyes and search for theboundary of you. With your eyes closed,

where do you end and where does the

world begin? With your eyes closed, areyou aware of a boundary between the skinand clothes, or is this only a kind of blurry

sensation? When you open your eyes,what happens? Is there a you looking

out of two holes in your head? Are youdoing the seeing? Or are the sights justhere, without any boundary?


38/126

104. Here and now is there inner andouter in the experience?

105. Do you know what perception is and

how it works? Perception is a collection ofmemories that massages the data received

when a stimulus occurs, before the datago to the brain for processing. Perceptionis that frame of reference, the bias we all

develop that judges and alters ourexperiences. And because every stimuluscreates data that are perceived before

being sent to the brain for processing, wecan never actually see reality for what it

is, our perception will always shape ourexperience to fit our memories.

106. This sense of self is an artifact ofthought: thoughts about feelings aboutthoughts.

107. Sit with this possibility: there arelots of unexamined beliefs and conceptsthat are not necessary for life. Keeplooking into direct experience, and seehow things just unfold, and how the mindoperates as a translator of what is goingon, as a concept-maker. Sometimes this is


39/126

useful, but sometimes it is just a distortionof reality.

108. Everything is happening by itself,

including looking and seeing throughillusion. Notice this. There is no effort, only

thought about effort. Notice that theresno one looking, but only looking andseeing happening.

109. There is no one inside you that iswhat you think of as me. No one thatacts; no one that thinks. Only acting,

thinking, and happening as a flow.

110. Thoughts are real. The thinker isnot real. There are only thoughts passingby, like clouds in the sky.

111. What is being aware? Is anythingbeing aware? Is anything doing the being

aware?

112. What happens if we turn

awareness being aware of itself intosimply aware-ing? Life is not a noun, buta verb. Life life-ing, happening. By thevery nature of the different experienceshappening, the flavor of each is different.


40/126

But all are manifestations of life. Thesubject-object division collapses. All thatsleft is the experience.

113. There is no one liking lollipops, butthe enjoyment of lollipops is happening.

The existence of lollipop-liking doesntimply the existence of a liker.

114. If snow falls from the sky, who isdoing the falling? No one, the snow is justfalling. If wind blows through the trees,who is doing the blowing? No one, the

wind is just blowing. If thoughts runthrough the mind, who is doing the

running? No one, the thoughts are justthinking. If awareness is aware of a tree,who is being aware? No one, awareness is

just happening. If life is being lived, who isdoing the living? No one, life is just living.

115. Watch the sea. Waves come and go,each one unique. Some are quiet, somesplash and spray, but all return to the sea.Human beings come and go in the sameway. The sky without labels looks like life,like the ocean. Look at that and feel thespaciousness of it all.


41/126

116. Everything is conceptual exceptdirect experience. When I ask if you canmake a true statement solely based on

direct experience, I am trying to get youto question the reliability and credibility ofthe content of thoughts. If directexperience is the only real thing, whatdoes that tell you about the contents of

thoughts?117. Observe thoughts. Just close your

eyes for a moment and notice. They come,

one by one, a never-ending river ofthoughts, labeling everything that is being

felt, sensed, experienced.118. What is a thought? Can you touch

it, can you hold it, can you show it? Wheredo thoughts come from, and what decideswhich thought will come up next? Where

do thoughts go when they disappear?Examine in detail how a thought works.What is noticing? Does the noticinghappen also between thoughts when thereare no thoughts and if so, are thoughts

what you are?


42/126

119. Some thoughts point to real things:computer, desk, body. Other thoughtspoint to imaginary things: Batman, Santa,

self. The thought itself is real, weexperience it in reality. But the content ofthe thought is an image literally,imaginary. When you think of a cup, youhave an image of the cup in mind, but you

cannot pour tea into it or drink out of it.120. Examining thoughts and their

contents is pointless. It is completely

pointless unless you see there is no selfexperiencing them unless you bring your

attention to just that.121. What happens as you directly

observe thoughts and actions is verysimple. Life carries on without thoughtsabout it. Movement occurs before its

appropriation in thought the my-ificationof pretty much everything. An I getsattached to everything in my world.

122. How about the subtle witness?Witnessing, focusing, intending, inspiring,observing, and watching are all processesthat have no subject, no doer. Every form


43/126

of identification is assumed, mostly due tolanguage.

123. There is no hierarchy of thoughts.

There is not one thought thinking theothers. Thoughts cannot think.

124. The belief in a you that has toprotect your interests functions like Velcro.Thoughts stick to this you and feed oneach other. There is nothing but thesethoughts no you at their core.

125. See if thoughts really are inanyones control. Really look at the

process. How are you choosing to think ornot think them? Is that in itself not athought? There are present circumstances,past experiences, and patterns orconditioning of the mind. All these lead to

a thought arising. Is there really someonein there controlling what you should focuson, what to decide, etc? Watch it carefully.

126. When we look at thoughts, we findwe really cant control our thoughts. There

may be seeming control, but no realcontrol and we dont know really wherethey come from. They just happen, arising


44/126

out of nowhere. All come, then go. Theyare not really ours.

127. Thoughts are possessive in nature.

They divide everything up into what isgood or bad for you, or what is neutral.

The neutral stuff is discarded right away.The thoughts refer to objects as either

mine or not. Of course, being thoughts,

they can only infer possession, not createit.

128. You separate one cup from all the

other cups in the world, and make it mycup, with a thought. In reality, there is no

boundary between my and not-my. Acup has no intrinsic nature or quality thatmakes it yours. None. We create a wholeself-centered world with this kind ofthinking.

129. The illusion of a separate selfhappens when you identify with yourexperience. The process of identificationinvolves believing that there is an I thatexperiences phenomena. For example,there is identification if you believe thatwhen a sound arises, there is an I that


45/126

hears the sound. In reality, through directexperience, you can see that there is justhearing of the sound. The addition of an

I that hears the sound is merelyconceptual and is unnecessary.

130. I am space, I am awareness, Iam consciousness, I am (you name it,random feeling, thought sensation). Can

you see how the I in any such sentenceis entirely superfluous and never actuallyfound in experience? When the I is

removed from all these sentences, thedescription of what is really experienced is

true.131. Listen to a sound. What is hearing

the sound? I am is simply a thought.Observe the direct experience of hearingthe sound.

132. The direct experience of music is sodifferent from the mind coming inafterward and trying to describe it. Musicis hard to describe. When music is heard,no one hears it. It is an experience ofhearing. There is no gap: sound andhearing arise simultaneously. What was it


46/126

that heard the music? Nothing heard themusic is the most accurate way to put it.

133. You wont know what masters are

talking about until you take a look foryourself. Thinking is not looking.


47/126

Chapter 5

Labelling & Language

134. Look at the mind as an automaticlabelling machine, a narrator without anon-off switch. Look around you now.Notice how thoughts spring up and labelobjects, tell a story about things, how they

got there, without your having any controlover them. Thoughts are just that labels

that point to things, senses or ideas.

135. Continue to view the mind as alabelling machine. Its purpose is to name

what the senses perceive, to label feelings,and to narrate the story. Sit for a couple ofminutes with your eyes closed and noticewhat the mind does. Dont pay much

attention to content, but observe how the

labelling mechanism works. A sound isheard and thoughts describe what


48/126

happened. A tingling sensation comes andthoughts label it. Just pay attention to howsomething is experienced and then labeled

immediately afterward. See howeverything runs on automatic.

136. The mind labels everything that itfocuses on. Look around the room slowly.Notice how mind immediately starts telling

stories and names things. When weacquire language, the mind learns to labelactions: I walk, I talk, I type, I

breathe, I digest, I sleep, etc. If youchange these labels to: walking,

talking, typing, breathing, whathappens? Is there an actual I that does

the actions, or is it just a word that isserving as subject in the label? Is there a

subject in doing? While watching

breathing, is there an I that breathes? Isthere an I that wakes up in the morning?Is there an I that goes to sleep? Is there

an I in any doing?

137. A sound is heard, and thoughts

about it arise. The eyes rest on an object,and the object gets labeled. Watch this.


49/126

Wherever you are, focus on what is goingon around, and notice how the mindnames everything and tells stories about

it.138. When attention changes from a

sound to something else, very quickly amemory of the sound plays back in mind.There may be a related thought, which

may be a judgment or recognition. Thatthought (the memory of the sound) can bemistaken for a perception of the sound,

but the sound has already been heard. Sothere is a gap between the hearing and

the thought that manifests after it.139. Your name is a label applied to a

process, by the process. This label and allothers are not actual objects or subjects.Labels are not real things in the sense that

terms such as pride, honor, blame, etc.,cant apply to them. Labels can only pointto objects or ideas.

140. Look at language and how it isconstructed. There are labels for objects:

table, car, body, thought, feeling,fear, and so on. There are labels for


50/126

activities: I breathe, I cough, I scratchan itch, I run, I feel. There is anobject doing an action, according to the

way that language is composed. Its anassumption that has never beenquestioned. If there were no language,there would not be an I. Its a label.

141. Thoughts layer concepts over the

direct experiences. A thought (concept orlabel) is never the actual. Some thoughtspoint to the actual, and some point to

other thoughts, but the content of everysingle thought is just a story.

142. The sense of self label should notbe mistaken for an actual self. It is just alabel. If you take a jacket and stick a labelon it that reads Armani, is the jacketnow a real Armani?

143. What kind of a word is I? To whatdoes it refer?

144. There is no I or me except aslabels, words, thoughts. There is no I

reading this no reader, no one reading.There is just reading happening here.


51/126

145. I is not a place where thoughtsappear. I is a thought. It appears anddisappears by itself.

146. The illusion starts when you learn tospeak and think in a subject-object kind of

way.

147. Labelling this impersonal life,awareness, and presence with I or meleads to confusion to the creation ofimaginary boundaries and then a belief inthem, and a consequent narrowing of

experience. Observe how and when youuse those labels and how that feels.

148. At some point, when we learn tospeak, we learn to say the word I. Doesthat mean we are given an I or me?We grow up never questioning that. But

the word I is like an agreement to usethis short sound when we talk about thisbody and mind to others, instead of usinga name. Everyone is called I. This namedoes not automatically create a separate

I that drives the body around.

149. Is there a you that can get lost inthoughts, or is it just the thoughts, labels


52/126

which are there, until they disappearagain? Thoughts will keep coming. Buttheir content doesnt have to be believed.

Instead of engaging with the content ofthe thought, watch how it tries to suggestthe existence of a vulnerable I.

150. Notice how labels for objects arenouns and labels for actions include an

action and a doer: I type, You read, Ismile, You think, I walk, You talk,

We sit, and so on. Examine the labels for

actions. See if there is really an I thatdoes the breathing, walking, and thinking.

151. Notice the body breathing. Look is itbreathing by itself, or is there a breather?The label says, I breathe. Is there reallyan I that does the breathing? How aboutwhen you sleep? Is there an I that

sleeps?

152. Without the thought I ambreathing, breathing still happens.Without the thought I am thinking,thinking still happens. This extra level of

I thought is redundant and unnecessary.Its like an obsessive tic that continues to


53/126

poke up out of habit and conditioning,feeding on itself. Its clear to the rationalmind that there is no I, but the defences

are strong.153. All the names given to human

beings are labels. The pronouns I, you,she, he, etc., are used tocommunicate. The events are happening in

the moment. And if you really, really,really follow the I, it always comes afterthe fact and then creates a story. The I

does not exist in the moment. Life reallydoes flow freely. There really is no you

running your life. You have to, literally,think outside of the box. You have to see

outside of the way you have always seen.

154. I, my, and mine are simplyconcepts (labels) that dont have an actual

existence in our direct experience. Theseconcepts are useful in a social context, butunderstanding that they are simplyconcepts is very important, because if youbelieve in them, they distort the way you

perceive reality.


54/126

155. The I does not exist except inlanguage. It is like naming a location toidentify it in relation to other places.

156. Is this search for the truthsomething that you do, or is it just

happening as part of the story? Is there ayou that wakes up? What does the wordI point to? Can an I wake up? Can a

label I see the truth?

157. Of course, we keep personalpronouns. They help us communicate. But

no more than that.

158. This isnt about using or not usingthe words I or me. They are perfectlyuseful concepts in day-to-day life. Yet inthe direct observation of experience itself,it helps to be clear about words, especially

if were trying to clarify confusion. So whatis the I-ness of the I, the you-ness ofyou?

159. In language, in law, we attach apossessive pronoun to something (as in

my wife) and act like its real. Explorethis notion; In my body, how is the myattached to the body? The idea of


55/126

attaching anything to a mental constructseems ridiculous. It only seems to existbecause most people believe in it so

strongly, but theres not actually any signthat the owner or self is real. This meansthat, in a sense, we try to attach a realsomething to what is basically nothing,and we get upset when everybody else

doesnt go along with our make-believestory.

160. Self is a label, a word that points

to nothing. It is a story, a fiction that wewere initiated into at a very early age and

have never questioned. But look. Lookthrough your eyes. Point at an object. It

has shape and color. You label it: Desk.It is real? When you stop believing in it, it

does not disappear. Now point to you.

Look through your eyes. What do you see?161. It is only a matter of language. Feel

the difference: I am sights, sounds,movement implies I am the world.

There are only sights, sounds,

movement implies there is only the world.


56/126

This is unity, And it is already there. It isonly a tiny shift in perspective.

162. Life goes on, including thoughts

about life, and those thoughts are onlycommentary, not the driving force of life.

Look more closely at language and how itworks. Every noun points to some object,real or imaginary. Every verb points to an

action. Put them both together, and weget a sentence that is a label formovement, for action, for doing. I walk,

You read, Fingers type, Batman flies,The table stands. Is there an I in the

walking? Is there a you in the reading?Does a table do standing? Play with this

a bit. What is the word I pointing to? Isthere a doer in the doing? Is there a

thinker in thinking?

163. I is a thought. I am points to afeeling. That is this feeling of aliveness, ofsensations, movement, and being. Thatfeeling has been assumed to be a methat is in charge. There is controlling and

willing and focusing, and all theseexperiences are being experienced, but


57/126

not by an I. The I is nothing but athought. Where do thoughts come from?

164. Thoughts are particularly interesting

because, while nobody is experiencing orhaving a thought, the content of the

thought is what carries the I. Believingthat this thought-content has an actualexistence is the illusion. Similarly, the

illusion of a separate self arises when youtake ownership of a particular experiencethrough the thought my or mine.

165. Identification with the body andsenses is one of the most common

confusions. What experiences a toothache?What senses space or visualizes the bodysorientation? What is the thing that knowsthe body is experiencing these things?How does it know this is my body?

166. There is a stream of thoughts andsensations, but no I you can point to. Athought could come up in this stream, andthen a thought may follow and claim thatI-thought it, but that I-thought would justbe another thought in the thought-sensation stream.


58/126

167. The I is not only an imposter, it isalso just another thought in the head, thesame as any other thought. And thoughts

themselves cannot think. There is no Ithat can be found outside of thoughts. Notnow, not yesterday, not tomorrow. Thereason? Its not really there!

168. The notion of identification, as

commonly understood, presupposes twoelements: something being identified with(thoughts and feelings) and someone

doing the identification.

169. There are no objects, and there is

no subject, except by mental imputation.The seen and the seeing areindistinguishable. Everything is as it is anddoes what it does.

170. There is no self here except as alabel. You might imagine a witness, butwhat indication is there that this witnessexists, except that witnessing exists? Thisis an assumption we never even think toquestion, an assumption that we allcompletely take for granted: that forobserving to exist requires an observer.


59/126

171. Seeing the labelling processhappening is not easy because we blindourselves to it in order to continue

believing the story of self. Yet once theillusion of self is seen through, we havethe power to stop and check how thelabels appear. With practice, this too canbecome habit. Experience label check

label-removal experience. But checking isjust another part of life life-ing!


60/126

Chapter 6

Story

172. The substance of a story is ideas,thoughts, and habits. Do you see that?Can you get a clear view of that?

173. What are stories made of? Lookmore closely at this question. If someone

just met you on the street, could theyknow any of your story except the partwhere you were meeting on the street?

They could see your body, but not yourstory. What tools would you use to convey

to them the supposed reality of a self, witha past, a present, and a future?

174. Apart from the tools (words,images, and sounds) you use to remember

and convey a story, does a story of youactually exist?


61/126

175. The only reason you think yourstory exists is because youre so used tofocusing on it. If you didnt keep bringing

it up in your thoughts and acting as if itwas there there would be nothing thatwould keep it alive. Nobody else wouldknow it existed. It exists only so long asyou buy into it. You are the only one

keeping the stories around. They dontexist if you dont keep remembering themand then telling other people about them.

176. Its an illusion that there is a youthat is living your life. Theres just life and

the movement of life.177. An I story is a high-maintenance

story. It is a lot of work caring forsomething that isnt there.

178. The illusion of I is born whenmind, in complete innocence, believes thatit is a separate human body. Another bodya feeding, nurturing body talks to it andcalls it Baby, Timmy, Good boy! Andin an innocent unquestioned moment, abeliever in self is born.


62/126

179. Soon after birth, you were given aname and a bunch of data to help identifyyou: length; weight; eye color; date and

time of birth; parents names; and so on.You were now a little person who had awhole bunch of words and picturesassociated with you. Over time, as yougrew up, made friends, participated in

activities, attended school, and landed ajob, many adjectives and qualities werestuck to you, in the same way you mightput a sticky note on a white board. Thesewere invisible sticky labels, though. Theylived inside and were fed by belief,attention, and the meaning given to them.

Its quite natural to know yourself as yourname, your title, roles, and positive or

negative qualities that have come todefine you. We are told we are good, kind,talented. Or that we are bad, lazy,worthless. We also learn to connect our

value to the job we have and how muchmoney we earn. Our self-image gets aboost when we get a promotion and think

that weve made it now. These are all


63/126

words and ideas about who we think weare.

180. As babies we are not separate from

our world. There is no place where babybegins or ends. Then the story of a

separate self is begun by our parents andfamily who tell us who we are. Byaround three years old, the story of

separation is complete, and we add ourown bits to it as we grow up.

181. If you remember what happened

when you were five years old, it comes inthe form a story, recreated every time,

perhaps slightly differently every time, butall just a fiction. Remember a movie yousaw recently. There is a story in a movie,with made-up characters, yet thecharacters appear real. They have their

likes, their dislikes, and their ways ofdealing with situations. It is the same withthe character you. It appears to be a realcharacter, but is there anything solid in itsstory? Its all made up from thoughts

about it.


64/126

182. At a very young age, we are toldthat our body and thoughts are ours. Weare given a name and identity and are led

to believe that this identity is in controland is responsible for everything we do. Itis an identity that exists solely in thought,and it can lead to thought-based stories oftragedy or delight. But look directly at it.

The I itself is a thought only. It does notrefer to anything in reality. And you cantcontrol your thoughts ultimately. They justappear out of nowhere, with no author.You can see this just by observation or,even better, with the help of someone whohas seen through the illusion.

183. Someone talks about you in adisparaging way, and hurt and anger arise.

Or perhaps praise and adoration fall upon

you, and you believe you are special andwonderful. Either way, you are buying intoa story about a self, and you are going to

cling to it one day and resist it the next.You have become trapped on a roller

coaster you can never get off. Life will takeyou up and down, and the mind will keep


65/126

layering on this data as proof of youridentity.

184. An insult provokes an emotional

response only when it is identified with. Ifsomeone were to call you too blurry,

there would be no suffering in thatbecause no part of the mind would believethat. If, however, you were called too

fat, its much more likely that that mightbe believed and identified with. If someonewere to insult your family or even country,

that would also provoke an emotionalresponse because of identification with

them. Flattery, of course, is the same inthe opposite direction.

185. Can you see that I am a goodperson, I am a bad person, I amattractive, and I am ugly are all just

thoughts that arise? That positivethoughts are thoughts that complementthe I and that negative thoughts arethoughts that disparage the I? Now canyou look at what these thoughts are

pointing to? There are thoughts of I am agood person. What is the I that is the


66/126

good person? What is the I that is thebad person?

186. Self-evaluation boils down to there

being something wrong with you. Youbelieve you suffer from a character defect.

Then there is a movement to create abetter, nicer, more lovable self, who willattract good things, be important, right,

and beautiful.

187. If you just look at the bad feelingsthat arise without the story the I story

then they dissolve. If the story is believed,the feelings go on for hours or days. But

without the story that is, seeing the storyas a story the feelings and sensations inthe body hang around for a much shortertime. There is more freedom in that moreease, more space, more peace.

188. And as long as there is a you withall these labels and features, then there isalso the other with its own labels, whocan threaten and harm you. Living in aworld of separation perpetuates conflict,violence, and the painful story ofloneliness.


67/126

189. The answer to the great yearning oflife for fulfilment and satisfaction is not inthe mind. It is right here and now, in

seeing through the false, apparent realityof the controller me. Without that story,life flows more easily, more freely, and itis free of psychological suffering throughapparent good times or bad.

190. The self is a story, a fiction. Itworks like a computer program. Certaininputs produce certain results, although

sometimes there can be glitches orunexpected results. There may seem to be

triumphs or disasters, but these are stilljust stories, whether beautiful or sad.

191. Imagine a child totally immersed inthe belief of a tooth fairy. Everybodyaround her thinks tooth fairies are real.

She doesnt have a chance to discover thetruth. Every sane child believes there isa real tooth fairy. As soon as she catchesthe tooth fairy her mother in action, thebelief disappears. The story is revealed to

be a story. The child cant believe in itanymore, even if she wanted to. Now lets


68/126

investigate how much substance is thereto self. You just have to catch the self inaction, that is, observe the processes as

they concoct the illusion of self in realtime. Then youll know the truth.

192. Your own story has absolutely norelevance to you! Without the narrative inthought (not reality), it would not exist,

nor be maintained. Look at this dubiousand changeable history of a self. We tellour stories and memories to other people

as if they were real. We use words toidentify things as ours: my computer, for

example. It is truer to say that its acomputer. The word computer is not the

same as the computer itself, of course. Itsjust a verbal pointer. Please take a

moment to look at the computer and think

about this. Is the word the actual thing?What happens in your mind when you saythe word computer? When youve done

that, say: My computer. A whole newstory starts. There may be lot of thoughts

about the computer. Are any of them real?Please check.


69/126

193. The mind gets caught in all thestories it is fed and begins to dictate howyou behave, who you spend time with, and

how you engage with life. The self wetake ourselves to be is fearful, restless,anxious, and defensive. The desire arisesto protect this self from the threat ofwhat others say, do, and feel. Everything

in life seems to be about you, and thatmakes it impossible to simply be.

194. 1Do you think there is a sufferer

from which thoughts appear? Isnt thatjust another thought? There is a sufferer

here. There is no sufferer here. Bothare equally just thoughts, a story about

suffering.

95. Your own story has absolutely norelevance to you. You cant be sure that

your memory is correct, or that yourfeelings havent changed since the lasttime you experienced something. So youdont actually gain anything by keepingthe stories around. You could just look at

each moment fresh, and be better off


70/126

because youre not carrying around all thisbaggage.

196. Look at the story of you from the

eyes of your best friend, a parent, acolleague, a stranger on the street. Is it

the same story? How does it changedepending on a point of view? How does itchange depending on your mood? Is there

a true story or is it all fiction?

197. Imagine a movie with you as themain character. Its a cool movie,

sometimes exciting, sometimes tragic. Butat all times, it is only a story, and you are

not real. Oh, and by the way, theres alsono director, no screen, and no audience atthis movie.

198. Ego is just a concept based on the

belief in separate self.199. In the story of me there is always

trying to make things different than theyare right now, as if to drive away anxiety.In reality, this moment is as it is because

it cannot be different. There cannot be lessanxiety. The relations between theenvironment, genes, conditioning, the


71/126

weather, and everything else make it whatit is. You might just as well allow thismoment to be as it is. Maybe then the fear

will dissolve (if the weather is right).200. The idea of attaching a real thing to

a mental construct is ridiculous. It onlyseems to exist because most peoplebelieve in it so strongly. But theres not

actually any evidence that the self is real.We try to attach a real something to whatis basically nothing, and we get upset

when everybody else doesnt go along withour make-believe story.

201. There is no self. The I is made uphave you noticed? Have you looked insideand ever literally found this I, this selfyou have been referring to your whole life?Would you like to take the time to see? It

can end the seeing story of this I, whichwill keep you on an endless search for ahappiness that is already there I need, Iwant, I cant, I am not enough and soon and so on. It could liberate you from

the painful story of I and all the thoughts


72/126

that attach to it to protect it and keep itsafe. Yet it does not exist.

202. The mind thinks it needs an I to

exist, yet this is not true. Would you liketo go inside and see for yourself? Do a

walk-through and check it out? This cannothurt you. The only thing that can happenis that you could see the truth for yourself.

All you need is curiosity and trust.

203. The mind is playing a great trickwhich is believed that the individual is the

author of their life. We have never gonedirectly looking to find this you, which is

supposedly a separate entity that iscontrolling and directing your life, justaccepting this is true. But this youcannot be found if we go directly lookingfor it because it does not exist. Life is just

happening by itself. You dont existseparate from life, but as lifesexperiences. There is no loss experiencedon seeing this because the belief in aseparate you causes all suffering.

204. The illusion of me is veryconvincing. But it cannot stand up to


73/126

examination. Once the mind sees how itscreated, it ceases to have power. Its likeSanta once you know he is not real, youll

never write a letter to Santa again. Andwhat happens to Santa when the truth isrealized?

205. Thoughts build a small me, agrandiose me, a miserable me, an

awakened me. The variations are endless.And it doesnt stop. Just as optical illusionskeep working, the imaginary self keeps

getting built. But that doesnt make it true"self."

206. We perceive things. Labellinghappens immediately, and then the storiesstart. It feels like the I is the controller.But is it really? Or is the I just anotherstory?

207. There was a time and place wherepeople had certain rituals every day formaking the sun rise again. They thoughtthey had control over the suns behavior.And to them it was so obvious theirrituals worked!


74/126

208. The believe in a self, soul, orpersonal essence resembles animisticbeliefs that the sun is alive, that there are

gods in the trees, that a falling stonewants to fall. It is an unnecessaryhypothesis. You are the product of yourgenes and your upbringing. There is noroom, no necessity, and no possibility for

the existence of a personal essence.209. You might be on the right track with

your philosophizing, but slow down and

look what is going on instead. Otherwiseyou will end up with interesting theories

instead of the simple seeing of reality.210. Do you want to unbite the apple?

To unbite the apple is to get unpluggedfrom the illusion of you. This is anenormous freedom. Life continues as

before, but there is a silence in whichperception intensifies. Instead of beingfiltered through thoughts, the experienceof life is raw and direct. You may havetried many ways to get unplugged reading

a million books, meditating, rebirthing,


75/126

and so on. All of these were necessary tomake you burn for real freedom.

211. Life isnt personal. Your life isnt

personal. You and your experience areone, not two. There is no you living a

life. There is life as you experience it, andthat is you. It happens with and withoutthe thoughts of me, myself, and I.

Life is intimate but not personal. You haveno need to protect and defend yourself,not because everythings going to be

alright and the universe is friendly(although that may also be the case), but

because there is no you who can doanything. Your self doesnt exist except as

a thought that refers to nothing.

212. The conditioning that accumulatessince childhood is like coat after coat being

put over reality, so that life becomes moreand more weighty and confined. One byone, these coats can disappear anddissolve. Each time this happens, it is asmall liberation. The experience of life

becomes more and more direct, with more


76/126

and more freedom in the experiencing.Trust in life grows.

213. The self is only habitually reinforced

neural pathways. Awareness of the righthand can be brought about any time at

will, so the mind incorporates the righthand into the sense of self. The same goesfor memories, which are just events

perceived by the body. But since the bodyhas been conceptualized in the mind (as

me), anything that affects the body is

seen as happening to the whole of me.

214. The brain likes to theorize and then

prove its theories. So youll thinksomething Im angry, for example andthen confirm to yourself how true it is. Thebrow is tense, the face is hot, the fistsclench. And then youll start to think about

just how very angry you are, at whom,and why. Youve given yourself a script,and you will follow it to its end because itmakes for an interesting adventure for thebrain.

215. Look at it this way. Thoughtthinking something leads to believing


77/126

something, which leads to assuming thatsomething needs to happen with or to thebody. There is nobody home, yet demands

are made of others. It happens all daylong, everywhere. This is the falsity of Ishowing up and pretending to be real.

216. Years and years ago, you gotcurious about having a personality and

decided to play with the possibility. Youveexperimented with dozens of charactertraits over the years to figure out what

shape your personality should have. Butall this has been like decorating an

imaginary Christmas tree. There neverwas anything to hang those qualities on. If

you look really closely really honestlyyoull discover that the truth is that there

never was a you to begin with.

217. The I does not wake up, since itdoes not exist. It is seen that the onlyplace that an I exists is in a thoughtabout oneself (a self-image) that arisesfrom time to time. A thought happens, an

I-thought happens, and then anotherthought happens that says something like,


78/126

I just had a thought. And all thishappens with no actual, personal selfbeing there. Do you see this? The I-

thought happens frequently enough for itto arise and claim arising thought as itsown. The frequently arising I-thought, andthe identification with it, is an old habitlearned when you were a toddler. But this

can be seen And identification released.218. Thoughts call out what has

happened; describe the experiences to the

other thoughts which together make astory with a beginning, middle, and an

end. Thoughts are distractions, irrelevantto what is happening now. Its like the

commentary in sports. If the television ismuted, the game still happens. The

players dont know that the commentary

has stopped, and they dont care. Thegame is still real and still just as much fun.

219. Humans suffer so much becausethere is such an investment in the self-image or persona that has been built up

over the years. And why wouldnt you tryand protect yourself, if you really were in


79/126

danger? But all these concepts we haveabout ourselves are simply adopted, takento be true, and never investigated. What if

you just stopped for a moment to questionsome of these ideas you have aboutyourself? Can you really find a badperson? If you are always growing,working at different jobs, changing

residences, beginning and endingrelationships, playing in a constant flow,then can you really say what you are? Canyou be pinned down and defined by anyone moment or experience?

220. All these sensations, feelings, andthoughts are there. They are life doing its

thing. I is a story, which is a thought ontop of life. You can name it, make more

poetry about it, and use it for practical

purposes, but in reality it is empty.221. The I is a figment of almost every

living humans imagination. At a veryyoung age, from the time you start toknow your name, comes the process of

identification with this image of yourself asan I. Thats me, you tell yourself. This


80/126

is my stuff, my face, my body, my family,my life.Look in the mirror! Thats me!The stories start, and the I is at the

center of every one. I did this and I didthat. I know this, and I know that.Everything that comes into contact withthe I sticks to it. Good and bad. The Ilikes it or hates it and every shade in

between.222. The I is almost never satisfied. It

gets what it thinks it wants, and then

something else is wanted. The I isdeeply afraid it wont exist someday and is

continuously concocting schemes toprotect itself and to get what it wants. It

doesnt know that it is feeling separation,yet it still experiences a deep feeling that

something is missing or not whole. There

is no end to it. Even though you cant findan I anywhere in reality, this truth liesunquestioned by the world.

223. The me is an imaginary entity thatexists only in thoughts about me. It

attaches a me, mine, yours, andtheirs to thoughts about the world. My


81/126

husband, my child, my job, myphilosophy, my rights. Without a me, isit the end of the world as we know it? And

without a me in thoughts, does the worlddisappear?

224. If you stop for one second to take ahard look at the reality of your personal Iand try to locate it looking without the

baggage of religion, spirituality, or beliefsjust simply looking as a simple innocentkid there exists the possibility that you

could see that you were wrong all along.Hearing, seeing, feeling, heart pumping,

and breathing happen, with or without thisI. Then you realize thatthe I or me is

just a thought, like any other thought thathas no substance. All suffering stems from

this thought. All dramas were created by

it. True liberation starts by liberatingyourself from yourself.

225. Everything is running on automatic.If you watch a great movie and get suckedup in a good part, then zoom out, you see

its a movie, though for a few minutes thefocus was completely on what was going


82/126

on in the scene. This is also happening inreal life. There is zooming in and out ofcharacter. Identification with the story is

also part of story. Attachment to pleasureand fear of pain are also stories. There isnothing that attaches, only the story aboutattachment.

226. Every time there is a story about a

future, it may trigger depression: Thingswill stay the same, I cannot or dontwant to change, I might have no job/no

money/no assets/no relationships, Imight get sick, or I dont want to die

destitute and alone. The core feelingbehind all the other feelings is fear fear of

change, fear of people in general. The fearis derived from very early childhood and

being attacked. It is just deep conditioning

that has stayed in the body and mind.227. What is the future, anyway? It is a

completely made-up thing. There is nofuture (or past), except in the mind. Thereis only really the now. And its always now!

Focusing on an imaginary me on a path


83/126

to an imaginary future is a piece ofrunaway fiction.

228. What is the payoff for clinging to

the stories that you know are stories?Experience arises in this moment. Life is

experience arising, in each moment. Now.Now. Now. You perceive a lot of yourexperience not directly, but through

images of that experience. Not as word-thoughts, but as image-thoughts. Thesense of self seems to arise from that

image, as it seems solid and unmovingand corresponds to images of yourself in

the past. In reality, there are only sounds,sensations, sights, tastes, and smells. The

payoff for clinging to untrue stories isanother story.

229. If you watch a movie, you forget

that you are looking at a screen. Youbecome totally involved in the story that isbeing displayed. In the same way, all thethoughts that arise about your self are justlike pictures on a screen. In this way you

realize they are just that thoughts passingby. No matter whether they are about the


84/126

weather or me, there is no difference.Just images on a screen. Me is a thoughtlike any other. There never was an entity,

person, or thing called me. There hasonly ever been a story.

230. Thoughts about yourself may arise,but this can be seen to be just anotherthought a thought about a thought. So

what? Another thought comes, andanother. So what? Thoughts do not meananything. If a thought is thought to mean

something, another thought has justarisen.

231. Can the unreal be a problem? If youknow that all thoughts are about the realor the unreal, but are never themselvesthe real, do they have to be taken soseriously?

232. There is a play-acting ofseriousness going on rather than an actualreal life tragedy. The whole world-drama islike a vast movement and field ofintertwining energies. One movementappears to be many, each happening onits own.


85/126

233. THERE IS SOMETHINGHAPPENING. Please re-read this a

hundred thousand times. This is it.

There is something happening. All therest is story.


86/126

Chapter 7

Exercises

234. Do this little exercise. Close youreyes and imagine you are holding awatermelon in your hands. Imagine it sovividly that you can feel its weight, theshape and texture of the skin. Hold it

there, sensing it, and open your eyes.What happened to a melon? How about

the sensation that was so believable? Thatwhich is real can be sensed in one or moreways. That which is imagined exists only in

the mind.235. You dont exist. The you that

you think you are is just that thinking,thoughts. Not real. Not in control. Does a

you do the breathing, or the thinking? Is

a you really in control of anything?Examine thoughts and actions. What is


87/126

really here? What is real? There is anexperience of aliveness, but does thatneed to be labeled me? This

identification with all these thoughts feelsnormal and familiar, but it is ultimately notreal and is the cause of suffering. And it isso simple that it is overlooked.

236. Do you exist? There is no you.

Look!

237. Look at a university. All it is, is abunch of buildings, with certain types of

people, with certain things being thoughtthere. The label university is put on this

area, and the feel of it being a universitybecomes very real, almost like an entity initself. But there is only a bunch ofbuildings there. Now take your life, yourlimbs, head, brain, blood, guts, memories,

thoughts, and feelings. All this stuff verymuch exists and is very real, but when allthis stuff references itself and useslanguage like me, myself, and I, overtime something that seems real appears, a

feeling of ownership over all that a feelingof control, a feeling of I am my name,


88/126


89/126

240. What is happening in this moment?With your five senses, what do youexperience? Sights, sounds, tastes, smells,

tactile sensations, even thoughts. Just listup what there is, dont draw conclusions.

241. Notice the sounds youre hearing,like the chirping of the birds. Notice thehabitual thought I hear that. Now just

pay attention to how sound happens. Takeyour time with it. Are you doing thehearing, or is it just happening?

242. When smelling an object, what isreal about the sense of smell? When does

it start, and when does it end? Whatcauses the experience?

243. When you observe a flower, is thereany separation between you and the

flower? How about with smellingexperience? Try this with the music. Listento the music not with your ears but with allyour being. You will discover that you canttruly listen and think at the same time.The slightest thought stops the naturalflowing of the music.


90/126

244. For the time being, during thisinvestigation, just look at how feelings,thoughts and labels show up. Dont make

the mistake of trying to change what is.Please dont try to be not me. The meyou are talking about doesnt existanyway.

245. How does your I work? Where did

it come from? Is it the same I you wereten years ago? Where does it reside? Shiftattention to seeing what is true about the

sense of you. Stay focused as much aspossible on investigating you-ness.Look

now in your experience, and keep looking,at what me or I is, and relate what you

see here. Really stay one pointed on thatspecific process.

246. When something appears, whatever

it is, tension, desire, sound, anything focuson it with laser sharpness. Observe itbefore any thoughts about it appear. Isthere an I before the thoughts appear,or does it come with the thoughts?

247. Sit quietly, wherever you are, andnotice what is real: body, furniture,


91/126

feelings, thoughts, sensations,surroundings. Can you find an I here? Orare there just thoughts, feelings,

sensations?248. When you open your eyes, what

happens? Is there a you looking out oftwo holes in your head? Are you doingseeing? Or are the sights just here,

without any boundary? Just clearunobstructed seeing. Check it!

249. A widely-held assumption is that, in

order for looking to happen, there must besomeone doing it, a looker. Right now, find

out if this is in fact so. When I ask you,Look at the object in the room youre in,what happens? Can you closely observethe process, and tell me if there issomeone involved in this process at all

someone that is not merely anassumption? Check it out!

250. There is no magic button, noaffirmation or mantra, no secretknowledge. It is all out in the open. Itssimple, and its right under your nose. Itsso simple you are overlooking it. Right


92/126

here, right now, sitting with your phone ortablet, point with your finger to you. Doit. Now look with your eyes at what the

finger is pointing to. What is it? What doyou actually see?

251. The lie resides right at your owncenter, at the place you call I or me.Investigate. Does the thought or sense of

I point to a reality? Just like the wordrain points to the wet stuff in your face,or the words fear and joy point to a set

of body sensations? Or is it the case thatthe words I and me are just words,

denoting nothing more real and solid thanthe name Santa Claus?

252. Can you see an absence ofsomething? Lets say there is a pen onyour table. Look at it. Now take it and hide

it behind your back. Look at the tableagain. Can you see an absence of pen? Allyou see is what is there, not what isnt.

253. Sit down and examine your presentexperience. See if you can actually find acentral entity, a me who is directing thewhole show. Check out if you find a


93/126

specific me who thinks thoughts, hasfeelings, or directs the processes of thebody. Watch how you move through the

day the movements of the body, thereactions to situations. You can only findthis in your own direct experience of thismoment.

254. Keep looking at your daily

experiences. Look for the moment the Ilabel gets attached to a movement, to

doing-ness. There is an experience, and

the thought

Date post:	03-Apr-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	nesko61
View:	219 times
Download:	3 times

Enlightening Quotes

Documents