Dear Richard,
I do the pointing experiment and the difficulty I have is about the sensation in the body. I can point to the external object and then at me and realize the void here, the me. But the me that I don’t see is confused with the sensation I feel, specially unpleasant feelings like anger or depression or pain. What can I do? Is there an exercise to see that those sensations are not me? … Thanks. This pointing thing is helpful. I wish my sorrow and sadness would end by pointing at me but it didn’t. Stephane.
Dear Stephane,
Yes, it is easy to identify with these difficult feelings.
One experiment involves simply noticing where the feelings are. Are the feelings inside anything? I find feelings happening in the void, just like everything else. The void is not affected by the feelings, yet contains them. This awareness does not always make the feelings go away immediately, though it's evident they are changing all the time.
A problem with difficult feelings is identifying with them, holding onto them. Well, see if they really do attach to the void, so to speak. Isn't the void always free of these feelings, always clear, always empty? I find it so. Stay with this, moment by moment, noticing the difficult feelings in the void - observing them from the emptiness. This is meditation. It's no good just thinking about it, or doing it for a moment. Keep seeing this, as much as you can - and be patient, and kind to yourself!
Also, the feelings are not separate from the rest of the content of the void - the rest of the world. The things you are having feelings about. All content is 'there', and you are free of it all 'here'.
I hope this helps. Let me know if I can help further. Best wishes, Richard.
Hi Richard,
So this is what it is to be everything... this is it? Simple... nothing
is happening really. I'm amazed at this. I want to look and look. I'm
going to do all the experiments. It's my experience that I am without
boundary. The physical tension seems so here still... I can't find any
form or size or location to them, but they seem the first thing that pop
up in awareness, but then I look at me to see if I can find any
boundary to me and of course I can't, it's only space. But something is
clinging, irritating because I can't find any center. I don't understand
that "central" thing "center". Perhaps you could talk about it to me?
I'm sure you know that this is very helpful and I have no way to thank you. Stephane. (My English is not perfect since I'm French, so maybe my expression seem strange ;)
Hi Stephane,
Well, the irritation is appearing in the 'space'. Of course, 'space', or
'centre' are just words - popping up in the.... 'space'. The space is
visible. You are looking out of it. You are it. These are of course
words, but words are useful for communicating.
So, you are aware of this space perfectly - there's nothing here to see
wrong. You can't see half the space, you see all of it. Even if you feel
irritated, depressed, unhappy, it doesn't stop you seeing and being the
space... Warm regards, Richard.
Dear Richard,
I just got very frustrated. I wanted to understand it all, to grasp it
all, to be omniscient... Then I read lesson 2 again and got what I saw
earlier - one essential truth in it: to look again! Look into it further
– and keep LOOKING, keep paying ATTENTION to the place you are looking
out of, the place you are living from. Haha frustration is going away,
my hand is shaky... Thanks. Stephane.
Yes, no one can understand the emptiness/fullness. It's a mystery. Where did it come from? How did it come to be? No answer. You are the One asking yourself, how did I do it? How did I happen? No answer! A wonderful mystery - something to celebrate! Yes, keep looking! Richard
I work with kids and earlier after the e-mails I sent you I
went to school to work. I took a few kids and make them do the pointing
experience and all of them saw no-thing when they point at their face.
I’m gonna do it with all the kids I can. Their response is a big smile!
Have a good day and all the best to you, Stephane.
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