If you truly want to know who you are, it is time to "about face" ...go inward and watch.
We are very good at watching. We watch; movies, sports, nature, performers, performances, nature, storms, sunrises, sunsets, moons, stars, our children, each other, our pets, traffic, fires, stocks, ceremonies, initiations, someone or something struggling with illness, pain, death etc...we watch a lot! We watch for pleasure, job/responsibilities, safety, accountability, to learn, because we have too, because we care, etc...We watch everything outside of ourselves and react, respond.
When we watch externally we generally experience a sensation, feeling an emotion and usually have a story to tell of the experience. Watching inward yields to just watching, with no sensation, feelings or emotions. As soon as there is a sensation, a reaction, you have given thought attention and watching ceases. This is a moment to ask, "Who is paying attention to this thought?" "Who is reacting to this thought?"
Watching inward is a mind activity that allows you to rest from being caught up in thought, a rest from the personal “I” identity. With practice watching thought & not identifying with it, you begin to loosen the control, the grip of the “I” identity. In time, you pay attention to thought only when you honestly need to, refreshingly this doesn’t happen as often as one may think!
Suse, Great to hear from you. Love the blog. I am new to responding on these things and lost my entire comment. Later! At any rate what you are stating in all of the posts reminds me of Hospice (compassion, empathy, nonjudgemental, equanimity, etc.). It also brings to mind Eckart T. and the Buddha. I just finished a five week study session in Portland in Buddhist teachings. This really resonates. A Good book: An Open Heart by The Dalai Lama.
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