UnbornTao

"Since you pointed to some physical sensations, notice that some sort of body has to be there for feeling to occur -- it doesn't occur in a vacuum." You feel a certain way now, and new feelings keep coming up with each moment. Your feeling state is continuously shifting. A sunset has a warming, comforting effect on you, so you feel joy as a result. A dog furiously barks at you, and you feel fearful. Doesn't the above point to an activity, something we do? The central element there is yourself, plus what you take the circumstances to mean to you. You may think a rock is beautiful, and so have a positive-feeling association with it. Another person might be disgusted at that same rock, even though the object remains unchanged. The feeling occurs in one's experience. A body and perceptive organs seem to be a prerequisite for feeling to occur, as well as, well, being alive.

Perhaps. Since you pointed to some physical sensations, notice that some sort of body has to be there for feeling to occur--it doesn't occur in a vacuum. Where do you find "feeling"?

Feeling isn't existential -- it isn't a fact of the universe, but rather an something generated, an activity. What that is is up for grabs. Wanting to feel good shouldn't be confused with being honest. This doesn't mean they're mutually exclusive -- they're just different pursuits, each with different goals.

The trick starts with differentiating between: how you want to see yourself how you see yourself how you think others see you how you want others to see you how you are actually seen by others Or something along those lines -- I might tweak the list further.

Distinctions that are quite tricky to make: Consciousness, on the one hand, and awareness, on the other.

Wrong Krishnamurti. "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others."

A suggestion: turn it into an open question, without filling in the blanks.

That could work, too. Reminds me of one time when on truffles. I looked at my hand and was astounded by what it was, and by the fact that it was there, somehow considered mine.

You can simply tell them you'd rather have some quiet time, or at least make it count: ask them good questions and the chatting could be more fruitful and enjoyable for both.

Teach the material, even if only to yourself, and notice how much of it arises from personal experience versus intellect. Use this as a practice to make the work real for you.

It omitted some important details but it is manageable now!

It depends on your goals, but a good one is: Gently pay attention to the breath, or to a physical sensation that is rather constant, like the tip of your fingers touching. When you notice you've gotten distracted, immediately bring attention back to the object of your focus. It is useful to keep the practice dynamic instead of mechanical, letting what arises to be fully experienced. Or do nothing facing a wall and see what comes up.

It is useful not to think of it as an ideal called "Truth." Just: What is true at any level? What is ultimately or absolutely true, and also what is true regarding X or Y, such as experience, relationships, skill, your field of work, emotions, etc. True as what is.

Because it is what's true. What else?

This seems to apply to any model, in the sense that none are true in and of themselves, but some can be useful. As a simplistic analogy: We can categorize every variety of apple and create an intricate model of their distinctive traits, yet this effort doesn’t provide access to what the object is, nor does it change our fundamental relationship to it. More concepts are added to the experience, which is further from the presence of it, if getting closer to it is our goal. Besides, we tend to confuse proficiency in the workings of the model with an experience of the things that are being referred to, which is much easier to do than experiencing things for yourself.

Sounds like a sensible decision.

Sounds obvious, but falsehood or lying may be the antithesis of truth, or illusion perhaps. A big picture point: One problem here is trying to fit reality into a model, overlooking what anything is for itself. This blinds us to the presence of things.

Asking good questions can help.

Alrighty.

You keep dodging the question. Try, that's what communication is about. It is there to represent an experience. Again, intellectual understanding is a different matter than coming from experience.

Communicate what you became conscious of, if anything. You being in the exact same "place" as the thing realized, its nature.