During last weeks telephone call I began to question my definition of the self . \u00c2\u00a0Reading the posts from this week I continue with that struggle. \u00c2\u00a0I often experience\u00c2\u00a0awareness\u00c2\u00a0that seems selfless, a state that Hayward refers to in his post with Jack’s term a “readiness to respond”. \u00c2\u00a0In this state I am simply observing, listening, registering trying to understand or appreciate. \u00c2\u00a0There is an\u00c2\u00a0absence\u00c2\u00a0of \u00c2\u00a0judgement. \u00c2\u00a0This may last a few seconds or minutes, sometimes longer in meditation. \u00c2\u00a0At some point a process of assessing and judgement creeps in and feelings of like\/dislike, good\/bad, nice\/not nice etc. emerge. \u00c2\u00a0It is these kind of\u00c2\u00a0judgments\u00c2\u00a0and the resulting feelings that I tend to associate with the self. \u00c2\u00a0But it seems to me these judgement and feelings are simply a sign of the self in action. \u00c2\u00a0So what is the self? \u00c2\u00a0It seems to be always present but not always active. \u00c2\u00a0Synonyms are ego, psyche, character, identity and personality. \u00c2\u00a0Can I have a personality without a “Self”. \u00c2\u00a0If ego is a component of the self must it always\u00c2\u00a0separate\u00c2\u00a0me from others? \u00c2\u00a0We often associate negative attributes with the self but is it possible that the self has\u00c2\u00a0positive\u00c2\u00a0attributes\u00c2\u00a0as Linda describes. \u00c2\u00a0I don’t expect to answer all my questions but I have a new appreciation for this course that brings the\u00c2\u00a0“self in question” \u00c2\u00a0Robert<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
During last weeks telephone call I began to question my definition of the self . \u00c2\u00a0Reading the posts from this week I continue with that struggle. \u00c2\u00a0I often experience\u00c2\u00a0awareness\u00c2\u00a0that seems selfless, a state that Hayward refers to in his post … Continue reading