Re: some thigns i have noticed doing the work.

[Guest guest]

Eitan,

It sounds to me like you're identifying with your thoughts. If you

say that a thought is not true, then you were wrong for having the

thought, and the thought of being wrong is painful to you.

Maybe you should try doing The Work on the idea that these are 'your'

thoughts just because you experience them.

--Warren

Eitan wrote:

> Hi all , been doing the work about two months now and here are some

> things I have noticed that prevent true inquiry: 1. When I do the

> inquiry to improve myself or become a better person because who i

> am isnt good enough. 2. When I do the inquiry to 'work on

> myself' (basically another way fo saying number one. 3. When I do

> the work in the hopes that if I do it right, or answer the four

> questions right, somehow the pain will go away. This is rooted in

> the idea that somehow the four questions are a test and if I give

> the right answers the pain will go away. On that block I learned

> its really what I do with the answers not the answers themselves

> that have the power.

>

> But here is where i am stuck now, I have reached the point in the

> work, where I dont want to question myself anymore, or when I do

> question myself I just get angry because whatever issue I am

> questioning myself on -'I JUST KNOW ITS TRUE' is the response.

>

> I guess my question is this, if I know something is not true then

> why do I still believe that it is true? When I do the inquiriy I

> just keep coming to the point where I know its not true but I

> believe it's true anyway and the turnaround means nothing.

> ARRRGGGHHH!!!!

>

> Well comments and advice are welcome.

[Guest guest]

Eitan,

I wanted to say you have great insight.....this is so true what you

wrote.....look forward to hearing some feedback for you.

Kate

At 12:45 AM 7/19/02 +0000, you wrote:

>Hi all , been doing the work about two months now and here are some

>things I have noticed that prevent true inquiry: 1. When I do the

>inquiry to improve myself or become a better person because who i am

>isnt good enough.

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi all , been doing the work about two months now and here are some

> things I have noticed that prevent true inquiry:

snip...

Hi Eitan and welcome to the Work. It might help if you would share an

example of the Work and write out your responses to the 4Q's and turn-

around. Someone here may have an awareness that slipped by you.

doug

[Guest guest]

Dear Eitan-- I'm so glad you posted this message. I wonder these things too. You

say: " here are some things I have noticed that prevent true inquiry " . What do

you mean by " true inquiry " ? Why should our motivation for doing the inquiry

somehow lessen its value?

I have to say that for myself, my motivator is definitely pain. A few people in

my life, at some point or other, have called me courageous. I respond by saying

or thinking that it's not really courage but desperation. I'm not a lion so much

as someone with her nose up against the wall, desperate for relief from

suffering. I hope that motivation doesn't somehow lessen the value of my work.

I guess the one thing i could say, regardless of my motivation for doing

inquiry, is that it is ideal if I'm not wedded to the result of this

self-exploration. Doing the inquiry doesn't guarantee me happiness, at least not

right away or always, but I hope for peace and lessening of suffering though I

don't know what " circumstancial " shape that will take in my life.

This morning I inquired on " I should be happy. " That feeling was causing me pain

and discomfort. The irony was that the TA (i shouldn't be happy right now)

relieved quite a bit of self-inflicted pressure which resulted in a degree of

not-exactly-happiness, but something much closer to it than before inquiry.

I'm amazed by how simple and yet deep this all is.

Thank you for prompting these thoughts, they bring me closer to myself.

heidi

[Guest guest]

>>I guess my question is this, if I know something is not true then why do I

still believe that it is true? When I do the inquiriy I just keep coming to

the point where I know its not true but I believe it's

true anyway and the turnaround means nothing. ARRRGGGHHH!!!!<<

Eitan,

You gave the clue....ask yourself why you think/believe it's true.

does a worksheet on this. It goes like this.

Is it true?

If yes, write the answers to the following questions as they apply to your

situation.

What is the reality of it?

Whose business is it?

What do I want?

What is the evidence or proof that this is true. Make a list. Investigate

each statement of proof using all four questions and the turn-around.

I can send you the detailed sheet for self-faciliation if you want it.

Laurie O

[Guest guest]

>

>

" I guess my question is this, if I know something is not true then

why

do I still believe that it is true? When I do the inquiriy I just

keep coming to the point where I know its not true but I believe it's

true anyway and the turnaround means nothing. ARRRGGGHHH!!!! "

Hello Eitan,

My thought is to stop fighting with yourself. What's important is

what you BELIEVE. We all KNOW so much from all our years of spiritual

seeking but our BELIEFS continue to run our lives.

I would just say yes to all the 'is it true' questions and continue

the inquiry. You don't have to be able to say 'no'. There is so much

meat in the other questions. Your mind only has to see the connection

between the cause (attaching to belief) and the effect( answers to

no. 3) for the undoing to be happening. says 'I know that if

even one small honest answer or turnaround is allowed to surface from

inside you, you will enter a world that you don't even know exists'.

Patience Eitan - you're being undone.

Love, Margaret

Hi all , been doing the work about two months now and here are some

> things I have noticed that prevent true inquiry: 1. When I do the

> inquiry to improve myself or become a better person because who i

am

> isnt good enough. 2. When I do the inquiry to 'work on myself'

> (basically another way fo saying number one. 3. When I do the

work

> in the hopes that if I do it right, or answer the four questions

> right, somehow the pain will go away. This is rooted in the idea

that

> somehow the four questions are a test and if I give the right

answers

> the pain will go away. On that block I learned its really what I

do

> with the answers not the answers themselves that have the power.

>

> But here is where i am stuck now, I have reached the point in the

> work, where I dont want to question myself anymore, or when I do

> question myself I just get angry because whatever issue I am

> questioning myself on -'I JUST KNOW ITS TRUE' is the response.

>

> I guess my question is this, if I know something is not true then

why

> do I still believe that it is true? When I do the inquiriy I just

> keep coming to the point where I know its not true but I believe

it's

> true anyway and the turnaround means nothing. ARRRGGGHHH!!!!

>

>

> Well comments and advice are welcome.

>

> thanks

>

>

> Eitan

[Guest guest]

Lauire-- Could you post that detailed sheet for self-faciliation? I'd

like to have a copy. Thank you! --heidi

> >>I guess my question is this, if I know something is not true then

why do I

> still believe that it is true? When I do the inquiriy I just keep

coming to

> the point where I know its not true but I believe it's

>

> true anyway and the turnaround means nothing. ARRRGGGHHH!!!!<<

>

> Eitan,

>

> You gave the clue....ask yourself why you think/believe it's true.

> does a worksheet on this. It goes like this.

>

> Is it true?

>

> If yes, write the answers to the following questions as they apply

to your

> situation.

>

> What is the reality of it?

>

> Whose business is it?

>

> What do I want?

>

> What is the evidence or proof that this is true. Make a list.

Investigate

> each statement of proof using all four questions and the turn-

around.

>

> I can send you the detailed sheet for self-faciliation if you want

it.

>

> Laurie O

[Guest guest]

Heidi wrote:

> Laurie-- Could you post that detailed sheet for self-faciliation?

> I'd like to have a copy. Thank you! --heidi

It's available on 's web site at www.TheWork.org

[Guest guest]

Warren,

The self-facilitation sheet I had is in the All War Belongs on Paper book,

but is not shown on 's site. It is a worksheet for those who get stuck

at the " is it true? " questions.

-- Re: some thigns i have noticed doing the work.

Heidi wrote:

> Laurie-- Could you post that detailed sheet for self-faciliation?

> I'd like to have a copy. Thank you! --heidi

It's available on 's web site at www.TheWork.org