I understand that one can be aware of the self and let go of it, only when aware the ways in which this construct of the self is limiting our experience to be in the world. Learning who we are , how to identify for ourselves, we create the stories of our lives. And then the world appears – also in relation to who we think we are, what our culture, convictions, family, education, friends and enemies are.
The self and the world we see appear at the same time. Letting go of this “mind-world” appears in meditation, when we are stopping and looking deeply at our experience in the here and the now. Bringing the mind to concentrate on the body activity of breathing, filling our mind with the fact of breathing, allows us to practice concentration. At the same time we see what is leading us away from our concentration, what is beckoning, which thoughts appear and lead us away – thereby allowing us to be aware of those thoughts and enabling us to look deeper – to look at unresolved conflicts, deeper needs and actually be aware of those instead of being led astray by them without awareness. We can also not stay with those, let those thoughts and feelings drift by and keep returning to our breathing.
This way of practicing allows us to touch self-freeness – a freedom that could not be greater, precious like nothing else.
In selflessness we are experiencing a care for needs of others, rather than taking care of our needs. In the sense that altruistic behaviour is something considered as morally praiseworthy, it contributes actually to a certain view of ourselves, as good Christians or Muslims, for example. And in that sense it is not self-free.
