From the mouths of babes -- triggering for me heavy thoughts. I believe I have a social image or self, called my ego, and am a real essence or self, called soul. Letting go of ego self is letting go of my image including the roles and trappings by which I am identified. If I freed real self of all that, I'd be untrapped except that essence or soul would still be embodied. If I let go of body too, I would be just essence which is Ultimate Existence and no longer of this world. For me the risk in my learning what I have stated here is to not be part of the thinking and beliefs of the mainstream. I don't understand the third question. What helps me is that my understanding is how I am, it's my truth, and being together with that is satisfying. For me, the world is a burden in some ways and a joy in some ways, and overall I feel freer of the world with the beliefs or vision that I have.
On Mar 1, 2024 David Doane wrote :