Practical Tips For Inquiry
Inquiry using the “direct pointing” approach looks directly at whether or not there is something that “I” am or have, such as an ego, a source of reactivity, or something that functions as a “subject”. If you can conclusively see that none of these exist, the very notion of them will no longer arise. Regardless of the step or fetter, or whether you are working alone or with someone else, the following are some things to keep in mind as you go through an inquiry:
1. Look for What, Not Who
Being clear on what it is you are looking for is the most important aspect of inquiry. The fetters approach is one way to be clear on this, in that it provides a guide to what (as opposed to who) is being sought at each step. For example, when looking for a separate “self” or ego as the first step, the inquiry is about finding that which seems to be the agent, controller and experiencer of all that is happening. While whatever it is can also then be labelled as an “ego” or “self”, and thus “me”, it is really a matter of looking for something, rather than someone.
Thereafter, what you are looking for is more obviously something, rather than someone, in that you will look for something that appears to be a source or cause of the push and pull of reactivity, the subjective pole or foundation of experience, and something that detects or perceives other “somethings”. Even when exploring the underlying sense of “I” or “me”, the inquiry is focused on something that gives rise to the sense of awareness or consciousness, or “experience” itself, which is then labelled as “I”.
At each step, there can be a tendency to gradually shift from looking for something, and to start looking for someone (i.e., “me” or “I”): until the eighth fetter falls, there will always be that sense of "me" or "I". Until that time, just allow that there is what seems to be an indisputable sense of “I Am” and let it be, and notice if and when the inquiry starts to drift toward looking for someone rather than something.
2. Use The Most Convincing Proof
It is helpful to be clear as to why whatever is being sought appears to be “in here somewhere”. What makes its existence so convincing is generally due to what “it” does, or at least seems to do. As a result, it is often a good idea to work with the most tangible proof of the fetter’s existence, by which it is the most convincing that it really does seem to exist. Otherwise, there may not seem to be anything to actually look for.
For example, when inquiring into desire and ill will as the fourth and fifth fetters, and the apparent existence of what seems to be a reactivity “button” or “trigger” as the reason a reaction is apparently necessary, a substantial issue that reliably gives rise to an irresistible urge to react is usually the best. This is because these issues or situations really (really) lead to the belief that there simply has to be something we have that causes such an urge to react. While lesser issues can also be used, particularly in the beginning of this step of inquiry, the urge to react may be so slight that the inquiry collapses, since it will not seem as though there is in fact something “in here” to look for.
Further on, as the inquiry becomes more subtle, significant experiences will likely still be needed as well. For example, something that really brings out the sense of having or being a “subject”, or gives rise to an almost tangible sense of “me”, can best provide a context for a tangible “something” to look for. Thus, try to be clear on what sorts of events, thoughts, etc. most trigger or make manifest the underlying belief, and therefore what it is you’re looking for.
3. Simple, Everyday Experience
Each fetter points to something that, in everyday life, seems to exist, such as a “self” or “subject”. While meditation can be helpful, you don’t necessarily need to be in a meditative “state” in order to appreciate how convincing these illusions are. Instead, a fairly calm version of simple, everyday experience is often the best context in which to look. If and when a shift truly happens, a given illusion will thereafter be absent from daily life, rather than needing to be in a meditative state: in this way, both the process and the end of the inquiry will take place in the context of what is simply happening.
One way of describing, and thus deconstructing, what is happening right now is that it is an array of thoughts and sensory information that is interpreted or compiled into things such as “frying pans” and “green lights” for purposes of daily life. It is therefore possible to deconstruct what is happening into those basic thoughts and sensations. However, especially once past the first step of inquiry, this deconstructed version of what is happening may not be able to serve as a basis for inquiry. For example, during the inquiry into desire and ill will, if the trigger for reactivity (such as someone cutting you off in traffic) is deconstructed into thoughts and sensations, the urge to react will likely dissipate, by which there is no longer a triggering situation to work with.
Also, allow what is happening right now to be as “real” as it seems to be in daily life. For example, if your right hand goes up, and there is the assumption that a separate ego or self was the agent who made that happen, allow the hand, the experience of seeing the hand go up, and all else to be real for now, or at least not be questioned as to its “reality”, and look for the self or ego that is assumed to be equally as real. Otherwise, the inquiry can turn into an attempt to see how you interpret or compile what is happening in experience, and thus what “things really are”, rather than the needed focus on what “I really am not”.
4. Thoughts Are Not The Problem
Daily life is a world of signs and symbols. At a conventional level, a “frying pan” must at some level be allowed to be just that if you intend to make dinner, and a “green light” must be taken as just that if you want to safely cross the street. When fully awake, all of these designations will still be just as useful as they are today, though eventually you will stop assuming or believing that a word or thought refers to anything in particular. Thoughts about “me”, and about something that “I” have or am, are signs and symbols that also seem to refer to something in particular.
As a result, each time the thought of a “self”, or a “reason to react” arises, it betrays the fact that at some level you really do assume and believe there is something to which those words refer. If you deconstruct what is happening into merely thoughts and sensations, the tendency can be to tell yourself “oh, that’s just a thought about a self”, by which you may dismiss the fact that you nevertheless still believe there is a “self”. Or, you might essentially talk yourself out of the inquiry altogether by concluding that since everything is just thoughts (and sensations), there’s nothing to actually look at or for.
Instead, you can take advantage of thoughts during inquiry, in that each and every time a thought about the focus of inquiry (a self, a “reaction trigger”, a subject, etc.) arises, that shows that the belief is still in place. Neuroscience has shown that there is a several hundred millisecond delay between something happening and a corresponding thought about it. Thus, if the thought arises that there is a “self” or “subject” that is participating in experience, the assumption or belief has already “happened” or manifested, and you are only finding out after the fact. It is only when the fetter is completely gone that the thought no longer arises - in a way, that is one of the more conclusive ways to know if a fetter is gone or not. In other words, the thought about a “self” or a “subject” wouldn’t arise unless the corresponding assumption or belief has already been activated.
5. Find the Gap
One way of describing the direct pointing method is that when you see, hear, think or otherwise become aware of something happening, it doesn’t stay at simply the seen, heard or thought. Instead, an assumption or belief that there is an aspect of “me” that is perceiving, creating or controlling what is happening can quickly arise, which you typically and even habitually go along with as true. However, you can also stop short of going along with that, by which there can be a “gap” between what is happening and the conclusion that there is a part of you that does and even must respond in a certain way.
Perhaps the most tangible example of this is during the exploration into desire and ill will, where something happens (e.g., you get cut off while driving), and almost immediately start to react. If you look closely, however, there can be a gap between what happens and your reaction to it, which at first might be very short indeed, but can be extending out to several seconds or longer. At each step, there can be a similar “gap” between something happening and the assumption or belief that there is a self, reactivity, subject, perceiver or “I that exists”. If you can pause in the gap, it will start to open up, and you can look around to see if what you assume exists is actually found.
Inquiry can therefore be described as discovering what the “gap” looks like at each step, and getting used to being in that gap, by which you have a front row seat from which to look. If you conclusively see that what is happening doesn’t actually trigger or prove the existence of anything you have or are, eventually there will no longer be a gap, since your tendency to identify as a separate self, to react and so forth will disappear.
6. Knowing the Right Answer
One of the main benefits of something like the list of fetters is that they give you an idea of what it is you assume exists, and therefore what you are looking for at each step. Since each of these corresponds to a belief or assumption that is eventually disproved, you already know what the “right answer” is - you won’t actually find any of them. As a result, it can be easy to conclude that, after the first few times of not finding what you are looking for, you are “done” with a certain step, even though the underlying belief is actually still there. As a result, it is important to not prematurely seize upon what you know is the eventual answer.
One of the ways in which you can prematurely conclude that a fetter has shifted is by seizing upon an idea you have about how or why there isn’t an actual self, a reactivity trigger or something else. For example, you may have a broad understanding of concepts such as “emptiness” or “impermanence”, by which there cannot be a substantial or permanent “self”. While these sorts of concepts are intended to be used as a reminder that the substance and permanence we seek cannot be found, they can end up being affirmed as facts in and of themselves, as if “emptiness” and “impermanence” are real qualities to be realized. By this, you might reach the conclusion that there isn’t a substantial or permanent “self”, and settle for affirming that there is an empty or impermanent “self”, a belief that may be even more difficult to uproot.
During inquiry there can arise certain “wow!” experiences, such as a feeling of spaciousness or emptiness which, in combination with not currently finding what you were looking for, can make it seem even more convincing that “this is it!”. Or, you might have a conceptual understanding of how or why there can’t be such a thing, convincing yourself rather than clearly seeing it. And yet, the assumption of belief can quickly recur, perhaps in a matter of minutes.
Of course, there will often be changes that occur during a given inquiry or step that, though not the full shift, are nevertheless significant. This is particularly the case with the desire and ill will as the fourth and fifth fetters, where a gradual weakening of the urge to react is the natural outcome of inquiry. In fact, the urge to react may be absent for many days. However, while the changes might result in an experience of life that is significantly different than how it was when you started, that doesn’t mean that a given step of inquiry is complete. Please see the Was That A Fetter Shift? for more on this topic.
7. The Holding Pattern
If you look for a “self”, a reason to react, a subject or other “something” you ostensibly have, you will never, ever find it. That, of course, is the whole intent of inquiry, although just because you didn’t find what you were looking for doesn’t mean that the belief is actually gone. It is rather like going back to the same place several times looking for your keys - just because you didn’t find it the first few times doesn’t mean you are clear that they aren’t there!
During any step of inquiry, what I call a “holding pattern” can arise, where you have looked and looked from every angle, and yet the belief which underlies the fetter has not disappeared. It can be confusing, frustrating, and even disheartening, and you might wonder at some point if you will ever “get it”. It may be that since you know you will never find what you are searching for, there can be a tendency to more or less give up, perhaps because it starts to seem pointless to look for something you know you’ll never find. Or, doubts such as “this is a fetter I cannot break” may arise, perhaps because of past conditioning around your ability or worth.
If you find yourself in an extended holding pattern, it may make sense to take a break of a few hours, a few days or even a few weeks. If you are working in one particular way, or with a particular person, a change in how or with whom you are doing the inquiry may be helpful. Also, the fetters approach, and the method of direct pointing, is not for everyone, and it may be that some other approach will be more suitable. The good news is that, even if you don’t fully “break” a given fetter, the fact that you searched but could not find what you thought must surely exist will in all likelihood stay with you: it’s not something you can fully “unsee”. As a result, at some point the belief in a “self”, a “subject” or other illusion may more readily fall away.
8. Bypassing
There can also be a tendency to what is often called “spiritually bypass”, and to dismiss or see past certain experiences. For example, if you know that there eventually won’t be any experience of “me” or “I” or of actual “things”, you might conclude that reactivity or subjectivity isn’t really happening, because there is no one that is reacting or being subjective, and that there otherwise isn’t anything real involved. Or, if you anticipate or even see that what is happening isn’t as real as it once seemed, you might conclude that it is OK to do what you like, and even harm others, because it ostensibly “doesn't matter” what you do or don’t do. And yet, if you find yourself reacting, this betrays the fact that you nevertheless find both yourself and the world around you to be real enough to react to: otherwise, reactions wouldn’t arise.
Another potential form of bypassing has to do with what I call the “leading edge” of experience, by which you can get a very convincing glimpse of (for example) the insubstantiality of the world around you. While this is finally “seen” when the seventh fetter is gone, some start to see this when the illusion of a separate “self” evaporates. If so, there can be the assumption that you have in fact broken all of the fetters through to the seventh, simply because your “leading edge” is able to fairly convincingly see this. However, your “trailing edge” will be tethered in the reactivity of desire and ill will. However convincing this preliminary understanding or seeing can be, care should be taken to not jump to the conclusion that such a giant step has in fact been made.
That said, in some cases it makes sense to continue on to the next step even though it isn’t clear that a given fetter is in fact gone. Not everyone works through the fetters in a strictly linear fashion, and it might be said that the fetters simply describe various aspects of “me” that have to go at some point, in whatever order, and by whatever means. For example, if the illusions of desire and ill will just won’t go away, it might make sense to move on to working with the sixth fetters, and the sense that there are actual “objects” that are triggering reactions. As long as you don’t lose track of the assumptions and beliefs you are temporarily allowing to stay in place, you can move on and then come back at a later time.
9. Managing Expectations
Before you start to inquire into whether or not you exist, there can be some grand expectations as to what life will be like when fully awake. For example, you might assume that there will be an ever-deepening sense of bliss, exuberance and joy, that you will develop certain mystical skills and abilities, or that you will no longer feel pain or even discomfort. If so, along the way there will likely be certain expectations around how each shift will manifest.
At each step through the fetters, some unfamiliar and even fascinating experiences will arise, such as sensations and energy coursing through the body, the sense of time and space falling away, perception shifting from three-dimensional to two, and the realization that nothing around you is as “real” as it once seemed. These can occur as a result of an actual irreversible shift, or they may simply arise as part of the looking process. While you might hope for and even expect these sorts of experiences, they may or may not be indicative of a true shift. Instead, it is usually a good idea to hold off on seizing upon any “big experience” as an indication that a given step has been completed, and let time be the eventual arbiter of whether a shift has actually occurred.
The corollary to this is that an actual shift or “fetter break” may occur without there being any fanfare or unusual experiences whatsoever. A given shift may be profoundly mundane, a bit disorienting or scary, or (particularly when all sense of “me” finally evaporates after the eighth fetter) there can be a period of time when the level of suffering you experience is noticeably greater than before the shift occurred. As a result, expectations you had around how joyful and “enlightening” each shift should be will likely not be met, and questions can arise as to whether a shift has actually occurred if you don’t feel as great as you hoped you would.
1. Look for What, Not Who
Being clear on what it is you are looking for is the most important aspect of inquiry. The fetters approach is one way to be clear on this, in that it provides a guide to what (as opposed to who) is being sought at each step. For example, when looking for a separate “self” or ego as the first step, the inquiry is about finding that which seems to be the agent, controller and experiencer of all that is happening. While whatever it is can also then be labelled as an “ego” or “self”, and thus “me”, it is really a matter of looking for something, rather than someone.
Thereafter, what you are looking for is more obviously something, rather than someone, in that you will look for something that appears to be a source or cause of the push and pull of reactivity, the subjective pole or foundation of experience, and something that detects or perceives other “somethings”. Even when exploring the underlying sense of “I” or “me”, the inquiry is focused on something that gives rise to the sense of awareness or consciousness, or “experience” itself, which is then labelled as “I”.
At each step, there can be a tendency to gradually shift from looking for something, and to start looking for someone (i.e., “me” or “I”): until the eighth fetter falls, there will always be that sense of "me" or "I". Until that time, just allow that there is what seems to be an indisputable sense of “I Am” and let it be, and notice if and when the inquiry starts to drift toward looking for someone rather than something.
2. Use The Most Convincing Proof
It is helpful to be clear as to why whatever is being sought appears to be “in here somewhere”. What makes its existence so convincing is generally due to what “it” does, or at least seems to do. As a result, it is often a good idea to work with the most tangible proof of the fetter’s existence, by which it is the most convincing that it really does seem to exist. Otherwise, there may not seem to be anything to actually look for.
For example, when inquiring into desire and ill will as the fourth and fifth fetters, and the apparent existence of what seems to be a reactivity “button” or “trigger” as the reason a reaction is apparently necessary, a substantial issue that reliably gives rise to an irresistible urge to react is usually the best. This is because these issues or situations really (really) lead to the belief that there simply has to be something we have that causes such an urge to react. While lesser issues can also be used, particularly in the beginning of this step of inquiry, the urge to react may be so slight that the inquiry collapses, since it will not seem as though there is in fact something “in here” to look for.
Further on, as the inquiry becomes more subtle, significant experiences will likely still be needed as well. For example, something that really brings out the sense of having or being a “subject”, or gives rise to an almost tangible sense of “me”, can best provide a context for a tangible “something” to look for. Thus, try to be clear on what sorts of events, thoughts, etc. most trigger or make manifest the underlying belief, and therefore what it is you’re looking for.
3. Simple, Everyday Experience
Each fetter points to something that, in everyday life, seems to exist, such as a “self” or “subject”. While meditation can be helpful, you don’t necessarily need to be in a meditative “state” in order to appreciate how convincing these illusions are. Instead, a fairly calm version of simple, everyday experience is often the best context in which to look. If and when a shift truly happens, a given illusion will thereafter be absent from daily life, rather than needing to be in a meditative state: in this way, both the process and the end of the inquiry will take place in the context of what is simply happening.
One way of describing, and thus deconstructing, what is happening right now is that it is an array of thoughts and sensory information that is interpreted or compiled into things such as “frying pans” and “green lights” for purposes of daily life. It is therefore possible to deconstruct what is happening into those basic thoughts and sensations. However, especially once past the first step of inquiry, this deconstructed version of what is happening may not be able to serve as a basis for inquiry. For example, during the inquiry into desire and ill will, if the trigger for reactivity (such as someone cutting you off in traffic) is deconstructed into thoughts and sensations, the urge to react will likely dissipate, by which there is no longer a triggering situation to work with.
Also, allow what is happening right now to be as “real” as it seems to be in daily life. For example, if your right hand goes up, and there is the assumption that a separate ego or self was the agent who made that happen, allow the hand, the experience of seeing the hand go up, and all else to be real for now, or at least not be questioned as to its “reality”, and look for the self or ego that is assumed to be equally as real. Otherwise, the inquiry can turn into an attempt to see how you interpret or compile what is happening in experience, and thus what “things really are”, rather than the needed focus on what “I really am not”.
4. Thoughts Are Not The Problem
Daily life is a world of signs and symbols. At a conventional level, a “frying pan” must at some level be allowed to be just that if you intend to make dinner, and a “green light” must be taken as just that if you want to safely cross the street. When fully awake, all of these designations will still be just as useful as they are today, though eventually you will stop assuming or believing that a word or thought refers to anything in particular. Thoughts about “me”, and about something that “I” have or am, are signs and symbols that also seem to refer to something in particular.
As a result, each time the thought of a “self”, or a “reason to react” arises, it betrays the fact that at some level you really do assume and believe there is something to which those words refer. If you deconstruct what is happening into merely thoughts and sensations, the tendency can be to tell yourself “oh, that’s just a thought about a self”, by which you may dismiss the fact that you nevertheless still believe there is a “self”. Or, you might essentially talk yourself out of the inquiry altogether by concluding that since everything is just thoughts (and sensations), there’s nothing to actually look at or for.
Instead, you can take advantage of thoughts during inquiry, in that each and every time a thought about the focus of inquiry (a self, a “reaction trigger”, a subject, etc.) arises, that shows that the belief is still in place. Neuroscience has shown that there is a several hundred millisecond delay between something happening and a corresponding thought about it. Thus, if the thought arises that there is a “self” or “subject” that is participating in experience, the assumption or belief has already “happened” or manifested, and you are only finding out after the fact. It is only when the fetter is completely gone that the thought no longer arises - in a way, that is one of the more conclusive ways to know if a fetter is gone or not. In other words, the thought about a “self” or a “subject” wouldn’t arise unless the corresponding assumption or belief has already been activated.
5. Find the Gap
One way of describing the direct pointing method is that when you see, hear, think or otherwise become aware of something happening, it doesn’t stay at simply the seen, heard or thought. Instead, an assumption or belief that there is an aspect of “me” that is perceiving, creating or controlling what is happening can quickly arise, which you typically and even habitually go along with as true. However, you can also stop short of going along with that, by which there can be a “gap” between what is happening and the conclusion that there is a part of you that does and even must respond in a certain way.
Perhaps the most tangible example of this is during the exploration into desire and ill will, where something happens (e.g., you get cut off while driving), and almost immediately start to react. If you look closely, however, there can be a gap between what happens and your reaction to it, which at first might be very short indeed, but can be extending out to several seconds or longer. At each step, there can be a similar “gap” between something happening and the assumption or belief that there is a self, reactivity, subject, perceiver or “I that exists”. If you can pause in the gap, it will start to open up, and you can look around to see if what you assume exists is actually found.
Inquiry can therefore be described as discovering what the “gap” looks like at each step, and getting used to being in that gap, by which you have a front row seat from which to look. If you conclusively see that what is happening doesn’t actually trigger or prove the existence of anything you have or are, eventually there will no longer be a gap, since your tendency to identify as a separate self, to react and so forth will disappear.
6. Knowing the Right Answer
One of the main benefits of something like the list of fetters is that they give you an idea of what it is you assume exists, and therefore what you are looking for at each step. Since each of these corresponds to a belief or assumption that is eventually disproved, you already know what the “right answer” is - you won’t actually find any of them. As a result, it can be easy to conclude that, after the first few times of not finding what you are looking for, you are “done” with a certain step, even though the underlying belief is actually still there. As a result, it is important to not prematurely seize upon what you know is the eventual answer.
One of the ways in which you can prematurely conclude that a fetter has shifted is by seizing upon an idea you have about how or why there isn’t an actual self, a reactivity trigger or something else. For example, you may have a broad understanding of concepts such as “emptiness” or “impermanence”, by which there cannot be a substantial or permanent “self”. While these sorts of concepts are intended to be used as a reminder that the substance and permanence we seek cannot be found, they can end up being affirmed as facts in and of themselves, as if “emptiness” and “impermanence” are real qualities to be realized. By this, you might reach the conclusion that there isn’t a substantial or permanent “self”, and settle for affirming that there is an empty or impermanent “self”, a belief that may be even more difficult to uproot.
During inquiry there can arise certain “wow!” experiences, such as a feeling of spaciousness or emptiness which, in combination with not currently finding what you were looking for, can make it seem even more convincing that “this is it!”. Or, you might have a conceptual understanding of how or why there can’t be such a thing, convincing yourself rather than clearly seeing it. And yet, the assumption of belief can quickly recur, perhaps in a matter of minutes.
Of course, there will often be changes that occur during a given inquiry or step that, though not the full shift, are nevertheless significant. This is particularly the case with the desire and ill will as the fourth and fifth fetters, where a gradual weakening of the urge to react is the natural outcome of inquiry. In fact, the urge to react may be absent for many days. However, while the changes might result in an experience of life that is significantly different than how it was when you started, that doesn’t mean that a given step of inquiry is complete. Please see the Was That A Fetter Shift? for more on this topic.
7. The Holding Pattern
If you look for a “self”, a reason to react, a subject or other “something” you ostensibly have, you will never, ever find it. That, of course, is the whole intent of inquiry, although just because you didn’t find what you were looking for doesn’t mean that the belief is actually gone. It is rather like going back to the same place several times looking for your keys - just because you didn’t find it the first few times doesn’t mean you are clear that they aren’t there!
During any step of inquiry, what I call a “holding pattern” can arise, where you have looked and looked from every angle, and yet the belief which underlies the fetter has not disappeared. It can be confusing, frustrating, and even disheartening, and you might wonder at some point if you will ever “get it”. It may be that since you know you will never find what you are searching for, there can be a tendency to more or less give up, perhaps because it starts to seem pointless to look for something you know you’ll never find. Or, doubts such as “this is a fetter I cannot break” may arise, perhaps because of past conditioning around your ability or worth.
If you find yourself in an extended holding pattern, it may make sense to take a break of a few hours, a few days or even a few weeks. If you are working in one particular way, or with a particular person, a change in how or with whom you are doing the inquiry may be helpful. Also, the fetters approach, and the method of direct pointing, is not for everyone, and it may be that some other approach will be more suitable. The good news is that, even if you don’t fully “break” a given fetter, the fact that you searched but could not find what you thought must surely exist will in all likelihood stay with you: it’s not something you can fully “unsee”. As a result, at some point the belief in a “self”, a “subject” or other illusion may more readily fall away.
8. Bypassing
There can also be a tendency to what is often called “spiritually bypass”, and to dismiss or see past certain experiences. For example, if you know that there eventually won’t be any experience of “me” or “I” or of actual “things”, you might conclude that reactivity or subjectivity isn’t really happening, because there is no one that is reacting or being subjective, and that there otherwise isn’t anything real involved. Or, if you anticipate or even see that what is happening isn’t as real as it once seemed, you might conclude that it is OK to do what you like, and even harm others, because it ostensibly “doesn't matter” what you do or don’t do. And yet, if you find yourself reacting, this betrays the fact that you nevertheless find both yourself and the world around you to be real enough to react to: otherwise, reactions wouldn’t arise.
Another potential form of bypassing has to do with what I call the “leading edge” of experience, by which you can get a very convincing glimpse of (for example) the insubstantiality of the world around you. While this is finally “seen” when the seventh fetter is gone, some start to see this when the illusion of a separate “self” evaporates. If so, there can be the assumption that you have in fact broken all of the fetters through to the seventh, simply because your “leading edge” is able to fairly convincingly see this. However, your “trailing edge” will be tethered in the reactivity of desire and ill will. However convincing this preliminary understanding or seeing can be, care should be taken to not jump to the conclusion that such a giant step has in fact been made.
That said, in some cases it makes sense to continue on to the next step even though it isn’t clear that a given fetter is in fact gone. Not everyone works through the fetters in a strictly linear fashion, and it might be said that the fetters simply describe various aspects of “me” that have to go at some point, in whatever order, and by whatever means. For example, if the illusions of desire and ill will just won’t go away, it might make sense to move on to working with the sixth fetters, and the sense that there are actual “objects” that are triggering reactions. As long as you don’t lose track of the assumptions and beliefs you are temporarily allowing to stay in place, you can move on and then come back at a later time.
9. Managing Expectations
Before you start to inquire into whether or not you exist, there can be some grand expectations as to what life will be like when fully awake. For example, you might assume that there will be an ever-deepening sense of bliss, exuberance and joy, that you will develop certain mystical skills and abilities, or that you will no longer feel pain or even discomfort. If so, along the way there will likely be certain expectations around how each shift will manifest.
At each step through the fetters, some unfamiliar and even fascinating experiences will arise, such as sensations and energy coursing through the body, the sense of time and space falling away, perception shifting from three-dimensional to two, and the realization that nothing around you is as “real” as it once seemed. These can occur as a result of an actual irreversible shift, or they may simply arise as part of the looking process. While you might hope for and even expect these sorts of experiences, they may or may not be indicative of a true shift. Instead, it is usually a good idea to hold off on seizing upon any “big experience” as an indication that a given step has been completed, and let time be the eventual arbiter of whether a shift has actually occurred.
The corollary to this is that an actual shift or “fetter break” may occur without there being any fanfare or unusual experiences whatsoever. A given shift may be profoundly mundane, a bit disorienting or scary, or (particularly when all sense of “me” finally evaporates after the eighth fetter) there can be a period of time when the level of suffering you experience is noticeably greater than before the shift occurred. As a result, expectations you had around how joyful and “enlightening” each shift should be will likely not be met, and questions can arise as to whether a shift has actually occurred if you don’t feel as great as you hoped you would.