AN ENCOUNTER WITH LOSING THE SENSE OF SELF

Swiss Retreat 2019 Group Interviews 8 (27:15-29:56)

Yogi: When I woke up, there was no feeling of ‘me’. I was confused and frightened. The fear exploded and the ‘I’ came back. The fear subsided and I concentrated on my breath. 

Sayadaw: Actually, there’s no ‘I’, but when you woke up, the thing that keeps the ‘I’ alive in your mind is the thought of ‘me’. 

When you just woke up, the thought of ‘me’ couldn’t form; and that’s what you experienced. 

We have relied on ‘me’ our whole life; and when ‘I’ disappears, what do I rely on?

It’s a very strange and new experience.

Yogi: Can I do anything about it?

Sayadaw: It’s just the thought of ‘me’ that is gone. When you think, the thought of ‘me’ comes back. Don’t worry.

It is not so easy to lose the sense of self.