Inquiry on sadness:
Look at the word “sadness”. Look at the letters, shapes, spaces between and around the letters, the space between you and the letters. Is that word sadness, the actual sadness? Yes, there is a reaction in me, in the throat and chest.
Open to that sensation. Feel it. Take your time. Do you see any pictures? Yes, I see a picture of me looking sad.
Look at that picture. Is that picture sadness? Yes, feels like it. Same feeling.
Keep feeling it. Stay with it for a while. I see a picture of a ball in my throat.
Look at the picture. Look at the lines, colors, texture. Is it sadness? Yes, there is a feeling around my eyes.
Feel that feeling, those sensations. Are those sensations sadness? Yes, there is a reaction in my solar plexus.
Feel that reaction. Feel the sensations. Is it sadness? No.
Rest. Notice what’s here. Allow.
Where do you find sadness? The feeling in my throat, chest, and cheeks.
Feel those sensations. Be the sensations. Take your time. [Feeling it for several seconds/minutes.] Are those sensations sadness? Yes.
What gives you that answer? What pictures, words, or sensations are there telling you it’s sadness? Another picture of me, sitting here, looking sad.
Look at that picture. Look at the texture, colors, lines. Notice the space around it. Is the picture sadness? Yes, the lump in my throat tells me it is.
Feel that lump in the throat. Feel the sensations. What shape does it have? Potato shaped.
Notice its size. Imagine placing a ruler from back to front measuring the diameter of that shape. Now imagine keeping it that shape. [After several moments] What happens? It changes size, fluctuates, becomes less solid.
Is it sadness? No.
Rest with what’s here. Notice. Allow. Notice the space around what’s here.
Where do you find sadness? I see a picture of my parents’ faces, telling me that what’s here in me is sadness.
Look at that picture. Is that picture sadness? No.
Rest. Where do you find sadness? Slightly in the sensations in my chest.
Feel the sensations. I see a picture of something dark over my chest.
Look at that picture. Is that picture sadness? No.
Where is sadness? I see a picture of my eyes, looking sad.
Look at that picture. Is it sadness? Yes, the sensations in my throat got stronger.
Feel those sensations. [Make those sensations as strong as you can. Then release. Repeat a few times.] Are those sensations sadness? No, sensations.
Where do you find sadness? I see a picture. (Past situation where I was very happy, and now is gone.)
Look at that picture. Is that picture sadness? No.
[And so on, looking at a few more images and words, and feeling sensations until sadness is unfindable.]