WEEK 4 — The Self and the Universe

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# WEEK 4 — The Self and the Universe

### Reading:

Chapters 7–8

## Core Theme

The idea that the self is not separate from reality but an expression of it.

## Discussion Prompts

• What does it mean to say “you are the universe experiencing itself”?
• Does this idea feel comforting or destabilizing?
• Why do humans fear impermanence?
• How does this perspective affect loneliness?
• Could individuality and interconnectedness both be true simultaneously?

## Optional Meditation

5 minutes:
Observe sounds without labeling them as “outside.”
Just experience.

## Weekly Integration

Practice speaking to yourself less harshly.
If you are part of life itself,
what changes about self-hatred?

## Closing Question

> What if existence is participation rather than achievement?