When are you?

Let the koan do the work

amor

Here are a recollection of Susan Blackmore's
thoughts while working on the question
"When are you?".
This quote is from her book "Ten Zen Questions":

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

'When are you?' I'm the questioner asking the question. I turn back
to ask the questioner 'When are you?' and it's the question asking
me who's asking the question.

It's all gone wrong. The question is hovering right there in front
of my face but I'm not sure whether I'm the question or the face.
But anyway it's not the face at all, it's whatever lies behind the
face. The question is staring into the space behind my face and is
finding nothing but the question.

It seems as though all my life there's been a skin or a veil between
the me inside and the world I can see out there - not a real skin,
obviously. Indeed I've no idea what I mean, but now it's not there,
and I can sense something missing. The whole of my head is opened up.

In fact there isn't any head at all, or back to it. It's as though
I was looking in a mirror before, and now I'm not.
There is no division.
There is no back or front.
No behind the mirror or in front of it, no inside or outside.
The question is asking itself through me and I am ...

I don't know, but I am skilled enough to see that this is an
opportunity, and I could blow it.
Don't panic. You know what to do now.

Remember the old Mahamudra teaching: to recognize and
experience insight, and remain in the experience of non-elaboration.
I don't elaborate. The question keeps asking itself.