The Discovery of Awareness and its Impact
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Originally posted by wisdomeye:
since thots do not have a controller, sometimes, we get so guilty or self-judgemental over our own bad behavior/thots or whatsoever, does that mean that since there is actually no need for this? because in a sense, it is not really "our" fault. i mean since there is no "I".
guilt and remorse can also be seen as automatic responses arising as a thought, as a form of revulsion.
conventionally it will be seen as 'my' fault.
really is just a series of thoughts conditionally arising automatically with each being a cause as well as an effect spontaneosly. how behavior or thoughts turn out depends on the 'weight' on the five aggregates and this weight is the karmic forces. in a sense everything is in auto gear, nothing ever happens by chance.
5 cents worth, kindly correct in areas lacking
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Originally posted by geis:
guilt and remorse can also be seen as automatic responses arising as a thought, as a form of revulsion.
thanks, yes, clearer now
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*not linked to the first article*
How to Recognize Awareness?
Tuesday, 30 March 2010 00:00
Written by Bentinho Massaro
A Simple Analogy
When introducing people to awareness for the first time, I often say: Just stop thinking for a moment and see what remains...
In fact, why don't you all do that right now: for 5 seconds stop thinking and just see...
It's then that you notice that there is something that remains when you are not thinking. Like a background that's just present.
The goal with this is not to motivate you to stop all thinking or to try and retain a non-thought state of mind. Instead, that initial moment is just to help you recognize awareness. It's just an introduction.
Sure, feel free to stop thinking for short moments repeatedly to become more familiar with awareness; that alertness that remains. But don't ever believe that awareness, or your recognition of awareness, is depending on your being thoughtless.
If you notice that you are in fact believing you need to get rid of thoughts and emotions in order to be free, then let this moment and this very article, be the perfect moment to bring that belief to a complete stop :).
In fact, it is crucial in this world of pace and chaos, to be able to recognize awareness even while thinking and feeling many things at once. It is crucial that we all come to know ourselves as that which is present in each perception: Awareness.
A Simple Analogy
Why do I tell you initially to stop thinking then? It's because we have grown so accustomed to being interested only in our thought-forms, that we miss the very basis of every perception.
So when we stop thinking for a moment, we have nothing in our sight to distract us, and so we naturally notice that subtle presence that underlies all thoughts. We naturally notice that we are in fact that awareness that remains!It's like this:
Have you ever watched television, and suddenly the image turns black? Or the black/white pixels jitter takes over? There is no content on the screen and suddenly you are reminded that you were actually staring at a television set...
When the screen was filled with stories that interested you, kept you distracted, you never even realized you were watching at a television screen. All you recognized were the changing forms that were displayed and the stories they were telling you. You were missing the obvious fact, that the television set is the basis of every single image shown.
And just like when something that pulls your interest is reflected in a mirror you are looking at, for example your face, all you see is your face and the story it seems to evoke, you notice all your facial imperfections maybe, or your beautiful characteristics. Because that is what you are interested in.
But when a mirror reflects nothing that pulls your interest, like for example an empty space of your room, you naturally notice that there's a mirror in your room instead of being distracted by its reflection. For the first time you see the mirror itself, for what it really is.
Similarly, Awareness is the basis of all your changing perceptions and is most easily noticed to be present, when you have no thoughts.
But as I said, it's important not to dwell on this initial instruction.
Now that you have realized that all images were actually just pure television screen, when the images and the stories they tell you start to fill up your screen again, you can start to remind yourself of the fact that every image is nothing more than pure screen. You can now actually see the television screen as a screen!
No matter how elaborate, individual or authoritative the story of these images might seem, they have no individual basis or power and have never been anything more than pure screen. All images are now realized to be equal, even if their labels and descriptions tell you otherwise!
So where you might have needed that initial moment of blankness to recognize what was really present, now that you know this in your direct experience you can start recognizing awareness in every perception, in every thought.
For that alertness that is naturally witnessing the moment of no-thought, is still that exact same alertness that is witnessing the maelstrom of thoughts and emotions. It's the natural perceiving that never leaves. You can't say that you had a moment in your life where you weren't naturally, without effort, aware of your life... How else would you know that?
So instead of recognizing only the images of life, commit yourself from this moment on, to recognize the fact that you are aware of all these images.
YOU are always that same peaceful, spacious, open awareness and YOU can never not be present. Thoughts come and go like the wind, but YOU are the space for them to either be in, or not be in. Completely unaffected, completely free already!
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Awareness is so simple because it does not require the mind to figure out what it is.
Just look into Who is looking?
The answer comes in a form of 'feeling-realization' as Eckhart Tolle puts it. It can never be understood mentally.
That non-conceptual sense of presence and knowing alone IS.
It IS no matter what we are doing/not-doing.
The challenge is bringing this 'feeling-realization' into everyday life engagement, even while engaging in thoughts, actions, etc.
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i would like to refer people to the Surangama sutra on this awareness topic. Look for the translation in English. It talks about this very clearly and very very vividly. Maybe cos it's sourced from Buddha himself.
It is phrased in the form of dialogue or question and answer between Buddha and Ananda and is can provoke one into some kind of understanding.
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Originally posted by wisdomeye:
i would like to refer people to the Surangama sutra on this awareness topic. Look for the translation in English. It talks about this very clearly and very very vividly. Maybe cos it's sourced from Buddha himself.
It is phrased in the form of dialogue or question and answer between Buddha and Ananda and is can provoke one into some kind of understanding.
i see thank you :)
found a source http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/surangama.pdf
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A Simple, But Effective Practice
I heard one of my teachers say, “Always stick to your experience.”
So that is what I’m doing.
My experience, my practice, on the path was simply to rest as awareness as often as possible, throughout the day.
To rest as awareness simply means to stop, take one moment, and rest without labels about what is happening. This means to gently allow all thoughts about yourself, others, and the world to come to rest. Then just rest in and as that unknowing space of the present moment.
In that rest, an openness to all thoughts, emotions, states, sensations, and experiences is available.
I rested as awareness repeatedly until it dawned on me that my real identity is this awareness. Then, there was no need to rest anymore.
I recognized that I AM AWARENESS. Not the personal self. Not “Scott” is awareness. The entire story of Scott was seen to be an appearance coming and going within awareness.
In realizing awareness as my true identity, all thoughts, emotions, states, and experiences are seen to be temporary appearances, inseparable from awareness. They don't have the power to harm or torture me. As awareness, I remain untouched by these movements. Yet all movements are seen to arise spontaneously, involuntarily, and dynamically within awareness. Therefore, all appearances were seen to be equal appearances to awareness. Nothing pushed away. Nothing chased after. All IS!
This was my method. The main one. There were some other inquires that I did. But my main practice was to simply rest as awareness, whenever possible through the day.
In resting as awareness, emotions were felt directly, without the filter of thought interpreting them as good or bad.
Some don't need to rest as awareness repeatedly. Taking one moment to look without labels is all that it takes. In that one moment, it becomes clear that awareness is your real identity. For others, it takes repeatedly resting as awareness.
Don't think of resting as a practice to reach a later point of awakening in time. Each moment of rest is an end in and of itself. In that non-conceptual awareness, time is not operating. Time is seen to be thought.
In a moment of resting, don't look for results or achievement. Don't look for some grand awakening experience. Rest for rest's sake. Simply rest as what you are. If a thought arises, simply notice it and allow it to pass. Ask yourself, does it take a thought to just be? If not, rest as that thought-free awareness. And when a thought arises, ask, "Does this thought take away being?" Nothing takes away the simple presence of being. It is always here, always available, whether there is thinking or no thinking. Just notice that every thought comes and goes within this restful awareness.
This was a simple practice and because it worked for me, I’m sharing it with you. There are other ways, other methods, and other practices.
And if you meet with me, we may explore other methods, including the direct path, inquire, and all sorts of other things. But I will always remind you to keep it simple.
Simply rest. Rest whenever it is convenient. Rest whenever possible. This was the doorway to freedom for me. So I’m sharing it with you.