Awareness
What do we mean by ‘awareness’? What does it mean when people talk about ‘waking up’?
Of course, various spiritual traditions would answer those questions slightly differently…and so would people on different paths.
To a certain extent it’s almost impossible to define them, as they are ‘experiential’ not intellectual. However, it can help to have an approximation of what is being explored and considered. Here are simple descriptions that I’ve found useful:
Awareness: the ability to see what is actually happening in this moment, inside of us and outside of us; even if we are ‘caught up’ in the past or future, we are aware of that happening
Awakeness: understanding and viscerally experiencing the true nature of reality, which is fluid and unified -- not solid, separate and self-centred, as we usually experience it due to our filters and preconceptions.
My sense is that the two of these go hand in hand and support each other. When we are aware, we are more able to perceive the true nature of reality – as our awareness expands, it begins to include that larger view. When we are awake, we are more “here” with what is actually happening, more aware – it becomes difficult to buy into our usual mental patterns.
In my view, it is not so much that specific people are “awake” but that we have moments of awareness and of awakeness – and in some people, those times are longer and more frequent, such that people describe them as “awake”. Though it might be theoretically possible to be in those states 100% of the time, it seems to be a very rare occurence. Striving for that perfection only leads us in the wrong direction. Increasing and appreciating the 'moments' is a gentler and more productive path.
As talked about in previous sections, in those moments, we feel more alive, make better decisions, and naturally feel compassion and kindness. We feel the joy of connection to the human condition and the earth. If you’re reading this, you probably want more of those moments.
Some teachers would say that there is “nothing to do” and no path. Others would say that there are practices and teachings we can explore that will help us to increase our awareness and move towards awakeness. Given that I’ve put up this website, I guess you could say that I agree with this latter view. My experience is that though awakeness might come in flashes of insight, there are things we can do to clear out the mental underbrush to make room for flashes to happen, to be perceived, and to take root in our lives.
More on ‘awareness’ in this section, and on ‘awakeness’ in the next one…
The Aware Space
Willingness
The Empire Strikes Back
more to come...