When you say “stay aware” I notice that it almost falls like I’m attached to “reality” with a rubber and and awareness is like pulling that rubber band away so staying seems almost impossible. At least not unless im in a very quiet dark environment which doesn’t seem to impose itself. Do you think it’s just the lack of practice? Is it supposed to get better with practice or am I making a job out of something effortless
The Self is always aware. Awareness cannot be unaware. It sounds like you are referring to 'I', 'reality' and 'awareness' as three distinct elements. But the base Reality in which anything can appear is pure Awareness/ Consciousness/ Sentience. And the knowledge of being aware proves that you are this Awareness. Hence, Advaita! Not two.
I have a topic I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on, if you so happen to feel inclined! I was just listening to a meditation on various Nisargadatta excepts on love, and 'This is Not a Pipe' popped into my head. Suddenly there was such love and joy here. A sense of liberation from trying to convey the impossible, which seemed to dissolve a sense of _needing_ to convey. Like, a closing of a gap, leaving just the direct experience. Already conveyed.. no need.
I think what I may have been listening to when 'This is Not a Pipe' popped into my head was "You ask how you can become universal, but you ARE universal. You need not, and you cannot, become what you are already. "
Hah! I had to google that pipe reference. Yes, the painting of a pipe is not the pipe. The sight of the pipe is not the pipe. The sensation of the pipe is not the pipe. Same goes for you. The image of a face is not the face. The sensations of a body are not the body. Any understanding of the Self is not the Self. This is all phenomenal in nature. Relative and subjective. What is the underlying reality of the seeing, hearing, sensing, feeling, knowing? Only that is the Noumenon.
@untangle-your-mind Thank you, that is brilliant, light! You definitely took that deeper for me, and I appreciate it. I have one more question from that meditation, which included the title of it given by Samaneri Jayasara. I thought I may as well ask about it while I'm at it! Nisargadatta said "Above the unity of being is the union of love. Love is the meaning and purpose of duality". I don't know what this is saying.
There is a bit more context in the full dialogue. Q: "Can there be happiness in unity? Does not all happiness imply necessarily contact, hence duality?" M: "There is nothing wrong with duality as long as it does not create conflict. Multiplicity and variety without strife is joy. In pure consciousness there is light. For warmth, contact is needed. Above the unity of being is the union of love. Love is the meaning and purpose of duality." The 'above' is from the foundation, looking up, in the sense of 'built on top of'. In Awareness, the sense of being arises. This sense that 'I Am' is in itself the union of love. The words are completely insufficient really. I Am is the point where being and consciousness meet in the love-to-be. SatChitAnanda. Without this love, there is no meaning or purpose to life. Just to be clear, this is different to how I have used the 'Union of Love' on this channel. That Union comes at the end of each life in the resolving back into the ground state of perfect Peace. The Absolute or Parabrahman in Nisargadatta's terms.
This is stunningly beautiful. For some reason, terrifyingly beautiful. It's too simple and beautiful and still. What IS this emptiness? Or this complete mysterious unknown fullness? Are these things supposed to come together, or will they always flow one into the other while there is experience?
Oh!! I really AM NOT mind, or these feelings or any of the content!!! Or this thought about what I am or am not! That's what these emptiness experiences are 'showing', right!?? All these things are empty of 'I'? But.. that is very dualstic!? Hmm. These phenomena aren't apart from I either though, are they?! That's just weird.
Mind is NOT aware!! Oh, wow! So what's happening when mind is active? I mean.. it seems to want or not want. It says 'I want to understand this', right? Awareness doesn't want!
The mind is just the stream of experience; the content of consciousness. The content in itself is not aware. When you admit 'I really AM NOT mind', that is not 'you' admitting. It is a thought process submitting to the Self/ Reality that made it possible. At that point, is there anything to call the 'mind'? There is just seeing, hearing, sensing, feeling, knowing... which are nothing apart from Awareness. There are no separate subjects or objects, only the expanse of Awareness.
I feel like there must be something wrong. It's like I can't retain the facets of knowledge all together at one time.. like seeing one aspect pushes all others out of perception. Like perception here can only hold 'x' or 'y' or 'z' at a time, when it's required to hold 'xyz' to have clarity and be still. To KNOW and be at peace. It is terrifying to think that it is not needed to hold anything.. that just stepping back into awareness of being aware and not doing anything is all I need do right NOW. I think I'm seeing that enlightenment doesn't need any details, and I am scared. I want 'xyz', held all in the same space of perception at once. It seems that _you_ have that. Crystal clarity of thought/perception/knowing. Like there is room for it all at once, and it stays clear and simple. It being.. knowing.
@untangle-your-mind No mind!? Point in case, I'm sure you have covered this, yet I can find no access to that here. Try to look for it and I find a blank stillness. Hmm..I guess it does remind me of a fear response. OK.
The belief in a soul is the same as the belief in an individual self. Same idea in disguise. When the individuality dissolves, then the concept of soul also breaks down and you finally arrive at 'Atman is Brahman', 'My Father and I are one', 'Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form'.
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