[ truth gets lost in the tellin’, dept. ]
Some years ago I bought in my travels, my one and only bumper sticker and promptly buried it in my basement; years later, after searching all over the world for “The Truth” (It’s complicated, or so it seems) I found it – the sticker – again and, moved perhaps by it’s growing relevance to my life-long seeking, I stuck it on the rear bumper of my shiny new 2007 Camry Hybrid. I walked past it almost daily for the next 14 years 🙂 and though the car now belongs to a friend, its message remains as repetitive and significant a guide now as then. Perhaps its utility may also be relevant to you. It’s a saying from Henry David Thoreau: ‘SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY.’
Indeed, that’s been and continues to be, the essence of daily living – of simply being aware of awareness. There’s a simple seeing of all that’s currently happening FROM awareness, from a subtle and solid knowing; a knowing that itself remains unknown AS AN EXPERIENCE because indescribable, non-personal, non-conceptual and non-perceivable by our Six senses…yet known by itself. Only awareness is aware of itself.
In fine, awareness is before, behind and beyond all our daily experiencing. Simply put, it’s That subtle and timeless ‘seeing’ which is aware of all experience in space and time…that which is seeing and reading these words, perhaps sniffing, sipping and savoring a cuppa, looking out an open window, hearing the doves, feeling the breeze, thinking about all this – or more likely, the mind-made ‘problems, hopes and desires’ related to a remembered yesterday and a feared tomorrow… and perhaps, here and now, wondering what it’s all about, yes? The really good news here is that – see it or not – it’s choiceless awareness that’s seeing all that. 🙂
AWARENESS IS NOT AN EXPERIENCE THAT COMES AND GOES.
With apologies for what may seem – and is – again repetitive here, perhaps a few more words about what is meant by “seeing” this awareness may be useful to evoke its direct recognition; a pointing to seeing that, as Adyashanti says, “Awareness is a simple shift from the content to the context”. A seeing FROM that which is seeing, of that which is seen. The word ‘seeing’ points to a recognizable yet non-personal, non-conceptual ‘knowing’ or ‘awareness of being aware,’ of the wholeness of reality that is not limited to and defined by the Six senses (‘consciousness’) which seem to produce our entire ‘reality’ but are very limited and which die because born. Indeed, That ‘seeing’ is before mind and beyond mind. That which is prior to experience is unborn; it precedes the sensual, human body/mind facilitated experience, and is infinite spirit, unborn and undying. THAT – whatever that is – is what is ‘seeing’ ie beholding. In sum, something beyond conceptions and perceptions, which we may call ‘awareness’ is ‘seeing’ the total content of passing consciousness. ie sentient experience, HERE AND NOW. Some call it love. Or beauty, joy or peace – it’s all the same, no matter the name. Today, let’s simply call it a living delight. 🙂
“I feel that happiness is really found in appreciation and rejoicing. Everything is a display of clarity, love, and wisdom… This enlightened nature is not just within you. It’s everywhere. You can see it and appreciate it. That’s the main cause of happiness — gratitude and appreciation.”
– Mingyur Rinpoche
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