Peeling Awareness
There seems to be a gradual peeling away of awareness.
Observer & Observed
And the process seems to occur through awareness becoming aware of itself, in continually new ways. That which observes cannot observe itself, so whatever we experience as "me" or awareness - is not quite that which is observing.
Whenever we find something that looks like "me" or awareness, we can let it go and go beyond.
A useful tool in this process is working with the koan what is experiencing?
Process
When there is first self-awareness, awareness is typically identified with the processes of the body and personality. What I experience as "me" is this body and personality.
Then, awareness becomes aware of itself as that in which experiences unfold. The witness or observer becomes aware of itself. At this point, awareness is still quite local and only half awake, although there is a beginning transdual view. There is a feeling of no separation with Existence. What I experience as "me" is awareness in which experiences unfold, and the sense of "me" is more fluid and permeable.
Then, as the peeling away process continues, there is spacious and luminous awareness in which all phenomena unfold. It becomes more transdual - there is less/no separation between awareness and phenomena. Awareness is more awake, it is awakening into big mind. There is a deepening direct experience of no separation with Existence. What I experience as "me" is a fluid and seamless whole of a more transdual awareness in which phenomena unfold.
But it is still centered on a personality, and still relatively local.
As there is more peeling away, awareness can experience itself as deeper transdual, nonlocal, luminous and spacious.
For each peeling away, awareness becomes closer to experiencing with the eyes of God. It experiences itself closer and closer to the true observer. There is no "me", only luminous awareness and unfolding phenomena.
12/08/2007 05:01:00 AM
The process of searching for the most basic sense of "I am" ends in awareness itself. If we can accept the idea that we are awareness then the infinite regress stops there. We do not observe awareness. If you think you are aware of being aware who is it that is aware? top