There are many awakenings...

First, we awaken to dualistic perception. To where awareness is identified with the small self - this body and particular patterns of sensations, emotions and thoughts.

Then, we can awaken to the nature of mind. To realizing ourselves as the Absolute, as spacious awareness - functioning in all the ways the mind can function, on personal and transpersonal levels. This gives us One Taste, from recognizing the Absolute in all phenomena, and a sense of no separation. In this phase, we are naturally fascinated with our own nature - and there is natural tendency to shift away somewhat from the relative to deepen our familiarity with our nature.

Then (and this may happen simultaneously with the previous awakening), we can awaken to Big Mind. To that which holds the Absolute and Relative as two aspects of Existence.

Then, we may awaken to a deepening of our humanity. We become more fully human. We allow the mind to function freely on the personal and transpersonal levels, within the context of Big Mind. We become completely ordinary, but now within a larger and different context. We fully experience and live this human life.

Along with all this, there is also the possibility of an awakening to the evolutionary process of Existence. To the Absolute as always distinct from all phenomena (and thus the same always) and the evolutionary process in the unfolding of the Relative world. We consciously take part in the evolution of this universe, this Earth, the ecological and social systems, the evolution of the human species, and our society and culture. This is a neverending process - at least as long as the relative is around (and there is no reason it wouldn't be). It is evolution becoming aware of itself and participating consciously in its own process.

Widespread Awakenings?

This came up as I went to a Deeksha on Sunday. It seems a genuine process, that helps people into genuine awakenings.

Their larger goal is to help large numbers of people into an awakening to the nature of mind, and into Big Mind. If this is possible, then it may be just what we need to come through this bottleneck in history - in terms of dangers from weapons of mass destruction, ecological collapse, and more.

At the same time, it is just another beginning (not in any way an end point).

Even if people have these awakenings - which are wonderful and healing - they will interpret and express it at whatever level their are at in their personal development. And - as Ken Wilber likes to point out - there are typical diseases, things that can go wrong, at each level. There is still a need for discernment and of acknowledging our basic humanness and areas in us that need awareness, healing and maturation.

(Of course, falling into these pitfalls is exactly the food needed for the unfolding of the next level of development and evolution. Realizing this, we can open up for deep appreciation of our blindness and stuckness, because that too is Existence manifesting itself - and food for the evolution.)

For these kinds of awakenings, there are some particular pitfalls - which we all go into one way or another, and for various lengths of time. There may be a tendency to be so absorbed and fascinated by the Absolute that we neglect our Relative existence, and this can take many forms. We don't pay the bills, bypass a good education, ignore the processes of cause and effect, ignore our basic humanness and areas that need healing and maturing, don't engage in society and ecosystems to be a catalyst for healing/maturing in those areas, etc.

And there is also the continuing process of evolution - of the universe, the Earth, humanity, society and culture.

On all levels - from the personal and up - it is a beginning. A new phase of evolution. At least in this little corner of this particular universe.

Labels: awakening, diksha