Stripping Off
When we enter the same (or similar) landscape, the ways we describe it will be similar but also with a distinct flavor.
One of the common themes is that of stripping off, of letting go, of relaxing into what is - at least for those who take a more yin approach to awakening.
The stripping off refers to letting go of blind attachments to the small self, and to all aspects of the small self. And this is typically a gradual process - of resting in/as the witness in more and more situations. When a contraction arises in the small self, we allow this to arise within space & awareness, and this allows some space around the contraction - we don't have to get caught up in it. As we do this in more and more situations, the tapestry of blind attachments gradually softens and unravels.
What is left is the "ground" of space & awareness, within which all experiences unfold. We rest more in our whole holarchy of being in more and more situations.
And this gives more freedom in how we relate to the situations of the small self. We are no longer blindly caught up in the habitual patterns of the small self, but can respond from more clarity and overview. And we are less caught up in any fixed identity, which allows us to respond with more fluidity and flexibility. There is more fluidity and richness in the responses available to us.
And there is a sense of ease and simplicity in our engagement as/in the world of phenomena. There is more of a sense of space and overview, along with a sense of intimacy, richness and connection.
Along with all this is a difference in how we relate to the small self. Initially, there is a strong identification with the small self. Then, this identification softens and becomes more inclusive, until there is no fixed identity anymore. We see this small self as embedded in the larger fluid whole of Relative phenomena. It is a temporary and changing pattern through which the matter and energy of the larger universe flows. It is empty of any fixed and separate existence, and empty of anyone to identify with it. It is that which the Absolute temporarily works through/as in the world of phenomena.
All its habitual patterns are there, although now softened, and these allows for access to memory, information and evolving skills, and allows for a flavor of personality to this vehicle for Big Mind.