Please go through the video playlist embedded below.
Personal to Impersonal Sense of Consciousness
Q: How does the individual sense of awareness/consciousness dissolve?
A: When you say, “my awareness” there is an individual sense. This is different from saying, “I am awareness” where the individual sense is lost. Awareness, like love, is a quality (abstract noun). When we say, “Love is blind”, it is not about X’s love or Y’s love. There is nothing personal attached to the quality love when used in this way. So, when you say that you are awareness, so is everybody else. There is no individual sense attached to the quality awareness here. The individual sense of awareness dissolves when the understanding that you are awareness gets deep rooted. You feel comfortable saying, “Aham Brahmasmi” (Translation: I am Brahman, Meaning: I pervade everything).
PS: Awareness and consciousness words have been considered to mean the same.
Attention & Awareness
Q: What is the difference between attention and awareness?
A: Awareness is something due to which perception is possible, without awareness everything is insentient. Paying attention on something means concentrating on that thing. It is an act by which mind channelises awareness to shine on something of interest. Object of attention simply means focus of awareness. The following figure illustrates this with an analogy of convex lens:
Self Realisation & Gravitation
Kabir says, “Kasturi kundal base, mrig dhoondhe ban mahi” which implies that the fragrance is coming from the naval of the deer (musk deer) and it is searching for its source in the forest.
There is huge atmosphere above us due to which there is atmospheric pressure. But we never feel it.
Earth always attracted things towards it and so many people would have seen apple (and other things) falling towards earth. But, it took Newton to actually notice apple falling.
The very fact that something is so available makes it hidden.
Kabir also says, “Khoji hoye turat mili jahoon ek pal ki taalas mein” which means found immediately when searched for a moment.
Newton could, “See” apple falling because he was searching for gravitation.
Self inquiry is a tool by which you say I am not this, not this etc. and eventually are left with just pure awareness which is what you really are. You realise that thoughts are merely appearing in front of you, you are at the background merely watching them. Same is the case with emotions. It is your ignorance of your true nature and the tendencies of the unconscious mind that attach you to thoughts/emotions etc. When attachment is there, instead of watching the thoughts from background, you identify with them.
Happiness is in You
Q: When I eat chocolate I feel happy. So, does it not mean that happiness is in chocolate?
A: When a mosquito bites you, scratching the area gives you happiness. That does not mean that happiness is caused by mosquito. Continue reading Happiness is in You
What is Reflected Awareness?
Q (Anu) : Advait Vedant is about non-duality. Then why there are two types of awareness one of them being pure and the other being reflected?
A: Just a few days after birth you do not have the name Anu. After a long sleep as a new-born witnessing smiling visitors, you are the pure awareness. Over a period of time people started calling you Anu and you took the identity of Anu. You behaved as body-mind complex when Anu was waking or dreaming. This Anu which is a role you are playing is reflected awareness. Because of you, Anu is able to be conscious of something just like because of Sun, moon shines. Pure awareness is the unchanging background of the mind causing reflected awareness to exist making Anu appear alive. Reflected awareness is basically the false I identification. So,
Observing/knowing/doing something without getting attached to Anu – Pure awareness. Example: When you have hearty laugh, there is no false I.
Observing/knowing/doing something with Anu identification – Reflected awareness. Example: When you say, “I am always successful”.
Since pure awareness (chaitanya) itself becomes reflected awareness (chidabhasa) due to ignorance, there is no duality.
Free Will Vs Fruits of Action Not in Hand
Let us say K sees himself in his dream. Let us call this K in the dream of K as K’. K’ exists because of the mind of K. It appears to K’ that he has free will but is it of any use as K’ exists due to the mind of K and is controlled by the mind of K. K’ is like a puppet.
Likewise, in the waking world, it may appear that there is free will but in reality, the results of the action are not in anybody’s hands. The whole waking world is the projection of consciousness and it is like a puppet show in which the puppet thinks that he is not the puppet but is the doer.