What is this?

No Mind - (Meditation on Emptiness) 110 mentions

• slightly you could say slightly deeper and we've touched them the awareness of phenomena being empty the understanding
• what i want to speak about is awareness awareness and how can we as meditators
• awareness awareness and how can we as meditators really see deeply that awareness lacks
• awareness and how can we as meditators really see deeply that awareness lacks inherent existence
• so where where i'm going with this is to say that awareness or the mind using those two synonymously tonight mind or
• those two synonymously tonight mind or awareness or consciousness whatever is empty of inherent existence
• abstract if the person says that what does that even mean awareness is empty of inherent existence
• intuitive sense of inherent existence of things including awareness but that that's not anything to do with
• in the buddhist tradition will say or believe or may believe awareness is the only thing it's the one thing that's
• that uh the buddha clearly said that awareness also lacks inherent existence and is also dependent arising
• intuition or a feeling or a perception that awareness is not empty of inherent existence that actually is some kind of
• and it would seem it would really seem to a person that to say that awareness doesn't have inherent existence would
• so we're holding something this beautiful sense of awareness transcendently mystically there
• really see again not just intellectually but to really see that awareness lacks inherent existence is even more amazing
• more beautiful and touching to see that awareness doesn't have inherent existence than it is this idea whatever
• existence than it is this idea whatever we might call it of an awareness that does have inherent existence and i keep
• there the elements the time it happens in the awareness something something will be given inherent existence
• something this self or this phenomenon this aggregate or awareness or whatever it is is empty it's not a kind of
• okay so i said i was using this word mind and awareness synonymously sometimes people use the word mind and
• etc i'm actually tonight using the word mind consciousness awareness that which knows all meaning the same thing so this
• consciousness whether i call it awareness whatever whether they call it that which knows whatever name i give to
• quite a thing to be able to have a sense of consciousness or awareness and in that moment really to be feeling it as
• normal identification that we have with awareness and that's um that in itself is a practice
• unhooking the identification with with awareness with consciousness with mind uh there's a thai forest meditation
• we'll come back to this because i can take it as saying that awareness is there but it's not me or mine it's the
• there but it's not me or mine it's the anata of awareness i can take a whole other level of subtlety which is what i
• want to get into tonight which is awareness is empty shunya is empty awareness lacks
• which is awareness is empty shunya is empty awareness lacks inherent existence not just that it
• uh it's even more subtle to see that consciousness awareness mind whatever we call it lacks inherent existence very
• perception in my meditation that awareness is it and uh
• to the talk we gave on the vastness of awareness a couple of weeks ago not the final truth but really really an
• for actually quite a while in practice the sense of the mind or awareness or consciousness is somewhat like a mirror
• actual piece of glass inside somewhere but the sense is of awareness is kind of functioning like a mirror
• but uh not the full thing yet why is it helpful to feel or even view awareness as a mirror
• have a sense in meditation in our introspection of awareness is like that it's unfazed unperturbed unbothered by
• what it's reflecting and that sense of awareness brings equanimity because equanimity
• exactly that is it's not being bothered too much by what's in awareness so it's actually very very helpful
• inherently existent reality of things which is reflected by awareness but all this business we've done in
• um but the sense again with a mirror sense of awareness the the feeling of intuition implication is that awareness
• sense of awareness the the feeling of intuition implication is that awareness is something passive a mirror just hangs
• whatever and and passively the mirror awareness automatically reflects it and again in meditation you can have a
• and again in meditation you can have a real sense of awareness being something that just is it just leave it and it
• more detail we actually find out that awareness the whole process of knowing being aware of something is not a
• dependent rising but the sense of passivity of awareness is actually uh it's not quite seen deeply enough
• our body is a mirror stand and our mind a mirror bright our awareness a mirror bright carefully we wipe them hour by
• sense of going back to the vastness of awareness that we did really really important for a lot of people
• did in that meditation it can feel like the awareness is sort of uh infinitely vast and holding everything it's almost
• vast and holding everything it's almost like awareness is the container for everything and everything just happens
• everything and everything just happens in that and awareness remains unaffected eternally serene
• goes a bit deeper that this vast space of awareness is actually the source of phenomena it feels the perception in
• sensation they're rising out of awareness out of this ground of awareness so to speak
• awareness out of this ground of awareness so to speak and disappearing back into it very very
• uh awareness can seem that way in that sense of things in that depth of
• probably not seeing we need to see that that sense of vastness of awareness too is actually an object it's an object it
• something therefore it's a perception we actually have a sense of this awareness still a perception it's an object for
• as such it's woven in with perception this very center awareness is woven in with the process of perception
• that that's that's the nub of it because our very sense of awareness is wrapped up with perception i'm going to go into
• um it's a very striking suitor so uh this sense of awareness or vastness awareness being a kind of
• so uh this sense of awareness or vastness awareness being a kind of source a kind of groundless ground of
• in other words i can see things in that space of awareness see things in that space i can see or he
• conceived phenomena coming out of that so it's a space of awareness or whatever he she conceives whichever one of these
• flavors of spaces to go back to the talk on on vastness of awareness conceives this or that space as mine
• um the nature of awareness is luminous the mind is luminous can very hear that in
• is fabricated cannot be awareness itself if it's a perception if i have a perception of
• perception if i have a perception of luminosity it cannot be awareness itself if more of an object
• um going back to that talk on i think it was on the vastness of awareness and i said there is that sense of awareness is
• was on the vastness of awareness and i said there is that sense of awareness is still a sense in awareness and you can
• said there is that sense of awareness is still a sense in awareness and you can kind of regard it that way and maybe
• doesn't know anything in the phenomenal way it's not awareness and consciousness how we usually
• is meant by this word luminosity luminosity of awareness um it actually turns out to mean purity
• understanding uh awareness is vast like space you hear that a lot a lot it's it's in
• commentaries it's in people's center things and how it awareness is vast like space
• dependent rising is and not just saying awareness is like space or a space coming back to these words uh luminosity
• sometimes that gets paired with clarity and you you hear the nature of awareness is luminous clarity or clear luminosity
• what you've got is uh nature of awareness is luminous clarity just means there is knowing but it's empty of
• find uh the nature of what the true nature awareness is luminous clarity or clear luminosity or something like that
• times because if if one says awareness lacks inherent exists it's very easy to go to a
• there's no inherently existent entity uh that knows there's no mind or awareness as a thing or a substance or even a
• so we go back to that talk on the vast vast awareness and say again excellent excellent basis you know really
• talking about moving on from that sense of vast awareness looking at an object there is none i see it as mind in other
• how it seems like everything is of the same substance as awareness they lose their substantiality and everything
• their substantiality and everything seems to be awareness one meaning of that actually there's other more subtle
• looking for mind mind is not there in other words awareness is not there it lacks any essence
• it's absence of essence okay so that vastness of awareness is a very important platform practice
• my meditative scrutiny my insight onto the onto the awareness itself and looking for that awareness it's not
• the onto the awareness itself and looking for that awareness it's not there it lacks any essence so that's the
• meaning of what's meant by uh mind or awareness lacks any essence there's a it's so pregnant with meaning what that
• remember mind means the same as awareness this is shanti deva great you know a great teacher of the mayan since
• because they're just kind of expressions of that awareness somehow they're just mind somehow and then we're going okay
• what would it be to see that that how would i go about seeing that awareness is empty first way or the first reason
• another quote by shani deva mind awareness can be found neither inside outside nor
• oh soon none of the buddhas has ever seen seize or will see mind or awareness next one called the sutra chapter
• whether this thing you call mind or awareness is blue yellow red white maroon or transparent whether it is pure
• knowing that much seeing awareness as that is already quite difficult to see from us
• it takes quite an experienced meditative to have a sense of awareness in that in that way you know that's that already is
• analyzing more deeply and actually what is the ultimate nature of awareness the ultimate nature of awareness
• is the ultimate nature of awareness the ultimate nature of awareness and and this is uh
• or three ways three avenues to see that awareness has no inherent existence meditatively that we can actually
• liberating won't be completely convincing that the awareness lacks inherent existence
• we use this word consciousness or awareness s or in the end uh of a word in english
• denotes a noun this consciousness awareness right and now in pali the word is vignana in
• conscious better translation for the word consciousness or awareness is knowing knowing
• empty it's leaning on a vacuum it's uh leaning on nothing awareness is leaning on nothing you could say then the true
• on nothing you could say then the true nature of awareness is that it's groundless it's groundless
• depend on mind so they're empty mind consciousness awareness depends on objects which are empty two empty things
• whether it's a state of calmness or the sense of awareness or the space of awareness or a body sensation or
• sense of awareness or the space of awareness or a body sensation or stillness or whatever luminosity
• spacious when again the vastness of awareness it's just um
• um that sense of this awareness to also being empty and so like all practice
• so to know that vastness of awareness and the beauty of that and the freedom of

Realizing the Nature of Mind - (IMS Forest Refuge) 110 mentions

• nature of mind or the nature of awareness so what does it mean to realize the true
• nature of mine to realize the true nature of awareness i'm also aware that
• mind awareness that which knows
• and consciousness mind awareness that which knows consciousness in this talk tonight i'm
• get in the dharma talking about mind meaning just awareness or consciousness sometimes people leave out the word
• if we understand the nature of mind deeply the nature of awareness consciousness etc deeply if we really
• understand what about the nature of mind what is it about the nature of awareness that i need to understand
• meditating and then maybe we do because meditation is a lot about awareness a lot about consciousness
• years even of practice the notion of the mind or awareness as the metaphor of a mirror
• get to this mirror but that sense of awareness is somehow reflecting the world
• conscious notion that notion somehow embedded in us awareness something that reflects the world
• practice just patiently polishing that mirror so that we can the awareness can reflect things as they really are
• and so sometimes people use this phrase or words pure awareness now that actually means very different things in
• that might be a meaning awareness is pure in the sense it's free of all that papanchising complication
• aspect of the being that's unaffected this aspect of mindfulness or awareness is unaffected by what passes in front
• out a few possible ways of conceiving of the nature of awareness and then later come back to what uh what the potential
• of practice um different sense of awareness can begin to kind of be discovered or open
• developing the mindfulness in a very sharp way very focused awareness very bright attentiveness
• bright attentiveness microscopic kind of fine awareness and really refining the mindfulness like
• and it's more practicing in a kind of opened out sense so awareness kind of opens out to the whole field the whole
• lends itself to uh having a sense of awareness as something very spacious so we talked about
• a little bit awareness begins to seem incredibly spacious vast unimaginably vast
• more the likelihood there is of the sense of awareness opening up in this very beautiful way very vast awareness
• sense of awareness opening up in this very beautiful way very vast awareness dependent on letting go
• three classic ways of letting go that sense of vast awareness might also be discovered arrived at just by kind of
• and we say you can rest then in awareness instead of going out and doing things with objects one just rests in
• things with objects one just rests in that space of awareness that begins to open up
• in in a very alive way in the moment on the sense of awareness itself all this is practice so everything i've
• focused way actually focusing on awareness it will bring about a slightly different state
• a sense of a context a space which is awareness and the object in it and giving more attention to the space
• giving more attention to the space the sense of awareness and the object so phenomena begin to seem as if they're
• phenomena begin to seem as if they're arising passing and living in awareness which is different than how we usually
• which is different than how we usually think of the world my awareness is somehow in here the world is out there
• phenomena is being born and living and dying in awareness now i'm going through this very quickly
• over and over we develop that sense of awareness now someone doing this might get the
• sense oh that sky that awareness in the sense of a big space that's actually pure in
• made of the same substance as the space of awareness they're made of the same substance of aware as awareness
• of awareness they're made of the same substance of aware as awareness so you might have heard analogies like
• it's all just waves in the ocean of being or the ocean of awareness it's all just the same substance taking different
• perspective to open to everything's just an impression in awareness and then in that sense from that
• empty because in the sense that they're not different than awareness it's all they're empty of being something
• vast insubstantial substance of awareness so things seem empty in that sense they
• real in the sense of not existing really outside of awareness in the way that we usually think
• consciousness awareness knowing itself everything is the play of consciousness
• where there's not something in the mind in awareness shaping fabricating what is perceived in that moment in that present
• we might say what's the problem uh with that vast awareness you know that sense of awesomeness well one one thing is it
• that that will just be another event in this awareness there's no way of knowing that
• answers to what is the ultimate nature of awareness etc that are too easy and too facile or also answers to what
• care with that big space awareness the fast awareness it's the place where most
• with that big space awareness the fast awareness it's the place where most people will tend to get to stop their
• of assumptions one is that awareness is something simple
• and i hear the bird tweeting i didn't it just comes it's just awareness is simple and passive and has a kind of
• that the truth is this way or the awareness is this way etc but in a way lovely and good and helpful
• it seems as if the especially the the vast awareness it seems that we find something in the text that really
• same words are used in very different ways so we use words like awareness is luminous
• monks and he basically told them not to see awareness as the source of all things
• so this sense of there being a vast awareness and everything can kind of just
• consciousness that i was talking about in the very fine awareness it's actually possible to experience that and it's
• actually possible to experience a very wide vast spacious still awareness and if you really practice this kind of
• you've got something else called awareness which is the vast thing in which consciousness takes place and the
• which consciousness takes place and the awareness knows the consciousness which knows the object and it's kind of this
• could it be that awareness or consciousness mind whatever name we give it awareness
• that awareness or consciousness mind whatever name we give it awareness and perception
• have a certain perception or sense of awareness when i focus my mind when i use my mind
• and with that a different perception or sense of awareness so the aware the sense of awareness
• sense of awareness so the aware the sense of awareness takes on the aspect of perception
• takes on the aspect of perception we could say awareness consciousness whatever you want to call it is bound up
• this vast way you get you get this sense of vastness and a sense of awareness is vast
• and you get kind of global sense of awareness but then kind of introduce the thought
• subtly the insight subtly that that sense of awareness is also so to speak happening in awareness in other words
• sense of awareness is also so to speak happening in awareness in other words that's just a perception too and you
• but including with in that seeing the awareness as i said i think in the last talk seeing awareness or
• seeing the awareness as i said i think in the last talk seeing awareness or consciousness also as not me not mine i
• the identification from objects or awareness in those moments what happens well a
• it will fades now if i have a notion of awareness as vast and space itself begins to kind of
• fade or lose its reality well i can't really call awareness vast because space isn't something really
• because space isn't something really real and maybe my notion of awareness as something vast is actually reinforcing
• is what's left awareness in the usual sense that we call that we use that word awareness
• awareness in the usual sense that we call that we use that word awareness so let's take a whole big step backwards
• really ask which is what on earth do we mean by awareness so we use that word all the time let's
• just hold on a minute what do we mean by awareness what do you mean by consciousness
• consciousness in english we have a noun awareness consciousness and noun and nouns have a
• thingy it's a thingy okay and because awareness or consciousness is a noun it seems to be a thing a thingy
• language so awareness is really when we think about what does it mean well it's
• about what does it mean well it's awareness of something rather than something some substance it's awareness
• awareness of something rather than something some substance it's awareness of something we putting it in verb terms
• we could say it's knowing knowing consciousness or awareness means knowing
• we say then it's groundless or unsupported awareness is unsupported it's groundless
• empty and the mind or consciousness awareness depends on objects so that is empathy too
• groundlessness this emptiness this lack of independent existence of awareness rather than being a kind of conundrum or
• but with that the conviction comes and eventually the conviction that awareness is empty to comes and with that the
• this moment of consciousness this moment of awareness is it
• hold the sense of the moment in awareness focus on it and get used to this reasoning in a way that you can
• what does that imply in terms of awareness and the reality of awareness awareness it said in the different
• awareness and the reality of awareness awareness it said in the different traditions is unfindable we can't find
• traditions is unfindable we can't find awareness you can't find the mind you can't find consciousness no matter how
• would call the conventional truth about awareness is that it doesn't have a form and so you can't see it
• and if there's no time for the mind or awareness to exist in where how is it going to really exist
• going to really exist so we say awareness is without essence but seeing all those reasons why it's
• so what's happening in in all this is we're seeing that awareness completely counter-intuitively is
• because it's built it's empty we build awareness and it's empty so the buddha in a lovely quote said
• that could sound like the vast spacious insubstantial awareness but he doesn't finish there
• pocus going on in the mind and there's awareness and it's it's a it's a trick it doesn't actually exist as
• what's left some people use the words it's awareness unbound it's awareness not being bound to objects and space and
• that but that awareness is different than what we ordinarily mean when we use the
• what we ordinarily mean when we use the word awareness because ordinary as i said before we mean awareness of
• word awareness because ordinary as i said before we mean awareness of in everyday language whether we're
• conscious of it or not that's what we mean by awareness it's awareness of so it's different different what's left
• after we unbuild everything then ordinary awareness in some zen traditions they have the uh
• reality what seemed to be a self and a world and things and time and awareness everything in space everything i took

Emptiness and the Vastness of Awareness - (Meditation on Emptiness) 95 mentions

• it but there's identification with awareness that we've touched on and that identification is enough to solidify the
• very subtle talking about the space and time and awareness these things we take so for granted so for granted the basic
• got three characteristics equanimity and this kind of spacious awareness they all feed each other in a way
• the more the equanimity the more the space of awareness opens up all the more the three characteristics
• all the more the three characteristics are more space of awareness opens up the more the space of awareness opens up
• are more space of awareness opens up the more the space of awareness opens up again the easier it is certainly to feel
• beginning to establish kind of what we could call a global awareness an awareness of the totality of experience
• could call a global awareness an awareness of the totality of experience so including the body including sound
• to everything and includes everything it's global awareness total awareness and beginning to almost tune into or
• or phenomena are kind of held within that space of awareness all phenomena are kind of effortlessly
• experience seem to or can be seen to appear out of that space of awareness and disappear back into it are you
• encourage that and let everything let everything belong to awareness it all just look it's coming out and it's
• that's where it belongs belongs to awareness belongs to the space practicing ways of looking
• practicing ways of looking are you avoiding awareness in spaces at this point yes in other words the sp
• at this point yes the the space is the space of awareness but i'll qualify this in several different ways tonight and
• begins to be become more prominent to to awareness and and again i was just pointing
• analogy of that and the space of awareness being unperturbed by what events happen what mental events or
• whatever happens in the internal whatever you call the space of awareness also does not affect the mind
• all phenomena as just impressions in awareness just impressions and awareness what i was really just throwing out kind
• can be experienced it's just an impression in awareness it begins to get kind of washed over by the water or
• yourself sitting and then that too isn't just an impression awareness just an impression how much can be included how
• whatever is that that too is an impression in awareness and
• the same stuff as that space made of the same substance as awareness so to speak so it doesn't matter if that happened
• sound beautiful same thing with this the aware the sense of awareness as emptiness or space sort of begins to
• and even deeper sometimes you get a sense with this space of awareness it's like it's not your vast awareness and my
• sense with this space of awareness it's like it's not your vast awareness and my vast awareness it's almost a sense that
• like it's not your vast awareness and my vast awareness it's almost a sense that there is just vast awareness
• vast awareness it's almost a sense that there is just vast awareness right to think of this constitiousness
• arise within that uh cosmic consciousness uh awareness with a capital a uh big mind
• it can as we were emphasizing this morning have the quality of awareness it feels like it's awareness
• morning have the quality of awareness it feels like it's awareness it can as i think i mentioned last night
• uh what we're emphasizing today this morning was the flavor of awareness that that's got this uh it's it's awareness
• morning was the flavor of awareness that that's got this uh it's it's awareness that holds everything it's awareness
• that's got this uh it's it's awareness that holds everything it's awareness that pervades so to speak however
• similar sort of approach and everything is happening in awareness everything is happening in this space
• but that sense of awareness in other words is not that sense of awareness is not
• that sense of awareness in other words is not that sense of awareness is not awareness itself
• is not that sense of awareness is not awareness itself it's a kind of
• it's a kind of sense of awareness it's an image of awareness do you understand it's like we
• sense of awareness it's an image of awareness do you understand it's like we can always have some people if they're
• happening so we have a sense of awareness but that's not awareness itself so what if i
• so we have a sense of awareness but that's not awareness itself so what if i then went one step further and said this
• then went one step further and said this sense of awareness is also just an impression where it's also just
• um when if you're doing this and letting everything belong to the awareness and letting everything have a sense of
• letting everything have a sense of everything's in awareness so to speak in this space of awareness sometimes what
• everything's in awareness so to speak in this space of awareness sometimes what can happen is we get a sense of this
• can happen is we get a sense of this awareness and that's what i was kind of encouraging this morning
• encouraging this morning but that sense of awareness is still it can't be awareness itself because i have
• but that sense of awareness is still it can't be awareness itself because i have a sense of it it would be so it's almost
• like what if i then said okay this sense that i have of awareness is not awareness itself that too is something
• that i have of awareness is not awareness itself that too is something in awareness and i kind of saw the sense
• awareness itself that too is something in awareness and i kind of saw the sense of awareness in that way it can
• in awareness and i kind of saw the sense of awareness in that way it can well play with it play with it if you
• that that global sense is also uh in awareness see it also as in awareness okay
• means it's saying there is only mine there is only mind meaning awareness equating mind in order there's
• equating mind in order there's everything is just awareness you following this
• emptiness of any mind matter dichotomy or mind experience dichotomy awareness experience dichotomy
• the focus is not so much on the mind or awareness as it was in the first approaching it really getting a sense of
• approaching it really getting a sense of awareness as such but is more the focus it's more
• focusing on there not being a difference in substance between awareness and experience
• this case is any real dichotomy between mind or awareness and matter or you could say awareness and experience that
• mind or awareness and matter or you could say awareness and experience that they're not actually we tend to think
• mind inseparable from the awareness is that any different from the
• difference in nature of perceiver of awareness and perceived so you just want to take that message
• more so um uh so in a way then awareness is also the kind of content of experience and or you
• of um awareness of mental energy and you can do that in in a very narrow
• foreign all is mine all is awareness everything is the manifestation play of mind
• is the manifestation play of mind awareness consciousness there's nothing out there
• the first talk emptiness is not space emptiness is also not awareness not even we'll get into this much later
• in the retreat it's not even the true nature of awareness is vastness it's not actually that the nature of
• it's not actually that the nature of awareness is vast and you read that a lot in text but it's actually has a
• subtlety of translation there it's not actually that awareness is vast it's just very very helpful to see it
• there we're separate there's this awareness is somehow in here or here or whatever all that the default views
• stone because it's very difficult to go all the way and see awareness has known her existence time has no inherent
• it's all this stuff of an inherently existing awareness but in that very same sutra they say that consciousness
• sutra they say that consciousness awareness mind or whatever arises guess what depending on ignorance and
• basically sort of becoming one with the awareness but but my thinking was oh this is just kind of somehow my ego
• that take us beyond when we consider awareness itself to be
• if you consider the sense of self to be just an impression and awareness it won't take you beyond this platform it's
• still not the sense itself the sense of awareness if that's what you meant to say
• called a cheap trick if i call if i see the sense of awareness as an awareness there's a degree to which it can move
• emptiness but it can lead you beyond this sense of awareness as something so to speak that kind of see the thing
• to speak that kind of see the thing about this big awareness and we'll get to this later in retreat is that it
• space stays like the space anything can happen space awareness stays like and it seems like
• eventually uh this this view of this spacious awareness or this non-separation either either one is
• empty of existing as something other than the play of awareness the substance of awareness so like for instance like
• than the play of awareness the substance of awareness so like for instance like the example seeing it as a dream tiger
• and it was impression on impressions and awareness yeah impression on awareness or pressure i think i said impressions
• or pressure i think i said impressions in awareness um i i think what i said this morning in
• that arises all experience that arises is just an impression in awareness like reflections on the surface of a lake and
• sitting there oh that's myself that even that is also an impression in awareness even that too is just like a reflection
• when you say an impression on awareness it's like something about it but then a reflection on the lake
• are made of something and maybe awareness is is not and there's a world out there that separate things and so
• these wonderful little insights and and awarenesses and i'll save it for when i meet with you
• very well coming in here and talking that awareness doesn't have inherent existence and then grumbling about what

The Nature of Awareness - (November Solitary) 87 mentions

• a little bit about the nature of awareness the nature of mind
• inquiry so awareness consciousness mind
• interchangeably those those four terms that which knows mind awareness consciousness
• metaphysical interest what is the nature of awareness doesn't seem to have that much to do with suffering but as
• and ask them what is the nature of awareness and we probably get some odd looks
• uh in the beginning really years of our practice is perhaps awareness is something like a mirror
• actually see to inquire into how is this coloring uh covering over awareness and
• clean mirror so we can see the world clearly pure awareness that's a word that gets a lot of different meanings
• but some people use it in that sense the awareness then it's pure it's clean and so awareness becomes like this
• awareness then it's pure it's clean and so awareness becomes like this spotless mirror to reflect experience
• inner and outer but is that the true nature of awareness we say and we hear in the teachings to
• so this a metaphor of awareness as a mirror is hugely useful and i think it remains
• what's what's happening in the world but is that the true nature of awareness as practice goes deeper in some
• but still is that the true nature of awareness arising passing rising passing is that
• is instead of this very narrow focus of awareness a bit more emphasis on a spaciousness to the awareness so we've
• awareness a bit more emphasis on a spaciousness to the awareness so we've touched on this a little bit in the
• as i'm just opening up to the sound the awareness can begin to open out in a bit of a more spacious way
• if in that little bit of space that more spacious expansive awareness one then begins relaxing letting go in some way
• context within the the backdrop of that bigger awareness to notice the impermanence
• bit this one has a bit of a spacious awareness this could be with the eyes open or the eyes closed so quite popular
• objects we could say just resting in awareness so if it's either with a three character
• so if it's either with a three character or six or just resting in awareness or some combination what happens is this
• similar but all sort of around the same thing this vastness of awareness expansive awareness in which everything
• thing this vastness of awareness expansive awareness in which everything arises and passes
• um of awareness in this more expansive sense
• certain teachings or we hear from teachers or whatever awareness is vast like space vast like space
• and so the the typical normal human consciousness sense we have of awareness being in the body usually somewhere here
• that has got flipped around and it's like awareness is vast and this body is in awareness
• and it's like awareness is vast and this body is in awareness there's a lot of freedom here tremendous
• just stuff arising out of the space of awareness disappearing back very real sense and a very real sense of
• space seems to affect the space pure awareness it seems pure awareness and
• born and dies but this space of awareness seems to remain does not seem to be born
• you begin to wonder is that awareness is this vast awareness is that
• that that even that sense of spacious awareness won't disappear with death the end of awareness the awareness is
• awareness won't disappear with death the end of awareness the awareness is something that's actually born with our
• it can begin to seem in that vast awareness that everything is somehow of the same substance as
• is somehow of the same substance as awareness the same substance as this space of awareness so everything that
• awareness the same substance as this space of awareness so everything that seems so solid inner and outer all of
• this is somehow actually just really in its essence it's awareness it appears to come out of and back into
• it appears to come out of and back into but it's all just awareness it's hard to find out searching for for
• it's all in a way impressions in awareness not different than awareness this can be a very real sense a very
• it's it's of the same nature as awareness it's not different than awareness
• awareness it's not different than awareness it's not real in the way that we tend to
• think of of it being real because actually it's just awareness and then this really starts to seem to
• yeah that's right everything's one everything's just one awareness it's a kind of oneness and there is in this uh
• there's nothing but this vast unperturbed uh awareness just existing by itself
• one can have awareness knowing itself play of consciousness and all this
• objects and it's just left this this vast sense of awareness and sometimes not
• and sometimes not but doesn't seem to matter awareness is awareness
• but doesn't seem to matter awareness is awareness and there really is in that uh in that
• for much of the time but is that the true nature of awareness it might be that person practicing is is
• beautiful open self-existent vast eternal awareness awareness consciousness whatever name
• eternal awareness awareness consciousness whatever name you want to give it that which knows
• yeah point in practice words describing the nature of awareness describing ultimate reality etc all
• eternal self-existent awareness and as i remember talking to one teacher
• there and so well there's actually two kinds of awareness and one is this very small and one is a very big and there's
• that way when there's a perception of vastness and stillness awareness appears to seem that way
• to seem that way maybe how awareness seems takes on the aspect of the perception of that time
• is maybe completely bound up that awareness is bound up with perception with things
• somehow in the very not freerness of awareness is is the understanding of our freedom
• one one is quite simple there's a global sense of awareness and in that awareness even
• there's a global sense of awareness and in that awareness even begin to notice less of a difference
• sensations it's all just this global space of awareness and things arising and passing and not
• but taking one step back and saying that sense of the space of awareness that sense itself of awareness even if
• sense of the space of awareness that sense itself of awareness even if everything seems to have disappeared and
• there's just this sense of vast awareness that too
• that too is an impression in awareness that too is something happening in
• that too is something happening in awareness and so in that moment to reflect on that
• reflecting on that this too you could say is just happening in awareness so in a way this is a very simple
• and there's a a moment a sense of something awareness not being off space or time
• but then to go a step further and reflect awareness consciousness also not me not mine it's also just happening
• journey awareness as well not self so this is quite important to
• so this is quite important to disidentify with awareness because even when we've disidentified with objects
• coming up there will be some identification with awareness left that's where the identification will go
• that let go of the identification with awareness and see what happens because there will be some subtle
• because there will be some subtle identification with awareness that's uh that's remaining without even not
• if there is no time really there's no time really for awareness to exist in no time where is awareness gonna be
• time really for awareness to exist in no time where is awareness gonna be how's it gonna
• objects really what's awareness awareness of the usual meaning of awareness is
• what's awareness awareness of the usual meaning of awareness is awareness of something whether it's
• the usual meaning of awareness is awareness of something whether it's space or or or the bell or a sound or
• space or or or the bell or a sound or body or whatever it's awareness of but if there's no something of
• there's nothing to see nothing that awareness can see really so as a door is it dorothy says in the
• so what we begin to see consciousness awareness that which knows mind whatever you want to call it is dependent on and
• so the notion that we had before of awareness being something completely natural and effortless and passive and
• right awareness is actually tremendously active process for all this to appear
• even this in this state of very a vast open awareness eternal and changing there can be some fading some fading of

The Eighth Jhana (The Realm of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception) - (Practising the Jhānas) 84 mentions

• the central feature if you like them is awareness knowing itself awareness knowing itself
• awareness knowing itself awareness knowing itself it sometimes i've heard it described as
• it sometimes i've heard it described as actually it's awareness knowing the infinitude of space in other words it's
• i've come more to think that the primary the primary feature is just awareness knowing itself and then that there's an
• infinity infinite expanse of that but either way but i think awareness knowing infinite space will the awareness that
• either way but i think awareness knowing infinite space will the awareness that knows infinite space all the awareness
• infinite space will the awareness that knows infinite space all the awareness knowing itself i tend to think that the
• knowing itself i tend to think that the second there the awareness knowing itself is primary i should say right now
• itself is primary i should say right now that i use the words awareness and consciousness completely interchangeably
• to objects etc um and awareness as something uh vast free even ultimate so they give
• free even ultimate so they give awareness a capital a etc um i
• think it's actually clearer to just use the words interchangeably awareness and consciousness and then we get different
• senses or perceptions of the nature of awareness at different times and they have different what we might say
• interchangeably so awareness knowing itself what's happening here is there's a kind of
• honing in tuning to and honing in on awareness on consciousness consciousness hones in on consciousness awareness
• awareness on consciousness consciousness hones in on consciousness awareness hones in on awareness the pali word is
• hones in on consciousness awareness hones in on awareness the pali word is vinyana
• in pali between a word for consciousness and a word for awareness um
• translates as knowing so awareness or consciousness or knowing are a synonymous terms
• are a synonymous terms okay what is what does awareness mean in in
• noticing this uh sense of being conscious this awareness of awareness by noticing it
• you get a sense that there is awareness there you're conscious of being conscious can you be
• conscious of being conscious can you be aware of the awareness there it's mixed in with it
• present moment this this moment this moment this moment of awareness and getting the sense of awareness of
• moment this moment of awareness and getting the sense of awareness of awareness in the present moment so this
• getting the sense of awareness of awareness in the present moment so this is this is key
• the the practice of the vastness of awareness so it's actually worth lingering on this
• infinitely vast consciousness or infinitely vast awareness and totally both of them totally unperturbed by
• in the sixth genre in this infinite consciousness the vastness of awareness too if we just compare it is also a
• actually what the differences are but i would say that the vastness of awareness yes it's a letting go and it has all
• consciousness but the vastness of awareness also it it more includes phenomena objects
• so it's their relationship with the vastness of awareness that's the key difference that's one of the key
• mentioned one when one practices of our sense of awareness and there's different stages of it as as it moves into its
• phenomena seem to arise out of this vastness of awareness this beautiful peaceful radiant and divine
• peaceful radiant and divine space of awareness not only do they rise out and and die back in their born and
• also feels like they're very substance is awareness so there's a sense that the the the
• substantial nature of all phenomenon is this awareness is this vast divine awareness
• this awareness is this vast divine awareness so that the vastness of awareness also
• awareness so that the vastness of awareness also feels like a freedom but it's a freedom
• intense than the vastness of awareness which has a sort of
• open to the vastness of when so the vastness of awareness can open up for one
• in fact if we just practice insight meditation with a more open awareness and then just aware and let things come
• to open up the beginning stages of the vastness of awareness so that quite a number of uh experience insight
• degree to some level to to the vastness of awareness if you're interested in the vastness
• if you're interested in the vastness awareness we mentioned it a couple of times on this retreat there's uh there's
• each have the title the space of awareness and they've each got a different subtitle and they're guided
• meditations of different ways of opening up the vastness awareness if i remember so
• perception again it in the vastness of awareness you could get up and go for a walk and
• see a stone and the substance of the stone is that awareness is the divine awareness is this vastness of awareness
• stone is that awareness is the divine awareness is this vastness of awareness or that that stone is somehow the
• appearance of the stone is the play of this awareness it's really hard to put your finger on
• more as if it has consciousness not so much that its substance is awareness but that it has consciousness even if it has
• perception between the between these two states the vastness of awareness and the infinite consciousness
• the after effective perception the vastness of awareness will will be something akin to that the stone the
• appearance of the stone feels like its substance is awareness or that the appearance of the stone is the play of
• appearance of the stone is the play of awareness infinite consciousness can feel as if
• these two experiences the vastness awareness or the infinite consciousness one really feels as if there is
• opened to one this is god's awareness can be the sense
• nor is it ultimately the true nature of mine nature of awareness nature of consciousness
• is nor is nor is the vastness of awareness so neither of these are the true or ultimate nature of awareness or
• awareness so neither of these are the true or ultimate nature of awareness or consciousness
• they are not the final truth regarding awareness regarding consciousness also i don't think they really at such
• mastery then begin uh becoming aware of the awareness there in that state in that space
• up on that subtle sense of awareness that we that we experimented with earlier today but
• can you get a sense take so so if it's a if it's a genic state of awareness the object of that the object of the
• primary limiter if it's a non-jarnic state of awareness it could be any um
• emphasized in his description of the fourth genre was uh the pure awareness the body wrapped in pure awareness or he
• fourth genre was uh the pure awareness the body wrapped in pure awareness or he sometimes says pure mindfulness
• consciousness of pure mindfulness pure awareness right there in the fourth genre the body has become that
• and that opens the doors opens the doors to this divine awareness god's mind
• noticing the sense of consciousness you're noticing the awareness of awareness your foot you're tuning to
• you're noticing the awareness of awareness your foot you're tuning to that and amplifying it then
• um it may well be that other objects come in and out of the awareness as you're as you're trying to do that and
• english translated as releases of awareness so the different genres and then
• particularly the the formless are releases of awareness so again it's a realm we're talking about a realm here
• consciousness it's a oneness of awareness ns right yeah it so uh one can have the
• there's the appearance of separate awarenesses separate consciousness but actually at another level there's one
• diamond context they're hearing this this oneness of awareness but actually something different in a soulmaking
• god's awareness needs my awareness my particular awareness my particular
• awareness needs my awareness my particular awareness my particular dukkha my particular ways that my mind
• different and it's just there is one awareness a simple pure clean awareness that uh somehow we will participate in
• we did earlier today can you get a sense of of the the awareness of awareness can you get can you become aware of
• you get can you become aware of awareness in the moment in the moment and then can you sustain that and can
• it's very rare and even rare as i said than the vastness of awareness but it's just a training

Going Forwards - (Practising the Jhānas) 84 mentions

• the central feature if you like them is awareness knowing itself awareness knowing itself
• awareness knowing itself awareness knowing itself it sometimes i've heard it described as
• it sometimes i've heard it described as actually it's awareness knowing the infinitude of space in other words it's
• i've come more to think that the primary the primary feature is just awareness knowing itself and then that there's an
• infinity infinite expanse of that but either way but i think awareness knowing infinite space will the awareness that
• either way but i think awareness knowing infinite space will the awareness that knows infinite space all the awareness
• infinite space will the awareness that knows infinite space all the awareness knowing itself i tend to think the the
• knowing itself i tend to think the the second there the awareness knowing itself is primary i should say right now
• itself is primary i should say right now that i use the words awareness and consciousness completely interchangeably
• to objects etc um and awareness as something uh vast free even ultimate so they give
• free even ultimate so they give awareness a capital a etc um i
• i think it's actually clearer to just use the words interchangeably awareness and consciousness and then we get
• senses or perceptions of the nature of awareness at different times and they have different what we might say
• and interchangeably so awareness knowing itself what's happening here is there's a kind of
• honing in tuning to and honing in on awareness on consciousness consciousness hones in on consciousness awareness
• awareness on consciousness consciousness hones in on consciousness awareness hones in on awareness the pali word is
• hones in on consciousness awareness hones in on awareness the pali word is vinyana
• in pali between a word for consciousness and a word for awareness um
• translates as knowing so awareness or consciousness or knowing are a synonymous terms
• are a synonymous terms okay what is what does awareness mean in in buddhist understanding it means
• noticing this uh sense of being conscious this awareness of awareness by noticing it
• you get a sense that there is awareness there you're conscious of being conscious you can be
• conscious of being conscious you can be aware of the awareness there it's mixed in with it
• present moment this this moment this moment this moment of awareness and getting the sense of awareness of
• moment this moment of awareness and getting the sense of awareness of awareness in the present moment so this
• getting the sense of awareness of awareness in the present moment so this is this is key
• the the practice of the vastness of awareness so it's actually worth lingering on this
• infinitely vast consciousness or infinitely vast awareness um totally both of them totally
• in the sixth genre in this infinite consciousness the vastness of awareness too if we just compare our in is also a
• actually what the differences are but i would say that the vastness of awareness yes it's a letting go and it has all
• consciousness but the vastness of awareness also it it more includes phenomena objects
• so it's their relationship with the vastness of awareness that's the key difference that's one of the key
• mentioned one when one practices of arson's awareness there's different stages of it as as it moves into its
• phenomena seem to arise out of this vastness of awareness this beautiful peaceful radiant and divine
• peaceful radiant and divine space of awareness not only do they rise out and and die back in their born in
• also feels like they're very substance is awareness so there's a sense that the the the
• substantial nature of all phenomenon is this awareness is this vast divine awareness
• this awareness is this vast divine awareness so that the vastness of awareness also
• awareness so that the vastness of awareness also feels like a freedom but it's a freedom
• intense than the vastness of awareness which has a sort of
• open to the vastness of when so the vastness of awareness can open up for one
• fact if we just practice insight meditation with a more open awareness and then just aware and let things come
• to open up the beginning stages of the vastness of awareness so that quite a number of
• opened to some degree to some level to to the vastness of awareness if you're interested in the vastness
• if you're interested in the vastness awareness we mentioned it a couple of times on this retreat there's uh there's
• each have the title the space of awareness and they've each got a different subtitle and they're guided
• meditations of different ways of opening up the vastness awareness if i remember so
• perception again it in the vastness of awareness uh you could get up and go for a walk and see a
• stone and the substance of the stone is that awareness is the divine awareness is this vastness of awareness
• that awareness is the divine awareness is this vastness of awareness or that that stone is somehow the
• appearance of the stone is the play of this awareness it's really hard to put your finger on
• more as if it has consciousness not so much that its substance is awareness but that it has consciousness even if it has
• perception between the between these two states the vastness of awareness and the infinite consciousness
• the after effective perception of the vastness of awareness will will be something akin to that the stone the
• appearance of the stone feels like its substance is awareness or that the appearance of the stone is the play of
• appearance of the stone is the play of awareness infinite consciousness can feel as if
• these two experiences the vastness awareness or the infinite consciousness one really feels as if there is
• opened to one this is god's awareness can be the sense
• nor is it ultimately the true nature of mine nature of awareness nature of consciousness
• um uh is nor is nor is the vastness of awareness so neither of these are the true or ultimate nature of awareness or
• awareness so neither of these are the true or ultimate nature of awareness or consciousness
• they are not the final truth regarding awareness regarding consciousness also i don't think they really such an
• mastery then begin becoming aware of the awareness there in that state in that space
• um on that subtle sense of awareness that we that we experimented with earlier today but
• you get a sense take so so if it's a if it's a genic state of awareness the object of that the object of the
• primary nimeter if it's a non-gionic state of awareness it could be any um
• uh emphasized in his description of the fourth genre was uh the pure awareness the body wrapped in pure awareness or
• fourth genre was uh the pure awareness the body wrapped in pure awareness or something says pure mindfulness
• consciousness of pure mindfulness pure awareness right there in the fourth genre the body has become that
• and that opens the doors opens the doors to this divine awareness god's mind
• noticing the sense of consciousness you're noticing the awareness of awareness your foot you're tuning to
• you're noticing the awareness of awareness your foot you're tuning to that and amplifying it then um it may
• well be that other objects come in and out of the awareness as you're as you're trying to do that and either you just
• english translated as releases of awareness so the different genres and then
• particularly the the formless are releases of awareness so again it's a realm we're talking about a realm here
• consciousness it's a oneness of awareness and as it so uh one can have the sense
• that there's there's not really there's the appearance of separate awareness as separate consciousness but actually uh
• they're hearing this this oneness of awareness is actually something different in a soulmaking
• god's awareness needs my awareness my particular awareness my particular
• awareness needs my awareness my particular awareness my particular dukkha my particular ways that my mind
• different and it's just there is one awareness a simple pure clean awareness that uh somehow we will participate in
• we did earlier today can you get a sense of of the the awareness of awareness can you get can you become aware of
• you get can you become aware of awareness in the moment in the moment and then can you sustain that and can
• it's very rare and even rare as i said than the vastness of awareness but it's just a training

Cittamatra - (Meditation on Emptiness) 82 mentions

• the way down to things like space and time and awareness which seem such obvious
• and can bring a sense of this spacious awareness this sort of big spacious imperturbable awareness
• awareness this sort of big spacious imperturbable awareness causality often works both ways so when
• and the more we get the sense of that beautiful space of awareness the easier is to see three
• listening very helpful and in that way allowing the space of awareness to open up using the listening to really help
• and what it's moving towards is a kind of sense of a global awareness an awareness that's almost like a sphere of
• of sense of a global awareness an awareness that's almost like a sphere of awareness that can get very very vast
• awareness that's almost like a sphere of awareness that can get very very vast and that that awareness is encompassing
• awareness that can get very very vast and that that awareness is encompassing everything
• we want to really get a felt sense of that space of awareness and get a sense in particular of how it
• smaller than that space whatever comes up it's like awareness can embrace it can hold it without without
• in its nature is going to be embraced by awareness and the sense of that awareness as
• awareness and the sense of that awareness as something if you begin to tune into and
• phenomena of our experience are arising within that awareness within that awareness so usually conventionally we
• within that awareness within that awareness so usually conventionally we would speak human being usually has a
• sense of bridget's questions the awareness somehow being in here that's the conventional sense and everyone
• but begin to have a sense of actually instead of the awareness being in here looking out of the world the world being
• looking out of the world the world being in a vast awareness resonating
• more the sense of phenomena are rising out of that awareness and and fading back into it and saying in the guided
• belong to that vastness and that that unshakable space of awareness so
• the space in a way the sense of the space of awareness the sense of this vastness of mind
• pay more attention to the space of awareness as a kind of backdrop background that becomes more prominent
• that's happening is kind of not really separate from the awareness in terms of the sense of being a separate substance
• it's almost like it that everything is an impression in awareness it's all of it
• it impressions and awareness impressions and awareness whatever it is it's just
• impressions and awareness impressions and awareness whatever it is it's just an impression and awareness i think i
• and awareness whatever it is it's just an impression and awareness i think i use the image of a reflection on a lake
• and in a way of the same substance as awareness now that will be a sense for most people
• just again just suggesting to the mind just impression and awareness just an impression and awareness so actually you
• just impression and awareness just an impression and awareness so actually you you if you're just a whisper of a
• just another phenomena just another impression in awareness so you can actually let go in that sense it's just
• same viewing on that this sense of freedom just an impression and awareness this sense of peace this sense of
• happiness just an impression and awareness and the whole thing can keep going you get it
• takes time as we do this things uh experiences objects of awareness begin to
• things is actually the same substance as awareness the same substance as the mind they begin to kind of coalesce like it's
• thing so everything can be there embraced by awareness held in awareness effortlessly
• partly it's also the sense of that awareness is not so much my awareness versus your awareness it's not so much
• awareness is not so much my awareness versus your awareness it's not so much mine and yours that that begins to get a
• to go into it more and more is this sense of the awareness itself and the space itself becomes so
• consciousness um awareness with a capital a as something kind of inherent existing big
• almost uninterrupted as a state of of awareness and you can kind of flick it on and off like a switch even you know
• just just pure physical space inner and outer sometimes it feels like awareness it's awareness that's vast in holding
• outer sometimes it feels like awareness it's awareness that's vast in holding everything sometimes it feels like love
• the most important one is seeing as awareness that the sense of awareness being something vast and and holding all
• you what you have is actually a sense of awareness you understand you have a sort of image
• you understand you have a sort of image or sense of awareness now that you could so this global sense of awareness you
• or sense of awareness now that you could so this global sense of awareness you could actually kind of go one step
• backwards and say well that's also happening in awareness okay awareness is like awareness thing itself is actually
• happening in awareness okay awareness is like awareness thing itself is actually impossible so it would be like a
• analogies is so this sense i have of awareness is actually a perception and a conceptual
• actually a perception and a conceptual image of awareness what if i not to do this right you really need to let the
• time but then what if i had this sense of global awareness as an impression in an awareness i could not see do you
• of global awareness as an impression in an awareness i could not see do you understand you're doing a double whammy
• on it you're taking one step backwards okay here i am with a sense of awareness it's opening up and that sense is a
• sense of space or whatever and that that's a sentence that's awareness but actually that's a perception of
• but actually that's a perception of something that i'm labeling awareness and it can't be awareness itself so if i
• something that i'm labeling awareness and it can't be awareness itself so if i then say well that perception of space
• then say well that perception of space of the scent of a spacious awareness is actually happening in awareness i'm like
• of the scent of a spacious awareness is actually happening in awareness i'm like looking at that in the same way
• perception this vastness sensed by awareness but it's not awareness itself yeah so
• getting the scent and then just trying seeing that as something in awareness and did you see what happens
• in that you are aware of exception there's something in awareness okay in the same way and just just see
• to actually understand the actual nature of awareness is something it's the last kind of um it's the last thing to
• understand put it that way to actually understand that awareness has no inherent existence
• tradition in a way and it translates mind only so awareness only so it's related to this sense that kind of
• on is on is not on the sense of awareness so much or the scent of the mind or
• and then actually tuning in to the sense of that space the sense of awareness in this one it's a slightly different
• experience that there's no difference in substance between awareness and appearances experiences
• it and just see what happens felt like it was just awareness because there was not nothing going on in it but
• or you could go back into the old one and let the awareness kind of fuse with the space and then let have that sense
• underpinning them one is more of a sense of a space of awareness that's kind of imperturbable and sort of eternal sort
• the same as space or emptiness is awareness etc so it's tricky as i said before it's
• of experience is empathy of a difference in nature of the perceiving awareness and the perceived
• so it's almost like awareness is actually the content of experience it's actually the substance
• manifestation of mind a manifestation of awareness and manifestation of mental energy
• um you it's interesting you can work in quite a narrow way still with awareness of focus on like one object and look at
• sense right now is the same substance of awareness awareness and as i said in response to rich's
• of existing as something other than the play of awareness or the substance of awareness
• play of awareness or the substance of awareness so it's like dreaming you're being
• existing as something other than you could say the play of awareness or the substance of awareness
• could say the play of awareness or the substance of awareness okay
• difficult to get to as a meditator to realize that the mind and awareness is also empty

Energy Body: Instructions (1) - (Path of the Imaginal) 59 mentions

• something what i really mean is um an awareness a sensitivity to this whole body space little bit bigger than
• so that's a the sensitivity is important in itself because it brings awareness which is very important and it also
• or more important in the somali or as important is this whole body awareness this space so awareness is permeating
• important is this whole body awareness this space so awareness is permeating this energy body space and there's a
• now is it possible to open up the awareness so that it
• whole body so the awareness is expanding it's not going to one point here or there in the
• space the tone of uprightness now the awareness will keep shrinking over and over again it will keep
• a balloon expanding filling it with air filling it with awareness you're really stretching the awareness and then
• filling it with awareness you're really stretching the awareness and then permeating that whole space with
• permeating that whole space with awareness with sensitivity this will happen many times the
• this will happen many times the awareness will shrink you can just open it up again stretch it out again and
• it up again stretch it out again and fill it with awareness fill it with bright mindfulness presence
• so is it possible for the awareness for a delicate attention to pervade that whole space
• alive awareness filling that space sensing the whole space
• and it helps to imagine or feel that the awareness is actually centered
• the upper chest and from there the awareness expands and fills or that's a center of
• expands and fills or that's a center of this space of awareness and the space of energy
• like to feel or helped by feeling the awareness centered there and then permeating the whole space
• for some people that's helpful place to feel the awareness center so what's helpful for you
• to stay with this whole body this whole space awareness of the energy body and just stay open keep stretching it
• keeping this whole energy body in awareness this whole space
• long slow smooth in and out breath whole body awareness whole space
• breath filling it with awareness filling that space with bright awareness
• filling it with awareness filling that space with bright awareness some people
• filling the body feeling that space with awareness stretching it every time the awareness
• awareness stretching it every time the awareness shrinks
• with that perhaps the awareness is centered there as well
• filling the whole body's face with this awareness and sensitivity to the feeling the energy the tone of it
• let's try something else still keeping this whole body awareness the sensitivity to the whole energy body
• let go right now keeping that wider awareness but let go of uh the breath or any attention to the breath
• thank you and then keeping that wider awareness as always stretching it out when you need
• sensitive to the whole space it's more open stretched awareness over the whole energy body the whole space
• staying with this whole body whole energy body awareness sensitivity just return to whichever felt the easiest or
• whatever it is awareness is stretched through to permeate pervade
• whole space with bright sensitivity a live awareness and then whatever you've been playing
• with see if you can just go back for a few moments to just just the awareness pervading that space just inhabiting
• or you may not at all so to review we started in fact with just this awareness of the energy body of the larger space
• feel it energy and we didn't involve the breath at all perhaps the awareness wanted to be centered or felt better if
• in that meditation in in the meditation with the fuller wider awareness of the energy body making the breath long at
• but always there's a sensitivity and tuning and awareness sensitizing to the texture of the energy body space and
• so first thing is that when there is discomfortable pain the awareness will shrink
• a very normal uh part of what goes on there so the awareness shrinks when there's some discomfort and really just
• and sometimes that's all that needs to happen and you keep the awareness wider and it shrinks again you keep it wider
• that will be helpful so opening out the awareness number one number two is
• body so again one is aware of the whole body not letting that awareness shrink or when it does opening out again and
• now if none of those work opening the awareness staying where it's a little easier
• um but even if it's not remarkable we want to include it in the awareness and actually become a little bit intimate
• very big vast attention of vast awareness like the sky or or the size of space sometimes it can feel infinite
• um awareness will tend to shrink from that size from that medium size it will tend
• emotions have have in common that they that the awareness shrinks they shrink the awareness the awareness shrinks with
• that the awareness shrinks they shrink the awareness the awareness shrinks with those kinds of emotions
• those kinds of emotions um awareness would also tend to shrink as i mentioned earlier when there's pain
• will also result in in a shrunken awareness it will also shrink whenever the mind is
• um have a look what's what's become of the awareness gets shrunken when that happens
• and more generally basically the awareness shrinks and from that slightly larger in that middle size of whole body
• certain degree it will shrink the awareness they go together and lastly we might say that actually
• and lastly we might say that actually awareness will tend to shrink just out of heavier because for most of us we
• um so we have a habit of the attention being the awareness being slightly shrunk or quite shrunk quite contracted
• develop and really allows a kind of sensitivity and an awareness of of the whole body but particularly the energy

Energy, Image, Emotion (Part 1) - (Path of the Imaginal) 59 mentions

• something what i really mean is um an awareness a sensitivity to this whole body space little bit bigger than
• so that's a the sensitivity is important in itself because it brings awareness which is very important and it also
• or more important in the somali or as important is this whole body awareness this space so awareness is permeating
• important is this whole body awareness this space so awareness is permeating this energy body space and there's a
• now is it possible to open up the awareness so that it
• whole body so the awareness is expanding it's not going to one point here or there in the
• space the tone of uprightness now the awareness will keep shrinking over and over again it will keep
• a balloon expanding filling it with air filling it with awareness you're really stretching the awareness and then
• filling it with awareness you're really stretching the awareness and then permeating that whole space with
• permeating that whole space with awareness with sensitivity this will happen many times the
• this will happen many times the awareness will shrink you can just open it up again stretch it out again and
• fill it with awareness fill it with bright mindfulness presence
• so is it possible for the awareness for a delicate attention to pervade that whole space
• alive awareness filling that space sensing the whole space
• it helps to imagine or feel that the awareness is actually centered
• the upper chest and from there the awareness expands and fills or that's a center of
• expands and fills or that's a center of this space of awareness and the space of energy
• some people like to feel or helped by feeling the awareness centered there and then permeating the whole space
• people that's helpful place to feel the awareness center so what's helpful for you
• to stay with this whole body this whole space awareness of the energy body and just stay open keep stretching it
• keeping this whole energy body in awareness this whole space
• long slow smooth in and out breath whole body awareness whole space
• breath filling it with awareness filling that space with bright awareness
• filling it with awareness filling that space with bright awareness some people
• filling the body feeling that space with awareness stretching it every time the awareness
• awareness stretching it every time the awareness shrinks
• with that perhaps the awareness is centered there as well
• filling the whole body's face with this awareness and sensitivity to the feeling the energy the tone of it
• let's try something else still keeping this whole body awareness the sensitivity to the whole energy body
• let go right now keeping that wider awareness but let go of uh the breath or any attention to the breath
• thank you and then keeping that wider awareness as always stretching it out when you need
• sensitive to the whole space it's more open stretched awareness over the whole energy body the whole space
• staying with this whole body whole energy body awareness sensitivity just return to whichever felt the easiest or
• whatever it is awareness is stretched through to permeate pervade
• whole space with bright sensitivity a live awareness and then whatever you've been playing
• with see if you can just go back for a few moments to just just the awareness pervading that space just inhabiting
• or you may not at all so to review we started in fact with just this awareness of the energy body of the larger space
• feel it energy and we didn't involve the breath at all perhaps the awareness wanted to be centered or felt better if
• in that meditation in in the meditation with the fuller wider awareness of the energy body making the breath long at
• but always there's a sensitivity and tuning and awareness sensitizing to the texture of the energy body space and
• so first thing is that when there is discomfortable pain the awareness will shrink
• a very normal uh part of what goes on there so the awareness shrinks when there's some discomfort and really just
• and sometimes that's all that needs to happen and you keep the awareness wider and it shrinks again you keep it wider
• that will be helpful so opening out the awareness number one number two is
• body so again one is aware of the whole body not letting that awareness shrink or when it does opening out again and
• now if none of those work opening the awareness staying where it's a little easier
• um but even if it's not remarkable we want to include it in the awareness and actually become a little bit intimate
• very big vast attention of vast awareness like the sky or or the size of space sometimes it can feel infinite
• um awareness will tend to shrink from that size from that medium size it will tend
• emotions have have in common that they that the awareness shrinks they shrink the awareness the awareness shrinks with
• that the awareness shrinks they shrink the awareness the awareness shrinks with those kinds of emotions
• those kinds of emotions um awareness would also tend to shrink as i mentioned earlier when there's pain
• will also result in in a shrunken awareness it will also shrink whenever the mind is
• um have a look what's what's become of the awareness gets shrunken when that happens
• and more generally basically the awareness shrinks and from that slightly larger in that middle size of whole body
• certain degree it will shrink the awareness they go together and lastly we might say that actually
• and lastly we might say that actually awareness will tend to shrink just out of heavier because for most of us we
• um so we have a habit of the attention being the awareness being slightly shrunk or quite shrunk quite contracted
• develop and really allows a kind of sensitivity and an awareness of of the whole body but particularly the energy

On the Nature of Mind - (Meditation on Emptiness) 52 mentions

• that awareness is empty awareness lacks inherent existence that's something very
• level of contemplating the mind or awareness and in this talk i'm using them as interchangeable the mind or
• them as interchangeable the mind or awareness is empty all of that ends up being available to us gradually as
• contemplating the emptiness over the mind or awareness is the deepest level of practice it's like cutting suffering
• but we could say that seeing the emptiness of awareness is kind of the deepest level of uh of seeing that's
• so if i say if someone says if the buddha says the mind or awareness is empty that can seem very abstract can
• if that's just intellectual us saying that the awareness lacks inherent existence if it's just a kind of oh i
• logically uh that awareness which we've actually already talked about a little bit in
• the camp of those who are right and say yeah my team says awareness has no inherent existence and your team is
• library and if a talk was called the emptiness of awareness or something how many people would even pick that up
• say something is empty this thing or that thing or awareness or whatever it is is empty that that's not that's not a
• object thing is empty emotion is empty and we pick up and put down awareness is empty
• use the word mind uh interchangeably with awareness consciousness that which knows the
• existent consciously or unconsciously will be awareness will be consciousness and so the first thing we need to do and
• talk is uh in relationship to consciousness awareness is see that it's not self okay so this goes back to the
• also in the level of emptiness of the awareness itself see statement can be interpreted at two
• we're also interested to know what does it mean to say that awareness not only doesn't belong to me but it also lacks
• wouldn't wonder too much about the nature of awareness the nature of mind it's not it's almost like we take it for
• practitioner and i was using words like awareness and things like that and she said what do
• kind of everything we do is with awareness and it's so much the kind of water we swim in that you can kind of uh
• in these kind of traditions a lot of emphasis on mindfulness and awareness one begins some people begin wondering
• well what actually is it now one way of conceiving of awareness and i've had practitioners tell me this
• and again very helpful but also limited is awareness is a mirror awareness is a mirror which reflects the
• is awareness is a mirror awareness is a mirror which reflects the world okay and you can even find this
• image in certain texts buddhist texts as well awareness as a mirror which reflects the world
• now that's helpful a mirror could be helpful the idea of awareness being a mirror could be helpful because the
• it's just so practicing with the sense of awareness like a mirror it can actually be very helpful because it
• profound sense of it feels as if awareness is passive awareness just naturally and effortlessly uh reveals a
• will you will hear something so awareness feels effortless but tomorrow night in particular i'm
• of dependent arising uh we'll actually see awareness is not passive it's not effortless even though it might seem to
• deliberately talked about this on this retreat is the notion of awareness as a kind of source a source of being a
• things coming out that means this sense in that big open awareness of wow it just emerged from the ground of being
• um so it's still in the realm of perception itself it can't be awareness itself
• throughout very briefly sometimes we get this sense of a very spacious awareness and it's also a global awareness and
• this sense of a very spacious awareness and it's also a global awareness and that gets really strong everything
• it you can go a step further by saying well that's an impression in awareness too the sense of awareness is also an
• well that's an impression in awareness too the sense of awareness is also an impression and worth and just see what
• and again gets very uh confused is the word uh the nature of awareness is vast like space and again you you will hear
• space it's still a perception it's still an object can't be awareness itself so the buddha in the pali canon again
• um clarity describing the nature of awareness nature of mind luminosity clarity other kind of
• entity of knowing or substance of awareness or mind so
• night particularly what does that actually mean to say awareness is empty than her in existence
• think about like you just kind of let everything be in the space let awareness be awareness and everything can it's
• everything be in the space let awareness be awareness and everything can it's like it doesn't take much to think about
• into especially tomorrow is what does it actually mean to say awareness is empty inherent existence
• over again a different different passage mind can be found awareness can be found neither inside
• it does not cognize which basically saying awareness is not aware it was it was i don't know if anyone
• with giving inherent existence to awareness the first one is this unfindability
• easy because there's a noun in english consciousness awareness to think of a thing because nouns usually refer to
• of time which is gampopa's third reason for the impossibility of awareness having inherent resistance and also talk
• and reflecting quietly background of awareness that is dependent the consciousness is dependent on
• thinking that that's that big open space of awareness is inherently existent but they're not thinking that it's not and