2 day Enlightenment exercise. Step 1, shift into Awareness

While the term "Enlightenment" has been up for all sorts of debates, I can say that of all of the paths I have studied over the last decade, they all unanimously agree that a shift from the mind/ego into Awareness is a necessary step on the path to Enlightenment.

Here's a 2 day exercise that can shift you into Awareness and help to free you from the prison that is ego .

Usually, Awareness is not aware of itself as the observer. Instead, the majority of folks are entirely wrapped up in thought.

Spend the next 2 days in this manner.

Be aware of something visual that eyes are seeing, as well as something audible that ears are hearing, while thinking at the same time.

So for example, if your talking with someone, be aware of a feature on their face, like a wrinkle,as well as some background sound like the air conditioner, or the neighborhood dog barking, all the while you interact with the conversation.

Or if your on your computer, be aware of the background color of your screen, or some graphic, or some other visual highlight, while at the same time being aware of some background noise such as your radio, or if you have your tv on, then the sound from that, all while still being able to have thoughts.

Or if your driving somewhere, the visual position of your 2 hands on the steering wheel, while being aware of the rpms of your engine, or the surrounding traffic sounds, all while still retaining the ability of thinking with the mind.

I choose seeing, hearing, and thought because they are the three primary faculties that a person uses throughout the day. Yet only one of these, Thought, is what imprisons awareness. So by being aware of all three of these faculties at the same time, for a few days straight, your Awareness, the real you, gets loosened from the illusion nature of thought.

Please be forewarned. This exercise does have the ability to shift you into a higher state of consciousness and it may be impossible to go back to how you once were. In the case the saying, "Ignorance is Bliss", may actually hold some merit

Note** While doing this, you may eventually throughout the practice get lost and wrapped back in thought. Whenyou do so, just go back to being aware of your visual element, your audio element, all while retaining the ability the think freely. After a few times of doing this, it becomes easier to be aware of all three faculties. Don't give up!

reply to post by dominicus


Thanks for the tip, in today's world we all need a little bit of wisdom to get by!
Great advice!

i'm going to give it a try.

i just started reading- "how to attain enlightenment" by james swartz.

i'm only a few pages into it but it seems intense.

I'm confused... how are you aware of three things at one time? When awareness is refined to a very subtle level, even after an 11 hours of meditation like I did yesterday, there still is only awareness of one thing at a time. It shifts fast from object to object, so maybe you are blurring the lines and considering it to be happening all at once?

reply to post by LifeIsEnergy

I'm confused... how are you aware of three things at one time?

Just try it. Be aware of one hand, then be aware of two hands, then add being aware of the background noise, or whatever your looking at, at the same time. It's hard at first, but eventually free's awareness and makes it ot only looser, but more free from thought.

When awareness is refined to a very subtle level, even after an 11 hours of meditation like I did yesterday, there still is only awareness of one thing at a time.

One can meditate on Awareness and be in it for 11 hours internally but not free it enough externally to be aware of various things at once.

It shifts fast from object to object, so maybe you are blurring the lines and considering it to be happening all at once?

Yes, usually awareness is trapped/wrapped up in One object at a time. This is because it is not exercised. Expanding Awareness to be aware of various items/faculties at once really does a number to consciousness and your everyday existence.

Try it. Don't limit Awareness as only being able to be Aware of One thing at a time. That's just the mind labeling what Awareness can and cannot do.

Every time I try this if I listen to something I can't concentrate on reading and if I read I can't remember what has just been said.. Frustrating

reply to post by dominicus



What's the point of this 'awareness'? What do you become aware of?

I am a die cutter. I stand at a machine all day with my arms constantly moving, constantly feeding my machine. I am aware of the noise of the machine while I sing to myself and daydream at the same time. Hate to disappoint ya, but the world has revealed no secrets while I'm in this state.

reply to post by jiggerj

Hate to disappoint ya, but the world has revealed no secrets while I'm in this state.

ok cool. the question now is, have you acquired the ability to be aware of all these aspects at once, or have they just become mechanical/automatic motions that you do and arent aware of all of them at the same time?

If you are aware of the sound of the machine, the motion of the hands, and the songs your singing in your head, or out loud, have you become aware of the observer of these things?

I am reading this thread while listening to The West Wing on TV. 2 down one to go. Maybe I could jerk it at the same time. LOL.

Originally posted by dominicus
reply to post by jiggerj

 

Hate to disappoint ya, but the world has revealed no secrets while I'm in this state.

ok cool. the question now is, have you acquired the ability to be aware of all these aspects at once, or have they just become mechanical/automatic motions that you do and arent aware of all of them at the same time?

If you are aware of the sound of the machine, the motion of the hands, and the songs your singing in your head, or out loud, have you become aware of the observer of these things?

You know what? Maybe I have. Every now and then I am hit with an awareness that fills me with an abysmal dread. It is a thought that shocks me to the point where I stop working and look around at everyone and everything. I realize that this existence isn't real, that the people aren't real, the environment isn't real. My purpose isn't real. Worse, that there isn't any purpose to why we're experiencing this life in the first place.

This thought isn't a passing observation, or something that my mind manufactured to express any discontent from my station in life. The truth of it is like being hit in the head with a bat. Solid, undeniable - 100% fact.

Yet, since I can do nothing about it, I have to mentally return to this existence and get back to work.

S&F for making me remember this.

Originally posted by dominicus
reply to post by LifeIsEnergy

 

I'm confused... how are you aware of three things at one time?

Just try it. Be aware of one hand, then be aware of two hands, then add being aware of the background noise, or whatever your looking at, at the same time. It's hard at first, but eventually free's awareness and makes it ot only looser, but more free from thought.

When awareness is refined to a very subtle level, even after an 11 hours of meditation like I did yesterday, there still is only awareness of one thing at a time.

One can meditate on Awareness and be in it for 11 hours internally but not free it enough externally to be aware of various things at once.

It shifts fast from object to object, so maybe you are blurring the lines and considering it to be happening all at once?

Yes, usually awareness is trapped/wrapped up in One object at a time. This is because it is not exercised. Expanding Awareness to be aware of various items/faculties at once really does a number to consciousness and your everyday existence.

Try it. Don't limit Awareness as only being able to be Aware of One thing at a time. That's just the mind labeling what Awareness can and cannot do.

I don't think you understood me. That is okay though. Have a fun time with your 'exercise'.

reply to post by LifeIsEnergy

I don't think you understood me. That is okay though. Have a fun time with your 'exercise'.

Please, I insist, do share your insights on all of this. I'm sure if On has spent 11 hours straight in Awareness, that there will be huge Insights to share, all of which have to do with this thread.

reply to post by jiggerj


I've been hit by that abysmal dread a few times, back then I didnt understand it, till I watched this video.





The abysmall dread if not further explored will leave an implant of fear. You arrived at the point where buddha did only you turned back where buddha had pressed forward.

Ever since then I have been trying to return to that place, where people dare not look. I wonder what would be there staring back at me.

reply to post by dominicus


So, this isn't how everyone exists? Are you kidding me?

Thinking and doing and seeing and listening is what the human brain does...and all at the same time. Right? I'm obviously not going to assume that the average person is incapable of this basic functionality, so there has to be a part of what you posted here that I'm not understanding.

reply to post by NorEaster

So, this isn't how everyone exists? Are you kidding me?

Everyone exists with all faculties working (at least the healthy folks), so yes this is so. However you have misunderstood me greatly. Throughout the day, your ears are hearing all the sounds that are within range to hear, however you as Awareness, are not actively mindful and aware that hearing is happening. Thats the MAIN POINT.

For example, if I point out "hearing" then you instantly use Awareness to be Aware of hearing. However, afterwords, when you go back to your regular life, "Hearing" remains a faculty that Awareness is not actively Mindful or Aware of.

So this exercise is basically being mindful and aware of 2 faculties at the same time, plus being aware and mindful of the Mind thinking thoughts. This increases Awareness/Mindfulness to be Awre/Mindful of 3 Faculties.

Awareness is rarely Aware of anything throughout the day, and is mostly entirely wrapped up in the thought process, let alone being mindful that thought is even happening. Of which the Mind superimposes its imagined view of reality, over a bare naked reality which is devoid of super-impositions.

SO the average Joe is rarely mindful or aware of anything about themselves for the majority part of the day. This 2 day exercise changes that.

Thinking and doing and seeing and listening is what the human brain does...and all at the same time. Right? I'm obviously not going to assume that the average person is incapable of this basic functionality, so there has to be a part of what you posted here that I'm not understanding.

See above.

There is a HUGE difference between hearing happening and being aware that hearing is happening. An even bigger difference between being Aware that hearing is happening and maintaining that awareness that hearing is happening. And a Vastly greater difference between maintaining Awareness that hearing is happening and adding another faculty to be Aware of ...ad infinitum.

Eventually there is a Shift that occurs. You are never the same afterwords

reply to post by dominicus


I have been trying this OP, its actually a good way to meditate. It is hard to focus on thoughts when you are paying attention to two things at once, but not impossible.

I Think I always had the hang of this. I use to play a video game called "World of warcraft", where I played as a tank and had to be aware of alot of things at the same time. I think online MMO's helps to a certain extent, I make this comparison, because in online gaming, you have to use your sense and you have to quick react to save that party member from dying, because if they die so do you.

It is something curious and you made me remember something a friend told me a year ago, among the front runners, people who play online games like WoW may become the first to become enlighted. The problem is that the great majority are still zombiefied in wow, but as time passes they too will move into awareness of the world.


Its like millions of people around the world has been trained. The one thing I found curious in WoW was the following, to defeat certain bosses, the group has to carefully coordinate with eachother. everyone has to play their parts and the group has to act as one to be able to complete the encounter. If one group member messes up it could be death to the raid.

At first glance youd think this would be easy, but this is actually alot harder than it looks due to peoples attention spam. If people were aware of things more the encounters would in fact be easy.



I hope I didn't go offtopic by mentioning an online game, but it is something to think about.

thanks for your post.

reply to post by dominicus


Thoughts are appearances just the same as the hand you are seeing. Awareness is aware of all appearances arising presently. The appearance is seen (scene). Existence is scene. Only the seer and knower of existence can be said to be 'real' because without it there would be nothing known. Only the seer and knower of existence is constant, the image however is constantly changing.

reply to post by Itisnowagain


Everything is consciousness. It sounds like people are saying that the seer is some "thing" within you, and nothing would exist without it, but all is consciousness, self-aware.

There are the two energies. The masculine and the feminine. The Masculine gives and pushes, the light of infinity and The Feminine takes and pulls, the darkness within.

Looking inside of yourself, being aware of your own thoughts, you go inward into the darkness. Being aware that all is connected all of the things outside of your is really connected to you and branches off into infinity, all consciousness, and even the cells branching off into you, you go into The Masculine - The Light.

I am aware of the awareness of The Rock, The Earth, The Grass, The Moon, The Stars, The Sun, things that most people unfortunately, are not aware of. It is not just about "self" awareness, it is about understanding the awareness of The Infinity - The All.

reply to post by arpgme


There are not two things - non duality.
Awareness is all.

reply to post by Itisnowagain


Yes, the Two energies are really one energy. They just have different qualities, sort of how man and women are a bit different but deep down, the bodies are made of the same thing, the energy. It is all one (energy).