What does it mean to be? What does it mean to have the "awareness"? Am I doing or being?

I used to believed that pleasure was good and pain was bad. I would focus my thoughts on what makes me feel good and ignore what doesn't. But I realized that was materialistic and that wasn't really doing anything at all with spiritual.

I keep hearing "be in the moment", don't "do" - "be". But it is hard to understand.

By being, do you mean relaxing? Do you mean silencing the mind to not block out what is going on? Do you mean allowing anything to happen?

What does it mean to be "aware"? To silence the mind I am already using five senses, by being aware, do you mean to always be focused on the body only?

Why is the material body of so importance rather than mind if mind /spirit is more spiritual? Help me to understand this....

Originally posted by arpgme
I keep hearing "be in the moment", don't "do" - "be". But it is hard to understand.

Man I wish my good friend was still on this site. He would love to have a good discussion with you regarding this question.

What does it mean to be "aware"? To silence the mind I am already using five senses, by being aware, do you mean to always be focused on the body only?

Aware in that sense, I suppose. You are aware of of the stimuli around you. Each sense is an input to our processor if I may use that analogy. The difference is, that processor doesn't utilize 100% of all the stimuli that is being input; it just is too much. Instead, our brains utilize algorithms to piece together and recreate the world based on pieced of those inputs and effectively too. To be aware I suppose, would be to heighten that input/output ratio to create a clearer picture. I do not merely see, I know. I do not merely hear, I listen. Etc, etc.

That is all I have, I am no expert on this but it is an excellent exercise of being "aware" and knowing our existence. We are simply aware because we can contemplate what being aware is.

To be, to be aware of your surroundings is plain simple. The fact that you question this means you're doing something and making things look more complicated than they seem. Sit in silence and do nothing at all and let your mind flood you with many thoughts. Place no judgements on these thoughts and just watch them as if you were a bystander. Nowadays doing nothing is like THE hardest thing to do, sit in silence. Kinda sad.

This has great reference to meditation and I would suggest you try it!

reply to post by Shurima


This just sounds like meditation, which I already do. I'm asking about "being" rather than "do" and living in "awareness". Obviously "Living" in awareness would have to including more than just meditating.

reply to post by ownbestenemy


But isn't this a bit like sensualism (materialism/ hedonism)? How can being aware of the body all time (and thus feel its 5 senses all the time 100%) be spiritual?

If God is Reality - and we are the body apart of that reality and we should be aware of our body (and thus its senses 100%) of the time in "what is" rather than "mind" , then isn't that taking away from what is spiritual? Focusing in another direction?

You're right but you forget that meditation should be a lifestyle not some scheduled thing you do on a daily routine.
The common mistake people make when they meditate is that they think that it's a state to achieve. Meditation does not only imply close your eyes and relax... It involves you being with existence. Acknowledging that things around you are there and you are not here to change that or judge it, but embrace it. If you touch a tree or a flower do not judge its beauty, just "be" with it. BE with it. Feel the tree feel the flower. Feel the freshness of the water when you shower. Take a one minute bite of a sandwich and taste the greatness of it. Take a footstep at a time and slowly.
Basically don't be a slave to redundant patterns in life we are not robots. Note that every single thing you do is cumulative consciously. You might probably learn that the smallest pleasant things in life can turn out to be the greatest.

It doesn't have to be scientific... if it goes that far then you're missing the whole point.

reply to post by arpgme

By being, do you mean relaxing? Do you mean silencing the mind to not block out what is going on? Do you mean allowing anything to happen?

What does it mean to be "aware"? To silence the mind I am already using five senses, by being aware, do you mean to always be focused on the body only?

Why is the material body of so importance rather than mind if mind /spirit is more spiritual? Help me to understand this....

I try and maintain a silent mind and when im successful i know it because i become the observer.

reply to post by Shurima


If it is pain occurring , we should still be with it, feeling the fullness of it?

What is the motivation of life? How does one action lead to another?

Most people have a motivation "love", "peace", "health", what is the motivation of life when you just be? How are you directed from one place to another?

reply to post by arpgme


why ask so many questions of the mind. The mind can relax and watch the movie of life.

reply to post by AthlonSavage


But when life holds mystery and show scenes of "fear" , "hatred", or "sadness" - it is hard for the mind to just "relax"

reply to post by arpgme

But when life holds mystery and show scenes of "fear" , "hatred", or "sadness" - it is hard for the mind to just "relax"

Are you feeling these emotions saddness, hatred , fear everyday?

Life is a not a problem to be solved, it is a mystery to be lived.
Become the observer. Be a light onto yourself.

reply to post by arpgme


The pain in life should be embraced because it is part of the process of being and growth.
How life would be dull if everything would be so perfect and nice. Celebrate Imperfection Sir.

reply to post by AthlonSavage


No, but thoughts make come at different moments.

For example, If you know that you must do what you do not want to do, you may not feel free and that may cause negative thinking and like "silence" is just suppressing this feeling.

"To be" is to the ability to be curious. It is the ability to ask the question, "What does it mean to
have awareness?" You are therefore "doing" and "being" at the same time

I believe he body is the host and the awareness is the guest. One is inextricably tied to the
material of the universe, and the other comes from the energy of the universe.

The material that is of this universe we can understand well; carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, etc., but the
energy of the universe is still mysterious.

I believe our awareness exists in this mystery.

reply to post by arpgme

For example, If you know that you must do what you do not want to do, you may not feel free and that may cause negative thinking and like "silence" is just suppressing this feeling.

i experience that feeling, its uncomfortable and displeasurable. Do you have a solution?

reply to post by AthlonSavage


To be honest, I am not sure if I have a solution; but I like the idea of staying focused on the body.
Remember, our consciousness/awareness is currently in the body.

By staying focused on the body, we remember that this body is a suit for our consciousness - our temple - our resting place - and not really "us" .

Many things may be going on outside of the body, but maybe there will be greater peace staying detached and staying focused of being in the body.

The eyes (sight) can go, the ears (sound) can go, the sensations can go but "touch" (sensation) is so fundamental, maybe I should just stay focus of how the body feels touching against these physical surfaces... just one idea...

You can never really know who you are now, you can only know who youi have been according to your input in the world. We define people by their actions and there is only really two catogories people care about, good and bad.

Personally I believe we are all looking for the differences to make us uniqure, different race, relligion. social group, gender..until we get down to body shape body, likes, dislikes, opinoins, fears, clothes and so on. Well yes that makes us different but there is the same patternet all over the world, for example take big brother (the tv show) when the group of people enter the house, after a while on becomes the alpha male, one becomes the care giver one becomes the outsider.

For me thats all live is, we play a part whereever we fit in or whare there is space that our current emotional state can handel we just flow towards and start taking over tha position. Nobody is really uniqure there is certrain number of characters you can play just more or less variations of the same gourps i.e the alpha male, the carer and so on.

reply to post by arpgme

To be honest, I am not sure if I have a solution; but I like the idea of staying focused on the body.
Remember, our consciousness/awareness is currently in the body.

By staying focused on the body, we remember that this body is a suit for our consciousness - our temple - our resting place - and not really "us" .

Many things may be going on outside of the body, but maybe there will be greater peace staying detached and staying focused of being in the body.

The eyes (sight) can go, the ears (sound) can go, the sensations can go but "touch" (sensation) is so fundamental, maybe I should just stay focus of how the body feels touching against these physical surfaces... just one idea...

Why is the touch so important? What surfaces can bring comfort to touch?

reply to post by AthlonSavage


You can loose, the ears, ears, sense of taste, but touch is fundamental, able to be experienced from all areas of the body.

When we are thinking we become less sensitive to what is going on now, the sensations becomes a bit "blurred" , by keeping focus on the sensations of the body, we can keep focus present.

So if a situation unfolds and we feel unhappy, we can remember to keep focus on the body - how is the body feeling? - and then attention from the problem would lessen as you are focusing more on being centered in the body.

I guess it is true that freedom from desire is the only freedom we get; having desire we'll always want more and lack; and the more desire we have the more we'll feel like life has "messed up again" when we couldn't get what we want.

It is really hard to stay focused on now. Once we say there is something we do not want (or something we do want), we are in the mind thinking of a scenario we would rather be in than not be in (this here).

If the only freedom that will never be taken away is freedom from desire, then,
maybe wanting whatever is happening now is good. that one desire will always be continuously fulfilled.

reply to post by arpgme

So if a situation unfolds and we feel unhappy, we can remember to keep focus on the body - how is the body feeling? - and then attention from the problem would lessen as you are focusing more on being centered in the body.

i focus on my inner body and feel experiences inside of it. Sometimes its like a jigsaw of feelings. If i can centralize my focus, its strength. You meditate alot?