Exploring Awareness To Find The True Self - Guided Enquiry

This is a simple yet direct exploration into the nature of consciousness itself. In the tradition of nondual 'Self-Enquiry' the seeker performs the highest and most profound introspective journey, turning inwards to ask 'What is the awareness with which I am aware of existence?' through this enquiry one realises that conscious awareness has been at the heart of all experience this entire time, and by then examining the nature of this awareness one finds the permanent peace and happiness one previously sought within the changing forms of experience.

Transcript

Are you conscious?

Meaning,

Are you aware of your experience?

Do not be so quick to answer this,

Let's slow down.

Are you consciously aware of your current experience?

How do you know?

What is it that you are referring to in order to know that you are consciously aware?

Is it the mind that knows?

But consciousness is aware of the mind.

How can the mind know consciousness?

Go to that undeniable element of your experience,

The awareness itself.

Are you conscious?

Noticing.

Consciousness is the awareness of experience.

We ordinarily say,

I am conscious of my mind,

I am conscious of my body,

I am conscious of my senses,

I am conscious of an external and internal world.

I am conscious of these many varied things.

But all of those varied things are experienced.

We could place all of those varied things under the umbrella of experience.

Bring all of these separate elements of experience together into one coalesced whole.

A singular experience.

Draw no distinction between anything,

No categories.

There is no division.

There are no objects,

There are no things.

There is just experience.

Whether you experience the senses,

Receiving some information about the external world,

Perceiving an external object,

Or you are aware of a thought or a bodily sensation,

All of these things are experienced equally in awareness.

They simply appear.

So with all experience condensed into one singular amorphous whole,

Begin to simply be the awareness of this experience.

Is the awareness changed by the experience?

Is it damaged or altered in any way by the rapidly changing forms within experience?

Does experience leave any trace or residue in consciousness?

And just keep referring to the consciousness itself.

Do not go to the mind for any answers.

We will find no answers there.

Just keep returning to that known space,

This presence of awareness that is always there.

The awareness of being,

The awareness of existence.

And we're not concerned with what existence is or what existence contains.

Just not interested in that for now.

Instead,

More interested in the awareness of existence.

Just forget about existence for now.

Just stay as the awareness.

The experience of an outside and inside world is always changing.

It changes from moment to moment.

It never stays the same.

But does the awareness change?

All of the elements of experience are coming and going.

But is awareness coming and going?

So all things within existence are constantly changing,

Constantly coming and going.

But the awareness remains exactly the same.

No matter what the content of experience is,

Whether it's busy or peaceful,

Whether it's comfortable or uncomfortable,

Pleasant or unpleasant,

Good or bad,

Right or wrong,

The awareness is equally aware of all of these states,

Perfectly at peace,

Perfectly calm,

Simply observing.

All things coming,

Going,

Changing,

Changing,

Changing.

But awareness itself does not change.

In a moment,

We will be leaving the formal aspect of this meditation,

But just recognize the extent to which you can simply remain as this awareness,

Despite the content of your life experience.

Thank you for doing this meditation.

With me today,

Take care,

Be well,

Stay present.