Self Inquiry 5 - Understanding Awareness As Consciousness

Listen to Ektaji talk about Ramana Maharshi's self-inquiry teachings. These teachings are aimed at the experiential understanding of the true nature of the self and that consciousness is the only existing reality.

Transcript

Series as Permoreth Have you been practicing?

It's very difficult to stay there.

Yes.

I mean it just goes very fast.

Now whenever the power comes,

So since I know that awareness is there,

Even the power flows,

I can sense it like open.

It's going.

Yeah,

Yeah.

But on the road while driving,

I'm nervous because I might lose the focus and.

.

.

No,

You don't.

.

.

Don't regard it as separate.

That is the problem.

We are regarding it as separate.

Awareness and mind are not separate.

I want you to come to this realization on your own first.

Awareness is like space.

This space.

In this space things are there.

Things come and go.

People walk into the room.

People walk out of the room.

Yeah.

The things coming and going.

Does it matter to the space?

Does a thing coming and going displace the space?

Space is there?

Like that only make an effort to see.

Awareness is like space.

I know till yesterday you kept thinking it's the background and you're in the foreground.

It's okay.

That's the way you see it initially.

But now really look hard.

It is actually owned at rest.

Okay.

.

.

Again and again we can attempt to rest that mind.

Resting mind is awareness.

Taking awareness is mind.

Again become aware.

What is the quality of this awareness?

What is the nature?

What is the perception happening and that same thing when it stills comes back to awareness.

Now did you notice there is no distinction there is no borderline between the two.

Yeah it's the same thing.

It's the same thing.

There is oneness when we are looking at the object in the awareness there's always oneness.

Yes yes beautiful beautiful.

Yeah so the quality of awareness is peace.

What else could you look closely at peace what else.

There's nothing there's space it's like a space and.

What is the quality of that space?

Consciousness okay and it's pure so this pure feeling yeah that purity yeah is almost like it's alive yeah so now awareness in stage two is called consciousness it's the same thing it's not that there is any change but earlier I could not see the peace yesterday I could not see the peace I could not see the calm I could not see the purity of this space I could not see how alive it was but now I see it get it yeah it's just now the same thing is called consciousness.

Why is it called consciousness?

Yeah because I see the purity I see the liveliness I see the peace and the calm it's not like a dead nothingness did it give you the eerie feeling of a cemetery it's not dead and nothingness like that.

I don't feel scared to get into that.

Okay great question till the time you consider that thought as an enemy you are obstructing your progress it just comes of course I'm not focusing on that thought I am focusing on the space around.

Are you saying that there's only strangers you see you go grocery shopping you see so many strangers you're not looking at every single stranger yes like that you're not focusing on these thoughts the awareness is what is more important.

You getting it then thought does not become your enemy.

So is it to say that awareness is like the subtler level of existence right yes so to answer to elaborate on what she was trying to say that when I see looking at you this grossness my body is gross my breath is a bit less gross you know but when I'm in the awareness that itself is subtle so if I'm aware of that the grossness is also part because I cannot yeah the grossness doesn't go away doesn't go away but she said it's going so it should it will not because you are already in the lower realm lower frequency so that doesn't mean you are immune to the higher frequency you get all of that but you are in the lower frequency did you understand everything is included in it like everything in this room is included in the space of this room nothing is outside the space of this room suppose this was the universe there's nothing outside this universe there is no outside so like that you have come to the bottom most part of this space and iskyo per job is subliers the crap I'm not focusing on them yeah they're not taking my attention away they're not distracting me they're not disturbing me but everything is in my domain range it's like you are in this space there is no difference between the awareness and the mind awareness in activity is the mind mind at rest is the awareness yeah so this quiet space includes everything the moment I focus on the noise and I start adding from my side I start self-talk then I'm totally lost in the mind then I lose connection with the awareness yeah so don't get into the self-talk observe it come and go you you stay back again you stay back again you stay back in the background the background is where that prevailing peace is you yourself told me the quality of that is peace I can feel peace quietness I'm aware there is observation happening inside but I can't figure out who is the observer I'm not able to associate peace quietness with the observer you have gone into the observer how can you then find it I've seen that till now I was looking looking looking then suddenly you went into the awareness the awareness itself was the one that was aware now you went into that and that's where you feel the peace now if you start looking inside are you going to find it there's nothing to find again you're looking outside really yeah is that peace quality happens when this eye collapses again when I comes back he was always my next door neighbor yeah the destination is nothing so great the journey was the fun part really correct the same awareness itself goes out in action that is mine when it comes back you experience that peace so mine does not exist but slowly this piece will start like you're seeing background and foreground still so you're seeing this piece in the background you'll start seeing it spill into your foreground into your activities it's like just a wave that is coming in that is coming in that is coming in yeah when it spills in completely into all your activities during the day you will always be in that peaceful kind of state then the action and the mind or the body level will happen only where required and then you come back to the piece because the speed this piece has percolated as if the water of the waves has come and surrounded you completely and you act only when required otherwise you're back into your peace you understand what I'm saying this is just a metaphorical way of saying and there is really no background and foreground it is actually all around yeah but right now because you see it as background and foreground I explained it like that then you're there then you're there so it's the same as same as same as same as same as isness same as same as what are the other words quiet mind there is no difference all the scriptures are the same they were taking you to the same place Ramana just does a shortcut right there so that is the problem correct correct that is it all you have to practice is not getting involved into self-talk because that is the cause of my suffering it goes on and on and on and on and on and on and I just withdraw back into this awareness I withdraw again into this awareness it seems like a withdrawal at first when later on as you go it's like the peace is overtaking me it's an effortless thing like you cannot stop the waves from coming over that's how it will become that effortless and then there are no desires even if they arise for a moment the waves of peace just submerge them now do you understand why there are no desires yeah even if they come up it's like a little ripple that comes up and then again gets submerged by the next wave of peace so there is no real hankering developing from that first thought of I want yeah it's a very natural state of being submerged in that peace in whatever action you do then there is no stress then there is no pain there is no suffering anymore every action gets submerged by this peace are you getting in stage two is very clear how it is peace and how that quality just submerges you yeah the only effort I have to make is no just go back to the awareness I'm really not doing much I'm just not doing the talking not doing the self-talk are you getting it not doing is the real action there is no doing here the moment you say there is doing mind brings up a barrier or too much work too much mental effort but actually it is a not doing being lazy being too happy in my peace in my awareness yeah that is why it is called consciousness yeah because you're so conscious at this level it's like being at the bottom of the ocean and being able to see all the layers of the water till the top of the waves the entire depth I can see I'm aware of I just don't get involved I'm happy at the bed and that peace and that quiet clear yes yes so I have been at the base at the bottom at the bed of the ocean I can hear this deafening silence because I'm in my awareness and in that quietness I'm not interested in the drama of the mind I'm not getting caught up in the self-talk and in this awareness I'm at the bottom I can hear the deafening silence can you hear the deafening silence if you're still lost in it does thoughts and it does talk and echoing in your mind you will not be able to hear it if you're not talking to yourself and just listening in between the pause you will be able to hear the deafening silence can you hear it yeah only if you can hear it you are at the bottom at the core at the awareness level yeah and then again you come up you get involved in the waves and the talk and the self-talk inside you cannot hear it it is something it's a milestone for yourself you know it's like a metric for myself whether I'm in pure awareness or not yeah it's it's awareness is aware of itself stage two awareness being aware of itself stage one awareness was aware of something now the off has dropped awareness is aware of itself stage two perfect you finally got it in a nutshell we are awareness I am awareness there is nothing other than awareness really beautiful makes so much sense no silent teachings just sitting in silence if you have this understanding of the awareness do you need any more words it just spoils it in fact just this recognition of awareness and all you need is just come sit in silence and go that's all that was required his teachings were perfect to the point you've reached home you don't need anything anymore yeah you've reached home pure silence pure awareness that's what I am it totally depends on your interest level in you you're not interested in yourself that is the thing except the truth you're more interested in money and name and fame and friends and social circle all that is number one this is somewhere last spiritual growth should happen on its own on the side I'm not going to make an effort that is your attitude towards so take a you give Charana you will get Chavani you give a quarter that's all you get back don't expect to get a million dollars out of giving a quarter of an effort you're not going to get it forget about it yeah if you have that much interest you will get there it's that simple people who can follow these teachings are somebody who is super interested in himself and nothing else in the world he gets it like that you had a glimpse like that so quickly and some of you are there yeah some of you already feel it great this is your path it's a shortcut yeah now the only thing I have to deal with is the I thought I have to learn a little more about I thought yeah and figure it out so I have to do investigation are you seeing the difference between investigation and contemplation these are two different things what is contemplation what is thinking about something thinking where there are words in the mind is contemplation what is investigation you're not even questioning so you're open to whatever crops correct so almost like with a torch like you're searching for something inside that is investigation it's just a metaphorical way for me to convey to you what is the meaning of investigation if this room is dark I come with a torch like this.