Awakening is difficult.
It requires letting go of everything.
Awakening is easy.
It only requires letting everything be as it is.
Awakening is the ultimate.
It is the end of all problems.
Awakening is completely ordinary.
It's allowing all problems to be.
It's the beginning of everything.
When we contemplate the impermanent,
Unsatisfactory and impersonal conditional nature of all experiences,
We may get experiential insight into what is referred to in Buddhism as emptiness.
However,
There is no denying that there is an experiential reality.
Even if the world and I are different than what I assume,
There is something and it is just the way it is.
This recognition is in a way the counterpart of emptiness and it's referred to as thusness.
Emptiness is seeing that the assumption of a subject knowing an object is untenable and thus in a sense saying no.
Thusness is seeing that there is experiencing and in a sense saying yes.
Both of them seem right but they seemingly contradict each other.
We contemplate back and forth until it gets resolved by the mind letting go of the distinction between the knower and the known,
Between the doer and doing,
With the realization that it's just like this.
Emptiness is relinquishing all,
Thusness is embracing all.
When understanding arises we see how they are one and the same.
Recognition of nirvana is not a wipe out or a destruction of the conditioned realm,
It's an understanding of it.
For the most part I use awareness and consciousness as synonyms but at this stage the distinction used by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj may be apt.
Awareness is primordial,
It is the original state,
Beginningless,
Endless,
Uncaused,
Unsupported,
Without parts,
Without change.
Consciousness is on contact,
A reflection against a surface,
A state of duality.
There can be no consciousness without awareness but there can be awareness without consciousness,
As in deep sleep.
Awareness is absolute,
Consciousness is relative to its content,
Consciousness is always of something.
Discovering the nature of awareness allow the third noble truth to come into play.
That ending of discontent and suffering is brought about by letting go of wanting to get or get rid of,
Of wanting to be or to not be.
It happens naturally because the mind sees clearly that it is this wanting that makes awareness forget itself.
The mind attaching to the body,
Feelings,
Thoughts,
Opinions,
Memories,
Intentions and dualistic consciousness veils the true nature of awareness.
I thought for a long time that awakening would make me someone special.
But discovering my true nature has just shown me that I am really ordinary,
Just like anyone else really,
And it's wonderful.
I feel a deeper connection and a care towards other conscious beings that I meet because I know that we're ultimately the same.
We might be at different stages of our path but ultimately there's no difference.
There is such a patient love inherent in that.
The reality known as Nirvana lies in the minds of each one of you at the moment that you are to some degree empty of the feeling of I and mine.
Seeing through the habits of temptation and deception in the mind,
Recognizing the knowing reality of now again and again,
The practice takes care of itself,
Just like the water in the streams and the rivers naturally flows towards the ocean.
The pure ever-present reality of awareness has been covered up in a way,
Kind of forgotten itself in the myriad of thoughts and views and experiences.
It's not that it wasn't there,
It was just not allowed to shine as brightly,
Somewhat like the full moon behind the clouds.
It always shines in the same way,
It's just not always recognized.
All these teachings are just fingers pointing at the moon.
Don't get too caught up with looking at the fingers.
In the end they are just words,
Just thoughts.
Awakening means waking up to the reality that just is.
Beyond thought,
Beyond ideas.
It's just like this.
So I offer these words for reflection.
You might be left with many questions.
Rather than just trying to think your way to the answers,
I encourage you to live those questions.
Thank you.
