The State of Presence

Consciousness is the brilliance of the supreme self illuminating the whole of existence with the radiance of knowing from within and beyond all forms of life. It is the mysterious power of cognition that constitutes the essence of creation, the very substance that makes the evolution of intelligence possible. Awareness is the light of recognition, without which, reality would vanish into naught.

Although consciousness is the foundation of creation, within the context of ignorance it relates only to the objective reality external to the self. 'Worldly' consciousness, un-aware of its fundamental nature, is actually a dream-like state of forgetfulness. The pseudo-awareness of an unconscious person is impossible to differentiate from its external expression, the mind. His minimal presence is only sufficient to fuel phenomenal consciousness and ego, not to solidify a true sense of identity. A sense of me based on the mind cannot create stability of self. The tragedy of the human is that he is not a being at all, but a chaotic flux of subconsciousness. Only by giving birth to pure awareness can one awaken from this painful and fragmented state and enter the stream of conscious evolution, the journey to the soul.

The Awakening of Awareness

The average human being, regardless of his intellectual capacity, is far from conscious. It is not mental acuity or the ability to solve complex problems that makes us conscious, but the light of I am. Artificial intelligence can perform highly intelligent functions, yet itself has no consciousness. A mind that is not grounded in clear presence only perpetuates unconsciousness, for it lacks any true center to which it could refer its thinking processes. Unless we realize the unchanging background of all thoughts, we cannot meet our own existence, the inborn presence beyond thinking. The awakening to the state of presence is beyond any relative experience of becoming more and more aware; it is a profound existential shift to objectless awareness.

The light of attention is the foundation of each act of perception and cognition, and can either be dispersed in the semi-conscious activities of the mind, or focused in a one-pointed way upon itself. Ordinarily, we center our attention either through objects external to the mind, or within the activity of the mind, like in conscious thinking. In order to channel our awareness in the service of self-knowledge, we must shift our attention from object to subject. When attention becomes aware of itself, it gives rise to the state of self-attention, or pure-attention. To be just attentive without any kind of object is awareness. Awakening to this pristine consciousness, we experience the miracle of regaining our true center, the dignity of our presence.

Location of the State of Presence

The assertion that the location of pure awareness can be pinpointed is commonly refuted by the argument that consciousness is 'everywhere': if consciousness is all-pervasive, it cannot have any bodily point of reference. However, this reasoning is flawed, for it confuses the universality of consciousness with the individuation of its expression. The state of pure awareness that we experience in our human form is an individualized expression of universal consciousness and does indeed have a dwelling place within the human body. Psychosomatic awareness runs throughout the whole body, but conscious attention is generated exclusively in the brain. Thus, the state of presence is awakened and experienced in the headspace.

The actual center of awareness is located in the middle of the brain, but the expansiveness and distribution of its energy is determined by one's level of awakening. In the initial stages of practice, the state of presence is usually recognized towards the back of the head when the eyes are open, and in the whole space of the head when the eyes are closed. One feels awareness more at the back of the head when the eyes are open due to the polarization of attention - awareness of the outer versus awareness of awareness. This is sometimes referred to as the 'double arrow' phenomenon, in which attention points out and in simultaneously, causing an intensified withdrawal of energy inwards. In the process of stabilization and integration, the state of presence matures and expands until it is gradually felt more as an expansive space of awareness both inside and outside the head. The fully awakened state of presence transcends the dichotomy between the remembrance of our essence and the recognition of our surroundings, encompassing both our pure subjectivity and the outer field of perception as one reality.

Many seekers confuse awareness with the heart or with being aspect of the inner state. Because the states of heart and being are naturally cognized by awareness, they can be easily misidentified as that which makes their recognition possible. We can feel the heart and being through awareness, but awareness as such flows from a different place. It is not unlike the reflection of the moon in the lake being mistaken for the moon itself, or the sun warming the earth while itself existing elsewhere. The light of awareness can be cognized through variety of different energetic experiences, or even as a general sense of body consciousness; but to feel pure awareness, we need to direct our attention to the area from which it originates - the headspace.

Energetic Experience of the State of Presence

The experience of consciousness, unlike all other relative energy experiences, is inimitable, for the experience is none other than the experiencer himself. The state of presence appears to be an 'object' of experience, since it can be verified by the checking intelligence, but in fact it constitutes the identity of the experiencing subject. In all other types of energy experiences the subject is external to the object of experience. Only in the realm of I am does the subject not precede the object of experience in the flow of cognition, for here, the subject is the experience. Thus the state of awareness can be called 'self-experience' - it is how I am knows that it is I am. Consciousness does not need an intermediary to know that it exists and is conscious. It illuminates itself with the light of pure knowing intrinsic to consciousness in its original form.

The process of giving birth to the state of pure awareness is rooted in the practice of centering the mechanical mind into a single area of self-attention. The state of self-attention, however, is not the final goal, but a transitional phase between forgetfulness and pure awareness. The experience of self-attention has a more horizontal nature than the state of pure awareness - the result of attention being pulled back upon itself. Pure awareness manifests when attention incorporates an element of being and begins to abide in the vertical reality. This natural state of awareness has no center of attention; it is a spacious field of open luminosity. Our task, after having solidified attention to the point of constant presence, is to diffuse that presence by means of surrender. The cultivation of presence moves beyond self-remembrance into a practice of de-centralizing awareness through which the state of self-attention is transformed into a condition of expansive restfulness and non-focalized abidance within the space of pure subjectivity.

The quality of the energetic experience of the state of presence depends on the level of its maturation and expansion. Initially, due to the need for internal focus and self-remembrance, the energy of awareness is more concentrated, and if practice is unskillful, it can even be uncomfortable and tense at times. In the cultivation of awareness, we do need to crystallize attention in order to transcend the mind, but we must very carefully balance concentration with relaxation to avoid over- crystallizing it, which would hinder our ability to achieve the natural state of presence.

Objectless awareness is the meeting place between the horizontal and vertical planes of existence - the here and the now. Through its natural evolution and integration, the state of presence eventually develops the qualities of clarity and bright vividness with respect to the horizontal dimension, and serene, effortless absorption with respect to the vertical. It is still experienced in and around the head, but in a transparent way, merged with the infinite vastness of reality.

Some souls experience the state of presence as bliss, while others experience it in a more neutral, ordinary way. However, it is critical that we realize the essence of awareness not merely as an energetic state, but as the awakened consciousness of the soul. The living core of pure awareness is the sense of I am through which we meet the original light of our subjective existence.

The Essence of Individual Consciousness

The fact that our awareness is awakened does not mean that we automatically realize it as the essence of the soul's consciousness. Too immature to meet their true self, most seekers recognize only the energetic aspect of the state of presence, missing its deeper significance. They still do not know who they are. To recognize only the energetic dimension of awareness is a limited realization - not a real awakening - for the heart of awakening is the meeting with our pure subjectivity. Practice with awareness that is not based on the knowledge of I am is merely mechanical, and cannot be considered true self-remembrance, for one is only recollecting an energetic state, not the essence to which it points - self.

Although the essence of awareness represents the center of our identity in the mind, the state of presence is often understood and experienced as impersonal. This is due to the fact that when one shifts from the habitual sense of me in the mind to the state of pure awareness, one moves from a personal to a comparatively impersonal experience of oneself. Additionally, because seekers are often strongly influenced by notions of the impersonality of consciousness, they tend to interpret their experience of awareness through the lens of this conditioning. The correct interpretation of pure awareness is not based on a philosophy or belief, but on an existential shift of identity. It is true that the state of presence is impersonal from the standpoint of our personality, since its existence is not derived from thoughts, subconscious impressions, memories or self-image. But it is very personal from the viewpoint of the soul, because it constitutes the core of her identity in awareness. It is personal in a superior sense, because it embodies the light of pure subjectivity.

It must be clearly understood that pure awareness is made of the impersonal light of universal consciousness, while the state of presence is an individualization of that impersonal energy. It is similar to the space inside our home: though belonging to the vast universe, it temporarily becomes personalized by the unique flavor we give it. It is only because we are so identified with the ego-sense of self that we tend to translate the experience of I am in an impersonal way. Unless we are able to meet the light of I am within our deep silence, we will never be able to truly understand the secret of awakening.

To Embody the Light of I Am

There are three possible errors in how we relate to pure awareness. The first is to objectify it as external to our sense of me; we experience awareness either as the 'background' of our existence, or the internal space in which we abide. The second is to perceive only its impersonal aspect; we feel as if there is nobody experiencing awareness, or that awareness itself is 'nobody'. The third is to over-personalize it by identifying I am with me; we experience awareness not as am-ness, but rather as I-ness - the state becomes tainted with excessive self-consciousness. Here we experience awareness as personal, but because we are on the wrong 'side', so to speak - it is personal from the standpoint of me, not the soul.

To correctly relate to the state of presence is in fact to stop relating to it at all - it is to become it. Ultimately, the ability to embody the light of I am is a function of our ongoing evolution into transcendence and soul-realization. By gradually merging our existence with pure awareness we become that ancient light of I am, the natural state of impersonal individuality - free from objectification, self-denial, and self-reference. Then and only then can our true subjectivity be realized as who and what we are in our timeless purity.

The Witness and Witnessing

In some traditions the essence of awareness is referred to as the 'witness' or witnessing consciousness. Witness, however, is not the most appropriate term, as it has dualistic connotations, implying an act of witnessing that is horizontally separate from that which is witnessed. However, inasmuch as it already has been assimilated in the language of spirituality, we would like to explain the correct meaning that 'witness' is intended to convey.

To begin with, it is essential not to confuse the witness with the observer. The witness is of the soul and the observer is of the mind. The observer can emulate witnessing, acting as a detached intelligence by observing without getting involved. The false sense of witnessing here is not based on our real presence - it merely reflects how the ego 'feels' itself as it attempts to remain disidentified. Such pseudo-witnessing is an experience entirely confined to the mind.

With awareness unawakened and not present as the base-consciousness, the observer can only 'witness' from its sense of me. The center of true witnessing is not me but I am. Pure awareness witnesses by virtue of being naturally distinct and uninvolved, not because it is disidentified. The true witness does not observe. Awareness needs relative consciousness, mind and ego, in order to observe that which is first witnessed from a much deeper place - our essence. Observing is active, witnessing is passive. Observation is continuously recreated through the will of the mind, witnessing is a steady stream of unchanging consciousness. To be in the state of witnessing is to exist behind everything arising in the field of cognition - perceptions, thoughts and feelings - as an immobile background of unconditional presence.

Cultivation of the State of Presence

What we gain through recognizing our essence for the first time is a new insight into the nature of awareness, not the state of awareness itself. Although a beginner can access the state, the unconscious tendencies of the mechanical mind prevent him from abiding in his awareness at all times. Hence the need to cultivate the state of presence with the sole objective of stabilization.

Cultivation is a time of concentrated effort dedicated to the further awakening, strengthening and stabilization of awareness. During the cultivation period, the main difficulties in holding onto the state of presence, apart from general forgetfulness, are energetic in nature. The state is feeble and unstable, and one is unable to maintain steady inner focus. The uncultivated brain simply cannot contain the high frequency of pure awareness with any clarity, strength and consistency. As a result, one quickly becomes tired or agitated during practice. These struggles are natural in the work with awareness. One simply needs to be patient as different aspects of our existence and consciousness realign themselves so that the dimensional leap into a constant state of presence can occur.

As we have made clear, the state of presence is cultivated through the horizontal pulling back of attention from object to subject, from seen to seer. The consciousness of an ignorant person is exteriorized from the headspace, leaking its light through the eyes and other sensory gates into the outer reality. Mental consciousness still operates in the head, but it has no energetic presence or stable sense of identity, for the illusive subject is fully identified with material and psychological objects. For this reason, to gain inner stability and internalize one's consciousness, one must practice self-remembrance and merge attention with its source. Through this practice, the state of pure attention matures, steadily growing in strength and continuity until a clear state of presence is established.

The entire process of cultivation is based on the very natural effort of returning to oneself through the practice of self-remembrance in both meditation and activity. As one progresses, abiding in the state of presence becomes increasingly spontaneous and natural. There is still a need for effort, but it gradually loses its rigid quality, becoming more subtle and transparent. This type of natural engagement with presence characterizes the most developed stage of cultivation prior to stabilization.

Unskillful Self-remembrance

The main hindrance in the cultivation of the state of presence is unskillful self-remembrance, which most often results from not having clearly met the essence of awareness. A seeker ignorantly chooses a point of focus within the headspace that bears no relation to the essence of consciousness. Rather than cultivating mindfulness of his true subjectivity, he objectifies the space inside his head, or specific areas within this space, in order to have something to which he can affix his concentration. This kind of artificial practice has nothing in common with real self-remembrance. Due to its unnatural character, it is not only spiritually useless, but can have harmful consequences, creating tension and strain within the headspace.

Another common error in the practice of self-remembrance is to confuse one's sense of me for the sense of I am. This is a point that is not sufficiently clarified on the classical path of self-enquiry, which does not differentiate between the sense of me and the essence of consciousness. The sense of me is the axle of our conscious mind and ego-structure, not the center of consciousness. The center of consciousness is I am, not me. To distinguish between the experience of me and I am, we must be able to differentiate between our fundamental consciousness and our secondary sense of individuality.

Me exists between I am and the mind as the mediating sense of identity between the soul and the human. When engaged in thinking, it is not I am, but me, that enters the mind to become the thinker. Me is the sense of I am reflected in intelligence, the consciousness of oneself. I am is the consciousness of awareness prior to and underneath our sense of me. I am is impersonal in the sense that it is beyond self-referral, while me is personal, for its very essence is self-reference. Me becomes more impersonal by surrendering to I am, I am becomes more personal by becoming illuminated through me.

For me to assist the awakening of awareness, it must realize its own essence independent from the mind. However, me cannot reach solidity if I am has not been awakened, for its existence has no stable ground beyond the mind upon which to base its continuance. Our pure me is founded upon I am and, as such, precedes the self-image created by the ego-me - it is direct, instantaneous and independent from thought. The evolution of I am and me are mutually supporting: I am awakens through me, and pure me awakens through the birth of I am.

In experiential terms, me and I am also differ in their energetic and spatial character. Though close to each other in the headspace, the conscious me is experienced in the frontal lobe of the brain, pure awareness in the brain's central area. If a practitioner focuses his concentration in the front of the head, it indicates that he mistakenly cultivates a stable sense of me, not pure awareness. This kind of practice is not only incorrect, but pointless. In order to abide in I am, one must internalize one's concentration and withdraw attention to a deeper space within the head.

Stabilization of the State of Presence

It is our observation that many seekers on the spiritual scene lack any concept of stabilization. We frequently come across those who cannot understand why, in spite of having temporarily moved to a deeper state of consciousness, they have entirely lost their awakened state. Most often their bewilderment is due to the fact that they cling to a simplistic paradigm of sudden enlightenment. They perceive enlightenment to be an instantaneous and total transformation from the state of ignorance to self-realization when, in truth, complete enlightenment is the result of a long and arduous inner journey.

To stabilize the state of presence is to permanently establish one's previously fluctuating awareness. Prior to stabilization, the state of presence is activated and maintained through the practice of self-remembrance. In more advanced stages of cultivation, it increasingly manifests of its own accord and maintains itself independent from me. With stabilization, the practice of self-remembrance can be dropped, for the state is permanently and unconditionally present. It can no longer be lost, for it has become an indivisible part of our true identity.

Although stabilization is the fruit of cultivation, cultivation is not its direct cause. Stabilization is ultimately an occurrence based on grace. Grace, the force that can stabilize any state, awaits its materialization in the plan of each soul's blueprint. The role of the practitioner during cultivation is to bring himself to the highest possible level of inner maturity so that grace can enter and the relatively unpredictable event of stabilization can take place. The stabilization of the state of presence denotes a major breakthrough in our evolution, because now we can begin our true journey into the inner state from a place of awakened consciousness and integral identity.

Integration of the State of Presence

The integration of the state of presence is the post-stabilization process that involves the ripening, refinement and final expansion of its energy into a natural condition of pure awareness. It is a critical step in our inner journey towards the attainment of the state of pure subjectivity as our natural state.

Integration is not the result of personal effort, but the consequence of an organic maturation within the already stabilized state. Cultivation of awareness does not necessarily enhance integration; in fact, inept cultivation can actually impede the integration process. Unless the personal will relaxes within the state of presence, a practitioner will habitually maintain an unnecessary level of concentration, preventing awareness from reaching its natural condition of spacious luminosity.

To support the integration process, we should simply rest in conscious abidance within awareness. Sitting meditation is one of the most effective means to support the integration of awareness, as well as other states, for it is here that the natural deepening and alignment of energy takes place. The process of integration requires a certain amount of time and patience, but has to be completed before one aspires to undertake the next step along the path.

Stabilization of Recognition

In most cases, stabilization, and even energetic integration, of the state of presence does not result in a complete continuity of conscious abidance in awareness. Although it may be energetically established, our sense of I am remains unintegrated with the consciousness and intelligence recognizing it. Until we stabilize the recognition of presence, our state remains fractured, and cannot serve as a vehicle for the transformation of the mind.

That which forgets and remembers the state of presence is not merely our intelligence, but its very subject, me. When me is integrated with I am, it is able to participate in both presence and thinking, being and doing. Because it cannot completely renounce its involvement in the mind, me has to learn how to maintain conscious recognition of awareness while intelligence is actively engaged. It must unite with the center of awareness so that unbroken continuity of recognition can manifest.

After the initial awakening of the state of presence, me had the incentive of stabilization to inspire its self-remembrance; but having completed this task, it must strive for constant recognition of awareness through a higher form of self-remembrance, the merging of me with I am. Every time that me remembers the state of presence, it not only arrests the subconscious flow of the mind, but also intensifies the quality of awareness itself. The state of presence is magnified by the very fact that me is recognizing it; two forces of consciousness meet to engender one holistic experience of self. Though I am is independent from me, true awareness must encompass me in order to reach its highest transformative potential and become whole.

Integration of Intelligence

No constant recognition of awareness can be reached unless our intelligence has been profoundly transformed. Instead of being lost in mental reality, intelligence must channel its power of cognition to illuminate constantly the integral silence of I am. As we have now stressed repeatedly, the energetic stabilization of awareness generally occurs long before the awakening of the soul. If our intelligence has not been aligned with I am, it is the mind, not the soul, that is the experiencer of presence, since awareness has not yet become the actual subject. Intelligence, the cognizing link between me and I am, is therefore unable to fully register the existential shift of identity from ego to pure presence, and remains wholly identified with the psychological self. In order to transcend our subconscious self and integrate me with presence through the stabilization of recognition, self-remembrance must continue, but now on the level of consciousness and intelligence.

For intelligence to support the stabilization of recognition, true understanding must be born within the mind. The mind must see through its own illusory nature and deeply appreciate the tremendous value of pure presence. Only once we have matured into the profound understanding that we are in fact the consciousness of awareness, are we able to renounce the subconscious, awaken true earnestness, and surrender to what is real. Each moment that we are lost in thinking, we are lost to the light of awareness, the foundation of our integrity and spiritual sanity. This is simply unacceptable for one who honors the truth of silence and consciousness. An integrated intelligence is characterized by maximal silence and minimal thinking. The moment silence begins to rule the internal space of the mind, intelligence can be said to have integrated with pure awareness.

Living the State of Presence

The awakening of awareness is not only a great blessing, but also a great responsibility. Because very few seekers are able to see the profound value of realizing the state of presence, their interest in the state usually wanes after an initial period of fascination. This spiritual insipidness results from the inability to recognize the state of presence as our true essence; the mind, still rooted in the ego, continues to claim the central position in our subjective reality.

There is always a possibility that after a seeker has been initiated into the state of presence by a spiritual teacher, he may remain unawakened on the level of consciousness. Although he has access to a state beyond the mind, his experience is purely an energetic phenomenon external to his true subjectivity. It is the existential awakening that signifies real illumination, for it transforms the very consciousness of the soul, allowing her center of perception to shift into the realm of pure subjectivity so she can meet her own light of presence as I am.

Living the state of presence reflects the integrity of our consciousness and the dignity of our intelligence. From our true presence we derive inner stability, strength and natural contentment. We no longer allow ourselves to be lost in the dull state of unconsciousness and the misery of forgetfulness. By the power of continuous abidance in pure awareness we surrender the mechanical mind and serve, with our very existence, the light of I am.

Awareness and Ego

We awaken the state of presence to transcend our superficial personality but, unfortunately, there is a danger that awakening awareness can actually reinforce our ego-consciousness. Awareness frees us from unconsciousness, but also empowers the ego sense of identity by giving it the center of presence. Even though the state of presence is our essence beyond the mind, when the awakening of awareness is not linked with a simultaneous awakening of the soul, the ego automatically claims the state as its center of self-reference.

An ignorant ego may try to exploit the energy of awareness for selfish purposes rather than channel it towards its own spiritual awakening and transformation. We can take as an example a martial arts adept who cultivates a high concentration of awareness with the sole intention of defeating his opponents. In more extreme cases, concentrated awareness can even be directed to exercise mind control over others. This is obviously a case of spiritual idiocy - still, we need to be aware that such phenomena exist.

If impure, the ego automatically links itself to our lower nature and subconscious tendencies. An ego that is insensitive, arrogant and greedy does not see the spiritual path as a bridge to oneness, love and transcendence, only an arena in which it can expand its sense of self-importance. Unless we reach an essential level of purity, our ego will be tempted to abuse the power it gains through spiritual expansion.

After awareness is awakened, it is crucial that we surrender into being and the heart, and in so doing, dissolve the mind's tendency towards excessive self-consciousness. A seeker has to have the wisdom and humility to understand, deep in his heart, that the only legitimate reason to awaken pure awareness is to create a stable connection to I am in the mind to which the false me based on self-image can be surrendered. We must clearly understand that the one who walks the spiritual path is not the ego, but the soul - the ego's higher being and governing I am. All the ego can do to serve the soul's awakening is align itself with her evolution and surrender its existence to her higher light.

Unfortunately, we cannot avoid the crystallization of the ego in our work with awareness, for only a solidified sense of me can counteract the constant activity of the mechanical mind. The mechanical mind is actually a subconscious aspect of the ego that has no real center or ability to focus attention. In order to gather its dispersed and restless energies for the sake of becoming conscious, the me must become fully focused by developing one-pointedness and self-attention. Though there is some risk involved, the crystallization of the ego does not bring harmful results if one has a competent teacher and enough sincerity and purity of intention.

Until we reach complete understanding and become purified, the darkness of unconsciousness can easily manipulate our evolution. The crystallization of our personal self through the awakening of awareness is hazardous only when we unconsciously choose to serve our lower tendencies. It poses no real threat if we are true to our evolution and higher purpose. The solidification of our sense of me is merely a tool we use to gather and penetrate our separate existence so we can further merge it with awareness and being.

Awareness of Consciousness

Although we use the terms awareness and consciousness interchangeably, they are not the same. The word ‘aware’ comes from ‘wary’, a condition of being cautious, as in ‘beware’. The word ‘conscious’ comes from ‘conscire’, to know. We can understand from the etymology of these words that to be aware is more relative in nature than to be conscious, which refers to a state of pure knowing. One may lose awareness and remain conscious, but one cannot remain aware after losing consciousness. Mindfulness is an expression of awareness, not consciousness. To pay attention, to be vigilant or watchful – these are functions of awareness. To be conscious primarily means that one is awake, that one knows one exists. It is only because we are conscious that we can be aware.

Although the more subtle distinctions between the meanings of ‘aware’ and ‘conscious’ have largely been lost in common language, these words still have very different connotations. For example, to say, ‘I am aware of you’, is very different than to say, ‘I am conscious of you’, which implies some kind of empathetic connection. We also convey two very different meanings if we reverse ‘aware’ and ‘conscious’ in the statement: ‘I am aware that my behaviour is intolerable because I am not conscious enough’.

Not to be aware generally indicates some kind of distractedness or carelessness, whereas not being conscious points to a low level of evolution. Ultimately, to be conscious is simply a deeper experience than that of being aware, because it points more directly to the level of our intelligence and sense of our subjective existence. To be aware of is more functional – it is connected to the clarity and discipline of recognition. To be conscious indicates that intelligence and sensitivity of self are also engaged in the act of perception.

An ordinary person is only conscious by the virtue of having a sense of me linked to the waking state. To be conscious one requires at least some presence, otherwise consciousness simply melts down into subconsciousness. However, as we evolve and awaken to our deeper identity, the meaning of being conscious is elevated, and expands to include the realization of our essential I-amness. To be truly conscious is to embody the light of the soul, the heart of our primordial consciousness.

Similar to the way in which our concept of being conscious evolves, so does our understanding of what it means to be aware. Awareness can be said to be an expression of consciousness. It is the luminosity of I am being channelled through me to illuminate creation with recognition. In the state of forgetfulness, the faculty of awareness is limited to the mind, disconnected from the essence of I am – awareness is unaware of consciousness. Only upon awakening can awareness recollect its very source, the light of the soul.

Consciousness is of the soul, awareness is of me. In the human dimension, consciousness needs awareness in order to awaken. Awareness is like a mirror in which consciousness reflects and recognizes its own essential nature. Consciousness without awareness is like an embryo in a womb: its sense of self is steeped in not-knowing. It is like a flower in dark room that exudes a scent (the sense of amness), but cannot be seen (beheld as I am). Awareness is the radiance of consciousness, and consciousness is the substance of awareness. Consciousness realizes itself by being brought to light through awareness, and awareness awakens by becoming stabilized in the essence of consciousness. For awareness to actualize its pristine nature of spacious clarity, it must surrender to consciousness so that consciousness itself will fill it up with the primordial knowledge of I am.

Awareness and Being

In order to solidify awareness in a natural way, it is essential to incorporate an element of being even prior to the stabilization of the state of presence. The energy of being is first added by relaxing the awareness in the head and vertically dwelling within that space. Gradually, as awareness grows increasingly stable, we allow our energy to drop below the head into an over-all experience of being. To prevent losing our awareness in the headspace, however, we must maintain a gentle level of concentration and self-remembrance. At this stage, attention should be divided horizontally between outer involvement and inner self-remembrance while in activity, and vertically between resting in being and experiencing presence in the head in the non-activity of sitting meditation.

As we incorporate the energy of being in our work with awareness, we must be very careful not to allow the state of presence to become depleted. A seeker who deeply relaxes into being, but whose soul is not awakened, may lose his 'enlightened' relationship with awareness, ceasing to consciously abide in it. When we put too much emphasis on surrender in our practice before the state of presence is fully mature, awareness actually gets 'lost' in being. Not only does our existential connection to the state of presence degenerate, its energetic aspect atrophies as well. For this reason, it is essential that the proper balance between awareness and being be maintained.

Ultimately, one must embrace the simultaneous recognition of awareness and being as a unified space of awareness-being reality. Once awareness is fully established and integrated with being, we move beyond self-remembrance - awareness and being merge into one self-cognizing state of pure subjectivity.