How Do You Know?
Your true state cannot be known through mental evaluation - only through the silence of pure Awareness, which is already complete, free, and worthy.
Sometimes you say that Awareness cannot be more or less, or the Self can’t be more or less. I sometimes have the feeling that as I let go of the false, let go of my head…I’m more of myself. But, I think it’s an illusion because it also is related to the concept of time and progress and…uh…
It also could be based on attention. It also could be based on attention. When you’re not so much in the mind, and you’re not evaluating and framing so much, it can feel like ‘Wow, I’m so…’ Like in the world we would call that: “I’m so much more aware.” You see? I’m so much more aware”, which means that I am much more attentive to the perceptions that are showing up, so that is why we make the distinction between the two words. Attention is limited and you can be more or less attentive about something. But Awareness is always the same. It doesn’t matter which state is there – sleep state, waking state, dream state. It is untouched by anything. So, in the waking state itself it cannot be more or less because it is completely unchanged. But that, which is the light of the waking state, which is our attention…the attention, which is bringing these perceptions to light, then it can seem to get diffused because if you’re thinking, like we were trying to do with the glass – if you’re thinking and perceiving and hearing something at the same time…you are never fully with that.
Yeah.
Be more attentive – is a…it’s maybe a nice gie we can give to ourselves, but it has nothing to do with Self-recognition.
So, it means that even if…even when I’m deeply identified with thoughts, the Self is, the Awareness is the same.
Yes, exactly the same. Unchanged. It is not…it does not have a quantity or a quality which can change up or down [gestures up or down].
Yeah, yeah, it’s good, I noticed that it’s good not to evaluate Awareness based on feelings of openness. I mean, open of like more perspective, more space, you know? I think I used to do that, to evaluate how much I recognize my Awareness based on how big my persp…, how universal my perspective is. But yeah, it’s as you say, time is just a concept and progress and…uh…
Degrees of Awareness, progress, all of this – they are just conceptual constructs.
Yeah. So, I’m very nervous. [chuckles]
That’s fine, it’s fine, it’s completely fine. [smiles]
Key Teachings
- The mind's reports about your state (like 'I feel lost' or 'I'm stuck') are just thoughts - they are not true knowledge of what you are
- Only Awareness itself can report truthfully on your condition - ask 'How do you know?' to see through mental evaluation
- Trust the silence of your Heart more than the highest words of your head - let the mind's traffic flow without engaging
From: How Do You Know? - 12th August 2022