In What Way Do You Confirm Awareness?

Are you aware now?

Before that. Are you aware now? [Silence] If I say you’re not aware now, is it true?

Yes. So more like a primal response because if you start giving it to the mind and getting a mental version of it obviously it will say, ‘But this is just.. ’ the mind itself will say ‘this is just the mind talking’

That you are aware of the thought, this ‘aware’ what does it mean? [Silence]

What does it mean to be aware?

What does it mean to know? It’s not to perceive is it? To perceive is to know? In this case? There is even perception is also know isn’t it? See if you can meet me here. There is perception- sight is functioning, hearing is happening, all this we call perception. Now that there is perception is also known isn’t it? [Silence] You are aware of your perception. Isn’t it? You’re aware of sight? You have to hear me because if you hear two voices you’ll confuse yourself. You’re aware of your sight?

So you’re not aware that you’re seeing? Is this true?

So what is the difference between aware and perception? Awareness and perception?

[Nods his head] More phenomenal. And awareness is?

Good, now you are aware? Or is it the one sitting next to you or in front of you?

[Chuckles] Who is aware that you are awake? [Silence] Are you taking a second hand report and reporting from there?

Slowly, Slowly. Are you awake?

Who is aware of that? [Silence] And if it not you that is aware how come you are reporting, ‘I am awake? [Silence] If you fight with these words intellectually they will only seem weird and strange, you will never be able gather them. [He holds up his hand] Are you perceiving this hand?

Are you aware this perception is happening? [Silence] that’s why you said yes no? [Chuckling] why is it complicated?

There is only perception of hand. [Repeats what sangha member said] So empty of all perception, you go? If there is no sight. There is no hearing, there is no touch, no taste, tell me at which point you went. Sight went. Hearing went. All this is going… as it is going are you aware of it or no?

So at which point does this Awareness stop? [Pause] If Awareness stopped then who would be there to say that it stopped? So that is an impossibility. Even to say that I went to sleep, in sleep there was nothing, even I was not there we say. ‘In sleep even I was not there!’ But who saw this? So this Awareness to the mind is ever confusing and never found mentally because the mind can only fathom phenomenal ideas. But this ‘Are you aware now?’ in what way do you confirm your awareness? In what way do you confirm your Awareness? [Silence] Is it phenomenal? What is the color of it? …Size? No color no size no. And yet you say ‘Yes, I am aware.’ That is It. That is Self-realization. Self-recognition, the realization is that simple. The only trouble is that if we then insert the ‘me’ there saying ‘How does that help ‘me’? It is not meant to. [Smile] Am I free? Who are we talking about? Have I got it? You just saw this, that you are this Awareness. It is confirmed just in itself. Just in itself, it is so simple and apparent. Just self- confirming and because in a way to say just like that it is confirmed does not seem satisfactory we call it ‘intuitive insight.’ This is intuitive. Then if you say ‘how did you confirm your Awareness?’ Just like that. [Smile] It doesn’t sound very spiritual? So that is your intuition. So the recognition of the Self will always only be like this which is intuitive. It will never be anything else. And there is none of you who does not have this intuitive recognition. It is universal, intuitively. So what really changes is that we value our intuition more than our mind. That’s the... if there is a switch that is the switch.

So this, how do you know you are aware? That which you know without having to think or perceive is intuiHon. S1: [Asks a quesHon which is inaudible]

Ahh no no. So many Hmes you can also know things like this, about the future or something about something which is very far away, this kind of thing, without having to perceive or think you just feel like you have a sense of that, you see. But that is not… infact I would say that don’t bother with that kind of intuiHon anyways. The intuiHon, which is the same intuiHon, that knowing, without having to think or perceive. We use it to confirm our Reality. [Because someHmes the sense comes that something is going to happen, that’s not important.] It is the same Knowingness for which this Truth is so apparent. [Silence] But we don’t have to work hard at it, that’s why I say instantly as I ask you, ‘Are you aware?’ you make this strange response which is yes. [Smiles] But you don’t perceive anything. You don’t have to perceive anything. Who is not clear about this? Because this is the main, the main highlight.