Just who do you think you are anyway?

Question

You know that what you are can't be something you're observing or who would the observer be? So you can't be body, thought or feeling.

Position yourself as the observer of thought and feeling. Notice that there are thoughts about the thoughts and feelings that happen. These thoughts are still mind thinking, and so you are not the observer either but mind positioned as such.

Back up and notice the silent witness of this observer. This witness is not thinking or feeling, and in fact it's not 'aware of' thought/feeling happening. It's simply present for it.

This witness is Awareness in which thought/feeling happens; in which consciousness happens. It is present even in deep sleep when consciousness is absent. Awareness is not 'aware of' this because the 'aware of' function is consciousness, but it is possible for Awareness to be aware of itself. This is Self Awareness, which is what Enlightenment is. It does not happen to a person. There is no person.

Wadaya'think'?

Answer 1

I am glad to read this.
As a witness when i observe the thoughts,emotions, they there are only appearences 'happening" through "me". And this idea of being a limited separate being is the root driver of all our self-centered experience.The person IS the prison. When all has been tried unsuccessfully attention is turned onto consciousness itself and the spiritual evolution mind game comes to a peaceful halt.
Whether there is self-knowledge or not, the "me" as a personality framework to aid the organism to function in life continues to acquire knowledge, skills and conditioning of all kinds. We still have a name, roles, and orient ourselves in space and time. This is all conceptual and is a legitimate part of being human. It is our "operating system and related software" — it is our unique "address" in the network of life.

Thoughts arise and set, but this presence—our own natural
being—remains constant. The body and mind may suffer experiences, yet awareness, our natural being,
remains unaffected and uncompromised, just like the sun ever shining beyond the clouds and utterly untouched by them. our true nature has no suffering,doubts or problems at all. All there is, is wide open, clear, obvious presence-awareness itself.

love,
Joson
kerala

Answer 2

All teachers told me in their books and speeches, that the Awareness you just said is the Ultimate, which again I associate with greatest Love, Freedom, Truth and Peace.

For a while I tried to notice the observer, thought that observing being would be the one I need to find. Then I realized...the observer is... she's not that... happy?!! (Where's love peace and freedom??) Realization of the not-that-happy being... bothered me and confused me a lot. (I still don't know who she is.)

Then (I guess I read something about Maharishi) I tried to focus on 'focus itself' which lasts really really short time, yet I can really associate the moments with the great love of God. I feel it's little deeper than the silent witness - the feeling aware of the observer - I previously noticed, yet it's not that profound as you noticed ...

So I guess ... to be "fully awakened" is another factor, to aware the Awareness. Whatathink?

Answer 3

Why can't what you are be something you are observing?
The observer would be 'that also'.

Otherwise, how could you say, "But it is possible for awareness to be aware of itself. This is Self Awareness, which is what Enlightenment is."

Mind/body/thoughts/feeling still exist, rocks exist. Ok they are part of non-dual Totality, but they do not cease to exist.
Otherwise nothing exists, nihilism.

Mind is not different from the objects of the mind.

Form IS emptiness.
Emptiness IS form.

Answer 4

I don't understand the question.

I observe thought and feeling all the time, my own thoughts and feelings. trouble is I'm the one thinking the thoughts so thinking about thinking is influencing the thinking, isn't it?

As for the silent witness, isn't that our Guardian Angel? She can see all our thoughts and tries to guide out thinking along the right path. Why wouldn't she be thinking or feeling? She can do both, but can't control my thoughts.

Awareness is simply thinking about thinking and knowing that you're thinking. The person is the self.

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

In my experience of the observer, my Buddha nature watching the river, I am aware of thought/ feeling. I am aware within and also watching, with no apparent contradiction.

All things are truth to their level. That I exist in a body and exist as a person is true, and also it is not. To deny the first to make sense of the latter denies the opportunities that appear right before you, every day. As my perspective expands, more and more is seen and enveloped as truth, not discarded or invalidated. Each truth exists as true, to its limit, and then there is a greater truth to be seen.

And as for Enlightenment not happening to a person, I beg to differ. It does, every single day. The beauty is that the Self and the self join in harmony, seamless, dancing their own dance of creation, and sharing that grace with all who bear witness. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed, and perhaps something you might consider being open to experiencing some time.

namaste

Answer 6

Phil
I assume you are responding to some of the answers to your former question "Are you enlightened?". I also see that you are a deep thinker and very intelligent. I think you are aware of who you are. (Being the 'one') You just don't want to admit it. lol. Being 'aware' of the enlightened self does not mean you are enlightened. I'm sorry for being confusing. I myself am not enlightened. What I am trying to say is that it is OK to believe in your self (the enlightened self) and be yourself.
Sounds like common sense huh. We can continue to function in our daily lives and be kind to each other (believing we are together in our 'oneness') . What you do or say to others affects us and in turn what we say affects you. How can we not be together if we affect each other this way?
Just one more additional note. Purely from the scientific point of view. All the cells in our body as well as the molecules and atoms and whatever other stuff we are made of comes from the explosion of a Super Nova billions of years ago. There is nothing on this planet (that we are aware of) that is separate from that point of view. We are made of the same stuff.

Thanks for reading

Answer 7

Well, Mr. P. you've done it again...confounded some, angered some, drawn sympathy from some, and continue to enlighten some.

"I'm" in total agreement with your take on things. I will add that the 'holographic" view adds and interesting slant...thus my recent question/quote in Y!A. Just threw it out there to the "wolves". Ha ha.

"There is no person" is difficult for most of us to come to terms with...understandably enough. The physical traumas alone seem annoyingly REAL! And being a part of 'what is' gets everybody screaming! =D

You do go deep! Thanks, again!

Answer 8

Jugglery of words and words-craft.Take for example,"you are what you are not but you are not what you are".I don't know your age and life style but if you were a young person with a life ahead to live,I would most humbly suggest to LIVE IT UP and leave such superficial mumbo jumbo to others.It wouldn't lead you anywhere but only to nowhere.

Answer 9

I am slave to Allah and I am onerd and proud to be just that.

what about you Dr are you really proud of what you are?
what you get with you when you die ohhhhhhhhh why I am talking about dieing is just because to remind myself of the resone why I am on earth.

answer my Q then you know where you stand. Allah is bigger then you and every think you could Imagen so will you think of yourself as a good father or grandfather that is nothing of what you have to do to be in Heaven.

Answer 10

Im Buttered Toast eh'