In my last essay on What Matters, I mentioned that reality is obvious,
and that you can know it simply by experiencing it. I called attention
to the fact that you are what you seek, and that you can find out for
yourself what you are through your own direct discovery.
Alright, but how exactly does one do that? Well, I don't know if
this is the best way, but one way that works is to simply notice. That
simple. Simply notice.
I'll give you an example. This is certainly not the only way that
noticing can unfold. It's just one example.
A good way to start out is to notice that noticing is only possible
because of awareness, and hence awareness itself might be wise to notice
first. Usually we use our awareness to notice all manner of other
things. But notice now what happens when we notice awareness itself.
Notice that our awareness has no shape, no size, no extension. It
doesn't really seem to be a pinpoint. And yet it doesn't' seem
to have any size beyond that either. It seems to extend to whatever it
is that we're aware of.
Notice that it really doesn't seem to be a substance of any kind.
It doesn't seem to be made of anything. And yet it is more real
than substance because without it we would never be aware of substance.
So it confounds the entire idea of materiality. Matter is so
prominently substantial, and yet without insubstantial awareness all the
substance of matter would be pointless.
Notice how absolutely gentle awareness is. Unless what it is aware of
has something to do with force, awareness itself is absolutely gentle.
Notice how everyone's awareness, when considered without regard to
anything one might happen to be aware of, is exactly the same for
everyone. Though we might think that what we're aware of might be
special, awareness itself is never special.
Now notice how our very existence would actually have no meaning at all
were it not for the fact that we're aware of existing. Notice how
we can't even be aware of anything existing without awareness
because we can't be aware of anything existing without awareness,
without being aware of just that.
And now, notice that it actually in fact is the greatest thing we could
ever know, because without it we wouldn't be able to know anything.
Notice that it actually in fact is greater than any other experience we
could possibly have because without it we wouldn't be able to be
aware of any experience.
Of all the magnificent phenomena in the entire universe. Of all the
astounding miracles you could ever imagine. None is more magnificent or
astounding as our own, living awareness. Just notice how much of an
astounding miracle it actually is that we are aware
And now notice this: Awareness is greater than anything else we could
possibly know about God, because without it God wouldn't be aware of
anything, which would nullify everything else about God that is grand
and magnificent. Try to imagine God not being aware of His own
existence. Without awareness, God would be nothing. Just notice that.
So the greatest thing we can know about God is that God is awareness,
because God would be nothing without awareness, just as we would. So,
awareness is the one thing that is clearly essential both to us, and to
God.
Notice that if we weren't awareness in the first place, we
couldn't imagine ourselves to be something other than awareness. We
have to BE awareness before we can think we're something else. That
being the case, what's the point in thinking we're something
else?
And now notice that there can't possibly be anything more true than
awareness. Just try to imagine something that is more true than
awareness. Everything we can possibly know about Truth could not be
known unless there was awareness in the first place to be aware of it.
So what we've noticed, then, is that Awareness is our True Identity
and the only Reality.
Well, that certainly is very nice, isn't it.
But now what.
Well, now that the value of noticing is obvious, it's a good idea to
just keep doing it.
As often as possible, simply notice that you exist.
You'll find that if you just keep doing that, everything else will
fall into place.
And the nice thing about this is that nobody has to take anybody's word
for it.
If one just does it, they'll find out for themselves.
Much Love,
Ben Gilberti http://www.miraclescenter.us/gilberti.htm
