Infinite Quantum Zen

On Reality and Actuality 1 of 2 - Infinite living system life the book of zen awareness, alan watts mindfulness key to happiness peace joy

~ ∞ ~ On Reality and Actuality 1/2 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

This chapter briefly focuses on the subject of reality and actuality – it will serve as an appetizer, which will give you just enough to ignite the spark of interest, but not too much to overwhelm you with the details. More in-depth exploration of the subject is provided throughout the book in its several sections, where step by step, more concepts and analogies are introduced, through which we can grasp and understand this multifaceted subject in more detail. So without a further due, let us delve right into it, shall we?

Before we move any further, we should discuss the difference between reality and actuality; both are paradoxical as we come to learn later. These terms are often confused because of their closeness of meaning and the subtlety of their differences. Nonetheless, there is a fundamental difference between the two, and knowing the difference is paramount if one is to better understand their own being. In a nutshell, reality is what we perceive; actuality is what truly is. Reality, therefore, is the description of actuality. Actuality is universal, whereas reality is independent: what is real to me may not be real to you. This means that reality is always subjective – we generate our own reality from our perceptions; the conclusion being that reality is malleable and elusive. And yet, in spite of this, we rarely consider that reality could be experienced in various different ways, in various different flavors.

Let us go a little further with this, shall we? When we consider that we are Spiritual beings temporarily occupying physical bodies to accommodate our presence in this material world, we should consider our body to be real but the Spirit to be actual. We often make the mistake of confusing reality with actuality – this is why we tend to identify ourselves with our bodies; it is the most real thing there is, is it not? Yet, it is our aliveness – our awareness, our core essence as Spirit that is actual; that which knows the world; that which recognizes the body. It has no shape, no form; it is not a person, it does not begin or end, it is not here or there – yet, it is totally real but completely intangible. Hence, it goes without saying that it takes a fair paradigm shift*1 to make the step in understanding that we are not our bodies. You see, our bodies are vehicles in which we travel, but it is the traveller that is the “I,” and not the vehicle in which the road is travelled – see?

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*1 A paradigm is the collection of ideas and assumptions that pass from one generation to the next and which seem to be immutable. The paradigm shift, then, is when the paradigm shifts. In this process, everything that no longer serves its purpose – begins to fade away, to be replaced with something else; and with it goes all the old, outdated and outmoded structures that are limiting us. This in turn gives way to a new understanding, a new way of seeing, a new way of living, being, and doing. Paradigm shifts are necessary for growth and transformation. This area is explored more in detail in the section titled TRANSFORMATION, in a chapter Metaphysical Paradigm Shift.

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So now that we know the difference between the two, let us explore this further. Reality is a fascinating topic that has been endlessly debated since humans developed the ability to think. From that moment onwards we have asked the question: What is real? Is it the apparent reality which is visible and perceptible by the ordinary senses, or is it the reality one comes across in dreams? This raises the question of what is real? And further, what is reality? Well, the answer is not so straightforward – you see, there are as many answers as there are people who ask. Hopefully this book will give some clarity as to what reality is to you.

That said, it should be emphasized that knowing and understanding yourself is the key in understanding reality, and making the distinction between reality and Reality; the former mentioned refers to the surface-level reality and the latter to the deeper underlying Ultimate Reality. The significance of this distinction should become more apparent as the discussion in this book develops. This brings about the question: Can we ever really understand reality? We can, but not in the way we think. You see, it’s not a scientific, or philosophical question, but rather a spiritual question.

Now, someone who subscribes to the scientific paradigm might get triggered and defend themselves by arguing that religion cannot give us answers either. By the same token, one might continue by asking: If religion cannot provide us with answers as to when the universe arose, or the processes by which the universe has changed through time – how can it answer questions regarding reality? These are scientific questions, are they not? After which they may pause for a while and reflect on their stance and continue by asking: How come science cannot provide us with answers?

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Well, first of all, the emphasis is on the word ‘spiritual,’ which means that physical sciences are unable to give answers to such “eternal” questions like “What is real?,” or “What is reality?” since they cannot be answered from the scientific point of view. These are subjective questions, are they not? Secondly, we should remind ourselves of the fact that the purpose of science is not to understand reality anymore than it is to understand life – it is to advance technology, is it not? Thirdly, in science, there are no facts – there are data and models, and all models are provisional and incomplete. The scientific community, therefore, cannot provide us with accurate and coherent descriptions of the actuality of reality.

By the same token, philosophy is not much help either – it only adds to the confusion. You see, philosophy is all about other people’s ponderings, thoughts, and wonderings about various topics; the questions that arise are often posed as problems to be resolved, but you see, not all questions are meant to be answered – at least not in logical terms that might satisfy our intellect. Therefore, philosophy will not get us any closer to the Truth we are seeking – which is, ultimately, very much subjective. In other words, there is no closure; the closest we can ever get is to live in the light of mystery.

That said, it should be noted that if we are willing to explore new horizons, we can find the answers we seek; the answers we seek can emerge from a deeper understanding born of the union of heart and mind. You see, the Mystery of Life and Reality unfolds itself as you grow in understanding of yourself and Life within you. The search for greater meaning in life may therefore become more important in this regard. Let us explore this further.

___
~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony

[ Click » here « to read the next part: On Reality and Actuality 2/2 – Prologue: Part IX ]

Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"

Further Reading - Book Recommendations

For those who might be interested in deepening their understanding of these areas, I can wholeheartedly recommend the following books: 1.) The Way of Zen 2.) An Introduction to Zen Buddhism 3.) Manual of Zen Buddhism 4.) Essays in Zen Buddhism, First Series 5.) Essays in Zen Buddhism: Second Series.

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1.) The Diamond Sutra 2.) The Heart Sutra 3.) A Treasury of Traditional Wisdom: An Encyclopedia of Humankind's Spiritual Truth (Wisdom Foundation series) 4.) Words to the Wise: A Practical Guide to the Esoteric Sciences 5.) The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism.

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On God, Spirit And Soul 2 of 2 - Infinite living system life, the book of zen awareness alan watts mindfulness key to happiness peace joy

~ ∞ ~ On God, Spirit and Soul 2/2 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

Now that we have established an understanding of our spiritual nature, we can go one step further by acknowledging that there is a clear distinction between the Soul and the Spirit. These terms are often used interchangeably, although there is a profound difference between the two. So what is the difference, you may ask? Soul is the unique expression of that Spark of God, which is sometimes referred to as the “Breath of Life,” whereas the Spirit is that Spark of God itself. Soul is the essence of all that makes us human and unique – our feelings, emotions, experiences, memories, thoughts, will, etc.; Spirit is the essence of our Divine nature – it is same in every being (human, animal, plant, or other).

Spirit is always present in our life – we are an expression of its Infinite Awareness, manifest in flesh and blood – it holds all of Creation. This means that we and Spirit are inseparable – all of Creation is within each and every one of us. The Spirit is not born, nor does it die – it springs from the Eternal Now; it is unborn, permanent, unchanging, primordial. The Spirit that lives within us is not destroyed when the body ceases to exist. This brings us yet another step closer to finding the key to a deeper understanding of ourselves.

Here we should challenge ourselves by asking the question: Is it possible that we could see humans not through reified concepts such as ‘person’, ‘soul’ or ‘self’, but to see ourselves and our fellow human beings through the lens of perfect understanding – as empty of inherent, unchanging permanent self. This means that at the highest level of understanding there is no need to identify as a person, soul or self. There is just pure being, pure awareness – unchanging state free from all ideas, concepts, and definitions. Of all the words we have in our vocabulary, awareness is best suited to describe our core essence, for you see, whatsoever you can see, whatsoever you can understand, and whatsoever you can interpret – will not be of much use. This is because the seer is not the seen, which goes on to say that whatsoever you can see – you are not that. This includes thoughts, feelings, dreams, desires, memories, imaginations, projections, and so on and so forth. What you are, though, is awareness; and awareness is transcendental to all that it can see – the observer is beyond the observed.

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Indeed, if we look deeply into ourselves, we can see that there is nothing to hold on to, nothing permanent and unchanging. Our body, feelings, thoughts, and perceptions are all flowing and changing from moment to moment. And so you see, from the previous, it becomes clear that we are more akin to a living process than anything else. This process or wave aspect of reality brings out the truth that there are no fixed, unchanging entities – including an entity called self; rather, there is a kind of activity – a swirling river of flow and change. That said, it is important to note that the lack of a self does not mean lack of continuity, for you see, continuity occurs in the same way that a flame is transferred from one candle to another – seamlessly. In this sense, our core essence as Spirit or Spark of God flows through life, reality, existence much in the same way as water flows in a river, you see?

You simply move with it, you float with it – you don’t try to push the river, you become one with it, and the river takes you to the ocean, you see? In this context, if one would like to use such terms as Soul or Self to understand the essence that moves through the river of life, then it is only fitting to highlight the following: like a river flowing into the sea, the Soul or Self eventually returns to its Source, becoming one with the Ultimate Truth. Even though each path is unique and different, they all lead to the same final goal or destination – eventually; absorption of Soul or Self into the Ultimate Reality, you see?

As it turns out, there is a term for this type of understanding, that we are more akin to a living process than anything else. This non-self or “anatta” as it is called in Sanskrit, refers precisely to the idea that there is no unchanging, permanent self in living beings. At first, it may be difficult to grasp the idea of non-self, but eventually it is liberating because it allows us to see that we are bigger than any of our transient experiences. That is to say, feelings are just feelings, emotions are just emotions, and thoughts are just thoughts – they are not us – see? So if we are not our bodies, feelings, emotions, and thoughts – what are we then? Well, these are questions you might find answers within yourself as you progress reading this book. More to the point: non-self does not mean that people are not real, but rather that there is a sense in which they are constantly changing. In other words, we are something quite different from what we think we are.

Before we move on to the next chapter, we would do well to summarize what this chapter has taught us about God, Spirit and Soul. Let us start with the latter two, as they are easier to summarize. From the aforementioned discussion, it becomes clear that our Souls are not contained within the limits of our bodies, but instead our bodies are contained within the limitlessness of our Souls. In the same sense, our Souls are contained within the limitlessness of our Spirit, which is a Spark of God that lives within us as a unique expression of the Divine. And so you see, we are something quite different from what we think we are; we are more akin to a living process than anything else – see?

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Having said that, we can now move on to God. Here are the essentials. We can easily draw the following conclusions from this chapter: God is One, and prevails in everything. God is a mystery, and this mystery can be known, for God is indescribable, yet knowable and perceivable to anyone who is willing to follow the path of Wisdom and merge with the Divine Will. You see, human life presents an opportunity to merge with the Divine Will; it is our free will, through which we are given the opportunity to return to God; to return to Oneness with God, and thus get in touch with the Truth and Source of all True Knowledge directly. For you see, God is the Word of Life, that is, Truth, by which The Miracle of Life is made possible.

And so you see, there is but one all pervading Spirit, and it is called the Truth; it exists in all Creation; it is timeless, universal, and self-existent. God is the Creator and the Creation – Cause and the Effect; the Doer and the Deed. God is Omnipotent, the sole cause of Creation, Preservation, and Destruction. The beginning of this universe, and its end is in God – for you see, there is but one First Cause that has its Being of itself, and on which all other beings depend; there is but one Infinite Being, so there is but One God – see?

– God is Infinite – Self-Existing, without Origin;
– God is Immutable – Never Changes;
– God is Omnipotent – All Powerful;
– God is Omniscient – All-Knowing;
– God is Omnipresent – Always Everywhere;
– God is Wise – Full of Perfect, Unchanging Wisdom;
– God is Faithful, Good, and Just;
– God is Merciful, Compassionate, and Kind;
– God is Gracious, Loving, and Holy;
– God is Glorious, Beautiful, and Great.

In closing, there are a few more aspects to consider. For a deeper exploration of the subject, it is recommended to read the following books: 1.) God and the New Cosmology: The Anthropic Design Argument by Michael Anthony Corey, and 2.) The Phenomenon of Man by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. These wonderful literary works might enable one to see and understand the concept of God in a more open-minded way. When combined with D.T. Suzuki’s books on Zen, Alan Watts’ philosophical works on Eastern and Western religion, and Fritjof Capra’s books on holistic approach to life – covering varied subjects from Philosophy, Religion, and Science to Systems Thinking and Systems Intelligence, Interconnectedness, and Ecology – one might begin to pierce the veil between ordinary life and the mysterious regions of the Soul – into greater understanding, overstanding, and Innerstanding.

For those who might be interested even more detailed exploration – it is advisable to take a look at Perennial philosophy. In short, the Perennial philosophy is a perspective that views each of the world’s religious traditions as sharing a single, universal truth on which foundation all religious knowledge and doctrine has grown. According to this view, each world religion, including but not limited to Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Sikhism, and Buddhism – is an interpretation of this universal truth adapted to cater for the psychological, intellectual, and social needs of a given culture of a given period of history.

Having said that, it is good to keep in mind that these suggestions are merely guidelines through which the reader might gain some needed perspective. Ultimately, one has to do their do diligence, which is another way of saying that you have to do some research to find and recognize what works for you. This is because each individual is uniquely different and so is their path. On that note, there is no one particular path, like the Chinese Proverb tells us: “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same,” see?

___
~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony

[ Click » here « to read the next part: On Reality and Actuality – Prologue: Part IX ]

Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"

Further Reading - Book Recommendations

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On God, Spirit and Soul 1 of 2 - Infinite living system life the book of zen awareness, alan watts mindfulness key to happiness peace joy

~ ∞ ~ On God, Spirit and Soul 1/2 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

This chapter focuses on the ideas of God, Spirit and Soul. The discussion we are having in these following few pages will be a challenging one to say the least. Indeed, it is not an easy task in any way. Nevertheless, I have done my best in conveying the underlying message in as neutral way as possible. Before we bring God into our discussion, let us make one thing clear: it is important to keep in mind that comprehending the message of this book requires no belief or faith, but simply a common sense approach to life and presence in one’s own being.

As an opening remark, it should be stated that there’s no denying that God is present in all that we call life. This statement encapsulates the essence of this book remarkably well, and it should become more obvious as we move forward through this book; and when you have finished reading this book, it is highly probable that you may arrive at the conclusion that everything points to an Intelligently Designed Universe, and that Life really is a Living Miracle. For curiosity’s sake, it is worth mentioning that in recent years, modern science has discovered that the underlying structural details of the entire universe have been “fine-tuned” toward the goal of producing biological life. Isn’t that, indeed, another way of saying the same – a scientist’s way of coming to terms with the improbable odds of life ever existing at all?

Having said that, we should keep in mind that here, in this book, we use the word ‘God’ to represent whatever we humans collectively conceive the Universal Conscious Presence to be. It is simply a metaphor for the transcendent – pointing to the great mystery beyond the limited human mind. When we are referring to the concept of a Higher Power or Creator, it is vitally important to remember that this ‘being’ or Essence is known throughout the world by many different names, including God, Goddess, Higher Power, Divine Spirit, Ultimate Being, the Absolute, Lord, Inner Light, Life Source, Allah, Tao, Spirit, the Way, Universal Love etc. Essentially, it matters not what name we call it – in essence, at the deepest level, they all mean the same – see?

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By the same token, it is worth noting that throughout the years the word ‘God’ has been misused so much that it has lost its original meaning. Certainly it is the most burdened of all human words, and precisely for that reason it is the most imperishable and unavoidable. Hence it is obvious that this particular word is seen here and there throughout this book. This is because we need a common frame of reference – otherwise we could not transcend beyond limiting beliefs, ideas and concepts.

That said, we can move the conversation forward by pointing out the obvious: humans are curious beings who are always eager to pin everything down, categorize, label, define, or explain that which they don’t understand. This happens even in those situations where they know the odds are clearly against them. So if someone would try to define, or better yet, explain God – after a long and thorough examination, they would arrive at the conclusion that God is the Eternal Logos*1, through which all things are made, as Divine: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

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*1 The phrase “the Word” is a translation of the Greek word “Logos.”

And so you see, God is the Original Thought, from which everything springs forth; from which everything else emanates, on which everything else depends, around which everything else is formed, takes shape, evolves and grows. In other words, God is the Word of Life, that is, Truth, by which The Miracle of Life is made possible. And this, from the human point of view, is the furthest we can go in our attempt to explain God.

Logos is the First and the Last,
the Beginning and the End.
Logos is the Source of Silence,
the Heart of Life.
Logos is the Source of
Sincerity and Love.
Logos is the Spirit,
the Source of every
Soul and Heart.
Logos is the Source of Truth,
the Source of All Life,
for All Life is Truth. See?

Here it should be emphasized that we all know deep in our hearts that all attempts to define God are but human metaphors; all explanations are but allegories for the mind to conceive God. The problem arises when we start to confuse descriptions and explanations with the actuality of God. One should not make the mistake of confusing the idea with the essence itself. You see, the essence is not the same as the description or explanation of it. This brings us to an important point: at our stage of spiritual evolution, it is futile to try to explain the true nature of God, apart from saying that God “IS,” and is “ALL THINGS,” which brings us to another important point: explanations, theories and hypotheses alike, are just that – conceptualizations that doesn’t bring us any closer to God.

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You see, the human mind can only understand so much, as its ability to comprehend is limited by the walls of its container. To go beyond the thinking mind, one becomes dissolved in something far more powerful – becoming part of something much greater – beyond ourselves; and in this becoming, one is able to pierce the veil between ordinary life and the mysterious regions of the Soul – into greater Innerstanding. And so you see, the transcendent nature of God can only be experienced through one’s innermost being. These following words from Lao Tzu, in Tao Te Ching, encapsulates this ancient insight most eloquently:

“The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The Tao is both named and nameless. As nameless it is the Origin of All Things; as named it is the Mother of 10,000 things. Ever desireless, one can see the mystery; ever desiring, one sees only the manifestations. And the mystery itself is the doorway to all understanding.”

And now, as we come back to the idea of “Original Thought,” considering the aforementioned discussion, it becomes not only clear but self-evident that because God is the Word of Life, that is, Truth, by which The Miracle of Life is made possible – it means that this thought preceded any other, and it has no beginning nor end; yet, it embraces and contains all things and phenomena found in the universe, including us humans. Thus, in some explanations God is seen as the circumference which is everything and the center which is nowhere. Everything springs from this singular source, so everything is interdependent and interconnected, which means that everything arises in dependence upon multiple causes and conditions; nothing, therefore, exists as a singular, independent entity.

In other words, the Original Thought is no-thing and every-thing at the same time, and yet it is neither nothing nor everything; although it is beyond the finite and the infinite, it also embraces and constitutes both of them. Hence, the Original Thought is both the cause and effect at the same time, and yet, it is neither. In other words, cause and effect “inter-are.” To give an analogy: this is, because that is; this is not, because that is not; this ceases to be, because that ceases to be. From this, we can conclude that understanding yourself is the key element in understanding God, for we are created from that Original Thought, after all – which also means that God lives in each and every one of us – as a reminder, we have been gifted with a Spark of Life. This brings us nicely to a discussion about the idea of a Soul or Spirit.

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We can start with the following question: Why does it appear to be the case that for some reason it’s difficult for us to recognize that we are perhaps something much more than the physical body we inhabit? This being the case, we tend to think in terms of a separate and permanent self, which leads us to use the terms “Soul” or “Spirit” in our attempt to describe that which is within our body, that which gives us our personality, that essence which ultimately animates our body – our Life Force. For our convenience, we use those terms interchangeably, without thinking if there is somewhat a difference or not.

Whatever our spiritual views or beliefs may be, one thing is certain: having faith in the Divine, or the universe, or ourselves is a huge blessing in life. Regardless of our differing views, most of us believe in the idea of a Soul or Spirit – the part of us that makes us who we are. One common element is a belief in an invisible, Divine part of us that lives on in some way even after the body has taken its last breath – a Spark of God that lives within us as a unique expression of the Divine. Against this backdrop, is it so hard to imagine that much like our physical bodies change and evolve over time – so do our Souls? Wouldn’t it make perfect sense, then, that Souls get stronger as they gain experience and grow wiser as they learn through experience; eventually remaining Self-Aware of their True Essence?

From this observation, it becomes obvious that we are more than just our bodies and minds, which is another way of saying that we are essentially Spiritual Beings. Certainly this is not a new idea, but an ancient idea, according to which this inherent, innate essence is the animating force of our essential reality. These following words from Meister Eckhart, crystallizes this ancient insight most eloquently:

The Soul is not in the body; the body is in the Soul.

Another way of saying the same, by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin:

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

___
~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony

[ Click » here « to read the next part: On God, Spirit and Soul 2/2 – Prologue: Part VII ]

Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"

Further Reading - Book Recommendations

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~ ∞ ~ On Consciousness and Awareness - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

Another important aspect of this work is consciousness, and even more so – awareness, both of which are at the very heart of our being. Understanding both consciousness and awareness – defining characteristics of sentience, should be our primary goal above all else, or at the very least, considered as being of great importance, as they are playing a key role in determining the course of human happiness and suffering. As such, this whole body of work builds upon this foundation, and therefore we need to have a discussion that covers both consciousness and awareness. The reason being that there is a fundamental difference between the two. These closely related terms are often used interchangeably, resulting in a lot of ensuing confusion and misunderstanding. This happens because the dominant Western worldview is based on materialism which likens consciousness to mind – conveniently lumping these terms together. Let us explore this further and see if there could be another way of looking at this.

In the Western worldview, there is an a priori presumption that consciousness is the same as mind, something that is confined to the brain, and therefore most people equate their minds with their brains. As a result, many fail to understand that the brain is simply an instrument through which the universal consciousness interacts with the world of forms. This presumption that consciousness shares the limitations of the mind and the body is simply a belief to which the vast majority of humanity unknowingly subscribes. This happens in spite of the fact that one simple look at our experience shows that there is no evidence to support such a belief. In this context, mind (consciousness, awareness) is therefore defined as the product of brain activity.

All current Western approaches for consciousness (at least all mainstream ones) are based on materialism – a philosophical stance which holds that the only thing that exists – is matter; that all things are composed of material, and all phenomena (including consciousness) are the result of material interactions. Mainstream scientists like to say, argue – and even insist, that the brain creates consciousness and that consciousness cannot survive without the brain. But if one looks deeper, utilizing the very tools provided by the science itself, namely Quantum Mechanics, it’s just as plausible to argue that consciousness exists before the formation of the brain, and therefore consciousness can exist after the death of the brain. What an astonishing dichotomy, isn’t it? By contrast, non-Western traditions see consciousness as ontologically primary to physical matter, an idea that underlies most of the world’s wisdom traditions, including Zen, Taoism, Buddhism, Vedanta, and Yoga.

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When it comes to difference between consciousness and awareness, it is critical to understand what makes them each unique. In Western terms, consciousness can be regarded as mind with objects, whereas awareness refers to mind without objects. Having said that, it is paramount to highlight the following: both consciousness and awareness have little to do with brain or intellect, and everything to do with our ability to be present; if anything, intellect is a barrier. Indeed, we give too much emphasis on the intellect, not enough on the heart. More precisely, when someone becomes identified with their intellect, intellectuality is born – and this is what becomes a barrier to the inner exploration of our true nature – see?

Indeed, there is more to these ideas than any language could ever describe. Nevertheless, in this book, I have attempted writing the unwritable and express the inexpressible. As such, I have done my very best to push the limits of language to express even a portion of something that can only be known through direct experience. That said, it is highly recommended that readers will study these subjects on their own to achieve more in-depth understanding. And for that reason, there is a bibliography (recommended reading) at the back of the book for additional sources of information. A word of advice though, do not rely on mere theory, but on experience.

Because in this book we are dealing with a conceptual framework that arises from personal experience – an experience of being fully awake and aware whilst exploring the physical reality, the world and the human life by occupying the vehicle better known as the human body, we use the terms that best describe the aliveness of the experience: 1.) Living Consciousness, and 2.) Living Awareness. These terms are used to differentiate between mere idea and something experiential, truly alive. Furthermore, these terms are closely connected with the idea of Lucid Living*1. In short, Living Consciousness builds upon the idea of Interconnectedness of Everything through shared consciousness, whereas Living Awareness builds upon the idea of an Omnipresent Awareness. And because this whole body of work culminates into awareness – mastering the Art of Mindfulness*2, the term Living Awareness deserves a few more words.

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*1 Lucid Living refers to a state of being vividly awake, clear, lucid, and empty. Imagine for a moment, if you will, that you would be able to be fully present in the moment, without the interference of thoughts, feelings and emotions; now, imagine for a moment that you could live your life in this state. This is Lucid Living, in a nutshell; it is discussed in more detail in the section titled AWARENESS – in the chapters 1.) The Art of Lucid Living, and 2.) The Art of Mindful Living.
*2 Mindfulness is the ability to perceive ourselves, others and our environment more consciously. This topic is explored in more detail in the section titled AWARENESS.

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Living Awareness is a term that describes expanded and focused state of being, or simply “pure awareness with aliveness”; it builds upon the idea of an Omnipresent Awareness – residing beyond consciousness, transcending space and time, matter and form. Living Awareness creates Living Consciousness through which we perceive the world around us; Living Consciousness arises when Living Awareness observes itself through its many emanations. So it could very well be said that Living Awareness – Pure Alive Presence – is the very nature of Life itself – see? These areas are explored in more detail in the sections titled CONSCIOUSNESS and AWARENESS, respectively. But for now, we end this brief discussion with these words by Sri Nisargadatta:

Consciousness does not shine by itself. It shines by a light beyond it. Having seen the dreamlike quality of consciousness, look for the light in which it appears. There is the content of consciousness as well as the awareness of it.

After reading the aforementioned, one could easily entertain the idea that space, time, matter, and form are concepts that appear in consciousness, which is another way of saying that all experience and phenomena happens in consciousness. If that would indeed be the case, then we would do well to realize that there is nowhere to go but in, which is another way of saying that we should consider the possibility that there really is no space “out there.” Rather, it is all here, within each and every one of us. Hence, it goes without saying that it takes a fair paradigm shift*1 to make the step in understanding our experience as conscious, sentient beings – of which consciousness and awareness is a fundamental part of it.

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*1 A paradigm is the collection of ideas and assumptions that pass from one generation to the next and which seem to be immutable. The paradigm shift, then, is when the paradigm shifts. In this process, everything that no longer serves its purpose – begins to fade away, to be replaced with something else; and with it goes all the old, outdated and outmoded structures that are limiting us. This in turn gives way to a new understanding, a new way of seeing, a new way of living, being, and doing. Paradigm shifts are necessary for growth and transformation. This area is explored more in detail in the section titled INFINITE, in a chapter Metaphysical Paradigm Shift.

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"