We all have thoughts and feelings, positive, negative, pleasant, unpleasant and everything in between. Let’s say for example, you have a pleasant thought followed by the corresponding pleasant feeling. What is it exactly that is feeling pleasant? I’m not a doctor so let’s keep this simple and say that all of this happens in your brain. What is it then that is aware that these thoughts and feelings arise and cease in your brain? Is your brain aware that it thinks and feels? Can your brain be aware of itself or is there another form of awareness, consciousness or soul that does not exist in the brain? Are you in your brain?

Who are you? Are you your body? If so, what part of your body are you? Are you your foot? If you lose your foot, do you still exist? Are you your arm? If you lose your arm, do you still exist? What about you heart? If you lose your heart and have a heart transplant, are you still you? The fact is you will not be able to find any part of your physical body that is you other than possibly your brain. So, do you only exist in your brain? Is the rest of your body just a vehicle for your brain to exist? Possibly. What happens if brain transplants become possible, where then will you be?

Interesting questions, no? Whatever the source of this awareness, we’ve been blessed with it. I say it’s a blessing because it allows us to detach from our thoughts and feelings not having to react to them, causing us emotional ups and downs. For example, if you’re feeling angry, you can be aware of this feeling yet not react emotionally to it. You can just be aware that there is anger without attaching your self to it. It doesn’t need to be personal. Feelings exist. They do not need to be personal, we all have them. They are not my feelings and your feelings, they are just feelings and we can choose to react to them or not. Why does everything need to be about us? Why do we need to possess everything? Feelings are part of existence. They were here before us and will be here after we die. Back to the anger… notice the anger and how it feels. Be aware of the arising and the inevitable ceasing of the anger. You can experience all of that without attaching to the anger, from a place of awareness. The awareness is not self, it is not you. The awareness is aware of you and your thoughts and your feelings, so it cannot be you.

Do you see the separation between what you may have considered to be you and the awareness? It may be as if this awareness is watching over you, somehow separate from your body, thoughts and feelings. We can learn to take refuge in this awareness. It can be a place of comfort and peace. This may be a very different philosophy from what you’re accustomed. Open your mind and try to experience this awareness. It is there… can you find it?

*Inspired by the teachings of Ajahn Sumedho

Tags: Awareness, Ignorance, Self