Awareness is the True Reality of What I am ( Ashtavakra Gita 1.3) - 27th September 2016

So, verse number three: 'You are not earth, water, fire, or air, nor are you empty space. Liberation is to know yourself as awareness alone, the witness of these.' We jump straight in. He is saying you're not earth, water, fire, or air. So in Indian education, in our Indian tradition, the world is made up of these elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space. So he's saying, this sage is saying, you are neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor air.

And then the mind has this tendency—many times in satsang also we see, isn't it?—that we start imagining some like empty dark space or black space or some room full of white light is what we are. So, 'nor are you that empty space.' That's important too, that he mentioned that line very clearly. So I feel we are clear that we cannot be the elements of this realm, and neither are we the empty space.

'Liberation is to know yourself as awareness alone, the witness of these.' Very good. So even this space—many times we visualize a space when we remember inquiry—but who is that that is aware of even this space? This awareness is the true reality of what I am. So when we ask the question 'Are you aware now?' it brings us here to see that this awareness which is here, which is just the witness of all of these elements, but is not made up of any of these elements.

It's important to read also that 'liberation is to know yourself as awareness alone.' You see, this shows you what I've been pointing to also the last few weeks, that sometimes we come to the discovery of awareness as if it is something external to us. 'Oh, nothing is happening to awareness, but what about me? I have seen this awareness, but what about my life? Will it get better?' You see, still sometimes in our inquiry in satsang, it can be that we come to a recognition of this awareness, but something still—the mind still keeps alive the sense of a separate identity which is coming to the discovery of awareness.

Even so, it is important to know liberation is to know yourself as awareness alone. That's why I've offered you this question: 'Who is aware even of awareness?' Yeah? And this, I feel at least right now, if you can find a way to escape even this question, then I'll find another question for you. But at least right now, it feels like you cannot truly escape the discovery that I am this awareness. Even prior to 'I am,' I am this awareness.