How Do You Know That You Are Aware?- 4th July 2016

The mind hates the recognition, you have to say it like that. It hates the recognition. So the instant you get into the clear seeing of who you are, which is available in any instant, it has to jump in with some tantrum, using either 'Why are you being lazy? Do something!' or 'Oh, I don't want to do something, I want to be lazy.' And that's why these days we've been focusing so much not just on the recognition—because I feel the recognition of who you are is available for most of you—but on not picking up this instant conditioning which shows up almost immediately.

The question 'Are you aware now?' is meant to provoke some looking, some seeing. Very quickly the mind comes as the reporter and it's very quick to say, 'Oh, nothing happened' or 'Oh, I saw that I am aware, but so what?' You see? So everything actually... well, not 'so what.' So everything! You recognize yourself as awareness. Awareness is aware of itself. It is the only non-phenomenal experience, if you can even call it that. Nothing from the mind is worth picking up about this.

How do you know that you are aware? Do you see it? How do you know you are aware? Is it an experience? Is it phenomenal? This 'how do we know that we are aware' that is ever-present is always taken for granted. It is so rare one has looked at this question: 'How do I know of my awareness?' And what do I know? So for many of you, the mind could be going chatter, chatter, chatter because it hates this stuff. It's grunting, 'How do you know you are aware?' and going 'Blah, blah, blah, so boring, so dull.' That which is the origin of life—even prior to the origin of life—the most pristine, the most pure, the most innocent, the simplest seeing, the mind says, 'Ugh, what's in it for me? What's in it for me? So what if I'm aware? What about my problems?' As Guruji says, we don't even know our problem three problems ago. It's just distraction.

Is it these ideas, comparing, judging? The mind believes itself to be so special, but that which is truly special and pristine, that it avoids. You avoid this question. Which mouth it is coming from doesn't matter. How it is being expressed doesn't matter. How do you know of this awareness? Are you aware of it? Who are you that is aware of awareness? Who is the 'I' that says 'I am aware'?

Don't run from this recognition. Use your attention to dive into this, to merge into this. Who are you? Who is aware? Don't believe any report; just keep looking. See for yourselves. The inquiry is not about coming to a mental conclusion about something. No mental conclusion ever helps with anything. Who is aware? Who is aware? Don't question the question; look for the answer. Who is aware now? Is it not you? What do you look like there? Are you located? What is your form? Are you an object sitting inside your head? Who would see this? From what did you arise?