Originally Posted by Rosie  Every conscious thing, whether a bug, animal, or human, is essentially one being. There is no separation. It is not a new concept, as Buddhists have described the idea of “one-ness” for centuries. I often wonder why more people have not adopted this belief, and I have come to the conclusion, that it is simply too obvious.
Some people argue that bugs and other lower beings are not aware, because they can’t think like we do. Thinking is a product of the brain, and since awareness is beyond the brain, then thinking is not required for awareness to exist. Do bugs not run away when they see something threatening? Do they not react to someone touching them? The only prerequisite of being aware, is that you are aware of something. It could be something auditory, visual, physical, or spiritual - it doesn’t matter what it is. Awareness, is not something distinctly human.
How can I logically determine my identity? Assuming that my true identity is eternal, I will have to eliminate anything that is not. I know that matter doesn’t survive forever - and everything in the physical world that has beginning also has an end. That eliminates my brain, because it is made of matter, and is thus finite. Then I must eliminate my ego, because it is merely a manifestation of my brain. What is left? I don’t have thoughts anymore, I don’t have a personality, and all that is left is awareness. My true identity must be timeless, pure, awareness. The definition of awareness is constant. It does not change depending on who you are referring to. We are all aware in the same way.
So, if we identify with awareness, and agree that everyone is aware, and everyone experiences the same awareness, then saying I am aware is equivalent to saying that “we are all one being“. The brain is the veil that conceals the true nature of our existence. The brain is what separates us.
There are seven billion aware humans on the planet, and trillions of aware creatures. Millions of these aware creatures die each day, and millions are born each day. From this we can come to one of two conclusions. 1. Awareness is in endless supply. 2. Awareness simply is. Conclusion number one implies that awareness is easily created and easily destroyed. Conclusion number two suggests that it cannot be created or destroyed.
How do we experience pure awareness for ourself? We can’t actually desert our brains, so we will have to rely on a technique that the Buddhists call “meditation”. In doing so, we can temporarily quiet the mind, and restrain the ego. The personality disappears, and all that is left is pure awareness.
It's hard to put in to words, but I finally think I understand what Steve means by subjective reality! Let me know if what I have said is even remotely coherent. |