Awareness is not a Property of the Body

Summary

The transcript explores the concept of awareness, challenging the common belief that the body is the source of awareness. It argues that awareness is not a byproduct of the body but an ever-present, continuous quality of being. Awareness is likened to the screen in a movie, unaffected by the movie itself, and independent of the body or mind. Through metaphors, the idea is presented that awareness is made of pure knowing, inherently self-aware, and does not require external reflection to understand itself. The nature of awareness is described as dimensionless and intrinsic to existence.

Takeaways

• 😀 Awareness is not a property of the body but an independent, ever-present quality.
• 😀 Most people mistakenly believe that the body is the source of awareness.
• 😀 Awareness does not need the body or mind to know itself—it is self-aware by its very nature.
• 😀 The belief that awareness is a byproduct of the body is like thinking the screen is produced by the movie.
• 😀 Awareness is continuous and unchanging, while the body and mind are intermittent experiences.
• 😀 The metaphor of the movie and the screen demonstrates how awareness is independent of the body.
• 😀 Awareness is like the sun, which does not need a mirror to shine in order to illuminate itself.
• 😀 Experience is often mistaken for being bodily, but the true essence of awareness is knowing itself.
• 😀 Awareness is made of pure knowing—it is not something that needs to reflect on objects to exist.
• 😀 The metaphor of empty space with knowing added helps us understand how awareness exists without dimensions or physical form.

Q & A

What is the common belief about awareness in relation to the body?

Most people believe that awareness is a property of the body, meaning they think the body itself is aware of experiences, thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.

What is the key teaching presented in the transcript regarding awareness?

The key teaching is that awareness is not a property of the body; rather, awareness itself is aware. The body does not possess awareness, but awareness has the experience of the body.

Why does the idea that awareness can know itself without the body or mind seem extraordinary?

This idea seems extraordinary because of the deeply ingrained belief that awareness is tied to the body. People are conditioned to think that it is the body that is aware of experiences, so the concept of awareness knowing itself without the body is difficult to grasp.

How does the speaker describe awareness in relation to the body?

The speaker compares awareness to a continuous, ever-present experience, while the body’s experience is intermittent. Awareness is not a byproduct of the body, but rather the body is an experience within awareness.

What metaphor is used to illustrate the relationship between awareness and the body?

The speaker uses the metaphor of a screen and a movie. Just as the screen is continuous and does not depend on the movie to exist, awareness is continuous and does not need the body or mind to know itself.

How does the speaker explain the nature of knowing in awareness?

The speaker explains that awareness is made of pure knowing. Awareness does not need to reflect its knowing through objects or the body; it simply knows itself by being itself.

What is the comparison made between awareness and the sun?

The speaker compares awareness to the sun, stating that awareness does not need the mind or body to reflect or know itself, just as the sun does not need a mirror to shine or illuminate itself.

What is meant by 'dimensionless knowing' in the transcript?

Dimensionless knowing refers to the pure essence of awareness, which exists without any spatial or physical dimensions. The metaphor of removing space from knowing illustrates how awareness exists beyond the limitations of time and space.

Why does the speaker claim that awareness cannot not know itself?

Awareness cannot not know itself because it is fundamentally made out of knowing. Since it is the essence of knowing, it is impossible for awareness to be unaware or lacking knowledge of itself.

What is the significance of imagining space with the quality of knowing?

Imagining space with the quality of knowing helps to understand that awareness is not inert or empty. It is not just present but is inherently capable of knowing itself, much like space imbued with the quality of knowing.