From: Colin Drake
Date: Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The Open Way
I call awakening by becoming aware of, and identifying with, Awareness 'The Open Way' because it is both 'open' and a 'way'. That is to say that it is not restricted, closed, covered or protected and is open to all people, situations and life-occurrences. It is also a way, a means, to awaken and cultivation of this is a way, path, to full self--realization. Moreover, it is a way to be completely open to life with all of its possibilities and opportunities.
There are many other ways (means or paths) to awakening but most require certain elements to be in place, thus restricting access to them. Typical elements are a guru, initiation, secret knowledge and practices, physical fitness, mental concentration and great discipline. Whereas becoming aware of, and identifying with, Awareness is very simple and open to all … see the appendix. The one element in common with all 'ways' is that they require great determination and persistence. For although 'the open way' is simple and the first awakening occurs readily this is soon swamped by old thought patterns and samskaras (mental tendencies or 'well-worn grooves in the mind'). So awakening needs to be established by repeated enquiry, or investigation, until one no longer 'nods off'.
This can take a long time, many life times some Buddhists say, but one need not be discouraged by this for every new awakening fills one with a lightness of being as the worldly burdens are lifted, temporarily or permanently if slumber is not resumed. This lightness is so appealing that it makes enquiry/investigation a joy and thus persistence in this can be readily attained. So one should never say that one does not have time for, or is to busy to, enquire/investigate for this releases time by making us more alert and efficient. I recommend that one should spend two or three periods of at least twenty minutes per day deeply relaxing into the recognition of Pure Awareness, as this will establish awakening and make us less likely to be tossed by the storms of worldly life.
As being awake is the means to overcome the mental suffering that is caused by identifying oneself as a separate object (in a universe of the same) then the occurrence of this can be recognised as a symptom that one has nodded off. So it can be used as a trigger to recommence investigation which can be performed in a few seconds by realizing that one is effortlessly aware of this mental suffering and (at the deepest level) one is this Awareness! In the same way if any remark causes offence, by taking it personally, then once again misidentification is occurring and so this can be used as another wake-up call. Thus the day is filled with multiple opportunities to reawaken and I am sure that you will discover many more …
The one thing that is required is the determination to awaken and remain awake whenever possible. This may sound onerous but the outcome of being awake is so wonderful and freeing, compared to being trapped in a separate personal headspace, that this determination becomes self-nurturing requiring no effort. For when awake one is open to all people, possibilities and situations. Once one sees that, at the deepest level, one is Pure Awareness, then one sees that 'others' are also That too, and this completely changes ones interaction with them. For they are then seen to be of the same essence, or essentially the same, as oneself and thus their needs and wishes become of equal weight to ones own! In fact one could go even further and say that one sees all as oneself …
The 'all' that is mentioned does not only apply to people for, in the final analysis, all is consciousness existing in two modes – at rest as Pure Awareness and in motion as Cosmic Energy of which the universe(s) is a manifestation. Thus our body/minds are temporary manifestations of consciousness in motion, underlying which is Pure Awareness, consciousness at rest. So full awakening produces this 'panoramic awareness' of no separation or nonduality. In this one is open to all possibilities and situations, as one is not restricted by protecting an imaginary separate personal self. Also one sees everything openly, as it actually is, and not covered or concealed by one's opinions, judgements, self-interest etc…
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are interested in more articles, poems, or my paperback books, including in the new book: Awakening and Beyond, Outcomes of Self-Recognition, these may be found at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/ColinDrake . If you wish to purchase a book always check www.lulu.com for discounts/sale prices which Lulu is constantly offering.
To buy my e-books with a permanent discount at $6 US ($3 for the poetry):
1/ Login to paypal at www.paypal.com
2/ Go to our account and click 'Send Money'
3/ Transfer the amount to colin108@bigpond.com specifying 'goods'
4/ in the 'message', on the next page, type in the name of the book and then your e-mail address.
5/ Then complete the transfer and I will e-mail the book to you.