Reflective Awareness

The word "awareness" has been bandied about by many who write books and give interviews and talks that allude to a knowledge of a defined consciousness. But all the esoteric mumbo jumbo that one is exposed to is really meaningless. It does nothing to further a realization of the actual, of ones day to day conflict. All these books and "teachers" only add to ones already confused and conflicted existence. A mind that is in the conflict and confusion of a conditioned consciousness cannot discover that which is without conflict. It can only project the continuity of the content of itself. It cannot go beyond itself, beyond its confused state, with its many different ideals and images.

So what is one to do? How can a person realize a state of peace and harmony that is not the result of some artificial trick of the mind? It is easy for us to self hypnotize ourselves into believing in some "new age" fantasy or to be hypnotized by another. We all are looking to escape the conflict of the moment, to find a respite from our own self created misery. Inspirational messages can give us a temporary feeling of elation and of a grounded self image. But the reality of the moment creeps in and again we find ourselves trapped by a mind that is seeking and desiring the "image" of what we are not.

Is it possible to be aware without seeking some sort of recompense? To exist in a state of awareness in which the self is absent, awareness that is without thoughts movement. If a person is observing quietly, all that is happening in the moment then it is possible to see ones reflection in what is observed. As you observe quietly you are able to realize thoughts movement as its own projection in what is observed. You see for the first time that you do not observe directly that what you thought was reality is tainted by self projection. It is ones self projected defined reality. As you observe and listen to others in the stillness of reflective awareness, you see thoughts movement in others. You see the reality of the self in others. As you realize the movement of your own thought do not try to suppress it. Allow it to flower without trying to make a judgement or have a conclusion. Reflective awareness does not make choices it simply looks at the reality of the self that is engaged in its own projected self enclosed observations. If you are attentive you will see how the mind grapples with its own prejudice and how that we are continually desiring what should be instead of accepting the reality of what is. When we are without acceptance then the mind creates the conflict and violence of a self that wants to alter what is to fit ones ideal. In reflective awareness you are not seeking, which means there are no choices. Whatever is observed is observed without comparison or conclusion. It is a state in which the mind is totally neutral. One is leaning neither to the right nor to the left.

Realizing that the mind reflects its own conflict and confusion in what is, is the beginning of understanding that creates change. That change is not something that is sought by the mind that wants change, but by the mind that accepts and understands the reality of the moment. The true reality of the moment is the change. A person sees directly, seeing that is absent the self of motivation and acquisition. That change is an unconditioned intelligence that realizes the truth of the moment. Because one is absent the ideal of "change" there is no self promotion as an entity that projects. It can be a deep psychological release that creates an atmosphere of change for all that one comes into contact with.