The Miracle of Self Awareness – I AM ALL
There are some experiences one has in life that deeply change one’s level of awareness and perspective. This article is about such an enlightenment experience I had during my post graduate years at Rutgers University. I had been awarded a fellowship which, in addition to making me financially comfortable, brought with it the privilege of living in one of the better apartments on campus. My apartment was a witnessing man’s dream. My window overlooked a busy street and I would enjoy just sitting there and observing the world go by.
My observation of people though utilized a peculiar technique. I would always look at the moving legs of the human beings as they walked. I found that this would immediately strip away the image that we normally perceive in another and would make their “animal” nature very apparent. In other words, instead of noticing the clothes, the style, the hair, the nationality, the looks, the generalizations, the social category, etc, I would be sitting, amused by the fact that, at the end, it was just an “animal” walking along. Try this way of looking, it will make you realize how many layers society has caked on to your natural Self.
On one such occasion, as I sat quietly just observing, expecting nothing, an incredible shift of awareness took place. The person (it was a male college student) who was walking along, was none other than ME walking! This was the absolute Truth. It was not a conclusion or mental activity of any kind. It was ME walking… period. I was walking, there was no him. The state of consciousness was incredible. Here is a summary of the nature of this enlightenment experience, which I hope will give you some insight into these kind of awakenings…
1. No effort or expectation was involved on my part to create this experience, as I was simply, silently just observing.
2. The best description of what took place, is a “Shift of Awareness”. Where awareness simply went from The Ordinary Reality of Many to the True Reality of One. Or said another way, shifted from self awareness to Self Awareness. Where the Big Self is All and is our One True Identity.
3. There was no loss of consciousness or sanity and the resultant state was absolutely Clear and True. Seeing him as me or no him and only me, was like seeing the Sky as Blue.
4. As with most enlightenment experiences it was coupled with great joy, bliss and awe.
What this experience makes apparent is that the True Nature of Reality is radically different from the ordinary reality we perceive everyday. The reality of different people, including yourself, living different lives is just a projection. It is just Maya (illusion). It is just a play. Behind the scene everything is just you. All is you. Everything is just appearing and disappearing in your mind or in your True Self. Try to hold on to this Self Awareness, this Non-Dual way of looking and you will notice a remarkable difference in your attitude and feelings. After all, if everybody and everything is just you, what is there to fear and what is there to gain or lose?
You are all and everything is you. Thou art that. Tat Tvam Asi. There is only I AM.
well, I guess I’m just talking to myself here then :o) or a reflection of me anyway. It as back in 1994 that I was in australia,and found in the room where there ere people talking all different languages on screen, and i wrote ”this is god just looking at himself” hich then translated to god looking through myriad eyes at his own magnfificence, which is to be found in the book that I wrote a s a idferent entirty of me, called eckhart tolle, and my book, new earth.
personally I don’t buy it, and I anted to know who ese is realy out there?
and this is from a book that I as writing:
the divine creator IT said what is it?
and the reply was
oh it’s it-self
am I enlightened or waht?
and everything is itself!
or the self of the gerat creator it
and it which is also considered to be tao in chinese is
this and that and they
they are this and that
this is that and that is this becomes they
and therefore this/that self/other is they/we or I
how about that then?
the logic of a person having psychosis!
I believe that by just being a part of “Priscilla’ Palmer’s Personal Development list obligates each of us to also post this list. You like me (Killeris at “Attitude, the Ultimate Power”) are on this list. If you have already posted it, THANK YOU. If you have not posted it, I am officially putting out a challenge that you add additional sites that fit the theme and post it. This list can be found at: http://mondaymorningpower.blogspot.com/2007/09/personal-development-list-challenge.html.
Hi Patricia,
It’s funny how these great glimpses, some of the most memorable events in our lives, happen at times when we are just relaxed, aware and not expecting anything. Thanks for sharing.
I “got” a similar experience once sitting in a parking lot watching a homeless man walk down the street. I felt such joy knowing that he and I were one.
Hi Meditacija,
Thank you for your inspiring comments and I welcome your participation in the discussions.
The great beauty of life is that the possibilities are infinite. In other words, life is ever changing and so is the experience of Truth. Truth is thus not a fixed point. So one cannot lock down future possibilities.
Having said that, I have come across descriptions of this experience from others which include being one with a group (J, Krishnamurti) and also, being One with all others and the world. So yes certainly this experience can extend far beyond seeing just another as yourself. It, by the way, also extends to seeing not only people as yourself but also the things that appear in our consciousness.
I enjoyed the Art of Meditation article on your website very much. It was beautiful. For other readers here is the link to this excellent article…
http://www.sunnyray.org/Art_of_Meditation.htm
Hi!
This is the first time that I post in your blog, which I find very inspiring
Indeed, as you describe in your blog, we are all one. How deeply do you think can this insight you shared with us extend in terms of maybe experiencing being one with a group of people, or even with the humanity as a whole?